1. The Culture of China Dragon Forbidden City Great Wall Shaolin Temple Chopsticks Spring Festival Qingming Festival Duanwu Festival Mid-Autumn Festival

2. dragon Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythologyand folklore.In Chinese art, dragons are typically portrayed aslong, scaled, serpentine creatures with four legs. Inyin and yang terminology(), a dragon is yang andcomplements a yin fenghuang Chinese phoenix()". In Chinese daily language, excellent and outstanding people arecompared to the dragon while incapable people with noachievements are compared with other, disesteemed creatures,such as the worm. A number of Chinese proverbs and idiomsfeature references to the dragon, for example: Hoping ones son will become a dragon (). Many Chinese people often use the term Descendants of the Dragon () as a sign of ethnic identity, as part of a trend started in the 1970s when different Asian nationalities were looking for animal symbols for representations.The wolf was used among the Mongols(), the monkey among 3. Fenghuang Fenghuang are mythological birds of East Asia that reignover all other birds. The males are called Feng and thefemales Huang. In modern times, however, such adistinction of gender is often no longer made and the Fengand Huang are blurred into a single feminine entity so thatthe bird can be paired with the Chinese dragon, which hasmale connotations. In ancient and modern Chinese culture, they can often befound in the decorations for weddings or royalty, along withdragons. This is because the Chinese considered the dragonand phoenix symbolic of blissful relationsbetween husband and wife, another common yin and yangmetaphor. Dragon and Phoenix infants () is an expressionmeaning a set of male and female fraternal twins(). 4. Forbidden City The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost five hundred years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government. The palace complex exemplifies traditionalChinese palatial architecture,and has influenced cultural andarchitectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. TheForbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987,andis listed by UNESCO () as the largest collectionof preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. 5. Great Wall The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups. Several walls have been built since the 5th centuryBC that are referred to collectively as the GreatWall, which has been rebuilt and maintained fromthe 5th century BC through the 16th century. Oneof the most famous is the wall built between 220206 BC by the first Emperor of China,Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall remains; themajority of the existing wall was built during the 6. Chinese Classical Garden The Chinese Classical Garden is a place for solitary or socialcontemplation of nature. Chinese gardens were created in the same way as a combination oflandscape and paintings together with poems - this was the so-calledpoetic garden. The design of Chinese gardens was toprovide a spiritual utopia() for one to connect with nature,to come back to ones inner heart, to come back to ancientidealism. Chinese gardens are a spiritual shelter for people, a placethey could be far away from their real social lives, and close tothe ancient way of life, their true selves, and nature. This was anescape from the frustration and disappointment of the politicalproblems in China. They used plants as symbols. Bamboo() wasused in every traditional Chinese garden. This is because bamboorepresents a strong but resilient( ) character. Often pine() is used to represent longevity( ), persistence,tenacity() and dignity(). The lotus() is used tosymbolize purity. Flowering peaches( ) are grown for springcolor, and sweet olive() as well. The chrysanthemum() isused to symbolize splendor, luster( ) and "the courage tomake sacrifices for a natural life". Peonies() symbolizewealth and banana trees are used simply for the sound they makein the breeze. 7. Chinese folklore Chinese folklore includes songs, dances, puppetry( ),and tales. It often tells stories of human nature, historical orlegendary events, love, and the supernatural, or storiesexplaining natural phenomena and distinctive landmarks. The main influences on Chinese folk tales have been Taoism(), Confucianism() and Buddhism(). Well-known Chinese folk tales include: The story of Qi Xi(), also known as the Story of theMagpie Bridge() or the Story of Cowherd( ) and theWeaving Maid(), which tells how the stars Altair( )and Vega() came to their places in the sky. The story of Hua Mulan(), the female warrior whodisguised herself as a man. The story of Chang'e(), the goddess of the moon. The story of the Magic Paintbrush( ). The story of Meng Jiangn(), the woman who soughther husband at the Great Wall. The story of Sun Wukong(), the Monkey King - fromthe popular novel Journey to the West(). 8. Study of ChineseFolklore in China The Book of Songs (), the earliest knownChinese collection of poetry, contains 160 folksongs in addition to courtly songs and hymns. Onetradition holds that Confucius() himselfcollected these songs, while another says that anemperor compiled them as a means to gauge themood of the people and the effectiveness of hisrule.It is believed that Confucius did encouragehis followers to study the songs contained in theShi Jing, helping to secure the Shi Jings placeamong the Five Classics( ). After Confucianideas became further entrenched( ) inChinese culture, Confucius endorsement led manyscholars to study the lyrics of the Shi Jing andinterpret them as political allegories andcommentaries. 9. Shaolin Temple The Shaolin Monastery or Shaolin Temple is a ChnBuddhist temple at Song Shan nearZhengzhou City Henan Province in Dengfeng, China. It is led by Venerable abbot Shi Yngxn andmartial abbot Shi De Li. Founded in the 5thcentury, the monastery is long famous for itsassociation with Chinese martial arts() andparticularly with Shaolin Kung Fu. The ShaolinMonastery and its famed Pagoda Forest wereinscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in2010 as part of the "Historic Monuments of Dengfeng." 10. Kung Fu China is one of the main birth places of Eastern martial arts. The names of martial arts were called Kung Fu or its first name Wushu. China also includes the home to the well-respected Shaolin Monastery andWudang Mountains. The first generation of artstarted more for the purpose of survival andwarfare than art. Over time, some art forms havebranched off, while others have retained a distinctChinese flavor. Regardless, China has produced someof the most renowned martial artists includingWong Fei Hung() , Bruce Lee()and 11. Numbers in Chineseculture In Chinese culture, certain numbers are believed by some tobe auspicious () or inauspicious () based on theChinese word that the number name sounds similar to.However some Chinese people regard these beliefs to besuperstitions. Since the pronunciation and the vocabularymay be different in different Chinese dialects, the rulesare generally not applicable for all cases. Because of the supposed auspiciousness of certain numbers,some people will often choose, attempt to obtain, or paylarge sums for numbers that are considered to be lucky fortheir phone numbers, street addresses, residence floor,driver's license number, vehicle license plate number, bankaccount number, etc. Lucky numbers are based on Chinese words that soundsimilar to other Chinese words. The numbers 6, 8, and 9 arebelieved to have auspicious meanings because their namessound similar to words that have positive meanings. 12. table manners Chinese table manners are the traditional styles that areused for eating in the region of China. In most dishes inChinese cuisine(), food is cooked in bite-sized piecesand easy to grab and eat. Therefore, chopsticks are used atthe table instead of forks and knives. Eating is a dominant aspect of the Chinese culture. In China,eating out is one of the most accepted ways to treat guests.Similar to Westerners drinking in a bar with friends, eatingtogether in China is a way to socialize and deepenfriendship. There are many traditions that govern table manners inChina such as the correct treatment of guests and how touse chopsticks correctly. Although each Chinese householdhas its own set of table manners and rules, the foundationaltraditions used to welcome guests are the same. 13. Chopsticks Chopsticks are small tapered sticks used in pairsof equal length as the traditional eating utensils() of China. Generally believed to haveoriginated in ancient China, they can also be foundin some areas of Tibet and Nepal that are close toHan Chinese populations. Chopsticks are mostcommonly made of bamboo or plastic, but are alsomade of metal, bone, ivory, and various types ofwood. The pair of sticks is maneuvered in onehand, between the thumb and fingers, and used topick up pieces of food. 14. Cuisine The overwhelmingly large variety of Chinesecuisine comes mainly from the practice ofdynastic period emperors hosting banquets()with 100 dishes per meal. A countless number ofimperial kitchen staff and concubines wereinvolved in the food preparation process. Overtime, many dishes became part of the everyday-citizenculture. Some of the highest qualityrestaurants with recipes close to the dynasticperiods include Fangshan restaurant in Beihai ParkBeijing and the Oriole Pavilion. Arguably allbranches of Hong Kong eastern style or evenAmerican Chinese food are in some ways rootedfrom the original dynastic cuisines. 15. Leisure A number of games and pastimes arepopular within Chinese culture. Themost common game is Mah Jong. Thesame pieces are used for otherstyled games such asShanghai Solitaire. Others includePai Gow(). Weiqi and Xiangqi arealso popular. Ethnic games likeChinese yo-yo() are also partof the culture. 16. architecture Chinese architecture, examples of which can be found fromover 2,000 years ago, has long been a hallmark of theculture. There are certain features common to Chinesearchitecture, regardless of specific region or use. The mostimportant is its emphasis on width, as the wide halls of theForbidden City() serve as an example. Another important feature is symmetry, which connotes asense of grandeur as it applies to everything from palacesto farmhouses. One notable exception is in the design ofgardens, which tends to be as asymmetrical as possible. LikeChinese scroll paintings, the principle underlying thegarden's composition is to create enduring flow, to let thepatron wander and enjoy the garden without prescription, asin nature herself. Feng shui has played an important part instructural development. 17. music Mo Li Hua ,which means Jasmine Flowers, is apopular Chinese folk song. It was created duringthe Qianlong Emperor period of the Qing Dynasty.There are two versions of the song, the more wellknown one from the Jiangsu Province, and theother from Zhejiang Province. They have differentlyrics and a slightly different melody( ). The melody has become well known among Westernlisteners as it was included by Giacomo Puccini inhis opera Turandot(), where it is associatedwith 'Turandot's splendor'. This song was sung by a young Chinese girl andbroadcast to the world, at the closing ceremoniesof the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece,to introduce the next Olympic Games site,accompanied by the music by Peking Universitystudents. At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, this 18. Spring Festival Spring Festival is the most important ofthe traditional Chinese holidays. It isoften inaccurately called Lunar NewYear, because - as part of the lunisolarChinese calendar() - the date ispartially determined based on lunar phase. The festival traditionally begins on thefirst day of the first month in theChinese calendar and ends withLantern Festival which is on the 15th day.Chinese New Years Eve, a day whereChinese families gather for their annualreunion dinner, is known as ch x ().It literally means Year-pass Eve. Red envelopes or red packets( ) 19. Chinese New Year According to tales and legends, the beginning ofChinese New Year started with the fight against amythical beast called the Nien (). Nien wouldcome on the first day of New Year to devourlivestock, crops, and even villagers, especiallychildren. To protect themselves, the villagerswould put food in front of their doors at thebeginning of every year. It was believed thatafter the Nien ate the food they prepared, itwouldnt attack any more people. One time, peoplesaw that the Nien was scared away by a littlechild wearing red. The villagers then understoodthat the Nien was afraid of the colour red.Hence, every time when the New Year was aboutto come, the villagers would hang red lanterns andred spring scrolls on windows and doors. Peoplealso used firecrackers to frighten away the Nien.From then on, Nien never came to the villageagain. The Nien was eventually captured byHongjun Laozu, an ancient Taoist monk. The Nienbecame Hongjun Laozu's mount. 20. Qingming Festival The Qingming Festival is atraditional Chinese festival on the 104thday after the winter solstice() (orthe 15th day from the Spring Equinox()), usually occurring around April 5 ofthe Gregorian calendar().Astronomically() it is also asolar term() .The Qingming festivalfalls on the first day of the fifth solarterm, named Qingming. Its name denotes atime for people to go outside and enjoythe greenery of springtime ( ) andtend to the graves of departed ones. 21. A drizzling rain falls like tears on theMourning Day; The mourner's heart is breaking on hisway. Where can a winehouse be found todrown his sadness? A cowherd points to Almond Flower ( ) Village in the distance. 22. Duanwu Festival Duanwu Festival also known as Dragon BoatFestival, is a traditional and statutory holidayassociated with Chinese. The festival occurs on the5th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar onwhich the Chinese calendar is based. The focus ofthe celebrations includes eating the rice dumplingzongzi, drinking realgar wine() ,and racingdragon boats. The best-known traditional story holds that thefestival commemorates the death of poet Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself inthe Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth lunarmonth. It is said that the local people, who admired him,threw lumps of rice into the river to feed the fishso that they would not eat Qu Yuan's body.This issaid to be the origin of zongzi. The local people 23. Mid-Autumn Festival The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the MoonFestival or Zhongqiu Festival is a popular harvestfestival celebrated by Chinese . The Mid-Autumn Festival is held on the 15th day ofthe eighth month in the Chinese calendar, which isin September or early October in theGregorian calendar. It is a date that parallels theautumnal equinox() of the solar calendar, whenthe moon is at its fullest and roundest. Thetraditional food of this festival is the mooncake, ofwhich there are many different varieties. The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the few mostimportant holidays in the Chinese calendar. Farmerscelebrate the end of the summer harvesting seasonon this date. Traditionally on this day, Chinesefamily members and friends will gather to admire 24. Thank you! 25. SSpprriinngg FFeessttiivvaall The Spring Festival falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month, often onemonth later than the Gregorian calendar. It originated in the ShangDynasty (c. 1600 BC-c. 1100 BC) from the people's sacrifice to gods andancestors 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 ofthe 12th lunar month and will last till the mid 1st lunar month of the nextyear. Of them, the most important days are Spring Festival Eve and thefirst three days. The Chinese government now stipulates people haveseven days off for the Chinese Lunar New Year. Many customs accompany the Spring Festival. Some are still followedtoday, but others have weakened. 26. SSpprriinngg FFeessttiivvaall Before the New Year comes, the people completely clean theindoors and outdoors of their homes as well as their clothes,bedclothes and all their utensils. Then people begin decorating their clean rooms featuring anatmosphere of rejoicing and festivity. All the door panels willbe pasted with Spring Festival couplets, highlighting Chinesecalligraphy with black characters on red paper. The contentvaries from house owners' wishes for a bright future to goodluck for the New Year. Also, pictures of the god of doors andwealth will be posted on front doors to ward off evil spiritsand welcome peace and abundance. 27. The Chinese character "fu" (meaning blessing orhappiness) is a must. The character put on paper canbe pasted normally or upside down, for in Chinesethe "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 ofthe front door. Red paper-cuttings can be seen onwindow glass and brightly colored New Yearpaintings with auspicious meanings may be put onthe wall. 28. LLaanntteerrnn FFeessttiivvaall The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, usuallyin February or March in the Gregorian calendar. As early as the WesternHan Dynasty (206 BC-AD 25), it had become a festival with greatsignificance. This day's important activity is watching lanterns. Throughout the HanDynasty (206 BC-AD 220), Buddhism flourished in China. One emperorheard that Buddhist monks would watch sarira, or remains from thecremation of Buddha's body, and light lanterns to worship Buddha on the15th day of the 1st lunar month, so he ordered to light lanterns in theimperial palace and temples to show respect to Buddha on this day. Later,the Buddhist rite developed into a grand festival among common peopleand its influence expanded from the Central Plains to the whole of China. 29. LLaanntteerrnn FFeessttiivvaall Guessing lantern riddles"is an essential part of theFestival. Lantern owners write riddles on a piece ofpaper and post them on the lanterns. If visitors havesolutions to the riddles, they can pull the paper outand go to the lantern owners to check their answer. Ifthey are right, they will get a little gift. The activityemerged during people's enjoyment of lanterns in theSong Dynasty (960-1279). As riddle guessing isinteresting and full of wisdom, it has become popularamong all social strata. 30. People will eat yuanxiao, or ricedumplings, on this day, so it is alsocalled the "YuanxiaoFestival."Yuanxiao also has anothername, tangyuan. It is small dumplingballs made of glutinous rice flourwith rose petals, sesame, bean paste,jujube paste, walnut meat, driedfruit, sugar and edible oil as filling.Tangyuan can be boiled, fried orsteamed. It tastes sweet anddelicious. What's more, tangyuan inChinese has a similar pronunciationwith "tuanyuan, meaning reunion.So people eat them to denote union,harmony and happiness for thefamily. 31. QQiinnggmmiinngg FFeessttiivvaall The Qingming (Pure Brightness)Festival is one of the 24 seasonaldivision points in China, fallingon April 4-6 each year. After thefestival, the temperature will riseup and rainfall increases. It is thehigh time for spring plowing andsowing. But the QingmingFestival is not only a seasonalpoint to guide farm work, it ismore a festival ofcommemoration. The Qingming Festival sees acombination of sadness andhappiness. 32. The Hanshi (Cold Food) Festival was usually one day beforethe Qingming Festival. As our ancestors often extended theday to the Qingming, they were later combined. On each Qingming Festival, all cemeteries are crowded withpeople who came to sweep tombs and offer sacrifices. Trafficon the way to the cemeteries becomes extremely jammed. Thecustoms have been greatly simplified today. After slightlysweeping the tombs, people offer food, flowers and favoritesof the dead, then burn incense and paper money and bowbefore the memorial tablet. 33. DDrraaggoonn BBooaatt FFeessttiivvaall The Dragon Boat Festival, the 5th day of the 5th lunarmonth, has had a history of more than 2,000 years. It isusually in June in the Gregorian calendar. Dragon boat racing is an indispensable part of the festival,held all over the country. As the gun is fired, people willsee racers in dragon-shaped canoes pulling the oarsharmoniously and hurriedly, accompanied by rapid drums,speeding toward their destination. Folk tales say the gameoriginates from the activities of seeking Qu Yuan's body,but experts, after painstaking and meticulous research,conclude that dragon boat racing is a semi-religious, semi-entertainingprogram from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). In the following thousands of years, the gamespread to Japan, Vietnam and Britain as well as China'sTaiwan and Hong Kong. Now dragon boat racing hasdeveloped into an aquatic sports item which features bothChinese tradition and modern sporting spirit. In 1980, itwas listed into the state sports competition programs andhas since been held every year. The award is called "QuYuan Cup." 34. DDoouubbllee SSeevveenntthh FFeessttiivvaall The Double Seventh Festival, on the 7th day of the 7th lunarmonth, is a traditional festival full of romance. It often goesinto August in the Gregorian calendar. This festival is in mid-summer when the weather is warm andthe grass and trees reveal their luxurious greens. At nightwhen the sky is dotted with stars, and people can see theMilky Way spanning from the north to the south. On eachbank of it is a bright star, which see each other from afar. Theyare the Cowherd and Weaver Maid, and about them there is abeautiful love story passed down from generation togeneration. 35. Long, long ago, there was an honest and kind-hearted fellow named NiuLang (Cowhand). His parents died when he was a child. Later he wasdriven out of his home by his sister-in-law. So he lived by himself herdingcattle and farming. One day, a fairy from heaven Zhi Nu (Weaver Maid)fell in love with him and came down secretly to earth and married him. Thecowhand farmed in the field and the Weaver Maid wove at home. Theylived a happy life and gave birth to a boy and a girl. Unfortunately, theGod of Heaven soon found out the fact and ordered the Queen Mother ofthe Western Heavens to bring the Weaver Maid back. With the help of celestial cattle, the Cowhand flew to heaven with his sonand daughter. At the time when he was about to catch up with his wife, theQueen Mother took off one of her gold hairpins and made a stroke. Onebillowy river appeared in front of the Cowhand. The Cowhand and WeaverMaid were separated on the two banks forever and could only feel theirtears. Their loyalty to love touched magpies, so tens of thousands ofmagpies came to build a bridge for the Cowhand and Weaver Maid to meeteach other. The Queen Mother was eventually moved and allowed them tomeet each year on the 7th of the 7th lunar month. Hence their meeting datehas been called "Qi Xi" (Double Seventh). 36. MMiidd--AAuuttuummnn FFeessttiivvaall The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month,usually in October in Gregorian calendar. Folklore about the origin of the festival go like this: In remote antiquity,there were ten suns rising in the sky, which scorched all crops and drovepeople into dire poverty. A hero named Hou Yi was much worried aboutthis, he ascended to the top of the Kunlun Mountain and, directing hissuperhuman strength to full extent, drew his extraordinary bow and shotdown the nine superfluous suns one after another. He also ordered the lastsun to rise and set according to time. For this reason, he was respected andloved by the people and lots of people of ideals and integrity came to himto learn martial arts from him. A person named Peng Meng lurked inthem. 37. Hou Yi had a beautiful and kindhearted wife named Chang E. One day onhis way to the Kunlun Mountain to call on friends, he ran upon theEmpress of Heaven Wangmu who was passing by. Empress Wangmupresented to him a parcel of elixir, by taking which, it was said, one wouldascend immediately to heaven and become a celestial being. Hou Yi,however, hated to part with his wife. So he gave the elixir to Chang E totreasure for the time being. Chang E hid the parcel in a treasure box at herdressing table when, unexpectedly, it was seen by Peng Meng. One day when Hou Yi led his disciples to go hunting, Peng Meng, swordin hand, rushed into the inner chamber and forced Chang E to hand overthe elixir. Aware that she was unable to defeat Peng Meng, Chang E madea prompt decision at that critical moment. She turned round to open hertreasure box, took up the elixir and swallowed it in one gulp. As soon asshe swallowed the elixir her body floated off the ground, dashed out of thewindow and flew towards heaven. Peng Meng escaped. 38. When Hou Yi returned home at dark, he knew from the maidservants what hadhappened. Overcome with grief, Hou Yi looked up into the night sky and called outthe name of his beloved wife when, to his surprise, he found that the moon wasespecially clear and bight and on it there was a swaying shadow that was exactlylike his wife. He tried his best to chase after the moon. But as he ran, the moonretreated; as he withdrew, the moon came back. He could not get to the moon at all. Thinking of his wife day and night, Hou Yi then had an incense table arranged inthe back garden that Chang E loved. Putting on the table sweetmeats and freshfruits Chang E enjoyed most, Hou Yi held at a distance a memorial ceremony forChang E who was sentimentally attached to him in the palace of the moon. When people heard of the story that Chang E had turned into a celestial being, theyarranged the incense table in the moonlight one after another and prayedkindhearted Chang E for good fortune and peace. From then on the custom ofworshiping the moon spread among the people. People in different places follow various customs, but all show their love andlonging for a better life. Today people will enjoy the full moon and eat moon cakeson that day. 39. DDoouubbllee NNiinntthh FFeessttiivvaall The 9th day of the 9th lunar month is the traditional Chongyang Festival, or Double Ninth Festival. Itusually falls in October in the Gregorian calendar. In an ancient and mysterious book Yi Jing, or The Bookof Changes, number "6" was thought to be of Yin character, meaning feminine or negative, while number"9" was thought to be Yang, meaning masculine or positive. So the number nine in both month and daycreate the Double Ninth Festival, or Chongyang Festival. Chong in Chinese means "double." Also, asdouble ninth was pronounced the same as the word to signify "forever", both are "Jiu Jiu," the Chineseancestors considered it an auspicious day worth celebration. That's why ancient Chinese began tocelebrate this festival long time ago. The custom of ascending a height to avoid epidemics was passed down from long time ago. Therefore, theDouble Ninth Festival is also called "Height Ascending Festival". The height people will reach is usuallya mountain or a tower. Ancient literary figures have left many poems depicting the activity. Even today,people still swarm to famous or little known mountains on this day In 1989, the Chinese government decided the Double Ninth Festival as Seniors' Day. Since then, allgovernment units, organizations and streets communities will organize an autumn trip each year for thosewho have retired from their posts. At the waterside or on the mountains, the seniors will find themselvesmerged into nature. Younger generations will bring elder ones to suburban areas or send gifts to them onthis day. 40. WWiinntteerr SSoollssttiiccee FFeessttiivvaall As early as 2,500 years ago, about the Spring and Autumn Period(770-476 BC), China had determined the point of Winter Solstice byobserving movements of the sun with a sundial. It is the earliest ofthe 24 seasonal division points. The time will be each December 22or 23 according to the Gregorian calendar. The Northern hemisphere on this day experiences the shortestdaytime and longest nighttime. After the Winter Solstice, days willbecome longer and longer. As ancient Chinese thought, the yang, ormuscular, positive things will become stronger and stronger afterthis day, so it should be celebrated. 41. In some parts of Northern China, people eat dumpling soup on this day;while residents of some other places eat dumplings, saying doing so willkeep them from frost in the upcoming winter. But in parts of South China,the whole family will get together to have a meal made of red-bean andglutinous rice to drive away ghosts and other evil things. In other places,people also eat tangyuan, a kind of stuffed small dumpling ball made ofglutinous rice flour. The Winter Solstice rice dumplings could be used assacrifices to ancestors, or gifts for friends and relatives. The Taiwanpeople even keep the custom of offering nine-layer cakes to theirancestors. They make cakes in the shape of chicken, duck, tortoise, pig,cow or sheep with glutinous rice flour and steam them on different layersof a pot. These animals all signify auspiciousness in Chinese tradition.People of the same surname or family clan gather at their ancestraltemples to worship their ancestors in age order. After the sacrificialceremony, there is always a grand banquet. 42. Symbolism In Chinese Culture---Meaning of NumbersLi Liang(liangli214@126.com) 43. 1. The Daoism View of Nature andNumbers The whole universe is made of two basicforces: yin and yang 44. Yin: the feminine or negative principle innature. Yang :the masculine or positive principleIn nature. Yin and yang are thought to arise togetherfrom an initial quiescence or emptiness(wuji, ), and to continue moving intandem until quiescence is reached again. 45. Characteristics of Yin Yang Yin yang are opposingYin yang describe opposing qualities inphenomena.For instance, winter is yin to summer's yangover the course of a year, and femininity isyin to masculinity's yang in humanrelationships.It is impossible to talk about yin or yangwithout some reference to the opposite. 46. Yin yang are rooted togetherSince yin and yang are created together in asingle movement, they are bound together asparts of a mutual whole. A race with only men or only women woulddisappear in a single generation, but menand women together create new generationsthat allow the race they mutually create (andmutually come from) to survive.The interaction of the two gives birth tothings. 47. Yin yang transform each otherLike an undertow in the ocean, everyadvance is complemented by a retreat, andevery rise transforms into a fall.E.g. A seed will sprout from the earth andgrow upwards towards the sky - anintrinsically yang movement. Then when itreaches its full height, it will begin to weaken,and eventually will fall back to the earth indecay - an intrinsically yin movement.Yin always contains the potential for yang,and yang for yin. 48. Yin-yang are balancedYin-yang is a dynamic equilibrium.They arise together they are always equal If one disappears, the other must disappearas well, leaving emptiness.This is rarely immediately apparent, though,because yang elements are clear andobvious while yin elements are hidden andsubtle. 49. Yin-yang are omnipresente.g. time/space/ relationship:Chinese place names: foodmedicine acupuncture,so energy line system rebalanced 50. 2. Yin and Yang Corresponding EnergiesYin YangDark LightMatter SpiritEarth SkyFemale MalePassive ActiveEvenNumbersOddNumbers 51. Can add more to this binary system:winter/summer, death/life, cold/hot, So the point is basically there is nodistinction between good/bad, etc,numbers inclusive. All are indispensable pairs in this systemof balance. 52. 3. Why Lucky and Unlucky numbers? Western: religion? 7: lucky13: unlucky Chinese:1traditional Chinese philosophy2words that sound similar(homophones) 53. 4. Meaning of Numbers y : unity /initiation/ beginningDaoism One begets two.father of the children of numbersholds yang/masculine energy.has a thrusting energy that surgesforth new growth and potential.e.g. y xn y y (ji ji gu y 54. r duality /germination/harmonymother of numberseven number: feminine/yin energy.good things come in pairs ho sh chng shung e.g. weddinga pair of red candles/pillows/shoescouplets 55. sn : The first offspring from the union ofnumbers 1 and 2. number three is forever linked with thesanctity of life, progeny and childbirth. 56. Associated with endings in the Chinese meaning ofnumbers. not means three) From three, the family of numbers branches out to creatediversity and complexity. Daoism : Great Triad (Heaven-Mankind-Earth) whichcan be loosely translated to mean the path from obscurityinto manifestation. Daoism , Also sounds similar toshng (, birth or rising 57. s sounds similar tosdeath Many numbered product lines skip the "4or any number chains ending with 4 But it sounds similar to sh: thingsor worldlifee.g = (sh sh r y) Everything done as wished.s j f ciMay you be prosperous all four seasons. 58. w) associated with the fiveelements in Chinese philosophy 59. The doctrine of five phases describes twocycles, a generating or creation ( ,shng) cycle, also known as "mother-son" and an overcoming or destruction ( /, k) cycle, also known as "grandfather-nephew",of interactions between thephases. 60. Generating Wood feeds Fire; Fire creates/produces Earth (ash); Earth bears Metal; Metal carries Water (e.g H2O is created by reactionscatalyzed by metal oxides when molten volcanoeserupt); Water nourishes Wood. Other common words for this cycle include "begets","engenders" and "mothers." 61. Overcoming Wood parts Earth (such as roots); Earth absorbs (or muddies) Water; Water quenches Fire; Fire melts Metal; Metal chops Wood.Also: Wood absorbs Water; Water rusts Metal; Metal breaks up Earth; Earth smothers Fire; Fire burns Wood. This cycle might also be called "controls", "restrains" or"fathers". 62. Significance of Wu Xing Theory feng shui: e.g. architecture Traditional Chinese medicine Martial arts: The Five Steps of Taiji Music/astrology/sensory 63. Forbidden City5 arches/5 gates 64. Folklore: Wu Fu Lin Men 65. Wu Fu Lin Men Cont) 66. Also sounds similar tow : poetic Ie.g w 520=I love you555= 67. li harmony/expansione.g. li hesix cosmic points of directions pronounced similar to li fluide.g. li li shn 68. Good/smooth for business.e.g.666 : one of the luckiest numbers of allAW666: license plate numbered was soldfor RMB 270,000 Western: devils number? 69. q spiritual or ghostly. The seventh month Ghost Month. not commonly associated with luck. Traditional Chinese Memorial Days7*7=49 days1st 7: 2nd 7: .7th 7: BUT 70. Chinese Valentines Day qxji : On July 7 according toChinese Lunar calendar Also called The Girls Festival Originated from legendary storyThe Cowherd and the Weaving Maid,ni lng zh n 71. The Cowherd and the Weaving Maid 72. The Story about the 7th daughter of Emperor of Heavenand an orphaned cowherd. They were separated by the Emperor. The 7th daughter was forced to move to the starVega and the cowherd moved to the star Altair. They are allowed to meet only once a year onthe day of 7th day of 7th lunar month. 73. qu qio hu 74. Example: Fairy Of The Magpie Bridge by Qin Guan 1049-1100 Among the beautiful clouds, Over the heavenly river, Crosses the weaving maiden. A night of rendezvous, Across the autumn sky. Surpasses joy on earth. Moments of tender love and dream, So sad to leave the magpie bridge. Eternal love between us two, Shall withstand the time apart. 75. Chinese Ceremonies Girls prepare fruits, melons and incense asofferings to the weaving maiden Girls throw the five-color ropes on the roof formagpies. Magpies will carry ropes to build thebridge. Girls pray to acquire high skills in needlecraft,hoping to find satisfactory husbands. In the evening, people sit outdoors to observethe stars. 76. Ancient Seventh-sister Party 77. b :sounds similar tof : prosperity or wealth . is short for f ci get rich gngx fcicongratulations and get rich. 78. In Chinese New Year it can meanHappy new year!Congratulations and best wishes for aprosperous new year 79. Also a visual resemblance between twodigits, 88 and The most favoured number in Chineseculture 80. Examples: In Chengdu telephone number with alldigits being eights was sold for $270,723 In Hangzhou license plate readingA88888 for RMB 1.12 million (roughly$164,000 USD). The opening ceremony of the SummerOlympics in Beijing are scheduled to openon 8/8/08 at 8:08:08 pm. 81. More phone numbers:6252-8888. Holiday Inn Crown Plaza inShanghai6279-8088: Northwest Airlines6247-8888: China Travel Services 82. jithe greatest of single-digitnumbers was historically associated with theEmperor of China 83. Number 9 is a homophone of the word forlonglasting ji It signifies friendship, love, and long life.e.g chng ji yu y d ji tinchngMay our friendship last forever. 84. Double-9th Day chngyngji on the ninth day of the ninth month inChinese lunar calendar. The highest odd number, or yangnumber, appears in double so literallydouble yang. a history of more than 2,000 years. 85. Main Conventions going on a journey ascending height Height AscendingFestival inserting cornel appreciating chrysanthemum eating Double-Ninth cake and drinkingchrysanthemum wine. 86. The Chinese government set September9 in the lunar calendar as "the Elder'sFestival" in 1989. Now the Double-Ninth Day has beenenlisted as Intangible Cultural Heritage ofChina. 87. 5. Number Combinationse.g168 road of prosperity or to beprosperous together. 88. Fun with Number Combinations 14 518 1314 1314920 88886 89. Closing Remarks1 2Beauty/Auspiciousness is in the eyeof the beholder? 90. Thank You 39 91. FFaammoouuss SSyymmbbooll ooffCChhiinnaa CCuullttuurree 92. Beijing Forbidden CityTeaGreat WallChinaTerracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shi HuangDragon 93. Beijing Forbidden City 94. Beijing Forbidden CityNational Palace Museum, alsoknown as the Forbidden City, locates inthe center of Beijing. Today, peoplecalled her the National Palace, whichmeans the Imperial Palace in thepast.The Unique style of BeijingForbidden City is a famous ancientarchitecture in China. 95. Tea 96. TeaTea is China's national drink. now tea hasbecome fashionable drink in the world's threemajor non-alcoholic drinks (tea, coffee andcocoa), and will be the 21st century kingbeverage . China is the birthplace of tea,known as "tea of the motherland." Tea is thepride of the Chinese nation! 97. Great Wall 98. Great WallThe Great Wall was built in theSpring and Autumn period, whichlasted up to more than 2,000 years,with a total length of more than 50,000kilometer. All people who have visitedthe Great Wall would think that it is anextraordinary artistic heritagesymbolizes. It is proud of not only theChinese nation but the whole human. 99. China 100. ChinaChina is the home of porcelain. Thebeauty of porcelain makes the worldunderstand China. When hearing theEnglish words CHINA, what kind offeeling do you have? The word Chinahas the mean of Porcelain. you guess itright! Earth and the fire is the basis ofhuman evolution.Chinese porcelainwhich is the art of the earth and firerepresents the Chinese wisdom. 101. Terracotta Warriors andHorses of Qin Shi Huang 102. Terracotta Warriors andHorses of Qin Shi HuangTerracotta Warriors and Horses of QinShi Huang locates in Lintong District ofXi'an.It is the largest group of buried pit ofQin Shi Huang Mausoleum.It is theepitome of the strong Qin Dynasty .It isthinked of the Eighth Wonder of the Worldand the twentieth century's greatestarchaeological discovery.It was listed asthe world cultural heritage by UNESCO. 103. Dragon 104. DragonThe Chinese dragon culture inmodern China is not only theexistence of individual sites, but stillmaintaining a strong vitality. TheChinese dragon culture in thenational unity and nationalreconstruction can not play aleading role in the history, but stillhas a strong appeal and centripetalforce in the Chinese nation. 105. DragonThe Chinese dragon culture is notthe kind of worship, but rather createa culture.In china, the dragon has animportant position and influence.During the 5,000 years, Dragon hasbecome a symbol of the China, asymbol of the Chinese nation, asymbol of Chinese culture, a symbolof the rapid advance of the greatmotherland.