Kunqu Opera

Kunqu , also known as Kunju (昆剧), Kun opera or Kunqu Opera, is one of the oldest extant forms of Chinese opera. It evolved from the Kunshan melody, and dominated Chinese theatre from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The style originated in the Wu cultural area. It is listed as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO since 2001.(A qunqu opera tour in China.)

Origin and History

Kunqu Opera, also called Kunshanqiang, is said to be the mother of all Chinese operas. Its origins can be traced to the late Yuan Dynasty, some 600 years ago, in the lower Yangtze River Valley. Among the earliest genres of drama, the traditional performing art was named for its birthplace, Mt. Kunshan, near the city of Suzhou in today's Jiangsu province, East China(Suzhou tour).

The development of Kunqu Opera music went through several stages. In the early days, the songs were composed of long and short lines. The singer sang solo, and the orchestra came in at the end of each line. In the chorus, only percussion instruments were used.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), reformed by Wei Liangfu during the reign of Emperor Jiajing, Kunqu Opera became mild, smooth, and graceful. The performers attached great importance to clear recitation, correct singing, and pure tunes. Meanwhile, the composers wrote the musical scores after working out the tunes, and the songs were written in seven-character or ten-character lines. Moreover, three types of musical instruments (stringed instruments, bamboo flutes, and drums and clappers) formed the accompaniment. In addition, Kunqu Opera had 12 roles, and the Jing and Chou roles were no longer those exclusively portraying foolish, awkward, or stingy people.

Main Features

Kunqu Opera is acknowledged as an elegant opera in terms of music, recitation, and the performers' movements. It is foremost acclaimed as "watermill songs" because of its soft arias and the graceful movement of its performers. Carrying forward the tradition of ancient poetry and common speech, the art is also of very high literary value.

Kunqu has a complete system of acting as well as its own distinctive tunes. Its wide-ranging repertoire has many delicate and elegant tunes. The orchestra consists of traditional instruments including the dizi, a horizontal bamboo flute which plays the lead part; the xiao, a vertical bamboo flute; the sheng, a mouth organ; and the pipa, a plucked string instrument with a fretted finger board. Many Chinese local operas are greatly influenced by its tunes and acting style.

The representative works of the Kunqu Opera are: The Peony Pavilion, Fifteen Strings of Coins (Shiwu Guan), Love at First Sight (Qiang Tou Ma Shang), and Escorting Jingniang Home (Qianli Song Jingniang).

Risk of Disappearance

Kunqu Opera, acknowledged as an elite opera, has suffered somewhat of a decline since the eighteenth century because it requires a high level of technical knowledge from the audience. Today, it is facing competition from mass culture and a lack of interest amongst the young. Of the 400 arias regularly sung in opera performances in the mid-20th century, only a few dozen are still performed.

If you are interested in qunqu, we will provide you the knowledge and lead you through a fantastic qunqu experience.

Ig you are interested in kunqu opera, you may book a tour package to China.

This article is from http://www.chinatourcenter.com/

Chinese Kites

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

History

Chinese kite originated from the Warring States Period (476 B.C.-221 B.C.). The deft craftsman Lu Ban was said to be the inventor. His invention had the bird' s name of ‘Yuan', a kind of bird of hawk family with a long, often forked tail and a long pointed winds. He made the kite out of the thin wooden or bamboo strips.

After the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. -220 A .D.), paper was introduced into the kite-making and replaced the wood and bamboo. Hence, the kite got the name ‘Zhi Yuan', as ‘Zhi' in Chinese means paper. And during the Five Dynasties Period (907 A .D. -960 A .D.), people tied the bamboo whistle to the kite. When the kite is flying, the airflow can make the whistle sounded like Kucheng playing, hence the name ‘Fengcheng'.

As the civilization advanced, making and playing the kite became very popular in Weifang area, Shandong Province during the Tang and Song Dynasties. Weifang's kite has reached its heyday during the Tang and Song Dynasties. Every year in spring when the Clear and Bright comes, the weather become warm. All most every household went out to fly the kite and have a picnic in sunny and windy days. It was an exuberant folk activity and a good time to display the kites as well as enjoy the warm weather and the fresh air. The tradition has been well kept until today and becomes the world-famous Weifang International Kite Festival, which is held from 20^thto 25^th in April every year.

Workmanship of Chinese kites

The workmanship of Chinese kites can be summarized in four points: structuring, paperhanging, color drawing, and flying.

Structuring includes: selecting bamboo, chopping bamboo, bending bamboo, and joining bamboo.

Paperhanging includes: selecting material, cutting out, paperhanging, and cutting away or adding material as needed.

Color drawing includes: composing picture, outlining, dyeing (or coloring), and decorating.

Flying includes: selecting site and weather, choosing the kite, launching the kite into the air, adjusting the line, and controlling the kite.

To make a kite, first, the right kind of bamboo strips must be selected for the frame. It should be thick and strong for a kite of large dimensions in order to stand the wind pressure. The regular paper or sometime silk is used to cover the frame. Silk kites, especially, are more durable and generally of higher artistic value. Third, painting the kite may be done in each way.

Art genre & characteristics of Chinese kites

The art of Chinese kites has developed endlessly alongside the long history of the nation's cultural traditions. Each kind of kite art has its strong point due to its strong affinity with each rich and colorful historical period. The specific kite art and firmly relates with the music, dance, drama, folk-custom, and religion of their respective areas.

China has a large area of territory. As a traditional culture and folk art, kite has formed unique style of different regions during its development, among which the most famous ones are the styles of Beijing, Tianjin, Weifang in Shangdong Province, Sichuan and Guangdong Province.

Various art systems and genres have formed over time. Generally, there are six kinds: Beijing kite, Weifang kite, Tianjin kite, Nantong kite, Jiangnan kite, and Taiwan kite.

Categories of Chinese Kites

Main categories of Chinese kites Chinese kites may be differentiated into four main categories: Flat-Kites, Hard-winged kites, Soft-winged kites. Besides the above four categories, there are also kites with no fixed shapes, but which have various motives and good flight performance.

Since Weifang has the tradition and history of kite, it is famous for its kite making. The kite making in Weifang is exquisite in style, beautiful in painting and good in quality. Welcome to travel to China!

This article is from http://www.chinatourcenter.com/

Chinese Fan

The fan, which is made of thin bamboo strips, thin silks, feathers, leaves of sunflowers, and papers, is a traditional Chinese handicraft used for cooling. China has its profound fan culture, which has the close relationship with the bamboo culture and Buddhism. It is hard to say the exact time that fans had became popular in Chinese history. Fan in Chinese culture is an art work combined the Chinese calligraphy, paintings or poems rather than a daily tool.

Fans, for they can bring people cool, were called "Shelter from the Sun" in ancient China, and called "Cool Friends" by the literati. The craftwork fans as commodities, which are made of bamboos, trees, papers, fans, ivories, hawksbills, jades, feathers of fowls, leaves of palms and arecas, stalks of wheat, and stems of cattails, can be produced in a variety of types with graceful shapes and exquisite structures. China is always regarded as the kingdom of fans. In the history, fans made in China were sold to Japan and European and American countries, where Chinese fans exerted certain influences on the local fan-production and palace rites.(A fans tour to China.)

History

The earliest fan appeared During the Yin Dynasty about 3,000 years ago. It was first made of colorful bird feathers and served as the thing for the empire to avoid sand blow by wind in the open air. After Western Han Dynasty (206B.C. -24A .D.), fan became a tool to drive away heat and simulate cool breezes. During the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 A.D. – 220 A.D.), fans began to be made of silk instead of feather. At that time, fan were shaped like the full moon, cashew or hexagon with the handle made of wood, bamboo, bone even ivory.

The faces of fan are often painted with flower and birds as well as the water and mountain scenery. The embroidery face was also very popular. The first painted fan with calligraphy appeared during the Three Kingdoms Period (220A .D. -280A .D.).

Types of Chinese fans

According to different materials, there are feather fan, silk fan, paper fan, wheat straw fan, bone folding fan and palm-leaf fan, etc.

As to the functions, fan can be divided into the dancing fan, hanging fan, hat fan as well as large folding fan for decoration and so on.

To produce an exquisite fan, various artistic techniques should be integrated, including carving, weaving, knotting, calligraphy, painting, mounting, poker-work, jade article, lacquer work, embroidery, etc. For example, there are more than 100 types of fan head at the bottom of the fan, such as bamboo nodes, plum blossoms, small vases, big catches, round heads of chufa, and so on. The surfaces of such fans as sandalwood fans, bone fans, ivory fans and shell fans are usually carved with elaborate patterns. The price of an ordinary fan will rise hundredfold as long as it is elaborately carved by a skillful craftsman, or painted or written by a famous person.

Fans have many functions. Other than cooling in summer, they can act as tools during the artistic performance like pingtan (an art of Suzhou City（Suzhou tour）), drama, dance and other folk arts. In the ancient times, dancers liked to hold fans while dancing, and the preference has been handed down until now. The fan dance has become a dancing art with distinctive Chinese characteristics.

Travel to China to enjoy the soft wind brought by Chinese fans!

This article is from http://www.chinatourcenter.com/

Chinese Knots

Traditional Chinese decorative knots, also known as Chinese knots, are typical local arts of China. They are a distinctive and traditional Chinese folk handicraft woven separately from one piece of thread and named according to its shape and meaning. 

In Chinese, "knot" means reunion, friendliness, peace, warmth, marriage, love, etc. Chinese knots are often used to express good wishes, including happiness, prosperity, love and the absence of evil.(A tour to China to see Chinese knots)

History

The Chinese knot first originated when our ancestors used rope knots in recording things in ancient China. According to records in the "Book of Changes", "Chinese ancestors governed through tying rope knots in official documentation. Later generations changed rope knot practice to book bibliographies." The people of the Zhou Dynasty often carry jade items decorated with rope-knot patterns. Down to the Warring States period, bronze wares popular at the time also carried similar rope-knot patterns as decoration. During the Qing Dynasty, Chinese knots really became a popular folk art. Such hand-woven knots came to be known as Chinese knots for their exquisite symmetry that quite well demonstrate traditional Chinese aesthetics. 

Types of Chinese Knots

The Chinese Knots are named according to their different shapes, usages and origins. The treasure knot, for example, is with the appearance of ‘Yuanbao', the Chinese ancient golden ingot. And the button knot, which has the function as the button.

Each type of Chinese Knot usually has a beautiful and auspicious name. The material of the thread can be the cotton, nylon and so on, and many of them are red. The exquisitely symmetrical knots that come in so many forms are the valuable cultural heritage of China.

In the ancient time, the knots are pulled tightly and sturdily together that can be used for binding or wrapping, which making them very practical. In addition, it is endowed with high decorative value by its complicated structure. Almost all basic Chinese knots are symmetrical, which has set certain technical limitations on the design and creation of new patterns. Traditionally, symmetry pattern suites the aesthetic standards of the Chinese people well. Moreover, the symmetrical designs are the most popular among Chinese people visually.

Making processes

Making the Chinese knot involves three processes, naming tying knots, tightening and adding the finishing touches.

Knot- tying methods are fixed, but the tightening can determine the degree of tension in a knot, the length of loops (ears) and the smoothness and orderliness of the lines. Thus, how well a Chinese knot has been tightened can demonstrate the skill and artistic merit of a knot artist. Finishing a knot means inlaying pearls or jade stones, starching the knot into certain patterns, or adding any other final touches. Besides the Two-coin Knot, the Chinese knot is three dimensional in structure. It consists of two planes tied together leaving a hollow center. Such structure lends rigidity to the work as a whole and keeps its shape when hung on the wall. The hollow center also allows for the addition of precious stones, such as the jade.

Chinese knot, with its classic elegance and ever- changing patterns, is both practical and ornamental, fully reflecting the grace of Chinese culture.

Why not book a China tour package to experience the real China and buy some Chinese knot which will bring you happiness!

This article is from http://www.chinatourcenter.com/

Chinese Batik

Batik is actually should be called the "wax-resist dyeing", it uses the wax pattern painted on linen, silk, cotton, wool and other natural fiber fabrics, and then placed in suitable conditions at low temperature dyeing of indigo dye in the cylinder exhaust dyeing, wax dyeing and not local color, remove wax that is revealed without the beautiful white flowers of wax protection.（A batik tour to China.）

History

Chinese Batik is also called La Ran in China. Researches show batik originates from ancient China. It was then called La Xie. As early as in Qin and Han Dynasties, people in southwestern minority regions of China, finding that wax can prevent from dyeing, proficiently mastered the craft of batik. They used bees wax and worm wax as material in preventing dyeing.

By the time of Dong Han Dynasty, the batik skill was rather mature. By Xi Jin Dynasty, a dozen of color batik products could be produced. In Tang Dynasty, batik prevailed. The batik skill has been passed on generation after generation in the minority regions of Guizhou province and it has been spread widely across different regions.

Legend of the Origin of Chinese Batik

There is an ancient song about batik‘s origin in Miao minority area. There was a smart girl who was not satisfied with the monochrome clothes, wishing to have colorful patterns dyeing on the skirt. Thinking of painting one by one has too much trouble; however, she could not work out other way. One day, she fell asleep among the flowers. When she waked up, she found that the bees had left dotted beeswax on her skirt. She thought it did not look good, so tried to cover it by indigo blue dye. After dyeing, she surprisingly found that the places of beeswax turned out to be the beautiful white patterns. By the inspiration, she painted the cloth with beeswax and dyed it in indigo blue. She was so glad that she found out the way to make the beautiful cloth, hence sangt the song happily. Once heard her songs, people came to her and learnt how to dye the patterns. By this way, the technique spread out among the Miao and Buyi people.

Miao Batik

The technique of Chinese batik had been lost among Han Chinese but being kept by the Miao ethnic group located in the remote mountainous Southwest China. Wax Batik is the foundation of ancient Chinese civilization in dyeing and weaving technology. It involves drawing, waxing (with special wax knife using beeswax), dyeing and wax melting. The United Nation (UN) reported that Miao Tribe costume is one of the world cultural relics, where wax batik clothing being a main part of it.

Miao Batik Handcraft is plain, naive, rough and powerful. These pictures, not confining itself to exact details of natural images, are boldly different and exaggeratedly drawn. Miao love and closely knitted with the nature. They enjoy expressing their joy with nature and their own aesthetic feelings in the way of Batik Art. As they do not have wording system, you may also find abstract symbols or geometric patterns in their artworks, which could be their totems or myths.

In China, the home to batik is the city of Anshun in Guizhou Province. Welcome to travel to China!
This article is from www.chinatourcenter.com

Chinese Jade

In Chinese, "jade"(yu 玉) refers to a fine, beautiful stone with a warm color and rich luster, that is skillfully carved. In Chinese culture, jade symbolizes nobility, perfection, constancy, and immortality. For ages, jade has been an intimate part of the lives of all Chinese. It is considered the most valuable of all precious stones. Jade is found in mountains and riverbeds, and Chinese consider jade to be "the essence of heaven and earth."(A jade tour to China)

History

The earliest jade object found in China was a piece of a serpentine jade unearthed in the Immortal Cave in Haicheng of Liaoning Province and dating back to the New Stone Age, more than 12,000 years ago. The second piece was a small hanging jade article excavated at the site of Hemudu in Zhejiang Province and dating back more than 7,000 years. Jadeware in that period was mainly used for personal decoration. A large number of exquisite jade objects were produced 4,000 years ago. Jade objects at that time were mainly used for witchcraft and as an emblem of privileges.

The manufacture of Chinese jade articles was already highly developed by the Shang Dynasty (16th to 11th century B.C). The Chinese of this period had the technology to produce jade articles of every imaginable type, shape, and size. By the end of the Chou Dynasty (11th century to 256 B.C.) and the beginning of the Han Dynasty, Chinese jades reached a second peak in their development; craftsmen had more advanced tools as well as more efficient methods of polishing jade and creating unsurpassed masterpieces. From this point on, jade craftsmen could accommodate practically any and every customer demand.

The development of jade utensils after the Sung (960-1279 A.D.) and Yuan (1271-1368 A.D.) dynasties tended more toward pure craftsmanship and artistry.

The Qualities of Jade

This milky green stone is seen as a metaphor for human virtues because of its hardness, durability and beauty. Confucius, the Chinese philosopher, famously said the good virtue of man is like jade. It represents dignity, blessing, fortune and longevity. White jade is the most highly valued, but the stone comes in a variety of translucent shades of green, brown and black.

Cultural Meaning in China

Traditionally, Chinese people thought jade is the most precious stones, a sacred material that containing the quintessence of virtue. In the early times jade was confined to ritual purely ornamental objects such as the jewelry, dress accessories and items of personal adornment. In imperial times jade was regarded as a symbol of wealth and rank. It is widely believed by Chinese people that jade transmits its superior qualities to the one who wears it, wards off the evil and protect the wearer from misfortune. For this reason, jade bracelets are given to the children as an auspicious gift.

Culturally, jade stands for beauty, grace and purity. It is often referred to as a live stone due to its propensity to change color. Many Chinese believe that if the stone likes the wearer, it will grow a deeper, darker shade of green. Many pieces of jade jewelery do change color over time, and believers who wear it for protection and good luck attribute this to the absorption of bad chi that would otherwise have affected the wearer. Jade is also supposed to improve blood circulation and calm the mind.

Modern Use

Jade ornaments have remained popular up until the present day. Purchasing, wearing, and giving jade items as gifts are still very common. Jade is viewed as an ideal gift for couples making a mutual commitment, and for one's children when they get married. Even now, the Chinese retain the idea that in addition to being beautiful, jade can protect from misfortune and bring good luck.

Today, traditional forms and modern styles are combined into striking new creations, and modern technology has greatly elevated the quality of workmanship. No longer is jade for the exclusive use of emperors and noblemen; just about everyone has the means to own and wear jade. Beyond maintaining its historical role, jade artistry has been further developed with creativity and skill, and has become an indispensable part of everyday life. Jade remains an eternal symbol of China's magnificent civilization.

Welcome to travel to China!
This article is from www.chinatourcenter.com

Clay Figure Zhang

"Clay Figure Zhang" is a nickname of Mr. Zhang Mingshan, the founder of colored clay figure in Tianjin City during Qing Dynasty (around 1850 year). As a kind of folk art well received by the people, it shapes the portraits of all orders of society in a true-life manner, with realistic figures, simple but elegant colors and vivid images.(A Clay Figure Zhang tour to China)

Origin

Zhang Mingshan was born in a poor family in Tianjin. He learned from his father how to make clay figurines at a very young age. Zhang was clever, deft and full of imagination. He carefully observed people at different places, such as market fairs and theaters.

His clay figurines were very vivid and expressive, and Zhang and his figurines were soon well known in the surrounding area. Zhang not only inherited a legacy of traditional skills but also incorporated skills from other art forms such as painting, opera singing and Chinese folk wood engravings. He created more than 10,000 clay figurines during his lifetime, and his unique handicrafts became famous both at home and abroad.

Characteristics

" Clay Figure Zhang " is made of pure daub , low sediment concentration and no inclusion ; is of high adhesiveness, with the production process weathering, beating, filtration, dehydration,( adding cotton fibre, wood, bamboo, Lead and paper)repeat hitting , natural air drying, bake burning( in the kiln with temperature above 700 centigrade), polishing and coloring (after taking out of kiln) .

The accessory materials are wood, bamboo rattan, lead wire, paper ,silk flower and so on ; and the color material is perfect, which is of top quality and strong covering power, will not burst and fall off , not easy to fade away , insoluble in water .

Clay figurines created by Zhang include heroes and villains from Chinese folk stories, novels, and operas as well as scenes from daily life. He used pure colloidal clay, and his figures are all vivid and expressive, reflecting rich regional and local customs.

Information about Clay Figure Zhang

Add: 202 Machang Lu, Hexi District, Tianjin

Tel: 022-23374088 23374085

Website: http://www.nirenzhangwr.com/english/index.htm

Welcome to have a China city tour to experience the real Clay Figurine Zhang.

This article is from www.chinatourcenter.com

Chinese Lantern

You may have no idea about Chinese lanterns. Chinese paper lanterns, originating from Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), mainly were used as lamps in ancient China. A variety of crafts were used in their making such as Chinese paintings, paper-cutting, and pricking and seaming and many kinds of materials such as bamboo, wood, wheat-straw and metal were used in their manufacture. Paper and silk were the major materials.（A lantern tour to China.）

History

Started from the East Han Dynasty (25 A.D. - 220 A.D.), Chinese lantern reached its peak during Tang Dynasty (618 A.D. - 907 A.D.) and Song Dynasty (960 A.D. -1279 A.D.).

Originally, monks used lanterns on the twelfth day of the first lunar month in their worship of the Buddha. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Emperor Liu Zhuang was a Buddhist and he ordered the inhabitants of the imperial palace and citizens to light lanterns to worship the Buddha just as the monks did. Later, this custom gradually became a grand festival among common people. During the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), people made lanterns to celebrate their peaceful life while the splendid illuminations symbolized and celebrated the prosperous, strong and powerful country. From then on, lighting lanterns became popular in the country.

Development

Originally, Chinese people hung lanterns in front of their doors to drive away evil spirits. As to today, the lantern has become a symbol of traditional Chinese culture, playing an important role in celebrations and ceremonies.

Two of the most famous styles of lanterns

Two of the most famous styles of lanterns come from the capital Beijing in North China, and Suzhou in East China.

Beijing palace lanterns

The best traditional Beijing palace lanterns require rosewood as the skeleton and traditional-patterned thin silk or glass as covering. Besides lighting function, the palace lanterns are also valuable collections of Chinese lantern collectors. Now they are hung in halls or other spacious rooms to add to the antique atmosphere.(Beijing tour)

Suzhou-style lanterns

In contrast with Beijing palace lanterns, Suzhou-style lanterns usually have a rustic flavor. They boast a time-honored history and a delicate beauty. Early in the Song Dynasty, lanterns developed into an individual crafts industry in the area. Suzhou lanterns have various appearances, ranging from bird, flower, and fish to pavilion, terrace, tower and even human figures. Suzhou lanterns are famous for their rich color, refined processing, ingenious structure, exquisite sculpture and grand magnificence.(Suzhou tour)

Today, more types of lanterns appear in festivals apart from the traditional ones. More modern technology is used on making lanterns, so people can see lanterns with music, with colorful bulbs inside and so on. The shapes of the modern lanterns have changed a lot too. These shapes can be cartoon characters, Chinese zodiac animals and the makers can even involve the computer games, which give visitors a different new and fresh impression.

On Lantern Festival, people many people love the ‘lantern riddles’ most. Anyone who knows the answer to the riddles on the lanterns will get a small gift as award. The activity attracts people because of the riddle itself rather than the gift. Do you want to have a try about the riddles on the lanterns? So traveling to China can be a good choice! 

This article is from www.chinatourcenter. 

Chinese Stone Lion

Have you ever noticed the stone lions stood in front of Chinese Imperial palaces or government officials? (China tour packages to see Chinese stone-lion)

First of all, let me tell you what is Chinese stone lion. Chinese guardian lions or Imperial guardian lion, traditionally known in Chinese simply as Shi (Chinese: 狮; pinyin: shī; literally "lion"), and often called "Foo Dogs" in the West, are a common representation of the lion in pre-modern China. Statues of guardian lions have traditionally stood in front of Chinese Imperial palaces, Imperial tombs, government offices, temples, and the homes of government officials and the wealthy, from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), and were believed to have powerful mythic protective benefits. They are also used in other artistic contexts, for example on door-knockers, and in pottery. Pairs of guardian lion statues are still common decorative and symbolic elements at the entrances to restaurants, hotels, supermarkets and other structures, with one sitting on each side of the entrance, in China and in other places around the world where the Chinese people have immigrated and settled, especially in local China towns.

Chinese Stone Lions Lion is a special animal to Chinese people. A pair of stone lions, a male and a female, can often be seen in front of the gates of traditional buildings. The male lion is on the left with his right paw resting on a ball, and the female on the right with her left paw fondling a cub. The lion was regarded as the king in the animal world so its imagines represented power and prestige. The ball played by the male lion symbolized the unity of the empire, and the cub with the female thriving offspring.

The stone lions were also used to indicate the ranks of officials by the number of lumps representing the curly hair on the head of the lion. The houses of first grade officials had lions with 13 lumps and the number of lumps decreased by one as the rank of the official went down each grade. Officials below the seventh grade were not allowed to have stone lions in front of their houses. It is interesting to note that China had no lions originally. It is believed that when Emperor Zhang of the Eastern Han reigned in AD 87, the King of Parthia presented a lion to him. Another lion was given by a Central Asian country known as Yuezhi in the next year. The earliest stone lions were sculpted at the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 - 220 AD) with the introduction of Buddhism into ancient China. It is said, Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, was seen after birth "to point to Heaven with one hand and to Earth with another, roaring like a lion." In the Buddhist faith, the lion is considered a divine animal of nobleness and dignity, which can protect the Truth and keep off evils. It was also popular to decorate bridges with sculpted-stone lions for the same reason. The best known of this is the Lugouqiao (also as Marco Polo Bridge), built from 1189 to 1192. The stone lions on the posts of the bridge are most famous. It is said there are 485 lions in all, but there may be 498 or 501. A famous proverb says "the lions on the Lugouqiao are uncountable."

If you want to know more information about Chinese stone lion or China city tour, you can contact our tour agent.

This article is from www.chinatourcenter.com. 

Chinese Lacquer Ware

Lacquer ware is a special product of China. The original Chinese ancient lacquer ware was made using a natural lacquer obtained from sumac. The sumac should be about 10 years old.After being heated and mixed with pigments, colorful lacquer comes into being and can be made as delicate handicrafts. The Chinese lacquer with brilliant color is waterproof, corrosion-proof and high temperature resist. It is one of China’s great inventions of industrial arts. Lacquer ware not only has great ornamental value but also wide practicality.

As the earliest users, the Chinese have enjoyed its beauty since the Neolithic Age. During the past hundreds of years, it has played an important role in the development of Chinese arts and crafts as well as having a large influence on the world’s art. A wood-based red bowl made 6,000 - 7,000 years ago unveiled the history of lacquer techniques.(A lacquer ware tour to China)

History 

The lacquer ware was in use as early as in Xia Dynasty 4,200 years ago. During the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 A .D.), people took lacquer ware as their daily utility. In ancient China, the lacquer trees were planted in a large area. The great philosopher Zhuangzi in Warring States (476B.C.-221B.C.) was once the specific official taking charge of the lacquer tree garden.

The early lacquer was very simple. They were made of the wooden or bamboo molds painting with lacquer. As civilization advanced, the technique such as colored pattern, liquid gold gilded decoration and so on has appeared, and different dynasties' lacquer wares have their own styles and features.

In the heyday of lacquer ware in Han Dynasty, lacquer box, plant, earring, mask, chessboard, etc. came into being, with main colors of red and black.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the production of lacquer ware reached a new peak. In the period, lacquer technique began to combine with architecture and furniture production, gradually turning focus to ornamental field. In Ming Dynasty, lacquer carving was very popular.

Why Chinese Like Lacquer Wares

Lacquer ware is unique, high-class, elegant appearance is a love-at-first-sight for most Chinese art lovers. The special red color captures your heart instantly, and the glossy, fascinating details repeatedly re-emerge in your dreams later on.

The quality of lacquer ware is superb, and it is not unusual to see a lacquer item made hundreds of years ago still retain its original form and beauty. Take a tour to the major museums in Beijing, and you will discover many exquisite lacquer ware products used by ancient Chinese emperors that retain their great color.

Generally, the quality of lacquer ware is "four resists". It resists moisture, heat, acid, and corrosion. The special material used to make it, which is the sap from a kind of varnish tree, and the traditional techniques applied in the making, which have been perfected through generations, are what give this especially firm ware such an amazing quality.

For uniquely-looking painting, the exquisite color, and the mixed sense of magnificence, high-class, a lacquer ware is definitely one of the best decorations you can put in your home. A tourto China can give a chance to take a close encounter with Chinese lacquer ware!

This article is from www.chinatourcenter.com. 

Chinese Embroidery

China is the hometown of embroidery .The continuous development of the Chinese embroidery craftsmanship and the various tastes in art of different dynasties. Embroidery, a folk art with a long tradition, has an important position in the history of Chinese arts and crafts. Chinese embroidery are so vivid that once you stand before the them, it seems that you are to be able to smell the fragrance of the flowers, to hear singing of the birds, to see the scamper of a tiger and the smile of a person（An embroidery tour to China）.

History of Chinese embroidery

Chinese embroidery has a long history since Neolithic age. Because of the quality of silk fiber, most Chinese fine embroideries are made in silk. Some ancient vestiges of silk production have been found in various Neolithic sites dating back 5,000-6,000 years in China. Currently the earliest real sample of silk embroidery discovered in China is from a tomb in Mashan in Hubei province identified with the Zhanguo period (5th-3rd centuries BC). After the opening of Silk Route in Han Dynasty, the silk production and trade became flourishing. In 14th century, the Chinese silk embroidery production reached its high peak. Several major silk embroidery styles had been developed, like Song Jin (宋锦 Song embroidery) in Suzhou, Yun Jin (云锦 Cloud embroidery) in Nanjing and Shu Jin (蜀锦 Shu embroidery) in Sichuan.

Major styles of Chinese embroidery

Embroidery always accompanies silk and its development. The most famous embroideries in China are Su embroidery in Jiangsu, Xiang embroidery in Hunan, Shu embroidery in Sichuan and Yue embroidery in Guangdong, namely Four Renowned Embroideries.

Su Embroidery

Suzhou Embroidery appeared in the Northern Song Dynasty and was briefly named Su embroidery. According to history records, Su embroidery was so popular in the Song dynasty that people even named their lanes with names concerned with silk and embroidery. Almost every family raised silkworm and embroidered. Su embroidery reached its peak in Qing dynasty.

Su embroidery has wide range of themes. Its techniques include single face embroidery and unique double-face embroidery, which looks the same from either side. Simple composition, clear theme, vivid image and gentle color are basic features of delicate Su embroidery. Now it even absorbs some western painting techniques.

Xiang Embroidery

Combining merits of Su embroidery and Yue embroidery with local embroidery, Xiang embroidery came into being in the later Qing dynasty. However, Hunan's local embroidery had a long history. Archeologists have discovered fine silk embroidery items in the Chu and Han Tombs, which were both more than 2,000 years ago.

Compare with the other embroideries, it is unique in style. Its unique embroidery techniques facilitate tiger patterns embroidery, which Xiang embroidery is famous for. Although it features techniques of painting, engraving, calligraphy and embroidery, it is generally based on the Chinese painting. Now, it has developed a new unmatched embroidery product - Double-face and Different Images Embroidery, which features different images and colors on each side of the transparent chiffon.

Shu Embroidery

As it is mainly produced around Chengdu, Sichuan province, it is also called Chuan Embroidery. It has a long history although it formed a style in the middle of the Qing dynasty. The materials adopted for such embroidery are local-produced soft satin and colorful threads. The threads are neatly and thickly used and the colors are elaborately arranged. It is characterized by even stitches, bright threads, closeness and softness in texture, delicate needling. Its theme covers mainly animals and plants in the nature, especially adept at embroidering pandas and fish. The embroidered products include mirror curtain, wedding dress, hats and shoes etc., with the main themes of auspicious happiness.

Yue Embroidery

It is also called Cantonese Embroidery for it is produced in Guangdong province. It is said that it was created by a minority people in the middle and at the end of the Ming dynasty. A variety of threads are used, including thread twisted from the peacock quill and down thread from the horsetail. The whole piece is bright in color with gold thread as the contour for embroidering complicated patterns, looking splendid. Such themes are usually employed as A Hundred Birds Displaying Homage to The Phoenix, marine products and melons.

Do you fall in love with the fascinating Chinese embroidery? Why not book a holiday tour to China to enjoy the real embroidery!

This article is from www.chinatourcenter.com.