The Four Most Beautiful Women of Archaic China
XiShi, ZhaoJun Wang, DiaoChan, YuHuan Yang are the four most beautiful women of archaic China. They lived in four different dynasties of China and usually separately described as sink fish, drop birds, shame flowers and close moon to feature their beautiful.
XiShi – Sink Fishes
XiShi was a washing voile beauty in the Yue Kingdom of Spring and Autumn Period. Once time, she was washing voile near the river and the clear water shined her charming figure and made her look more beautiful so that fishes forgot to swim and gradually sank to the river after saw her appearance. Therefore, she had the name "Sink Fishes" and it is popular until now.
ZhaoJun Wang – Drop Wild Geese
During the reign of emperor Yuan of Han Dynasty (48-33 BC), the border was not quiet for the war. In order to appease the relations with XiongNu, a barbarous nation, the emperor Yuan selected ZhaoJun Wang to marry the chieftain of XiongNu.
Therefore she was farewell to her native land and went to the XiongNu country in autumn. She was so sad that played a solemn parting song with her Pipa when she was on the way. The wild geese that were flying to south listened this mournful song and saw the beautiful woman, they forget to swing wings and fell to underground. Since then, ZhaoJun Wang owned this call "Drop Wild Geese".
DiaoChan – Close Moon
It is said that when DiaoChan appreciated the moon in the garden, the cloud covered the moon later and that was seen by Yun Wang, the father of DiaoChan. After that Yun Wang said DiaoChan was more beautiful than moon to others. Therefore, people describe DiaoChan "Close Moon".
YuHuan Yang – Shame Flowers
During the Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty, Yang was selected as a concubine from the folk. After Yang came to royal palace, she missed her home very much. One day, she went to the garden to relax herself and when she saw these blooming flower, she begin to lament her own destiny and touch the flowers with her hands, maybe they are the mimose or other reasons, these flowers closed, and this situation was seen by the maid, so they said Yang was beautiful than flower and they shamed when they say her face.
Until now, if Chinese describe beauties, they also like to use "Sink Fishes", "Drop Wild Geese", "Close Moon", "Shame Flowers" for modern people. Know more the Chinese Four Beauties information, please come here.
The Traditional and Important Festivals in China
Know more information on Chinese culture that the Chinese festivals cannot be neglect as an important part of it. Chinese festivals are celebrated throughout the lunar year according to the Chinese calendar, and there are varieties festivals in China, but each of them is associated with a legend and most festivals are inherited from the ancient time and celebrated in memory of their ancestors.
To know Chinese festivals, we will find Chinese culture is very interesting. Next, let’s learn some vital festivals for Chinese together.
Chinese New Year, also known as Chinese Spring Festival, is the most important festival among others. It was usually celebrated on the last day of the year until the 15th of the first month of Chinese new lunar year as a welcoming to the New Year and a farewell of the old year.
During these days, lots of activities will be hold and the place like change another colorful face, in another word, it just like Chinese Christmas.
Tomb Sweeping Day, also called Qingming festival, is still one of the 24 seasonal division points in China and an important holiday for Chinese. It is usually falling on April 4-6 each year, and a day for people to honor past ancestors and sweep the tombs of the diseased and do some outdoor activities.
Dragon boat festival is another Chinese traditional feast day. It is usually happened on the 5th of May in China lunar month. This is a day to honor a great poet Quyuan in ancient China, who took his own life in the Miluojiang on that day. People will hold Dragon-boat race and eating Zong-zi, a glutinous rice dumpling in memory of him.
The Mid-autumn Festival is a festival on the 15th of August in Chinese lunar month. This day people will busy preparing moon cakes which are round and look like the bright moon and fruits, and at night, by custom, men and women, old and young will stay out of doors to enjoy the bright moonlight while eat delicious moon cakes and fruits. A beautiful fairy story will be told by people about Chang E and her moon rabbit who lived in the moon palace.
The History of Chinese Paper-cutting（V）
In the dynasty of Ming and Qing, the skill of folk paper-cutting gradually moves to maturity and reaches its peak.
The application of folk paper-cutting gets a wider range, nearly all the folk lanterns, fan, embroidery, etc, are decorated with paper-cutting patterns. Actually, in the folk of Chinese country, people more often use paper-cutting as accessories of household to beautify the home environment. For example, they like to paste various patterns of paper-cutting on doors, windows, cabinets, ceiling and any other place that they can paste.
In addition to the paper-cutting craftsmen who appeared after Southern Song Dynasty, the most basic team of Chinese folk paper-cutting arts and crafts is those rural women.
Nu Gong, also called Needlework, means traditional handmade skills of women, including textile, knitting, sewing, embroidery, pulp dyeing, etc. Nu Gong is an important perfect sign to Chinese traditional women. So paper-cutting, as one of required skills of Nu Gong, becomes a crafts that girls must learn from childhood. They get paper-cutting patterns from their mother or sisters, and then copy and constantly repeat, then depict familiar and loved things, such as fish and insects, flowers and trees, pavilions and bridges landscape. Finally, they could reach the state of arbitrary, easily cutting out the new patterns as they want.
The arts of Chinese folk paper-cutting, like an ivy, old and evergreen. It has become a symbol for its universality, practical, and aesthetic.
The History of Chinese Paper-cutting（IV）
In the Song Dynasty, with the paper-making industry becoming more and more mature, there are numerous kinds of paper, and which has provided conditions for the popularity of paper-cutting, such as “Gift flowers” which are pasted on the gifts boxes; “Window flowers” which are pasted on the windows, or used for decoration of illuminations or Tea calyx.
The application of folk paper-cutting in Song Dynasty gradually expended. Jizhou Kiln, a place of Jiangxi, makes the paper-cutting as patterns of ceramics. They carefully glaze, and then fire to make the ceramics more delicate.
In addition, people also accord the paper-cutting patterns to carve shadow puppet patterns, with fur materials of donkeys, cattle, horses, sheep and other animals.
Tags: Chinese cultureChinese Traditional Culture – Paper Cutting
Paper cutting (jiǎn zhǐ) can be seen in many parts of China during the Spring Festival. People paste patterns on the window, door lintel (mén méi) or desks for the festival atmosphere.
It’s difficult to tell when it originated. One saying is that it originated from the religious ceremony or offering sacrifices. The ancient people cut papers into animals or people. They either buried them with the dead or burned them on the funerals, wishing that things that paper stand for could be with the dead. A thousand years ago, paper cut was used for decoration. According to historic books, women in the Tang Dynasty (táng cháo) used paper cut as headdress. In the Song Dynasty, it was the decoration of the gifts. People pasted on windows or doors or used it as decorations on walls, mirrors or lanterns. Some people made a living by it.
Paper cutting is all made by hand. It is easy to learn the rudiments (rù mén). Non-craftsmen need only a knife and paper. For craftsman, they need knives and gravers of various types to make complicated patterns. It can be one piece of paper or many pieces. Simple patterns can be cut with a knife. For complicated patterns, people first pasted the pattern on the paper and then used various kinds of knives to make it. No mistake can be made during the process otherwise the work would fail.
Paper cutting covers nearly all topics, from flowers, birds, animals, legendary people, figures in classic novels, to types of facial make-up in Peking opera. Paper cutting has various styles in different parts of China.
In the past, women living in the countryside gathered in their free time to make paper cutting, which is a way to judge their skillfulness. As society develops, fewer and fewer people learn this skill while there are some who still regard it as a profession. At present, there are factories and associations for paper cutting in China. Exhibitions and exchanges are held regularly and books of this kind are published. Paper cutting has changed from decoration to a kind of art. At the same time, paper cutting also appears in cartoons, on stage, in magazines or in TV series.
Copyright (c)Chinese Handicraft Team. Largest selection of Chinese craft for sale, such as Chinese knots, Chinese Paper-Cutting, cloth art & embroidery, shadow puppet, straw plaiting, etc. With profound historical culture, they are the best Chinese gifts or ornaments. We assure you of our Best Services at all times.
Tags: Chinese handicraftNatural Art from People’s Intelligence
Whether for house decorations or friend gifts, most people trend to choose the deep meaning goods, such as graceful, healthy related… therefore, natural art are becoming more and more popular and eye-catching from the market among people.
Yes, natural art is created from nature and common life. It features the things that most happens around us. Seeing more modern, fashion, and luxurious things, people still like to taste all kinds of art. They seem to and be able to give people a kind of quiet, relax and enjoyment from heart.
Such as Chinese peasant paintings, which are most created by Chinese farmers or peasant artists are almost features the peaceful daily life of peasant. Women are weaving together; naive children are playing extreme happy; men are working in the field or enjoying their work and so forth. From these paintings, we could see the realistic, harmonious and the primitive beauty of life and enthusiasm for life.
I can’t help introducing another natural art – wheat stalk pictures. This really reflects the intelligence of people, because all the pictures no matter what design, animals or characters, are weaved with wheat stalk which are from natural material and do not harm to people’s health. It also can be called handicraft art, because wheat stalk pictures are all weaved by hands careful and after some processes, we could see these vivid and charming pictures.
Actually, each of the wheat stalk pictures not only is perfect for people to appreciation but has deep and different meaning for people to enjoy. Some means auspicious, some means happiness, and longevity or prosperity, etc.
If you want to know more information on Chinese peasant paintings or wheat stalk pictures or other Chinese traditional folk art, come to Chinese handicraft store and to enjoy those fascinate creations.
Natural art is worthy for people to enjoy and most people will prefer it. Don’t think they are far from us. In fact, we are in nature and they are close to us. When you online again, try to find some arts you like and you will be impressed with these things that you may don’t know before.
Copyright (c)Chinese Handicraft Team. Largest selection of China gifts for sale, such as Chinese knots, Chinese Paper-Cutting, cloth art & embroidery, shadow puppet, straw plaiting, etc. With profound historical culture, they are the best Chinese arts & crafts or ornaments. We assure you of our Best Services at all times.
Tags: Chinese cultureChinese Traditional Festival – Mid-Autumn Festival
According to Chinese lunar calendar, the 15th day of the 8th month is the Mid-Autumn Festival which is also known as the Moon Festival and one of the most important and traditional holiday in China.
The Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations date back to more than 2000 year ago. In feudal times, Chinese emperors prayed to Heaven for a prosperous year on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. And this custom became prevalent in the Rang Dynasty people enjoyed and worshipped the full moon, and in Song Dynasty moon cakes were popular as gifts to express their wishes. These customs are inherited by generations until now and developed by people.
This day is considered as a harvest festival, because around this time almost the farmers have just finished their work on harvest, and they are happily reap a bumper harvest while after a year’s hard work they feel relax quiet, therefore the Mid-Autumn Festival has gradually evolved as a widely celebrated festival.
In addition, the moon will be changed round and bright on the fifth day of every lunar month, so the Moon Festival is called by people on this special day. In China, people usually regard the round things as the reunion, hence, the Moon Festival is a occasion for the family to get together. When this day coming, people will be busy preparing moon cakes, a kind of dessert which made of bean paste, minced meat, almonds, lotus seeds and so on. The moon cake is specialty of the Moon Festival. And varieties foods and fruit like apples, peaches, grapes, melons set up in the courtyard to offer the gods in their heart. People also will prepare some for themselves, and at night, by custom, men and women, old and young will stay out of doors to appreciate the round moon while eat delicious moon cakes and fruits and chat. A beautiful fairy story will be told by people about Chang E and her moon rabbit who lived in the moon palace.
Welcome to our web to know more information.
Tags: Chinese cultureChinese Traditional Festival – Mid-Autumn Festival
According to Chinese lunar calendar, the 15th day of the 8th month is the Mid-Autumn Festival which is also known as the Moon Festival and one of the most important and traditional holiday in China.
The Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations date back to more than 2000 year ago. In feudal times, Chinese emperors prayed to Heaven for a prosperous year on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. And this custom became prevalent in the Rang Dynasty people enjoyed and worshipped the full moon, and in Song Dynasty moon cakes were popular as gifts to express their wishes. These customs are inherited by generations until now and developed by people.
This day is considered as a harvest festival, because around this time almost the farmers have just finished their work on harvest, and they are happily reap a bumper harvest while after a year’s hard work they feel relax quiet, therefore the Mid-Autumn Festival has gradually evolved as a widely celebrated festival.
In addition, the moon will be changed round and bright on the fifth day of every lunar month, so the Moon Festival is called by people on this special day. In China, people usually regard the round things as the reunion, hence, the Moon Festival is a occasion for the family to get together. When this day coming, people will be busy preparing moon cakes, a kind of dessert which made of bean paste, minced meat, almonds, lotus seeds and so on. The moon cake is specialty of the Moon Festival. And varieties foods and fruit like apples, peaches, grapes, melons set up in the courtyard to offer the gods in their heart. People also will prepare some for themselves, and at night, by custom, men and women, old and young will stay out of doors to appreciate the round moon while eat delicious moon cakes and fruits and chat. A beautiful fairy story will be told by people about Chang E and her moon rabbit who lived in the moon palace.
Welcome to our web to know more information.
Chinese Traditional Festivals – Dragon Boat Festival
Dragon Boat Festival is another traditional festival in China and commonly falls on the 5th, May of Chinese lunar month, therefore it has another name "Double Fifth Festival".
The Original of Dragon Boat Festival
Qu Yuan, a great poet in ancient China, was a loyal and upright minister in the kingdom of Chu located in Hunan and Hubei provinces today. He was esteemed for his wise advises that had brought peace and prosperity to the kingdom Chu. However, later he was hurt by a dishonest and corrupt vilified and dismissed from his position. Qu Yuan was so disappointed and felt the country was going to corrupt that grasped a large stone and leaped into the Mi Lo river on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. There were fishermen wanted to save this great man but after they jumped into the river to find Qu Yuan, they were not found his body. At last, the Chu kingdom conquered by another kingdom Qin.
The Chu people were so sad for Qu Yuan’s death that threw rice into the Mi Lu river to feed the hungry fishes and prevent them eating his body for mourning him on the 5th, May each year.
The Customs on Dragon Boat Festival
Zongzi, a glutinous rice dumpling and bamboo leaves wrapping, were eaten by people to mean the rice offerings to QuYuan. This custom is passing until now and variety Zongzi are created by people, like eggs, jujubes, fruits, walnuts, meats and so forth filling in them.
Dragon-boat race, this is an activity that should be held on the river and symbolize the attempts to rescue and recover the Quan Yuan’s body and another custom for memory him. It is the most exciting part of the festival. The boats are usually decorated like a dragon and ranging from 40 to 100 feet in length and the head shaped like open-mouthed dragons while vivid dragon tail end on the sterns. This competition needs many rowers’ power and a drummer and flag-catcher according to the boats’ size. People whether competitors or audiences who join this activity will feel exciting and happy.
Chinese Traditional Festivals – Qing Ming
Qing Ming is also called Tomb-Sweeping Day, and as a festival it is a day for people to hold some activities to honor past ancestors. When this day coming, by custom, people will take flowers, food, wine and paper money, etc to mourn dead people and tidy up tombs, this is the reason why Qing Ming called Tomb-Sweeping Day.
In fact, Qing Ming Festival is related with another festival, Hanshi or Cold Food Day, which usually comes one day before Qing Ming Festival. At this day, people will not cooking for memory a loyal man JieZiTui who living in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), because he cut a piece of meat from his own leg for saving his hungry lord who was exile. After nineteen years later, the lord got a chance and went back his position, but he forgot this loyal people Jie’s sacrifice. Later he recalled and feel ashamed and decided to reward him.
However, Jie had secluded himself in a mountain with his mother. For finding Jie from this mountain, the lord ordered to set fire to drive them out. However, they were not and later Jie was found dead with his mother. In order to commemorate Jie, the lord ordered that the day Jie died was Hanshi (Cold Food) Festival – the day that only cold food could be eaten. The second year, when the lord went to the mountain to sacrifice to Jie, he found willows revived, so he gave instructions that the day after Hanshi Festival was to be Qing Ming Festival. Later, the two festivals were combined as one – Qing Ming Festival. As our ancestors often extended the day to the Qing Ming, they were later combined.
This day however is not only a festival for people to memory the dead but to celebrate the coming spring and enjoy people themselves. Qing Ming is one of the 24 seasonal division points in China and an important holiday for Chinese. It is usually falling on April 4-6 each year when is the early spring and a transition for Chinese, because it means the temperature will rise up and rainfall increases and high for farmers to work.
At this time, the trees and grass are turning green, sunshine is warm and air is fresh, so people will hold some outdoor activities on this day to hope have a new look this year, like climbing mountains, flying kites and family picnic.
At this time tourists are everywhere, and visitors should go to squares, such as Tian’an Men Square, to see all kinds of activities by the locators. Like flying kites, there will be all shapes and sizes fly in the sky, even some will hundred meters long, it is very interesting and visitors could try to flying by people themselves.
