Chinese Tea Types

The history of Chinese tea can date back to more than 4,000 years ago. It was said that the legendary Emperor Shennong was the first cultivator of Chinese tea.

Chinese tea can be classified in many ways, such as place of production, method of production, quality, etc. Among them, the method of production is the most popular way. Generally, Chinese tea can be classified into four categories, namely white, green, oolong and black tea.

White Tea – It is made from the very young leaves of the Comellia Sinensis tea plant. Unlike other types of teas, white tea is only slightly oxidized, which makes it the least processed tea.
Green Tea – It is the variety which keeps the original color of the tea leaves without fermentation during processing.
Oolong Tea – Also known as wulong tea, it represents a variety half way between the green and the black teas. It is a semi-fermented tea.
Black Tea – It is also known as red tea, which is fermented before baking.

The ink stick

The ink stick, also known as mo in Chinese, is a type of solid ink used traditionally in China for calligraphy and brush painting. It is regarded as one of the four treasures of study in Chinese history.

Legend goes that it was invented by King Yi about 2,800 years ago. However, archaeologists have detected ink marks on the back of inscribed bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty, 3,200 years ago.

Most ink sticks are made of soot and animal glue and sometimes with incense or medicinal scents added. Of all the ink sticks, the most famous one is Anhui ink stick, also called hui mo, which is made from the pines that grow on Mount Huang in Anhui Province. It is said that it is as hard as stone and will not deteriorate for as long as then years.

 

Chinese legend,Yue Lao

the famous artist visiting Yuelao temple

Chinese matchmaker,Yue Lao

Yue Lao, also called Chinese matchmaker, who, much like the role of Cupid in the western culture, is the god who is in charge of marriages in Chinese legend.

Yue Lao is depicted as an old man with a long flowing beard. The matchmaker holds a book called “the book of fate” in his hand. It is said that marriages of all people in the world are recorded on this book. He always carries a big bag of red threads. According to the legend, he ties a man and a woman around their ankles with a red thread. They are destined to be soul mates and no matter how far apart the two may be, they will eventually meet and marry.

It is said that the matchmaker is busy matching up couples on the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day after the Chinese New Year. Therefore, in ancient times, it is a custom to visit the matchmaker’s temples and pray for a relationship or a happy marriage on that day.

Even today, believers who want to find true love and happy relationships will visit Yue Lao’s temples to pray for blessings.

Chinese writing brush

Among the various calligraphic tools, the writing brush is special to China. It represents one of the four treasures of study, which also include paper, ink and ink stone.

The writing brush has a long history in China. Legend has it that the brush was invented by Meng Tian (? - 210 BC), a general under the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC), but primitive painted pottery contains decorative designs painted by tools resembling a brush. Clearly visible stains or brush marks remain in certain places on the pottery. This evidence suggests that the brush may have predated written language itself. The history of the Chinese brush can be traced back at least 6,000 years.

A brush comprises two parts: the head and shaft. The head is made of goat, wolf, rat or rabbit hair, which is softer than bamboo, a pencil, quill or ballpoint pen. The shaft is made of bamboo, wood, lacquer and porcelain, as well as some precious materials, including mother-of-pearl inlays, ivory and jade.

There are four types of famous writing brushes in China.

1. The Hu Writing Brush, produced in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province

The Huzhou writing brush falls into four categories. The first is made of goat hair, which is very flexible; the second, of brownish rabbit hair; the third, of stiff weasel hair; and the fourth is a mixture of goat and weasel hair, which is neither too flexible nor too stiff.


The workmanship of the brush is exquisite and complicated since it contains more than 120 processes -- from selecting materials to the finished products.

These brushes are especially handy both for painting and calligraphy. Due to its shaft, this type of brush is usually made of either red sandalwood or mottled bamboo, white porcelain or even with ivory. It is therefore regarded as the best-quality brush and the most exquisite handicraft.


2. The Xuan Writing Brush

The Xuan writing brush, together with the famous Xuan paper, is made in Jingxian County, Anhui Province. In ancient times, Jingxian County was under the jurisdiction of Xuanzhou Prefecture, where the product got its name.

Scholars of the Jin Dynasty (256-420) were especially fond of the Xuan brush. During the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, Xuanzhou became a writing-brush manufacturing center, and the Xuan brush was listed as a tribute to emperors.

At that time, folk artisans made a breakthrough in craftsmanship in selecting materials and polishing the shaft. Brushes were both sharp and neatly cut, and plump and smooth at the tip, enabling artists to write and draw freely. The Xuan brushes, made elaborately from brownish rabbit hair, are considered to be the best and come at a very high price.

3. The Daiyuexuan Writing Brush

This writing brush was originally made by the venerable artisan Dai Yuexuan. Now, the brush is well known in Beijing for its high quality and elaborate craftsmanship. With the semi-manufactured writing brushes from Huzhou of Zhejiang Province as the main material, artisans used their immense skills to create a tool with a unique, sharp point, neat cut, with a smooth roundness and graceful stiffness at the tip. Because of these four characteristics, this brand enjoyed high prestige among artists and calligraphers.

Dai actually worked for a writing-brush workshop located by the east entrance to the Liulichang Cultural Street in Beijing 80 years ago. His brushes were much better than the brand from Huzhou, even though the same materials were used. Later on, the Daiyuexuan brand became renowned far and wide.

4. The Houdian Writing Brush, produced in Houdian Village

The manufacture of writing brushes came into existence in Houdian Village of Shandong Province during the reign of Emperor Yongle around 1404 of the Ming Dynasty, and flourished in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). In the early years of the Republic of China, almost all brushes sold at Beijing's famous Daiyuexuan and Hukaiwen stores were made by workers from Houdian. In 1952, the Houdian people built a large plant to pass on the traditional craftsmanship to the younger generation and to develop it.

The main materials for the brush come from animals' tails, such the wolf and civet, or ox ear hair, in more than 40 varieties. Hair collected in the winter is best for making high-quality brushes. Five main procedures are followed strictly to produce the brush correctly: washing and dying of the hair, carving characters on the shafts, packaging, and miscellaneous processes. Each of the five procedures contains about a dozen processes before a uniquely shaped brush with a special specification is made for different purposes.

Brushes made at Houdian Village are durable, offering a good combination of flexibility and stiffness, the ability to absorb more ink than others, and with little likelihood that the hair will out.

Without the writing brush, Chinese painting and calligraphy could not have achieved such distinct features, and thus would not have enjoyed such great success around the world. The writing brush makes great contributions to the dissemination of Chinese culture. With the development of social economy and culture, craftsmanship is continually improving, and the types of writing brushes are on the rise.

Chinese Famous Grottoes

Yungang Grottoes

Dated back to the Northern Wei Dynasty (386 - 534 ), the Yungang Grottoes, in Datong city, Shanxi Province, with their 252 caves and 5l,000 statues, represent the outstanding achievement of Buddhist cave art in China in the 5th and 6th centuries. The Five Caves created by Tan Yao, with their strict unity of layout and design, constitute a classical masterpiece of the first peak of Chinese Buddhist art.

Stamps of Yungang Grottoes


The Grottoes stretch for about one kilometer from east to west. A total of 53 caves are preserved, divided into the eastern, central and western sections. In addition, there are 110 niches containing 51,000 Buddhist statues. Construction of these caves began during the reign of Emperor Wencheng (460 - 465 ) and was completed in 494 during the reign of Emperor Xiaohe, of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Small niches continued to be cut until the reign of Emperor Xiaoming (520 - 525 ). The highest statue of Buddha is l7 meters in height, whilethe smallest measures a mere few centimeters. The most magnificent grottoes are the five cut under the direction of Monk Tan Yao. Cave 5, Cave 6 and Caves 9 to l3, and the Wuhua Cave are unmatched for their grandeur and beauty.

Sakyamuni - Yungang Grottoes


The Yungang Grottoes occupy an important place in China's art history, for their grand scale and exquisite carvings. They integrate foreign artistic influences and cralismanship with those of the Qin and Han Dynasties


Longmen Grottoes

Located l3 km south of Luoyang, Henan Province, the Longmen Grottoes are concentrated on the east and west cliffs of the Yishui River, and stretch for one km. Work started on the grottoes around the year 494 of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and continued for the next 400 years. In total there are over 2,l00 caves and niches, housing more than l00,000 statues of Buddha, Bodhisattvas and Arhats, together with 3,600 inscribed stone tablets and 43 stone stupas. Among them, the most representative caves are: Cuyang Cave, Binyang Cave, The Lotus (Lianhua) Cave of Northern Wei, Qianxi Temple, Cave of Ten Thousand Buddhas (Wanfuo ), Fengxian Temple and Kanjing Temple.

Longmen Grottoes


The rich collection of statues and figures, most of which can be dated, facilitate the study of the history of Chinese sculpture with precise data. Large numbers of memorial texts and inscribed stone tablets at the Longmen Grottoes, like the Twenty Gems of Longmen Calligraphy and Zhu Suiliang's stone tablets, are considered rare treasures of Chinese calligraphy. The Zhu Suiliang Inscription, made in 641 in honor of the mother of the fourth son of Emperor Taizong, is one of them. More than 140 prescriptions inscribed on the Prescription Cave offer first-hand materials for the study of China's ancient iatrology.


Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang

The Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, also known as the 0ne-Thousand-Buddha Grottoes, are located on the eastern, rocky side of Singing Sand Mountain, near Dunhuang City, Cansu Province.
According to historical records, the carving of them was started in 366 AD and continued for about l,000 years. Now, there are 492 grottoes in existence, with some 45,000 square meters of murals and 2,4l5 painted clay figures. The grottoes in the Mogao Caves are the world's largest and oldest treasure house of Buddhist art.

Flying Apsaras and Female Devil - Dunhuang Murals

In l900, about 60,000 historical documents were found in the Cang Jing Cave. These articles included Buddhist sutras, documents, emhroidery works and paintings from the 4th to the l4th centuries. Apart from ancient Chinese documents, there were also documents in other ancient languages, including Tibetan, Sanskrit and Uygur. These art works are treasures of human civilization, providing valuable material for studies of the politics, economy, culture, religion, ethnic relations and foreign exchanges of China in oldell times.


Fying Apsaras and Sakyamuni - Dunhuang Murals
The Mogao Grottoes show examples of various types of art, such as architecture, painting and statuary. By inheriting the artistic traditions of the central and western regions of China and ahsorhing the merits of ancient arts from India, Greece and Iran, ancient Chinese artists created Buddhist art works with strong local features.

So far there are 492 grottoes, with murals and painted clay figures. There are meditation grottoes, Buddha hall grottoes, temple grottoes, vault-roofed grottoes and shadow grottoes. The largest grotto is 40 meters high and 30 meters wide, whereas the smallest is less than one foot high.

Prince Satui feeds the tigers with his body - Dunhuang Mural
These are the main treasures of the Dunhuang Grottoes. The figures are in different forms, including round figures and relief figures. The tallest is 34.5 meters high, while the smallest is only 2 centimeters. These painted clay figures show such a great variety of themes and subject matter, as well as advanced techniques, that the Mogao Grottoes are generally regarded as the world's leading museum of Buddhist painted clay figures.

The murals in the Mogao Grottoes display Buddhist sutras, natural scenery, buildings, mountain and water paintings, flower patterns, flying Apsaras (Buddhist fairies) and ancient farming and production scenes. There are 1,045 murals extant, with a total area of 45,000 square meters. They are artistic records of historical changes and customs and traditions from the 4th to the l8th centuries.

Fuzhou bodiless lacquer

As the lacquer species of the most distinctive Qing lacquer features, Fuzhou bodiless lacquer is dubbed as one of the "Three Chinese Handicraft Treasures".

Fuzhou bodiless lacquer is firm and light, unique and elegant, with magnificent and bright colour and lustre. Exquisitely decorated, burly and durable, it is unbreakable and colour-fast, and the paint on it will not come off.

The process involved in the making of bodiless lacquer is very complicated. First, make the inner body with clay, plaster or wood, then stick the grass cloth, silk cloth and other materials on the body, using raw lacquer as an adhesive. Paint lacquer successively on the surface for two times, let the product dry in the shade, remove its inner body, and a primitive product will come into being. Next, dozens of working procedures include filling in the dust, lacquering, polishing, and drying in the shade would be processed until semi-finished product comes out. Finally, coloured lacquer and other ornaments will be added, and the bodiless lacquer is at last finished.

Kites

Kites were invented by the Chinese people over 2000 years ago. About in the 12th century, Chinese kite spread to the West, and the oriental and Western kite culture was formed after years of development. In this process, Chinese traditional culture integrated with the kite craft, and finally formed the kite culture with unique characteristics.

Uses of kite have been changed several times in history. According to historical record, kite was first used in military. In the mid Tang Dynasty (618-907), in which the society was stable and peaceful, the use of kites was gradually changed from military to entertainment. With the innovation of paper-making, the raw material of kite changed from silk to paper. Kite became popular among civilians with a richer variety of forms and reached the peak point in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Participated by the literary, the making and the decoration of kites underwent great development. Kite making became a profession due to the large demand.

The Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties, was the peak period of the Chinese kite. The kites underwent great development in size, design, decoration and flying skills. Literator at that time made kite by themselves, and sent to relatives and friends as a gift, regarding it a literary pursuit. In recent years, kite flying has publicized as a sports activity as well as entertainment.

Chinese lacquer ware

Chinese lacquer ware refers to household utensils, handicrafts and artworks coated with lacquer in ancient China. It is an ingenious invention and a pearl of Chinese artworks.

Lacquer ware boasts a long history which can be dated back to the remote ages in China. From the Neolithic remains were unearthed a number of lacquer-painted black pottery objects, and during the Warring States Period (475-221 B. C.) lacquer ware was well developed. In the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220) lacquer ware was widely used as household utensils and by the time of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) many techniques and hundreds of varieties of lacquer ware had come into being, which ushered in the most flourishing epoch of Chinese lacquer ware.

Chinese lacquer ware boasts a pearl-like lustre polished as radiant as that of porcelain. Originally only wood and bamboo were used as its rough-cast base. Later, various materials were adopted and more exquisite and complex techniques were developed, such as inlaying, colour painting, etching, coromandel, cover-coating and wrapping with jades as well as stones.

Chinese lacquer ware enjoys a full range of varieties, such as the inlaid gold and silver lacquer ware (Jinyin PingTuo) in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), plain lacquer ware (Yise Qiqi) in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), carved lacquer ware in the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368), the stone-decorated lacquer ware (Baibao qian) in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and bodiless lacquer ware in the Qing Dynasty.

Like porcelain and silk, lacquer ware is a significant component of Chinese cultural relics and a gem of world artwork.

History of Peking Opera

With its fascinating and artistic accompanying music, singing and costumes, the Peking Opera is China's national opera. Full of Chinese cultural facts, the opera presents the audience with an encyclopaedia of Chinese culture, as well as unfolding stories, beautiful paintings, exquisite costumes, graceful gestures and martial arts. Since Peking Opera enjoys a higher reputation than other local operas, almost every province in China has more than one Peking Opera troupe. Opera is so popular among Chinese people, especially seniors, that even "Peking Opera Month" has been declared.

Peking Opera has a 200-year-long history. Its main melodies originated from Xipi and Erhuang in Anhui and Hubei respectively and, over time, techniques from many other local operas were incorporated into Peking Opera.
It is believed that Peking Opera gradually came into being after 1790 when the famous four Anhui opera troupes came to Beijing. Peking Opera underwent fast development during the reign of Emperor Qianlong and the notorious Empress Dowager Cixi under the imperial patron, eventually becoming more accessible to the common people.
In ancient times, Peking Opera was performed mostly on stage in the open air, tea houses or temple courtyards. Since the orchestra played loudly, the performers developed a piercing style of song that could be heard by everyone. The costumes were a garish collection of sharply contrasting colours to stand out on the dim stage illuminated only by oil lamps. Peking Opera is a harmonious combination of the Grand Opera, ballet and acrobatics, consisting of dance, dialogue, monologues, martial arts and mime.
The Peking Opera band mainly consists of an orchestra and percussion band. The former frequently accompanies peaceful scenes while the latter provides the right atmosphere for battle scenes. The commonly used percussion instruments include castanets, drums, bells and cymbals. One person usually plays the castanets and drum simultaneously, which conduct the entire band. The orchestral instruments include the Erhu, Huqin, Yueqin, Sheng (reed pipe), Pipa (lute) and other instruments. The band usually sits on the left side of the stage.

Yixing Red Ware - The Ideal Teapot

Yixing, Jiangsu Province, known in China as the "Pottery Metropolis", produces a much-valued red and boccaro ware. Teapots of this category made there were appraised as the best vessel there was, already in the Song Dynasty a thousand years ago.

Yixing earthenware is generally marked by its simplicity and exquisite craftsmanship. It is also appreciated for its practical utility. The material, called zisha (purple sand), is abundantly available in the locality. Although not as white or as fine as kaolin, it needs no glazing and, after firing, the product is solid and impermeable, yet porous enough to "breathe". A Yixing teapot enhances the tea brewed in it with respect to colour, smell, and taste. Its walls seem to absorb the tea and keeps its fragrance. In summer, it keeps tea overnight without spoiling. With hot tea inside, it does not scald the hand with purple sand being a slow heat-conductor. But in winter, it may serve as a hand-warmer and may be left on a low fire to make certain types of tea which need simmering. To the Chinese tea connoisseur, it is the "ideal teapot".

The purple sand of Yixing may also be made into other utensils. The earthenware steam cooker is a casserole which cooks with steam and appears on the dining table as a serving dish as well. Drinking vessels and coffee sets of red ware are also welcome to users because they are good in preserving the flavour of the beverages. A boon to flower lovers, the red ware flower pot absorbs excessive water, helps the soil "breathe", keeps the roots from rotting, and generally ensures the plant a healthy growth.

What makes the Yixing earthenware all the more attractive is the tasty designs it bears. Artisans cut or incise on the unburnt bodies pictures of birds and fish, flowers and animals, Chinese characters and seal marks all in the traditional style, thus turning utensils of practical use into works of art with national features.

Technical innovations attained in recent years have made it possible for the "Pottery Metropolis" to turn out many refractory kitchen utensils such as steamers, rice cookers, pots, pans and dishes used for roasting. They can stand drastic changes of heat and may be used on any kind of fire to cook food by boiling, steaming, roasting or frying. Thus new uses have been developed for the traditional earthenware.

Now Yixing earthen utensils are sold in large quantities to more than eighty countries beyond the domestic market.

Porcelain life style

Unlike the porous earthenware, porcelain vessels are in the wholly vitrified, have a white colour, sometimes translucent, and they have a fine-grained liquid-proof body. Chinese porcelain, also called 'fine china', is worldwide known for its beautiful white colour, delicate texture, refined sculpture and its clear bell-like sound. It has been one of the earliest artworks introduced to the western world through the Silk Road.

The earliest porcelain ware was found made of Kaolin in the Shang Dynasty (16th - 11th century BC), and possessed the common aspects of the smoothness and impervious quality of hard enamel, though pottery wares were more widely used among most of the ordinary people. Anyway it was the beginning of porcelain, which afterwards in the succeeding dynasties and due to its durability and lustre, rapidly became a necessity of daily life, especially in the middle and upper classes. They were made in the form of all kinds of items, such as bowls, cups, tea sets, vases, jewel cases, incense burners, musical instruments and boxes for stationary and chess, as well as pillows for traditional doctors to use to feel one's pulse. They were made in the form of all kinds of items, such as bowls, cups, tea sets, vases, jewel cases, incense burners, musical instruments and boxes for stationary and chess, as well as pillows for traditional doctors to use to feel one's pulse.

Stepping into the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), a variety of genres of porcelain appeared and it became a fashion that people showed great interest in purchasing and collecting certain wares suitable to their tastes. Ru, Ding, Ge, Jun and the official kilns had been the representatives of that age. Since the artisans made their porcelain wares separately, there was no repetition among decorative patterns and colors. This made each porcelain product more precious in its own right. Ding kiln boasted its white porcelain which has a texture as delicate as that of ivory with an adornment of black and purple glaze. Distinctive from the other four kilns which stressed colour, this one was quite good at engraving and printing flower patterns. While the Ge Kiln produced porcelain articles with various grains and produced an amount of artworks greater than those of the other four.

Industrial manufacturing was only exerted during the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368), when Marco Polo wrote his reports about China. Well developed in the Yuan period, the blue and white porcelain (Qinghua Ci), in the main stream of porcelain, was the stylish artistic ware in the Ming and Qing Dynasties and promoted this period to be the most prolific in the field of feudal art. First it painted on the basic body with brush natural cobalt which would be turned blue after being in the forge. Set off by the white glaze and covered by the other level of clear glaze, the blue flowers and other patterns showed their comely charm and were widely welcomed among both refined and popular tastes. With the diversity of cobalt, theme, and style of painting, the blue and white porcelains differed constantly, each being unique.

Collect your favourite porcelain article and place it in your room to enjoy the pleasure of it. The Porcelain Capital, Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province which has been praised for thousands of years, will be certain to satisfy your esthetic appetite.

History of China stamps

China Giant Dragon stamps

Stamps first appeared in China after the Opium War in 1840. Some Western countries established posts in China's trading ports and issued stamps. These stamps were used mainly for business exchanges and were not issued by China's Ministry of Posts. So we cannot regard them as Chinese stamps.
The first set of real Chinese stamps came into being in 1878 when the Post Office of the Qing Dynasty issued the Dalong or Giant Dragon stamps.They were printed from copperplate and bore the picture of a huge dragon against a background of clouds and waves. This set was issued three times: in 1878, 1882 and 1883. The yellow five-fen stamp with a wide margin, issued in 1883, is the rarest. Only one unused whole page exists in China and they are considered a treasure in Chinese stamps.

Today, commemorative stamps are quite popular in China. The first commemorative sheet of Chinese stamps came out in November 1884. That was when the whole country celebrated the 60th birthday of Empress Dowager Cixi. She was the true ruler of the country at that time. This set is known in China as Long Life stamps. It consisted of nine different face value stamps. Each had a color variation and bore a picture of a dragon, a carp, a sailing boat, a peony flower, an evergreen, a large peach, or the Chinese character, shou, meaning longevity. Some of these stamps are hard to find today.

The first commemorative stamps of China

Regular stamps for common people's everyday use did not come out until November 16 1897. The first set of regular stamps was issued by the Post Office of the Qing Dynasty and was made in Japan from stone plate. The face value of this set of 12 stamps ranged from half a fen to five yuan, based on the money system of that time.

Customs Small Dragon Issue Surcharged in Small Figures

In 1912, Dr. Sun Yat-sen became the temporary president of the newly founded Republic. He showed great concern for stamp design. Once he wrote about this in his diary. Then, a commemorative sheet and a regular set were designed. The commemorative bore the picture of Dr. Sun Yat-sen while the regular stamp had a picture of an airship. but the stamps were not issued because Yuan Shikai took over the post of president of the republic and he insisted that his portrait be printed on stamps. After discussion in the Parliament, it was decided that two sets of commemorative stamps would be issued, one had Dr. Sun Yat-Sen's picture , another Yuan Shikai's. Each set comprised 12 stamps. The two sets shared the same color, the same design and the same face values.

The first set of regular stamps by the Ministry of Posts of the Republic of China was finally issued in 1913. The set of 19 stamps had pictures of a sailing boat, a bravest scene, and a glazed tile memorial archway in Beijing.
The 1920s were the period when China suffered from chaos caused by the warlords. On July 1, 1921, the government controlled by the Northern Warlords issued the first aircraft stamps. The set of five stamps had a picture of a black airplane skimming over the Great Wall. This is also known by philatelists as the first aviation issue.
On October 1,1949, the People's Republic of China was founded. On October 8, New China issued the first sets of stamps to celebrate the convening of the first Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.On January 1,1950, the Ministry of Postal Services was set up in Beijing, opening a new page in China's postal history. Now, China's stamps are like a mini-encyclopedia, reflecting China's politics, economy, culture,science,history and geography.The special stamps and commemorative stamps are especially appealing to stamp collectors because of the unique artistic designs.

Formats of Chinese Painting

a horizontal hanging scroll

The finished traditional Chinese painting is mounted on a support system in the suitable form to display and keep in storage.The principal forms of traditional Chinese painting are the scroll and sreen, based the sizes of painting, the forms are various.

Zhongtang - Central scroll (hung in the middle of the wall of the main room), the general

sizes of Zhongtang: the painting 27" X 54", mounted on a scroll of 29" X 69"

Hanging Scroll - Hanging scrolls are both horizontal and vertical, usually mounted and hung on the wall. It's very familiar and were used for all kinds of paintings and calligraphy works.

vertical hanging scrolls

Album - Albums are consisted of many small paintings or calligraphy that mounted onto individual pages, then assembled together as a book.

Fan - Traditional Chinese folding fans and round fans are made of paper that braced with bamboo sticks, and generally were beautified with paintings or calligraphy works on their surface. Some artists like to cut the rice paper in the shape of fan and then painted onto it, this kind of artworks are called fan. The fans can be mounted and have special artistic appeals.

Hand scroll–The long, horizontal scroll is also called a hand scroll and is usually less than 25" high but maybe up to 60' long.

Square - The painting or calligraphy works in the shape of square are called Doufang (Square), that means the width and height of painting/calligraph are almost the same, generally the sizes should be 19" X 19" or 26" X 26". Square can be mounted in screen or scroll.

Screen - Screens were a popular form of displaying Chinese paintings, the painting was mounted with fibre in shape of single plane and ready for framing.

a screen mounted Chinese painting

a screen mounted square painting

Qingming Festival

The Qingming (Pure Brightness) Festival is one of the 24 seasonal division points in China, falling on April 4-6 each year. After the festival, the temperature will rise up and rainfall increases. It is the high time for spring plowing and sowing. But the Qingming Festival is not only a seasonal point to guide farm work, it is more a festival of commemoration.

The Qingming Festival sees a combination of sadness and happiness.

This is the most important day of sacrifice. Both the Han and minority ethnic groups at this time offer sacrifices to their ancestors and sweep the tombs of the diseased. Also, they will not cook on this day and only cold food is served.

The Hanshi (Cold Food) Festival was usually one day before the Qingming Festival. As our ancestors often extended the day to the Qingming, they were later combined.

On each Qingming Festival, all cemeteries are crowded with people who came to sweep tombs and offer sacrifices. Traffic on the way to the cemeteries becomes extremely jammed. The customs have been greatly simplified today. After slightly sweeping the tombs, people offer food, flowers and favorites of the dead, then burn incense and paper money and bow before the memorial tablet.

In contrast to the sadness of the tomb sweepers, people also enjoy hope of Spring on this day. The Qingming Festival is a time when the sun shines brightly, the trees and grass become green and nature is again lively. Since ancient times, people have followed the custom of Spring outings. At this time tourists are everywhere.

People love to fly kites during the Qingming Festival. Kite flying is actually not limited to the Qingming Festival. Its uniqueness lies in that people fly kites not during the day, but also at night. A string of little lanterns tied onto the kite or the thread look like shining stars, and therefore, are called "god's lanterns."

The Qingming Festival is also a time to plant trees, for the survival rate of saplings is high and trees grow fast later. In the past, the Qingming Festival was called "Arbor Day". But since 1979, "Arbor Day" was settled as March 12 according to the Gregorian calendar.

Double Seventh Festival

The Double Seventh Festival, on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, is a traditional festival full of romance. It often goes into August in the Gregorian calendar.

This festival is in mid-summer when the weather is warm and the grass and trees reveal their luxurious greens. At night when the sky is dotted with stars, and people can see the Milky Way spanning from the north to the south. On each bank of it is a bright star, which see each other from afar. They are the Cowherd and Weaver Maid, and about them there is a beautiful love story passed down from generation to generation.


Long, long ago, there was an honest and kind-hearted fellow named Niu Lang (Cowhand). His parents died when he was a child. Later he was driven out of his home by his sister-in-law. So he lived by himself herding cattle and farming. One day, a fairy from heaven Zhi Nu (Weaver Maid) fell in love with him and came down secretly to earth and married him. The cowhand farmed in the field and the Weaver Maid wove at home. They lived a happy life and gave birth to a boy and a girl. Unfortunately, the God of Heaven soon found out the fact and ordered the Queen Mother of the Western Heavens to bring the Weaver Maid back.

With the help of celestial cattle, the Cowhand flew to heaven with his son and daughter. At the time when he was about to catch up with his wife, the Queen Mother took off one of her gold hairpins and made a stroke. One billowy river appeared in front of the Cowhand. The Cowhand and Weaver Maid were separated on the two banks forever and could only feel their tears. Their loyalty to love touched magpies, so tens of thousands of magpies came to build a bridge for the Cowhand and Weaver Maid to meet each other. The Queen Mother was eventually moved and allowed them to meet each year on the 7th of the 7th lunar month. Hence their meeting date has been called "Qi Xi" (Double Seventh).

Scholars have shown the Double Seventh Festival originated from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD220). Historical documents from the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD371-420) mention the festival, while records from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) depict the grand evening banquet of Emperor Taizong and his concubines. By the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1279-1368) dynasties, special articles for the "Qi Xi" were seen being sold on markets in the capital. The bustling markets demonstrated the significance of the festival.

Today some traditional customs are still observed in rural areas of China, but have been weakened or diluted in urban cities. However, the legend of the Cowhand and Weaver Maid has taken root in the hearts of the people. In recent years, in particular, urban youths have celebrated it as Valentine's Day in China. As a result, owners of flower shops, bars and stores are full of joy as they sell more commodities for love.

Winter Solstice

Round dumplings are the Must-eat on the day of Winter Festival

As early as 2,500 years ago, about the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), China had determined the point of Winter Solstice by observing movements of the sun with a sundial. It is the earliest of the 24 seasonal division points. The time will be each December 22 or 23 according to the Gregorian calendar.

The Northern hemisphere on this day experiences the shortest daytime and longest nighttime. After the Winter Solstice, days will become longer and longer. As ancient Chinese thought, the yang, or muscular, positive things will become stronger and stronger after this day, so it should be celebrated.

The Winter Solstice became a festival during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) and thrived in the Tang and Song dynasties (618-1279). The Han people regarded Winter Solstice as a "Winter Festival", so officials would organize celebrating activities. On this day, both officials and common people would have a rest. The army was stationed in, frontier fortresses closed and business and traveling stopped. Relatives and friends presented to each other delicious food. In the Tang and Song dynasties, the Winter Solstice was a day to offer scarifies to Heaven and ancestors. Emperors would go to suburbs to worship the Heaven; while common people offered sacrifices to their deceased parents or other relatives. The Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) even had the record that "Winter Solstice is as formal as the Spring Festival," showing the great importance attached to this day.

In some parts of Northern China, people eat dumpling soup on this day; while residents of some other places eat dumplings, saying doing so will keep them from frost in the upcoming winter. But in parts of South China, the whole family will get together to have a meal made of red-bean and glutinous rice to drive away ghosts and other evil things. In other places, people also eat tangyuan, a kind of stuffed small dumpling ball made of glutinous rice flour. The Winter Solstice rice dumplings could be used as sacrifices to ancestors, or gifts for friends and relatives. The Taiwan people even keep the custom of offering nine-layer cakes to their ancestors. They make cakes in the shape of chicken, duck, tortoise, pig, cow or sheep with glutinous rice flour and steam them on different layers of a pot. These animals all signify auspiciousness in Chinese tradition. People of the same surname or family clan gather at their ancestral temples to worship their ancestors in age order. After the sacrificial ceremony, there is always a grand banquet.

'All we had was our voice'

Mao Amin releases her latest album, Tune of Voice, after an eight-year gap

Mao Amin receives the 2001 Outstanding Achievement award at the Top Billboard of 2000 Chinese Pop Music ceremony.

The mainland's queen of pop of the 1980s, Mao Amin, proves her vocals still have the magic of her first solo concert. Chen Nan reports.

The 1980s and 1990s were decades when mainland pop stars were nothing short of divas. They appeared at every kind of gala, and their tapes were everywhere. Of these, the most famous was Mao Amin, who was as much sought after for her silky smooth voice as her gorgeous on-stage presence. So it came as quite a surprise to discover she seems utterly devoid of celebrity pretensions or airs, face to face. She still has the same friends as before she became famous and sees being a pop star as just another job, one that she says she is incredibly lucky to have.

She even credits the tax scandal of 1990, which broke out when she was at the peak of her career, and all but destroyed her reputation, with helping her become more musical.

When she returned to the stage in January 2010, for her first solo concert in a three-decade-long career, she proved her genius is still intact, a sentiment acknowledged by the rapturous applause of the full house.

The success of that concert led to the release of her latest album, Tune of Voice, after an eight-year gap.

"I was ready to stay at home, take care of my kids and be a full-time mother," says the 48-year-old singer, who put her career ambitions on the back burner for marriage and family after releasing the 2003 album, Perfect.

The new album's songs, written by veteran musicians, including San Bao and Lao Zai, capture the defining moments of her life, Mao says.

"I don't know if young audiences will understand the songs because some of the lyrics are poetic. But those who have grown up with me will," she says. "I just present a real me here."

Tune of Voice is packaged along with a remake of her 1986 classic album, Songs from Echo, in memory of the late Taiwan writer, Sanmao.

"During the days of my absence from the music circuit, I liked listening to this album again and again. It speaks to my youth, and I believe those songs have touched people my age."

Mao's early hits not only made her a regular at grand galas, such as the Spring Festival Gala, but also a popular voice of many mainland TV series, such as Yearning (1990), one of the most watched shows in the history of Chinese television.

Her big success came in 1987, when she walked away with the top honors at the Yugoslavian International Musical Eisteddfod for one of her biggest hits, Green Leaf and the Root. It paved the way for more Chinese pop singers to participate in international competitions.

Referring to the 1980s, Mao says, "Everyone watched the same TV series and listened to the same songs then. I would say singers of my time were so lucky. We are still remembered by audiences because they miss the old days."

Mao was discovered by renowned songwriter Gu Jianfen when she was 20 and working at a Shanghai chemical plant.

"Her voice was so flexible, very soft and low, but could also be strong and high-pitched. That's the voice I was looking for," recalls the 76-year-old musician, mentor to nearly all the pop stars then, including Na Ying, Xie Xiaodong and Sun Nan.

Mao soon became a household name and enjoyed unparalleled fame until accusations of defaulting on tax payments emerged in the 1990s. She was fined nearly 600,000 yuan ($95,300) and desperation pushed her to the brink of collapse.

Although it was her agent, also her then boyfriend, who dealt with all the financial issues, she fled overseas.

"I travelled to many countries. I was confused about everything. I couldn't decide if I should come back and had no idea of how I should continue my life," she recalls. "But over time, I found my inner peace again."

Meeting her husband and starting a family were essential parts of this recovery. "My life used to be endless rounds of running from one gala or recording studio to another. But now I have a normal life - getting up early, cooking for my family and playing with my kids," she says.

She was in no hurry to return to the stage, as she was also unsure of the feedback.

Mao recalls being nervous when she appeared on-stage during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. But the warm response she received gave her back her confidence.

She says she can see how dramatically different today's music world is from that of the 1980s.

"When I turn on the TV and see so many talented young singers, who can sing, write, play instruments, and dance, I am so surprised," she says.

"For singers of my generation, all we had was our voice."