Dance of the Dragon

Dance of the Dragon also called "Running with the Dragon Lantern-hand" or "Dance with the Dragon Lantern-hands" is a folk-specific activities in China.

The dragon lantern is traditionally made with thin strips of bamboo, and silk lanterns. The head, body and tail of the dragon are made with strips of bamboo, then fine silk and is transparent to the glued strips, and feel, scales and paws are painted on silk.
Dragon lanterns have different lengths. Normally, the shortest are in three parts and the longest in more than ten, but mostly odd numbers. A handle is installed in each part of the dragon lantern, so that dancers can keep it. At the end, we light lamps in each party and the dragon-lantern is complete.

When you dance with the dragon lantern in hand, a person holds an object resembling a pearl in the face of current dragon, the dragon and the whole must be followed; It requires strength, skill and endurance, which is why it is often presented by practicing martial arts. Of all the performers, the holder of the ball, that of the head and the holder of the tail are the most important. The holder of the ball is equivalent to a commander and must deal with movements of the whole dragon-lantern. The wearer of the head is the soul of the lantern, and its movements will influence the coordination of the whole dragon. The holder of the tail often has to perform movements such as rolls of jitter etc. But can not see the movements of others must rely on a regular training and act according to certain models.

During the dance, the dragon is accompanied by traditional music played with drums, cymbals and a gong.

The dragon dance there during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is usually performed on certain days as the traditional Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) and the Mid-Autumn accompanied by other activities such as fireworks, dances including the lion, mime and other games of balance.

To date, the dragon dance is still a very popular dragons and lanterns have left the country to dance in the world.

Cultivation of bamboo in China

The cultivation of bamboo竹exists in China for over 7000 years. It is deeply rooted in the everyday life of Chinese. During the Shang Dynasty (16 - 11 century BC), bamboos have been used to make household items and weapons such as arrows. Before the invention of paper, pieces of bamboo were the most important media for writing. Bamboo shoots, rich in vitamins, are also part of the ingredients used in Chinese cooking. Even today, many Chinese musical instruments are made of bamboo, such as di (Chinese flute), the SHENG (anche China) and Xiao (flute "vertical" Chinese).

Through the centuries, bamboo has inspired the imagination of many artists admire its purity and elegance. With plum梅(Mei),兰Orchid (Lan) and chrysanthemum菊(Ju), bamboo is one of four plants Chinese favorites, they are called the four men of honor四君子(Junz 4). The qualities of these four plants are highly admired by the Chinese to the point that they wish to have their virtues. In turn, plants have a certain human nature. This is an example of harmony between nature and can be found humain.On bamboo everywhere where it can grow in China. The gardens are usually good places to see bamboo, like the famous Purple Bamboo Park in Beijing and in Shanghai Guyi garden. The "Sea of bamboo in Sichuan Province, which consists of 28 fully covered mountains bamboo has become a tourist destination thanks to the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Festival bamboo has become popular in recent years. There are many such festivals held in different places across China each year. Participate in a festival of bamboo is probably the best opportunity to learn the culture of bamboo. During these festivals, there are usually exhibitions of sculpture, calligraphy and paintings dedicated to bamboo. Bamboo painting is an integral part of traditional Chinese painting. You can also discover all kinds of bamboos, listen and feel their "spirit" with your heart to bring peace and harmony.

Culture of the sword in China

At the beginning of the period of the swords that the sword appeared for the first time in China, but its use in melee combat was relatively short. From the earliest years of the third century, the sword had left the battlefield and became a major artistic theme. Thereafter, it was considered an accessory to denote social position.

A star of the stage

After the sword, the so-called queen of all weapons, was fallen into disuse on the battlefield, it turned into a tool for elimination of individual attackers, custodian of the lives of those who had and mania, and subject to aesthetic appreciation. The sword has always form an important aspect of theater and folk dance.

The two kinds of dance most popular during the Tang dynasty (618-907) were 'Civil dance, graceful and flowing, and the "martial dance", particularly animated. The handling of the sword with choreographic arrangement included the spectacular dance of the whirling sword Huntuo western regions, as well as folk dances bold and sensual Swords of Xihe de la Chine du Nord-Ouest.

Gong Sun was the supreme champion of the handling of the sword during the Tang dynasty. Wearing a costume martial arts, it mesmerizing the audience with her dancing skill and exceptional artistic level. His admirers included scholars and respected men of letters, the great poet Du Fu of Tang even wrote a poem praising his virtuosity.

In addition to intensifying the effects of dramatic depictions of martial arts, games of the sword often occupied a central position in the plot pieces, including operas. The Conqueror says goodbye to his favorite concubine, from the repertoire of Peking opera, is a good example. This opera tells the story of Xiang Yu, a serious pretender to the throne after the death of Emperor Qin. After being defeated and driven from the State of Chu, where he was born, Xiang Yu asks his concubine Yu Ji to join him to drown his sorrows in alcohol, but the devotion to his master Yu Ji led to develop a strategy for ultimate dedication. It interprets the dance of the sword - the great master of Peking opera Mei Lanfang choreograph thereafter - dance which ends with his death. And dying, Yu Xiang Yu Ji force to free the last few channels that prevented him from attempting to recover his kingdom.

Dance of the Sword of Yu Ji's style is graceful and flowing in the use of the sword in the tai-chi: an iron fist in a velvet glove. It reflects the reluctance of emotion heroin to separate from his love and unwavering courage to face death. This scene is the climax of the opera and provides a good example of a dramatic handling of the sword.

Jian épéeCalligraphier = handle of the sword

The martial arts masters and calligraphers agree that the calligraphy and the art of sword play had similar origins. To an artist, the skillful handling of the sword is like a dance and calligraphy, which is a source of inspiration, while the master in martial arts, calligraphy resembles the game of the sword, but on the paper.

It Meng Tian, a respected general of the Qin Dynasty (221 -206 BC.) Who first made the head of a brush-shaped cone with rabbit fur which was inserted in a bamboo rod, and he came to invent the first brush calligraphy and painting. Two thousand years later, it still seeks to improve the technique of manufacture.

Zhang Xu, a famous calligrapher of the Tang dynasty (618-907), was particularly good at caoshu. This style of calligraphy differs from others by its deceptively simple appearance, when in reality it is very difficult to execute. This calls for a style virtuosity similar to that required for abstract painting, in other words a good knowledge of classical art, a prerequisite for creating abstract works. The writing of Zhang Xu, based on its regular Kaishu or writing, was clearly unusual and daring. His calligraphic art allowed him to be called "sage of the cursive writing."

Xu Zhang and Gong Sun were contemporaries. The positions taken by it in performing its daring leaps, its surprise attack and sudden movement, fatally precise, referring to the eyes of Zhang Xu, the contours of Chinese characters, set in an exceptional way. Zhang was inspired by the art of games of the sword of Gong Sun and incorporated it into his distinctive style of calligraphy that he found anything exciting in the performance of Gong Sun. The style of Zhang Xu subsequently contribute to define the canons of the art.

General Pei Min, of the Tang dynasty, is another famous virtuoso handling of the sword. While the general urged Daozi Wu, a famous Tang painter, to paint a mural on a wall of the temple to exorcise evil spirits and honor the memory of his dead mother, the artist replied: "I consider this invitation as a honor, but I have not painted for a while. Could you inspire me by a number of sword dance? "Pei Min therefore danced for him. Thereafter, Wu Daozi referred to the work he had created, under the inspiration of talented Pei Min, with the following words: "The most satisfying work of my life."

Emperor Wenzong Tang (826-841) has issued an edict declaring the imperial calligraphy of Zhang Xu, handling the sword of Pei Min and the poetry of Li Bai as the "three wonders of the great empire of Tang" .

Social

The ancient Chinese believed that the sword was the only weapon that does not cause bad omens. Many dynasties have enacted special laws on the wearing of the sword, which generally stated that the common workers were not allowed to own a sword. Indeed, the possession of this weapon was the privilege of the rich and those who have power and influence. The sword was the weapon both scholars and warriors. Many have paid as an accessory to fashion and to indicate their high social status. Only the most privileged officials could wear a sword when they were called to the imperial court.

The emperor was the supreme leader of the Chinese feudal society. Within this society, life or death of a man could be decided according to the whim of the emperor. Since it was considered that the sword of the emperor was endowed with such power, one who wore (rarely the Emperor himself) was vested with discretion as to its use. Consequently, whatever the rank of an officer accused, who bore the sword of the emperor had the power to execute or not that official, as he was entitled.

This weapon has also had applications in Taoism. A wooden sword fish was supposed to remove the demons and evil spirits, and is often hung on a wall to protect and decorate a home.

Finally, it was observed that even scholars of ancient Chinese felt a special affinity with the sword. And among the literati, it seems that the love of the sword were not recruited from among the Chinese. Thus, the great German poet Heinrich Heine did he not say: "After my death, lay a sword, not a brush in my coffin. "

Criteria of beauty in China, from ancient China to today

The criteria of beauty women of ancient China to today, have evolved according to the dynasties.

During the Tang (from the seventh to ninth century AD), a beautiful woman is a strong woman with round cheeks and wide hips. This vision of women is a very martial of China, where he had to be tough and strong. More women are represented in very-cut clothes, showing its forms.

Under the Song (about 1000), the power is in hands of civilians and specific official. Female beauty is more androgynous, with little hip and chest. This criterion of beauty continues to the Ming dynasty (fourteenth to seventeenth century AD). The women's clothing are also becoming much more modest, amounts to the neck.

From the seventeenth century under the Qing criterion of feminine beauty is like the heroine of Dream of the Red: very skinny and very white skin.

Some traditional criteria of beauty were at least questionable. Thus, the mothers for centuries enveloped the feet of their daughters tight bandages. At that time, the size of the foot was an essential element of beauty. The ideal was a foot of 15 cm long, why the children were up gang of four years. This aesthetic perfection was highly sought after and the girl who owned this asset was a rich marriage. This tradition has however imposed girls real torture and the practice was banned in 1911.

Later, during the Cultural Revolution, no sign of femininity was admitted and women looked to men (short hair ....)

Today it is considered in China a woman is beautiful if it is large, with large eyes and a nose longer than normal. These criteria for modern beauty are linked to a certain fascination with the West and Western women, excessively idealized and made the fortune of plastic surgeons.

Customs and etiquette in China

Some tips:

Remember above all: to demonstrate infinite patience! Try to stay calm in all circumstances.

* You must be a rule to speak freely and plainly to all the subjects you want to address. Avoid as much as possible indiscretion which can be annoying and do not run into criticism superficial peculiarities Chinese amaze you and you do not understand. Do you start in particular free of political considerations.
* When you greet a Chinese, a quick handshake is considered acceptable from a foreigner. Greater familiarity is reserved for true friends that we can not hope to do after a few days or few weeks of stay in the country.
* Foreigners should be kept to the bare minimum in their reciprocal demonstrations of sympathy or affection (kissing, walking hand in hand, arm in arm, etc.).. That two men or two women hold hands, however, is considered quite natural.
* Do not engage in disputes in public! If you have a score to settle with a Chinese, we should avoid any scandal or noisy stink in the presence of other Chinese. It is best to contain and wait to be able to settle the matter privately, out of sight and eavesdroppers.
* In China, men and women respond to the same label. This behavior is gradually changing in major cities, but foreign women should avoid clothes and makeup lights or too provocative. An array of jewelry is equally inappropriate. For private meetings with people, do not dress too formally, for against, the business meeting held impose a city of strict quality.
* Losing face is the worst thing that can happen to a Chinese. To lose face with someone is considered a behavior of extreme gravity. This is one reason why the Chinese do very little their feelings directly and openly.
So do not make calls when you know beforehand that it can not be satisfied. Indeed, a "no" implies a loss of face that will put both parties in a very embarrassing situation. Chinese, to avoid the embarrassing findings, often to dodge the question will be answered by a smile which means it is time to move on.
* Punctuality is a must for appointments and invitations or official business. In private meetings, the Chinese agree the "margins" reasonable.
* The practice of tipping is becoming increasingly popular in hotels, restaurants and other services. The Chinese you troubleshoot gives you a helping hand to expect a "gesture" from abroad.
* We shall not discuss the prices displayed in stores. As against the free market or to some very large purchases, the Chinese accepted the bargain they practice with a smile and good humor.
* You must respect the prohibitions to photograph when they are shown (the military are still banned, by definition). Some sites are permitted after payment of a fee. If you want to photograph people closely, we recommend to ask for permission to them.
* It is natural. Chinese speak of the age, weight, family income, etc.. Tell someone he has grown since the last meeting, is insulting, on the contrary!
* It is normal for Chinese to eat noodle soup and other ingredients aspiring food with a great noise, as is normal for him to throw the bones under the table or spit on the ground (in the countryside). Campaigns of "savoir vivre" trying to influence the behavior of people with varying degrees of success.
* Invited to private by Chinese (either restaurant or at home), we provide practical or gifts: fruit, spirits - French cognac is much appreciated - a fish alive, or something that is related hobbies hosts (compact discs, cassettes, books on life in the West) and a small package for each of the children (toys, candy). The younger generations appreciate citadines increasingly a beautiful bouquet of cut flowers (and Western) for the hostess.