Tools & Materials of Chinese Brush Painting The four treasures of the study--brush, ink stick, paper, and ink slab-and other things Traditional Chinese painting has its special materials and tools, consisting of brushes of different types, ink and pigments of different textures, xuan paper, silk and various kinds of ink slabs. Chinese people have called writing brushes, ink sticks, paper and ink slabs the four treasures of the study since ancient times. Brushes There are three types of brushes used in traditional Chinese painting: soft, stiff, and mixed. There are three types of brushes for traditional Chinese painting:soft, stiff, and mixed. Beginners should acquire both large and small sizes of each type. If you do not have such brushes, you may substitute ordinary brushes, two of the larges, medium and small sizes. The soft brush is made mainly of fleece, with the addition of bird feathers. It absorbs a large amount of water and is suitable for painting flowers and leaves and applying water and colours. For instance, there are large and small soft ti brushes, large tai brushes for painting wider objects such as bamboo, and colouring brushes. The stiff brush is made mainly of weasel hair. The artist uses a stiff brush to give the effect of strength, elasticity and resilience. It is convenient for contour lines or painting hills, rocks or tree trunks. Such brushes include brushes for painting the veins of leaves and folds of garments, large and small brushes for calligraphy and painting, brushes for painting plum blossoms and large lanzhu brushes for drawing the bold lines of bamboo or orchids. The third kind of brush is a mixture of soft fleece and weasel hair. The artist uses this kind of brush for the combined effect of strength and grace. For instance, the baiyun brush, made of a mixture of soft fleece and stiff weasel hair, can also be used for painting flowers and leaves. In addition, there are specially made stiff brushes, such as a brush made of short pig bristles or mouse whiskers. Choosing the right brush for painting depends on your requirements or the circumstances in which you are painting. It is better for beginners to use the mixed brush. When buying brushes, it is better to buy in special stores for the four treasures of the study, as they have a complete assortment. Before you start to use a new brush, soak it in cold or warm water. After using the brush, you must wash it clean, squeeze it dry, arrange the brush hair neatly and hang the brush up. The brush can then be used for a long period. Ink The ink used for painting is made by grinding an ink stick on an ink slab. You can also buy prepared ink in bottles. The ink sticks consist of pine soot ink and tung-oil-soot ink Ink:Either and ink stick or prepared ink, duan ink slab and pigments. . In general, tung-oil-soot ink is used, because it is of fine quality and the black has a bluish-purple lustre. Ink sticks with light glue are of top quality. Ink sticks made long ago that have lost their lustre and brightness should not be used. Pine-soot ink, which is black but lustreless, is used only occasionally when painting birds or butterflies in meticulous style. It may also be used when you wish a special effect. Ink sticks should be well protected against dampness, or sun, so that the glue will not be lost and the stick will not become dry and cracked. Pigments are used in addition to ink for colouring in Chinese painting. They are mixed with water, instead of oil. Pigments for Chinese painting are classified as transparent or opaque. Transparent colours are made with plant pigments, including mainly vermillion, gamboge, ochre, cyanine, rouge and carmine. Opaque colours, made mainly of minerals, are also called mineral colours, which include mineral blue, mineral green, titanium white, mineral yellow and cinnabar. Mineral colours have strong covering capacity, but fade easily. Hence, it is necessary to mix mineral colours with an appropriate amount of liquid glue (animal and plant glue). In addition, there are gold and silver powder, made of real gold and silver. Pigment stores in China's Suzh-ou add glue to gold and silver foil, grind them into a fine paste and glue them onto a small porcelain cup, hence the name, gold or silver cup. You can use a clean brush soaked in water to dip up the gold powder in the cup. Gold and silver powder are used mainly to trace leaf veins and on metal objects, giving a sense of splendour in green and gold. However, they are rarely used. Paper And Silk Xuan paper is the special material for traditional Chinese painting. It is so called because it is produced at Xuancheng in Jing County, An-hui Province. Paper: Raw(unprocessed) Xuan paper for traditional Chinese painting, and felt pad. Xuan paper may be processed or unprocessed. Unprocessed xuan paper absorbs moisture and ink, and colours sink in easily when water is added. When using this kind of paper, pay attention to the moisture of the brush and the speed with which you move the brush. If there is too much moisture and you move the brush too slowly, ink and colours will sink in easily. Processed paper (treated with the proper amount of soybean milk or liquid glue) does not let ink and colours sink in. This kind of paper is suitable for doing paintings in the meticulous style. Chinese artists also like to paint on silk fabric. In general, it is used after being treated and is used mostly for paintings in the meticulous style. Raw silk is used for freehand painting. There are many kinds of xuan paper, each with its own properties. Beginners in traditional Chinese painting should grtsp and make use of these properties through constant practice. Only in this way can they succeed in painting well. In addition, there are ancient xuan paper and imitation ancient xuan paper, each with its own properties and able to produce a particular artistic effect. Xuan paper should be protected against moisture. Ink Slab The ink slab is the tool for grinding the ink stick. A good ink slab is a beautiful handicraft. Many materials are used for ink slabs. The most famous are duan stone, produced at Duanxi in Zhaoq-ing, Guangdong Province, and xie stone, produced at Longweishan (Dragon Tail Hill) in Wuyuan County, Jiangxi Province. Both are aqueous rock, fine, even and hard in texture. It is easy to grind the ink fine, even and thick, and the ink does not dry quickly. Ink slab for painting should be large (20 to 26 cm in diameter) and deep and have a lid to keep it clean. It can be either square or round. Color-Mixing Tray Colour-mixing box(dish), and brushwashing jar. This is a dish or plate for mixing colours. White porcelain is best, because the white reflects colourscorrectly. It is not suitable to use a coloured dish or plate or one with decorative designs to mix colours. Brush Wash Untensil This is equipment for washing brushes. It can be made of glass, porcelain or enamelware. It holds water for washing brushes. Its mouth should be wide, smooth and not rough, so that it will not impair the brush's hair. = Instructions of Chinese Brush Painting Ink Shades Ink is divided into five shades; burnt, thick, heavy, light and clear. 1. Burnt ink: The liquid ink is ground very thick. When used in a painting, it is black and glossy. 2. Thick ink: Next to burnt ink in blackness, but since a little moisture has been added, it is not glossy. 3. Heavy ink: Slightly blacker than light ink. 4. Light ink: Moisture is added until it becomes grey. 5. Clear ink: Only a light-grey shadow. In contrast to other ink shades it appears clear and vivid. 6. Dry ink and moist ink: The dryness and moistness of ink is the so-called ink charm. The dryness and moistness of the ink represents the dryness and moistness of the brush technique. The two are inseparable. The brush technique and the use of ink are closely linked. Both a moist brush and a dry brush can produce dark and light shades. In addition, before light ink becomes dry, some thick or moist ink may be added, or before thick ink becomes dry, some light ink may be added, giving the painting liveliness and variety. Although the painting is dry, it is endowed with a sense of moisture. Structure of The Brush Holding The Brush To paint well, you should, first of all, learn how to hold the brush. The correct method of holding the brush is: keep the fingers firm and the palm relaxed. the thumb pressed the brush handle inward and the index finger presses it outward. Hold the hourth and little finger against the middle finger. Thus you will paint fairly fexibly. Using The Brush The tip of the brush is where the hair is most pointed. There are six ways of using the brush: 1.Central brush-point technique: The brush handle is perpendicular to the paper. When drawing a line, you should keep the brush tip in the middle of the line. 2.Side technique: In holding the brush, tilt the brush toward the paper. When drawing a line, keep the brush tip on one side of the line. 3.Revering th direction taken by the brush tip: Move the brush upward or toward the left. Though inconvenient when you paint in this way, your line will show richer variation. 4.Duo technique: This technique in freehand flower painting requires dipping the brush tip in ink or colours, very often one colour after another, so that one stroke can paint both dark and light colors. 5.Applying dots: Horizontal dots, vertical dots, round dots adn slanting dots. 6.Turn and twist:Turn the brush tip inward and outward. = Masters of Calligraphy & Painting Because the limitation of literatures, there are many first class calligrapher, most of them before Han dynasty and the North South dynasty, left their art. But their names are unable to find out. Here we just list the important calligraphers whose name appeared in some literature. Since in China, we call people's family name first than the given name, we write the name here in this order. Dynasty Name Art work Xianqin Qin,Han (206 B. C. - 220) Cao Xi Xu Shen Du Du Cui Yuan (78-143) Zhang Zhi (?-192) He is called Cao god, means he is super good at Cao script. Cai Yong (133-192) Xi Ping Shi Jing Zhang Chang (?-206) Zhang Zhi's brother. His calligraphy like Zhang Zhi's. He is called second god. Liu Desheng It's said he created Xing Shu. Liang Hu Three Countries And Jin (220-420) Zhong You (151-230) He is called Zhang Zhong together with Zhang Zhi and called Zhong Wang together with Wang Xizhi. Mu Tian Bing She Tie Wei Dan (179-253) Handan Chun Wei Ji Hu Zhao (162-250) Huang Xiang Tian Fa Shen Chen Bei Wei Guan (220-291) Wei Heng Suo Jing (239-303) Wei Shuo (272-349) Wang Xizhi (303-361) The greatest calligrapher in history. Good at Cao Shu, Xing Shu and Kai Shu. He is called calligraphy god. Shi Qi Tie Lan Ting Xu Wang Qia (323-358) Ru Gao Tie Wang Xianzhi (344-386) Wang Xizhi's son. Called two Wang together with his father. Ya Tou Wan Tie Di Huang Tang Tie Fu You Tie Wang Xun (350-401) Bo Yuan Tie South North Dynasty And Sui Dynasty (386-618) Kong Linzhi (369-423) Yang Xin (370-442) Wang Sengqian (426-485) Wang Yan Tie Zhang Rong (444-497) Tao Hongjing (456-536) Xiao Yan (464-549) An emperor of Liang dynasty. Xiao Ziyun (486-548) Yu Jianwu (487-551) Zhi Yonga monk, 7th generation son of Wang Xizhi Cui Hong (?-418) Cui Hao (?-450) Zheng Daozhao (?-516) Zhen Wen Gong Bei Zhao Yanshen (507-576) Zhao Wenshen Wang Bao Tang (618-907) Ouyang Xun (557-641) Jiu Cheng Gong Li Quan Ming Yu Shinan (558-638) Chu Suiliang (596-658 Yan Ta Sheng Jiao Xu Sun Guoting (648-703) Kong Zi Miao Tang Bei Xie Ji (649-713) He Zhizhang (659-744) Li Yong (678-747) Yun Hui Jiang Jun Bei Zhong Shaojingdecendent of Zhong You Ouyang tong Son of Ouyang Xun. Xu Hao (703-782) Yan Zhenqing (709-785) Greatest calligrapher after Wang, Xizhi. Yan Qin Li Bei Ji Zhi Wen Gao Huai Su (725-785) a monk. famous at the same time as Zhang Xu. Zi Xu Tie Zhang XuHe is called Cao god. Gu Shi Si Tie Li Yangbing Zhuan Shu by Li Yang Bing Shen Chuanshi (769-827) Liu Gongquan (778-865) Xuan Mi Ta Five Generation And Ten Countries (907-979) Yang Ningshi (873-954) Jiu Hua Tie Li Yu (937-978) King of South Tang Song (960-1279) Cai Xiang (1012-1967) Su Shi (1036-1101) Huang Tingjian (1045-1105) Mi Fu (1051-1107) Fang Yuan An Ji Yuan (1279-1368) Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322) Xian Yushu (1256-1301) Yang Weizhen (1296-1370) Ming (1368-1644) Song Ke (1327-1387) Shen Du (1357-1434) Xie Jin (1369-1415) Zhu Runming (1460-1526) Tang Yin (1470-1523) Another name is Tang Bohu. Wen Zhengming (1470-1559) Xu Wei (1521-1593) Dong Qichang (1555-1636) Zhang Ruitu Huang Daozhou (1585-1664) Qing (1644-1911) Wang Duo (1592-1652) Chen Hongshou (1599-1652) Fu Shan (1605-1690) Zheng Qian (1693-1765) Zheng Banqiao. Liu Yong (17190-1804) Yao Nai (1731-1815) Weng Fanggang(1733-1818) Deng Shiru (1743-1805) Famous for his Zhuan Shu. Bao Shichen (1775-1855) He Shaoji (1799-1873) Zhao Zhiqian (1829-1884) Wu Changshuo (1844-1927) Kang Youwei (1858-1927) = Painting Gallery Xin Shiqi Times Wudao Wencai Taopen Caitao Ganghui Guanyu Shifu Wen Caitao Bohui Niaowen Xuanwo Wen Ping Heishan Yanhua Menghu bushi Tu Xian Qin Dynasty Heishan Yanhua Shoulie Tu Huashan Shihua Jisheng Wudao Tu Shoumianwen of Qingtong Wenshi Shuilu Gongzhan Wen Longfeng Shinv Tu Qin And Han Dynasty Daihouqii Mu Bo Hua Daihouzi Mu Bo Hua Tongguang Cuo Jinyin Gonglie Tu Zhankai Tu Zhangzi Tu Dai Jian Renwu Tu Dan Ji Tu Jingke Ci Qinwang Tu Dai Gan ZhiXi Tu Jun Che Chuxing Yan Yin Guang Wu Louge Renwu Cheji Huaxiang Shi Shuixie Renwu Huaxiang Shi Zaimen Tu Gexie Shouhuo Huaxiang Zhuan Yanjing Huaxiang Zhuan Liehu Huaxiang Zhuan Cheji Huaxiang Shi Three Countries And Tow Jin Dynasty Shoulie Tu Tuniu Tu Zhuanhua Chuxing Tu Jinshi Tu Pi Leng Liwang Bensheng Nvshi Jiantu Juan Luo Shengfu Tujuan South,North Dynasty And Sui Dynasty Pingfeng Qihua Lienv Guxian Tu Zhi Yi Pingfeng Qihua Lienv Guxian Tu Zhi Er Jiuse Lu Bensheng Shi Piwang Geruo Maoge Mojie Shaduo Sheshen Cihu Jile Tian Wubaiqiang Dao Chengfou Zhi Shoulie Kunse Niutian Feilian,Feitian Xunma Xudana Shi Xiang Qima Chuxing Tu Shike Lifou Tu Zhu Lin Qixian Herong Qiqing You Chun Tujuan Yanzi Bensheng Jubu Tang Dynasty Bunian Tujuan Gu Diwang Tujuan Diwang Tu Wei Mojie Xiang Minghuang Xinshu Tuben Guoguo Furen Youchun Tujie Dao Lian Tujuan ADao Lian Tujuan B Dao Lian Tujuan C Dao Lian Tujuan Huishan Shinv Tu A Huishan Shinv Tu A Huishan Shinv Tu Zanhua Shinv Tujuan A Zanhua Shinv Tujuan B Zanhua Shinv Tujuan Zhaoyebai Tu Muma Tuce Wuniu Tujuan Youji Tujuan More ...... Five Generation And Ten Countries Kuanglu Tuzhou Guanshan Lvxing Tuzhou Luohan Tuzhou Xiaoxiang Tujuan Niaosheng Zhenqing Tujuan Niaosheng Zhenqing Tujuan Zhuoxie Tujuan Zhuoxie Tujuan Fanji Tujuan Wenyuan Tujuan Chongping Huiqi Tujuan Gaoshi Tuzhou Diaoma Tujuan Langyuan Nvxian Langyuan Nvxian Hanxi Zai Yeyan Tujuan Hanxi Zai Yeyan Tujuan Hanxi Zai Yeyan Tujuan Jiangxing Chuxue Shengjun Tujuan Zhakou Panche Tujuan Danfeng Youlu Tuzhou Gongyang Ren Si Tianwang Xiang Song Dynasty Cengyang Congshu Tuzhou Du Bei Keshi Tu Xuejing Hanlin Tuzhou Xishan Xinglv Tuzhou Zaochun Tuzhou Keshi Pingyuan Tuzhou Yucun Xiaoxue Tujuan Gongyue Tu Chaoyuan Xianzhang Tujuan Fangche Tujuan Luoshengfu Tujuan Mozhu Tuzhou Tuzhou Hanque Tujuan Xiesheng Xiadie Tujuan Lin Weiyan Mufang Tujuan Wuma Tujuan Wuma Tujuan Xishan Chunxiao Tujuan Youqing Tujuan Liuya Tujuan More ...... Yuan Dynasty Yunheng Xiuling Tu Ba hua Tujuan Shuanggou Zhu Tuzhou Siqing Tujuan Guizhuang Tujuan Quehua Qiuse Tujuan Dongting Leshan TuzhouYuma Tujuan Xiaoxia TujuanEr Ma Tujuan Er Ma Tujuan Zhangguo Jian Minghuang Tujuan Mozhu TujuanXifu Tujuan Han Lin TuzhouFuchunshan Tujuan Jiufeng Xueji TujuanBoya Guqin Tujuan Yufu TuzhouMozhu Pu More ...... Ming Dynasty Huashan Tuce Zhiyi Huashan Tuce Zhier Danshan Jixing TujuanQiulin Caoting Tujuan Yanzhu TuzhouBeijing Bajing -- Taiye Qingbo Beijing Bajing -- Juyong Diecui Xuemei Shuanghe Tuzhou Qingao Chengli TuzhouJiayu Qiusheng Tuzhou Mozhu TuzhouTanbei Caotang Tuzhou Xitang Shisi TuzhouDamo Liudai Zhushi Xiangjuan Guizhou Tujuan Yutu Zhengqing Tuzhou Furong Youe TuzhouXueye Fangpu Tuzhou Nancun Bieshu TuceKuguashu Tujuan More ...... Qing Dynasty Nanshan Jicui TuzhouXiashan Feipu Tuzhou Shanshui Ce Kulan Fuhua Tujuan Shanshui Tuce Songtao Sanxian Tuzhou Shanshui Ce Shideng Tantu Tuce Shanshui Ce Songhe Qingquan Tuzhou Huanghai Songshi TuzhouXiyan Songxue Tuzhou Tiandufeng TuzhouShanshui Tuzhou Shanshui Tujuan Cangcui Lingtian Tuzhou Songyan Louge TuzhouYouqi Tujuan Shanshuice Zhiyi Shanshuice Zhi Shi More ...... = Chinese Festivals The Chinese observe a wide variety of traditional and modern holidays, based both on the lunar and solar calendars. The traditional Chinese calendar was based on a lunar cycle -- that is, dates following the regular appearance of the full moon. Even so, the equinox and solstice were essential for determining seasons in China's agrarian society. With the inter - national use of the Gregorian Calendar, some modern holidays, such as the birthdays of national leaders, are based on that. National Festivals: Since the Han nationality outnumbers the other 55 ethnic groups and totals up to about 93.3% of Chinese population, Han's festivals are celebrated nationwide, and so termed National festivals in pages hereafter. Ethnic Group Festivals: Ethnic group festivals refer to traditional festivals celebrated by certain Ethnic groups around China. Tourism Festivals: Tourism festivals are the local traditional festivals now supported and held by governments to fully use local tourism resources to attract tourists. = Spring Festival Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year throughout the west Date: The first day of the year in the lunar calendar. This is usually in late January or early February. Place: Nationwide Activities: Fireworks display, visiting and greeting family and friends, Yangge dancing, lion and dragon dancing, temple fairs, and many other celebrations of Chinese folklore. Yangge dancing originated 2,000 years ago as a religious activity to greet the Gods and dispel evil, but is now a recreational activity during the sowing season and on holidays. It is especially popular among the northern Han. Remarks: The Spring Festival is the most important festival in China. Beginning the first day of the lunar year, the celebration usually lasts for weeks. Before the event, houses are thoroughly cleaned. Everyone gets a haircut and purchases new clothes. People burn incense at home and in the temples to pay respects to ancestors and to ask the Gods for good health, peace, and luck in the coming year. Red lanterns are hung everywhere. Red scrolls with complementary poetic couplets are pasted at every gate, one line on each side of the gate. On New Year's Eve, families have a reunion feast of jiaozi (dumplings) and niangao (a kind of sticky rice cake), and then stay up and talk through the night, talking about the past and the future. When the clock rings to announce the arrival of the New Year, many households set off fireworks at almost the same time, creating a thunderous roar and clouds of smoke. This ceremonial use of fireworks is meant to send off the old and usher in the new. Early the next morning and on the following days, everyone wears new clothes. People pay New Year visits to relatives and friends to extend the New Year's greetings. Cities, rural towns, and villages present waist drum displays, Yangge dancing, lion and dragon dancing, and other folk dances. There are other grand celebrations, such as the Temple Fairs in Beijing. Chinese New Year is celebrated by Chinese throughout the world. Wherever one finds large Chinese communities, one finds large celebrations. The Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Chinese people and is when all family members get together, just like Christmas in the West. All people living away from home go back, becoming the busiest time for transportation systems of about half a month from the Spring Festival. Airports, railway stations and long-distance bus stations are crowded with home returnees. The Spring Festival falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month, often one month later than the Gregorian calendar. It originated in the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC-c. 1100 BC) from the people's sacrifice to gods and ancestors at the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one. Strictly speaking, the Spring Festival starts every year in the early days of the 12th lunar month and will last till the mid 1st lunar month of the next year. of them, the most important days are Spring Festival Eve and the first three days. The Chinese government now stipulates people have seven days off for the Chinese Lunar New Year. Many customs accompany the Spring Festival. Some are still followed today, but others have weakened. On the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, many families make laba porridge, a delicious kind of porridge made with glutinous rice, millet, seeds of Job's tears, jujube berries, lotus seeds, beans, longan and gingko. The 23rd day of the 12th lunar month is called Preliminary Eve. At this time, people offer sacrifice to the kitchen god. Now however, most families make delicious food to enjoy themselves. After the Preliminary Eve, people begin preparing for the coming New Year. This is called "Seeing the New Year in". Store owners are busy then as everybody goes out to purchase necessities for the New Year. Materials not only include edible oil, rice, flour, chicken, duck, fish and meat, but also fruit, candies and kinds of nuts. What's more, various decorations, new clothes and shoes for the children as well as gifts for the elderly, friends and relatives, are all on the list of purchasing. Before the New Year comes, the people completely clean the indoors and outdoors of their homes as well as their clothes, bedclothes and all their utensils. Then people begin decorating their clean rooms featuring an atmosphere of rejoicing and festivity. All the door panels will be pasted with Spring Festival couplets, highlighting Chinese calligraphy with black characters on red paper. The content varies from house owners' wishes for a bright future to good luck for the New Year. Also, pictures of the god of doors and wealth will be posted on front doors to ward off evil spirits and welcome peace and abundance. The Chinese character "fu" (meaning blessing or happiness) is a must. The character put on paper can be pasted normally or upside down, for in Chinese the "reversed fu" is homophonic with "fu comes", both being pronounced as "fudaole." What's more, two big red lanterns can be raised on both sides of the front door. Red paper-cuttings can be seen on window glass and brightly colored New Year paintings with auspicious meanings may be put on the wall. People attach great importance to Spring Festival Eve. At that time, all family members eat dinner together. The meal is more luxurious than usual. Dishes such as chicken, fish and bean curd cannot be excluded, for in Chinese, their pronunciations, respectively "ji", "yu" and "doufu," mean auspiciousness, abundance and richness. After the dinner, the whole family will sit together, chatting and watching TV. In recent years, the Spring Festival party broadcast on China Central Television Station (CCTV) is essential entertainment for the Chinese both at home and abroad. According to custom, each family will stay up to see the New Year in. Waking up on New Year, everybody dresses up. First they extend greetings to their parents. Then each child will get money as a New Year gift, wrapped up in red paper. People in northern China will eat jiaozi, or dumplings, for breakfast, as they think "jiaozi" in sound means "bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new". Also, the shape of the dumpling is like gold ingot from ancient China. So people eat them and wish for money and treasure. Southern Chinese eat niangao (New Year cake made of glutinous rice flour) on this occasion, because as a homophone, niangao means "higher and higher, one year after another." The first five days after the Spring Festival are a good time for relatives, friends, and classmates as well as colleagues to exchange greetings, gifts and chat leisurely. Burning fireworks was once the most typical custom on the Spring Festival. People thought the spluttering sound could help drive away evil spirits. However, such an activity was completely or partially forbidden in big cities once the government took security, noise and pollution factors into consideration. As a replacement, some buy tapes with firecracker sounds to listen to, some break little balloons to get the sound too, while others buy firecracker handicrafts to hang in the living room. The lively atmosphere not only fills every household, but permeates to streets and lanes. A series of activities such as lion dancing, dragon lantern dancing, lantern festivals and temple fairs will be held for days. The Spring Festival then comes to an end when the Lantern Festival is finished. China has 56 ethnic groups. Minorities celebrate their Spring Festival almost the same day as the Han people, and they have different customs. Legend of Spring Festival The Spring Festival is the most important and biggest festival in China. To the Chinese people it is as important as Christmas to people in the West. It is the first day of the lunar calendar and usually occurs somewhere between January 30 and February 20, heralding the beginning of spring, thus it is known as Spring Festival. This traditional festival is also a festival of reunion, thus no matter how far away people are from their home, they would try their best to get back home to have the Reunion Dinner. The Chinese meaning of this festival is Guo Nian. Guo means pass over and Nian means year. The origin of the Chinese New Year Festival can be traced back thousands of years through a continually evolving series of colorful legends and traditions. According to one of the most famous legends, in ancient China there lived a monster named Year who, with a horn on the head, was extremely ferocious. Year lived deep at the bottom of the sea all the year round and climbed up to the shore only on New Year's Eve to devour the cattle and kill people's lives. Thereupon on the day of every New Year's Eve people from all villages would flee, bringing along the old and the young, to the remote mountains so as to avoid the calamity caused by the monster of Year. On the day of that New Year's Eve the people of Peach Blossom village were bringing along the old and the young to take flight when there came from outside the village an old beggar. With a stick in his hand and a bag hanging upon his arm, he had eyes twinkling like stars and graceful beard as white as silver. Seized with panic, the villagers were in a great hurry to run away. Some were closing the windows and locking the doors, some were packing, and others were urging the cattle and driving the sheep. At a time when the people were shouting and the horses were neighing no one was in the mood to care for the beggar. Only a grandmother living in the east end of the village gave the old man some food and advised him to flee to the mountains to avoid the Year monster. But the old man stroked his beard and said with a smile, "If you allow me to stay at your home for the night, I'm sure to drive away the monster Year." The old woman was surprised to hear this. She looked at him unbelievingly only to find that, with white hair and ruddy complexion, the old man had a bearing out of the ordinary. She went on to persuade him to take flight. But he only smiled without reply. Thereupon the grandmother could not help but leave her home and flee to the mountains. Around midnight the monster Year rushed into the villages. He found the atmosphere was quite different from that of the previous year. The house of the grandmother in the east end of the village was brilliantly illuminated, with bright red paper stuck on the doors. Greatly shocked, the monster gave a strange loud cry. The monster Year stared angrily at the house for a moment. And then howling furiously, he made a pounce on it. As he approached the door, there came all of a sudden the exploding sounds of bang-bong. Trembling all over, the monster dared not make a step forward. It turned out that the red color; flame and exploding were what Year feared the most. And when the door of the grandmother's house was thrown open and an old man in a red robe burst out laughing in the courtyard, the monster Year was scared out of his wits and fled helter-skelter. The next day was the 1st of the first lunar month. When people came back from their hideouts and found everything safe and sound, they were quite surprised. The old woman suddenly realized what had happened and told the villagers about the old beggar's promise. The villagers swarmed into the grandmother's house, only to find that the doors were struck with red paper, the ember of a pile of bamboo were still giving out exploding sound of bang-bong in the courtyard, and a few candles were still glowing in the room... The story was soon spread far and wide and everybody was talking about it. They concluded in the end that the old beggar was surely the celestial being who came to expel the calamities and bless the people, and that red paper, red cloth, red candles and the exploding firecracker were certainly the magic weapons to drive out the monster Year. To celebrate the arrival of the auspiciousness, the raptured villagers put on their clothes and new hats and went one after another to their relatives and friends to send their regards and congratulations. This was soon spread to the surrounding villages, and people all got to know the way to drive away the monster Year. From then on, on each New Year's Eve, each family stick on their doors antithetical couplets written on red paper, blow up firecrackers, keep their houses brilliantly illuminated and stay up late into the night. Early in the morning of the 1st of the first lunar month they go to their relatives and friends' to send their regards and congratulations. These customs are spreading far and wide and kept for generations. It becomes the most ceremonious traditional festival of the Chinese people. New Year's Eve Dinner On the night of New Year's Eve, Chinese families come together for a celebration dinner. This custom is also called "surrounding the hearth," from the custom in earlier times of eating dinner around the family hearth. Both children and adults eat together and dinner begins only after all of the family members are present at the table. A table setting is placed for those unable to come home for dinner on this day to symbolize their presence though far away. As the nuclear family becomes an increasingly scarce phenomenon in modern society, this symbol of unity takes on increasing significance. New Year's Eve dinner is best eaten slowly, savoring the flavor of each dish. Several of the dishes served on this occasion have auspicious meaning and are indispensable to the night's menu: "Long Year Vegetables" (mustard greens) to represent intelligence; "Whole Chicken," symbolizing wealth for the whole family (since "chicken" and "family" rhyme in the Taiwanese dialect Chinese); and fish balls, shrimp balls, and meat balls are eaten to symbolize the three top scores earned during the civil service examination in ancient China and, by extension, success in educational pursuits. The only dish not included in the cornucopia of food eaten on the New Year's Eve dinner table is whole fish, which is intentionally left off the menu so that "there will be more to come in future years" (since the Chinese words for "fish" and "surplus" rhyme). Some families will also prepare jiaozi, Chinese dumplings stuffed with meats and vegetables. Since the shape of the dumplings resembles a gold ingot, eating jiaozi symbolizes the calling of wealth into one's life, and some go even as far as to stuff real money in the dumplings to insure that the coming year will bring fortune. Lantern Festival Date: 15th of the first lunar month Place: Nationwide Activities: Lantern expositions, garden parties, fireworks displays, and folk dances Remarks: During this festival, red lanterns can be seen everywhere. Many types of delicate and splendidly ornamented lanterns are exhibited. Every family eats yuanxiao (a kind of rice ball stuffed with beans, sugar, and other sweets), which is a symbol of family reunion, unity, affection, and happiness. = Qingming Festival Date: 12th of the 3rd lunar month, usually around April 4th or 5th. Place: Nationwide Activities: Cleaning ancestors' graves, holding memorial ceremonies, the making of offerings to pay respects to the dead, a spring family outing, and flying kites. offerings to the dead, which include the burning of ceremonial paper money, are both to honor ancestors and to pray for a year of good luck. Remarks: It is said that this festival was set up to memorialize Jie Zitui, a man of noted loyalty during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 - 476 B.C.). He helped his lord when his lord's crown and power were in jeopardy. When his lord's power was restored, Mr. Jie refused to accept a position his lord offered to him. He escaped with his mother to a mountain. His lord set a fire to try to force him out, and then force him accept the position. Mr. Jie died in the fire. To commemorate Mr. Jie, his lord set aside the day he died as the original Qingming Festival. Hanshi day, the 4th day of the 4th lunar month, is the very day just before Pure and Bright Day. According to a legend, the day is in memory of Jie Zhitui who lived in the Spring and Autumn period. Jie was a good official in the Jin state, who worked for chong er (Wengong). When the Jin state was in turmoil, chong er was forced to leave for other states. Jie took great pains to follow chong er. He even cut his own flesh on his leg and boiled for hungry chong er. After chong er got the monarch, he began to ignore and forget Jie by and by. Jie was so sad that he went home and lived in seclusion with his mother in mountains. One day Wengong found Jie, a good official who sacrificed his flesh, was not around him and felt so guilty that he in person went to the mountains to look for Jie. But in endless trees and hills he failed to find Jie. He thought, since Jie was very pious to his mother, once the mountains were set on fire, he would come out with his mother on his back. So he ordered to set the mountains on fire. At last, the fire lasted more than 3 days, but Jie didn't show up. He and his mother were found to be dead in arms after the fire was put out. This event made people respect and commemorate Jie. After that, people like to worship him on his death day, which was just before Pure and Bright Day. Because Jie was burned to death and people were not willing to cook food on that day and would rather eat cold food, that day is called Hanshi Day. = Mid-Autumn Festival: A Time for Reunion Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival Date: 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Place: Nationwide Activities: Dragon boat racing, enjoying the moonlight, and eating moon cakes Remarks: People eat moon cakes under the moonlight with family members. Moon cakes are pastries filled with gooey sesame, red bean, and walnut meats. One of the most important traditional Chinese festivals, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, around the time of the autumn equinox (usually September 22). Many refer to it simply as the "Fifteenth of the Eighth Month." As the full bright moon on that night tends to inspire people's anticipation for a family reunion, it is also called "Festival of Reunion." This day is also considered a harvest festival since farmers have just finished gathering their crops and bringing in fruits from the orchards. Overwhelmed with joy when they have a bumper harvest and quite relaxed after a year of hard work, they feel it is a time for relaxation and celebration. Food offerings -- including moon cakes, apples, pears, peaches, grapes, pomegranates, watermelons, oranges, and so on -- are placed on an altar set up in the courtyard. of all these foods, moon cakes and watermelons (cut into the shape of a lotus) are indispensable for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Bathing in the silver moonlight, the families will sit together and take turns to worship the moon, chatting and sharing the moon offerings. This festival originated in a fairy tale. A hero names Hou Yi saved his people by shooting down the other nine suns that burned his people to death. He was then bestowed with the elixir of immortality by the Queen Mother of the West. He did not want to consume the elixir and leave his beautiful but very mortal wife, Chang Er, so he gave the elixir to his wife for safekeeping. Unfortunately, Hou Yi's disloyal apprentice forced Chang Er to swallow the elixir. She then became a supernatural being. She flew to the moon, and from there watched her husband. Knowing that his wife had now been separated from him, Hou Yi was crazed with grief. Looking up at the moon one night, he saw a figure like his wife. He hurriedly took cakes and succade (preserves in sugar, whether fruits, vegetables, or confections) as offerings to his wife. Upon hearing this, people developed the custom of watching the moon and eating moon cakes annually on this day. There are other traditional festivals that have waned in recent years. The Double Seventh Day is China's traditional Valentine's Day. It is the day when a cowherd and his wife, a weaving maid and daughter of the Jade Emperor, met in the heaven on the Magpie Bridge. The Double Ninth Day used to be the day when people climbed into the high mountains, and there missed their families. By the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration had become unprecedented popular, with the appearance of some special customs in different parts of the country, such as playing under the moon, burning incense, planting Mid-Autumn trees, lighting lanterns on towers, or performing fire dragon dances. Nowadays, while many customs of playing under the moon are no longer observed, the custom of enjoying the bright silver moon and eating moon cakes remains an important part of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Whenever the festival comes, people tend to look up at the full silver moon and drink wine as a way to celebrate their happy life and to extend their best wishes to their relatives and friends far from home. Legends of Mid-Autumn Festival As people are enjoying the enchanting spell of the Mid-autumn night, they are often reminded of the many beautiful legends about the moon. Chang E Ascending to the Moon It is said that there were 10 suns in the sky during the ancient times, scorching the earth and its crops. To save the world from the misery, a skilled archer, Hou Yi, shot down nine of the suns. Hou Yi's extraordinary deeds won the love and respect of many common people, some of whom came to him to seek instruction, including Peng Meng, an evil man. Soon after, Hou Yi married Chang E, a beautiful and kindhearted woman. One day, Hou Yi encountered the Mother Goddess of Heaven, who gave him an elixir of immortality. Unwilling to leave his wife, Hou Yi handed the elixir to Chang E, who hid it in a locker of her dresser. Peng Meng saw the whole process. Several days later, when Hou Yi went hunting with his apprentices, Peng Meng, pretending to be ill, stayed at home. Soon after they left, Peng, holding a sword in hand, broke into Chang E's room and tried to force her to give him the elixir. Knowing that she could not defeat him, Chang turned around, got the elixir and swallowed it. Right after she swallowed the elixir, Chang began floating upwards into the sky, and with her heart on her husband, she settled down on the moon, the nearest body from the earth. When Hou Yi returned home in the evening and learned what had happened, he felt the whole world had collapsed. As he shouted Chang E's named into the sky, he found the moon that night was especially clear and bright with a swaying silhouette similar to that of his wife. He chased the moon crazily, but failed to catch up in the end, as the moon moved with him. Missing his wife so much, Hou Yi had no other choice but to have his servants place Chang E's favorite fruits on a table in the garden where she frequently visited, to worship his beloved wife living on the moon. Informed of the news, other common people also did the same thing, praying to Chang E for good fortune and peace. Since then, the custom of worshipping the moon on the mid-autumn day has been widespread. Wu Gang Cutting the Cherry Bay According to another legend about the Mid-autumn Festival, in front of the Guanghan Palace in the moon there is a cherry bay, which has grown exuberantly to a height of more than 500 zhang (about 1,650 meters). Under the tree, there is always a man trying to cut it down with an ax. However, every time he cuts it down, the tree will immediately spring back to its feet. Therefore, the tree has remained there in spite of the man's relentless efforts to bring it down for thousands of years. The man was said to be Wu Gang, a native of Xihe County of the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), who attained immortality and entered the Heaven through apprenticing under an immortal. One day, he made a mistake, and as a punishment, his master hence demoted him to the moon to do such strenuous but useless labor work. The custom of eating moon cakes on Mid-Autumn Festival is said to have begun in the end of Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). At that time，the general populace, faced with the unbearably cruel governing, rose up against the Yuan Government in succession. Under such circumstances, Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the later Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), set out to organize an uprising by uniting the various resisting forces. However, due to the oppressive presence the governmental officials (which included many searches of people and their property), it was extremely hard to deliver messages. One day, Zhu's military counselor, Liu Bowen, came upon an idea, and ordered his subordinates to hide paper slips with "Uprising on August 15" on them in moon cakes. Then, the moon cakes were distributed among insurrectionary armies in different places, asking them to support the uprising on the night of August 15. When the day came, all insurrectionary armies converged to participate in the uprising. Soon, Dadu (Beijing), capital of the Yuan Dynasty, was captured. When news came of the successful uprising, Zhu Yuanzhang was so delighted that he allowed his men to celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival with the common people and ordered the moon cakes used for hiding the paper slips to be distributed among the folks. Since then, the moon cakes have been made in a more and more exquisite way, with more varieties, and the custom of eating moon cakes continues to this day. Customs The main activities on the Mid-Autumn Festival are appreciating the full moon and eating moon cakes as mentioned in the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Since China is a big country with a large population, the festival tends to be celebrated in various ways, with each way having its own strong local flavor. In Fucheng County of East China's Fujian Province, when the Mid-Autumn Festival began, the local women will cross the Nanpu Bridge in an attempt to seek longevity. In Jiannin County, lanterns are hung as a gesture to pray for pregnancy from the Moon. When people in Longyan County eat moon cakes, they often scratch a hole in the center of a moon cake for the elderly, signifying the withholding of secrets from the younger generations. The custom of worshipping the moon on the Mid-Autumn day also prevails in the Chaozhou and Shantou regions of South China's Guangdong Province, mainly for women and children, as a proverb goes, "Men will not worship the full moon, nor will women worship the kitchen range." As night falls and the moon rises, the women will lay a table in the courtyard, with burning incenses and sacrifices, such as fruits and cakes, on it, to worship the moon in the sky. There is also the custom of eating taros on the festival, as August is the time for harvesting taros. In the South of the Yangtze River, the Mid-Autumn customs also boast large varieties. Apart from moon cakes, a Guihua Duck, a famous local dish, will surely be served on the dining table that night. Besides, there are interesting names for different Mid-Autumn activities, such as: "Qing Tuan Yuan" (celebrating reunion), referring to families appreciating the full moon together; drinking together; "Yuan Yue" (worshipping the moon); and "Zou Yue" (walking the moon), which refers to going out together. = Chongyang Festival The Chongyang Festival falls on the ninth day of the nonth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, so it is also known as the Double Ninth Festival. The festival is based on the theory of Yin and Yang, the two opposing principles in nature. Yin is feminine, negative principle, while Yang is masculine and positive. The ancients believed that all natural phenomena could be esplained by this theory. Numbers are related to this theory. Even numbers belong to Yin and odd numbers to Yang. The ninth day of the ninth lunar month is a day when the two Yang numbers meet. So it is called Chongyang. Chong means double in Chinese.Chongyang has been an important festival since ancient times. The festival is held in the golden season of autumn, at harvest -time. The bright clear weather and the joy of bringing in the harvest make for a festive happy atmosphere.The Double Ninth Festival is usually perfect for outdoor activities. Many people go hiking and climbing in the country, enjoying Mother Nature's final burst of color before she puts on her dull winter cloak. Some will carry a spray of dogwood. It is hard to say when these customs were created. But there are many stories which are closely related. The book Xu Qi Xie Ji ,written by Wu Jun in the sixth century has one such story. In ancient times, there lived a man named Huan Jing. He was learning the magic arts from Fei Changfang, who had become an immortal after many years of practicing Taoism. One day, the two were climbing a muntain. Fei Changfang suddenly stopped and looked very upset. He told Huan Jing,On the ninth day of the ninth month, disaster will come to your hometown. You must go home immediately. Remember to make a red bag for each one of your family members and put a spray of dogwood in every one. Then you must all tie your bags to your arms, leave home quickly and climb to the top of a mountain. Most importantly, you must all drink some chrysanthemum wine. Only by doing so can your family avoid this disaster. On hearing this, Huan Jing rushed home and asked his family to do exactly as his teacher said. The whole family climbed a nearby mountain and did not return until the evening. When they got back home, they found all their animals dead, including chickens, sheep,dogs and even the powerful ox. Later Huan Jing told his teacher, Fei Changfang, about this. Fei said the poultry and livestock died in place of Huan Jing's family, who escaped disaster by following his instructions. And so it happened that climbing a mountain, carring a spray of dogwood and drinking chrysanthemum wine became the traditional activities of the Chongyang Festival. The dogwood is a plant with a strong fragrance, and is often used as a Chinese herbal medicine. People in ancient times believed it could drive away evil spirits and prevent one from getting a chill in lalte autumn. So its history as a medicine goes back many centuries. But the custom of carrying a spray of dogwood during the Double Ninth Festival is slowly dying out and many people, especially young people in the cities, do not even know what a dogwood spray looks like. Even thouht the tradition of carrying a few sptigs of dogwood dies out, that of climbing mountains is reaching new heights. Early in the Western Han Dynasty, about 2,000 years ago, people used to climb a high platform outside the capital city of Chang'an on the occasion of the Chongyang Festival. For many, it was the last outing of the year before the onset of winter. The custom evolved into its present form, when people go climbing to get some exercise as well as enjoy the autumn scenery. But what about those people who live in flat regions far from any mountain? The problem is solved by going for a picnic and eating cakes. The Chinese word for cake is Gao, a homonym of the Chinese word for high. Mountains are high, so eating cake can, by a stretch of the imagination, take the place of going for a climb. Since nine is the highest odd digit, people take two of them together to signify longevity. Therefore, the ninth day of the ninth month has become a special day for people to pay their respects to the elderly and a day for the elderly to enjoy themselves. It has also been declared China's day for the elderly. = Duanwu Festival Date: 5th day of the 5th lunar month Place: Nationwide Activities: Dragon Boat races and eating of tzungtzu (pyramid-shaped rice wrapped in reed or bamboo leaves). Remarks: The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival has the longest history of any of the festivals celebrated in China. Dragon boat races are held to the sounds of thunderous drumbeats. Racing teams row vigorously, sprinting forward to reach the finish line. In Chinese tradition, the dragon boats attempt to rescue the patriotic poet, Chu Yuan. Chu Yuan drowned himself because his king would not take his advice. As a result, his kingdom was conquered. Chu Yuan drowned himself on the fifth day of the fifth month in 277 B.C. To save his body, people fed the fish cooked rice. They rowed boats and threw bamboo leaved filled with cooked rice into the water. Later, the custom of eating tzungtzu and rice dumplings became part of the festival. The 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar year is an important day for the Chinese people. The day called "Duan Wu" (meaning Day of Right Mid-Day) is observed everywhere in China. This unique Chinese celebration dates back to earliest times and a number of legends explain its origins. The best known story centers on a patriotic court official named Qu Yuan, of the State of Chu during the Warring States Period more than 2,000 years ago. Qu tried to warn the emperor of an increasingly courrupt government, but fails. In a last desperate protest, he throws himself into the river and drowns. The State of Chu was soon annexed by the State of Qin. Later Qu Yuan's sympathizers jump into boats, beat the water with their oars and made rice dumplings wrapped in reed-leaves (zongzi) and scatter them into the Miluo River in the hope that fish in the river would eat the rice dumplings instead of the body of the deceased poet. The custom of making rice dumplings spread to the whole country. Today, people eat glutinous rice cakes to mark the occasion. At the news of the poet's death, the local people raced out in boats in an efforts of searching his body. Later the activity became a boat race and the boats gradually developed into dragon-boats. In many places along rivers and on the coast today, the holiday also features dragon-boat races. In these high-spirited competitions, teams of rowers stroke their oars in unision to propel sleek, long vessels through the water. Activities: Dragon Boat races and eating of tzungtzu (pyramid-shaped rice wrapped in reed or bamboo leaves). Remarks: The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival has the longest history of any of the festivals celebrated in China. Dragon boat races are held to the sounds of thunderous drumbeats. Racing teams row vigorously, sprinting forward to reach the finish line. In Chinese tradition, the dragon boats attempt to rescue the patriotic poet, Chu Yuan. Chu Yuan drowned himself because his king would not take his advice. As a result, his kingdom was conquered. Chu Yuan drowned himself on the fifth day of the fifth month in 277 B.C. To save his body, people fed the fish cooked rice. They rowed boats and threw bamboo leaved filled with cooked rice into the water. Later, the custom of eating tzungtzu and rice dumplings became part of the festival. = Ancient Chinese Clothing (Chinese Traditional Style Dress) In ancient society people lived in crude caves, naked. During the New Stone Age they invented bone needle and began to sew simple winter dress with leaves and animal skins. With the development of the society, people were engaged in agriculture and they started to spin and weave, even sewed coats with linen. In the class society, dress became the token of social status. It was from the Xia and Shang Dynasties that dress system came into being in China. In the Zhou Dynasty, the system was perfected. From then on the distinctions as to color, design and adornment of dress were strictly made among the emperor, officials and the common people. China is a multi-national country. Each nation has a traditional culture of its own. The mutual support and inspiration among different nationals made Chinese dress more plentiful and glorious. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the economy boomed and people led a quiet life. People from different countries gathered in Changan and Luoyang to promote the international cultural exchange. Particularly the culture of middle Asia deeply influenced Chinese dress system. On the other hand the ideology also directly influenced dress and adornment. During the Warring States period, many vassal states were competing with each other, hence the patterns of dress and adornment became diversified. During the Sui and Tang, the unity of ancient China and the prosperity of economy brought about new thoughts, and the dress became splendid, particularly the decolIetage appeared. Because of the intensity of the feudal ideology, the patterns of dress and adornment gradually became conservative from the Song and Ming Dynasties. Influenced by western cultures, the designs were more fitting and tasteful from late Ming. The patterns of ancient dress were classified into two groups:"coat-and-skirt" and "one- piece". "Coat-and-skirt" were mainly worn by women and "one-piece" by men. Stringent rules are made for the color of ancient dress and adornment. Yellow is the most valuable color as a symbol of center. Green, red, white and black symbolize the East, the South, the West and the North respectively. Green, red, black, white and yellow are pure colors applied by the emperors and officials. The common people could only apply the secondary colors. With the development of the society, the colors of the dress, which are more harmonious and form a partial contrast, replace that of remote ages, which was very simple. These changes make the dress and adornment splendid. The geometrical patterns, the pictures of animals and plants were widely adopted on ancient dress and adornments. Before Shang and Zhou, the patterns were primitive, succinct and abstract. After Zhou the patterns became much neater. The compositions were balanced and symmetric. During the Tang and Song more attentions were paid to the compositions. From the Ming and Qing Dynasties most of the patterns were realistic, and the flowers, animals and mountains-and-waters were all really true to life. The articles of clothing of past dynasties are one chapter of Chinese long history and culture. They are not only the reflection of the politics and economy of a given society, but also the great contributions for world civilization. An outstanding characteristic of traditional Chinese clothing is not only an external expression of elegance, but also an internal symbolism. Each and every piece of traditional clothing communicates a vitality of its own. This combination of external form with internal symbolism is clearly exemplified in the pair of fighting pheasant feathers used in head wear originating in the battle wear of the Warring States period (475-221 B.C.). Two feathers of a ho bird (a type pheasant good at fighting) were inserted into the head wear of warriors of this period to symbolize a bold and warlike spirit. Archaeological findings of 18,000 year-old artifacts such as bone sewing needles and stone beads and shells with holes bored in them attest to the existence of ornamentation and of sewing extremely early in Chinese civilization. Variety and consistency in clothing were roughly established by the era of the Yellow Emperor and the Emperors Yao and Shun (about 4,500 years ago). Remains of woven silk and hemp articles and ancient ceramic figures further demonstrate the sophistication and refinement of clothing in the Shang Dynasty (16th to 11th century B.C.). The three main types of traditional Chinese clothing are the pien-fu, the ch'ang-p'ao, and the shen-i. The pien-fu is an ancient two-piece ceremonial costume of a tunic-like top extending to the knees and a skirt or trousers extending to the ankles. The ch'ang-p'ao is a one-piece garment extending from the shoulders all the way to the heels. The shen-i is a cross between the pien-fu and the ch'ang-p'ao; it consists of a tunic and a skirt or trousers like the pien-fu, but the tunic and the skirt are sewed together and essentially one piece like the ch'ang-p'ao. Consequently, the shen-i was the most widely worn of the three types. Typical of these three types of clothing were wide and voluminous sleeves and a very loose fit. Tunic and trousers or tunic and skirt, utilized a very minimum number of stitches for the amount of cloth used. So because of their relatively plain design and structure, embroidered edgings, decorated bands, draped cloth or silks, patterns on the shoulders, and sashes were often added as ornamentation. These varied designs came to be one of the unique features of traditional Chinese dress. Darker colors were favored over lighter ones in traditional Chinese clothing, so the main color of ceremonial clothing tended to be dark while bright, elaborate tapestry designs accented. Lighter colored clothing was worn more frequently by the common people for everyday and around the house use. The Chinese associate certain colors with specific seasons: green represents spring, red symbolizes summer, white represents autumn, and black symbolizes winter. The Chinese are said to have a fully developed system of matching, coordinating, and contrasting colors and shades of light and dark in apparel. - Chinese Style Clothes --- the Vogue of the Day - Traditional Style Dress Comes Back Into Vogue Today, Fashion designers use a mixture of traditional and modern ideas to create new fashions. These new fashions also incorporate age-old motifs such as guardian deities, lions, and masks of Chinese opera characters. Chinese bronze is another source of printed, woven, embroidered, and applied design for clothes. Some of the distinctive designs include dragons, phoenixes, clouds, and lightning. Motifs from traditional Chinese painting also end up in woven or printed fashion designs. In modern society, men are seen at social occasions wearing the dignified and refined traditional Chinese long gown, and women often wear the ch'i-p'ao, a modified form of a traditional Ching Dynasty fashion, on formal occasions. The variations of height, length, width, and ornamentation of the collar, sleeves, skirt, and basic cut of this Oriental fashion are limitless. Many accessories such as macram are used to decorate shoulders, bodices, pockets, seams, and openings of clothing, as well as belts, hair ornaments, and necklaces. Some successful examples of combinations of modern and traditional fashion elements are the modern bridal tiara, based on a Sung Dynasty design and the Hunan Province style of embroidered sash made in the traditional colors of pure red, blue, and green. From these examples, it can be seen how traditional Chinese dress is the foundation of modern fashion. However, the Chinese have also adopted many Western styles of clothing such as business suits and jeans. Woman's upper garment of sky blue gauze and elaborate borders Qing dynasty (1644-1911) Length 97.5 cm, greatest width 143 cm, sleeve hem widths 46 cm, hem widths 93 cm The garment with low stand-up collar and wide sleeves opens on the right with two pairs of double toggles. The sky blue gauze is woven with a pattern of endless knots and stylized shou characters. A very wide border in several stripes of varying widths, including two black narrow stripes, and variously embroidered with bats, plum blossoms and bamboo, and floral sprigs ornament the collar, the opening, the hems and the sleeves. Garments with this style of decorative border were very trendy in the late Qing period. The vicissitudes of Shanghai style costume Traditional Beijing Costumes Jiedexiu: Homeland of Tibetan Pulu Fabrics Colorful Costumes of the Han people Costumes in Watery Regions South of Yangtze China's First Costume Museum |
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