Culture2022 final exam papers
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Every student needs to find a topic, which is not in the textbook and has not been presented in class. Please check your topics in regard of this. All topics are ok except for those with red marks. Please suggest a new topic instead and wait for the teacher to remove the red marks.
1. Every student should write a new English text on a phenomenon in Chinese culture as a new chapter in the text book.
2. Please find a paper you want to proof read, contact the author, proof read (by copying each paragraph and make corrections/suggestions in the copy) . Please proof read a fellow students' paper by copying each paragraph and make your corrections in the paragraph. In a final step, the original author of the paper has to decide, what of the corrections he/she will accept and work into the paper. The final version submitted on the deadline should not carry any of the fellow student's paragraphs and comments.
- You can use the texts in the coursebook as an example (like Unit 1, Text A). You only need to write Text A (like "Longevity Noodles") or Text B ("Mooncakes"), not a whole Unit. But please try to find fellow students who topics fit under the same Unit title ("Festival Meals") and arrange it accordingly.
- In the topic, please write the category, then the topic - your name and student no.
- For the text, please indicate ALL SOURCES with bibliographical references. That means: At least for every paragraph, sometimes for single sentences, you have to indicate at the end, where you have found this information. E.g. (Liu Miqing 2010, 17). This means you have found it in the book or paper written by Ms Liu on page 17.
- Add a section at the end called "References".
- Please also add a list "Terms and Expressions".
- Please add a "Questions" section.
- Please add a "Answers" section.
Chen Cheng 陈诚 - Economy: Chinese Currency Changes
China was one of the first countries in the world to use currency, and has been using it for over 5,000 years. During the formation and development of ancient Chinese currency, it underwent five major evolutions: the evolution of natural currency to artificial currency, the evolution from a haphazard shape to a unified shape, the evolution from local to central minted coins, the evolution from paper weights to tung bao and yuan bao, and the evolution from metal money to paper money "Jiaozi". December 1, 1948, when the People's Bank of China was established and issued the first set of RMB.
1.Natural Currency to Artificial Currency
Natural currency is replaced by currency made by human beings. The history of Chinese currency spans more than 3000 years. Currency of some type has been used in China since the Neolithic age which can be traced back to between 3000 and 4500 years ago. Cowry shells are believed to have been the earliest form of currency used in Central China, and were used during the Neolithic period. With the development of economy, such kind of currency couldn't satisfy people's needs of exchanging things. Chinese started to make money by themselves instead of relying on the natural currency(Cowry shells). This currency broadened, Cowry shells were replaced totally.
2.Haphazard Shape to Unified Shape
From the advent of bronze coins in the Shang dynasty until the Warring States period, China had many shapes of currency. During the Warring States period not only did countries mint their own currency, but also various regions within a vassal state. The famous are the shovel coins of Zhao, the knife coins of Qi, the round square-hole coins of Qin and the ant-nose coins of Chu.
Around 210 BC, the first emperor of China Qin Shi Huang (260–210 BC) abolished all other forms of local currency and introduced a uniform copper coin. Paper currency was invented in China in the 9th century, but the base unit of currency remained the copper coin. Copper coins were used as the chief denomination of currency in China until the introduction of the yuan.
3.Local to Central Minted Coins
At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the counties were allowed to mint money freely, causing confusion over the currency. In 113 BC, Emperor Wu withdrew the right to mint coins from the counties, and the central government unified the minting of the five baht coin, which became the only legal currency at the time. This established the central government's unified management of coin minting and issuance.
4.Paper Weights to Tung Bao and Yuan Bao
The coins minted since the Qin and Han dynasties were usually clearly marked with the weight of the money in the text, such as "half tael", "five baht", etc. (twenty-four baht is one tael). In the fourth year of the Tang Dynasty (621), Li Yuan decided to reform the coinage system, abolishing the ancient coins of different weights and taking the meaning of "opening up a new era" and casting the "Kaiyuan Tongbao" coin. The "Kaiyuan Tongbao" is a reversal of the old system of the Qin and Han dynasties, with no weight written on the coin, which is the evolution of Chinese ancient currency from paper weight to Tongbao and Yuanbao. "Kaiyuan Tongbao" money is Chinese earliest Tongbao money. After this copper money no longer use the money mark weight, all to Tongbao, Yuanbao, it has been used to the Xinhai Revolution after the "Republic of Tongbao".
5.Metal Money to Paper Money "Jiaozi"
During the Northern Song Dynasty, with the development of exchange, the amount of money in circulation increased. When Emperor Taizong of the Northern Song Dynasty, 800,000 Guan of coins were minted annually, which gradually increased later. Because of the shortage of copper material for casting money, the government to make up for the shortage of copper money, in some areas to cast a large number of iron money. According to the "History of the Song Dynasty", the cast iron money in Sichuan at that time weighed as much as 25 catties and 8 taels. The emergence of "Jiaozi" was an important evolution from metal money to paper money in the history of ancient money.
6.Modern Chinese Currency
Currently, the renminbi is the official currency of the People's Republic of China (PRC). It is the legal tender in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong or Macau. The special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau use the Hong Kong dollar and the Macanese pataca, respectively. In the Republic of China (ROC), the New Taiwan dollar is the official legal tender in Taiwan since 2000.
With the development of the Internet and globalization, the renminbi is gradually partly replaced by e-CNY.
e-CNY, also known as digital renminbi, is a central bank digital currency issued by China's central bank, the People's Bank of China. It is the first digital currency to be issued by a major economy, undergoing public testing as of April 2021. The digital RMB is legal tender and has equivalent value with other forms of renminbi, also known as the Chinese yuan, such as bills and coins. The digital yuan is designed to move instantaneously in both domestic and international transactions. It aims to be cheaper and faster than existing financial transactions. The technology enables transactions to take place between two offline devices. The digital renminbi is seen by some commentators as a form of Chinese government surveillance and control over users and their financial transactions.
Terms
Tung Bao 通宝
Yuan Bao 元宝
jiaozi 交子
RMB 人民币
Warring States period 战国时期
the copper coin 铜板
Kaiyuan Tongbao 开元通宝
the New Taiwan dollar 新台币
Questions
1. How many kinds of changes have Chinese ancient currency experienced?
2. What's the meaning of "Kaiyuan Tungbao"?
3. When did Jiaozi appear?
4. What does e-CNY aim at?
Reference
1 "河南省人民政府門戶網站 中國最早金屬鑄幣 商代晚期鑄造銅貝". big5.henan.gov.cn. Archived from the original on March 17, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
2 Giedroyc, R. (2006). The Everything Coin Collecting Book: All You Need to Start Your Collection And Trade for Profit. Adams Media. ISBN 9781593375683. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
3 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2012. A snap shot view of THE HISTORY OF CHINA by YK Kwan
4 http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/focus/currency.htm Shell Money before Qin Dynasty
5 http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_681500371_2/shang_dynasty.html Shang Dynasty Economy Encarta. Archived 2009-10-31.
6 "JiaoZi and Iron Standard – Examining world's first documented paper money system from China with lenses of Austrian economics". Rothbardian Gold Price.
7 宏皓:《金融五千年》第五集《中国最早的货币专家》.甘肃日报
8 统一货币 控制经济.中国经济网 .2009年04月28日
9 中国古代货币的演变.博宝艺术网
10 中国货币史.豆瓣
Chen Kun 陈锟 - History:Wang Shouren
Brief Introduction
WangShouren (1472-1529), originally known as Wang Yun, also named Wang Yangming, was born in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province. Wang was the son of Wang Hua, the Minister of Nanjing Ministry of officials.Wang Shouren was an outstanding thinker, litterateur, militarist and educator in the Ming Dynasty.
In 1499, he was admitted as a jinshi and served as the minister of punishment. He was appointed as the yicheng of Longchang in Guizhou, the county magistrate of Luling, the imperial censor of Youjin capital, the grand coordinators of southern Jiangxi provinces, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, the minister of Nanjing Military Department, and the imperial censor of left capital in his political career. He successively pacified the banditry and chaos of southern and Jiangxi provinces, Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, and the chaos of Zhu Chenhao, and was granted the title of new earl. He became one of the three literary ministers who won the title of nobility by virtue of military exploit in the Ming Dynasty. He died in 1529,at the age of 57.
The basic course of the development of the philosophy of the mind in the Ming Dynasty can be summarized as follows: Chen Xianzhang started, Zhan Ruoshui improved, and Wang Shouren integrated. Wang Shouren's Yangming School of mind was later spread to Japan, Korea and other countries. Its disciples are numerous and are known as "Yaojiang school" in the world. His article is broad and prosperous, and there is a free and easy spirit between the lines. His Complete Works of Duke Wang Wencheng was handed down from generation to generation.
Longchang Enlightment
In the winter of 1506, the eunuch Liu Jin was in charge of political affairs, and arrested more than 20 people for no reason, including the imperial censor of Nanjing. WangShouren was angry with Liu Jin for his wrongdoing of innocent people. He was demoted to Guizhou Longchang (70 miles northwest of Guiyang) as the manager of Longchang post. At the same time, his father, Wang Hua, was also driven out of Beijing and transferred to the position of minister of Nanjing.
During the journey, WangShouren was hunted by Liu Jin, and he forged a diving suicide to avoid being robbed. WangShouren escaped the hunt and secretly went to Nanjing to meet his father Wang Hua. Wang Hua said to him, "since the imperial court has appointed you, you have the responsibility. You'd better take office." Then he set out on his way to Longchang, Guizhou, where "thousands of mountains are thin and Miao and Liao live together". At that time, Longchang was still an uncivilized area. WangShouren was not discouraged. He taught the local people according to their customs and was supported by the people. During this period, he had a new understanding of the central idea of the University. WangShouren realized that "the way of saints is self-sufficient, and those who seek reason from it are wrong." During this period, he wrote "dogma to show all the students in the Longchang", which is called "Longchang Enlightenment" in history.
Unity of Knowledge and Practice
In 1508, WangShouren, the master of philosophy of the mind, gave a lecture at Guiyang Civilization Academy, and put forward the theory of unity of knowledge and Practice for the first time. The so-called "unity of knowledge and practice" is not the relationship between general knowledge and practice. "Knowledge" mainly refers to people's moral consciousness and ideology. "Practice" mainly refers to people's moral practice and practical action. Therefore, the relationship between knowledge and practice refers to the relationship between moral consciousness and moral practice, and also includes the relationship between some ideas and practical actions. WangShouren's thought of "unity of knowledge and action" includes the following two meanings.
1. There is practice in knowledge, and there is knowledge in practice. WangShouren believes that practice and knowledge is one thing and cannot be divided into two parts. "Practice and knowledge are two words,but be mentioned at the same time". From the perspective of moral education, WangShouren strongly opposes the disconnection between knowledge and practice and "knowledge but not practice" in moral education, and prominently attributes all morality to the conscious practice of individuals, which is of positive significance. Because from the perspective of moral education, moral consciousness is inseparable from moral behavior, and moral behavior is inseparable from moral consciousness. The two are inseparable from each other. Knowledge must be manifested as practice, and failure to do so cannot be regarded as true knowledge. Moral cognition and moral consciousness must be manifested in moral behavior. If we do not practice, we cannot be regarded as attaining true knowledge. WangShouren believes that conscience can do nothing but practice consciously, that is, knowledge. This is undoubtedly profound.
2. Knowing is practicing, knowing decides practicing. WangShouren said ,"knowledge is the idea of practice, practicing is the process of knowing; knowing is the beginning of practicing, and practice is the accomplishment of knowledge". It means that morality is the guiding ideology of human behavior, and acting according to the requirements of morality is the time to reach "conscience". The idea activity under the guidance of morality is the beginning of behavior, and the behavior conforming to the requirements of moral norms is the completion of "conscience".
Achievements
WangShouren opposes regarding Confucianism of Confucius and Mencius as unchanging commandments, and opposes blindly obeying feudal ethics. Instead, he emphasizes personal initiative. The philosophical proposition of "bringing conscience" and the methodology of "unity of knowledge and practice" put forward by him have the significance of breaking through the feudalistic ideas and calling for the liberation of thought and personality. Wang Shouren received a wide range of disciples to publicize his ideas, which was known as "Yangming school" (also known as "Yaojiang school"). His works, including 38 volumes of the Complete Works of Duke Wang Wencheng , were appraised by the academic circles as the earliest enlightenment philosophy in the late feudal medieval society of China.
In terms of calligraphy, WangShouRen's calligraphic works are mainly cursive. His calligraphy was mainly based on Wang Xizhi, and also on the bone techniques of Ouyang Xun and Huang Tingjian. He integrated the philosophy of the mind into calligraphy, which enriched Chinese calligraphy theory. His main works are "University Questions", " Complete Works of Duke Wang Wencheng" and "Chuanxilu ". His works are included in the History of the Ming Dynasty and The Finest of Ancient Prose.
Terms and Expressions
1.jinshi进士
2.minister of punishment刑部尚书
3.yicheng of Guizhou Longchang贵州龙场驿丞
4.magistrate of a county知县
5.the imperial censor of Youjin capital右佥都御史
6.grand coordinators巡抚
7.governor总督;明初在用兵时派往地方巡视监察的官员;清朝始正式成为地方最高长官,一般管辖两省的军事和政治,也有管三省或只管一省的
8.the minister of Nanjing Military Department南京兵部尚书
9.pacify平定
10.banditry土匪行为(或活动)
11.Zhu Chenhao朱宸濠
12.new earl新建伯
13.literary minister文臣
14.military exploit军功
15.Chen Xianzhang陈献章
16.Zhan Ruoshui湛若水
17.Yaojiang school姚江学派,即阳明学派(明朝中晚期的主流学说)
18.Longchang Enlightment龙场悟道
19.Liu Jin刘瑾
20.take office上任
21.University《大学》
22.unity of knowledge and practice知行合一
23.Guiyang Civilization Academy贵阳文明学院
24.Confucianism of Confucius and Mencius孔孟之道
25.Complete Works of Duke Wang Wencheng《王文成公全书》
26.Wang Xizhi王羲之
27.Ouyang Xun欧阳询
28.Huang Tingjian黄庭坚
29.University Questions《大学问》
30.Chuanxilu《传习录》
31.History of the Ming Dynasty《明史》
32.The Finest of Ancient Prose《古文观止》
Questions
1. What is the basic course of the development of the philosophy of the mind in the Ming Dynasty?
2. Where did Wang Shouren comprehend the philosophy of mind?
3. What theory did WangShouren put forward when he gave lectures in Guiyang?
4. What does WangShouRen think is the relationship between knowledge and action?
5. What is the historical significance of the unity of knowledge and action?
References
1. 王阳明, 《传习录》;中州古籍出版社2008年1月
2. 《明史》 列传第八十三 王守仁传,国学网[引用日期2014-01-21]
3. 当年明月.《明朝那些事儿》:浙江人民出版社,2011年11月第1版
4. 杨嵘 编著.《王阳明大全集》.北京:中国华侨出版社,2011年
5. 余姚历史人物——四大先贤 .浙江在线[引用日期2020-08-20]
6. 《王守仁》,中国网[引用日期2014-01-20]
Chen Tianyu 陈天钰— Martial Arts:The Development of Chinese Swordsman Spirit
--Chen Tianyu (talk) 04:46, 30 May 2022 (UTC)
the outline of the first paragraph: a brief introduction of Chinese swordsman spirit+my basic understanding of Chinese swordsman spirit +the overall outline(perspectives)of the essays.
Chen Xinyi 陈心怡 - Cuisine: Luosifen
Luosifen, also called River snails rice noodle, is a Chinese noodle dish with “offensive” oder and a speciality of the city of Liuzhou, in Guang Xi, southwest China. It consists of rice noodles boiled and served in a soup which is made by stewing river snails and pork bones for several hours with black cardamom, fennel seed, dried tangerine peel, cassia bark, cloves, white pepper, bay leaf, licorice root, sand ginger, and star anise. It usually does not contain river snail meat, but it is instead served with pickled bamboo shoot, pickled green beans, shredded wood ear, fu zhu, fresh green vegetables, peanuts, and chili oil added to the soup. Diners can also add chili, green onions, white vinegar, and green peppers to suit their taste.
History of Luosifen
Origin
According to the findings of archaeologists, in the last Paleolithic age forerunners have eaten the river snails in the White Lotus Cave and Big Dragon Pool which is in the Guang Xi province. Since the Era before Qin Dynasty, rice noodle has become the staple food to people who grow up in southern China including Guang Xi Province. However, their combination, Luosifen has appeared around 1970s-1980s. There are many assumptions about its origin. The one is that in the mid-1980s, there was a grocery store on Jie Fang South Road, operating dry-cut noodles, and its clerks used to take a handful of dry-cut noodles in the morning and cook them at the granny's river snail stall next door. Wang Ji granny who sold river snails thought it tasted very good, so she sold river snail rice noodles. The other one is that in the 1970s and 1980s, the Gu Bu Street food market became the largest distribution center for wholesale raw snails in Liuzhou, and the audience of the nearby workers' cinema liked to stroll around after the show, leading to the Gu Bu Street night market. Liuzhou people have always been fond of snails and rice noodles, and some night market owners operated both boiled snails and rice noodles. Some diners liked to add snail soup with a lot of oil and water to the rice noodles, thus forming the prototype of snail noodles. Another is that late one night in the early 1980s, several foreigners came to Liuzhou and arrived at a rice noodle stall that was about to close, as the bone broth was no longer available and only a pot of snail soup left over from cooking snails was left, the stall owner put the rice noodles into the snail soup and cooked them with vegetables and peanuts and other side dishes. The stall owner later gradually improved its ingredients and production, made into snail noodles.
The most brilliant star of Liu Zhou
More than ten years ago, Luosifen was just in the night market,but now it is not only in small "hole-in-the-wall" restaurants, but also luxury hotel restaurants. When we come to terms with Liu Zhou, people come with Luosifen. Not only because itself, but also due to its popular instant version. In 2010, Liuzhou encouraged businesses opening stores in major cities such as Beijing and Guangzhou. In 2014 local authority proposed to industrialize it into bagged instant river snails noodles for large-scale production of special snacks. During the process of rapid industrial development, the government continued to regulate the development of the industry and raised the threshold of access. These gives way to promote instant river snails rice noodles.
As of the end of 2021, Liuzhou has 127 pre-packaged snail river noodles production enterprises.Liuzhou snail noodles is going into the "bagged fast food" era, on the Internet e-commerce express, the local snacks gradually go to a broader world. In 2021, Liuzhou snail rice noodles sales revenue of the whole industry chain reached 50.16 billion yuan, including 15.197 billion yuan of bagged river snail rice noodles, an increase of 38.23%, the annual delivery volume exceeded 100 million pieces, and the turnover of physical stores nationwide was 20.68 billion yuan, an increase of 75.25%. By the way, in 2018, the skill to make the rice noodle of Luosifen has been selected in the list of intangible cultural heritage of Guang Xi Zhuang Autonoumous Region. In 2021, it has selected in the list of national intangible cultural heritage.
From China to the world
In the late 2010s, many luosifen restaurants have opened in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, as well as in other countries such as the US. According to the data, Luosifen has sold to over 20 countries, and in 2021, the exports were valued at 8.24 billion up 89.86% on the last year.
Making process
Sour, spicy,refreshing and hot sensations with tons of umami flooding in the mouth. That’s what Luosifen is all about. To achieve that, there are the steps to make a wonderful Luosifen. 1.Cut off the lean meat from the pork bones and chop the spine directly.2. Soak the snail in water for 1 hour to remove the mud and earthy taste, and wash it again.3. Cut the ingredients into shreds and dice, pour some oil into the pot and fry the sliced tofu (the oil should be hot when frying the sliced tofu, but leave it off the fire or it will scorch), and pour the leftover oil from frying the tofu into the chili powder to make chili oil (notice that the residual heat from frying the tofu is enough, no need to add fire).4. Put the pork bones into a pot of boiling soup, add a tablespoon of rice wine to the water, and put the shredded pickled vegetables and diced pickled bean curd into the pot and stir-fry with a little oil, but do not add salt.5.Add black fungus and pork (cut off lean meat) to the pot and stir-fry them together with a little salt.6. Add a tablespoon of salt and half a tablespoon of spices and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add half a bowl of water and put it into the bone broth after it boils.7. Boil the soup with the snail meat and enough for 1 hour, then put the chili oil you made beforehand into the pot (you can leave it out if you don't like spicy food). 8.Boil half a pot of water, put salt in the water (stir well, taste salty), when the water is boiling, put the rice noodles in the water and scald them respectively, add the prepared ingredients, and finally add the snail soup snail noodles are done.
Influence
Economy
Obviously, it supplies thousands of jobs for people,promotes the economic growth of Liu Zhou and cultivates Liu Zhou’s industrialization. Therefore, Luosifen becomes a celebrity, even an heated IP which is abused by many businessmen who just want to earn money. However, its contribution to economy is important.
Culture
Nostalgia lies behind every special dish. So dose Luosifen. It is good memory to people born and growing in Liu Zhou. It is a typical example to show the profound influence of traditional medicine culture. With the Liu River flowing right through Liuzhou, Liuzhou has great water resources for high quality river snails. Also, Liuzhou sits in a basin, so it’s quite humid and hot. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that river snails can expel heat and moisture form the body. All of this makes river snails the local’s fave.
Reference: 1. 李莉 《重口味奇迹:「柳州之光」螺蛳粉的逆袭》 2. 夏梦帆《从地方小吃到“网红”大产业》 食品地理 3. 何伟,徐海涛,农冠斌,林凡诗 《柳州螺蛳粉:从小米粉到大产业》 新华每日电讯 4. 第五批国家级非物质文化遗产代表性项目名录
Deng Lulu 邓鲁露 - Fine Arts: Chinese Paper Cutting
Chinese Paper Cutting
Chinese paper-cutting is a folk art of cutting patterns on paper with scissors or carving knives to decorate life or to complement other folk activities. In China, paper-cutting has a wide popular base and is interwoven into the social life of people of all ethnic groups, and is an important part of various folklore activities. Its visual images and stylised formats, which continue to be passed down, contain rich cultural and historical information, express the social perceptions, moral concepts, practical experiences, life ideals and aesthetic interests of the general public, and have multiple social values such as cognition, edification, expression, expression, entertainment and communication.
Origin
Paper was invented in the Western Han Dynasty, and the art of paper-cutting could not have existed before then, but the use of thin sheets of material to make crafts through the technique of hollowing and carving was popular long before paper appeared. The earliest paper cuttings found in China are five paper cuttings of flowers from the Northern Dynasties (386-581 AD), unearthed near the Flaming Mountains in Turpan, Xinjiang.
During the Tang Dynasty, paper-cutting was already in a period of great development, and folklore also made use of paper-cutting in the form of funnel printing plates, where people carved thick paper into flower plates and funneled dyes onto cloth to form beautiful patterns.
During the Southern Song Dynasty, there were already artists who cut paper as a profession. The maturity of the paper-making industry in the Song dynasty, with its wide range of paper products, provided the conditions for the popularity of paper-cutting. For example, they were used as gifts, as window flowers, or as decorations for lanterns and tealights.
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the art of paper-cutting matured and reached its heyday. Although the art of paper-cutting came from the folk, it became a universal art in the Qing Dynasty.
In the early twentieth century, the May Fourth New Culture Movement, advocated by advanced intellectuals such as Cai Yuanpei, Lu Xun, Liu Hannong and Zhou Zuoren, established the beginnings of Chinese folklore studies. In the 1930s, the artist Chen Zhinong began his research and creation of folkloric paper cutouts in Beijing. He used sketches and silhouettes to depict a large number of customs and folklore in old Beijing, including street vendors, workshops and artisans, food stalls and tea stalls, fairs and temples, and idle people in the marketplace.
In the 1940s, paper cut-outs based on real-life themes began to appear, and in 1944, for the first time, new folk paper cut-outs from the north-west were exhibited in the Shaanxi-Ganjiang-Ningxia border area, kicking off the development of paper-cutting art after the founding of New China. It can be said that paper-cutting in Yan'an ushered in a new era of paper-cutting in China.
After the founding of New China, under the guidance of the literary and artistic policy of "blossoming of a hundred flowers, pushing out new ideas", artists created a large number of new paper cuts expressing new socialist ideas and events, opening up the path of paper cutting creation and enriching the form and content of Chinese folk decorative arts. In addition to paper cutouts expressing the new weather in all walks of life, children, sports, acrobatics, songs and dances have also become the most common subjects for paper cutting.
Since its inception, the art of paper-cutting has been uninterrupted throughout Chinese history. It is one of the richest art forms in Chinese folk history and culture, as it has been incorporated into various folklore activities.
Classification
1. Monochrome Paper Cuttings Monochrome paper-cutting is the most basic form of paper-cutting, cut in various colours such as red, green, brown, black and gold, and is mainly used for window decorations and embroidery base patterns. It is mainly used for window decorations and embroidery base patterns. Paper cuttings used for embroidery base patterns are often combined with cut-and-stab techniques. The stabbing is done by using the point of a needle to make small dots in the fine details of the pattern, leaving a 'hidden knife' in some parts, which can be used as a basis for changing stitches when embroidering. Folding paper cuts, silhouettes and torn paper are all forms of monochrome paper cutting.
Folding Paper-Cutting Folding paper-cutting is one of the most common methods of folk expression. The so-called folding papercut is a papercut made by folding and cutting in different ways. Folding paper cuttings are simple, easy to make, labor-saving and time-saving, shape general and certain deformation, especially suitable for the performance of structural symmetry of the form and symmetrical pattern, such as people, frogs, butterflies, turtles, reflections, fish, etc., geometric patterns, flowers, scenery, utensils and other subjects can be adapted, and unfolded extremely symmetrical, and can change a variety of suitable shape, two-party continuous, four-party continuous or multi-party continuous, which is it can long be This is one of the main reasons for its longevity, and it has played an important role in the popularisation of paper-cutting and the modelling of craft patterns in China.
the Silhouette The silhouette is an ancient form of paper-cutting art, which expresses the shape of people and objects through their outer contours, so it focuses most on the beauty and shape of the outer contours. The tools are mainly scissors and a carving knife, and the paper is usually black or heavy-coloured paper. When expressing the silhouette of a figure, it is usually cut while looking at the object. Silhouettes are well suited to showing translucent effects and are a very distinctive type of paper cutting.
Three, torn paper Torn paper is a new type of paper cut out from the traditional folklore. The method is to use different types of paper, using the method of tearing by hand to tear the shape, by hand instead of cutting will naturally be very limited, not suitable to show the effect of delicate work, but it is this limitation, but also shows its unique artistic personality, there is a kind of ancient and elegant simple, bold and majestic tone. In the process of tearing paper there is often a kind of randomness, a natural and natural flavour.
2. Colourful paper-cutting With the exploration and development of paper-cutting expression, the form and technique of colour paper-cutting is gradually increasing, with dot-dyeing, overlaying, colour separation, colour filling, wood printing, spray painting, outlining and colour weaving. Each form has its own characteristics and unique features: dot-dye paper cuttings nourishing, decorative strong; set of colour paper cuttings crisp, bright colour blocks; colour paper cuttings divided into distinctive, colourful; colour paper cuttings are simple, clean, sharp, all give people a different feeling.
3. Three-dimensional paper-cutting The three-dimensional paper cut-out can be monochrome or coloured. It uses a combination of painting, cutting, folding, gluing and other techniques to produce a new type of paper-cutting close to sculpture, relief, which draws on the skills of modern art, fully embodies the characteristics of realism and art romance, so that paper-cutting from a flat sense into three-dimensional, can be used for ornamental modelling and children's handicrafts [12].
Methods and techniques
1. Folding Folding paper to produce a repetitive pattern is one of the most basic paper-cutting techniques, and is also an expressive technique used in monochrome paper-cutting. The different effects it produces depend on the number and angle of the folds. When using this technique to cut flowers, the paper can be folded twice or three times before cutting, and the resulting pattern is a four-sided or six-sided flush shape. If you are cutting animals or people, the shape after folding once is symmetrical. The folding paper cut is a symmetrical pattern, so the resulting pattern has a more rhythmic feel. This technique is mostly used for cutting flowers and topiary flowers, etc.
2. Yin and Yang carving The basic effect of paper cutting is obtained through the use of yin and yang lines alone or in a mixture. Yin engraving, also known as engraving, is to carve away the outline of the structure of the object, the method of expressing lines in a large block, the effect is thick, strong, a strong sense of weight, a strong sense of black and white contrast, was cut to carve away the blank composition of the pattern, line and line are not connected. Yang engraving, also known as hollowing, is the exact opposite of shading, where the blanks are removed and the outline lines are retained. The lines of the pattern are solid, and the lines are connected. This method is smooth, clear and lusciously detailed. The combination of yin and yang is the best way to express paper cutting. The presence of both yin and yang carving methods in the same piece of work makes for a varied composition and a sharp contrast between black, white and grey in the picture, making it a highly expressive paper-cutting technique.
3. Three, piercing holes The basic outline is cut out on the paper with a knife or scissors, and then holes are pierced in the pattern with a needle, mainly to allow multiple layers of paper to be joined, while at the same time seeing the detail in the roughness. This technique is often used to embroider patterns, sometimes symmetrical, such as pillow flowers, shoe flowers, sleeve flowers, etc. When two to four of the same pattern are needed, the paper is cut and pierced with Xuan paper, and when it is unglued, there are several of the same pattern at the same time. The reason for using Xuan paper is that it is easy to adhere and thin enough to be used underneath for embroidery without affecting the aesthetic appeal. A quick and easy alternative to stapling is to use staples and staples, which also have the effect of joining multiple layers of paper.
Significance of content
Folk paper-cutting is good at combining a variety of objects together to produce the desired result. Whether one or more images are used in combination, they are all modelled by "using the image to imply meaning" or "using the meaning to construct the image", rather than according to objective natural forms. The artist is also apt to use similes to create a variety of auspicious objects, combining conventional images to express his own psychology. The pursuit of auspicious metaphors became one of the ultimate aims of the imagery combinations. Geographical isolation and cultural limitations, as well as the intrusion of adversity such as natural disasters, inspired a desire for a happy and fulfilling life. People's simple wish for good food and clothing, prosperity, health and longevity, and for everything to be as it should be, is conveyed through paper-cutting. There are many images reflecting productive life in folk paper-cutting, and one of the greatest similarities between these works is the exaggeration of the subject, such as a big fish, a big pepper, a big silkworm, a big grain, etc. Through paper-cutting, people make up beautiful images to comfort their hearts, to promote the great creativity of man in conquering nature, to build their ideal world, and to affirm the power of man and inspire the courage to continue the struggle
Questions
1.What are the earliest paper-cutting found in China?
2. What are the categories of paper-cutting?
3.What is Yin and Yang carving?
4.What is the greatest similarity between folk paper-cuttings?
References
• 赵辰昕. 唱响 非物质文化遗产保护专家访谈录[M]. 北京:中国发展出版社, 2012:295-296
•“非遗保护”在中国 .人民网.2009-10-20[引用日期2015-10-12
•教育部办公厅关于公布第一批全国普通高校中华优秀传统文化传承基地名单的通知 . - 中华人民共和国教育部政府门户网站[引用日期2018-12-06]
•流行于中国民间的剪纸艺术 .中国国际广播电台国际在线.2008-12-04[引用日期2015-10-11]
•剪纸的历史 .中华五千年[引用日期2015-10-11]
•漫话剪纸艺术 .正北方网.2012-03-02[引用日期2015-10-11]
•刘魁立,张旭. 剪纸[M]. 北京:中国社会出版社, 2008:16-17
Deng Ruixin 邓蕊欣 - Science and Technology: Taobao(淘宝)
Guo Zirui 郭子瑞 - Traditional Craft: Bronze
Chinese bronze ware is representative of Chinese culture and technology in the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. It has special social status and is the product of a strict hierarchy. [1] Chinese bronze ware first appeared in 5,000 BC and was gradually replaced by ironware in the Han Dynasty. China's Bronze Age spanned about 3,000 years of history. Copper–tin-lead is the main material of bronze alloy.
In the early
The academic world is still exploring when Chinese bronzes originated. One said it was brought by westerners from Xinjiang, such as xiao the Cemetery [2].
In 1973, a round piece of copper was found in the remains of a house at the Yangshao Cultural site in Jiangzhai, Lintong, Shaanxi province. The house has been dated to around 4700 BC by carbon-14. Archaeologists identified the copper as a cast brass, a copper-zinc alloy. The earliest bronze ware unearthed in China is a bronze knife of Majiayao culture unearthed in Linjia, Dongxiang, Gansu province in 1975, which is about 2740 BC [3][4]. During the Xia Dynasty about 2000 BC, China entered the Bronze Age.
The bronze ware of the Xia Dynasty is represented by the bronze ware of Erlitou culture. Erlitou culture is represented by the elite site in Yanshi, Henan province, followed by Longshan culture in time. In elite culture, in addition to bronze tools, weapons, and ornaments, vessels made of bronze also appeared, of which jue was the most important. The bronze jue in Erlitou culture was made by the standard method, with a very thin body and equipped with 鋬 and flow [3].
The shape and ornamentation of early Chinese bronzes have inherited the characteristics of stone tools and pottery of the Neolithic Age. Bronze weapons and tools, most of their shapes from stone tools; The appearance of bronze vessels is mostly from pottery. Tripod, tripod, count, and 斝 all have pottery prototypes. Bronze ornamentation and inscriptions were followed by stone tools and pottery. The pottery unearthed in Longshan culture is mostly decorated with painted patterns, many of which are found in later bronzes, such as cloud thunder patterns and flat dragon patterns. There are various gluttonous patterns on jade articles in Liangzhu culture, which can also be seen on bronzes [3].
In elite culture, the technique of inlaying turquoise on bronzes appeared, and there are devices inlaid with turquoise into cross or taotie patterns in unearthed cultural relics [3].
Shang Dynasty bronze ware
Since the Shang Dynasty, bronze culture has reached its peak. The bronze wares of the Shang dynasty can be roughly divided into two stages: the Erligang period and the Yinxu period, in which The Shang King Pan Geng moved the capital to Yin.
The bronze wares of the Erligang period were mainly found in Erligang of Zhengzhou, Henan province, and Liuli Pavilion of Huixian County, which was connected with elite culture and inherited the characteristics of elite culture bronze wares. Compared with an elite period, the types of bronzes in the Erligang period increased significantly. 1. There are tripods, li vessels, and vessels. There are bowls for food; There are wine utensils, gu, Sir, 斝, corner, respect, 卣, pot, Beijing; Water has a disk, 盉; Weapons are ge, spear, 𨱆, knife, arrowheads; Tools such as ax, adz. Craftsmen of the Erigon period were already able to make large bronzes. The square ding unearthed in Qianjie of Zhangzhai in 1974 is 100 centimeters high and weighs 82.4 kilograms. A similar square tripod was found in Zhengzhou in 1982. In addition, inscriptions have appeared on Oregon bronzes. The earliest inscriptions bronze vessel is a li vessel stored in the Museum of Chinese History.
The bronze ware in Yin Ruins reached the first peak in the history of Chinese bronze ware development. From the Yin ruins as the center to Inner Mongolia and Liaoning in the north to the coast in the east to Gansu and Sichuan in the west, and Guangdong and Guangxi in the south, bronzes matching the characteristics of Yin Ruins have been unearthed. Both in quantity and quality, the bronzes of the Yin Dynasty had a great development, with more varieties and styles, more exquisite workmanship, and more elaborate and gorgeous patterns. The combination method reached a very high level in Yin Dynasty. The bronze system of this period was even larger. The largest single bronze ware discovered so far, the home wu large square ding, was found in Yin Ruins. During the Period of Yin ruins, there appeared not only a large number of bronze ritual vessels, weapons, and tools but also bronze Musical Instruments and chariot and horse implements.
Bronze statues of birds and animals, such as four sheep, an elephant, a pig, and an owl, were popular in the Shang Dynasty. In the Shang Dynasty, bronze plow, bronze plow, bronze plow, bronze plow, bronze rake, bronze saw, and other production tools appeared [5][6], although they were not popular yet. The earliest known bronze inscriptions appeared in the middle of the Shang Dynasty.
Western Zhou Dynasty bronze ware
The zhou people in the early Western Zhou dynasty continued the bronze ware form of the Shang Dynasty and also inherited the taotie patterns popular in Shang Dynasty. "Lu Shi Spring and Autumn · First knowledge overview" also recorded that "Zhou Ding tao, there is nobody, cannibalism did not swallow harm and its body, to report more also". Legend has it that Taotie, the son of the Jinyun family, was extremely greedy for money and food and came to a bad end in the end. He was assisted by Shun to destroy his tribe. [7] In the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, taotie had been regarded as a necessary decorative pattern, reminding people to have a moderate diet and not to become "taotie". The Yun-lei pattern appeared in the middle of the Shang Dynasty but was not popular. After the ritual reform in the middle of the Western Zhou Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn period and the warring States Period, the pattern of Zhou bronzes gradually changed to the Yun-lei pattern. [8] Some western Zhou bronzes also bear inscriptions.
Spring and Autumn period and Warring States period bronze ware
Bronze smelting technology was still developing in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, but it was not as artistic as the previous dynasties, but practical and simple style. In the Shang dynasty and the Western Zhou Dynasty, wine vessels were popular, but in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States period, they had been greatly reduced. Hook and bronze mirrors were representative of the smelting level at that time. The largest number of bronze mirrors were unearthed in Changsha of Chu. The large zenghouyi chime bells and a series of other bronzes unearthed in Zengguo (now Suizhou, Hubei province) reflect the superior smelting technology of the Spring and Autumn Period. In the Qin and Han Dynasties, although bronze ware was still cast in the early stage, it was gradually replaced by early ironware. The smelting technology of copper mirrors continued, but also began to change in materials.
Reference [1]吴来明,周亚. 雄奇宝器:古代青铜铸造术. 西安: 文物出版社. 2008年7月 [2] Ian Morris. 西方憑什麼:五萬年人類大歷史,破解中國落後之謎. : 183 [3] 李学勤. 《青铜器与古代史》. 联经出版社. 2005(再版) [4] 路迪民 王大业. 中国古代冶金与金属文物. 陕西科学技术出版社. 1998: 31 [2022-05-25] [5] 王慧芳. 江西新干县大洋洲出土青铜农具研究[J]. 洛阳理工学院学报:社会科学版, 2016, 31(3):4 [6]陈振中.殷周的青铜锯[J]. 考古, 1984(1):6 [7] 《左传·文公十八年》:缙云氏有不才子,贪于饮食,冒于货贿,侵欲崇侈,不可盈厌,聚敛积实,不知纪极,不分孤寡,不恤穷匮,天下之民以比三凶,谓之饕餮。舜臣尧,宾于四门,流四凶族浑敦、穷奇、梼杌、饕餮,投诸四裔,以御魑魅。 [8] 郭沫若《彝器形象学试探》--Guo Zirui (talk) 14:12, 29 June 2022 (UTC)
Han Jingru 韩静茹 - Entertainment: Deyunshe 德云社
Introduction
https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%BE%B7%E4%BA%91%E7%A4%BE/6675997
Deyunshe, originally named as the Beijing Conversation Conference, is one of the biggest Chinese crosstalk organizations and folk art performance groups in China. Established in 1995, Deyunshe has been the common abbreviation of Beijing Deyunshe Culture Communication Company Ltd. since its renaming in 2003. Following its key principle of “lead crosstalk back to the theatre”, in these years, Deyunshe has made important contribution to the inheritance and innovation of Chinese crosstalk, opera, pingshu and other forms of folk art performance.
The Development of Deyunshe
Crosstalk is a kind of intangible cultural heritage with a long history in China. Generally believed to be formed during the Emperor Xianfeng(1850-1861) and Emperor Tongzhi(1861-1874) period in Qing dynasty, the crosstalk art once almost disappeared but has been reborn and developed very rapidly especially since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. However, up to 1990s, crosstalk industry was locked into outmoded adversity again because of the newborn ways of entertainment, the decay of radios, and the obsolescence of the crosstalk content itself, etc. In 1995, crosstalk artists Guo Degang, Li Jing and Zhang Wenshun established the Beijing Conversation Conference and began to perform at Guangde Building, Workers Club, Zhonghe Theatre and other tea houses or small-scale theaters. In 2003, the Beijing Conversation Conference changed its name to Deyunshe. In October 2004, Kaixin Chuaguan (Pleasant Teahouse), a programme of Beijing Joy FM, began to broadcast the live recordings of Deyunshe, showing a new performance form that differs from the traditional crosstalk at gala evenings. In 2010, Deyunshe changed its management methods into corporate governance, and made labor contract with all the artists. In July 2011, Deyunshe inaugurated a new form in the Beizhan Theatre, by using the dialects operas and comic dialogues to interpret crosstalk of various styles from the Qing dynasty to the Republic of China. In April 2013, the first branch of the Chinese crosstalk club, the Deyunshe Melbourne Branch, was established. On 17 July, 2014, Deyunshe started to call for the anti-vulgarity campaign to purify the crosstalk performance. After years of hard work, Deyunshe has come a long way in the resistance of the vulgarity, kitsch and low-brow content by destroying the decay and establishing the fresh. In June 2020, Deyunshe made a contract with Qilu University of Technology, planning to cooperatively build the Deyun College. Since the establishment of Deyunshe in 1995, Guo Degang and his apprentices always hold some principles to inherit and innovate traditional Chinese crosstalk. For example, they believe crosstalk is essentially a kind of entertainment instead of a way of preaching, and it must appeal to all ages and social groups and root in small-scale theaters where artists can truly interact with audiences and hear the direct feedback voices. In a certain degree, it is the appearance of Guo Degang and his Deyunshe that draws a blueprint for the future development and breathes new life into crosstalk industry. By 2022, Deyunshe has established many branches at home and abroad, including Beijing, Tianjin, Harbin, Changchun, Nanjing and Melbourne. As the headquarters of Deyunshe, Beijing Deyunshe is comprised of Tianqiao Theater, the birthplace of Beijing-style folk art, Sanlitun Theater, Sanqingyuan Theater, Xinjiekou Theater, Guangdelou Theater and Huguang Guild Hall Theater.
The Mentorship-system of Deyunshe
https://www.bilibili.com/read/mobile?id=379863
Up to now, Deyunshe still follows the mentorship-system of traditional Chinese opera and folk art industries and only accepts male apprentices. Most members or artists of Deyunshe are Guo Degang’s and his partner Yu Qian’s apprentices. Following the rank of “Yun, He, Jiu, Xiao, Long, Teng, Si, Hai” (Cloud, Crane, Nine, Sky, Dragon, Jump, Four, Sea),every apprentice of Guo Degang will get a stage name after a formal ceremony of being admitted by Guo as his student after years of study. During the period of learning crosstalk, apprentices do not need to give any tuition to their masters. When eating or shopping together, junior students even do not need to pay their own bills if there are any other seniors. At the same time, apprentices of Deyunshe have to abide by the rules of the club, for example, obeying their masters’ instruction, respecting seniors and other counterparts, visiting their masters personally during the “Three Festivals and Two Birthdays”(the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Spring Festival, the birthday of Confucius and the birthday of their masters), paying attention to self-cultivation, learning the skills assiduously, and abstaining from gambling, prostitution and other illegal acts, etc. If any apprentice violates the regulations, his master will deprive his stage name and dismiss him.
The Fandom Culture and Deyunshe
In recent years, Deyunshe has gained an increasingly larger fan base, and the fandom culture has dramatically influenced the development of Deyunshe. More crosstalk artists of Deyunshe are now regarded as celebrities and even idols. This is an unprecedented event in the history of crosstalk industry. On the one hand, the fandom culture does stimulate Deyunshe’s reformation and innovation. On the other hand, the complexity and pluralism of fans put much more pressure on artists. Sometimes the fans’ behavior such as trolling and invading comment areas and so on will cause heated controversies and damage the artists’ images. To thank for the fans’ support, Deyunshe holds a special performance, called the “Festival of Gang’s Fans” every September since 2010. Zhang Yunlei, one of Guo Degang’s apprentices, nowadays has enjoyed phenomenal popularity and been called “the Artist of Taiping Lyrics” of post-1990s generation because of his mellifluous and sensational voice, handsome looks and incredible life experience. Guo Degang, Zhang Yunlei, Yue Yunpeng, Meng Hetang, Qin Xiaoxian and other crosstalk artists use their own influence and the power of fans to promote the spread and productive protection of crosstalk and other forms of traditional Chinese folk arts. For example, in many of Zhang’s crosstalk performances, thousands of fans chorused traditional Taiping Lyrics, opera lyrics and songs to echo and support him. In addition, during the “Cultural and Natural Heritage Day” in 2019, the social platform of Weibo invited some artists of Deyunshe, including Zhang Yunlei, Tao Yunsheng, Zhang Helun, Meng Hetang, and Zhou Jiuliang, to join a series of activities associated with the inheritance and development of intangible cultural heritage and disseminate crosstalk, pingshu, pingju (a local opera of north and northeast China), Beijing Opera, jinyun dagu (story- telling in Beijing dialect with drum accompaniment) and so on to broader audience and receivers of traditional Chinese culture.
Representative Artists of Deyunshe
Guo Degang, a famous Chinese crosstalk artist and the founder of Deyunshe, was born in Tianjin in 1973. He began to learn crosstalk, Beijing Opera, pingshu and so on at the age of 8, following his master, Hou Yaowen, a respected Chinese crosstalk artist. The New York Times described Guo as “the Chinese Ricky Gervais” in 2011, and said, “He is a comedian who specializes in a traditional form of performance comedy called crosstalk that has undergone a revival recently, largely because of Mr. Guo’s antics. Chinese media have dubbed him ‘the savior of cross talk’ for attracting young and middle-aged audience members to the aging crosstalk crowd.” As one of the the eighth-generation crosstalk performers, Guo Degang tries his best to appeal younger audiences by weeding out the didactic and stale contents and adding fresh contents that conform to the spirit of the age and are much closer to modern life. Based on tradition, he creates many new crosstalk works, including “Yang Naiwu Writes Indictment”, “The Bodyguard”, “Sell Opera Tickets”, and “I want to be on the Spring Festival Gala Evening”, etc. Yu Qian, the fixed partner of Guo Degang and an apprentice of Chinese crosstalk master Shi Fukuan, is an expert at interacting with audiences and performing “Xiangua” (improvise on jokes in crosstalk). His acting style is cultured and leisurely, differing from but matching with Guo Degang’s lively and theatrical style.
Yue Yunpeng, an apprentice of Guo Degang, mainly performs crosstalk as “Dougen” (the lead actor) with his fixed partner Sun Yue. As an old friend of all different gala evenings and a representative of new-generation crosstalk artist, Yue performed crosstalk at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala for five times. His crosstalk works are always related to social reality, using a humorous way to criticize and roast the hypocrisy and seamy side of today’s society.
Different Ranks of Deyunshe Members
The rank of “wen” (culture): Xie Jin
The rank of “ming” (bright): Guo Degang, Yu Qian, Gao Feng, Sun Yue, Liu Zhe, Wang Shaoli, Shi Aidong, Liu Chunshan, Yang Jinming, Hou Zhen, Zhang Deyan, Zheng Hao
The rank of “yun” (cloud): Zhang Yunlei, Kong Yunlong, Luan Yunping, Yu Yunting, Zhu Yunfeng, Yue Yunpeng, Ning Yunxiang, Li Yunjie, Zhao Yunxia, Li Yuntian, Tao Yunsheng, Zhang Yunfan, Yu Yuntian
The rank of “he” (crane): Cao Heyang, Liu Hexiang, Yan Hexiang, Li Helin, Li Hebiao, Liu Heying, Zhang Helun, Gao Hecai, Zhang Hejun, Ji Hewu, Wu Hechen, Meng Hetang, Ynag Hetong, Liang Hekun, Zhong Hexuan, Ma Heqi, Zhang Hefeng, Yu Hezhen, Liu Heqing, Zhang Hewen, Sun Hebao, Yang Heling, Zhang Hefan, Qi Hetao, Lang Heyan, Guan Hebai, Wang Hejiang, Gao Hepeng, Liu Helong, Li Hedong, Zhang Hejian, Jin Henian, Fang Hedi, Jin Helan, Zhu Hesong, Luan Hehua, Zhang Heluan, Li Hepu, Zhang Heqing, Liu Hean, Huang Hefei, Pi Hean, Xing Hewei, liu Hedan
The rank of “jiu” (nine): Zhang Jiuling, Li Jiuchun, Zhou Jiuliang, Yang Jiulang, Zhang Jiuchi, Gao Jiucheng, Wang Jiulong, Zhang Jiunan, He Jiuhua, Zheng Jiulian, Li Jiujiang, Sun Jiuxiang, Liu Jiuren, Guan Jiuhai, Shang Jiuxi, Li Jiuchong, Liu Jiuru, Liu Jiusi, Chen Jiufu, Chen Jiupin, Ni Jiutao, Dong Jiuli, Li Jiutian, Chen Jiutong, Cao Jiutai, Zhang Jiutai, Han Jiuming, Dong Jiuhan, Zhang Jiulin, Mei Jiuliang, Sun Jiufang, Ji Jiuxiao, Ma Jiumeng, Yin Jiuyan, Shen Jiuping, Liu Jiuhui
The rank of “xiao” (sky): Zhang Xiaobai, Wang Xiaoyi, Qin Xiaoxian, Fan Xiaoqi, Fan Xiaotang, E Xiaoxiong, Zhao Xiaoyuan, Wang Xiaohan, Zhang Xiaomo, Yang Xiaofeng, Xiao Xiaoyu, Kang Xiaozhe, Wang Xiaoxiu, Yang Xiaohong, Li Xiaoqiao, Sun Xiaoyao, Ge Xiaoqing, Wu Xiaoze, Wang Xiaokai, Ma Xiaosheng, Ma Xiaorong, Dong Xiaoye, Li Xiaohang, Gao Xiaofei, Ji Xiaotong, Chiwei Xiaotang, Dong Xiaoyuan, Zhang Xiaoting, Liu Xiaohang, Guo Xiaohan, Yang Xiaotai
The rank of “xiao” (bamboo)(apprentices of the rank of “yun”): Shang Xiaoju, Liu Xiaoting, Gao Xiaobei, Gao Xiaobao, Xu Xiaozhu, Li Xiaokui, Hou Xiaolou, Guo Xiaoqiao, Wang Xiaoge, Yu Xiaohuai
Apprentices of Yu Qian: Guo Qinlin, Feng Zhaoyang, Li Siming, Tai Rongjian, Guo Fenyang, Wu Suowei, Xiaolong
Apprentices of Sun Yue: Lu Shuo, Sun Zizhao, Li Shijin
Apprentices of Gao Feng: Lang Haochen, Miao Haoyu, Song Haoran, Wang Haoyue, Li Haoyang
Apprentices of Hou Zhen: Zhuang Zijian, Gao Lei, Hong Chen, Zhang Guotang
Terms
Deyunshe 德云社
Beijing Conversation Conference 北京相声大会
Cloud, Crane, Nine, Sky, Dragon, Jump, Four, Sea 云鹤九霄,龙腾四海
Three Festivals and Two Birthdays (the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Spring Festival, the birthday of Confucius and the birthday of their masters) 三节两寿(端午节、中秋节、春节、孔子诞辰以及师父寿辰)
Festival of Gang’s Fans 钢丝节
Taiping Lyrics 太平歌词
Cultural and Natural Heritage Day 文化和自然遗产日
Jinyun dagu 京韵大鼓
Yang Naiwu Writes Indictment《杨乃武写状》
The Bodyguard 《大保镖》
Sell Opera Tickets 《卖吊票》
Xiangua 现挂
Dougen 逗哏
Reference
1.Hou Baolin, Xue Baokun 侯宝林, 薛宝坤. 《相声溯源》[The Origin of Crosstalk]. 人民教育出版社 People’s Literature Publishing House, 1983:1-13.
2.Xiang Shi 向适. 论相声传统的继承与发展[On the Inheritance and Development of the Crosstalk Tradition]. 湖南第一师范学报 Journal of Hunan First Normal College, 2008(03):155-157.
3.You Hongxia, Tian Zhaoyuan 游红霞, 田兆元. 粉丝文化背景下非物质文化遗产的传承发展——以德云社相声为例[Inheritance and Development of Intangible Cultural Heritage under the Background of Fans Culture—Taking Deyunshe Crosstalk as an Example]. 湖北民族大学学报 Hubei Minzu University Journal, 2020(03):146-152.
4.Wikipedia 维基百科. Deyunshe 德云社 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deyunshe
5.Benjamin Haas. “Who’s on First?” Finds a Home in Chinese Clubs. The New York Times, 2011.3.2 https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/03/world/asia/03beijing.html
He Minghui 何明慧 - Traditional Cuisine: Jiaozi
1.Introduction
Jiaozi are Chinese dumplings commonly eaten in China and other parts of East Asia. Jiaozi are folded to resemble Chinese sycee(元宝) and have great cultural significance attached to them within China. Jiaozi are one of the major dishes eaten during the Chinese New Year throughout Northern China and eaten all year round in the northern provinces. Though considered part of Chinese cuisine, jiaozi are popular in other parts of East Asia and in the Western world, where a fried variety is sometimes called potsticker in North America and Chinese dumplings in the UK. The English-language term "potsticker" is a calque of the Mandarin word "guotie" (锅贴). Potsticker was used by Buwei Yang Chao and her husband Yuen Ren Chao in the book How to Cook and Eat in Chinese, which was first published in 1945. In northern China, however, "guotie" specifically refers to a type of pan-fried jiaozi with its ends left open rather than just any pan-fried jiaozi. Jiaozi typically consist of a ground meat and/or vegetable filling wrapped into a thinly rolled piece of dough, which is then sealed by pressing the edges together. Finished jiaozi can be boiled, steamed, pan fried, or deep fried, and are traditionally served with a black vinegar and sesame oil dip. They can also be served in a soup.
2.Origin and custom
In China, there are several different folk stories explaining the origin of jiaozi and its name.Traditionally, jiaozi was thought to be invented during the era of the Eastern Han (AD 25–220)[1][2] by Zhang Zhongjing[3] who was a great practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine. Jiaozi was originally referred to as "tender ears" (Chinese: 娇耳) because they were used to treat frostbitten ears. Zhang Zhongjing was on his way home during wintertime, when he found many common people had frostbitten ears, because they did not have warm clothes and sufficient food. He treated these poor people by stewing lamb, black pepper, and some warming medicines in a pot, chopped them, and used them to fill small dough wrappers. He boiled these dumplings and gave them with the broth to his patients, until the coming of the Chinese New Year. In order to celebrate the New Year as well as recovering from frostbitten ears, people imitated Zhang's recipe to make Jiao'er.[4]
Other theories suggest that jiaozi may have derived from dumplings in Western Asia. In the Western Han dynasty (206 BC – AD 9) jiaozi (饺子) were called jiaozi (角子). During the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220–280), the book Guangya by Zhang Yi mentions jiaozi. Yan Zhitui during the Northern Qi dynasty (AD 550–577) wrote: "Today the jiaozi, shaped like a crescent moon, is a common food in the world." Six Dynasties Turfan tombs contained dumplings.[5] Later in the Tang dynasty (AD 618–907), jiaozi become more popular, called Bian Shi (扁食). Chinese archaeologists have found a bowl of jiaozi in the Tang dynasty tombs in Turpan.[6] 7th or 8th century dumplings and wontons were found in Turfan.[7]
Jiaozi may also be named because they are horn-shaped. The Chinese word for "horn" is jiao (角), and jiaozi was originally written with the Chinese character for "horn", but later it was replaced by the specific character “饺”, which has the food radical on the left and the phonetic component jiāo (交) on the right.[8]
jiaozi look like yuan bao silver or gold ingots used as currency during the Ming dynasty, and as the name sounds like the word for the earliest paper money, serving them is believed to bring prosperity.[9] Many families eat these at midnight on Chinese New Year's Eve. Some cooks will even hide a clean coin inside a jiaozi for the lucky to find.[10]
3.Types of jiaozi
Jiaozi may be divided into various types : Boiled dumplings (水饺) Steamed dumplings (蒸饺) Pan-fried dumplings (煎饺) Deep fried dumplings (炸饺) Soup dumplings (汤饺) egg dumpling (蛋饺)
4.Fillings of dumplings
Common dumpling meat fillings include chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, and fish which are usually mixed with chopped vegetables. Popular vegetable fillings include napa cabbage, scallion (spring onions), celery, leek, spinach, mushroom, carrot, garlic chives, and edible black fungus.
5.Folding techniques of jiaozi
There are many ways to fold jiaozi. Basically, steps for folding the skin includes putting a single pleat in the middle, putting multiple pleats along the edge, making a wavy edge like a pie crust, turning a pleated edge in toward the body resulting in a rounded edge, and putting both ends together resulting in a round shape.[citation needed] Different shapes of Jiaozi require different folding techniques, but the most famous and common technique is the pinched-edge fold.[11] Take a wrapper and put one tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper. Fold a half of edge to the other half. Use left thumb and forefinger to pinch one side of the half-moon wrapper, and then use right thumb to push the inside skin outward, right forefinger to make outside skin into small pleats. Use right thumb to clench those pleats. Repeat these steps to the other side of the wrapper, and make sure to clench the seal of Jiaozi.[12] This is crescent-shaped jiaozi, the most popular shape in China.
6.Variations of jiaozi
Guangdong Jiaozi is called gaau ji in Cantonese and are standard fare in Guangdong style dim sum. The immediate noted difference to Northern style is that they are smaller and wrapped in a thinner translucent skin, and usually steamed. The smaller size and the thinner wrapper make the dumplings easier to cook through with steaming. In contrast to jiaozi, Guangdong gaau ji are rarely home-made because the wrapper, which needs to be thin but tough enough to not break, is more difficult to make. Many types of fillings exist, with the most common type being har gow (虾饺), but fillings can include scallop, chicken, tofu, and mixed vegetables; dim sum restaurants often feature their own house specials or innovations. Dim sum chefs and artists often use ingredients in new or creative ways, or draw inspiration from other Chinese culinary traditions, such as Chaozhou, Hakka, or Shanghai. More creative chefs may even create fusion gaau ji by using elements from other cultures, such as Japanese (teriyaki) or Southeast Asian (satay or curry), while upscale restaurants may use expensive or exotic ingredients such as lobster, shark fin and bird's nest.
Another Cantonese dumpling is yau gok (油角), which are made with glutinous rice dough and deep fried.
Guotie Guotie (锅贴) are a northern Chinese style dumpling popular as a street food, appetizer, or side order in Chinese cuisine. Guotie differs from pan fried dumplings, or jianjiao, in that the shape of guotie is usually elongated and the two ends are often left open. Guotie is sometimes served on a dim sum menu, but may be offered independently. The filling for both guotie and jianjiao usually contains pork (sometimes chicken, or beef in Muslim areas), cabbage, scallions, ginger, Chinese rice wine or cooking wine, and sesame seed oil. In southern China, the term "guotie" is often used as a synonym for the typical jianjiao rather than referring to a particular variety of it.
Gyōza The Japanese word gyōza was derived from the Jilu Mandarin reading of“饺子”, giǎoze, and the Japanese word is often written using the same Chinese characters. Following the Second World War, Japanese soldiers returning from the Japanese-backed puppet state of Manchukuo(满洲国) in northeastern China brought home gyōza recipes.
The prevalent differences between Japanese-style gyōza and Chinese-style jiaozi are the rich garlic flavor, which is less noticeable in the Chinese version, and that gyōza wrappers tend to be thinner, due to the fact that most Japanese restaurants use machine-made wrappers. In contrast, the rustic cuisine of poor Chinese immigrants shaped westerners' views that Chinese restaurant jiaozi use thicker handmade wrappers. As jiaozi vary greatly across regions within China, these differences are not as clear in the country of origin. For example, visitors will easily find thin-skinned jiaozi at restaurants in Shanghai and at street food vendors in the Hangzhou region. Gyōza wrappers are actually identical to jiaozi wrappers seen in Chinese households using store-bought machine-made wrappers. Gyōza are usually served with soy-based tare sauce seasoned with rice vinegar and/or chili oil (rāyu in Japanese, làyóu (辣油) in Mandarin Chinese). The most common recipe is a mixture of minced pork (sometimes chicken or beef), cabbage, Asian chives, and sesame oil, and/or garlic, and/or ginger, which is then wrapped in the thinly rolled dough skins. Gyoza share similarities with both pierogi and spring rolls and are cooked in the same fashion as pierogi, either boiled or fried.
The most popular preparation method is the pan-fried style called yaki-gyōza, in which the dumpling is first fried on one flat side, creating a crispy skin. Then, water is added and the pan sealed with a lid, until the upper part of the dumpling is steamed. This technique is what the Chinese call guotie or potstickers (see above). Other popular methods include boiling sui-gyōza and deep frying age-gyōza.
Momo The Tibetan and Nepalese version is known as momo. The word "momo" comes from a Chinese loanword, "momo" ,[13] which translates to "steamed bread". When preparing momo, flour is filled, most commonly with ground water buffalo meat. Often, ground lamb or chicken meat is used as alternate to water buffalo meat. In Nepal there is also a vegetarian option where mixtures of potato, cheese and other vegetable items are mixed. Finely chopped onion, minced garlic, fresh minced ginger, cumin powder, salt, coriander/cilantro, etc. are added to the meat for flavouring. A sauce made from cooked tomatoes flavored with Sichuan pepper and minced red chilies is often served along with momo.
The Nepalese momo is usually served with dipping sauces that include tomato based chutneys or sesame based sauces. Sauces can be thick or thin consistency depending on the eatery (locally called chutney/achhar[14]), that is normally made with tomato as the base ingredient. In Kathmandu valley, the traditional way of serving momo (momocha) is 10 ping-pong ball sized round momo drowned in a tangy, tomatoey and nutty broth or sauce called Jhol (watery soup / broth in Nepali) achar (served at room temperature, with watery / runny consistency, also known as Kathmandu style momo). Jhol momo has a warm or hot broth poured over momo (not cooked in the soup / broth).[15] To make the jhol achar one of the main ingredients is Nepali Hog Plum (Lapsi), but if unavailable, lemon or lime juice can be used.
Reference
[1] “Frozen ears: The story of guozas”. The Malay Mailthe origin of Jiaozi". [2]“Seeking XLB". The Austin Chronicl. [3] "The origin of jiaozi”. people.com.cn.Retrieved 2002-02-07.
[4]你知道冬至为什么吃饺子吗? 医圣张仲景发明". 人民网. 人民网. 23 December 2015.
[5]“Archaeologists Discover Ancient Dumplings in China". 16 February 2016.
[6] "Dumplings served 1,700 years ago in XinjiangDumplings served 1,700 years ago in Xinjiang". China Daily. Xinhua. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
[7] Hansen 2012, p. 11.
[8]Norman, Jerry (1988) Chinese, Cambridge University Press, pp. 76–77.
[9]"Steamed pork dumplings". Graceful Cuisine. 19 January 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
[10]Simonds, Nina (25 January 1995). "Dumplings, for a Lucky Year of the Pig". New York Times.
[11]Yarvin, Brian (2007). A World of Dumplings. New York: The Countryman Press. Woodstock, Vermont. p. 50. ISBN 9780881507201.
[12] "饺子的N种时尚新奇包法". 百度经验. 31 December 2012.
[13] Jīn Péng 金鹏 (ed.): Zàngyǔ jiǎnzhì 藏语简志. Mínzú chūbǎnshè 民族出版社, Beijing 1983, p. 31.
[14] Williams, James. "Momos Chutney Recipe". ReciPickr.com.
[15]"Anup's Kitchen | Traditional recipes, without shortcuts". Retrieved 2021-09-26.
Terms
Boiled dumplings 水饺
Steamed dumplings 蒸饺
Pan-fried dumplings 煎饺
Deep fried dumplings 炸饺
Soup dumplings汤饺
egg dumpling蛋饺
Nepali Hog Plum南酸枣;尼泊尔猪梅
jhol achar 将馍馍蒸熟后放入充满汤汁的碗里,汤称为jhol achar
momo尼泊尔饺子
Question
1.What shape are the dumplings folded into?
2.In traditional cognition, who invented jiaozi? Why he invented it?
3.How many types of dumplings are there?
4.How many variations of dumplings are there?
5.Do you like eat jiaozi?
Lei Heng 雷珩 - Photoshop technology culture in China
Outline: 1. the development of P.S. technology in China from the ancient time to present time; 2. The influence of it on China people; 3. The importance of it to China.
Li LinYu 李琳玉 - Traditional Crafts: Handcraft - Oil-paper Umbrella
History
The spread of oil-paper umbrellas was started by the invention of Yun, wife of Lu Ban. "Chop bamboo sticks to thin strips, covered in animal fur, closed to become a cane, opened as a cone." Early umbrella materials were mostly feathers or silks, later replaced by paper. When oil-paper umbrellas first appeared is unknown. Some estimate that they spread across to Korea and Japan during the Tang dynasty. It was commonly called the "green oil-paper umbrella" during the Song dynasty. The popularity grew and the oil-paper umbrella became commonplace during the Ming dynasty. They are often mentioned in popular Chinese literature. By the 19th century, oil-paper umbrellas were a common item in international trade under the name kittisols.
Basic production process
The production process and required procedures are different in each region. However, in general, they can be divided into four main steps: 1.Bamboo is selected. 2.The bamboo is crafted and soaked in water. It is then dried in the sun, drilled, threaded and assembled into a skeleton. 3.Washi paper is cut and glued onto the skeleton. It is trimmed, oiled, and exposed to sunlight. 4.Lastly, patterns are painted onto the umbrella.
Oil-paper umbrella in customs and cultural ceremonies
Hakka marriage and bride dowry
In traditional Hakka marriages, the bride's parents must pay dowry to the husband's family, in which oil-paper umbrella is one of the required dowries. "纸" (Paper) is a homonym for "子" (sons) in Chinese, for the connotation of having sons early. The character "傘" (umbrella), contains five "人" (man) with the connotation of many sons and grandsons. Oil-paper umbrella is straight up, with the symbol to eradicate evil spirits. The circular appearance symbolizes "fullness" connotation of a beautiful marriage. And since the umbrella itself can shield rain and the wind, thus prohibiting evil spirits from entering in. Other dowries that come with the oil-paper umbrella include five colored pants, make up the table, door curtain, and boxes. In wealthier families, dowries could include god and jewelry or high-quality cloth or blankets. In addition, bride family would give vegetables that have homonym with positive words such as 芹菜, 大蒜, 香葱, 韭菜 that are then tied with red rope given as gifts to the husband's family.
Hakka second burial funerals
Since many of the Hakka populations are in the mountainous areas of China, most corpses are buried on the mountains. Initially, Hakka people do not put up a gravestone, however, after the second time the corpse is buried (usually 3–5 years later), the additional grander ceremony is added. When buying, usually in the eighth month of the Chinese calendar, an experienced burial master is hired to dig the old burial and enter the clean bones for an official and permanent burial at the exact spot. The oil-paper umbrella is used to cover the bones while they are being cleaned.
Hakka dance ceremony
"Umbrella Dance" is one of the traditional dances of the Hakka culture, during the ceremony, the dancer must be holding a paper umbrella and wearing a blue shirt (traditional Hakka Clothing). Hakka Dance Ceremony is an important part of the Hakka Culture along with "tea leaf drama" and "mountain song".
Engagement present of the Yao people
In the population of Yao located in Longhui County of Hunan, oil-paper umbrella is used as an engagement present by the men side. When a consensus is built between the two families, the family of the man's side would hire an experienced man to propose a marriage in the woman's house. The first propose does not require any gift but only the permission of the parents of the bride. During the day of engagement, the man's side needs to bring an oil-paper umbrella to the woman's house and place it on the sacred table located in the house; the bride must take the umbrella from the table personally and close the umbrella that is stitched with 12 triangles. Then the experienced man must bring the oil-paper umbrella back to the husband's house for the proof of a successful engagement. On the way back, the experienced man must not open the umbrella himself. If a divorce is made later, the husband must return the string on the stitch back to the bride.
Funerals of the Dai people
Dai people located in Yunnan use a special type of paper called "嘎拉沙" (Garcia) to make oil-paper umbrella, which is brushed with sesame oil. The Dai believe that the umbrella could lead the dead to heaven. This type of umbrella is still available in a village today.
Oil-paper umbrellas in China
The art of the Chinese style of oil-paper umbrellas are mostly focused on traditional black and white Chinese painting such as flowers, birds, and scenery. Others include scenes from famous Chinese literature, such as Dream of the Red Chamber and Romance of the Western Chamber. Yet, some have Chinese calligraphy instead of paintings. However, traditional colors are kept on the sticks and the scaffold of the umbrella to maintain the antiquity.
Yuhang, Zhejiang
In Yuhang District, Zhejiang, oil-paper umbrellas have been produced since the era of the Qianlong Emperor (1769), by Dong Wenyuan, who owned an umbrella shop. Oil-paper umbrellas in Yuhang are made with high mechanical skills and top materials, which provide their endurance. Prolonged exposure to sunlight and rain does no damage, thus their popularity among common people. Many travelers who passed through Yuan would buy umbrellas from Dong Wenyuan's umbrella shop as souvenirs for friends and relatives. Oil-paper umbrellas in Yuhang are available in a variety of different types and purposes, including those used for fishing or as collectibles.
In 1951, Zhejiang province has chosen Yuhang as the focused point of the industrial artifact for oil-paper umbrellas and initiated a group for this establishment in 1952. The later established "Artifact Rain Umbrella Industry Co-operations" was the first industry of artifacts in Zhejiang province. This establishment was once in the spotlight of the Chinese media, however, as the popular metallic umbrella appeared on the market and oil-paper umbrellas have faced extinction.
On December 5, 2006, artisan Liu Youquan met a government official of the Yuhang district and proposed to recover the oil-paper umbrella in Yuhan, with the intention of starting a new pop culture trend and increase local wealth. Liu spent a few hundred RMB and bought some dozens of the bamboo umbrella from a bamboo umbrella factory. But Liu did not have the skills, only to keep these as a "canvas" for 30 some years. A local media reported for a search of an oil-paper umbrella artisan and increased local awareness. Four days later, four artisans: Fang Jinquan, Chen Yue Xiang, Shen Lihua, and Sun Shuigen prompted and have intentions to recover the art (drawing oil paintings on the bamboo umbrella). They have passed their skills and technique to some local bamboo farmers and brought income to them. The governmental officials of Yuhang have listed this art for major protection and important antique artifact (Antiquities Act[1]).
Production requires skilled hands and technique as well as personal experience. Training to become a master in oil-paper umbrella manufacture requires an apprenticeship and a great deal of practice. Apprentices must practice the skills for three years to officially master this technique. Tools are made by professional blacksmiths. The material of the umbrellas is chosen with care. The umbrella scaffold is made from either bamboo or wood, tied with hair strings. The best umbrellas are made from peach flowers, as the umbrella surface is soaked in persimmon pigment. The persimmon pigment is made from fermenting the juice of green persimmons,[2] which provides a suitable stickiness. The soaked flower petals are stuck to the umbrella scaffold one by one. Paintings or pictures are drawn on the peach flower petals prior to painting tung oil on top. The finalized umbrella is left to dry in a dry dark room. It requires at least 70 steps to produce a well-crafted oil-paper umbrella.
Hunan
Oil-paper umbrellas in Changsha, Hunan province date back to about 100 years, the earliest oil-paper umbrella shop is 陶恒泰纸伞店, Which is named after Tao Jiqiao, who established the shop during the Qing dynasty.
In 1900, Liang Jingting, who worked in an umbrella shop in Changsha opened his own umbrella shop called the Lianghongfa San. It produces the old type of oil, black ink umbrella. The beautiful name Xiangtan Muji Jing Gang You San is attributed to its fine features and endurance. In 1921, the Pan Kuiqing (潘馈清) brothers started a factory called Feifei San (菲菲伞) that mass-produces umbrella skin paper. The umbrella skin it produced included traditional flowered ones and many other pictures, these umbrellas were exported to Hong Kong, Macau and South East Asia. The umbrella was awarded in a Chinese exhibition in 1929. The highest production rate was thirty thousand per year, until February 1975 when Jing Gang Yusan She(靖港雨伞社; jìng gǎng yǔsǎn shè) was abolished, and Taohengmao (陶恒茂) oil-paper umbrella production was terminated.
The raw materials of the Changsha oil-paper umbrella are skin paper, bamboo, cotton silk, rope, tung oil, persimmon water, pigment, cow horn, and wood. The umbrellas produced by Taohengmao are especially fine-featured and commit to abide by the traditional production methods with strict materials.
Taiwan
Oil-paper umbrella production in Meinong initiation has two rumors.One was that it started during the Japanese rule, during which, Lin Agui and Wu Zhenxing invited oil-paper umbrella artisans from mainland China to Taiwan for the purpose of passing the skills to the locals.The other was that oil-paper umbrella artisan Guo (郭玉琴) have arrived in Taiwan from Guangdong province. Since then, he had permanently stayed in the Meinong district and spread the skills locally. Early Meinong oil-paper umbrella factor was called "廣" (pronounced "Young") for connotations of wealth, wide and progression. In 1960, oil-paper umbrella, tobacco leaves, and rice were Meinong district's major income sources. At that time, it was the renaissance of oil-paper umbrella. It was estimated that there were at least twenty factories producing twenty thousand oil-paper umbrellas annually. However, with the rapid industrialization in Taiwan, mechanically produced Western umbrellas have replaced them in attribute to low cost, longevity, and portability. Taiwan has become the key country of Western umbrella production and forced many traditional handmade oil-paper umbrella factories out of business.
In 1970, an English journal used the Goung (广进胜) oil-paper umbrella pioneer, Lin Xianglin and his umbrella as the magazine cover, along with a detailed article on the culture and production of oil-paper umbrella. BBC have also included a series of recording of the oil-paper umbrella called the "Long Search". In addition, 1983, famous Hakka movie producer, Lin Fu-De, have incorporated the oil-paper umbrella into his drama, Star Knows My Heart. When the drama was played in the Japanese television, Taiwanese oil-paper umbrella gained impression in the Japanese, who have ordered a large quantity for imports. After 1980, with the increase of Taiwan overall financial status, Meinong's increased tourism, oil-paper umbrella have recovered its utility in the daily life along with its value as a local culture and travel souvenir.
Oil-paper umbrellas in foreign countries
Japan
Oil-paper umbrellas are often known in Japanese as wagasa, and these with a bull's-eye design are called janomegasa. The handle and scaffold are often colored black, however, sometimes other colors are applied as well. The surface paintings include traditional Japanese culture, gained popularity from the Azuchi–Momoyama period to Edo period.
Tailand
Oil-paper umbrella art in the Northern Thailand, or Chiang Mai dates back to around two hundred years. The umbrella scaffold is made from green bamboo sticks, the colors and images are abundant including pictures of scenery, animals, people and flowers. The umbrella surfaces can have a square shape in addition to the traditional circular one. Oil-paper umbrellas in Thailand have unique features, which often entice tourists to buy them. Of the several types, the most famous are the ones made in the Bo Sang village. Most farmers produce oil-paper umbrellas during their free time in specialized factories.
References
1. The Antiquities Act of 1906 (Pub.L. 59–209, 34 Stat. 225, 54 U.S.C. §§ 320301–320303), is an act that was passed by the United States Congress and signed into law by Theodore Roosevelt on June 8, 1906.
2."Hiromi Paper International". hiromipaper.com.
Terms
1.Yun:云氏
2.Lu Ban:鲁班
3.Washi:和纸
4.Hakka:客家人
5."Artifact Rain Umbrella Industry Co-operations":雨伞手工业合作社
6.Lianghongfa San:梁宏发伞
7.Xiangtan Muji Jing Gang You San:湘潭木屐 靖港油伞
8.wagasa:(Japanese)和伞, "Japanese umbrella"
9.janomegasa:(Japanese)蛇の目伞, "snake-eye umbrella"
Questions
1.What did people in Song Dynasty commonly call the oil-paper umbrella?
2.What are the general production procedures of oil-paper umbrellas?
3.Why do Dai People use oil-paper umbrellas in funerals?
4.What is wagasa?
Answers
1.It was commonly called the "green oil-paper umbrella".
2.First, bamboo is selected.Then, the bamboo is crafted and soaked in water. It is then dried in the sun, drilled, threaded and assembled into a skeleton. Next, Washi paper is cut and glued onto the skeleton. It is trimmed, oiled, and exposed to sunlight. Lastly, patterns are painted onto the umbrella.
3.Because the Dai believe that the umbrella could lead the dead to heaven.
4.Oil-paper umbrellas are often known in Japanese as wagasa.
Li Siwen 李思文 - stage entertainment:Yuan drama
The Definition of Yuan Drama
Yuan drama is a wonderful flower in the splendid cultural treasure-house of the Chinese nation, which embodies unique characteristics in ideological content and artistic achievements. Tang and Song poetry and Yuan drama have become three important milestones of the history of Chinese literature.
The Yuan Dynasty was the heyday of the Yuan drama. Generally speaking, poetic drama(杂剧) and non-dramatic song(散曲) are collectively called Yuan drama, and both use north drama as a singing form. Non-dramatic song is the main body of Yuan Dynasty literature. However, the achievements and influence of poetic drama far exceed that of non-dramatic song,so some people refer to Yuan drama singlely as "poetic drama", which is also "yuan dynasty opera".[1]
The Rise and development of Yuan Drama
Reasons of rise The rise and development of Yuan drama has complex reasons. First of all, the fundation of the previous society was the basis for the rise of the Yuanqu.The vast territory of the Yuan Dynasty, the prosperity of the city economy, the grand theater, the active book club and the countless audience laid the foundation for the rise of the Yuanqu; Secondly, the cultures of various ethnic groups in Yuan Dynasty exchanged and melted with each other, promoting the formation of Yuan drama; Third, Yuan drama isthe inevitable result of the inheritance and development of the literary tradition and the inherent law of poetry itself.
Development of Yuan drama The development of Yuan drama can be divided into three periods. Early period: The duriation between the founding of Yuan Dynasty and the destruction of Southern Song Dynasty. During this period, Yuan drama had just entered the poetry world from folk colloquial slang, and had distinct colloquial characteristics and a cheerful, simple and natural sentiment.Most of the authors in that period are northerners, among whom Guan Hanqing, Ma Zhiyuan, Wang Shifu, Wang Xiaojun and Bai Pu had the highest achievements. Middle period: from Zhiyuan period to post-Zhiyuan period. The creation of Yuan darama in this period began to make a comprehensive transition to literalization and specialization. Non-dramatic song became the main genre of poetry. Important writers include Zheng Guangzu, Sui Jingchen, Qiao Ji, Zhang Kejiu and so on. End: From Zhizheng period to the end of Yuan Dynasty. At this time, the composers of non-dramatic song were specialized in composing. They paid attention to the rhythm of words, deliberately seeking work in art and advocating elegance and delicacy, elegance and beauty. The represented writers are Zhang Yanghao and Xu Zaisi. [2]
Yuan Drama System
The system of Yuan drama is embodied in the following six aspects.
1.Temple(宫调): Temple refers to the mode of ancient Chinese music, the tune and temple are from court banquet music of Sui and Tang Dynasty.The north and south drama commonly used are five temples and four tones, including Zheng Gong(正宫), Zhonglu Gong(中吕宫), Nanlu Gong(南吕宫), Xianlu Gong(仙吕宫), Huangzhong Gong(黄钟宫) (five temples)(五宫), Damian tone(大面调), Double tone(双调), Shang tone(商调),Yue tone(越调) (four tones)(四调), each temple and tune has its own style. The number of opera sets and non-dramatic song sets in the yuanqu is formed by connecting two different song cards in the same palace key.
2.Qupai(曲牌): Commonly known as "Quzi", is a general name for various tunes, each with a special name, such as "Dot the red lip"(点绛唇), "Shan Po Yang"(山坡羊), etc. The total number is numerous, and there are 335 North Drama in Yuan Dynasty,each of which has a certain tune and singing method, and also stipulates the number of words, syntax, and pingshu of the song. According to this, people can fill in the new song lyrics, most of the song cards are from the folk, some of them are developed from the words, so Qupai is also the same as Cipai, but the content is not completely consistent. In addition, there are specially played Qupai, but most of them only have tunes and no lyrics.
3.Rhyme(曲韵): Yuan drama strictly abides by the requirements of the nineteen parts of the "Central China phonology" in terms of rhyme and divides it into flat, up, and go, and has the following characteristics in rhyme: flat rhyme, not avoiding heavy rhyme. It usually uses one rhyme to the end, borrowing rhyme, dark rhyme, redundant rhyme, and losing rhyme.
4.Level and oblique tones(平仄):Qu is more strict in the use of words than in Ci poetry, and pays special attention to the flatness of each last sentence.
5.Antithesis(对仗):The Antithesis of Qu is relatively free, , that means it can use level tone to paralle with oblique tone, and level tone to parallel with level tone. There are thirteen kinds of confrontation forms of qu, such as "two-word pair"(两字对), "end-to-end pair"(首尾对), "serif pair"(衬字对), etc. and there are many characteristics in the use of language and word order combination, mainly manifested in that there are Gong Dui(a neat antithesis) and Kuan Dui(an untidy antithesis), but the phenomenon of Kuan Dui is more common; The sentence is self-contained,such as "loyal subjects are not afraid of death, afraid of death are not disloyal subjects".
Representatives of Yuan Drama
1.Guan Hanqing(关汉卿)
Guan Hanqing (1234 – c.1300), with courtesy name Hanqing and alias Yizhai(已斋), was a native of Xiezhou(解州) (present-day Yuncheng, Shanxi), and was also from Dadu(大都) (present-day Beijing) and Qizhou(祁州) (present-day Anguo, Hebei). The founder of Yuan drama, the first of the "Four Greats of Yuan Drama"(元曲四大家), together with Bai Pu(白朴), Ma Zhiyuan(马致远) and Zheng Guangzu(郑光祖), is known as the "Four Greats of Yuan Drama", and is known as "Qu sheng"(曲圣).
Guan Hanqing has the greatest achievement in poetic drama, with 67 now known and 18 extant, the most famous of which is "Snow in Summer"(《窦娥冤》). There are more than 40 Xiaoling(a short form of Yuan drama 小令) and more than 10 sets of scattered songs. Representatives of his work: "Snow in Summer","Rescued by a courtesan"(《救风尘》),"River-veiwing Pavilion"(《望江亭》),"Worshiping-the-moon Pavilion"(《拜月亭》)
2.Ma Zhiyuan(马致远)
Ma Zhiyuan, from Dadu (present-day Beijing), according to other research, Ma Zhiyuan is a native of Ma Citang Village, Dongguang County, Hebei Province, and the Dongguang County Chronicle and the Dongguang Ma Clan Genealogy are recorded. His courtesy name is Qianli(千里), which means "thousand miles" and in his later years, he used "East Fence"(东篱) as his alias to show his admiration for Tao Yuanming's ambition. The representative work is "Han Gong Qiu"(《汉宫秋》).
3.Zheng Guanzu(郑光祖)
His courtesy name is Dehui(德辉). He was a famous miscellaneous dramatist and composer inYuan Dynasty, and his miscellaneous dramas were "famous in the world and amaze boudoir"(名闻天下,声振闺阁) at that time.18 kinds ofpoetic dramas can be examined.The representative work is "Qian-nu's Soul Fleeying with Her Lover"(《倩女离魂》).
4.Bai Pu(白朴)
His original name was Heng(恒),and courtesy name was Renfu(仁甫), and later he changed his name to Pu(朴) and courtesy name to Taisu(太素), and his alias is Langu(兰谷). His ancestral home was Suizhou (隩州, near present-day Hequ, Shanxi), later migrated to Zhending(真定) (present-day Zhengding County, Hebei), and lived in Jinling(金陵) (present-day Nanjing) in his later years. He was a famous writer and miscellaneous dramatist of Yuan Dynasty, and one of "Four Greats of Yuan Drama". The masterpiece of him is "Pei Shaojun And Li Qianjun"(《墙头马上》).[3]
Four Tragedies of Yuan Drama
"Snow in Summer"(《窦娥冤》) Guan Hanqing
"Wu Tong Rain"(《梧桐雨》) Bai Pu
"Han Gong Qiu"(《汉宫秋》) Ma Zhiyuan
"Chinese Orphan"(《赵氏孤儿》) Ji Junxiang
Four Love Dramas of Yuan Drama
"Worshiping-the-moon Pavilion"(《拜月亭》) Guan Hanqing
"The West Chamber"(《西厢记》) Wang Shifu(王实甫)
"Pei Shaojun And Li Qianjun"(《墙头马上》) Bai Pu
"Qian-nu's Soul Fleeying with Her Lover"(《倩女离魂》) Zheng Guanzu
Reference
[1].https://baike.sogou.com/v144704.htm[Z].
[2].唐定耀.元曲 针砭时弊[J].神州学人,2019,(03):01-02.
[3].唱念做打 生旦净末——中国戏曲[J].万象,2019(01):34-37.
Terms and Expressions
poetic drama 杂剧
non-dramatic song 散曲
temple宫调
Zheng Gong 正宫
Zhonglu Gong 中吕宫
Nanlu Gong 南吕宫
Xianlu Gong 仙吕宫
Huangzhong Gong 黄钟宫
Damian tone 大面调
Double tone 双调
Shang tone 商调
Yue tone 越调
Qupai 曲牌
Dot the red lip 点绛唇
Shan Po Yang 山坡羊
Rhyme 曲韵
Level and oblique tones 平仄
Antithesis 对仗
two-word pair 两字对
end-to-end pair 首尾对
serif pair 衬字对
Four Greats of Yuan Drama 元曲四大家
Qu sheng 曲圣
Snow in Summer《窦娥冤》
Xiaoling 小令
Rescued by a courtesan《救风尘》
River-veiwing Pavilion《望江亭》
Worshiping-the-moon Pavilion《拜月亭》
Han Gong Qiu《汉宫秋》
famous in the world and amaze boudoir 名闻天下,声振闺阁
Qian-nu's Soul Fleeying with Her Lover《倩女离魂》
Pei Shaojun And Li Qianjun《墙头马上》
Questions
1.What is Yuan drama?
2.How many periods had Yuan drama experienced during its development?
3.What are the six aspects embodying the system of Yuan drama?
4.Who are the "four greats of Yuan drama"?
5.What are the four tragedies of Yuan drama?
6.What are the four love dramas of Yuan drama?
Li Wanying 李婉莹 - Music and instruments: Erhu
Music and Instruments:Erhu
1.A Brief Introduction
The Erhu is a Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument. It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles and large orchestras. It is one of the main bowed string instruments in the Chinese musical family used by various ethnic groups of China. The first Chinese character of the name of the instrument (二, èr, two) is believed to come from the fact that it has two strings. An alternate explanation states that it comes from the fact that it is the second highest huqin in pitch to the gaohu(高胡) in the modern Chinese orchestra. The second character (胡, hú) indicates that it is a member of the Huqin family, with Hu commonly meaning barbarians. The name Huqin literally means "instrument of the Hu peoples", suggesting that the instrument may have originated from regions to the north or west of China generally inhabited by nomadic people on the extremities of past Chinese kingdoms.
2.The Development of Erhu
The Erhu, with a history more than one thousand years, originated from an ethnic minority in northeast China during the Tang Dynasty. And at that time, Erhu was called as Xiqin.
During the Song Dynasty, it was called as Jiqin and had achieved a high level of performance according to scholar Shen Kuo, it is said that a minister Xu Yan’s had finished his playing with one of the string broken in front of the emperor and other ministers; during the Yuan Dynasty, people could accurately illustrate the principle of making a huqin, which pave the way for its further development; during the Ming and Qing Dynasty, Huqin became a main accompaniment instrument for opera which began prevailing; during Chinese modern times, the instrument was called as Erhu, and its performance has reached a very high level after more than half a century of development and spread; during this period, Liu Tianhua(刘天华) was the one who created Erhu’s new era and was seen as the father of the modern Erhu school. He assured five positions and created the vibrato(huaxian) technique, which expanded Erhu’s register, enriched its expression and made it sound more soft and smooth. He also departed it from accompaniments which laid the foundation for Erhu to enter the hall of elegance.
After the founding of New China, ethnic and folk music developed rapidly. In order to vigorously explore the artistic treasures of folk artists, Hua Yanjun(华彦钧), Liu Beimao(刘北茂) and other folk artists’ Erhu music was made into records, making the art of Erhu performance mushroom and develop rapidly. In the 1950s and 1960s, a group of erhu educators and performers represented by Zhang Rui(张锐), Zhang Shao(张韶) and Wang Yi (王乙)emerged successively. Under their influence, new erhu performers such as Min Huifen(闵惠芬) and Wang Guotong(王国潼) were cultivated. For example, Erhu composer Liu Wenjin's(刘文金) Great Wall Capriccio (《长城随想曲》)gave full play to the performance of the Erhu and deliberately innovated to make the Erhu glow with new vitality and splendor.
3.Construction
The Erhu consists of a long vertical stick-like neck, at the top of which are two big tuning pegs, and at the bottom is a small resonator body (sound box) which is covered with python skin on the front (playing) end. Two strings are attached from the pegs to the base, and a small loop of string (Qian Jin) placed around the neck and strings acting as a nut pulls the strings towards the skin, holding a minute wooden bridge in place.
The parts of the Erhu:
Qín tong (琴筒), sound box or resonator body; it is hexagonal (liu jiao, southern), octagonal (ba jiao, northern), or, less commonly, round.
Qín pí/She pí (琴皮/蛇皮), skin, made from python. The python skin gives the erhu its characteristic sound.
Qín gan (琴杆), neck.
Qín tou (琴头), top or tip of neck, usually a simple curve with a piece of bone or plastic on top, but is sometimes elaborately carved with a dragon's head.
Qín zhou (琴轴). tuning pegs, traditional wooden, or metal machine gear pegs
Qiān jin (千斤), nut, made from string, or, less commonly, a metal hook
Nèi xián (内弦), inside or inner string, usually tuned to D4, nearest to player
Wai xián (外弦), outside or outer string, usually tuned to A4
Qín ma (琴码), bridge, the medium in the vibration between the strings and the skin , made from wood
Qín Gong (琴弓), bow, has screw device to vary bow hair tension
Qín diàn (琴垫), pad, a piece of sponge, felt, or cloth placed between the strings and skin below the bridge to improve its sound
Qín tuō (琴托) – base, a piece of wood attached to the bottom of the qín tong to provide a smooth surface on which to rest on the leg
4.Playing Technique
(1)Tuning
The erhu is almost always tuned to the interval of a fifth. The inside string (nearest to player) is generally tuned to D4 and the outside string to A4. This is the same as the two middle strings of the violin.
(2)Position
The Erhu is played sitting down, with the sound box placed on the top of the left thigh and the neck held vertically, in the similar fashion as that of a cello or double bass player. However, performers of more recent years have played while standing up using a specially developed belt-clip.
(3)Right hand
The bow is held with an underhand grip. The bow hair is adjusted so it is slightly loose. The fingers of the right hand are used to push the hairs away from the stick in order to create tension in the hairs. The bow hair is placed in between the two strings and both sides of the bow hair are used to produce sound, the player pushes the bow away from the body when bowing the outside string, and pulls it inwards when bowing the inside string. Aside from the bowing technique used for most pieces, the Erhu can be plucked, usually using the second finger of the right hand. This produces a dry, muted tone (if either of the open strings is plucked, the sound is somewhat more resonant) which is sometimes used in contemporary pieces.
(4)Left hand
The left hand alters the pitch of the strings by pressing on the string at the desired point. Being a fretless instrument, the player has fine control over tuning. Techniques include hua yin (slides滑音), rou xian (vibrato揉弦), and huan ba (changing positions换把).
5.Ten Chinese Erhu Classics
(1)Er Quan Ying Yue (Moon reflection in Erquan)《二泉映月》
(2)Liang Xiao (The Enchant Evening)《良宵》
(3)Ting Song (Listen to the Pines) 《听松》
(4)Kong Shan Niao Yu (The Birds Sing in Countryside)《空山鸟语》
(5)Han Chun Feng Qu (Cold Spring Wind Song)《寒春风曲》
(6)Yue Ye (Moonlight Night)《月夜》
(7)Liu Bo Qu (Flowing Wave Song)《流波曲》
(8)Bing Zhong Yin (Song by a Sick Man)《病中吟》
(9)San Bao Fo (Buddha Sambo)(三宝佛)
(10)Guang Ming Xing (Marching Toward Brightness)《光明行》
Reference [1]赵雪涵.二胡的发展历史与风格[J].北方音乐,2020(03):107-108. [2]Erhu--Wikipedia
Liu Keyi 刘可仪 - Traditional and Modern Views on Marriage and Love
Ⅰ Foreword
The concept of marriage and love is people's views and attitudes towards marriage and love. The views on marriage and love are not invariable, and people's views on marriage and love are different in different periods. The formation of the view of love and marriage has its complicated social and historical factors as well as individual subjective factors.In recent years, due to the influence of China's social and economic development and diversified changes in values, people' views and understanding of love and marriage have undergone great changes, and many new phenomena have appeared in any previous period.
Ⅱ Overview
1.Views on Marriage and Love at Ancient Times
1.1 the ancient abnormal phenomenon of love
True love only happens in more special intimate relationships. Just like a very pleasing ancient love novel, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai two people love each other to the end, both died in love, this is not a beautiful love? You may find that true love in traditional love tends to break the rules, and is more likely to occur when there is a conflict of status or class between two people, and the result of such a relationship is not adultery, but elopement or even martyrdom.
As I said, these are still in the drama. They are people's ideal love stories and real stories. For example, the story of Zhuo Wenjun and Sima Xiangru in the Han Dynasty.
1.2 illegality of eloping
Sima Xiangru, Zhuo Wenjun and other elopements were not justified in ancient marriage norms. In ancient times, people respected the etiquette and customs of marriage, and so on. Eloping with another woman, falling in love, is a rare behavior. A normal marriage is one of matching families, bearing children, carrying on the family line, supporting husband and educating children. So in a traditional marriage, love is an anomaly. In ancient times, love was too extreme. Either two people lived a happy life, or both people died in love, just like the love story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. They loved each other very much, but in our modern view of love, this is a very extreme approach.
2.Views on Marriage and Love in Modern Times
2.1 the normalization trend of love concepts
Love has few elements in a Chinese marriage. For them, the Chinese view of love and marriage is still based on the traditional concept of marriage. You may not have noticed that in modern times, after the widespread practice of monogamy in the 1950s, our Chinese concept of love changed a lot. For example, the word "love" began at that time, that is, since then, there has been a general understanding that in the process of getting to know each other and falling in love, one should first fall in love, even if they have been talking for several years, one should not get married.
Therefore, in modern Chinese marriage, love has become a necessity of life and a factor that people attach great importance to when getting married. In this respect, the biggest difference between Chinese modern marriage and traditional marriage. After the 1950s, free love, free marriage and free divorce became the mainstream ideology.
2.2 freedom of divorce
As far as the freedom of divorce is concerned, attitudes are also changing. The definition of "wrongful marriage" is that the court will only give a divorce if one of the parties to the marriage has a wrongful marriage, such as desertion, domestic violence, affairs, etc. After a series of struggles, people from the fault divorce law to no fault divorce law. When we talk about no-fault divorce, it means that there is no fault in the couple, but they can divorce as long as the relationship breaks down.
When the Marriage Act was enacted in 1950, our country came into being in one step. The reasons for civil divorce in China are as follows: if the relationship between the two parties is broken, the marriage relationship can be dissolved; Emotional breakdown is a sufficient ground for divorce. Western countries have been striving for fault-free divorce. From the perspective of marriage reasons, the emotional factors of husband and wife have occupied a very important position. Since ancient times, the change of marriage form from traditional to modern is delightful.
Ⅲ Changes
1.mate selection views
In ancient times, the most typical ideal marriage was "matching family status", in which the economic strength and social status of the male and female were equal, and personal feelings were not included in the marriage criteria. Nowadays, people's view of mate selection and external conditions such as family rank and property have gradually changed to internal qualities such as personal feelings and knowledge.
2. celibacy
In ancient times, the principle of male master outside and female master inside was followed, but with the liberation of women's thought, the competition between men and women in the profession became increasingly fierce, resulting in more and more single women. In western countries such as Britain and France, there has been a rise in the prevalence of celibacy and a falling birth rate, according to reports. And the single with female intellectuals in the majority, female single people think, life is not designed for fertility, people's life should take career as the most important.
3. marriage autonomy
In ancient times, marriage emphasized the order of parents, matchmakers, three wives and four concubines, etc., while modern marriage proposed monogamy, against taking concubines, women's economic independence, freedom of love, freedom of marriage, freedom of divorce and other attitudes. In some developed areas, some celebrities and elegant people regard free marriage as a virtue, and they should pay attention to civilization in form.
4. the age of first marriage
In ancient times, men and women generally married at the age of 14 or 15. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, feminism rose, and women's ideas changed after they studied, resulting in the phenomenon of delayed marriage. The general decline of the rural economy in the late 1920s also helped to curb traditional early marriages.
Liu Qianyi 刘倩仪 - Traditional Cuisine: Tangyuan
1.Introduction
Tangyuan, also known as Yuanxiao, is both a traditional Chinese dessert made from glutinous rice flour and a festive food during the Lantern Festival. Tangyuan is sticky, sweet and round in shape. It is made with glutinous rice flour as the skin and the filling is made of sesame, peanuts, red beans, and even fruits. In Chinese, the pronunciation of Tangyuan is similar to "tuanyuan", which has the meaning of reunion, happiness, togetherness and harmony in Chinese, expressing people's hope for a fulfilling and blissful life.
2.The origin of Tangyuan
Tangyuan was originally developed in the Song dynasty(960-1279) in Mingzhou (明州) (current Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province). It was also called Yuanxiao, the same name as the Lantern Festival (Yuanxiao Festival) in China.
The Winter Solstice is an important festival before the Chinese Lunar New Year. There was a saying in ancient China, “The Winter Solstice is as significant as the Spring Festival”, which shows that the ancient people paid much attention to this festival. Eating Tangyuan during the winter solstice is a traditional custom in Jiangnan (the region south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River), which symbolizes reunion with family members and good fortune. Eating Tangyuan on the winter solstice is also called “winter solstice dumpling”. There was a saying among the folks that "eating Tangyuan to grow one year older". People not only made them for themselves, but they also send them to relatives and friends to express blessings. During the festival, Chinese people also used Tangyuan as one of the sacrifices to show their respect to Heaven and their ancestors.
Historically, a number of different names were used to refer to Tangyuan. During the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, the name was officially settled as Yuanxiao (derived from the Yuanxiao Festival), which is usually used in northern China. “Yuanxiao” in Chinese means the first full moon night in the new year, so the festival has a remarkable meaning to people in China.
Regarding the relations between Tangyuan and Yuanxiao, there was a legend in South China. During the regime of Yuan Shikai (1912–1916), he hated the name Yuanxiao because it sounded identical to “remove Yuan” (“袁消”), in Chinese, and thus he gave orders to change the name to Tangyuan (soup balls). [1]
Nowadays, Tangyuan usually refers to the southern style, while Yuanxiao refers to the northern style.
3. Differences between Tangyuan and Yuanxiao
The fundamental difference lies in their making, fillings, cooking, and storage. Yuanxiao has sweet and solid fillings and is served in a thick broth. The surface tends to be dry and soft and has a short shelf life. The process of making the dish begins with preparing the solid fillings that are then cut into small pieces. The filling is dipped into water then the dry glutinous rice flour repeatedly, until a round shape is achieved. Tangyuan can be stuffed with a variety of soft fillings that are either sweet or salty, and is served in a thinner soup. The texture is smooth and glutinous, and can be stored frozen for a long time. Tangyuan is made by wrapping the soft filling in a glutinous rice "dough" and shaping it into a ball. The southern variation is served in a broth that changes depending on the filling. Daikon radish and fish cake broth is used for savory fillings, or tong sui, which is "sugar water," for sweeter options.[2]
4. Types of Tangyuan
There are many types of featured Tangyuan and Yuanxiao throughout China. Here are some of the most prestigious ones:
1)Ling Tangyuan of Chongqing
In the 1930s, Mr. Lin Minghe, the founder of Lin Tangyuan, carried his vendor stand selling Tangyuan on the street of Chongqing. As his Tangyuan tasted so well that it soon became a popular snack of the town. Later, Mr. Lin worked with others to expand his business in Chongqing and opened branch restaurants in other cities like Chengdu, Kunming, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Nanning. Later he became a business tycoon. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War in 1937, Mr. Lin vigorously funded the then government to fight against Japanese army. And his brand of Lin Tangyuan was renamed to Ling Tangyuan. Up to now, it has become one of the favorite snacks of the people in Chongqing.
2)Five-colored Tangyuan in Suzhou
Wumen Rice Noodle Restaurant in Suzhou serves its unique Tangyuan in five colors, which are stuffed with 5 kinds of fillings respectively, including pork, rose with lard, bean paste, sesame, and osmanthus flower with lard. The snack is both sweet and salty with the five colors: pink, green, golden, creamy and deep brown, which come from the natural ingredients like pumpkin, carrot, tea, wheat, etc.
3)4-flavor Tangyuan in Guangdong Province
The locals firstly boil or steam mung beans, red beans, candied white gourds, and taro roots respectively. Then peel them, add sugar, sesame, cooked lard and other seasonings to make four kinds of sweet fillings, and stuff them into the glutinous rice balls with different marks on the surface. Cook all the four types of Tangyuan in a pot of boiling water. When it is ready, every bowl will have 4 balls with different fillings. This style of Tangyuan originated in the late Qing Dynasty.
4)Sisters’ Tangyuan in Changsha
Sisters’ Tangyuan is a well-known snack in Changsha with a history of 70 years. It was named after the two sisters of Jiang’s family who ran the business years ago. They use hawthorn paste, white sugar, dried osmanthus flowers as filling. The rice balls look snowy white and translucent with a smaller size and exquisite sweet taste.
5)Chicken Tangyuan in Xingyi of Guizhou Province
Founded in the late Qing Dynasty and passed down by four generations, it has a history of more than one hundred years and has become one of the four famous snacks in Xingyi area of Guizhou today. Unlike most of the other Tangyuan, the Xingyi Chicken Tangyuan is unique with a salty taste. The sticky rice balls are filled with minced chicken, pork, chicken soup, and sesame paste.[3]
5. Different flavors and fillings for Tangyuan
Tangyuan is a versatile food that can be served plain as glutinous rice balls or stuffed with different fillings. It has both sweet and savory fillings. Sweet fillings are made of sugar, nutlet(果仁), sesame, osmanthus flowers(桂花), red beans, bean paste, or jujube paste(枣泥). Modern Tangyuan fillngs can include chocolate, rose, matcha, and various fruit such as strawberry or durian. A single ingredient or any combination can be used for the filling. Savory fillings are made of crushed peanuts, minced meat, mushroom and cabbage.
6. Steps of making Tangyuan
Making Tangyuan is rather time-consuming, but the results are impressive.
First, mix black sesame powder with pork belly fat or lard and sugar, heat the mixture a little bit, and put it on the plate. Next, you add some hot or cold water to the glutinous rice flour to form a wet dough and slowly mix it evenly. Then cut the dough into small pieces of similar weight, use hands to roll these pieces into small balls. Then make a hole in the ball, insert the sesame fillings you prepare before and knead it into a ball again in your palm. These balls are then placed into the boiled water one by one. When they float on the soup, turn the flame down and continue to boil for about one minute. Finally, turn the heat off, transfer these lovely balls into a soup bowl and enjoy your delicious meal!
[1][3]Tang Yuan (Yunanxiao) Recipe, Chinese Glutinous Rice Balls - Easy Tour China
[2]Tangyuan (food) - Wikipedia
Liu Yixin 刘亦欣 - Animals:Golden Monkey
1.Introduction Snub-nosed monkey, a member of the genus Simiidae, is an IUCN endangered species with large nostrils, upturned lips, thick lips, and no cheek pouches. The snub-nosed monkey lives in broad-leaved forests and mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests at altitudes of 1400-3000 meters. They fear the heat, but tolerate the cold, and live in families. Golden monkeys include Burmese golden monkeys, Sichuan golden monkeys, Yunnan golden monkeys, Guizhou golden monkeys, and Vietnam golden monkeys. Except Burmese golden monkeys and Vietnam golden monkeys, other golden monkeys are rare and unique to China, and are listed as endangered species on the Red List of Species. This paper will introduce three kinds of golden monkeys endemic to China.
2.Sichuan golden monkeys Sichuan Golden Monkey: the “Most Beautiful Monkey” among Primates. Only Sichuan snub-nosed monkey can truly match the word "golden silk", the other four species are all gray or black. Adult golden snub-nosed monkeys have colorful fur, with golden-red, red-brown, silver-gray hairs and long hairs around them. The main tone is yellowish-brown, thick and long. Adult male golden snub-nosed monkeys have long golden hairs of up to 30 cm on their back and shoulders. Due to the climate, the color of the golden snub-nosed monkey is also different. Every summer and autumn, they are the most beautiful. Golden brown and red long hairs set off against each other shine in the sunshine, which looks like wearing a golden cloak from a distance, looking majestic. Sichuan golden monkeys and giant pandas both belong to the treasure animals. Sichuan golden monkeys' colour is gorgeous, unique shape, grace, gentle nature, popular people's favorite, has a lot of appeal to the public, to be able to attract the public attention and get the favour of protection fund, not only can make themselves under the protection of the better, and to jointly protect the smaller species
In 2019, modern Art magazine took the lead in exclusively planning and organizing the implementation of the series of commemorative activities of "The 150th Anniversary of the Scientific discovery of The Giant Panda and golden Monkey". As the place where the giant panda and golden monkey were discovered, Sichuan has made continuous efforts in recent years to make the giant panda and golden monkey the cultural name card of Sichuan, actively do a good job in the inheritance and protection of the giant panda and golden monkey culture, and promote the development and spread of the Great Beauty of Sichuan, Ecological Sichuan and cultural Sichuan. Sichuan is vigorously developing its cultural tourism industry, comprehensively establishing its cultural tourism brand, and speeding up the construction of a strong cultural province. The successful development and dissemination of the series of themed commemorative activities of "China Double Treasure Sichuan Name Card" is not only a traditional expression of literary and artistic commemoration, but also an innovative cultural tourism publicity practice. It is also the proud work of a series of literary and art works that Sichuan Federation of Literary and art circles around the new slogan of cultural tourism.
3.Guizhou golden monkeys Guizhou golden monkey is also known as "grey snub-nosed monkey". However, its body is a bit like Sichuan golden monkey but a slightly smaller, with a long tail like an oxtail, the tail is longer than the body, giving people a particularly funny feeling, so the local people also called it "oxtail monkey". Guizhou golden monkey body back in beige, some yellow tonal, limb lateral hand upward from the shoulders back, the nose and mouth slightly concave down, face the pale gray or pale blue, is blue nose, eyebrows, ridge, shoulder MAO, 160 mm by black gradient for the light beige, under the neck, armpits, and the arms for golden, shares to yellowish gray, The body color changes of upper limbs are the same as that of lower limbs. The tail head is dark gray to the tail is yellowish white or black, the whole body is silver gray, the young is light, the top of the head is gray, the inside of the limbs is milk gray, and it is called "snub-nosed monkey". Guizhou snub-nosed monkey is a rare species unique to China and one of the rare and endangered species in the world. It was once in a prosperous period in history and was widely distributed in more than 10 provinces and regions around Guizhou. Currently, it is only confined to Fanjing Mountain area in Tongren. The number of pandas is even rarer than that of giant pandas, and it is known as "the only child in the world". Tongren has rich cultural accumulation and is a tourist city with many unique representative elements. Nowadays, Guizhou golden monkey is known by more and more people, and it is also a national first-class protected animal. Fanjing Mountain in Tongren is a tourist resort. Integrating the natural form elements of Guizhou golden monkey and the characteristic culture of Tongren into the cartoon image design will make the cartoon character more interesting and influential, and make it more accepted and liked by more people. Let people have the opportunity to contact the excellent works with the "flavor" of Tongren area. Relative to foreign complicated cartoon image, Guizhou golden monkey card image can give a person shine at the moment of feeling, careful analysis and use of the advantage resources, can make Guizhou golden monkey cartoon image design of rapid development, even in the future and foreign cartoon image tied, equal, let the cartoon image of Tongren regional culture through inheritance.
4.Yunnan golden monkeys Yunnan golden monkey is a national treasure as famous as the giant panda. Yunnan golden monkey is the most human-like animal in the world, with human-like teeth and an unforgettable "flaming red lip". In fact, in addition to the face is very human-like, Yunnan snub-nosed monkey also like human footprints, wide at the front and narrow at the back, but much smaller than human feet. In general, male monkeys have the largest foot, but it is less than half the size of adult male human feet, no more than 15 cm in length, especially indented. They are also one of the highest altitude distribution and largest primates on the earth. They live in the alpine taiga belt all year round, and are known as the "snow Mountain spirit", mysterious and elegant. Located in a global biodiversity hotspot where "three rivers flow simultaneously" in the Hengduan Mountains, Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys live in the narrow mountain range from Mangkam in Xizang province in the north to Yunlong in Dali in the south. Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve is the largest Yunnan golden monkey reserve in China. Since the first golden monkey appeared, the number of golden monkeys in China has doubled to more than 3,000. Every day, when the monkeys go to sleep, the rangers go home. The next day, before the monkey got up, the ranger was already by the monkey's side, starting a new day of guarding. The first group of monkey keepers began to protect Yunnan golden monkeys at the age of 45 and have been protecting them for 22 years now. Behind the continuation of the whole Yunnan golden monkey species is the blood, sweat and tears of three generations of monkey keepers for decades. The biodiversity in Yunnan is extremely rich, and the number of species in each major group is close to or more than half of that in China. However, due to the large difference of natural ecological environment, the distribution area of biological population and ecosystem is small, the ecological adaptability is low, and it is very sensitive to external disturbance. In recent years, Yunnan has adhered to the principle of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, strengthened the protection of biodiversity, improved the system of natural protected areas, and improved the quality of ecosystem. The Chinese government and people get world must carefully biodiversity of the management behavior. The story of Yunnan's rescue of the Asian elephant, an endangered species, has warmed the world. The 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) will be held in Kunming. Yunnan accounts for 4.1% of the land area of the country, but it covers the types of ecosystems on the earth except ocean and desert. COP15 is held in Yunnan, which is inseparable from the rich resources and remarkable biodiversity conservation effect of Yunnan.
Terms and expressions Simiidaen. 类人猿科 Burmese golden monkeys 缅甸金丝猴 Sichuan golden monkeys 川金丝猴 Guizhou golden monkeys黔金丝猴 Yunnan golden monkeys 滇金丝猴 Vietnam golden monkeys 越南金丝猴
Questions How many kinds of golden monkeys are there? What are the three kinds of golden monkeys unique to China? How does Sichuan Golden Monkey differ from the other four Golden Monkey species? Where are the current distribution of The Guizhou Snub-Nosed monkeys? What animal looks most like a human?
References [1] 杨敬元 美丽中国 Beautiful China [2] 吴 蓉 田 隽 盛佳佳 魏小冲 汪 欣 黔金丝猴元素在铜仁市旅游文创产品中的设计与开发 [3] 徐元锋 曾智慧 特稿|守护“雪山精灵”滇金丝猴 [4] 新华每日电讯生物多样性保护的云南“画卷” [5] 百度百科
Ma Feifei 马菲菲 - Chinese Economy: rich businessmen
Outside of Internet success stories such as Alibaba’s Jack Ma or Baidu’s Robin Li, China has few if any widely internationally known rich businessmen. Here are some brief introduction to the rich businessmen in China.
1. Brief Introduction to Some Rich Businessmen
1. Huiyan Yang and family, 39, Country Garden Net worth: $33.1 billion Topping the list again this year is 39-year-old Huiyan Yang and her family. Also considered Asia’s richest woman, Yang is the majority shareholder of Country Garden, a property development company founded by her farmer father, Guoqiang Yang, in Guangdong in 1992. Despite seeing her wealth surge 29% over the past year, Yang dropped one spot in 2020 to rank as China’s sixth-richest billionaire overall.
2. Zetian Zhang, 27, JD.com Net worth: $23.5 billion Zetian Zhang, 27, and her husband Qiangdong Liu, 41, saw their combined wealth surge 111% to $23.5 billion in 2020 largely thanks to the meteoric growth of Liu’s e-commerce company JD.com. A businesswoman in her own right, Zhang is an investor who also serves as chief fashion advisor of JD’s luxury business. At 24, she became China’s youngest female billionaire following her marriage to Liu in 2015.
3. Hao Yan, 34, Pacific Construction Group Net worth: $21.3 billion Hao Yan, 34, is the chairman of Xinjiang-headquartered construction company Pacific Construction Group, the company founded by his father, CEO JieHe Yan in 1986.
4. Yiming Zhang, 37, ByteDance Net worth: $16.2 billion 37-year-old Yiming Zhang is the co-founder and CEO of ByteDance, the Chinese internet company behind video sharing platform TikTok. The platform has shot to prominence outside of China, now surpassing Facebook-owned Instagram to rank as U.S. teens’ preferred social media app after Snap. However, its rapid growth has also sparked national security concerns, prompting the proposed sale of its U.S. operations. Zhang Yiming, founder of internet company ByteDance, the parent company of video sharing platform TikTok.
5. Bangxin Zhang, 39, TAL Education Net worth: $14 billion With an estimated net worth of $14 billion, Bangxin Zhang is the co-founder and chairman of Beijing-headquartered tutoring business TAL Education. Founded in 2003, the company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2010 and has enjoyed rapid growth in 2020 under coronavirus-induced remote learning policies.
6. Gang Zhang and family, 39, Xinfalyudian Net worth: $8.8 billion 39-year-old Gang Zhang of aluminum company Xinfalyudian has an estimated net worth of $8.8 billion, having grown his fortunes 100% in the past year and jumping up 32 places in the overall 2020 rich list.
7. Xiaosong Wang, 33, Seazen Net worth: $6.4 billion Xiaosong Wang is the 33-year-old chairman and president of real estate company Seazen. Wang shares the fortune with his father, Zhenhua, 58 whom he replaced in 2019 following accusations of sexual assault.
8. Qun Wu, 32, Yuwell Net worth: $5.3 billion Qun Wu, 32, is the son of Guangming Wu, 58, founder and chairman of medical equipment maker Yuwell. Together they have a fortune of $5.3 billion, up 50% from last year.
9. Gang Ye, 39, Sea Net worth: $4.9 billion New to this year’s list is China-born Gang Ye, who was raised in Singapore and made his fortune in the city-state as one of the co-founders of internet company Sea. As the developer behind popular gaming apps such as Free Fire, Sea has benefited from a surge in gaming under lockdowns this year, becoming the world’s best-performing large-cap stock in August.
10. Hua Su, 38, Kuaishou Net worth: $3.8 billion Chinese entrepreneur Hua Su founded Kuaishou as a GIF-making app in 2011 but later transformed it into a video sharing platform popular with users particularly in rural China. Before founding the company, he worked as a programmer at Google and Chinese internet search engine Baidu.
11. Meng Yang, 38, and Li He, 36, Anker Net worth: $3.7 billion Newly-minted billionaires Meng Yang and Li He saw their combined wealth catapult to $3.7 billion this year on the back of their consumer electronics company, Anker. The Apple charger-maker doubled in valuation when it debuted on the public market this August, hitting $8 billion.
12. Xiang Li, 39, Li Auto Net worth: $3.5 billion Dubbed “China’s Elon Musk,” 39-year-old Xiang Li is the founder of electric vehicle-maker Li Auto. Founded five years ago, the Beijing-headquartered manufacturer went public on the Nasdaq in July 2020 with a valuation of $10 billion, catapulting Li to billionaire status.
13. Liang Zhang, 38, R&F Net worth: $3.45 billion Liang Zhang is the 38 son of Li Zhang, 68, founder and co-chair of Guanzhou-based developer R&F. Together, their wealth totals more than $3.4 billion.
14. Tianshi Chen, 35, Cambricon Technologies Net worth: $3.1 billion Newcomer to this year’s list is Tianshi Chen, the 35-year-old co-founder and CEO of chipmaker Cambricon Technologies. Launched in 2016, the company’s artificial intelligence-enabled technology has been used in more than 100 million smartphones.
15. Yixiao Cheng, 35, Kuaishou Net worth: $3.1 billion Also new to the list is 35-year-old Yixiao Cheng, co-founder of short video platform Kuaishou. Cheng, who began his career as a software engineer at HP, now has an estimated net worth of more than $3 billion.
16. Yifeng Wang, 36, Zhejiang Century Huatong Group Net worth: $3.1 billion Yifeng Wang, 36, and father Miaotong Wang, 63, are the vice-chairman and chairman, respectively, of automaker Zhejiang Century Huatong Group. Having recently diversified into games development, the pair has seen their combined wealth surged 83% in the past year.
17. Wei Cheng, 37, DiDi Net worth: $2.8 billion 37-year-old Wei Cheng is the founder and CEO of ride-hailing giant DiDi. Having spent eight years working at Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, Cheng launched DiDi in 2012. Today, the company ranks as one of China’s most valuable billion-dollar start-ups and Cheng is worth an estimated $2.8 billion. Cheng Wei, CEO of taxi-hailing app Didi-Kuaidi, speaks during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2015 at Dalian International Convention Center on Sept. 9, 2015 in Dalian, China.
18. Guoyuan Peng, 34, NWY Net worth: $2.6 billion Guoyuan Peng, 34, is the chairman of education group NWY, worth an estimated $2.6 billion, up 20% from 2019.
19. Zheng Cao, 37, Hangke Technology Net worth: $2.5 billion Zheng Cao, 37, is the vice president of Zhejiang Hanke Technology, the lithium battery producing company founded by his father Ji Cao, 68. With a shared 70% stake in the business, the pair is today worth an estimated $2.5 billion.
20. Yan Wu, 39, Hakim Unique Net worth: $2.5 billion Yan Wu, 39, and husband Qicheng Wang, 40, are the co-founders of Hakim Unique, an internet, media and real estate company. Together, their fortune is around $2.5 billion.
2. Main Reasons
From “Made in China” to “Innovated in China”, two features of demographic transition have also been a powerful driver of China’s growth in the past three and a half decades. The first feature is a favorable dependency ratio. China’s sharp decline in fertility rate has meant fewer young dependents to support for a given size of the working cohort. The fraction of primeage people in total population rose steadily for three decades, creating an unusually large demographic dividend, which in turn contributed to economic growth (Cai and Wang 2008; Wei 2015).
The second feature of demography that affects growth is the gender ratio imbalance of the premarital cohort. This less-studied factor may have a quantitatively significant effect as well. The one-child policy (now it is abolished) has yielded an unintended consequence in distorting the sex ratio in favor of boys. As the one-child generation enters the marriageable age, young men face a very competitive marriage market. In order to attract potential brides, families with sons choose to work harder, save more, and take on more risks, including exhibiting a higher propensity to be entrepreneurs (Wei and Zhang 2011a, b; Chang and Zhang 2015; Wei, Zhang, and Liu forthcoming). It is estimated that increasing marriage market competition due to sex ratio imbalances has contributed to about two percentage points of economic growth per year (Wei and Zhang 2011b).
The innovation, especially in technology, brings huge profit to the economy. However, it also make giant bubbles.
References
1. Mengjun Yang, Shilin Zheng, Lin Zhou. 2022. Broadband internet and enterprise innovation. China Economic Review 74, 101802. 2. Yue Hua, Yue Lu, Ruili Zhao. 2022. Global value chain engagement and air pollution: Evidence from Chinese firms. Journal of Economic Surveys 36:3, 708-727. 3. Rui Chen. 2022. The effects of green credit policy on the formation of zombie firms: evidence from Chinese listed firms. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 32. 4.https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/28/chinas-youngest-richest-billionaires-and-how-they-made-their-money.html
Ou Xinyu 欧欣榆 - Opera: Chinese Local Operas
Survey Chinese opera has a long history and is a unique dramatic art in the world. Because of China's vast territory, with many ethnic groups and different dialects in different places, a colorful variety of local operas has been formed in addition to Peking opera. According to statistics, there are more than 300 kinds of local operas throughout China, which can be called the most influential in the world, including Jin Opera, also named Shanxi Opera (晋剧), Henan Opera (豫剧), Yue Opera (越剧), Huangmei Opera (黄梅戏), Pingju Opera (评剧), Qu Opera (曲剧), Cantonese Opera (粤剧), Huai Opera (淮剧) and Lv Opera (吕剧). Among them, the five major Chinese opera genres are Peking Opera, Henan Opera, Yue Opera, Huangmei Opera, and Pingju Opera in that order. Local drama is the general name of opera genres with local characteristics popular in certain areas, such as Shanxi Opera, Henan Opera, Yue Opera, Huangmei Opera, Pingju Opera, Huai Opera, Qinqiang Opera, Sichuan Opera, Lv opera, etc. Local drama is the opposite of popular national operas such as Peking opera. As a form of traditional cultural expression, local drama refers to the form of drama that condenses the folk customs of a certain region and is thus popular among the public in that region. On the one hand, the local opera is an important part of China's intangible cultural heritage; on the other hand, the local opera has special characteristics that are different from other intangible cultural heritage. This is because local opera is a living form of traditional cultural expression, which not only inherits certain historical and cultural traditions but also looks forward to the creative transformation of cultural traditions in the expression of the spirit of the times.
Jin Opera Jin opera, one of the four major operas of Shanxi Clapper Opera (Shanxi Bang-zi, 山西梆子), is a traditional Chinese local opera. It is also known as Zhong Lu Bang Zi (中路梆子), or Middle Opera, because it was produced in central Shanxi Province, and is mainly popular in central and northern Shanxi Province, northern Shaanxi Province, Inner Mongolia, and parts of Hebei Province. Jin opera, also known as Shanxi opera, is an important drama genre in northern China. It was named after Fenyang (汾阳), Xiaoyi(孝义), Qixian(祁县), Taigu(太谷), and Taiyuan(太原) in central Shanxi. On May 20, 2006, Jin opera was approved by the State Council of the People's Republic of China to be included in the first batch of the national intangible cultural heritage list, numbered Ⅳ-18. The traditional repertoire of Jin opera is rich, with more than 200 plays being performed regularly. They include The River Weishui (渭水河), Beating the Golden Bough (打金枝), The Mountain of Lintong (临潼山), The Belt of Heaven and Earth(乾坤带), The Kingdom of Shatto(沙陀国)and so on. Each of these plays shows unique characteristics. Jin opera is characterized by its melody, smoothness, beautiful tunes, roundness, friendliness, and clarity. In the process of Jin Opera’s evolution, the artists, in order to adapt to the appreciation habits of the local people, absorbed and melted the cadences and percussions of Qixian Yangko and Taigu Yangko, etc., through which they continuously improved the voice, singing and performance in all aspects, forming an artistic style of high excitement and fresh euphemism. The singing style includes fiddling, cadences and tunes, and has a high and aggressive yet fresh and ebullient style. The main types of roles in Jin Opera consist of "three big doors" (Xu Sheng, Zheng Dan, and Big Flower Face) and "three small doors" (Xiao Sheng, Xiao Dan, and Small Flower Face).
Henan Opera Henan Opera is also known as Henan Bang-Zi and Henan Gaodiao. It is the number one local drama genre in China. Henan opera was born in Kaifeng, the ancient capital of the seven dynasties. It originated in the middle and late Ming Dynasty and has a history of more than 400 years ago. It is popular in Henan and parts of Shaanxi, Shanxi, Gansu, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Hubei, Taiwan, etc. It is the genre with the largest number of professional opera groups and practitioners after the 21st century. With more than 1,000 traditional plays, it is one of the five major opera genres in China and the first batch on the national intangible cultural heritage list. Famous actors include Chen Suzhen, Ma Jinfeng, Chang Xiangyu, Yan Lipin, etc. The representative plays include Qin Xianglian (秦香莲), Peach Blossom Nun (桃花庵), Mu Guiying in Command (穆桂英挂帅), Hua Mulan (花木兰), etc. Yu opera is known for its singing skills, with a high and loud singing voice and a very clever combination of real and falsetto. The singing voice is very smooth, the rhythm is light and clear, and the singing style is colloquial. The spitting of words is very clear, making it easy for the audience to hear and accept, and has a unique artistic charm. The performance of Henan opera is very masculine and passionate, so it is good at performing atmospheric scenes and has strong infectious power. It is also rich in local characteristics, easy to understand, and natural, and its performance content and expressions are close to the life of the people. Although the spoken lyrics of Henan opera are not as strict and regular as the written language, nor as elaborate and elegant as the metrical poetry, they are more accurate and vivid than the written language and metrical poetry in their artistic expression by taking the essence of the spoken language in life, speaking the native language, singing the native voice, telling the native stories and expressing the native feelings.
Yue Opera Yue Opera, also known as Shaoxing Opera, originated in the rural area of Sheng County(嵊县) in the Shaoxing region, which is the homeland of the State of Yue. It is the second largest opera genre in China and is also known as the second national opera, and is one of the five major opera genres in China. It originated in the Shaoxing area of Zhejiang Province, but matured in Shanghai, and spread throughout Shanghai and eastern Zhejiang. In its development, Yue Opera has drawn on the great achievements of Kunqu Drama and Shao Opera. It has undergone a historical evolution from a male Yue Opera to a female Yue Opera. Yue Opera has a beautiful singing voice and delicate and lyrical performances. Famous actors include Yuan Xuefen, Wang Wenjuan, Xu Yulan, etc. The representative repertoire includes The Dream of Red Mansion (红楼梦), Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai (梁山伯与祝英台), The Romance of West Chamber (西厢记), Mrs. Xianglin (祥林嫂), and Chasing Fish (追鱼). The singing style of Yue Opera is so refined that it has formed many genres. The music of the opera incorporates the beautiful melodies of the silk and bamboo from the south of the Yangtze River, and the themes of the opera mainly reflect the love between men and women. The lyrics and narration are in the dialect of Sheng County. The famous actors and actresses of Yue Opera are concentrated in Shanghai and Hangzhou. In recent years, the "Little Hundred Flowers" troupe of Yueju opera of Zhejiang Province has emerged with a wide range of talents and has become famous in China and abroad. Yue Opera is one of the few modern Chinese stage arts that has been preserved to this day that is dominated by a single gender, with female actors, female audiences, and strong female characteristics, a rare phenomenon in Chinese theater arts.
Huangmei Opera Huangmei Opera is one of the local operas in Anhui province, which was called Huangmei Tune and Tea-picking Opera in the old days, mainly popular in Anhui Province and some areas in Jiangxi Province and Hubei Province. It originated from the tea picking song in Huangmei County, Hubei Province. After Daoguang in Qing Dynasty, the tea-catching song of Huangmei in Hubei Province was introduced to the Anqing area in Anhui Province, influenced by Qingyang cadence, and developed with local folk songs and dances, rap, and music. The traditional repertoire and music of Huangmei opera are more influenced by Huizhou opera. In its main singing voice, the big opera has flat words, firework, two lines, three lines, color cavity, etc., and small opera with their own independent singing voice. Famous actors include Yan Fengying, Wang Shaofang, Ma Lan, etc. The traditional plays performed include Marriage of the Fairy Princess (天仙配), Female Consort Prince (女驸马), The Cowherd and the Weaving Maid (牛郎织女), etc. Huangmei Opera is famous for its lyricism, smoothness, rhythm, and richness, and has rich expressive power. Its performance is real and lively, simple and meticulous by the public; beautiful tunes, catchy, both popular; the singing voice is mellow, elegant, universal; distinctive character, more active, lively, bright characters. At that time, most of the artists performing Huangmei opera came from peasants and craftsmen, who did not have professional training and could only copy the performance procedures of other major opera genres. Because of this, Huangmei opera was more like a lovely young girl from the fields than the atmospheric, gorgeous, and magnificent atmosphere represented by Beijing and Huizhou operas of the same generation.
Pingju Opera Pingju Opera, which originated in Tangshan, Hebei Province, is one of the five major Chinese opera genres. It is a local opera popular in Beijing, Tianjin, and other parts of North and Northeast China. It was originally developed on the basis of the Hebei folk rap Lian Hua Lao. The performance procedures of the opera are mostly borrowed from Beijing opera and Bangzi and were first performed in the rural areas, where many elements were closer to life. Therefore, it is easy to express historical themes and reflect on modern life. The language is easy to understand and expressive. The famous actors include Xiao Bai Yushang, Xin Fengxia, etc. The representative plays include Widow Ma Opens a Shop (马寡妇开店), Madam Du Shi-niang (杜十娘), Little Son-in-Law (小女婿), Liu Qiao-er (刘巧儿), etc. The Pingju drama is very dynamic. It is mainly manifested in its performance style, in which the actors often interact with the audience during the performance, thus forming a dynamic stage performance. This dynamic way of performance keeps the drama alive. With its unique artistic charm, Pingju Opera has been widely spread in the motherland and has become a popular art form. The name of the Pingju opera has the meaning of commenting on the past and the present and criticizing the current problems. Compared with Peking Opera, which is good at depicting kings and generals, and Yue Opera, which is good at depicting talented people, it is the specialty of the drama to reflect on life and express reality.
Terms and Expressions Peking Opera 京剧 Bang Zi 梆子 Middle Opera 中戏 Inner Mongolia 内蒙古 The River Weishui 《渭水河》 Beating the Golden Bough 《打金枝》 The Mountain of Lintong 《临潼山》 The Belt of Heaven and Earth《乾坤带》 The Kingdom of Shatto 《沙陀国》 Yangko 秧歌 Three big doors 三大门 Xu Sheng 须生 Zheng Dan 正旦 Big Flower Face 大花脸 Three small doors 三小门 Xiao Sheng 小生 Xiao Dan 小旦 Small Flower Face 小花脸 Henan Gaodiao 河南高调 Kunqu Drama 昆曲 Shao Opera 绍戏 Tea-picking Opera 采茶戏 Lian Hua Lao 《莲花落》
Questions 1.What are the five major Chinese opera genres? 2.What are the main types of roles in Jin Opera? 3.Please list at least 3 representative repertoires of Henan Opera. 4.What makes Yue Opera a rare phenomenon in Chinese theater arts? 5.Where does Huangmei Opera originate from? 6.What are the characteristics of Pingju Opera?
References [1]高燕. 晋剧艺术研究[D].山西师范大学,2017. [2]杜蓉,李刚.晋剧表演的程式之美[J].戏友,2021(04):23-25. [3]黄河文化百科全书,华艺出版社,1994. [4]郭克俭.豫剧唱词语言艺术特征[J].中国音乐学,2010(04):122-129.DOI:10.14113/j.cnki.cn11-1316/j.2010.04.016. [5]段霁珊.豫剧元素在民族声乐中的实际运用[J].艺术大观,2020(31):22-23. [6]中华文化辞典,武汉大学出版社,2010. [7]中国旅游文化大辞典,上海古籍出版社,2001. [8]张雪莹. 清末民初以来女性文化与越剧[D].河北大学,2016. [9]张月月.胡连翠及其黄梅戏电视剧音乐研究[J].剧影月报,2022(03):12-13. [10]崔迪. 评剧现代戏剧本创作研究[D].中国艺术研究院,2017.
Wang Rou 汪柔 - The Chinese tradition of worship
Wei Jingting 魏静婷 - Opera: Huangmei opera
Brief Introduction
Huangmei opera, formerly known as Huangmei tune and Caicha opera, originated in Huangmei, Hubei Province, and developed and expanded in Anqing, Anhui Province. Huangmei opera, together with Beijing opera, Yueju opera, Pingju opera, and Yuju opera, is one of the "five major opera genres in China", and is also the main local opera genre in Anhui Province. Huangmei opera singing simple and smooth, to bright and lyrical, with rich expressive power; performance is simple and meticulous, known for real and lively. The song "Matching of Heavenly Fairies" has made Huangmei opera popular in the north and south of China, and has a high reputation in overseas. On May 20, 2006, Huangmei opera was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list. On May 24, 2021, Huangmei opera declared by Hubei Province was approved by the State Council to be included in the extended list of national intangible cultural heritage representative projects.
Origin
The history of Huangmei opera is not considered very long, for the origin of Huangmei opera, there are 5 mainstream statements. In all the testimony, which is recognized version of the Hubei Huangmei said. The reason for this consensus, one is that historical documents record Huangmei County is both a tea song folk song of the country, but also a place where floods and droughts are frequent, including the most vicious floods. Good song of Huangmei people in such an environment to escape around, selling the field to beg. A large number of Huangmei victims who flowed into Anhui Susong, Taihu, Huaining and other counties, received local food, but also returned a rich spiritual food - Huangmei Caicha tune and a variety of folk songs and dances.
Development
Huangmei Opera is developed on the basis of the song and dance of Huangmei Caicha tune in the adjoining areas of Anhui, Hubei and Gan provinces. One of them moved east to Anhui Huaining as the center of the Anqing area Indic language sound singing, known as Huai cavity or Huai tunes. This is the predecessor of today's Huangmei opera." Thus, it can be seen that Huangmei opera was developed on the basis of Huangmei tea opera. "Huangmei Caicha opera traditional singing set" defines Huangmei Caicha opera in this way: "Huangmei Caicha opera, referred to as 'Caicha ', is one of the excellent local opera in Hubei Huangmei Caicha tune floated into the Huaining area with the water, it flowed into a good ecological environment for opera incubation. Many opera singers and scholars call the junction of Hubei, Anhui and Jiangxi provinces as the "Golden Triangle" of opera, and Huaining County Shipai Town is one of the "opera nest".
Costume
Huangmei costumes are generally less extravagant compared to the other Chinese opera branches. There is usually a greater emphasis on the singing than the display. In Hong Kong there is not necessarily a requirement to wear any traditional Chinese opera attire. An example is the cantopop artist Jenny Tseng singing Huangmei style music with Ivy Ling Po in a concert.
Artistic features
The melody of Huangmei Opera is a plate-like variant, with three lumens: flower cavity, color cavity, and main tone. The flower cavity is mainly composed of small plays, the tone is healthy and simple, beautiful and cheerful, with a strong sense of life and the color of the folk songs; the color cavity is very popular, and it has been widely used in the small dramas; the main theme is the vocal used in the traditional Chinese drama of Huangmei opera. The Huangmei Opera is pure and fresh, exquisite and moving, with a bright and expressive sensibility, rich in expressiveness, easy to understand, easy to popularize, and deeply loved by people all over China.
Tune
Huangmei opera singing voice has three forms: the main cavity, flower cavity, three cavities ("colorful cavity", "fairy cavity", "Yin Si cavity" three cavities collectively).
The main cadence of Huangmei opera
The main cavity is the most dramatic expression of a cavity in the traditional singing cavity of Huangmei opera. It is the principle of the musical structure of the board change body (or board cavity body), and it is this main feature that makes it different from the tune embellishment body (or tune body) of the "flower cavity" and both the characteristics of the two systems "three cavities". The main cavity does not mean that it is predominant in all of Huangmei opera's repertoire. In fact, the main cavity is not used in small plays, and some big plays are not dominated by the main cavity. The reason why this cavity is called the main cavity is its musical form and musical performance function. In addition, from the history of the development of Huangmei opera music, the main cavity is also later than the flower cavity and three cavities. This development process coincides with the development of the repertoire from a one-act play, two small plays, three small plays to a series of plays and finally can play the whole course of the opera. Therefore, it can be considered that the main cavity is a product of the development of Huangmei opera to a mature stage. Its appearance, marking the basic style of Huangmei opera music frame.
Huangmei opera's flower cadence
Huangmei opera originated from folk songs and dances. Mountain and village workers of the labor songs, women and children know the lane songs, lanterns and fires in the song and dance, is the source of Huangmei opera lively. Huangmei opera in the formation of the first stage results - two small opera, three small opera process, also formed more than a hundred small songs and miscellaneous tunes of the "flower cavity" cavity system. Flower cavity from the folk songs, but the role has been not quite the same as folk songs. It has moved from the field to the stage, from a casual song to a prescribed dramatic situation, conveying the voice of the character. The cadences we see today, however similar they may be to folk songs, have been polished by dramatic waves and have some of the qualities of dramatic music, a kind of folk song-style tune system.
Classical Works
Huangmei opera's outstanding repertoire are "the fairy match" "cowherd and weaving maiden" "the story of the Sophora" "the female horse harnessed by the side of a horse" "the couple watching the lantern" "hitting pig grass" and so on. One of the most famous is the "match of the immortals", tells a moving love story: the seven immortals defied the rules of heaven, private mortal Dong Yong to marry, and was eventually broken up by the Jade Emperor.
References
1. 百度百科 黄梅戏https://baike.baidu.com/item/黄梅戏/2677?fr=aladdin 2. Berry, Michael. [2005] (2005). Speaking in Images: Interviews with Contemporary Chinese Filmmakers. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-13330-8 3. "Huangmei opera". China intangible cultural heritage digital museum. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
Xu Zhiyuan 徐致远 - The “reference” of Chinese Music
May 20,2022,with the broadcast of the show "Sister Who Rides the Waves,the “Sweetheart hierarch” Cyndi Wang became popular again by singing her song Love You①. Actually the song Love You is not original,and it is adapted from PAPAYA(a South Korea girl group)’s song,Listen to Me②. And since the last century, many Chinese singers or bands have the experience of "refer" songs from other countries. The famous nursery rhyme “Two Tigers”③ is adapted from French nursery rhyme "Brother Jacques"④. In the end of the last century,the Hong Kong music scene had become popular among Chinese youth.Some of their songs also have a certain popularity now. But after my research, many of their songs are covers, and their original songs are mainly Japanese. It was popular to buy the rights to songs and then cover them. You may wonder why they don't write their own songs. It is because they had a fast pace, and the singers had to release several albums every year, so they had to use other people's songs if they didn't have enough creative ability. Another reason was that communications at that time were not as developed as they are today, so their "reference" could not be easily detected by the public.So this method became the choice of most singers at that time. (Singers do that even now.) And this also aroused heated debate since then. Some people think that as long as the song sounds good, it doesn't matter whether it is original or not. Others think creation should be encouraged. But music is also a manifestation of culture. If we blindly follow the footsteps of others without our own innovation, the development of our musical culture will be limited. Encouraging creation is a need of cultural development. Here are some of the "borrowed" songs and their original songs:Priscilla Chan’s Thousands of Songs⑤ is adapted from Kondou Masahiko’s Yuyake no uta⑥. Aaron Kwok’s Good Times & Bad Times is a cover of kazumasa Oda's song of the same name. And Hacken Lee’s The Red Sun⑦ is adapted from the Japanese band Otaika Man’s famous song,What’s the most precious⑧... In addition to Hong Kong, there are also covers in Taiwan's music scene.
Yan Ni 燕妮 - Chinese Folk Art:Lion Dance
Introductions on Lion dance
The lion dance is a popular activity among Chinese people of all ethnic groups, and it is a must for festivals and gatherings. The lion dance is a symbol of good luck and good intentions of the people to get rid of disasters and seek good fortune.In May 2006, the Chinese lion dance was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list by the State Council. The lion dance has a long history, and the existing lion dances are divided into two categories: cultural lion and martial lion. The martial lion has more difficult acrobatic performances, and the lion is vigorous and fierce, looking at the tiger; the cultural lion is naive and cute, with a lovely form, and mainly performs the lion's life and attitude; according to the different materials and methods of lion modeling, there are many different types of lion dances around the world, and they are very colorful. The lion dance is usually played by two people, the former holding the lion head props on his head with both hands, playing the lion's head, and the latter leaning over, holding the former's waist with both hands, wearing lion skin decorated with linen, cloth and other materials, playing the lion's body. Two people combined into one large lion, called "Large lion”. There is also a person wearing a lion mask, wearing a fake lion skin, playing a small lion, called "Small lion". In front of the lion, there is a lion, holding a colorful embroidered ball that can be turned to tease, and the dance ball movements include rolling the ball, turning the ball, throwing the ball, shaking the ball and dozens of other kinds, and the lion then makes various dance movements. In some places, the lion dancer wears a big-headed mask and plays a big-headed monk, holding a big fan or even a big knife instead of a ball. Schools of Lion Dance :With the continuous development of the lion dance movement, the art of lion dance has also been perfected, but because of the different customs in the north and south, the dance method is not the same, so the north and south has formed two major schools, namely the southern school and the northern school, also known as the southern lion and the northern lion. The northern lion's movements are light, mainly jumping and tumbling, with small gongs, drums,and cymbals, etc., mainly in the Central Plains and North China, with representative lions from Hebei, Anhui and Hunan. The southern lion, on the other hand, is a big and powerful lion with big gongs, drums, cymbals, etc. The drum music is majestic and inspiring, and is mainly popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia.
The Origin of Lions
Regarding the origin of the lion, scholars of all generations have concluded that the lion in the early Middle Kingdom came from the West. There is a large number of documents for evidence, including Jin Guopu’s "Mu Tianzi".It said: " The lion is also called mythical creature , produced by the Western region." The scholar Li Shizhen wrote in the "Compendium of Materia Medica": " The lion is out of the Western countries" From the research records of experts and scholars of the past generations, it is clear that China did not produce lions, scholars of the past generations After the study of the literature, It is thought that the lion was introduced from the West as a tribute in the Han Dynasty. Before the Han Dynasty, people do not know what it looks like. According to historical records, the lion was considered useless when it first entered the Middle Kingdom, and was not accepted because of its fierce appearance and habits. During the long history, due to various reasons, especially religious influence, people gradually accepted the lion and made it a mythical beast, together with the legendary dragon, phoenix, and qilin, known as the four spiritual beasts.The lion is known as the king of beasts, but China is generally not affected by lions, so the people have a sense of affinity to the lion, regard it as a symbol of power and good luck, and hope to use the lion's powerful image to drive away evil spirits.
The Origin and Legend of Lion Dance
Regarding the origin of lion dance in ancient China, ancient literature and analysis by scholars over the ages show that the origin of lion dance in China is also recognized from the Han Dynasty, but the exact date cannot be determined. Through research and historical analysis, the following statements are more plausible. The first theory: Chinese lion dance originated from the Han Dynasty, and the lion was imported from foreign countries only after Zhang Sai's mission to the West during the reign of Emperor Wu. Whenever the Western ambassadors visited, he set up songs and dances to cheer, so those dancers put on masks dressed as birds and animals, but the Western ambassadors found that these birds and animals only lacked of lions, after asking, we knew that at that time China had not yet lions. Later.Later the western envoys sent a pair of lions to China, and the lion trainers performed lion training. This lion training performance may be the predecessor of the Chinese lion dance.
The second theory: the lion dance originated in the Three Kingdoms period and was popular in the North and South Dynasties. Meng Kang, a native of Wei during the Three Kingdoms period, wrote in The Elephant Man : If today's play is like shrimp, the lion is also. The Northern Wei Yang From it we can know, the lion not only protects the law to ward off evil, and can guide the way for the Buddha. If we look at the form, this lion guiding its front, very similar to the current lion guide, already slightly with the form of dance.
The third theory: According to the earliest historical records, the account of the real "lion dance" should be The Book of Ning - Zong Yi Zhuan. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, in the 22nd year of Emperor Wujia's reign (445 A.D.), when the Nanning Army occupied Linyi, and Yi asked to be the leader. The soldiers were unable to resist, saying, "I have heard that the lion is a powerful lion, so I made its shape and fought against the elephant, and the elephant just ran in fear and were scattered. After that, the lion dance was performed in the military and slowly spread to the people, becoming the origin of the lion dance, but at that time it was not called the lion dance but the "Taiping music".According to records, the Taiping music and the modern lion dance are very similar. There are also various stories and legends about the lion dance in ancient China. One of the legends is that the "New Year" beast eats green. According to the legend, in ancient times, plague often occurred in China, so countless people died, but fortunately, every time the plague occurred, a divine beast appeared, and the plague disappeared as soon as it appeared. Since this beast "Nian" is so helpful to people, people use bamboo scales and colored cloths to tie into the "Nian" beast during the farming season, and dance in front of each house with majestic drums and music, in order to suppress evil spirits and seek good luck. Because the "New Year" beast likes to eat vegetables, so every family places a plate of vegetables in front of the door for the "New Year" beast to eat. As time goes by, people find that the shape of the "New Year" is very much like a lion. So they called this kind of thing as the lion, and the vegetables were called "Caiqing".
The Value and Functions of Lion Dance
First, it connects with emotions. While it is a sport, its more obvious attribute is that it belongs to the category of folklore. The cultural accumulation of each nation is often expressed in folklore activities, and healthy folklore activities not only express the soul of the nation, but also convey the message code of mutual feeling and knowledge between the brothers of the nation. In the case of "lion dance", a folklore activity loaded with the accumulation of feelings of the children of Yanhuang, wherever there is a Chinese settlement, there is a lion dance and a lion dance culture. The lion dance for good luck is often the best way for Chinese people who are wandering around the world to share happiness and feelings.
Second, it can strengthen the body. The actual operation of lion dance requires good coordination among all the components, and it is a kind of project that combines multiple factors such as music and lion dance. Because of this integration, the lion dance has a strong ornamental and artistic value, which can fully meet people's entertainment and aesthetic needs. At the same time, for the performers, lion dance is a sport that strengthens the body and cultivates the emotions.
Third, it has educational significance. The lion dance is a traditional culture in China, and it is the inheritance of the culture to carry forward the lion dance. We can understand the history and culture of the region through lion dance.
Fourth, it has the commercial function. The performance nature of lion dance brings a lot of commercial benefits. In addition, the lion dance brings about the development of tourism and other related industries. In the author's opinion, the commercial function of lion dance is not only this, as the development of cultural industry is gaining momentum today, lion dance with deep cultural heritage will face better development opportunities.
Fifth, it enriches the spirit of the nation. The spirit of mutual cooperation and solidarity. The participation of dragon dance is very common, and the professional requirements are not very high. It shows a kind of momentum and team spirit, with a few people or even hundreds of people, dancing up and down, surging and inspiring. This requires more than one person to complete the whole set of interlacing, running and jumping, tumbling and other movements, mutual cooperation is particularly important, must maximize the team effect; inherit the spirit of tradition and innovation, although the dragon and lion dance has a long history, but also not unchanging, positive, innovative features nurtured in different ways of performance, reflecting the spirit of never-ending innovation
Historical Stages of the Development of Traditional Lion Dance During the Northern Wei Dynasty, the traditional lion dance developed to a deeper level The skills of the Wei, Jin and Northern Dynasties formed different performance styles and program focuses in the North and South due to geographical barriers and different environments. In the south, the Han regime inherited the 'orthodoxy', and the ideology of Confucianism was changed to Zhuanglao, and the social habits tended to be weak. Therefore, although the Southern Dynasty had the majestic 'White Tiger ' and other programs from the Northern Dynasty, its mainstream was slender and soft.The traditional lion dance began to be performed on the same stage with ceremonial music(the beginning of music) in the Sui Dynasty, and after the Northern Wei Dynasty and the North and South Dynasties, its artistic image became richer and had a strong folk base, and the court performance became more mature. In the eleventh year of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, the nine music parts of Sui Dynasty were adjusted and increased into "ten music parts". One of the most famous "five lions", also known as "Taiping music".Performers danced and sang "Taiping music", taking the meaning of world peace and good fortune, which was basically the same as the symbolic meaning of today's lion dance. During the Song and Yuan dynasties - a turning point in the development of traditional lion dance technology, the performance form, performance team and program creation of lion dance in the Song dynasty underwent more profound changes. Techniques began to be divided into sections, prompting peer artists to gather for social fires; social fires further united the team and promoted the development of skills, as well as the formation of various genres, creating conditions for the prosperity of the folk lion dance movement. In Yuan Dynasty, "lion dance" also had innovation,.For instance,"high Cui lion dance" in the Yuan Dynasty first seen in the records. Although the Qing Dynasty Palace also had lion dance performances, generally speaking, the scale was not large. Southern and northern lion performances in the Qing Dynasty formed different images and different techniques of performance style. In the north, there were "Large lion" and "Small lion", whose images and performances resembled real lions, while the lion dance in the south had integrated dance, acrobatics and martial arts into one, which was quite new compared to the traditional lion dance methods.
The Development of Modern Lion Dance
(A) Before the liberation of the competition between the lion teams in the festive activities of the nature of the competition In the 1920s and 1930s, the lion dance was generally preceded by the Shaolin and the Five tiger stick , followed by the lion , the vine , the rice-gale , the shuttlecock , and the kong Schools, which started from their respective villages and rushed to the temple. Along the way, whenever they encountered the roadside tea huts or tea points, they should get off the performance. To the temple they worshiped after the incense and performed martial arts. Then they returned along the way, if on the way the temple fair and several villages a few teams met together, this performance was often with the nature of the competition '; in some places gradually formed a regular tournament .In modern times during the festival have a relatively fixed lion team to perform and the lion team also competed and cut martial arts, with the nature of the competition. The lion dance has taken the form of a competitive lion dance.
(B) Lion dance became a traditional national sport On February 28, 1934, the first Folk Games of Henan Province, there were more than 20 folk martial arts associations such as dry boat, dragon lantern, lion and kite flying to perform and compete. In 1978, the lion dance was invited as a special performance at the First Folk Games, and it became an official event at the Fourth Agricultural Games. Now there are different events such as National Lion Dance Championship and various kinds of North-South Lion King Competition, National Dragon and Lion Invitation Tournament and Elite Tournament every year, and it has become an official competition item in the National Agricultural Games, National Urban Games and the Third National Sports Congress.
(C) Lion dance shine on the acrobatic stage In 1972, Premier Zhou Enlai personally watched the acrobatic performances of six large troupes in Beijing, including China, Shanghai, Wuhan, Shenyang, Xi'an and Warriors, and affirmed the skills of the "lion dance", which were partly choreographed according to the laws of acrobatics.They have been organized to visit Asian, African, American and European countries and become the first team of people's diplomacy. The lion dance skills have developed rapidly on the acrobatic stage, and a series of new and difficult skills have been developed on the basis of inherited traditions. The high skills of acrobatic lion dance have a great influence on the traditional folk lion dance and competitive lion dance, and the traditional folk lion dance and competitive lion dance have absorbed the performance style and props of acrobatic lion dance, enriched their own performance forms, and continuously improved the level of traditional lion dance and competitive lion dance.
Lion Dance Culture Development Problem As it is not easy to cultivate talents to inherit the lion dance culture, and the props used to make the lion dance are expensive, the traditional lion dance culture is also facing the crisis of no one inheriting it. As a representative of the excellent traditional culture, how to survive and develop the lion dance culture in the intersection of modern technology and traditional culture is an important issue that contemporary lion dancers have to think about.
Measures for Solving the Problem (A) Strengthen corooperation with colleges and universities to carry out lion dance classes Youth is the future and hope of the country.Vigorously developing traditional culture education for youth, and incorporating lion dance culture into students' curriculum can not only enrich campus culture, but also greatly improve the popularity of lion dance culture and enhance youth's cultural identity and national pride. Students are the successors of the communist cause, the main body of education, and the main body of cultural inheritance and dissemination. Relying on school education to develop lion dance culture, more people can understand and inherit lion dance culture. The rejuvenation of traditional culture and its development on the basis of popularization are the needs of lion dance culture inheritance and the wishes of lion dance lovers.
(B) Promote the culture and spirit of lion dance through the Internet and mass media In order to make the lion dance culture develop better, we make use of the development of the whole media to promote the beautiful connotation of the lion dance culture through the Internet and make use of the mass media to vigorously publicize it, so that more people really like the lion dance culture and really enter the lion dance culture; we rely on the Internet to strengthen the cultural exchange among the lion dance enthusiasts all over the country, so as to promote the spread and inheritance of the lion dance culture; we rely on the whole media to carry out the lion dance culture competition, formulate scientific competition rules and generous rewards to arouse people's enthusiasm for participation, so that more people can participate in the promotion of the lion dance culture and promote the spread of the lion dance culture.
(C) Accelerate the innovation to push the development of lion dance culture The premise of traditional culture innovation is to first understand its cultural value, grasp the comprehensive traditional cultural content, and then promote the corresponding lion dance culture, so that the folk lion dance is known to more people, even to learn the skills, so that the lion dance is well inherited. In the traditional lion dance culture promotion at the same time, the lion dance team should also be committed to in-depth study of the lion dance culture with the times to drive the value of the economy to achieve the culture to give rise to the economy and the economy in turn to support the culture of mutual assistance and harmony. In such a way wa can break the situation that traditional culture has no successor due to the narrow market prospect, and provide a reference for the inheritance and development of Chinese traditional culture. With the rapid development of the times and the improvement of people's living standards, some connotations of traditional culture are no longer applicable to modern life, so it is necessary to accelerate the promotion of cultural innovation, promote the innovation of lion dance culture, and constantly innovate the form of lion dance culture development and inheritance, so as to attract more people to understand lion dance culture and inherit it.
(D) Cultivate lion dance culture talents,and pay attention to integration of local culture To actively carry out lion dance culture promotion activities, select talents from young people who are interested in lion dance culture, make them receive professional training in lion dance culture, develop their interest into a profession, make them become the inheritors of lion dance culture, and promote the inheritance of lion dance culture. In the local lion dance culture, we dig deep into the local culture and explore the cultural heritage, so that the lion dance culture can be well inherited and developed, integrating the traditional lion dance into the local cultural connotation and giving it new vitality. In addition to the local culture, there is also a folk lion dance culture with local characteristics, establishing unique cultural programs, spreading unique cultural values, so that the traditional lion dance culture continues to be inherited.
(E) Define the cultural positioning, actively implement the "going out" strategy, and promote the lion dance culture to the world The government should formulate relevant policies to support, position lion dance culture well, and support key projects to promote the inheritance and development of lion dance culture, so that more people can understand lion dance culture and participate in the inheritance of lion dance culture, thus enhancing the social status and influence of lion dance culture. While promoting the inheritance and development of lion dance culture, we should not only spread and develop the inheritance at home, but also actively promote the strategy of "going out" to promote Chinese traditional culture to the world, so that people around the world can understand lion dance culture, learn lion dance culture, inherit and spread lion dance culture, so that lion dance culture can be developed around the world and spread the beautiful connotation of China's excellent traditional culture. The beautiful connotation of excellent traditional culture.
Terms:
Compendium of Materia Medica 《本草纲目》 the four spiritual beasts 四大灵兽 national intangible cultural heritage 国家级非物质文化遗产 the State Council 国务院 gongs, drums,and cymbals 大锣、大鼓、大钹 Zhang Sai's mission to the West 张赛出使西域 The Elephant Man 《象人》 Caiqing 采青 orthodoxy 正统 High Cui lion dance 高毳舞狮 Acrobatic Stage 杂技舞台 National Agricultural Games 全国农运会 National Urban Games 全国城运会 The Third National Sports Congress. 第三届全国体育大会
References:
中国最独特的舞狮文化 The Most Unique Lion Dance Culture in China 宴姝下一代2019,(04),7 舞狮运动的起源与发展研究[J] The Origin and Development of lion Dance 郭绿杨.当代体育科技 . 2017 (22) 论舞龙舞狮运动塑造学生民族精神的功能[J]. Arguments on the function of dragon and Lion Dance to Shape students' national spirit曹虎愚.成功(教育) . 2012(11) 我国舞狮运动与文化的价值底蕴分析[J]. Analysis on the value of Lion dance and culture in China管罗红.企业家天地(理论版) . 2011(01) 新时代下传统舞狮的传承发展与问题[J]. Inheritance, development and problems of traditional lion Dance in the new era 杨晓坤,代继盟,林宵,于娇.中国民族博览 . 2019(06)
Yang Lei 杨磊 - Science and Technology: Mobile Games(手游)
Development history of mobile games
The birth of mobile games In 1997, Gluttonous Snake, preinstalled in Nokia 6110, officially started the history of mobile games. Long ago, Nokia was the dominant player in the mobile phone market. The physical keyboard and screen each occupied half of the mobile phone space. So at that time, mobile games did not get rid of the shackles of physical keyboard, such as early games: Gluttonous Snake(贪吃蛇), Pushing Boxes(推箱子), and Tetris(俄罗斯方块).
Pre Android After the release of Android phones, with the characteristics of the touch screen, games that need touch control, such as Fruit Ninja, became popular. There were many classic games in this period, including Plants vs. Zombies(植物大战僵尸), Angry Birds(愤怒的小鸟), Temple Escape(神庙逃亡), Subway Parkour (地铁跑酷)and other classic games .At the same time, Minecraft (我的世界)was released on iphone, but due to the high price of iphone, its popularity is far less than Android games.
Pre Tencent period In 2013, two Tencent games: Tiantian Cool Running(天天酷跑) and rhythm master(节奏大师) became popular, quickly surpassing Plants vs. Zombies and angry birds, and firmly ranked first in China's mobile games. At the same time, other Tencent games also took the opportunity to hype up and attract players. For a time, no game company could compete with Tencent.
Scuffle period 2011 was the year when smart phone games began to engage in scuffle. Mobile phone stand-alone games developed rapidly. Many players should have experienced Asphalt 5. At that time, the giants of mobile game manufacturers were definitely Gameloft. Modern war and Nova represented the peak of the picture quality of mobile games; In addition, "Assassin's Creed", "cell division 5", "ghost cry 4", "dead space" and other end games have also gradually landed on the mobile game platform; The online games of smart phones have also begun to test the market. A number of hardware manufacturers have begun to strengthen the graphics computing capacity of mobile phones, and the mobile game platform has officially taken shape.
Post Tencent period By november2015, a game was born, breaking the balance in the mobile game industry. Its appearance has changed the pattern of the entire mobile game market. This game is "glory of the king"(王者荣耀). This game dominates the mobile game rankings only two days after it was launched. Although it was attacked by CF of Netease(网易), it returned to the top in 16 years. The success of this game also makes other companies start to think about how to make a high-quality mobile game. In 2018, a year of full bloom, various mobile games have sprung up, such as Onmyoji(阴阳师) of Netease,PUBG Mobile(刺激战场) of Tencent,Genshin(原神) impact of MiHoYo etc.. Both the picture quality and the game experience have made a qualitative leap.
Development status and trend of mobile games
With the rapid development of mobile games in China, the market scale has expanded rapidly, and the capital heat is highly focused. It has quickly surpassed end games and page games and become a mainstream game type. From January to June 2021, the actual sales revenue of China's mobile game market was 114.772 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9.65%.
In recent years, the proportion of revenue from PC games and web games has continued to decline. On the contrary, the revenue share of mobile game industry has increased rapidly, and the revenue scale is expected to further expand. From 2014 to 2020, the proportion of mobile games in the sales revenue of the game industry increased rapidly from 24% to 75.2%, and the proportion reached 76.3% in the first half of 2021.
In the ranking of monthly active number of mobile game apps in September 2021, the monthly active number of glory of the king is far ahead, reaching 149million, followed by Game for peace(和平精英) and Fun Fest(开心消消乐).
With the continuous improvement of the ecological environment of China's game industry, the continuous upgrading of the game industry chain, and the development of 5g, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, big data and other forward-looking technologies, a number of innovative cultural products and businesses have been created, including cloud games, e-sports, game live broadcasting, etc., which put forward higher development requirements for enterprises in the game industry.
Social impact of Chinese mobile games
1. The development of mobile games has created a large number of related industries and provided more employment opportunities for people. 2. Mobile games provide people with opportunities to have a pleasant mood, social communication and exercise their intelligence. 3. The development of mobile games has put forward higher requirements for mobile phone manufacturing and software engineering, which is conducive to promoting the development of domestic science and technology. 4. The external communication of Chinese mobile games is conducive to vigorously carrying forward Chinese culture and enhancing China's international influence. 5. The development of mobile games makes many people indulge in it, which is easy to waste money and time, and damage their eyesight. 6. The development of the game industry can, to a certain extent, alleviate the pressure of the epidemic on the economy. During the epidemic period, the game industry, which is not affected by the epidemic, will continue to maintain game production and development, which will also have a positive impact on the future economic recovery.
Reference: [1] Development history of mobile games in China, published by China Science Daily on August 22, 2014 [2] Current situation of mobile game industry in 2021, published on Huajing information network on March 2, 2022 10:4 [3] Development history of mobile games in China (by 2021) in Bilibili.
You Xinning 由馨凝 - Clothing: Vintage Clothing
Clothing: Vintage Clothing
Introduction
Generally speaking, Vintage Clothing refers to garments produced between 1940 and 1980, which bear most typical characteristics of a particular period, such as the leggy pants worn by Audrey Hepburn in the 1950s, the plant pattern printed shirt designed by Emilio Pucci in the 1960s, and the suit skirt throughout all that era. These classic Vintage pieces are no longer mass-produced, and their unique fabrics, process details, tailoring and even usage, serve as the epitome of a particular era. And since the Vintage culture originated in Britain and Japan, many Vintage lovers have a special preference for Vintage markets or “Deadstock” in Europe, America and Japan. (Mr.Fashion Esquire: Observation| How far Vintage is from mainstream to popular)
Development
From the initial popularity to an overall prosperity, the development of Vintage Clothing can be roughly divided into three stages: The first stage is between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. During that time, Europe was in full depression after the “World War II”, young people with nihilistic spirit were eager to break through the shackles of tradition and pronounce their own individuality. However, with the rapid rise of post-war industrialization, items in clothes were all homogenized and had no style at all. Because of this, they began to look for innovative dressing styles from garments produced before their age. Thus, Vintage dressing style began to take shape. The second stage is born in the 1960s, when the popularity of hippies drove young people to look for weird foreign clothes in the second-hand market. At this time, Oriental films and kung fu movies were popular in Hollywood, and the bathrobes and jewelry with Oriental elements in movies were gradually imitated by western fashion lovers. The third stage is the post-1980s, when Vintage Clothing is also referred to as Retro Clothing. Compared with normal garments sold in shopping mall, Vintage not only has a refined sense of age, but its style and craftsmanship are more in line with modern Clothing concepts. Even in today's fashion field, Vintage Clothing also occupies a place. (Mr.Fashion Esquire: Observation| How far Vintage is from mainstream to popular) Reasons for the prevalence of Vintage Clothing One reason boosts the popularity of Vintage Clothing is its major selling points, the “orphan” character. This factor is in line with the current trend of young people pursuing personalization, satisfied with the psychology of seeking differences and is favored by consumers. Also, this current fashion trend is in response to the phrase “fashion is a reincarnation”, which is an eternal truth. (Interface News: How long can the Vintage wind, which has quietly risen in Haikou, last) Another reason is that the Vintage concept increases the publicity of environmental protection. Clothing is an aspect of daily life with a very high frequency of usage. According to the United Nations forecast, in 2030, the global population is expected to reach 8.5 billion, when clothing consumption will increase sharply from 62 million tons to 102 million tons. When more and more people realize the environmental pressure caused by their clothing, they will try to make a change. (Talks from Dr. Leng Yun, University of Hong Kong)
Vintage Clothing in China
In recent years, with contemporary Chinese youth looking for a “self” attitude in fashion, Vintage Clothing has gradually opened up the market in China. In economically developed cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, Vintage Clothing is leading a “new” fashion trend.
1.1major consumers
“Research Report on the Development of China's Second-hand Luxury Goods Market 2020” unveils that in 2019, more than 50% of the second-hand luxury goods consumers were under the age of 30. Also, according to the shopkeeper of發夢士多 (a Vintage shop located in Changsha), most of her customers are college students and high school students, who hope to express their personality and self through clothing and objects with unique marks of ancient times. The traces of the era of “ancient culture” just meet the individual aesthetic needs of niche groups, with their pursuit of “rebellion”and “difference”.
1.2 concerns
The gradual popularity of Vintage is a good thing, and there remains opportunities for a large-scale Vintage market in the future. However, there are still many problems plaguing Vintage at present. One major concern is a very realistic problem in front of some Vintage merchants: “If the business of Vintage stores loses their style, there will be no business. But if they keep their style, their business will not be popular or spread large-scale.” Besides, Though Vintage lovers always claim to pursue uniqueness, the fact is that most consumers only follow the trend blindly, which is a waist of Vintage culture. Also, compared with foreign countries, the history of domestic Vintage market is relatively short, and due to the lack of social and cultural background, many consumers are not familiar with the concept of “Vintage”. In the imperfect market, whether the goods can be well preserved is a big challenge, and the domestic identification of Vintage clothes also lacks a set of corresponding standards, with there being a flood of fake goods in the market. (Interface News: How long can the Vintage wind, which has quietly risen in Haikou, last) Beyond these, the current Vintage market is not standardized enough. It can’t be denied that there are unscrupulous merchants who have no real understanding about what “Vintage clothing” is casually refurbish and sell indiscriminate garbage clothes under the name of Vintage, tarnishing the entire industry. Thus scary stories about Vintage clothes scatteraround, such as Vintage clothes are clothes worn by dead people, second-hand clothes will bring bad luck, and people who wear Vintage will be haunted.
1.3 new development
Although the new industry is in the stage of “savage growth”, efforts made by Vintage fashion lovers for the development of Vintage fashion market can not be underestimated. At present, many cities in China have opened Vintage stores, mainly distributed in first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, Xiamen and other places. Besides, compared with Japan, in addition to e-commerce platforms, China's Vintage clothing trading has established unique selling channels based on social platforms such as Wechat. Most commonly, the owner of a Vintage shop will not only sell Vintage clothes but also some handmade jewelry, such as glue earrings and beaded bags. Thus the store will not only open for Vintage customers, but for anyone who happen to find it, allowing more profits earned and the business maintained. With more and more people popularizing Vintage culture, more and more Vintage shops with unique styles are emerging. In general, the market is getting better.
Terms and Expressions
Vintage Clothing 古着服饰
leggy pants紧身裤
suit skirt 套装裙
Deadstock 旧货仓库
Questions
1.What is Vintage Clothing?
2.How many stages can the development of Vintage Clothing be divided into?
3.Who are major consumers of Vintage clothes?
4.What are the scary stories about Vintage clothes?
5.Do you think Vintage Clothing has a bright future? Why?
References
Mr.Fashion Esquire: Observation| How far Vintage is from mainstream to popular
Interface News: How long can the Vintage wind, which has quietly risen in Haikou, last
Research Report on the Development of China's Second-hand Luxury Goods Market 2020
Talks from Dr. Leng Yun, University of Hong Kong
Interview with the shopkeeper of發夢士多
Yu Jinbo 喻锦博 - Aesthetic ideals and social customs:Faggotry Culture in China:taking Da Sima(金轮) as an example
Yu Ziqi 禹紫琪 - Aesthetic ideals and social customs: The Culture of Flowers
There are abundant flower resources in China. Early in ancient times, Chinese people noted the diversified value of flowers, and utilized flowers in various ways. Flowers could be used as ingredients for cuisine, herbal medicine, and decorative items. Moreover, the image of flowers always appeared in poems, proses and articles, highly praised by Chinese literary people for their beauty, fragrance as well as spirits. Throughout history, flowers are of both pragmatic and spiritual significance in Chinese culture.
Ⅰ. The pragmatic value of flowers in Chinese culture
1.As ingredients in food
As an old Chinese saying goes, “Food is the first necessity of the people.” Chinese people have always been interested and innovative in making food and drinks. Flowers normally used for its aesthetic value entered the kitchens and became a special ingredient in food and drinks. Flowers were widely used in making alcohol at first. In pre-Qin Dynsaty, people would drink home-made chrysanthemum wine on the Double Ninth Festival in commemoration of their deceased beloved ones. In addition, “nine” has the same Chinese pronunciation as the character meaning “longevity”, and drinking chrysanthemum wine was considered beneficial to health and conducive to longevity. So it was popularized then and is still practiced in some parts of China nowadays. It was not until Tang Dynasty that flowers became the indispensable ingredients in cooking. People would use them in making cakes, pastry and porridge, especially at special festivals. For example, on the Tomb Sweeping Day, people would make osmanthus fragrans porridge.
2.As accessories
In ancient times, seasonal flowers were often seen to blossom in one’s hair or brim, bearing a touch of spring color. This custom of putting flowers on the head is called Zan Hua(簪花)or wearing flowers. Different from the exclusive modern view of women wearing flowers, this practice was not restricted to sex, age, and classes back in ancient times. Men and women, the old and the young, the noble and the ordinary alike, wore flowers. On the Double Ninth Festival people wore cornel or chrysanthemum to ward off evil spirits and avoid disasters. Another example famous in history was the four grand chancellors wearing flowers. In Northern Song Dynasty, there was a type of peony in Yangzhou. It was known for its exceptional looks with large, scarlet petals clustering round the golden yellow central, whose colors resembled that of the robes of the court officials that were scarlet gowns with golden yellow belt. Therefore, this flower was called Golden Belt. One day, Han Qi, the then prefecture chief of Yangzhou, invited Wang Gui, Wang Anshi and Chen Shengzhi to attend the banquet in his house and enjoy the beautiful scenery of various flowers in his garden. There he spotted one peculiar Golden Belt peony with four flowers on a single stem. Han Qi plucked the flowers, put three on his guests’ heads and wore one himself. In the later several decades, the four were all promoted to grand chancellors.
Ⅱ. The spiritual value of flowers in Chinese culture
1.The Four Gentlemen or Four Noble Ones
In Chinese culture, the Four Gentlemen or Four Noble Ones is an umbrella term referring to four plants: the plum blossom, the orchid, the bamboo and the chrysanthemum. They bloom in different seasons, thus representing each season (the plum blossom for winter, the orchid for spring, the bamboo for summer, and the chrysanthemum for autumn). These plants’ natural features have something in common with human personalities, which just indicates the literati's understanding of the alternation of time and the meaning of life. Gradually, the four plants become the most common theme in poetry, prose, painting, calligraphy and other art forms, carrying special symbolic meanings for uprightness, purity, integrity and modesty in human virtues.
Plum blossom always flowers in a world of ice and snow. Preceding green leaves, the plum flowers bloom when all the other flowers yield to the biting cold weather. The literary people love its spirits of bravery, righteousness and faithfulness, and utilize this imagery in writing. There is one household couplet: Honing makes a mighty sword, and cold makes fragrant plum blossoms.(宝剑锋从磨砺出,梅花香自苦寒来) The orchid normally grow in unfrequented areas such as deep valleys or forests and crevices in rocks which are often unnoticed. But the small, delicate flowers still never stop giving out pleasant smell, just like gentlemen who never forsake the virtues. The bamboo features ethereal, graceful leaves and hollow, upright stems. Its elegance without and its strength within accord with the qualities of gentlemen. Bamboo, together with plem blossom and pine is also known as the “Three Friends in Winter.” Here is a well-known poem written by Zheng Xie, a famous painter and scholar in the Qing Dynasty, and translated by Xu Yuanchong, a notable translator.
竹石 清·郑燮 咬定青山不放松,立根原在破岩中。 千磨万击还坚劲,任尔东西南北风。
BAMBOO IN THE ROCK Translated by Xu Yuanchong Upright stands the bamboo amid green mountains steep: Its toothlike root in broken rock is planted deep. It’s strong and firm through struck and beaten without rest, Careless of the wind from north or south, east or west.
The chrysanthemum blooms in frost in autumn when other flowers wither. It has the spirits to endure loneliness and enjoy solitude as a hermit. It is the most beloved flower of Tao Yuanming, the creator of pastoral poetry in the Jin Dynasty. He wrote a lot of poems about it, among which the most popular sentence is “While picking asters’ neath the Eastern fence, my gaze upon the Southern mountains rest.”
2.Vanilla beauty
Qu Yuan (Ch’u Yuan 屈原), a minister of the Chu Kingdom, was exiled by the King of Chu. “Sorrow at Departure”, his signature poem of 373 lines, describes his journey of exile, passing through woods and forests and encountering deities. He wrote about eighteen plants in this poem (there are over 40 plants in his other poems such as “Nine Songs”): vanilla, clover, thyme, bluegrass, angelica, capers, cinnamon, magnolia, chrysanthemum, hibiscus, gladiolus, and wisteria that the goddesses wore around their heads. Sometimes he put the fragrant herbs on himself, a way of claiming purity against the corruption in the royal court.
I put on mint leaves as my shirt, lotus flowers my skirt. Nobody ever knows me— my true interior nobility. —from “Sorrow at Departure”
From this time on, fragrant herbs and beauty have become symbols of virtues and moralities, which are glued together as one compound word ‘Vanilla-beauty’ (vanilla representing all fragrant herbs and flowers). Vanilla-beauty poetry has since become a tradition in Chinese, its scope expanded over the two thousand years. This image for beauty has continued to the modern time. 【Vanilla beauty and the immortal Phoenix: exploring the poetry of Chu in China - Poetry International】 [1]
Ⅲ. Different views of flowers in Chinese and Western culture
The Chinese traditional philosophy upholds the unity of heaven and man, emphasizing the ties between nature and man are not to be severed. In literature, personal feelings are always integrated with the description of objects. Therefore, they are personified, and endowed with the emotion of the viewers. A common example is a sentence from Du Fu’s “Spring View”-- “Grieved over the years, flowers are moved to tears; Seeing us apart, birds cry with broken heart(感时花溅泪,恨别鸟惊心。).” From the poet’s perspective, even the flowers and birds were dispirited by the turmoil of the times and sorrow of departure.
Different from Chinese thinking, Westerns tend to deem nature as objects of cognition, as an unknown field to explore and discover, or entertainment. In stead of uniting heaven and man, it is to distinguish mankind from heaven. In William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, the host of golden daffodils the poet ran into in the forests gave him ecstasy, splashing the spontaneous overflow of powerful emotion.
“A poet could not but be gay; In such a jocund company; I gazed—and gazed—but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude, And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.”
Qian Mu, one of the greatest historians and philosophers of 20th-century China, once commented, “The Western culture is mainly about objects, which can be described as scientific culture, whilst the Chinese culture is mainly about people and spirits, which can be called art culture.” But despite all the differences, with the increasingly frequent exchanges between different cultures, there are certain type of flowers with universal symbolic meanings, such as roses for love, olives for peace.
Terms and Expressions
cornel 茱萸 grand chancellor(zaixiang, tsai-hsiang), also translated as counselor-in-chief, imperial chancelor or prime minister 宰相 the four grand chancellors wearing flowers 四相簪花 Golden Belt 金缠腰/金带围 Han Qi 韩琦 Wang Gui 王珪 Wang Anshi 王安石 Chen Shengzhi 陈升之 the Four Gentlemen or Four Noble Ones 花中四君子 Three Friends in Winter 岁寒三友 Zheng Xie 郑燮 Xu Yuanchong 许渊冲 Qu Yuan (Ch’u Yuan) 屈原 “Sorrow at Departure” 《离骚》 “Nine Songs” 《九歌》 the unity of heaven and man 天人合一 “Spring View” 《春望》 distinguish mankind from heaven 天人相分 Qian Mu (Ch'ien Mu) 钱穆
References
·Guo Youwei 郭幼为. (2020.12.07) 《古今农业》一花一世界:日常生活视域下宋朝“花生活”
·沈括 《梦溪笔谈·补笔谈》
·钱穆 《现代中国学术论衡》
Questions
1.What were flowers first made as an ingredient in food and drinks?
2.Why would people drink chrysanthemum wine on the Double Ninth Festival?
3.Were only women allowed to wear flowers in ancient times?
4.What are the symbolic meanings of the Four Gentlemen?
5.What did vanilla beauty stand for?
Yuan Ling 袁灵 - National Belief: the Chinese Dream
In November of 2012, soon after the conclusion of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), President Xi Jinping put forward, for the first time, the idea of the Chinese Dream on a visit to “The Road towards National Rejuvenation” exhibition at the National Museum of China. The Chinese dream meant for him the “great renewal of the Chinese nation.” and “is a dream of the whole nation, as well as of every individual,” he said. Since then, use of the phrase has become widespread in official announcements and as the embodiment of the leadership's political ideology under Xi Jinping. Xi said that young people should “dare to dream, work assiduously to fulfill the dreams and contribute to the revitalization of the nation.” There are various connotations and interpretations of the term.
Zhou Sirui 周思睿 - Science and Technology: BuyTogether(PDD)
Buytogether(PDD), also called Pinduoduo in Chinese, is a mainstream e-commerce application of mobile Internet in China, and a third-party social e-commerce platform focusing on C2M(Customer-to-Manufacturer) group shopping. It was founded in September 2015. Users can buy goods at a lower price by buying them with their friends, families and neighbors together.
Buytogether aims to enable people to buy better goods at lower prices and gain more benefits and fun by gathering the strength of more people. Its idea in online shopping is unique in that it creates a brand new pattern of social e-commerce: Community E-Commerce.
A.The History of Development
After only three years of development, Buytogether was successfully listed on NASDAQ in July 2018. In July 2020, Buytogether ranked the fourth in "The Hurun China’s Top 10 E-commerce 2020". By 2020, Buytogether 's annual active users reached nearly 800 million, and its operating revenue reached 59.492 billion yuan. Reviewing the developing course of Buytogether, we can mainly divide it into the following two stages :
1.Early Developing Period (2015-2018)
Aiming at the sinking market, Buytogether came into being. Although e-commerce has great market potential, the competition is also very fierce. After years of development, Taobao, JD and other well-known traditional e-commerce enterprises have occupied a huge market share for a long time. Although having a large market share, they are also bothered by various problems, such as product quality concerns, fake goods, deficient platform supervision and so on, which force them to proceed strategic improvement. For example, in 2015, Taobao cracked down on the fake goods appearing on the platform, hoping to enhance customers' confidence in it by improving the quality of products. But at the same time, the improvement of product quality has brought about the rising of product price, which makes Taobao break away from the highly price-sensitive consumers, who pay more attention to the price rather than the brand. Users in such a sinking market that was unoccupied have become targets of Buytogether.
In September 2015, Buytogether was officially launched. In February 2016, Buytogether 's monthly turnover exceeded 10 million, and its users exceeded 20 million. In July 2016, Buytogether had more than 100 million users and received a B round of $110 million financing. On October 10,2016, the single-day transaction volume of Buytogether 's anniversary celebration, a big shopping festival, exceeded 100 million yuan. In October 2017, Buytogether occupied the first place in the total number of iOS application downloads under the category of shopping for nearly one month. Buytogether is a dark horse in the early days, constantly showing its edge.
2.Growing Period (from 2018 to now)
After three years of development, Buytogether was successfully listed on NASDAQ in July 2018, and has made remarkable achievements. According to CCTV, Buytogether had 385.5 million annual active users in 2018, surpassing JD, the second largest e-commerce platform with its 305.2 million users. In February 2019, Buytogether was included in the MSCI. In June 2019, the " Subsidy of Ten Billion Yuan " activity was launched, and Buytogether was selected as one of " The Forbes Most Innovative Enterprises in China 2019" in the same month. In December 2019, Buytogether launched the train ticket service on its App terminal. In 2019, Buytogether 's operating revenue was about 30.142 billion yuan, and the number of multiannual active users had reached 585.2 million by the end of 2019.According to the 2020 annual report released by Buytogether, it achieved operating revenue of about 59.492 billion yuan in 2020, with a growing rate of 97% compared with 2019. The achievements of Buytogether are amazing to all, creating a miracle among all the e-commerce platforms.
B.The Special Marketing Strategy
Buytogether's success is inseparable from its unique marketing strategy based on community .
Internet technology breaks the limitation of time and space; various social media provide interactive platforms, strengthening users’ connectivity. The essence of Buytogether's going viral is to take the social media as carriers to carry out e-commerce transactions, namely community e-commerce. Community e-commerce manages the users and potential users of the platform in a new way, paying more attention to providing users with more interactive communication and scenarios, so as to facilitate users to find groups where other people have similar interests and needs to their own and hence exchange shopping information and conduct group shopping at a much lower price. In Buytogether, users can get lower prices when they share the links of what they want to buy with their friends to form a group for shopping. The characteristics of Buytogether's community e-commerce are as follows:
1.Targeting customers in the sink market.
The "internet traffic(data)-centered" competing mechanism of traditional e-commerce platforms represented by Taobao and JD makes the main market of online shopping be occupied by leading brands with abundant funds. In the early days of establishment, Buytogether effectively distinguished its main customers from those of traditional e-commerce platforms, and positioned the main customers in the sink market to buffer competition in the industry. Buytogether supplies products at lower prices than other traditional e-commerce platforms by some strategies like “the more you buy, the lower prices are”, shopping in group and enabling users to bargain, thus attracting a large number of consumers in the sink market and small cities.
The increase of the users attracts a larger number of sellers to flood into the platform in return. With its decentralized internet traffic(data) distribution and low-cost entry threshold, Buytogether has brought opportunities to start-ups and niche enterprises. Many little-known businesses including some self-employed ones have flooded into the platform as well. Both parties of a deal in the sink market are attracted by Buytogether’s low prices and low costs. Consumers gain lower prices and suppliers acquire more customers; the trading system of Buytogether is gradually improved.
2.Popularizing based on users’ community.
Buytogether attracts more and more customers depending on social media and users’ social relations. Under the logic of community, the Internet economy is based on human.
Generally speaking, the formation of different groups is based on interests, kinship, etc. Through third-party social platforms such as WeChat and QQ, consumers establish and join groups where people have similar interests and needs to share and exchange information. In other words, users with similar interest or needs form a community. Buytogether manages these community members, analyzes the characteristics of different communities, captures their needs and interest points, so as to release marketing contents accurately and establish unlimited vertical market segments.
Also, consumers in the online communities will share their experience of using products with recommendation or criticism, which actually provides the stores and the platform itself with suggestions for improving, assistance in producing and innovative ideas. Consumers are not only loyal "buyers", but also enthusiastic "sharers" and innovative "producers".
3.Selling in the form of group.
Buytogether's "group enjoys discounts" selling strategy has attracted many consumers in pursuit of high cost performance. The "buying in group" model has grown full-bloom with the combined promotion of big data, the Internet and the community economy.
Group shopping brings more benefits to consumers. It is easy to arouse consumers’ desire to buy when their friends share the link of what they want to buy that they also need and has an affordable price. Then the virtuous cycle comes. In order to get lower price, it is inevitable to share the group link with friends. If this cycle continues, more and more people will download Buytogether and buy something. When consumers choose such a social platform where friends gather to share group shopping links, it is easier to form communities and develop the habit of sharing and shopping in group. Group shopping reflects the integration of network technology into real life, bringing mutual benefits and win-win results, which is also an upgrade of consumption form.
4.Reducing intermediary businesses.
Traditional e-commerce platforms have broadened online transaction channels, but have not effectively shortened the transaction process between suppliers and customers. Therefore, the profit space of suppliers and consumers has not been totally released.
By targeting the sink market, Buytogether has attracted a large number of suppliers of different brands to the platform to talk with customers directly. Users can form groups and make orders on Buytogether according to their interests and needs. The platform will skip the procedure of channel distribution and feedback users’ needs to suppliers directly to shorten the decision-making time and reduce the inventory backlog.
The docking of transaction terminals reduces the profits middlemen can get, releasing the profit space for users and suppliers. Buytogether is committed to shortening the transaction process between users and suppliers, thus attracting more transaction terminals to enter the platform. So it becomes a main advantage of Buytogether that attracts stores and suppliers at lower operating costs.
C.The Advantages of Buytogether
1.Creating needs actively.
Under the model of traditional e-commerce, users mostly buy goods based on their own needs, which means the platform itself is not active enough in inspiring customers’ demands. But Buytogether attracts new consumers and promotes their demands actively through low prices, recommendation from friends, group shopping and many other ways.
Users in social media will browse the information of products when they receive links of group shopping from their friends. The products are usually affordable and practical that are necessities for consumers, so they are likely to buy the products as well. Therefore, depending on the relation network of community members, it is easy for Buytogether to dig out and inspire customers’ potential needs.
2.Connecting users in many ways.
User connection is a significant advantage of Buytogether. Under the mode of community e-commerce, the relationship between users and sellers or other users is much closer. What community members pursue is not only the material benefits brought by products themselves, but also the interactive communication and emotional connection with others. Therefore, they tend to have a high degree of involvement and loyalty to stores, and spontaneously participate in the activities that contribute to the prosperity of the whole community like collaborative production, reputation building and spreading, content producing and so on, forming a C2B model where users’ demands guide the production, so as to solve the problem of inventory redundancy and optimize trading processes. Under the guidance of opinion leaders, community members are more likely to develop a herd mentality, and gain a sense of belonging and a sense of achievement from their collective actions. Fan economy, opinion leaders and herd effect in community e-commerce open a new vision for businesses to drive users to respond.
3.Promoting social contacts.
Traditional e-commerce improves the shopping experiences of individual consumers by issuing allowances, coupons and cross-store discounts. But Buytogether fosters adhesiveness of users through interaction. Buytogether utilizes the interpersonal network of community to innovate forms of discounts, such as inviting friends to help bargain, gain free charge and group price, not only meeting the customers’ practical needs of information acquisition, price concessions and product purchases, but also enabling customers to improve their shopping experiences with interactive entertainment.
D.The problems of Buytogether
1.The crisis of confidence
Recently, Buytogether has launched zero yuan purchase, cash withdrawal with friends’ help(by sharing links) and other activities that require users to invite their friends to participate in. However, to gain the promised benefits, users have to obey complex procedures and sometimes they get nothing after it. So in the process of these activities, consumers will feel interested and inspired at the beginning, and then they are likely to be disappointed, or even give up midway. Even if they really complete the task, they will feel that the harvest and their efforts are not proportional. In this way, it is easy for users to feel bored about the activity of the platform, seriously affecting their confidence in it.
2.The problem of low quality
Since its establishment, Buytogether has been adopting the low-price marketing strategy based on social networking including a series of discount activities, which have continuously compressed the profit space of the settled stores. In order to conform with the platform's low-price strategy as much as possible, these stores have to reduce the costs of raw materials and production, thus causing quality problems. In addition, due to Buytogether’s low entry threshold and loose supervision, the qualifications of its sellers are not all official. Some sellers enter the platform to sell fake and shoddy products, which not only damages the rights and interests of consumers, but also destroys users' trust in the platform.
3.The damage of corporate image
The main way for Buytogether to realize its community marketing is to attract new users by making current users constantly share the platform links. Current users frequently forward links to invite friends to help them gain a discount or cash rewards, but sometimes such behavior will bother their friends, the potential customers of Buytogether, and even stir their antipathy for this platform. Therefore, this method of marketing is a double-edged sword, sometimes damaging its corporate image.
E.The Measures for Optimization
Buytogether takes advantage of its unique social e-commerce model to open up its own e-commerce field in the fiercely competitive Chinese e-commerce market with the sinking market as the starting-point. Due to the poor commodity quality, low price and most of the users are price-sensitive in the sinking market, the moat (based on Buffett's moat theory )in intangible assets and customer switching cost is weak. In comparison, it cooperates with WeChat APP and make use of its huge traffic. At the same time, the "social fission" approach to platform promotion and the adoption of the C2M sales model to operate the platform has made it possible for the company to use its unique social e-commerce model to create its blue ocean of e-commerce. Against this background, Buytogether has a deep and wide moat in network effect and cost advantage. Based on the above analysis of the current market environment and the moat theory, I propose the following strategies for the future development of Buytogether :
1.Optimize marketing rules and enhance users’ confidence.
After years of accumulation, Buytogether has had a large number of registered users, so the marketing rules can be appropriately optimized based on it. Nowadays, Buytogether no longer needs to rely on fission marketing methods like sharing links to expand the user scale, but needs to improve its own marketing policies, utilize social media more rationally, and formulate marketing activities from the perspective of users. Buytogether can take into consideration increasing the probability of consumers completing their tasks in marketing activities and giving consumers more subsidies and dividends to gain their confidence and foster their loyalty to the platform.
2.Reinforce supervision and improve the quality of products.
If Buytogether wants to reduce inferior products, it must supervise its sellers closely. When sellers enter, their qualification and product quality must be strictly checked. In addition, while strengthening the supervision of the sellers, Buytogether is also advised to give more welfare to these sellers to encourage them to pay more attention to product quality, so as to solve related problems from the source. Moreover, Buytogether should also establish an organic system of after-sales service, increase the number of personnel to serve customers, and handle all kinds of complaints from users properly.
3.Polish up users’comments and improve the corporate image.
Consumers tend to consider the platform’s corporate image when choosing products. Unfortunately, many consumers have linked Buytogether with "inferior products" at present, so it is emergent for Buytogether to regain users' confidence and trust by improving its corporate image.
4.Improve the supply chain structure and the back-end service system.
Although Buytogether's existing supply chain structure has made it possible for customers' demand to stimulate the upstream supply chain to carry out mass production, its accumulation is still not perfect. Besides, the existing investment in the upstream and the empowerment of the whole industry chain are also insufficient. The existing investment in upstream and empowerment of the whole industry chain is also insufficient. If it wants to grow further, Buytogether will need to spend some time and effort on improving its supply chain. In addition to partnering with third-party logistics, it could follow the example of the Yiatong 380 platform and set up hundreds of distribution networks across the country. Otherwise, learning from Alibaba's retail and village tao synergy system and the integrated logistics information management platform of Cainiao parcel even benchmark itself against Jingdong and create its own logistics system to have a more significant say in the upstream supply.
5.Stop blind expansion of incremental users, fine-tuned operation of stock users.
The Internet began to shift from a total market to a stock market as early as 2016, but the tapping of sinking traffic has slowed down the process. As the number of Buytogether 's users has reached 800 million, its future development strategy should no longer be to pursue incremental users number but to amplify the business value of individual users. Thus, it can refine the operation of its stock of users to repeat key actions through precise matching, increasing their stickiness and keeping them in a mature stage for a long time.
Although Buytogether's current single-user purchase level is still low, it also has the potential to improve within the system through live streaming, subsidies, and other actions to improve user stickiness. As its digital, household appliances, and fresh produce categories continue to enrich, the trend of increasing customer unit price is noticeable. Suppose it can maintain the existing scale and development direction. In that case, Buytogether has more room for growth to better cope with the Tao system and other Internet e-commerce. It will allow Buytogether to better cope with the competition between the Tao system and other internet e-commerce companies and continue growing and developing.
References
1.百度百科
2.梁艳.基于拼多多发展路径分析如何增强平台用户黏性[J].中国集体经济,2022(10):51-53.
3.徐佳宁.基于社群经济的电商企业商业模式创新——以拼多多为例[J].现代营销(下旬刊),2022(03):128-130.DOI:10.19932/j.cnki.22-1256/F.2022.03.128.
4.徐琴.拼多多的社交化营销策略研究[J].上海商业,2022(03):16-17.
5.Nie Cheng,Xinyu Huang,Jing Qian. Analysis on Pinduoduo Business Model and Future Development Strategy based on Sinking Market[C]//.Proceedings of 3rd International Conference on Global Economy and Business Management (GEBM 2021).[出版者不详],2021:279-287.DOI:10.26914/c.cnkihy.2021.049927.
Terms
NASDAQ: National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations(美国全国证券交易商协会自动报价表)
"2020 Hurun China Top 10 E-commerce":《2020胡润中国10强电商》
Sinking market: Small-town and rural markets where the most Chinese population live.
Questions
1.When was Buytogether founded?
2.When was Buytogether listed on NASDAQ?
3.What new type of e-commerce did Buytogether create?
4.Which market does Buytogether target?
5.What are advantages of Buytogether?
6.What are problems of Buytogether?
7.How to solve these problems?
Zou Xiangrui 邹享睿 -Aesthetic ideals and social customs:Marriage and Burial Customs of Tujia People
Aesthetic ideals and social customs:Marriage and Burial Customs of Tujia People
The Tujia are a long-established ethnic group with their own language, but they do not have their own character and use the character of the Han. In October 1956, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission identified the Tujia as a single ethnic group through ethnic identification. The Tujia call themselves "Bizka(毕兹卡)", "Mikiqa(密基卡)" or "Bejinqa(贝锦卡)", which means "people born and raised in the land". Despite the fact that they do not have a written language, they still have their own cultural identity, especially in the form of marriage and burial customs.
Marriage customs In the history of the Tujia, marriage was relatively free. A man and a woman could marry after free love, with the consent of both parents and the testimony of a Tujia teacher (wizard). On the 12th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, young men and women sang and danced, fell in love with each other and became lifelong partners. After the reform and conform, the Tujia were forced to carry out arranged marriages by parents and matchmakers. Before liberation, there was the custom of aunts and uncles marrying in table and house marriages. In the case of aunts and uncles, the marriage of an aunt's daughter must marry the son of an uncle's family, also known as "return the bone seed(Huan Guzhong 还骨种)"; brother received sister-in-law after the brother’s death, known as "sitting bed(坐床)". But now these customs have ceased to exist in modern times. After the nation’s liberation, the people's government promulgated a new marriage law, and since then, the Tujia people have truly enjoyed the happiness of marital autonomy. The marriage rituals of the Tujia family include "proofing(打样)", "marriage proposal(求婚)", "asking for red ginger(讨红庚)", "betrothal" (定亲)(commonly known as "inserting thatched incense",插茅香), "seeing the date(看期)" and "welcoming the bride(亲迎)". This is similar to the six rites of the Han. The more characteristic marriage rituals are the accompanying of the ten sisters, the accompanying of the ten brothers and the weeping of the bride. As a unique wedding form of the Tujia wedding custom - crying marriage(哭嫁), in the Tujia settlement area for about two to three thousand years of history. According to the analysis of folklore experts, crying marriage is likely to be a matrilineal clan society to patrilineal clan society in the transition of the "bride snatching" customs of the remaining phenomenon. With the continuous progress of society, cry marriage has long lost the original meaning of bride kidnapping, but has become a traditional custom in the home life of the Tujia people to carry out ritual ethics and marriage education. In fact, it is not the bride alone who cries, but the collective cries of relatives within and outside the family, which is "familial". There are more than 20 procedures in the weeping marriage of the Tujia f, and for each item the bride cries, there are accompanying and opposite weepers. The weeping not only has a lot of content, but also has a long and strict procedure, which is "ceremonial".
Burial Customs The connotation of Tujia funeral culture is rich, which is the attitude of people towards death, and the culture of different forms of funeral customs represents the composition of a nation's culture, which is a unique cultural phenomenon of Tujia. The way of Tujia funeral in the history of the first people to implement cremation, but also rock coffin burial(岩棺葬), etc. The development of the Tujia funeral has formed a ritual with the characteristics of the nation.
1.The Funeral Dance The funeral dance of the Tujia family has been recorded since the Sui and Tang dynasties, and the Tujia people sing and dance wildly in front of the dead, which has become an important way to pay tribute to the dead and comfort the living. The mourning dance has not only its cultural connotation, but also its distinctive artistic characteristics, which are mainly reflected in the musical composition and the singing and movement of the dance. One of the most important steps of a funeral is Jumping mourning(跳丧).Jumping mourning is specifically when the neighbors in the neighborhood after the death of the elders, dark neighbors will go to this home for jumping mourning, the family of the deceased will vacate the place in advance as well as prepare the tobacco and wine. The coffin of the deceased is placed in the main hall, and then the cowry drum is placed in the wooden foot basin in front of the left side of the coffin. The mourning dance is led by the Taoist priest, and the eldest son holds the deceased father's or mother's spiritual tablet in his hands, leading dozens of mourning men and women to dance vigorously in the courtyard collapse, forming different formations during the dance.
2.The Mourning Hall Singing The funeral form of the Tujia family is also the more important form of mourning and sitting mourning, also called mourning hall singing, which is only singing but not dancing mourning ceremony, sitting night may be several days and nights until the funeral and burial. During the sitting night, the mourning son sits around the pipe. The mourning son sits around the pipe and sings through one or two singers who beat the drums and say auspicious words, and then sings about the deceased's life experiences and achievements, including historical figures and historical allusions, by leading and helping the singers. This ritual song and dance was continued through the centuries, and the funeral song and dance became the main form of expression.
3.Funeral Culture Connotations The mourning ceremony of the Tujia family has a distinct function of social edification and is passed on as a cultural phenomenon, mainly because it has a corresponding social function, and its function in expressing emotions is more significant. The descendants send the bones and souls of their ancestors to the Elysium, which is carried out in a rich jumping mourning, which can also be a great adjustment for the descendants' psychology to settle their souls. On the temporal as well as the spatial level, the selection of auspicious days for the funeral and the sending of the soul to the blissful world are all helpful to appease the soul of the descendants.
Questions 1. Do the Tujia have their own ethnic script? 2. Was marriage free in the historical Tujia family? 3. What are the marriage rites of the Tujia? 4. What are the main artistic features of mourning?
Reference: [1] 廖从刚.土家族婚俗中的哭嫁习俗.《寻根》,2005年.02期 [2] [2]余继平 . 大悲之日 , 欢歌——土家族特殊的丧葬习俗[J]. 中华手工 ,2015 (02). [3] 关于武陵山区土家族葬礼文化探究 邵启富 53_54·《长江丛刊》,2018年.31期 王刚 . 武陵山区土家族葬礼文化初 探[J]. 铜仁职业技术学院学报 ,2017(03) -Zou Xiangrui (talk) 07:20, 29 June 2022 (UTC)