Ancient Chinese Culture
Chopsticks
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Drink & Food on October 4, 2009
Chopsticks, also called kuaizi in Chinese and Zhu in ancient times, are small tapered sticks used in pairs of equal length while eating. They are usually 9 to 10 inches long and rectangular with a blunt end. It has a long history in China which can date back to the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC – 1100 BC).
Chopsticks are made of a variety of materials, such as bamboo, plastic, metal, bone, ivory, etc. Chopsticks made of bamboo are the most popular ones as they are inexpensive, readily available and easy to split. It was believed that silver chopsticks could detect poisons in food because silver would turn black if they came into contact with poisoned food.
Originally, chopsticks were a substitute for knives at the table. Confucius believed that knives signified the acts of aggression, so chopsticks were used at the table. Later, the use of chopsticks spread from China to present-day Vietnam, Korea, Japan, etc.
Mooncake
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Drink & Food on October 3, 2009
Mooncake is a kind of Chinese traditional food eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on the fifteen day of the eighth lunar month.
There is a legend about the origin of the special food. During the Yuan dynasty (1280-1368) China was ruled by the Mongolian. Unhappy at submitting to foreign rule, Chinese people planned to hold a rebellion. The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes. Backed into each moon cake was a message with the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government.
As the full moon is a symbol for family reunion, the moon-shaped mooncake also symbolizes family unity and perfection. People sent mooncakes to their relatives and friends as gifts in expression of their best wishes of family reunion.
Mostcakes have characters inscribed on the top and stuffed with a wide variety of fillings, such as eggs, sesame seeds, ground lotus seeds, red bean paste, coconut, etc.
Lion Dance
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Folk Music&Dance on October 1, 2009
As one of the most widely spread folk dance in China, lion dance is the dance in which performers mimic a lion’s movements in a lion costume. It combines Chinese art, history and kung fu moves.
It has a history of more than a thousand years. The earliest record of the dance dates back to the Han Dynasty (205 B.C. to 220 A.D). It reached its peak during the Tang Dynasty (716-907 A.D.).
In Chinese culture, the dance represents joy and happiness, so it is particularly performed during festivals and celebrations, such as Chinese New Year, the openings of restaurants and weddings, etc.
The dance is performed by two dancers. One handles the head and the other plays the role of the body. According to the styles, the performance is divided into civil lion and martial lion. Civil lion depicts the docile and funny images of a lion, while martial lion portrays the power of a lion.
Embroidery
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Chinese Arts & Crafts on September 29, 2009
Embroidery, also known as xiuhua in Chinese, is a long established art form in China. It has a long history which can date back to the Shang Dynasty (16th – 11th century BC). For a long period, it remained crudely simple. However, it became increasingly sophisticated during the Warring State Period (475-221 B.C.), and reached an aesthetic peak in the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-221 A.D.)
Originally, it was used to symbolize the social status. However, with the development of social economy, it entered into the lives of the common people. Embroidered items could be found almost everywhere, such as robes, theatrical costumes, purses, shoes, spectacle cases, banners, etc.
Now, there are four major embroidering styles in China－Su Embroidery, Xiang Embroidery, Shu Embroidery and Yue Embroidery. Furthermore, the techniques become more complicated and delicate. Some of the pieces even took 4-6 people several years to complete.
Fish
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Mysterious Emblem on September 28, 2009
The Chinese，the character for fish is pronounced the same as the Chinese character for “abundance” or “surplus”. Therefore, the fish symbol is frequently associated with other symbols and Chinese characters to symbolize the wish for “more” in the sense of “more” good luck, good fortune, long life and children. Despite being an ancient symbol, it is still often found in modern-day Chinese culture.
As a fish served whole is a symbol of prosperity, it is customary to serve the whole fish last at a banquet. It is also believed that eating fish will help the wishes come true in the next year. In Chinese culture, fish always painted with lotus and magpie to express the wish of having more happiness year after year. The fish represents “more”. The Chinese character for lotus means “in succession or one after another”. The magpie symbolizes happiness.
Follow Me
