Chinese culture

Shandong cuisine

Shandong cuisinemore commonly known in Chinese as Lu cuisine (simplified Chinese: 鲁菜; traditional Chinese: 魯菜; pinyin: lǔ cài), is one the Eight Culinary Traditions eight main dishes of Chinese cuisine and is also ranked among the Four Great Traditions . It is derived from the native cooking styles of Shandong, an eastern coastal province of China.

Ancient Chinese Architecture

Pagodas

The pagod originated from India, and was introduced to China along with Buddhism in the Han Dynasty. The pagoda, a transliteration from Indic Sanskrit, originally meant the grave where the remain of Indian monks of high rank were kept after they passed away.

The ancient pagoda we see today are a combination of both Indian and Chinese architecutural art, and they come in various shapes and forms. As far as appearance is concerned, there are pagodas built with wood, bricks, rocks, iron, bronze, glazed tiles or even gold, silver or pearls. Normally, the number of stories varies from five to 13, but it is always an odd number.. 

The Wooden Pagoda in Yingxian county, Shanxi province, was built 1,000 years ago. It has 9 stories, and is up to 70 m high. It is the oldest and highest still exsiting timber pagoda building in the world. Through seven earthquakes, it has remained absolutely still. 

Bridges

The bridge is one of the most important components of ancient Chinese architecture. For thousands of yars, the Chinese have built tens of thousands of ingeniously designed and magnificent bridges. 

Crossing over mountains, spanning rivers, they have facilitated transportation, beautified landscapes and have become one of the marks of ancient Chinese civilization. 

Baqiao Bridge in Xi’an, built in the Han Dynasty, is the earliest bridge with stone piers in China. It is 386 m long with 64 arches. It served as the key passage linking the vast areas to the east of the capital city Chang’an.It is by far the oldest in age, longest in span, and most grandiose in scale, multi-span stone arch bridge known today.

Zhaozhou bridge in Zhaoxian County of Hebei Province dates back 1,400 years ago to he Sui Dynasty. It is the fist single arch stone bridge in the world. 

There are many unique features about this bridge. Some 50 m long, it has mild slopes that makt it easy for horse-pulled carts and pedestrians to cross. On its shoulders there are four arch-shaped holes, which not only save building materials and lessen the weight of the bridge but also help ease the flow of water in time of flood.

Lugou Bridge over the Yongding River in the suburb of Beijing has a history of more than 900 years. It is 260m long with more than 200 stone columns on both sides. The most intereting scene is that each column is crowded with a carved lion which has its individual posture. Visitors would usually count the stone lions to know the exacet number.

There are many other ancient bridges in China. The famous ones include Ping’an Bridge in Jinjiang and Luoyang Bridge in Quanzhou of Fujian Province, Jiuqu Bridge in the West Lake of Hangzhou, Baodai Bridge in Suzhou and the Yudai Bridge in the Summer Palace of Beijing. 

The Imperial Palace 

The imperial palace was the residence of the emperor and his family. In order to show the supremacy of the imperial family and their authority to rule the country, palace architects in ancient China unanimously pursued grandeur and magnificence in their design and construction. 
The imperial palace complex in ancient China was usually divided into two parts. The front part was for the emperor to meet his ministers and talk about state affairs, while the rear was used for residential purposes only.

The main buildings were all built along a central south-north axis, while auxiliary buildings stood symmetrically on each side. Row upon row of courtyards and lines after lines of palatial halls demonstrated regal uniformity, solemnity and dignity. 

Most of the palace buildings adopted large sloping roofs. The roof was not only decorative, but also protective, as the overhang with upturned corners ensured that rain water would flow along the roof grooves and fall into places far from the wooden structures of the building.

Zoomorphic ornaments on the upturned roof corners were intended to add a sense of mystery to the place, and moreover, served a practical purpose in fastening the roof and keeping water out. The roofs were made of glazed golden tiles. Since this color was a symbol, it could only be used by imperial family.

Wooden buildings were a basic feature of ancient Chinese architecture. Beams, pillars, windows, gates were all made of wood and were painted red symbolizing happiness and riches and honor. Pictures of dragons, phoenixes, clouds, flowers and grass were sometimes painted on the surface, which not only made the buildings look more magnificent but had the practical purpose of protecting the wood from damp and infestation. 

the Forbidden City, in Beijing, is the largest wooden structural complex in the world today and had been used by 24 emperors of both the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911). 

The Hall of Great Harmony in the Palace Museum in Beijing is the largest wooden structure in China today. It was seated upon 3 layers of white marble stone foundations, surrounded by stone columns and stone steps inscribed with patterns of dragons and flowers, all of which have exquisitely carved.

At the back of the Hall is the steps and pathway, paved with monolithic stones. All the stones were sculpted with waves, clouds, and giant flying dragons, symbolizing the imperial magnificence. 

The Palace Museum is palace of luxury and extravagance, moreover, it is a museum of architecture arts. 

Temples 

China is a country with diversified religion. Apart from the indigenous Taoism,
there are Buddhism, Islam and Christianity which were introduced into China from foreign lands. 

Although Buddhism was first introduced into China from ancient India, Buddhist buildings have obviously been localized since then. Most of Buddhist temples are built in remote mountainous areas far away from city centers. 

Most of the ancient temples were designed in a way that the entrance gate would face the central main road. Inside the gate, to the left and right were the Bell and DRUM Towers. Confronted was the Hall of God, followed by the Hall of Great Wisdom. 

Further back was the Tower of Scriptures. Other structures such as monk’s residences, kitchens and dining rooms, were located at the sides along the center passage. The Chinese ancient temple was a vivid imitation of the imperial palace building, in terms of its layout, the structure of the main altar room, and the construction of the roof structure.

While inheriting the palace building’s grandeur and magnificence, the Chinese Buddhist temple structure created its own unique style. 

This is especially so with the Four Buddhist Holy Mountains, namely, Mt. Wutai, Mt.Ermei, Mt,Jiuhua and Mt. Putuo, where renowned temple buildings over the past dynasties located, such as Foguang Temple and Nanchan Temple in Wutai Mountains.

Buddhism has been practiced extensively in China as numerous temples have been considered throughout the country. These monastery establishments not only symbolize Buddhist culture, record he ancient social and cultural development, but also witness the rise and fall of Buddhism. They are of great historical and artistic value. 

Classical Garden

Classical gardens throughout China, with their beautiful scenery and unique structures, attract many tourists. 
The most prominent feature of classical Chinese gardens is the emphasis on the harmony between nature and human. Ancient garden architects successfully integrated man-made scenes into the natural landscape, creating the impression of traveling in a picture of grotesque peaks, exotic rocks, flowing currents, tranquil lakes, fragrant flowers and rare plants.

Chinese classical garden are often full of surprise in terms of scenes, variable in composition and complicated in design. Serpentine walkways, for instance, lead to places of tranquility.

Much attention is paid to the creation of varied scenery; with each step, one can see a different scene. Buildings of different forms and different architectural styles are well integrated with the garden scenery. Flowers, plants and trees are elaborately cultivated and planned with a definite eye on their heights and blooming seasons. 

Another feature of classical Chinese garden is that decorative art is ingeniously meerged with the garden scenery. On buildings there are horizontal boards carved with calligraphy, antithetical couplets, and painted beams with carvings. 

Classical Chinese garden can be roughly divided into two categories, namely, the royal gardens in the north and private gardens in the north and private gardens in the south. 

Royal gardens tend to make use of natural elements in creating clusters of stylish architectural structures in imitation of the best in the county.

With golden glazed titles, vermilion colonnades, white marble balustrades, refined ornamented beams, they are filled with a sense of magnificence and grandeur. 

Chinese cuisine:Xiang (Hunan) Cuisin

Xiang cuisine is well known for its hot spicy flavor, fresh aroma and deep color. As for trhe cooking techniques,  the common cooking techniques include stewing, frying, pot-roasting, braising, and smoking. Due to the high agricultural output of the region, there are many varied ingredients for Xiang dishes. 

General Tso's chicken:
It is a sweet, slightly spicy, deep-fried chicken dish that is popularly served in overseas Chinese restaurants.. The dish is named after General Tso Tsung-tang, general and statesman, although there is no recorded connection to him.  It is also easy to make at home and very popular in Chinese family's meal.

Changsha-style Sktinky Tofu:
 It is a form of fermented tofu that has a strong odor. Unlike cheese, stinky tofu fermentation does not have fixed formula for starter bacteria; wide regional and individual variations exist in manufacture and preparation. Although it smells not so well, the taste of tofu is quiet nice!!!

Chinese Traditional Clothing 4

Features of Chinese Clothing

Different from costumes of other countries, Chinese clothing features is very distinctive and with profound Chinese culture.Because of relatively plain design and structure of traditional Chinese clothing, 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

Darker colors were much more favored than 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 use.
 

• Colors and Seasons

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.

 

• Red Color

Red is favorite for most Chinese people since Red symbolizes good luck in traditional mind. Chinese people prefer to wear in red when they are celebrating some important festivals or events in their life, such as wedding ceremony. 

Types of Chinese Clothing

Three main types of traditional Chinese clothing are the pienfu, the changpao, and the shenyi.
 

• The pienfu 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 changpao is a one-piece garment extending from the shoulders all the way to the heels.

 

• The shenyi is a cross between the pienfu and the changpao; it consists of a tunic and a skirt or trousers like the pienfu, but the tunic and the skirt are sewed together and essentially one piece like the changpao. Consequently, the shenyi was the most widely worn of the three types. 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.

• Well-known Chinese Clothing

• • Costume in the Han Dynasty

  The costume of the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-8AD) followed the one established in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). In the Eastern Han Dynasty, people in black had to wear purple silk adornments to match their clothes. Ordinary people usually wore costume with a long hat at grand ceremonies offering sacrifices to gods or ancestors. The dress of the queen in these ceremonies consisted of dark-purple frock and black trousers.
  
  There were specific stipulations on colors of court garments in the Han Dynasty. Officers must wear garments according to the five time periods, i.e. cyan garments in the spring, red in the first two months of the summer, yellow in the last month of the summer, white in the autumn and black in the winter.
  
  Female laborers of the Han Dynasty always wore short jackets and long skirts, and their knees were always decorated with long hanging waistbands. Male laborers often wore jackets and calf-nose trousers with aprons around the garments. Farmers, workers, businessmen and scholars were all in the same dressing style at that time.

   

  • Costume in the Tang Dynasty

  Thanks to the unified and prosperous Tang Dynasty, costume in the Tang Dynasty plays a very essential role in Chinese history of clothing. The dresses of the Tang Dynasty were mainly made of silk, so they were famous for softness and lightness. The dresses of the Tang Dynasty boldly adopted the features of foreign garments in terms of forms and adornments; i.e. they mainly referred to the garments of other countries (such as the Central-Asia countries, India, Iran, Persia, northern countries and the Western Regions) and used them to improve the habilatory culture of the Tang Dynasty.
  
  One of important features of costume in Tang Dynasty is how women's dress and personal adornments of the Tang Dynasty were outstanding in entire China's history. The clothing materials were exquisite, the structure was natural, graceful and elegant, and adornments were splendid. Though the forms of garments were still the continuation of the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) and the Sui Dynasty (581-618), they were influenced by cultures and arts of the Western Regions. The trades and cultural exchanges with Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Persia and other countries gradually became frequent, and they mutually dispatched emissaries and accepted students of other countries. In this way, a special open and romantic style of dress and personal adornments for women was formed.

   

  Because of communication with the Western Regions, the influence of dressing culture of other minorities on the Tang court also reflected the change of thoughts and concepts. Chinese women were seriously restricted by the old Confucian or feudal ethical code before Tang Dynasty. The social status of ancient women was very low. They often served as Jileren (music performer), Guanji (official performer), Gongji (palace performer) and Jiaji (family performer) who were regarded as the playthings and goods that can be sold and bought by rich people for their will. Some females had rebel spirit in the Tang Dynasty, so they climbed or jumped over the walls and went to the nature to view the beautiful sightseeing in the spring by riding horses with men. Just as recorded by many historical materials, some girls therefore dressed as boys in order to go out.
  
  The garments in the Tang Dynasty also greatly affected the garments of neighboring countries. For instance, Japanese kimono adopted the elites of the dresses of the Tang Dynasty in terms of colors and the Hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) also adopted the advantages of the dresses of the Tang Dynasty

   

  • Chinese Cheongsam

  The cheongsam, or Qipao in Chinese, is evolved from a sort of ancient clothing of Manchu ethnic minority. In ancient times, it generally referred to long gowns worn by the people of Manchuria, Mongolia and the Eight-Banner.
  
  In the early years of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), long gowns featured collarless, narrow cuff in the shape of a horse's hoof, buttons down the left front, four slits and a fitting waist. Wearers usually coiled up their cuff, and put it down when hunting or battling to cover the back of hand. Another feature of Manchu cheongsam was that people generally wore it plus a waistcoat that was either with buttons down the front, a twisted front, or a front in the shape of lute, etc.
  
  When the early Manchu rulers came to mainland China, they moved their capital to Beijing. The Qing Dynasty unified China, and unified the nationwide costume so that cheongsam began to spread in the Central Plains as well. At that time, men wore a long gown and a mandarin jacket over the gown, while women wore cheongsam.

   

  From the 1930s, cheongsam almost became the uniform for women. Folk women, students, workers and highest-tone women all dressed themselves in cheongsam, which even became a formal suit for occasions of social intercourses or diplomatic activities. Later, cheongsam even spread to foreign countries and became the favorite of foreign females.
  
  Why do Han people like to wear the cheongsam? The main reason is that it fits well Chinese female figure, has simple lines and looks elegant. What's more, it is suitable for wearing in all seasons by old and young. The cheongsam can either be long or short, unlined or interlined, woolen or made of silk floss. Besides, with different materials, the cheongsam presents different styles. Cheongsams made of silk with patterns of flowerlet, plain lattices or thin lines demonstrate charm of femininity and staidness; those made of brocade are eye-catching and magnificent and suitable for occasions of greeting guests and attending banquets.
  
  When Chinese cheongsams were exhibited for sales in countries like Japan and France, they received warm welcome from local women, who did not hesitate to buy Chinese cheongsams especially those top-notch ones made of black velour interlined with or carved with golden flowers. Cheongsam features strong national flavor and embodies beauty of Chinese traditional costume. It not only represents Chinese female costume but also becomes a symbol of the oriental traditional costume

  Chinese Imperial Dressing

  In ancient feudal society, it is easy for people to be distinguished from his daily dress, especially for the ordinary people and upper-class. For the sake of working and low statue, ordinary people usually wear dress making of linen in dark color while upper-class prefer the dress making of silk with many valuable decoration.

   

  Among the upper dominated class, the Emperor, without any doubt, designated the color yellow and the dragon emblem on traditional Chinese imperial dress as an exclusive affirmation of their power. You will find the most typical example from the dress of Qing's Emperor and his empress.

   

  • Qing emperors' dress

  Qing emperors' dress adhered to a rigid code that specified clothing for every occasion: ceremonial robes for the most formal ceremonial occasions, court wear for holding audiences, auspicious garments worn during the celebration of festive occasions such as Lunar New Year and his birthday, informal clothing to be worn in his private quarters, and travel ensembles to be worn during the hunt, expeditions and inspection tours. Each ensemble consisted of several garments, headgear, belts, shoes and accessories. The ensembles included seasonal variants. Winter garments, for example, were lined with fur.

   

  Requisite silks, gauzes, satins, brocades and damasks of the highest quality were woven in the imperial weaving factory in Suzhou, and the clothing was sumptuously embroidered and embellished with gold, pearls and precious stones.

   

  • Qing empresses’ dress

  In Qing dynasties, there happened some cases that empress held the royal court together with emperor. In this case, the empress has to wear a certain kind of court robes to show her status. Winter court hats of empress dowagers and empresses were made of fumed marten and sewn with red wefts. Their hats adorned with pearl, gold pheasant patterns, gems and jade ornaments had protective collar behind the neck with drooping bright yellow ribbons. The winter court robes of empress dowagers, queens and high-ranked imperial concubines were bright yellow, and also decorated with images of dragon patterns. Summer court hats were made of cyan velvet.

   

  Empress dowagers, queens and high-ranked imperial concubines used cyan sheets with gold-wrapped metal trims to decorate their court costumes; images of dragons and Chinese characters Fu (blessing) and Shou (longevity) were embroidered on the clothes. Necklines of dresses of empress dowagers and queens were made of golden filament and decorated with pearls, turquoises and jade ornaments. Three sets of necklaces were hung on the chest when empress dowagers and queens wore court robes. When an empress dowager or queen was in auspicious clothing, she always wore one set of necklace made of pearls, jade and other top-grade materials. Court necklaces of imperial concubines were decorated with ambers, each having 108 beads in four parts divided by three big ones. 

  Chinese Wedding Dress

  • Dress and Colour

  As we mentioned, red is favorite for all Chinese people for red is considered as good luck that can keep evil spirits away. So you will find the bride and groom wear in red in their wedding part. The traditional Chinese wedding dress in northern Chinese usually is one piece frock named Qipao, embroidered with elaborate gold and silver design. Brides in Southern China prefer to wear two-piece dress name Qungua or Kwa, which also elaborately adorn with gold dragon and phoenix.

   

  • Covering Veil

  During the traditional Chinese wedding ceremony, the bride is handed by her groom. Her head is covered by a red veil which is falling down to her shoulder for whole period. The veil is not taken off until all the relatives and friends have left. The groom needs to put the veil off by himself only. Imagine the special and sweet moment when groom takes the veil off and see a blush and exciting face with the timid candlelight while they sit on the edge of new bed. The bride covering veil is connected with the special occasion the lovers are eager for their life.

   

  • Shoes

  During the wedding ceremony, the bride usually wears a special pair of wedding shoes. For example, in Southern Fujian Province, the bride has to wear a pair of shoes embroidered with patterns of a turtle or a deer, which symbolizes blessing, happiness and longevity after marriage.

  In southern Zhejiang Province, the bride has to wear a pair of shoes named Shang Jiao Xie (shoes worn while stepping into the sedan chair) before getting into the sedan is for the sake of praying for auspiciousness.

   

  Either the bride or others can make the wedding shoes. These kinds of shoes are made with red and green cloth and usually with a soft sole. When a bride is going to step into the sedan chair, she is supposed to wear these shoes. In some places, relatives who are thought to have good fortune make such shoes, while in other areas, they are made by the bride and another single girl in the morning of the wedding day.

Chinese modern transportation

Types of Chinese Ethnic Costume

There are numerous clothing designs and forms in Chinese ethnic minorities. Generally speaking, they can be classified into two types: long gowns and short clothes. People usually wear a hat and boots to match long gowns, and headcloth and shoes to match short clothes. The gowns take various forms: the high-collar and big-front type worn by the Mongolian, the Manchu, the Tu and so on; the collarless tilted-front type worn by the Tibetan, the Moinba and so on; the tilted-front type worn by the Uygur and other ethnic minorities; and so on. As for short clothes, they fall into two types: trousers and skirts.

In terms of fashion of skirts, there are pleated skirts, tube skirts, short skirts, one-piece dress and so on. In any kind of clothes, no matter it is the gown, the coat, the skirt, or the trousers, different ethnic minority groups employ different structures, techniques and styles. Women of the Li, the Dai, the Jingpo, the De'ang ethnic minorities and so on all wear tube skirts, but those tube skirts worn by the Li are brocade skirts made of cotton, those worn by the Jingpo are woolen multicolored skirts, those worn by the De'ang are skirts with horizontal stripes, and those worn by the Dai are usually skirts made of common cloth.

Costumes of ethnic minorities vary greatly not only with different nationalities, but also with different branches and different regions within the same ethnic group. Difference can be seen from province to province, from county to county, and even from village to village. Costume is the most obvious symbol of an ethnic group, and in the history, many ethnic groups were named just according to their garments.

In a vast country like China, with so many ethnic groups and an unbalanced social development, styles of clothes vary a lot due to different economic lives, cultural levels, natural environments and geographical conditions and climatic conditions. This is one of the characteristics of folk garments.

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• Techniques of Chinese Ethnic Costume

Some techniques of Chinese ethnic minorities such as embroidery and batik are much developed, and are widely used in making clothing adornments. This is another feature of their costumes.

Embroidery is a technique generally favored by all ethnic groups, and it is usually used in the headband, the waistband, the apron, and some rapid-wearing parts such as the border of the front, the round shoulder, the lower hem, the wristband, the bottom of trouser legs, the edge of the skirt, etc., being both decorative and practical. Embroidery techniques include cross-stitch work, applique, embroidering and so on; methods include surface, twine, chain, net, stab and stack embroidery, etc; patterns include natural scenes, auspicious patterns and geometric patterns and so on.