Chinese Culture.

Hello everybody! Welcome to this subject, I can not show you every Chinese cultures, but you can come in with me, right? tell me something cultures or history of your country to share with us, will you?

Seek Happiness in Life – Live in a Tea Pot

It's a famous tale of Chinese folklore about a man who loved tea so much that he decided to live in a tea pot.

The deeper meaning is to do what you enjoy in life. If there is something that makes you happy, then make that thing the focus of your life. Life is too short to be stuck in some job or some thing that you don't like.

Life is Like a Drop of Dew

The text of this painting starts with "Life is like a drop of morning dew".

The meaning is that life is short – the morning dew quickly dries and is gone by the afternoon (enjoy it while you can).

It goes on to say that most people work very hard to be successful – but the more courageous person is the one who doesn't care so much about appearing successful in other people's eyes. This bold person is the one who takes time to enjoy life and good wine.

The Chinese characters are the title that I translated into English above, along with the artist's signature.

BTW: The man is relaxing inside a fantasy-sized gourd.

OK , shanie ,hold on !!!  today we talk about Chinese signs .

There are 12 Chinese signs which represent the Chinese zodiac cycle ,there are 12 animals .According to one myth, a Chinese emperor invited all the friends of the forest to a New Year party, he was expecting many guests, but only twelve animals came. The rat was first, followed by the ox, and so on. The emperor honored the animals by naming the years after them.

These twelve animals were the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. These twelve animals are the Chinese Signs came to represent the Chinese zodiac cycle; each presiding over one year in the same orders in which they arrived in the meeting. According to popular Chinese belief, the year of a person's birth is the primary factor in determining that person’s personality traits, physical and mental attributes, abilities and degree of success and happiness throughout his or her lifetime. Events and occurrences in a given year are influenced by the nature of that year's animal.

The follows are Zodiac signs .

very nice

hakimi , so kind of u to say that ,thanks for coming , wish u can enjoy yourself here ..

Nu Pogoji , Thank u !! so great u got a Bronze here ,that must be of QIN Dynasty ! Toad on the coins ,there must be some symbolic design ..haha ,wait , I find it !! It means the WEALTH ,u must keep it ,it will bring the money to ur home …perfect !!

ok , today we talk about The Art of Chinese Bronzes – ancient Chinese bronze artwork

Bronze is an alloy of copper, tin, and a small amount of lead. Its appearance signaled the advancement in human culture from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age. For the approximately 2,000 years between the 17th century B.C. up until the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-200 A.D.), the Chinese people used rare and precious bronze to cast large quantities of ritual vessels, musical instruments, and weapons that were elegant in form, finely decorated, and clearly inscribed with Chinese characters. They affirm the artistic achievement of ancient China, and demonstrate how early Chinese used their ingenuity to create works incorporating both science and art from resources in nature.

In the ritualistic society of ancient China, bronze was employed primarily for the casting of ceremonial temple vessels used in sacrifices to the goods of heaven, earth, the mountains, and rivers. They were also used in vessels for banquets, honor awards, and funerals for the nobility. Because bronze is a durable material resistant to cracking and breakage, it was used by kings to cast inscribed vessels honoring the ancestors of dukes, princes, and ministers who had made a great contribution to their nation or sovereign, to establish a model and reminder for alter generations. The world-famous Mo Kung Ting , for example, a bronze tripod on display at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, was imperially commissioned. On the tripod interior is an inscription 497 characters in length, divided into 32 lines and two halves, extending from the mouth of the vessel to the bottom interior. The inscription is the imperial mandate for the casting of the vessel, written in a stately and powerful tone. The inscription on this particular vessel is the longest among bronzes that have been unearthed so far.

Bronzeware of " Tigher eats man"

Bronzes can be classed into four main types, based on function: food vessels, wine vessels, water vessels, and musical instruments. Within each type, endless variation is to be found in form and design, fully demonstrating the rich imagination and creativity of the Chinese of the time. The kuei, for example, was a container for cooked millet that came in many different styles, equivalent to today's containers for cooked rice. Some had a circular base to stabilize the vessel belly; others had a heavy square base added onto the circular base, in a graceful contrast of geometrical form. The ting was a tripod vessel used for cooking, with a pair of knobs protruding from the mouth to facilitate handling. The three legs held the vessel at just the proper distance from the fire for cooking meat. The ch¹eh was a vessel especially designed for heating and drinking wine; it had a pour spout and side handles. The three legs facilitated warming the wine. The tsun was a major type of wine container that was either round or square in shape, or had a round mouth and square base. Ancient Chinese bronzes stressed balance and symmetry of form, and communicated solemnity and ceremony.

Mo kung ting

Western Zhou Meng kuei bronze from Ch'ang-chia-p'o. Decorative bird theme.

 

Money Toad ? good name !!

Nu Pogodi, U mean the cute dogs in your photo ? u have so many smart buddies !! XI SHI QUAN ? haha ,what a beatufully name ,u know XI SHI is one of the most four beauts in our ancient china. 

and I am very sorry I know very little about pet …

since today is still moon day ,so we talk about  the beaut in the moon – Chang er (Moon Lady)

Chang Er was a beautiful young girl working in the Jade Emperor's palace in heaven, where immortals, good people and fairies lived. One day, she accidentally broke a precious porcelain jar. Angered, the Jade Emperor banished her to live on earth, where ordinary people lived. She could return to the Heaven, if she contributed a valuable service on earth.

Chang E was transformed into a member of a poor farming family. When she was 18, a young hunter named Hou Yi from another village spotted her, now a beautiful young woman. They became friends.

One day, a strange phenomenon occurred - 10 suns arose in the sky instead one one, blazing the earth. Hou Yi, an expert archer, stepped forward to try to save the earth. He successfully shot down nine of the suns, becoming an instant hero. He eventually became king and married Chang E.

But Hou Yi grew to become a despot. He sought immortality by ordering an elixir be created to prolong his life. The elixir in the form of a single pill was almost ready when Chang E came upon it. She either accidentally or purposely swallowed the pill. This angered King Hou Yi, who went after his wife. Trying to flee, she jumped out the window of a chamber at the top of palace - and, instead of falling, she floated into the sky toward the moon.