Introduction of Folk music

Introduction of Folk music
When discussing Han Chinese music, it is common to distinguish two major styles: northern and southern. The styles correspond to the two major geographical and cultural areas where most Han people live. Although both styles emanate from the general Han Chinese culture, they differ in detail because of environmental conditions. The north is cold, dry, and windy. The

hardships of life are reflected in the high-pitched, tense, and agitated style of folk song. The south, on the other hand, has mild weather and much rain. Life seems to be easier, and the folk songs of the south are generally lyrical and gentle in nature. Chinese music today is also influenced by Western musical concepts, which is an inevitable consequence of historical and social change.
Musical Styles
The common belief that the Chinese scale is a pentatonic scale (without half steps) is only partly correct. The Han Chinese has at least three forms of a seven-tone scale (See figure 1 in Han Chinese Music Scales). They also use various forms of a five-tone pentatonic scale (See figure 2 in Han Chinese Music Scales).
Southern Chinese folk songs tend to progress in more conjunct motion and smoother lines and emphasize the intervals of thirds and fifths. Northern melodies tend to progress in more disjunct, angular motion, and emphasize intervals of a fourth. These tendencies in the use of melodies are related to the tonal characteristics of the contrasting dialects of the two areas.
Except in special cases (such as free-rhythm introductions), most Chinese music is in duple rhythm. This fondness for duple rhythm (the Western equivalent of 2/4 and 4/4) can be attributed to the belief in the principle of natural duality (such as the female-male or yin-yang relationship). Chinese rhythm patterns may also reflect the Confucian Zhongyong concept: a “doctrine of the mean” that stresses moderation and balance. However, the weak-beat to strong-beat stresses in Western music are not necessarily used. Triple meter is rare, even in modern folk compositions. Syncopation, on the other hand, is the norm rather than the exception.
Chinese instrumental music is traditionally heterophonic if it is performed on more than one instrument or for an instrument and voice. Although Chinese music does not use the triadic, four-part harmonic progressions of Western music, harmony may occur occasionally. In fact, the sheng mouth organ produces fourths and fifths when played in the traditional manner, and some qin and zheng zither passages have two or more pitches sounding together when the musicians pluck two or more strings simultaneously. The Chinese people's fondness for clarity may have prevented them from developing a heavy musical texture.
Perhaps the most intricate aspect of traditional Chinese music, and of much East Asian music, is the use of nuance in instrumental and vocal timbre. Even when playing one instrument, there are minute differences in timbre production of a single tone. Much attention is placed on the production and control of single tones; each tone is regarded as a musical entity. The best example of this is heard in qin zither music.
Vocal Music
Vocal music is also complicated because of complex tonal inflections and the intricacies of the Chinese language. For example, even though Chinese words are monosyllabic, a singer takes great care in enunciating the “head” (beginning), “belly” (middle), and “tail” (end) of each word in Kun opera and Nanguan music. Therefore, timbre in Chinese music has a deeper meaning than simply tone color as an end in itself.
Chinese vocal quality is often described as being high-pitched and nasal. This is generally true, but there are regional differences. The northern style of singing (such as Peking opera) tends to be higher and shriller than the southern style of singing (such as Kun opera or Nanguan). This north-south contrast in vocal quality can even be heard in the local Baiguan (northern-style theater) and Nanquan (southern-style theater or lyric song) on the island of Taiwan.
Instruments
Thousands of indigenous and Sinicized musical instruments exist in China, but the Chinese seem to favor chordophones and aerophones. The famous term “silk and bamboo” refers to the ancient use of stringed instruments with silk strings and wind instruments made of bamboo. Of all the chordophones, the qin zither is by far the most venerated. It is depicted in many paintings and mentioned in classic literature. Next in importance to the qin zither is the zheng zither. In the past, solos and small ensembles were more characteristic of traditional Chinese music making; the large Chinese orchestra with a baton-waving conductor is a product of the twentieth century.
The pipa lute originated in Central Asia and is an instrument of great virtuosic possibilities. It is the subject of many paintings and poems and has held a societal position similar to that of the guitar in Western culture. Currently, the erhu, or two-stringed fiddle, is the most popular instrument in China. It originated in the northern tribes and is available in many sizes and variations. This fiddle is the “violin” of the modern Chinese orchestra. The sanxian lute is a banjo-like instrument that is used to accompany narrative singing. The yangqin is a many-stringed hammer dulcimer that originated in Persia. Its function is somewhat like that of the piano: it serves as either a solo instrument or an accompanying instrument.
In the aerophone category, di or disi side-blown flutes are the most numerous. The xiao end-blown flute is also a popular instrument. Perhaps the most exotic wind instrument is the sheng, a mouth organ that can produce many notes simultaneously. A popular folk wind instrument is the suona, a double-reed instrument that evolved from the Middle Eastern zurna. Because of recent archaeological discoveries, Chinese musicians have had a revived interest in the ancient bianzhong (bronze bell chimes) and bianqing (stone chimes). Variations of many Chinese musical instruments can be found in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet, and Mongolia.
Tradition and Folk Songs
Westerners sometimes describe Chinese music as “loud.” The Chinese themselves consider the northern style more dynamic and energetic and the southern style softer and more graceful. All of these characterizations are oversimplified, as the dynamics in Chinese music actually vary according to the nature of the musical genres and instruments. The classical music of Confucian scholars, such as qin zither music and lyric songs, is naturally soft. Players of pipa lute music are capable of expressing a full range of dynamics. Music for the suona is loud and piercing because of the instrument's construction and its function as an outdoor instrument. Theater orchestra music is loud because it was originally played outdoors in a festive atmosphere. Because of the many factors affecting dynamics in Chinese music, there is no one concept that can adequately describe them.
With the exception of work songs and shange (mountain songs), most Han Chinese folk songs, like most songs in Western folk music, are constructed in strophic form. Chinese folk music, however, uses fewer refrains. Typically, a folk song consists of two or four phrases of equal length; each phrase contains a new musical idea. Two-phrase songs are called “question-answer” songs, and four-phrase songs are “open” (qi), “inheriting” (cheng), “turned” (shuan), and “closed” (he) songs, all of which are terms borrowed from literary writing techniques. Much of Chinese opera music is based on a more complex melodic and rhythmic motivic system called Banqian.1
Of all the instrumental forms of Chinese music, the most popular are suites and variations. These forms are not, however, entirely equivalent to their Western counterparts. A Chinese suite is a series of musical movements that are loosely connected. These movements may be independent selections that do not have an apparent melodic or rhythmic relationship, or they may be related for programmatic reasons.
A major characteristic of Chinese instrumental variations is the use of identification motives called the hetou (refrain head) or hewei (refrain tail) that appear in the beginning and end of each movement. Again, except for these refrain motives, there might be no other relationship between the variations and the refrains or among the variations themselves. Sometimes, a movement appears several times among the other movements in a suite; this is considered a variation technique. Due to Western influence, ABA form has become extremely popular in modern instrumental folk music.
The Chinese have traditionally shown a fondness for extra-musical connotations, so Program music, poetic titles, and descriptions of compositions are popular. The existence of a sophisticated literary class is responsible for shaping this tradition, which is found not only in old music but also in modern socialist and so-called revolutionary work.

百鸟朝凤

《百鸟朝凤》是一首非常著名的唢呐曲。也是民间管乐的合奏曲。流行于山东（中国东部）、安徽（中国东部）、河南（中国中部）、河北（中国北部）等北方地区。曲调活泼欢畅、热烈。并且非常细腻地模拟各种飞禽的啼鸣，活灵活现的，很是生动有趣。同时，也表现了人们对大自然的热爱。
这首民间乐曲很受国内外听众的欢迎，是音乐会经常演出的保留曲目之一。 Derivation of National Orchestral Music

The best-known piece of Suona is One Hundred Birds Serenade the Phoenix, which is especially popular

in Shandong, Anhui, Henan and Hebei provinces. Aftera spirited introduction, the orchestra settles down to a fixed accompaniment mode. With this background, the Suona section plays a vigorous, piping tune in imitation of the chirping of birds in flight. The closeness of the mimicry expresses the people's love for nature and the intense scrutiny of ordinary life by folk artists, as well as their virtuosity in performance. Such beautiful and auspicious tunes help to account for the popularity of this instrument.
The Suona horn is the most widespread and popular folk musical instrument in China. It is commonly called a trumpet. In shape, the Suona horn is conical, with eight holes (seven forward and one at the back). The body is made of wood. At one end there is a thin brass tube with a reed attachment, and at the other end, flares like a trumpet.

孔子学琴

孔子是中国春秋时期（公元前770——公元前476）著名的思想家、教育家，同时还是一位杰出的音乐家，他会弹奏许多乐器，并会作曲、唱歌，他把音乐作为人生修养的最高阶梯。
孔子在学习方面是很虚心，尤为刻苦。有一次孔子随师襄子学鼓琴。曲名是《文王操》。孔子苦苦的练了很多日子，师襄子说“可以了”，孔子说：“我已经掌握了这个曲子的弹法，但未得其数”。又练了很多日子，师襄子又说“可以了，你已于其数”可是孔子仍说“不可以，未得其志”。又过了相当的时间，师襄子认为这回真的可以了，可是孔子仍然认为自己没有弹好这首乐曲，于是，反复的钻研，体会琴曲的内涵直到他看到文王的形象在乐曲中表现出来了，才罢休。他的精神深深的感动了师襄子，直到现在，孔子的名言“学而不厌，诲人不倦”仍是我们的座右铭。

Confucius and Music

Confucius, the famous Chinese thinker and educator in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC), was also an outstanding musician. Confucius not only could play many kinds of musical instruments but also was good at composing and singing.
His valuable modest personality attributed to his achievement in music. After he learned Guqin from the musician Shi Xiangzi for some days, the instructor said his performance was "good". Confucius, however, was not satisfied with the progress and kept training himself for a longer time. After practicing for another couple of days, his performance was regarded as "excellent" by the instructor, but Confucius still did not believe that he had reached the perfect performance because he could not feel the spirit of the melody when he played the Guqin. It is not until he finally realized and showed the inner spirit of the melody that Confucius stopped practicing. His perseverance won himself the respect from Shi Xiangzi. Even today, Confucius's edification of "Being insatiable in learning" is still regarded as a motto by most people.

武术概述

中国武术又称“国术”或“武艺”，是中国传统体育项目。其内容是把踢、打、摔、拿、跌、击、劈、刺等动作按照一定规律组成徒手的和器械的各种攻防格斗功夫、套路和单势练习。中国武术不仅是一种中国传统的体育运动形式，而且是一个完整的文化意识形态，它涵容了中国古典哲学、伦理学、美学，医学、兵学等中国传统文化的各种成分和要素，渗透着中国传统文化的精髓。武术具有极其广泛的群众基础，是中国人民在长期的社会实践中不断积累和丰富起来的一项宝贵的文化遗产。
武术最初作为军事训练手段，与古代军事斗争紧密相连，其技击的特性是显而易见的。在实用中，其目的在于杀伤、制服对方，它常常以最有效的技击方法，迫使对方失去反抗能力。这些技击术至今仍在军队、公安中被采用。武术作为体育运动，技术上仍不失攻防技击的特性、而是将技击寓于搏斗运动与套路运动之中。搏斗运动集中体现了武术攻防格斗的特点，在技术上与实用技击基本上是一致的，但是从体育的观念出发，它受到竞赛规则的制约，以不伤害对方为原则。如在散手中对武术中有些传统的实用技击方法作了限制，而且严格规定了击打部位和保护护具，短兵中使用的器具也作了相应的变化，而推手则是在特殊的技术规定下进行竞技对抗的。因此，可以说武术的搏斗运动具有很强的攻防技击性，但又与实用技击有所区别。

中国武术分类有以地区划分的，有以山脉、河流划分的，有以姓氏或内外家划分的，也有按技术特点划分的。按其运动形式可分为：套路运动和搏斗运动两大类。套路运动，是以技击动作为素材，以攻守进退、动静疾徐、刚柔虚实等运动的变化规律编成的整套练习形式。套路运动按练习形式又可分为单练、对练和集体演练三种类型。单练包括徒手的拳术与器械。对练包括徒手的对练、器械对练、徒手与器械对练。集体演练分徒手的拳术、器械或徒手与器械。

Chinese Wushu

Wushu, or Martial Art, is an important component of the cultural heritage of China, with a rich content over the centuries. Literally, "Wu" means military, and "Shu" means art. Wushu therefore means the art of fighting, or martial arts. Martial training includes Ti (kicking), Da (punching), Shuai (throwing), Na (controlling), Ji (hitting), Ci (thrusting), etc. Related to each style are basic forms, or sequences, which may involve defense strategies, offense, retreat, mobility and immobility, speed and slowness, hard or soft postures, emptiness and fullness, with or without weapons.

Wushu was born and has steadily grown and attained perfection as an integral part of Chinese culture. As such it is bound to be influenced and conditioned by other forms of culture, first and foremost by philosophy, art and literature, and religion. Wushu reigns as one of the most traditional and popular national sport in China, practiced by the young and old alike.

Wushu was originally a military training method, bearing a close relationship with ancient combats. Practical skills, such as strength training, fencing, staff sparring, spear training, etc., are still used now by policemen and soldiers. Today Wushu has been organized and systematized into a formal branch of study in the performance arts and has become an athletic and aesthetic performance and competitive sport. Every movement must exhibit sensible combat application and aestheticism.

Chinese Wushu is classified into various styles according to different regions, different schools and families, as well as different fighting techniques. Routines are performed solo, paired or in groups, either barehanded or armed with traditional Chinese weaponry. Wushu can be viewed in terms of two categories, including Taolu (Forms with or without weapons) and Sanshou (Free Sparring).

Taolu is a performance of set offensive and defensive Wushu movements based on Chinese Wushu principles. It includes the following four main categories: Bare-Handed Forms, Weapon Forms, Duilian, and Group Forms.

Duilian form consists of sets of offensive and defensive movements for two or more practitioners in mock combat routines. They usually include three groups -- Bare-handed vs. Bare-handed, Weapon(s) vs. Weapon(s), and Bare-handed vs. Weapon(s). Group Forms are usually for demonstrations only and performed with or without weapons by a group of six or more persons.

Wushu's emphasis has shifted from combat to performance, and it is practiced for its method of achieving health, self-defense skills, mental discipline, recreational pursuit and competition. In 1990, Wushu was adopted as an official medal event in the Asian Games, and since then World Championships have been held with 56 nations participating. Now Wushu is vying for the Olympic Games in the 21st century.

少林武术

少林武术是中国最有影响的一个武术流派，因形成于少林寺而得名。

少林寺位于中国中部河南省登封县嵩岳少室山北麓玉乳峰下，始建于北魏孝文帝太和十九年。据史料记载，少林寺习武始于南北朝而盛于隋唐，后又汇集各家之长而逐渐形成为中国最大的武术流派。它的支脉繁衍，遍及各地。

少林武术在国内外均享有盛名。它以强身健体、去病延年、保护名山、镇守古刹、防身抗暴、杀敌制胜为目的。以朴实无华、套路繁多、功法繁衍、内外武功著称。以技击性强、利于实战为风格。以拳打一条线、威发卧牛地、打人不见形、打了还嫌迟、内静外猛、刚中透柔、劲似曲蓄而有余、借力打人、四两拨千斤、拳打一气连等特点，而独创一家，在国内外均享有盛名。

少林武术的内容包括：拳术、器械、散打、把头、点穴、卸骨、擒拿。

Shaolin Wushu

Shaolin Wushu (Shaolin Martial Art) is one of the most influential genres of Chinese martial art, and it's named after the Shaolin Temple located in Dengfeng County, Henan Province. The monks in the Shaolin Temple began to study martial art during the Southern and Northern Dynasties and this tradition prevailed during the Sui and the Tang dynasties (581-907).

Shaolin Wushu is famous both at home and abroad as a highly effective method of self-defense and health-building. Combining both external and internal, and "hard" and "soft" exercises, Shaolin Wushu involves various methods of fighting techniques, consisting of barehanded boxing and weaponry combat. The Shaolin boxing has compactly designed routines. Its movements are quick, powerful and flexible; both practical for defense and attack.

The most outstanding characteristic of Shaolin boxing is that the practitioner works on one straight line. It means that his movements of advancing, retreating, turning around, sideways, or jumping are restrained on one line. His arms are kept slightly bent so that he can stretch out to attack or withdraw freely for self defense. Another characteristic of Shaolin Wushu is to maintain the body in perfect balance, as stable as a mountain. The practitioners should keep a tranquil mind but strike with great force and speed. He should be good at "borrowing" force from the opponent. That is, he should not meet the opponent's strikes head-on, but take advantage of the striker's force and go along with it to bring him to ward off a force of a thousand weights. The practitioner should know how to make feigned strikes and when striking, hit the vital parts of the opponent. The movements should be as dextrous as a cat, the shaking as a tiger, the moving as a dragon, the advancing as lightning and the yelling as thunder.

Shaolin Wushu is a very convenient sport, for the practice does not need a large space and is not affected by weather or the kind of weapons used.

There are many routines. External exercises include Minor Hong Boxing, Greater Hong Boxing, Old Hong Boxing, Chaoyang Boxing, Chang Boxing, Plum Blossom Boxing, Cannon Boxing, Luohan Buddha Boxing, Tongbei Boxing, Seven-star Boxing, Dragon-out-of-the-sea Boxing and Shooting-star Boxing; for internal exercises there are Xingyi Boxing and Juji Boxing. Shaolin boxing can be practiced singly or in pairs. The dual routines include: Banshou Liuhe Boxing, Yaoshou Liuhe Boxing and Kick and Strike Liuhe Boxing.

太极拳

太极拳，中国拳术之一，早期曾称为“长拳”、“棉拳”、“十三势”、“软手”。至清朝乾隆年间（公元1736～1796年），山西人王宗岳著《太极拳论》，才确定了太极拳的名称。“太极”一词源出《周易·系词》，含有至高、至极、绝对、唯一的意思。

关于太极拳的起源，众说纷纭，大致有唐朝（公元618～907年）许宣平、宋朝（公元960～1278年）张三峰、明朝（公元1368～1644年）张三丰、清朝（公元1644～1911年）陈王廷和王宗岳等几种不同的说法。但现在多数拳家亦以现传各式太极拳俊源出陈式太极拳之说为本。

太极拳综合吸收了明代名家拳法，特别是戚继光的三十二式长拳，并结合了古代导引、吐纳气功之术和中医经络学说，以及古代阴阳五行学说，以道教、太极八卦等理论为太极拳的哲学基础，综合而成。

太极拳以“棚、捋、挤、按、瘛　、肘、靠、进、退、顾、盼、定”等为基本方法。动作徐缓舒畅，要求练拳时正腰、收颚、直背、垂间，有飘然腾云之意境。清代拳师称“拳如大海，滔滔而不绝”。同时，太极拳还很重视练气，所谓“气”，就是修炼人体自身的精神力，这是太极拳作为内家功夫的特点之一。

目前，太极拳有陈式、杨式、孙式、吴式、武式五种流派。明末清初，河南温县陈家沟的老拳师陈王庭初创太极拳，世代相传。河北永年人杨露禅从学于陈家沟陈长兴，并与其子杨健侯、其孙杨澄甫等人在陈式太极拳的基础上，创编发展了“杨式太极拳”。清末河北永年人武禹襄在杨露禅从陈家沟返乡后，深爱其术，从学杨于陈式老架太极拳，后又从陈清平学赵堡架，经过修改，创造了“武式太极拳”。河北完县人孙禄堂，从师李魁垣学形意拳，继而学于李魁垣的师傅郭云深，又从师于程廷华学八卦掌。后又从师郝为真学太极拳，之后参合八卦、形意、太极三家拳术的精义，融合一体而创“孙式太极拳”。

Tai Ji Quan

Tai Ji Quan is a major division of Chinese martial art. Tai Ji Quan means "supreme ultimate fist". Tai means "Supreme", Ji means "Ultimate", and Quan means "Fist".

There have been different sayings about the origin of Tai Ji Quan. The traditional legend goes that the wise man Zhang Sanfeng of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) created Tai Ji Quan after he had witnessed a fight between a sparrow and a snake; while most people agreed that the modern Tai Ji Quan originated from Chen style Tai Ji Quan, which first appeared during the 19th century in the Daoguang Reign of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Tai Ji Quan has its philosophical roots in Taoism and is considered as an internal martial art, utilizing the internal energy, or Qi, and following the simple principle of "subduing the vigorous by the soft". Taoism is the oldest philosophy of China which is represented by the famous symbol of the Yin and Yang which expresses the continuous flow of Qi in a circular motion that generates two opposite forces, plus and minus, which interact and balance with each others to bring existence to the physical and metaphysical world.

The most famous forms of Tai Ji Quan practiced today are the Chen, Yang, Wu, Wu and Sun styles. All the five styles can be traced back to Chen style Tai Ji Quan. According to historical records, Tai Ji Quan was founded by Chen Wangting (1597-1664), who lived in Chen Village, in today's Henan Province in China. Based on the Chen style and created by Yang Luchan, a Hebei native of the Qing Dynasty, the Yang style is now the most popular style worldwide. The Woo Style is based on the Chen and Yang styles and created by Woo Yuxing.

The Sun style is derived from Chen and Woo styles and created by Sun Lutang. The Sun style is a combination of the more famous internal Chinese martial art forms of Ba Gua, Xing Yi and Tai Ji. The Wu style is based on Chen and Yang styles, and it was created by Wu Jianquan.

Nowadays, when most people talk about Tai Ji Quan, they are usually referring to the Yang style, which has already spread throughout the world and is practiced by millions of people.

中国功夫
Chinese Kung Fu

As man became more skillful in hunting and warfare, he also gradually developed dance for entertainment and relaxation. Early records suggest that dance was often the imitation of various animal movements, hence the Monkey Dance, the Bear Dance, the Bird Dance, and so on.

The Book of History refers to them as 'the dances of hundred animals'. In addition, rudimentary sports appeared, such as Dance with Shield and Battle-Axe and Butting with Horns, both military exercises. The Dance with Shield and Axe, which was a martial dance depicting battle and training troops, demonstrate the early relationship between dance and fighting skill. Butting with Horns was competitive wrestling practiced by the soldiers. This sport was said to have been a training method before battle by the armies of the legendary Chiyou tribe of eastern China. The soldiers wore horns on their heads as a symbol of courage, and then butted each other during the contest.

It was tradition that every feast should have a dance performance, which by the Han time would often take the form of a sword dance. Unarmed combat contest were also popular during the Han Dynasty. The rapid development in cavalry warfare of this period led to further improvements in skill using bladed weapons.

According to the Book of Zhuang Zi, unarmed combat was a highly developed skill by the end of this period, with many methods of attack, defense, counter-attack and feints. Fencing was also fairly common at that time. It was especially popular among the people of the states of Wu, Yue and Zhao. Competitions were frequent, but because contestants wore inadequate protection, injuries were common during the bouts. In one fencing competition in the state of Zhao, more than 60 people were killed or wounded over a period of 7 days. In the state of Wu, scars on the body of face were common sight among the people. Nevertheless, the love of fencing went unabated among women as well as men. By the Qin Dynasty (221 - 207BC), competitions had developed stricter rules with referees, arenas and protective clothing. During the Han Dynasty (206BC - AD220), Kung Fu was developed further, the element of sport and dance now becoming more apparent. Many martial dances appeared, such as the Rapier Dance, the Broadsword Dance, the Twin-Halberd Dance and the Battle-Axe Dance. While these dances contained elements of attack and defense, other postures and techniques evolved which were designed clearly for callisthenic purposes. An historic record in 108 B.C. tells how people came from as far as 300 li (150km) around the capital to see a contest.

Kung Fu could be defined as any of the various Chinese martial arts. Chinese Kung Fu was studied, organized and systematized by the Shaolin monks. Shaolin Kung Fu is known for their many animal styles such as Tiger, Crane, Dragon, Monkey, Praying Mantis and Snake. The word Kung Fu was originally used by the West. It means "skill" or "ability". It literally does not have anything to do with martial arts such as the word Tae Kwon Do, which means The Way of the Hand and Feet. In China today, Wushu is the preferred word to describe Chinese Martial Arts. The word Kung Fu was first used by a western Jesuit Missionary named Pere Amoit after witnessing exercises and training regimen in China. He called it "Cong Fou" in his personal journals. The term "Kuo-Shu" was popular in China until about 1930. This term has since been popularized by the Taiwanese Government to describe Chinese Martial Arts.

景泰蓝

景泰蓝又称"铜胎掐丝珐琅"，是一种中国传统的手工艺精品。它以细扁铜丝作线条，在铜制的胎地上捏出各种图案花纹，再将五彩珐琅点填在花纹内，经烧制、磨平、镀金而成。
景泰蓝起源于元朝时（公元1271～1368年）的大都城（今北京市），盛行于明代景泰年间（公元1450～1457年）。因其釉料颜色主要以蓝色为主，所以被称为"景泰蓝"。旧时的景泰蓝制品专供皇室贵族享用、是权力和地位的象征。新中国成立后，景泰蓝工艺有了进一步发展，在工艺上更趋成熟。目前的品种主要包括景泰蓝和花丝景泰蓝两大类，其中景泰蓝产品又分为金地景泰蓝和蓝地景泰蓝两部分，花丝景泰蓝又分为金地花丝、银地花丝和蓝地花丝三类。
"景泰蓝"完全由手工制成，制作过程十分精细，需要经过制胎、掐丝、烧焊、点蓝、烧蓝、磨光、镀金等十余道工序。景泰蓝的制作工艺既运用了青铜工艺，又利用了瓷器、珐琅等工艺，同时大量引进传统绘画和雕刻技艺，堪称中国传统工艺的集大成者。景泰蓝的造型优美，图案华丽，色彩鲜艳，给人以富丽堂皇之感，具有很高的艺术价值，在国内外广受赞誉。品种除旧有的装饰性摆件外，近几年又新发展出一大批实用性品种。

Jingtailan

The art of Jingtailan (Cloisonné) is a unique combination of sculpture, painting, porcelain making and copper-smithing that is said to have originated in Beijing during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). The oldest extant piece was made during the Yuan Dynasty, but Jingtailan underwent a major change during the Ming Dynasty when at about 1450 to 1456, a new blue pigment was discovered and gave Jingtailan its current name based on the Chinese word lan for blue. Ming Dynasty Jingtailan is also considered to be the most intricate. Nevertheless, Jingtailan reached its peak during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) due to great innovations in copper-melting techniques.
At present, Jingtailan is classified into two categories: Jingtailan and Flower-strip Jingtailan, each of which has several sub-varieties respectively.
The making of Jingtailan requires rather elaborate and complicated processes; base-hammering, copper-strip inlay, soldering, enamel-filling, enamel-firing, polishing and gilding. The products are featured by excellent quality. The skill and workmanship have been handed down from the Ming Dynasty. Since the founding of new China, quite a number of new varieties have been created. It enjoys a high reputation both at home and abroad with most of its products for export.
All the products are beautiful and elegant in molding, brilliant and dazzling in colors and splendid and graceful in design. It is a famous local handicraft in Beijing region.
Jingtailan can be found on large objects such as vases and other large utensils and decorative items, as well as small items like earrings, bracelets, chopsticks or jars.

How to Exchange RMB in China

A foreigner can bring cash and change it at the Bank of China for RMB. Foreign money can be exchanged in China through traveler's cheques, currency conversion at banks and hotels. Credit cards can also be used. What follows is a more detailed explanation. Enjoy your trip!

Traveler's Cheques
Traveler's cheques provide a fairly secure way of carrying money. The Bank of China can cash travelers' cheques sold by international commercial banks and travelers' cheque companies in the United States, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Britain, France, Switzerland, Germany and other countries and regions. Also the Bank of China sells travelers' cheques for such banks as American Express, Citibank, Tongjilong Travelers' Cheque Co., the Sumitomo Bank of Japan, the Swiss Banking Corporation and others.
Currency Conversion
Money exchange facilities for both currency and travelers' cheques are available at major airports, hotels, and department stores. Please note that hotels may only exchange money for their guests. The US dollar, British pound, French franc, German mark, Japanese yen, Australian dollar, Austrian schilling, Belgian franc, Canadian dollar, HK dollar, Swiss franc, Danish Krone, Singapore dollar, Malaysian ringgit, Italian lira, Macao dollar, Finnish markka, and Taiwan dollar are all exchangeable. Exchange rates fluctuate in line with international financial market conditions and are published daily by the State Exchange Control Administration.
Keep your currency exchange receipts, because you will need to show them when you change RMB back to your own currency at the end of your visit to China. Currency rather than credit cards is essential in remote areas, and you should ensure that you carry sufficient RMB and travelers' cheques to cover your requirements.
Credit Cards
At present, the following credit cards are accepted in China: Master Card, Federal Card, Visa, American Express, JCB and Diners Card. Holders can draw cash from the Bank of China and pay for purchases at exchange centers of the Bank of China, appointed shops, hotels and restaurants. However, this applies only in major cities. Credit cards are not always accepted for the purchase of rail and air tickets. ATMs that accept foreign cards are few and far between. Do not rely on them as a way of obtaining cash in Mainland China.
Consult with your bank before departing to make sure that your brand of cheque or credit card will be accepted.
Currency Regulations
There is no limit on the amount of foreign currency and foreign exchange bills that can be brought into China by tourists, but the amount must be declared to the customs.
About RMB
Chinese currency is called Renminbi (people's money), often abbreviated as RMB. Issued by the People's Bank of China it is the sole legal tender for both the Chinese nationals and foreign tourists. The unit of Renminbi is yuan and the smaller, jiao and fen. The conversion among the three is: 1 yuan = 10 jiao =100 fen. Chinese people normally refer to Yuan as Kuai, Jiao as Mao. RMB is issued both in notes and coins. The denominations of paper notes include 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 yuan; 5, 2 and 1 jiao; and 5, 2 and 1 fen. The denominations of coins are 1 yuan; 5, 2 and 1 jiao; and 5, 2 and 1 fen.

Taxi

China enjoys adequate taxi service. In most cities, the taxi tends to be a small local-made car painted in either red or yellow. In large cities, there are luxurious sedans at a higher rate. Taxi fares vary from city to city but they are always clearly marked on the taxi window.
Most taxi drivers do not understand much English, although those in tourist cities are encouraged to learn and speak some simple English. Non-Chinese speaking visitors are advised to have their destinations written down in Chinese and show the address to the cab driver.

Table Manners

Of course, the main difference on the Chinese dinner table is chopsticks instead of knife and fork, but that’s only superficial. Besides, in decent restaurants, you can always ask for a pair of knife and fork, if you find the chopsticks not helpful enough. The real difference is that in the West, you have your own plate of food, while in China the dishes are placed on the table and everyone shares. If you are being treated to a
formal dinner and particularly if the host thinks you’re in the country for the first time, he will do the best to give you a taste of many different types of dishes.
The meal usually begins with a set of at least four cold dishes, to be followed by the main courses of hot meat and vegetable dishes. Soup then will be served (unless in Guangdong style restaurants) to be followed by staple food ranging from rice, noodles to dumplings. If you wish to have your rice to go with other dishes, you should say so in good time, for most of the Chinese choose to have the staple food at last or have none of them at all.
Perhaps one of the things that surprises a Western visitor most is that some of the Chinese hosts like to put food into the plates of their guests. In formal dinners, there are always “public” chopsticks and spoons for this purpose, but some hosts may use their own chopsticks. This is a sign of genuine friendship and politeness. It is always polite to eat the food. If you do not eat it, just leave the food in the plate.
People in China tend to over-order food, for they will find it embarrassing if all the food is consumed. When you have had enough, just say so. Or you will always overeat!

How to Use Chopsticks
You really have to master the art of using chopsticks if you visit China. In every restaurant, you will be provided with chopsticks instead of forks and knives. Don't be frightened. They are easy to use. Use your thumb and the fourth finger to grip one stick and your forefinger and middle finger to grip and control the other stick. After practicing a while, you will be able to pick up pieces of food. If you are able to pick up a bean with chopsticks, this means that you have "graduated". If you cannot use them, you can always ask for fork and knife in a tourist restaurant. But in ordinary restaurants, you may be told that they do not have them. If you are worried about it, take your own small folk with you.

德化瓷器

德化县位于中国东南福建省中部，这里自然资源丰富，瓷土矿藏密布，质地优良，是中国瓷器的著名产地，与江西景德镇、湖南醴陵并称为中国“三大瓷都”。
德化瓷器始于宋代，距今已有1000余年的历史。明代（公元1368～1644年）时逐渐形成自己的技法和风格，进而取得了很大发展，在中国瓷艺中独树一帜。清代（公元1644～1911年）德化瓷器的烧制工艺进一步发展，清人烧制的瓷塑艺术品相继在上海、台湾、日本、英国的博览会上荣获四次金奖。20世纪50年代以后，德化瓷器在继承传统工艺的基础上不断创新，烧造的传统瓷器品种发展到390余种，现代题材的产品也日益增多。
德化以烧制白釉瓷器闻名于世。此地所产的白瓷瓷质优良，洁白如玉，胎骨细密，透光度好，釉面晶莹光亮，具有透明感，享有“中国白”、“象牙白”、“奶油白”、“中国瓷器之上品”等美称。种类以瓶、罐、杯、盘等日用瓷器为主，兼有雕塑艺术的陈设瓷器，多用贴花、印花、堆花作装饰。德化瓷器中以白瓷塑佛像最为精彩，佛像制作细腻，雕刻精美，造型生动传神。
早在宋元时期（公元10～14世纪）德化瓷器就已出口海外。近年来，随着中国对外开放形势和建设事业的发展，德化瓷器在不断改进装饰技艺，增加花色品，提高产品质量的基础上，成为中国陶瓷出口的重要产品，远销世界80多个国家和地区。

Dehua Porcelain

Dehua County in central Fujian Province in southeast China is known as one of the Three Porcelain Capitals in China, together with Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province and Liling in Hunan Province.
Dehua porcelain dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Solid and smooth, Dehua porcelain is resistant to both heat and cold. One type of "Jianbai" porcelain in particular has a sparkle and luster even more stunning than white jade. Its ivory-white color and superb workmanship make it a favorite of art lovers.
Dehua Kiln was a famous kiln specialized in white porcelain making. Its sites spread about within the scope of today's Dehua County, Fujian Province. Its white porcelain became a representative genre of Chinese porcelain industry. The body of its while porcelain was low in iron content and high in potassium content, the color of the glazed surface was of bright, smooth luster, and milky as frozen fat. It was thus often called as "lard white" or "ivory white". Dehua white porcelain used to be one of the major varieties for export in various dynasties. In the West it was named as "Chinese white porcelain" or "Marco Polo porcelain". Its common shapes were burner, cup, bottle, plate, tin, Zun (a kind of wine vessels), and Ding (an ancient cooking vessel), which are often decorated with appliqués and stamps, and the porcelain figurine was also remarkably exquisite. The masterpiece of Dehua porcelain is white porcelain figure of Buddha.
Dehua porcelain gradually developed its own techniques and styles and enjoyed big development during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). During the Song and Yuan dynasties (960-1368), Dehua porcelain had already been exported to other countries and regions. In modern times, quite a few Dehua porcelains of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) have won gold prizes in expositions held both at home and abroad, such as Shanghai, Taiwan, Japan and Britain, and Dehua porcelain is one of the main products of the national porcelain export, exporting to more than 80 countries and regions.

贵州茅台

茅台酒产于中国西南贵州省仁怀县茅台镇，同英国苏格兰威士忌和法国柯涅克白兰地并称为“世界三大名酒”。它的生产可以追溯到距今2000余年前的汉代。到清代中期，茅台酒的生产已具有一定的规模，年产量可达170吨，在中国古代酿酒史上是罕见的。解放前，生产茅台酒的主要有三家酒坊，他们所产的分别称为“华茅”、“王茅”和“赖茅”，其中“华茅”就是现在茅台酒的前身。1915年巴拿马万国博览会上，茅台酒（华茅）被评为金奖产品，自此得以扬名世界。解放后，国家十分重视发展和扶持这一名优产品的生产工作，经过三十余年的建设，到1987年，茅台酒的年产量已达1700吨，除满足了国内需求外，还远销到世界各地的许多国家。
茅台酒素以色清透明、醇香馥郁、入口柔绵、清冽甘爽、回香持久等特点而名闻天下，被称为中国的“国酒”。它以优质高梁为料，上等小麦制曲，每年重阳之际投料，利用茅台镇特有的气候，优良的水质和适宜的土壤，采用与众不同的高温制曲、堆积、蒸酒，轻水分入池等工艺，再经过两次投料、九次蒸馏、八次发酵、七次取酒、长期陈酿而成。酒精度多在52～54度之间，是中国酱香型白酒的典范。

Guizhou Maotai Liquor

Maotai Liquor, the world-renowned wine in China, brewed in Guizhou Province, is honored the National Treasure in its kind. Maotai Liquor is as famous as Usquebaugh of Scotland and Aquavit of France -- the three are renowned as the Three Famous Wines in the World.
Dating back to the Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago, Maotai Liquor has a long history of brewage. As early as in the 18th century of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Maotai became the first excellent wine brand in large-scale production, with an annual output of 170 tons, which was very rare in China's wine brewage history. Before the liberation, there were three main wine factories in Guizhou, whose products were respectively called Hua Mao, Wang Mao and Lai Mao, among which Hua Mao is the predecessor of today's Maotai Liquor. In 1915, Maotai Liquor was brought to Panama World Exposition and awarded the gold medal of the exposition.
Maotai Liquor belongs to catsup fragrance style, tasting pure, sweet and refreshing. Maotai Liquor is made from jowar and barley. The brewage of the liquor will go though 8 times of ferment and 9 times of distillation, the whole process lasts one year. After the process, the liquor will be stored for years. The specific techniques of brewage make the strong liquor suitable for drinking and beneficial to the health. You won't feel dizzy even if you drink too much.

浏阳花炮

浏阳县属中国中部的湖南省，是中国花炮的传统重点产区。这里生产的花炮以其独特的工艺、美观的造型、鲜艳的花色、响亮的声音、精美的装潢和浓郁的传统色彩而享誉世界。
浏阳花炮创制于1740年，生产历史悠久。到1870年前后，浏阳的花炮生产已发展为当地一项重要的手工行业，达到家家户户都会制造花炮的盛况。据记载，当时的最高年产量曾达25万箱（每箱10万响），除畅销全国各地外，还出口到日本、印度等二十多个国家和地区。到20世纪五十年代，随着较大规模花炮厂的建立，浏阳花炮业的发展进入了一个新阶段。匠师们在继承传统工艺技术的基础上，精益求精，开发出一系列花色新颖的新产品。现在，浏阳花炮的年产量已达50万箱，其中约有40%的产品供应国内市场，60%的产品远销海外。
作为传统的手工业产品，浏阳花炮的生产工序复杂，技术要求很高。产品一般要经过裁纸、卷筒子、贴红皮、装底泥、灌硝药、筑黄泥、钻眼、插引线等多道工序，最后才编结、包装。在种类上，浏阳花炮按照形制大致可分为“平头”、“牛口”、“寸金”以及“大炮”、“烟花”五类，共190多个品种。

Liuyang Fireworks

Liuyang, a small city in Central China's Hunan Province, is China's largest fireworks production base. Its fireworks are famous far and wide for their unique technics, exquisite shape, bright color, clangorous detonation sound and rich culture.
The history of Liuyang fireworks dates back to the year 1740. It reached its peak in the 1870s during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and developed into a main handicraft industry. During the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty, Liuyang fireworks became an article of tribute to the royal families. Firework workshops boomed at that time, with nine out of ten households engaged in that line of trade and fireworks began to be exported more than 20 countries and regions.
After the founding of new China, the fireworks industry in Liuyang turned a new leaf of rapid development. Now the annual output of fireworks amounts to 500,000 trunks, 60% of which is exported overseas. Liuyang also boasts China's first fireworks school and the world's first fireworks company to be listed on the stock market.
The manufacturing process of Liuyang fireworks is quite complicated, with high requirement of technology. At present, Liuyang has 190-odd kinds of fireworks, which are exported to more than 100 countries and regions. Now in Japan, South Korea, India, Iran, Britain and the United States, people can enjoy the splendor of Liuyang fireworks on their special occasions.