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The Hakka PingFang is a very simple structure compared to the tulou and Five Phoenix house. I don't have pictures of it. But I think there should be a publication from the Hong Kong Government Printinghouse about this relic in Taipo. It is now marked as a historical site. From the Taipo bus stop it is about 20-30 minute walk. Perhaps it was too common to me, I never took any picture of it.
The communal philosophy is really the ideal for the Chinese society since the Confucius and Mencius era. 禮運大同篇 (li yun da tong pian) is a good description of this ideal and Dr. Sun YatSen had written it in his own calligraphy for all to appreciate.(I think Ming might have this on his site). It is thus not surprising that Mao also adopted this ideal and he had no problem is recruiting Hakkas in his army. If you trace his 25,000-li Long March, starting from Ruijin, Jiangxi 江西瑞金, most of the villages he passed were Hakka territories and many joined hsi army.
I think this communal philosophy is still cherished by most Chinese to have a society of equality.
Siu-Leung Lee
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Sunday, October 31, 1999 at 06:49:28 (PS
Dear Ming, Siu-Leung, Stephen and friends
May I elaborate a bit more on the Hakka houses in Fujian-Guangdong border.
The Square and Round Tulous are really fortresses housing three to five hundred people. Ming is right to say that the houses are actually communal. They share everything. The wells, two or more, are located inside the central enclosure, so in times of seige by the enemies, they can withstand some period of confinement. They keep fowls and pigs within, so from a modern hygienic view, many of the younger ones have migrated out. I have been told that there is a TV soap series shown in Singapore and Malaysia on the Hakka families with flahback to the tulou houses in China.
Each family has a vertical unit made up of the ground floor for cooking, second floor for storage and thrid and fourth floors for living. The various floors are not interconnected b7y stairs from within, because they share common stair-ways, about ten vertical units to each stair-case. The Hakka elders who accompanied me around the oldest round-house said all Hakkas are of the same family, so they do not differentiate between the various family members and hence privacy is not that important. Thus, the Hakkas were the first communalists (?communists), without the help of Marx or Mao.
One important aspect of the round house is the ability to withstand earth-quakes, apparently quite common at the Fujian-Guangdong area. There is a round house with a crack in the wall from an earthquake, but following a subsequent earth-quake, the gap was sealed up naturally!!! From the scientific angle, a round ring-like structure surely can withstand earth-quake better than a square one, whose corners will be subjected to a greater shaking force. In a ringed structure, the force is spread round and round.
The earth-coatings externally are difficult to catch fire, so there is a security against fire arrows. The tiles are also not likely to catch fire. Hence, only the wooden structures can be seen from the inside opened central compound, so the greatest danger to fire is only when the enemy has broken in. This is extremely difficult as there is only one door, which is heavy and strong, and easily defensible.
As for Siu-Leung's early interest and pre-occupation with the PingFang, I will be most happy if he can post one. The Hakka Book I bought only mentioned five structures, viz. square tulou, round tulou, three tier hall house, dragon house and five phoenix house. This sixth type of house, which seems to be common in Siu-Leung's ancestral village, should also be documented.
In regards to the Tang dynasty family of Li, which Siu-Leung is a descendent, it is said that the second emperor had Turkic blood. The close proximity of the Tang ruling house to the Western Caucasian tribes, engendered by the Silk Road, would have meant a mixing of cultures and marriages. How this can be interpreted in the Hakka context is beyond me. Stephen is working from the linguistic angle, but I suppose the best evidence will later come from large studies of the human chromosome.
I wonder if Yahoo CTB site has the capacity for me to post the coloured photographs from Yongding and Wuyishan. Can Rudy kindly advise, otherwise I may overload the site.
Tin-Kay
If you look at the Tang terra cotta figurines (Tang San Cai 唐三彩 ), many of the
horse riding soldiers show mostly Caucasian features. Li Bai was born in 副葉 outside of
the current Chinese territory. The pictures of Tang emperors are not necessarily
in true reemblance with the person. The Li(Lee) clan of Tang began in Longxi, Gansu which is
very close to Guanwai 關外. Tang's territory covered much further than the
current western limit. There should have been a lot of intermarriages between
Han and Xiongnu, Turks, Xianbei, etc. Xianbei was totally Hanized (I don't like the word
sincized as sino is already mixed).
The ratio of Han population is far overwhelming, so the mix-blood is more like
the Mongolian trait after generations. Since the migrations occurred in different stages,
Hakkas migrating south from different regions also have different
characteristics. There is no simple way to define Hakka, just as there is no simple way to define Chinese.
I think Xiongnu is still Mongolian trait. But Turks are definitely
Caucasian. You must have seen the mummy female warrior and others excavated in Xinjiang(Takla Makan desert). She was a Caucasian dated in
probably up to 4000 years ago.
(http://www.discovery.com/stories/history/desertmummies/desertmummies.html)
The interaction of Han with non-Han in China must have been happening all the time since 4000 years ago.
Siu-Leung Lee
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Saturday, October 30, 1999 at 23:44:38 (PD
There are several phases of migration of Chinese from central China to the south. The earliest was during Qin. These were draftees to administer Guangdong. Then there were migrations in Jin4 (Wu Hu Luan Hua), Song (Jin1 invasion), and Qing (government encouraged settlement in Sichuan). You can visit my website and other links. During these migrations there were also intermarriages of Han with people from the Steppes. So many Hakkas bear certain Caucasian features. In fact Tang dynasty started close to the Steppes and the imperial Tang family had a lot of Caucasian traits. So, Cantonese people and Hakka people call Chinese as Tang ren (People of the Tang dynasty), rather than Han ren. Today, Chinatown in US, and other foreign cities is still called Tang Ren Jie.
Siu-Leung Lee
FROM:SL Lee <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Saturday, October 30, 1999 at 15:49:28 (PD
There is an exhibit now in Washington DC displaying the Qin dynasty terra cotta. I think they should have the various types of armors. They have a very thick catalog of the exhibit that might have some pictures. I don't have the catalog but you can order it from the National Art Gallery for $40. Go to their site and take a look.
Siu-Leung Lee
FROM:SL Lee <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Saturday, October 30, 1999 at 15:40:25 (PD
The exhibition presents a remarkable panorama of China's culture, landscape, and history over the past fifty years, seen through the lens of twenty distinguished Chinese, Chinese American, Japanese, and Western photographers.
See it all in AsiaSociety.org's virtual exhibition. by clicking here.
The presentation and web design is very professional and good.
Asia Society is an important non-profit organization in New York. It has a small but very good exhibit hall, sponsors events, lectures, publications etc. Its Japanese collections are possibly even better than their Chinese collections.
Ming
FROM:Ming L Pei <pei@chinapage.org>
- Saturday, October 30, 1999 at 08:22:50 (PD
There are actually three types of Hakka houses : Ping Fang 平房, Tulou 土樓 and Longlou 龍樓(WuFeng Lou 五鳳樓).
Ping Feng is the simplest and you can almost see the same standard
throughout the new territories in Hong Kong in 1950s. They are uniform down to inches.
Many have been replaced by modern housing now. But there is a preseved on in Taipo.
I returned to my hometown Dongguan when I was 2 year old after
the second world war and stayed there for perhaps a few months.
When I was about 12, I drew the house design from recollection and showed
to my father who verified the accuracy.
It is exactly the same as the one in Taipo. Another evidence of persistent Hakka heritage.
Tulou is the large community house for vigorous defense.
LongLou or WuFengLou is for the dignitaries and may be the imperial family members.
The significance of LongLou and WuFengLou is that they would be a good evidence for the Hakka as a group migrating with the emperor during Song dynasty. rather than a local native tribe(the other theory or Hakka origin). Locals could not have the resources and permission to build such houses. I have only read descriptions but not seen the real structure. It would be interesting to have some more information on this last style.
Siu-Leung Lee
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Friday, October 29, 1999 at 03:19:14 (PD
Dear Siu-Leung, Rudy and friends
Having returned from a trip to Yongding in South-west Fujian near the Guangdong border, I would like to make a report on the earth-houses or tulous 芩.
I was fortunate to acquire a book in Singapore on the Hakkas called "諦模: The Hakkas", and I now realise that there are in fact two groups of Hakka architecture, namely the tulous for the Hakka commoners and the houses for the Hakka dignitaries. The tulous are of square shape 源倛芩 or round shape 芩A. The houses for the dignitaries and court officials, located mainly in Guangdong, are of three types, the three hall houses 斻挌, the circled dragon houses 挌 and the five phoenix houses 拻韅.
I am as fascinated as Siu-Leung in trying to look for this mysterious 5-phoenix house as I have not seen it in any book. Maybe Rudy with his extensive search capability can help to locate a picture of the elusive 5-phoenix house. Initially, I thought it is related to the dragon house, but the dragon house is an extended structure complex of the three-hall houses. The three-hall houses have three halls or units line in tiers. If the owner was influential, he had a semi-circular pond in front, and surrounded his side and back with six or more tiers of houses of his clansmen or supporters. In contrast, the 5-phoebix houses must have belonged to very high ranking officials for there are no existing such houses mentioned.
As for my Yongding trip, the tulous are all clustered aroung the Fujian-Guangdong border. The square tulous are not as spectacular as the round houses, which in addition to its defensive value, are able to withstand earth-quakes better. The most famous round house is the Cheng Qi Lou 創, with a history of over three hundred years corresponding to the reign of Kangxi. The newer one called Zheng Cheng Lou 淥傖 was constructed with the bagua idea.
If you are going to see the tulous, wait for another six months, as the main road to Yongding is under massive repair and will take a full day to arrive from Xiamen. A short-cut as taken by me using country and bumpy roads will make your taxi-driver distressed as the vehicle will be a bone-shaker in no time.
I will post the pictures of the round and square houses in the Yahoo CTB section soon, with the courtesy of Rudy. BTW, I am not a Hakka, but simply fascinated by their architecture and culture.
Tin-Kay
挌 拻韅 斻挌 源倛芩 芩A 淥傖 創 蚗隅 諦模 笢埻1965年在湖北省江陵市望山一號墓出土的越王勾踐劍， 全長55.7厘米，劍身滿佈菱形暗紋，基體是含微量鎳的錫青銅， 表面花紋是錫、銅、鐵的合金。由於採用特殊的表面處理技術， 雖經歷二千五百多年，依然完好如新，光彩照人，鋒刃銳利。 銘文乃八個錯金的烏篆體，為“越王鳩淺自作用鐱”， 鳩淺就是那位臥薪嘗膽終於復吳國的勾踐， 這把劍顯示春秋晚期以來銅劍共有特點之一，就是刃部不是平直的， 其最寬處的在距劍各三分之二處，然後呈弧リ內收，至近劍鋒處再次外凸， 然後再收成尖鋒，刃口的這種兩度弧曲的外形， 更說明在使用時注意的是它直刺的功能，而不是以劈擊為主的。 (明報月刊)
Siu-Leung Lee
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Tuesday, October 26, 1999 at 11:08:22 (PD
Qin(Chin)琴 is in general a musical instrument. But specifically it means Gu Qin 古琴, a seven string instrument that is lay flat on the table and played with right hand fingernails. The left hand alters the pitch. This is one of the oldest indigenous Chinese musical instruments, known as early as the pre-Qin period. While apparently simple looking, it is claimed the most difficult instrument and the most expressive. But it is only good for a few friends entertaining each other. Open performance is kind of hard to appreciate by most now. Zheng 箏is a similar one with more strings (13 to 21), basically each string is a fixed pitch. Pipa 琵琶 was invented in 105 BC. It might have some foreign influence. At that time, it already has 4 strings and 12 pitch bridges. Erhu 二胡 was derived from middle east inventions and became popular in Song dynasty. My orchestra in Hong Kong has played many of the pieces in this program. I know the scores by heart. Your program really triggered my nostalgia.
Here is a website with some music for your refreshment.
Chinese-music.com
Siu-Leung Lee
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Monday, October 25, 1999 at 22:02:26 (PD
Go to the homepage of this wehsite. Click on the Dictionaries icon and follow some simple instruction and you should be able to match the Chinese words.
FROM:Julian Yiu
Canada - Monday, October 25, 1999 at 13:36:30 (PD
Long time no talk ! I am going to respond to your question in our Yahoo Club. Pay a visit there.
FROM:Julian Yiu
Canada - Monday, October 25, 1999 at 08:22:05 (PD
Thank you for the program. So Liang Wor-leung is indeed the former table tennis champion that we know. He was one of my idols. I played table tennis fairly well myself. I was a champion in my high school days. I still play twice a week. I wish I can play Liang so that I can tell my friends that I have played a world champion. I would be beaten terribly by him as well : (
Another name I noticed is Tsang Wai 曾 慧 who I am sure is not the same 曾 慧, a famous Cantonese Opera actress. With 1.3 billion people, Chinese run of names to name their children. : )
FROM:Julian Yiu
Canada - Monday, October 25, 1999 at 08:08:46 (PD
Dear friends, as I have told you already in my last e-mail, this weekend took place a Chinese culture night in Munich/Bavaria, organized and performed by the "Chinesisches Kulturzentrum Muenchen" (CKM) e.V. 慕尼黑中華文化中心 in cooperation with the municipal cultural department. It has been really great and a 'tremendous' success, with the house full up with spectators, friends and media - I am impressed in such a way that I'd like to share this event with all of you interested in Chinese culture. BTW, the culture club is open to all people interested and, although established legally just some weeks ago, consists of quite remarkable personalities (as well as with regard to their professions as also to their artistic bents!).
Here is the program for you with some personal notes (I try to translate into BIG5 and English):
九九金秋晚會節目單
I want to thank the CKM on this way for this first - and nevertheless so successful - step to show up in public Bavarian life: it was really impressing! And I want to tell people interested out there that Chinese old and modern culture is no longer hesitating to enter the Bavarian boarders, as good old 'liberalitas Bavariae' is well-known and recognized not only in northern Germany (those people anyway since long crossing our borders - and also my father did!), but in the rest of the world too. It was so nice seeing all the little ones playing around in front of the stage - talking German to each other and also to their parents without any accent. It would be great, if they would also keep an idea of their Chinese great heritage.
Thanks again for this great culture night, with a movie, karaoke, interesting talks, drinks etc. following the official program. Great success!
BTW, the club's webpage is: http://www.china-center.de/ (it's doing its first steps).
Alfred
http://www.fa-kuan.muc.de
Traces of Butterflies' Dreams
- 蝶夢痕
My Poetry
I read with interest the philosophies of Bob Kornis and Siu-Leung. It is certainly true that an invention shows an advancement of a culture in so much as the use is of benefit to mankind. Gunpowder was discovered by the Chinese, but the real potential to use it to destroy and conquer on a massive scale was realized by other societies.
Bob wrote "The application of iron technology, was (and still is) mainly for military purposes, i.e., how to make sharp arrow tips, swords, bullets, cannons, guns, rifles, bombs, airplanes, and the casings for all nuclear weapons." The original discovery of iron in China was for farmers to till the land. Prince Huan of Qi (685-643BC) was quoted as saying "The lovely metal (bronze) is used for casting swords and pikes; it is used in the company of dogs and horses. The ugly metal (iron) is used for casting hoes, which flatten weeds, and axes, which fell trees; it is used upon the fruitful earth." (Ref. The Early Civilization of China: Yong Yap & Arthur Cotterell,G.P. Putnam,s Sons, New York). At that time, bronze (of copper and tin) was considered more valuable than gold. As utensils for drinking, bronze with a high residue lead content, certainly killed a lot of the nobility by lead posioning, and even the great Qin Shu Huangdi is believed to have an earlier death from lead despite his search for the elixir of life, for which he sent Xufu out to Japan.
The ancient Chinese quickly learn to smelt the iron ore in blast furnaces and combining the tapped ore with silica to make wrought iron. Expulsion of the carbon content by smelting made the iron more malleable and less hard and brittle. Around 220BC steel weapons were already produced, and some of the swords excavated from Qin Shi Haungdi's terra cotta army are now found to have been chrome plated. It was the Qin's quest for hegemony that pushed them to look for the superiority in weaponry. So much for the violent potential of the Chinese mind. The present hawks in the American government is not far from this line of thinking.
In regards to coins, the earliest coins in China were in the tenth century BC in the form of bronze coins shaped like a knife. Later, the shape assumed that of a spade and finally, round coins, each with a square hole for stringing, in the Warring States period. Unlike other civilizations, the Chinese never minted silver or gold coins until modern times. They preferred small ingots of gold and silver of standard weights, shaped like a bishop's cap, for exchange from as early as the eight century BC. (Ref. The Horizon History of China: C.P. Fitzgerald. American Heritage Publishing Co. Inc., New York).
As for stirrups, I quote C.P. Fitzgerald "The Chinese can now be cedited with another vital military invention, the stirrup, whose use was not confined to warfare. Two steles have recently been found with bas-reliefs of short stirrups. The steles are dated AD330 and 301....The Chinese word for stirrup, teng, is the same as the Chinese veb for 'to mount'. The original purpose of the short stirrup was to serve as an aid in mounting the horse; it is too short to be used when in the saddle. The development of the longer stirrup that enabled the rider to keep his seat securely when at a gallop or in a charge came soon after. Chinese tomb figures of clay, also dating from the fourth century AD, portray fully armoured horsemen mounted on horses equipped with stirrup." Another Chinese important invention, the horse harness, allowed the horse and the oxen to pull its chariot or load, without suffocating the animal. More recent Chinese archaelogical excavations will surely antedate all these inventions.
Like Siu-Leung, I am documenting the facts for accuracy and not for mere ethnocentricity. I think it is not the result of the Chinese ingenius minds that produced so many inventions, but rather the large number of Chinese numbering a quarter to a fifth of the world's piopulation at any known time, as well as the necessity and evolution of the society. I also find the ancient Chinese strange to have invented the compass and the ship's rudder and not to have travelled all over the world, to recognise yin-yang and not to think of the binary system, to invent steel and not to proceed with steel buidings and bridges.
Conversely, last year in Sichuan, I was very impressed with the gigantic water conservation programs (still existing) at Dujiangyan near Chengdu, undertaken by Li Bing in 250BC to divert the waters of the Minjiang River. Two other engineering feats were the Zheng Gou Canal, 93 miles long, directing the waters of the Jingshui River across the Guanzhong Plain in 221BC by engineer Zheng Gou, and the Dragon Head Canal in Shanxi, passing three and the half miles under the Shangyan Mountains during the reign of Emperor Han Wu Di (206BC-220AD).
The genius of invention may not realize that the sunsequent destruction can far outweigh the benefits. Can we blame Nobel for his dynamite? As for the Chinese, it is safer for the world if they keep discovering philosophies of life than weapons of destruction.
Tin-Kay
I was trying to straighten out a piece of history which is an objective fact. Columbus did NOT discover America, Asians did. And many Americans know it now, although some still insistand may never admit it. It is not nationalistic chauvinism that I am pursuing. It is misinformation and distortion of facts that I am trying to counter.
Technology is neutral. Fire is the greatest discovery. It can burn off your finger too. Nuclear energy is great if applied correctly. So is iron. It would not be fair to label the discovery of iron as the beginning of all evils, or this world will come to a halt without valuation of technology. Although I appreciate Laozi's philosophy, "to abandon all sanit snd knowledge" (絕聖棄智)is not my favorite quotation. What should be appreciated is the benevolent use of technology for mankind. There is an increasing lack of conscientiousness in this world about right and wrong. We don't need to add the confusion.
Siu-Leung
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Saturday, October 23, 1999 at 20:50:59 (PD
Dear Bob, "Gut gebruellt, Loewe!" (roared well, lion!), I really agree with your statement, as Germany too has a great affinity to this special stuff 'iron'.
Alfred
http://www.fa-kuan.muc.de
Traces of Butterflies' Dreams
- 蝶夢痕
My Poetry
He quoted from the history book ShangShu, which was one of the very early official histories complied and used by the imperial courts. Their accuracies an thoroughness are beyond compare.
The particular volume dealt with the time of Emperor Yu, who was the first Emperor of the Xia Dynasty. This volume gave, in amazing detail, geography of cities, their locations, distances, rivers, and natural resources. It also recorded the special items of "imperial tributes" which were sent from a particular city. Iron was the second on the list of tribute from a particular city.
Since only the very best were sent to the imprial court, it seems to me that they did not sent up a few lumps of iron ore. They must have made some real fine objects from iron of which they were very proud.
Xia Dynasty was from 2100-1600 bc. I would place the discovery of iron at least near 2100bc, since Emperor Yu was the first Emperor of the Xia Dynasty.
The complete text of this volume of ShangShu is available at this website. I have verify Siu-Leung's quotation. You may like to read it for yourself.
I have never read this volume before; and I would in all prabability never read it except for the eccouragement from Siu-Leung.
FROM:Ming L Pei <pei@chinapage.org>
- Saturday, October 23, 1999 at 11:39:04 (PD
Siu-Leung Lee
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Saturday, October 23, 1999 at 02:16:37 (PD
Welcome to our group. I must decline your kudos about the my page on Lao Tze. The translation is not mine. My contributions are only to gather and promote.
Ming - webmaster and bottle washer
FROM:Ming L Pei <pei@chinapage.org>
- Friday, October 22, 1999 at 11:40:57 (PD
View the artwork at an exhibition featuring 150 treasures from 34 museums in Mainland, China. "The Golden Age of Chinese Archeology" will tour the following U.S. Cities:
September 19, 1999 to January 2, 2000
The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
February 13 to May 7, 2000
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas
June 17th to September 11, 2000
Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, California
Siu-Leung Lee
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Wednesday, October 20, 1999 at 17:53:28 (PD
Siu-Leung Lee
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Wednesday, October 20, 1999 at 13:38:16 (PD
I can never exhaust your immense website. Every time I thought I have read most of it, there is something new. I just heard the most interesting bell of the HanShan Temple and watched the online video. I think all should take a look at that link. The bell is absolutely exquisite and its tone, even after all the distortion by the net and recording, is so soothing and inspiring. It was a pretty long script. I first thought the Zeng music was what you refered to as the bell. But the bell came as the last and most rewarding experience.
Siu-Leung
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Wednesday, October 20, 1999 at 13:27:28 (PD
Welcome to this forum! There is another club at Yahoo that you might want to visit.
We have had some discussion related to the original version of
Dao De Jing and other topics. Please bookmark this link:
Siu-Leung Lee
Lao Tze is a current discussed topic in our Yahoo Club. Why don't you go there and find out what has been discussed and join in. We have a few experts on this subject.
This is a famous poem. The temple is still a
vastly popular tourist site today with millions
of visitors each year.
At my web page poet.html
if you click on Zhang Yi, you can hear the sound
of the temple bell ringing (a recording from the
real location) without going to SuChow.
Go to this website and you will find both the Chinese and English version of this famous poem.
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/chinese/frame.htm
You have to scroll down to poem # 273 to find this poem Just in case you have problem with it, I copy the English translation here for you.
Zhang Ji
A NIGHT-MOORING NEAR MAPLE BRIDGE
While I watch the moon go down, a crow caws through the frost;
Under the shadows of maple-trees a fisherman moves with his torch;
And I hear, from beyond Suzhou, from the temple on Cold Mountain,
Ringing for me, here in my boat, the midnight bell.
Wen, I do not agree to the translation of the second sentence. I would translate it as "The Maples leaves are red as fire; I sleep with loads of sadness." And yet there is another interpretation. Some said that " 愁 眠 " is actually the name of a mountain. And in this case, the sentence should be translated as " The Maples leaves are red as fire; I sleep facing the "Sau Min" mountain." I prefer the first interpretation as it is more poetic.
SL
This Vision of China section is certainly very inaccurate indeed.
Siu-Leung Lee
Yes, I have written to CNN. Also one more mistake. The answer to
typeset was invented by CHina in 1100 AD but then they added that
the method was abandoned due to too many characters needed. The last part is
certainly not true. The movable typeset was the way the Ming
library was printed (永樂大典 Yong Le Da Dian). In fact, it was not invented in 1100 AD,
but during Qin dynasty. They stamped the notice of standardization of
measurements using a movable typeset. But it was not widely used in anything else.
Siu-Leung Lee
Why don't you sent them your comments via 'feedback' on
their homepage? I agreed with your comment regarding the stirrups. The quiz master might have made a mistake here relating to the time of the invention as pointed out by you. He/she might be right though as to who invented it. Qin was very near the middle east and stirrups might have been imported to Qin by the merchants or soldiers of the middle east countries.
There were several questions in the CNN invention quiz that I am not so sure though.
They indicate iron was not invented by China. But if China's bronze developed so early
with such sophistication, it is hard to imagine iron was not found.
Siu-Leung
Here is a short version of this vastly popular romance of Liang Shan Ba and Ju Ying Dai.
Ju Ying Dai, a daughter of a wealthy gentleman, wanted to continue her education in a private school in Hang Chou. It was unheard of at her time that a girl would go to a boarding school. Jus father objected. After many pleadings, Ju father consented to let her go under one condition. That Ju must dress up as a boy. Ju gladly accepted.
Jus roommate was Liang Shan Ba, a very honest upright young man. During their three years together, Liang never suspected that Ju was a girl. Near the end of the 3rd year term, Ju received an urgent letter from her father saying her mother was critically ill and she wanted Ju to go back home.
Before leaving the school, Ju told her teachers wife that she loved Liang and asked her to be their match-maker. On the day of her departure, Ju also gave a lot of hints to Liang that she was actually a girl. Liang was just too upright and honest ( many said he was too stupid ) to take the hints. Finally Ju lied to Liang that she had an identical twin sister of whom she wanted Liang to marry . Liang was overjoyed and promised to visit Ju on the agreed upon day.
After arriving home, Ju found out the real reason for her going back home was to marry a rich young man of a Ma family. Her father already accepted the gifts for the wedding arrangement. Ju insisted that she wouldnt marry Ma. She told her father that Liang would come to make the marriage proposal on a certain day. Jus father agreed that he would wait till that day and no more.
Back to Hang Chou, the teachers wife broke the news to Liang and told him that Ju was a girl and she did not have a twin sister. Liang hurried home and prepared for his proposal trip. He made only one mistake. His arrived 3 days late.
When Liang met Ju, he was told that he arrived too late and Ju would be married to the Ma family. Liang was heart-broken and he died shortly after leaving Jus house.
One the day of the marriage, Ju insisted that she would go to Liangs burial place to pay him the last respect. When she arrived, she cried so much that the sky opened up and there were earthquakes and thunderstorms. Liangs burial ground was spit open and Ju threw herself in. Then the ground closed up.
No more earthquakes, no more thunderstorms. Bright sunshine came out and there were two butterflies flying out of the burial ground. People vowed that the butterflies were Liang and Ju.
Hope you like the story.
To commemorate these archaeological finds, the U.S. National Gallery of Art has compiled a exhibition and companion catalog of photographs titled, "The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Celebrated Discoveries from The People's Republic of China." The exhibition opens at the National Gallery of Art in Washington on September 19 and runs through January 2, 2000.
A few of the exhibits are shown in the website of CNN.
click to go to it.
You are not alone in wanting a Chinese name. May I suggest that
you switch to our second Discussion Board called
Yahoo Club
I can share some of your feeling about the American culture. It is
getting shallower every year just looking at the public media.
To your wish of getting a Chinese name, I have designed the following
name (in CHinese Big5 fonts):
Siu-Leung Lee
The Yaozhow Kiln began in the Tang Dynasty and had wide influence with many later
kiln sites. The site is about 1257 sq.m. based on archeological excavations made
around 1958-9.
See report by Mino,Yutaka, and Wilson, Patricia, An Index to Chinese Ceramic Kiln
Sites from the Six Dynasties to the Present, Toronta, Royal Ontario Museum, 1973.
See also book "History of Chinese Ceramics" , Vol.2, Chap. 6, Sec. 2, published
by History of Chinese Ceramics Publishing Committee, Taiwan. This is in Chinese.
Y.F.P.
I have not heard of any news of the coffins of the emperor and the empress yet.
It is the emperor at the peak of economic growth of the Han dynasty. So, there
must be a lot of important items. It is a huge excavation
that would take years to sort out. Thus they cannot
spare time to work on the Qin emperor tomb.
BTW, the colored terra cotta army and stone armors seem to belong to a
new location not yet included in the website Ming mentioned.
SL Lee
First of all, I would like to wish you good luck in your acting role.
Before I can recommend to you the gifts, I would like to narrow it down further. Which Dynasty are we talking about here and how old is the prince?
Say, in Ching Dynasty ( the last dynasty of China ), the emperors paid special attention to their sons military ability as well as education. That may not be true with other dynasties. In this is the period that you are acting, how about a gift of a sword, an armour or a bow and some arrows. What about a horse ! That will be spectular if you can have a hores ( real or not ) on stage. Books, calligrahy brushes ( pens ) are also good gifts to a prince. Clothings, good dishes ( food ) are often common gifts.
SL Lee Try these two websites:
http://www.asiantiques.com/Pottery/box.htm
http://www.cityu.edu/hk~tmoa/song.htm Correction I have made a typo error that Wuyishan is in north-east China. It is at the north-west corner of Fujian bordering the Jiangxi.>/P>
Tin-Kay Dear Friends I am still in Xiamen, which was badly battered by a typhoon of Grade 14 on 8th and 9th of October. Fortunately for me I was away climbing the hills in Wuyishan in the north-east interior of Fujian. On my arrival back in Xiamen on 10th October, I can see broken trees, signboards and windows, but life had fast returned close to normal. While passing Zhangzhou yesterday on the way to the Yongding Tulou (Round-house) area, I could see the massive destruction to the banana plantations. Almost three-quarters of the banana trees were broken. Today, I went to Quanzhou and NanAn, and the typhoon had also caused flooding to the houses though the water subsided quickly. I certainly hope Taiwan did not get such heavy rain after the unfortunate earthquake. Anxi deeper in was more intact. For the Tulou (Round-houses) in Yongding, do not go until the roads are well surfaced, maybe in the next six months. The taxi had such a good shake-up from the gravels, stones and even rocks that it must have aged a few years prematurely. Fujian Province is not only rich economically, but is also fascinating with over one hundred dialects, yet unified by the common Putonghua (Mandarin). Stephen Hwang will have a busy time doing linguistic studies here. My taxi driver who took me all over the place yesterday and today tuned in to the Taiwanese radio for music and songs. His Xiamen dialect is close to the Taiwanese Min-nan dialect. The Taiwanese have so many factories here that I wonder whether Fujian is actually an economic "colony" of Taiwan. So much for the shadow boxing between Beijing and Taipeh. While in Wuyishan, I learnt that it is no longer possible for me to drink the Dahongpao (Big Red Robe) tea because there are only four tea shrubs left. Imagine hundreds of people going to see and photograph four tea scrubs on a hill side. Surely no human being has got so much comparable attention for so long. The Dahongpao tea leaves are only plucked once a year and is a form of Yan2 tea belonging to the Oolong family. There is a tender for the small supply once every two years or so. The last lot of 20gm (NB grams) was reputed to have been bought last year for 156,000 yuans (about US $18,000 by a Mr. Xu, a Cantonese Huaqiao from Australia. The 20 gm can be used up in 4-5 seatings, with each seating of maximum 15 pourings. The first pouring under the rules of Kungfu cha (kungfu tea) is always discarded. The four original shrubs were already noted some three hundred years ago. The second and subsequent generations of these four tea schrubs are called Xiaohongpao (Small Red Robe). The Dahongpao must be the most expensive tea in the world. I could only afford the Small Red Robe. Wuyishan has also a natural reserve with very rare animals (black horned frog, deer, butterfly, a funny looking fish with four legs called wawa fish because it's call is like that of a baby). It is a good place for some-one interested in nature or relaxing in the largest bamboo forest in China, even bigger than in Sichuan. There are no pandas here. Greetings from Xiamen. I will be flying back in another two days. Tin-Kay Prof. Pui has put a special page " Buy Books" for his readers to search for books available on the net. Please go to the Homepage.
Anyway, I have made a search for the this book and the following is the information you need.
Strange Tales of Liaozhai
Pu Songling Lu Yunzhont (Translator)
bn.com Price: $19.95
Format: Paperback, 514pp.
ISBN: 9620710924
Publisher: Cheng & Tsui Company
Pub. Date: January 1988
This book is very likely out of print. You may try your local bookstores or the libraries. Good luck.
To name a bonsai tree requires a lot of imagination. It actually reveals the taste, knowledge and character of the owner. People name the tree based on the tree's special shape, style, size, kind and its unique appearance. Without actually seeing the tree, it is impossible to suggest a name. Thanks for the website. The site uses the term flour figurine but I think you are more correct to suggest the term dough.
Two things to comment on the website on this subject. 1. The introduction is too brief. I hope someday someone with good knowledge of this art can give us more detailed information. 2. It is true that the figurines are modeled after historical/legendary figures as pointed out by the writer. However, nowadays many flour figurine artists model after cartoon characters which attract more nowaday children. So it proves that this art evolves with times and that is a good sign.
Here is a link with pictures:
There was a lady artist touring US to demonstrate making flour figurines
during 1980-81 period. I watched the demonstration in Texas and
bought one for my kid. It was still intact after a year or so, but
I have not seen it since. My daughter keeps all these things as
her treasures.
There seems to be a school passing on the art. I don't know how
it is now after all these years. I recall Beijing and Fujian are the
two places that actually have the name attached to this art 北京麵人，福建麵人.
There might be a website on this art.
Siu-Leung
Just like you, I have been fasinated by the flour figurines since a child. It is the speed how fast these figurines can be made that amazes me the most. It was quite common to find these figurine makers selling them in the street in HK in the 50s. I think this art is not as popular as before or there are not too many people learning this trade any more.
I know there is a school in Taiwan that teaches people how to make these flour figurines. In the past few years, Taiwan sent some experts to Edmonton ( Canada ) to teach us how to make them as well. It is part of the cultural exchange programs. I tried to attend one of the sessions, but I couldn't make it. Instead, I bought a video that tells us how these figurines are made. And here is the good news for you. With the latest techni improvement, they are able to put some ingredients in the flour to make it long lasting. We brought some of these flour figurines and they are still good after a few years even under the extreme dry condition in Alberta.
I have just seen on a Chinese TV program in Xiamen (where I am holiday) that a Madam Wang Di has managed to get a right mix in the flour dough for a long lasting effect for making Chinese dolls and figurines. When I was a kid I remembered seeing beautiful flour figurines very well painted, but alas, the flour became tainted with fungus stains and the figurines had to be thrown away. It was a "wasted" art. What is the origin of this form of Chinese art? I hope Madam Wang Di's technique can help to preserve these figurines for posterity. Tin-Kay Helen, try it with Prof. Eberhard's being one of my main sources on this topic (it's more than just interesting!). Enjoy it! Alfred http://www.fa-kuan.muc.de
In addition, near the bottom of the Homepage, there are a great deal of
classics to keep you busy for a long time.
Dear Stephen, this being anything else than an 'in-depth-discussion', I am
changing to Forum I, o.k. ;) ? It's a bad thing to *explain* jokes, so I better tell you another one: So, let's be serious again! Alfred http://www.fa-kuan.muc.de Dear Julian, you're absolutely right: that was what I also wanted to tell -
the rest was just kidding ;) I also share your opinion on the females (foxes) being lovable creatures and
often hurt by the humans they care for. Reading those stories, I not seldom
was touched by their sincere feelings toward the man they had begun to suck
his life essence. One could talk a lot about these conflicts ... Alfred http://www.fa-kuan.muc.de Prof. Eberhard is wrong when he says that southerners don't know or are unfamiliar with those "fox" stories. These stories are recorded in famous books like 聊 齌 ( as pointed out by Ming ) and other 唐 宋 傳 奇 . What could be true might be that the southerners did not contribute to these stores as those stories were more popular in the middle/northern parts of China where foxes were mostly found.
Bob, I like your 'refreshing' response to my - and other's - postings. Up to
now, I didn't know that young good-looking (interesting!) ladies are called
'foxes' in U.S.. This is different in Germany (even at the 'Oktoberfest' in
Munich/Bavaria*). Could it be that this meaning (in U.S.) came with the Chinese
immigrants? On the other hand, most immigrants came from Southern China (Canton,
Hokkien, Hakka, Taiwan, Philipines etc.) not knowing these fox stories (at least
according Prof. Eberhard). Alfred (* a couple of years ago, when I was young, nice girls in Bavaria were called
"Has'n" (=hares) http://www.fa-kuan.muc.de Excellent response. Just like to add my comments on this interesting topic.
狐 in our everyday usage often associates with something that is "bad", e.g. 狐 群 狗 黨 . However, when it comes to Tang/Sung/Ming/Ching 怪 異 novels, fox is often portrayed as a young and beautiful girl with good temperment towards the humans especially to the young man she loves. Foxes, in the form of human, are ususally the victims of the human beings in the novels. This treatment is very different from our attribute to the "fox" that we apply in our idioms. In fact, fox is such a lovable creature that the authors often made them a "deity" 狐 仙 。 Mingjuelie, your question is pointing to a rather interesting and to some extent
'slippery' topic: Like in Europe (and the whole Western world), the fox in China is regarded
as a very clever animal. There, it also is regarded to be able to live long,
and if getting old, also being able to change his outer appearance: so, with
50 years of age it can become a woman, with 100 years it changes to a young
girl, and with the age of 1000 years, in rare cases, can b ecome a 'heavenly'
fox. Hoping your query now is answered exhaustively (thank Prof. Wolfram Eberhard
and myself - spending half nights' time with reading fox stories ;). Alfred http://www.fa-kuan.muc.de The game you mentioned sounds very much like 陞 官 圖 to me. This game is very common and I am sure many people have played this game before. In fact, I still have a copy of the 陞 官 圖 .
As for 女 書 , you are correct. There are only a few women who can write and read ( in fact I think they sing ) the words which have no bearing or similarity with any written Chinese words. Chinese authority has already started preserving this written language. I saw the documentary on TV.
Women's script was found in somewhere near Jiangxi and Hunan (if my recollection is right).
Chinse University of Hong Kong had a scholar participated in the work
of deciphering the characters. Basically it employs the similar kind of strokes but
assembled differently so no outsider can read it. I believe thiere is
a book or papers written on this.
The card game you mentioned seems to be a version of the Hakka paper card game or a similar one
called fifteen "Hu"(Barbarians?)十五胡。Another type is made like Mahjong with hard wood or
ivory/bone. The cards have numbers and pictures, about 1.5cmx8cm. It is called Tian Jiu (Sky Nine,天九) which roughly the same size but only with numbers.
I don't know how to play the Hakka card game, but have watch many people play it, in our father's shop there were
daily games after dinner.
Siu-Leung Lee
I have just read that there are two living Chinese women identified by a team in Vancouver as the only surviving people who can use the special language (Nu Shu) which some Chinese unmarried women use to communicate with each other. Is this a special language different from the Chinese characters or is this a usage of Chinese words with some cryptic meaning? Also today at the Gulangyu, an island off Xiamen in Fujian, Southern China, I saw some bronze staues of Koxinga's (Zheng Chenggong's) troops gambling a special game called "mooncake game". The game is structured like the imperial examination, with the winner being awarded the "zhuang yuan". and taking the spoils. The second, third and fourth winners also are awarded titles similar to the top scholars in the exam for second, third and fourth places. Since Ming and Siu-Leung are experts in Weqi, maybe they can help to explain this Southern Chinese game. Tin-Kay You mentioned you are looking for a particular seal. Unless you can give us more information, I am afraid it is not possible to help you. Can you be more specific ?
Ming
Dear Kevin Further to what Ming has siad in reply to your query, can I add in a word of caution. You must also stipulate what dialect the opera is spoken. The Beijing opera is different from the Sichuan, Shaoxing, Guangdung or Chaozhou opera. Even when you speak order your CDs/VCDs in Mandarin, the Shaoxing and the Guangdong dialects are called "Yue4" although they are written in different characters. Tin-Kay
I think it is mentioned in the Nature paper that it is played vertically
like a recorder, or Dong Xiao. So, it should be called recorder rather than flute
which is played horizontally. If it is played horizontally, it should have another
hole for blowing, but it does not. The Chinese flute later on developed to have another
hole to mount a thin membrane from the the inside of a bamboo, so the
tone is more crispy. This ancient "flute" (or recorder) is similar to the
native American Indian's instrument too.
Siu-Leung Lee
I think it is mentioned in the Nature paper that it is played vertically
like a recorder, or Dong Xiao. So, it should be called recorder rather than flute
which is played horizontally. If it is played horizontally, it should have another
hole for blowing, but it does not. The Chinese flute later on developed to have another
hole to mount a thin membrane from the the inside of a bamboo, so the
tone is more crispy. This ancient "flute" (or recorder) is similar to the
native American Indian's instrument too.
Siu-Leung Lee
My question is: "Was this a flute or an oboe?"
Ming
Ming Dear friends, here is a link on Guenter
Grass with the author's portrait, his novels' titles with year of edition,
descriptions of his main works and seven poems in German and Italian. Alfred http://www.fa-kuan.muc.de Dear Stephen and Siu-Leung, As Dai Qing 戴晴 pointed out in her interview, there doesn't seem to be any
middle 'class' at all: (this is a small excerpt from Dai Qing's interview in the SZ Sept. 30 edition
with my own deficiant translation from German - Dear Ming, I'll be quiet now
on this topic!) Alfred http://www.fa-kuan.muc.de
China is eagerly learning from the west by sending out students and scholars.
There are constantly about 50,000 overseas and I think the total
probably is well over 100,000 or 150,000 with experience in the west.
China cannot afford to have all people sent overseas. They cannot afford to
empty the nest of intellectuals and financially it is a big burden.
Compared to American politicians, it is amazing that many senators and congressmans don't
have passports! I don't know how many American students are studying
overseas. The number must be much less than Chinese student overseas.
If fact, there are only hundreds of American students in China I heard.
Dear Ming, thank you for posting GG's poem in Chinese (where did you find it?
There must be also his prose works in Chinese, e.g. 'The Tin Drum'!). Guenter Grass (pron. like brit. English 'grass', but with the vowel being short)
was born Oct. 16, 1927 in former German 'Freie Reichsstadt' Danzig (now Pol.:
Gdansk). His parents were German-Polish (the Polish part going back to a 'Kashubian'
minority living near the Eastern Sea, commonly called 'Wasser-Polacken', i.e.
'water-Polish'). Alfred P.S. Quite some of his books are illustrated by his own delicate drawings or
water colours. To me, reading his prose - or still better: listening to his
language - is mere delight! http://www.fa-kuan.muc.de
Here is one of his poems.
快 樂
Ming
I believe every country deserves its government and leader. There is
a cultural background from which a leader evolved. No one in the world can
capture and drag the 600 million people to follow him/her.
S. L. Lee
Dear friends, reasonable thoughts indeed, yet 向前看 ('Small bottle') Alfred http://www.fa-kuan.muc.de
I hope Ming would permit us to spend at least one day on this political
subject during this important day.
First, I think the nomenclature of "communist' and "communism" has no
meaning at this point. By definition, no single country can achieve communism
unless all countries are practicing. The China today is NOT a communistic
society at all. At most it can be called a socialistic country.
The classical and original definition of capitalism does not apply
to US either. There is a lot of socialistic elements in America.
So, there is only a difference in degree of planned economy and free economy.
In terms of party system, US may have two parties, but they are merely
two power blocks with quite similar policies. The power is NOT really
at the grassroot level. Republicans has to yield to Democratic issues, and
Democrats often steals the show from Republicans. China may have one party,
but the decentralization of certain decisions may even beat the Democrats.
The labeling of China as "communist" country has dragged on too long
as a mental block of American foreign policies. It is unfortunate that many
in DC are still bearing a brain of 1950s. Or, perhaps the explanation is that
there is always an imaginary enemy to keep the defense industry running in full gear.
The tax system is a huge planned economy.
Most people in China and America know the conflict between
the two countries is not bringing any stability and prosperity
to this world. A partnership is the ultimate solution
to bring more democracy to China. Democracy is a tool and not a goal.
The goal is for everyone live free, happy, and contented.
To achieve democracy, there are several essential factors:
Until these requirements are met, practicing democracy will lead to chaos and anarchism.
That is exactly what happened during the cultural revolution.
The China most people see today is only the face of a few big cities. The overall paucity
has not changed or improved much in the rural areas.
China is a big country of 1.3 billion people. The difficulty of managing
a country of this size should be multiplied by the population and divided by
the resources. The process should be a gradual one and not a shocking experience
like what we see in Russia. I believe what China is doing is a controlled
process. It is no different from the US Federal government trying to regulate the
economy. An overheated economy leads to inflation and many undesirable
effects. A premature democratization leads to turmoil.
I generally agree with Stephen in his long term optimism. After all,
China has stood for 2000 years with 7000-9000 years of civilization (now we know Xia is real).
We should have the patience to let the social development conduct in its
course. Every generation will bring about some changes, and closer to perfection.
Negative experiences are just as important as positive ones.
US and China will be the major players in global affairs. Whether the world will be peaceful or not depends
on how these two interact. Eventually, with the advances of internet and communication tools,
the world will attain a final equilibrium with
better understanding and less polarization. Basically,
human nature is rather uniform. The next millennium will be a bright one. We aree all
fortunate to be part of this generation to see it.
S. L. Lee
Dear Stephen and friends, In 1989, the fall of the 'wall' (and the East German regime) seperating Germany
to all of us was fully unexpected and overwhelming: I came to China full of
optimism, and tried to give some hope to Chinese friends (after Tiananmen) speculating
that 'those old men' also will 'disappear from the scene' sooner or later. Nobody
there would believe! Now, reading articles written by real insiders is deeply
discouraging to me - nothing seems having changed to be better within all the
time (even the good communist features have disappeared, the bad ones mingled
with the evil traits of capitalism). Alfred http://www.fa-kuan.muc.de
Earlier discussions have been moved to a separate file..
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/chinathebeautiful
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Wednesday, October 20, 1999 at 13:21:18 (PD
SUBJECT:
Lao Tze
COMMENT:
Doug,
FROM:Julian Yiu
Canada - Wednesday, October 20, 1999 at 12:40:58 (PD
SUBJECT:
A Night-Mooring Near Maple Bridge - 楓 橋 夜 泊
COMMENT:
Julian and Wen:
FROM:Ming L Pei <pei@chinapage.org>
- Wednesday, October 20, 1999 at 11:42:04 (PD
SUBJECT:
kudos
COMMENT:
I came across your translation of Lao Tze (TaoDeJing) yesterday and found it interesting....then I found it captivating....Then I found it exciting.
Then I found it to be sublimely elegant.
Thus primed, I went to a book store and picked up a tiny volume tranlated by an anglo who had credentials and 20 years of Zen trainig.
I could not hear LaoTze in his writing. Too western. Something missed....too "I" centered.....or something....uncentered.
I returned to your website this afternoon, and again found myself immersed in the thoughts of the Master. I have a feeling when I read Lao Tse that I understand China and the Chinese mind much better and also see a course for my life go..... (so long as I do not go.)
Thank you. This may be an interesting website indeed.
FROM:Doug Wilson <douglas.wilson@hok.com>
houston, TX usa - Wednesday, October 20, 1999 at 11:41:21 (PD
SUBJECT:
A Night-Mooring Near Maple Bridge - 楓 橋 夜 泊
COMMENT:
Wen,
FROM:Julian Yiu
Canada - Wednesday, October 20, 1999 at 10:28:27 (PD
SUBJECT:
Interpretation of Zhang Ji's poem
COMMENT:
Wen:
Zhang Ji's poems are in several places at this website.
Start with the page poet.html
and click on Zhang Ji !!!
If you like to have us discuss it further, you must first
upload a scanned copy of it, not just a phrase.
To upload your scanned copy, go to
our Yahoo club
join as a member, then upload it as a photo, and finally post your
query there.
FROM:Ming L Pei <pei@chinapage.org>
- Wednesday, October 20, 1999 at 09:50:45 (PD
SUBJECT:
Interpretation of Zhang Ji's poem
COMMENT:
I hope someone can help me. I don't understand Chinese & my Chinese friends can translate but cannot interpret the meaning of a piece of calligraphy that I own : The poem "A Night's Mooring At The Maple Leaf Tree". I've scoured the internet but I cannot find any information on the poet, Zhang Ji; not can I find an interpretation of the poem. Can someone help? Thank-you so much for your time!
Regards,
Wen Lim
FROM:Wen Lim <wen.lim@excite.com>
Malaysia - Wednesday, October 20, 1999 at 09:16:48 (PD
SUBJECT:
Interpretation of Zhang Ji's poem
COMMENT:
I hope someone can help me. I don't understand Chinese & my Chinese friends can translate but cannot interpret the meaning of a piece of calligraphy that I own : The poem "A Night's Mooring At The Maple Leaf Tree". I've scoured the internet but I cannot find any information on the poet, Zhang Ji; not can I find an interpretation of the poem. Can someone help? Thank-you so much for your time!
Regards,
Wen Lim
FROM:Wen Lim <wen.lim@excite.com>
Malaysia - Wednesday, October 20, 1999 at 09:16:28 (PD
SUBJECT:
The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology
COMMENT:
Oops! I overlooked. The Shang dynasty was labeled as 1766 BC, but the "1"
in this font was not quite the size of the other number. So, they may be right,
except not all dynasties are listed. Zhou (east and west) are skipped\
leaving a big gap in CHina's history. Also only one year is listed,
so the duration of the dynasties is not obvious.
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Wednesday, October 20, 1999 at 06:04:32 (PD
SUBJECT:
Discovery of Iron
COMMENT:
Dear Rudy,
Thanks for your research. Here is the CNN answer:
Iron was first used in the Middle East around 1200 B.C.
About 500 years later, China began casting iron implements.
So, we got to find evidence earlier than that, which should be in Shang
dynasty. Isn't there a saying that Xia built 9 caudrons (tripods) 夏Zhu九鼎 (I don't have that font)?
What was it built with? bronze or iron? The bronze technology of western Zhou
was so sophiscated already, it would have to be discovered a lot earlier.
I just looked up their timeline carefully again and found they
labeled Shang as 766 BC, which should be beginning of Chunqiu !
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiwind.com>
- Wednesday, October 20, 1999 at 03:54:35 (PD
SUBJECT:
Iron Sword on Bronze Handle
COMMENT:
An iron sword on bronze handle was unearthed from a tomb in Gunsu Province 甘肅靈台縣. The findig was reported in:
Kaogu 考古 1981-4﹕ 甘肅靈台縣﹐景家莊春秋墓
Similar findings of an iron sword and a caldron 鼎 were also reported in:
Wenwu 文物 1978-19﹕長沙新發現春秋晚期的鋼劍和鐵器
In the Jou's Spring & Autumn 左氏春秋﹐ an account of the following event took place in 513 B.C.:
魯昭公元二十九年﹐“冬﹐晉趙鞅﹐荀寅帥師城汝濱﹐遂賦晉國一鼓鐵﹐
以鑄刑鼎。著范宣子所為刑書焉”
"..in the Winter, Jio Shang of Jin and Shun Yin gathered their forces
along the river bank of Castle Yue. A drum of cast iron was levied for
the casting a caldron with the laws of Jin engraved on it. This was the "Text Of Law" as publicated by Fan Tsun Tze. "
The above is a very quick and dirty translation, errors and omissions
expected.
FROM:R. Chiang
- Tuesday, October 19, 1999 at 21:33:32 (PD
SUBJECT:
The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology
COMMENT:
Dear Ming,
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Tuesday, October 19, 1999 at 18:24:19 (PD
SUBJECT:
The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology
COMMENT:
Dear S.L.
They used one of my calligraphy gif, and asked my permission beforehand.
FROM:Ming L Pei <pei@chinapage.org>
- Tuesday, October 19, 1999 at 13:13:44 (PD
SUBJECT:
The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology
COMMENT:
Dear S.L.,
FROM:Julian Yiu
Canada - Tuesday, October 19, 1999 at 12:43:09 (PD
SUBJECT:
The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology
COMMENT:
Dear Ming and Friends,
The other is the triangular sail. The answer is 150 AD in the Mediterranean.
Well, I don't argue about "triangular" sails. But I just saw a
stone engraving in the Olympia peninsular (Wahsinton state). It clearly
depicts a sailboat with trapezoid sail identical to the "junks" (still seen in
hong Kong on tourist cruise). This means the sailing of Asians (most likely
Chinese) to America was well before 5000 years ago.
The answer to stirrups was not China. They think stirrups
originated in the Asian steppes during the 2nd century B.C. But the
stirrups were clearly displayed in the Qin terra cotta horses, very well developed.
Qin was earlier than 200 BC.
Any thoughts and comments?
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Tuesday, October 19, 1999 at 09:15:05 (PD
SUBJECT:
The romance of Liang and Ju
COMMENT:
Dear Paten,
FROM:Julian Yiu
Canada - Tuesday, October 19, 1999 at 08:51:39 (PD
SUBJECT:
The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology
COMMENT:
During the past five decades archaeologists have excavated an abundance of artifacts at several sites throughout China. Historians have learned more than ever about the burial customs, religious practices and rituals of daily life in ancient Chinese civilizations. Masterpieces in jade, stone, ivory and bronze are among the objects discovered recently.
Then go to:
Gallery: Archaeological treasures
S.L. reported about this exhibit a while back; but none of us
has seen it so far.
FROM:Ming L Pei <pei@chinapage.org>
- Tuesday, October 19, 1999 at 07:41:30 (PD
SUBJECT:
Zak Borden
COMMENT:
Zak:
Click on the above to go there. Join the club as a member.
I assume that you do not have Chinese software, and hence cannot
read the Chinese name proposed here. At the Yahoo club, any
one can post suggested Chinese names for you in graphics (gif)
files. It is called "photo" there. You can not only see them;
you can also download them to use as well.
Let us know.
Of course, if you have the necessary software to read BIG5-coded
Chinese, just say so, and the discussions can continue here.
FROM:Ming L Pei <pei@chinapage.org>
- Monday, October 18, 1999 at 19:16:32 (PD
SUBJECT:
Yaozhou Porcelain & Yaozhou kiln site
COMMENT:
Thanks for the kind responses to my inquiry, I appreciate any assistance.
If anyone knows of any more current publications/papers, say in the past
ten to fifteen years, I would be grateful. I know that there has been further
archaeological work done there more recently than the fifties. I know
that there is a museum now and a Yaozhou committee, so I can only hope
that continued searching will yield more results.
Again, thanks to those who repsonded.
Juliana
FROM:Juliana Bergsma <jbergsma@iusb.edu>
Mishawaka, IN USA - Monday, October 18, 1999 at 07:02:37 (PD
SUBJECT:
To Zak Borden 博敦澤， 翟博敦
COMMENT:
Zak,
博敦澤 (pronounced as Bor Dun Ze, this is the Chinese way of placing family name first)
翟博敦(pronounced as Ze Bo Dun, if you want to use the order of
western names, i.e. given name before family name)
博 = widely knowledgeable, 敦=modest and warm in personality,
澤=benevolent, giving.
I would recommend the version using family name first. In this case, it
would be a double sound 博敦, which is not a Chinese surname although the first character is a
rather unusal surname. But when one use all three words, then it
does not sound unusual.
The other one with 翟 as the first word is the reverse of the naming
custom. This word is a more common surname. It means the long tail feather of
a large pheasant.
You can take your pick, although I would prefered the first one.
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Monday, October 18, 1999 at 03:02:28 (PD
SUBJECT:
i have no name
COMMENT:
i am not chinese. i thought that you might want to know that right
away. i want a chinese name. i have always felt out of place here.
i never felt at home. i never did like the u.s.a. anyway.
(yeah, the spoiled brat doesn't know how wgood he has it, i know)
anyway, in my effort to find an ideaology that appealed to me, i
stumbled accross eastern philosophy. i have always admired eastern
culture, and looked to it for answers to any sort of dilema that i
might encounter. that said, i would like a name. i feel that i lack
identity.
thank you,
zak borden.
FROM:zak borden <barnbens@erols.com>
westmont, nj usa - Sunday, October 17, 1999 at 21:55:00 (PD
SUBJECT:
Romance of Liang Shan Ba
COMMENT:
DR PEI
please can you help me ?
I am searching for a simple short version of the Chinese romance,
Liang Shan Ba and Ju Ying Dai
For my reading class.
Urgent.
Thanks
PATEN
FROM:PATEN WANG
- Sunday, October 17, 1999 at 18:35:03 (PD
SUBJECT:
Yaoshow Porcelain in ShaanXi
COMMENT:
Juliana:
FROM:YFP <yfp@chinapage.com>
- Sunday, October 17, 1999 at 11:23:39 (PD
SUBJECT:
Guestbook
COMMENT:
hcvblghxfckjxd
FROM:linda <linda@city.com>
china, 1 gdgvsufgi - Saturday, October 16, 1999 at 23:12:43 (PD
SUBJECT:
China the Beautiful Website
COMMENT:
Ming,
I'd like to compliment you on your Website. As I have been spending time recently on your Yahoo Club Discussion Forum, I have not looked much at this Website, unfortunately.
One thing that strikes me immediately, is that you have made the Chinese "culture" aesthetically pleasing to look at. Too many times, propagators of "classical culture" present their subject so dry-as-bones and "black & white", that anyone slightly interested walks aways in boredom.
The reason why Classical culture of any people has survived, is the exact opposite. It is born out of the really juicy, colorful, and core passions of the people, transmitted through the genius of the artists of that culture.
Your colorful Chinese characters are refreshing to see (I really like those multi-colored 3-D characters with a shadow that you made for some of your proverbs--how did you do that?!...).
Also, your use of "empty space" surrounding information. Too often scholars and academics try to cram as much "stuff" as possible into as small of a space as possible, the result being no one wants to look at it.
Good work Ming--I hope one day I can equal (and surpass) you in your creation.
a beginning student,
Bob
FROM:Bob Koconis <bkoconis@hotmail.com>
Boulder, CO USA - Saturday, October 16, 1999 at 13:41:42 (PD
SUBJECT:
Qin/Han tomb
COMMENT:
Dear Stephen,
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Friday, October 15, 1999 at 12:36:34 (PD
SUBJECT:
Han tomb
COMMENT:
Dear Siu-Leung:
Thanks for the wonderful website that you introduced us on your last posting. I paid a visit and really enjoyed it. It thrills me when I saw those dolls and faces of Han tomb. Did they excavate the coffin or body of the emperor and empress?
FROM:Stephen Hwang <formosa@webzone.net>
- Friday, October 15, 1999 at 10:03:33 (PD
SUBJECT:
Chinese Emperor
COMMENT:
Dear Laura,
FROM:Julian Yiu
Canada - Friday, October 15, 1999 at 08:27:40 (PD
SUBJECT:
Qin Shihuang Museum
COMMENT:
For the tomb of emperor of Qin Shihuang, a good site is the
official site of
the Museum of Qin Shihuang
FROM:Ming L Pei <pei@chinapage.org>
- Friday, October 15, 1999 at 08:25:02 (PD
SUBJECT:
Chinese Emperor
COMMENT:
If you were a Chinese Emperor giving a gift to your favorite son would you choose some type of Chinese Board Games? Art? Please reply. Thanks.
FROM:Laura <rleeds0323@aol.com>
NY, NY USA - Friday, October 15, 1999 at 07:17:25 (PD
SUBJECT:
Chinese Culture
COMMENT:
I am taking an acting class and I am suppose to be the Emporer of China giving a gift to
my favorite son. What kind of gift would I want to give and why? Are there any stores in NYC you recommend to go and look at?
Please reply. Thank you.
FROM:Laura <rleeds0323@aol.com>
NY, NY USA - Friday, October 15, 1999 at 07:08:41 (PD
SUBJECT:
Qin and Han tombs
COMMENT:
A new QinShiHuangDi tomb relic has been found with stone armor and helmuts.
Also in the tomb of Han JingDi lie some figurines with detachable and movable arms
apparently as dolls. They can put on different costumes.
See the following site:http://www.qingyun.com/column/cata.htm
You need GB fonts. Follow the lead to the Qin tomb part. there are pictures of the armors and the figurines. I think I mentioned this news
before that these are the earliest "Barbie dolls", but I just found the pictures here. The figurines
were displayed in an exhibit at the Dayton Art Gallery last year. They are
amazingly true to anatomy.
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Friday, October 15, 1999 at 05:15:11 (PD
SUBJECT:
New cave found in Dunhuang
COMMENT:
According to news report, a new cave has been found in
Dunhung (the Silkroad). It is near the famous Maogao
Cave and contains over 2,000 items from Tang to Yuan
Dynasty. It has been given the name of Yulin Cave.
FROM:Ming L Pei <pei@chinapage.org>
- Thursday, October 14, 1999 at 14:12:19 (PD
SUBJECT:
Yaozhou porcelain
COMMENT:
Dear Juliana,
FROM:Julian Yiu
Canada - Thursday, October 14, 1999 at 12:13:50 (PD
SUBJECT:
Wuyishan
COMMENT:
FROM:Tin-Kay Goh <tinkgoh@hotmail.com>
Sydney, NSW Australia - Wednesday, October 13, 1999 at 19:25:04 (PD
SUBJECT:
YAOZHOU PORCELAIN, ANCIENT YAOZHOU KILN SITE
COMMENT:
I AM ATTEMPTING TO LOCATE INFORMATION ON THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS
OF THE YAOZHOU KILN SITES, LOCATED IN OR NEAR HUANGBAO, IN THE SHAANXI
PROVINCE. COULD ANYONE GIVE ME INFORMATION ON ENGLISH TEXTS OR PAPERS OR
AUTHORS OR ANYTHING ON THIS KILN SITE? I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR SOME TIME.
PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT: JBERGSMA@IUSB.EDU
THANK YOU FOR ANY ASSISTANCE.
JULIANA
FROM:Juliana Bergsma <jbergsma@iusb.edu>
Mishawaka, IN USA - Wednesday, October 13, 1999 at 10:04:33 (PD
SUBJECT:
Xiamen Typhoon and Wuyishan Big Red Robe Tea
COMMENT:
FROM:Tin-Kay Goh <tinkgoh@hotmail.com>
Sydney, NSW Australia - Tuesday, October 12, 1999 at 12:39:43 (PD
SUBJECT:
Strange Stories of Liao Zhai
COMMENT:
Dear Hirsh,
FROM:Julian Yiu
Canada - Tuesday, October 12, 1999 at 10:02:57 (PD
SUBJECT:
Bonsai Tree
COMMENT:
Dear Heather,
FROM:Julian Yiu
Canada - Tuesday, October 12, 1999 at 07:51:48 (PD
SUBJECT:
Flour figurines
COMMENT:
Siu-leung,
FROM:Julian Yiu
Canada - Tuesday, October 12, 1999 at 07:44:14 (PD
SUBJECT:
Bonsai Trees
COMMENT:
I just bought a bonsai tree this evening and I was wondering if
anyone had any suggestions of a wonderful name that I can name it. If
anyone has any suggestions please let me know and if you know what it
means it would be greatly appreciated.
FROM:Heather <hdetloff@hotmail.com>
Mankato, MN USA - Monday, October 11, 1999 at 22:01:09 (PD
SUBJECT:
Flour figurine (Dough figurine)
COMMENT:
I think it should be called dough figurine to be exact.
http://seic2.seu.edu.cn/art/english/enga16.htm
Siu-Leung Lee
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Monday, October 11, 1999 at 14:12:58 (PD
SUBJECT:
Flour figurines
COMMENT:
Deatr Tin-Kay and Julian,
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Monday, October 11, 1999 at 14:02:55 (PD
SUBJECT:
Flour Figurines
COMMENT:
Tin-kay,
FROM:Julian Yiu
Canada - Monday, October 11, 1999 at 10:32:30 (PD
SUBJECT:
Flour Figurines
COMMENT:
FROM:Tin-Kay Goh <tinkgoh@hotmail.com>
Sydney, NSW Australia - Monday, October 11, 1999 at 09:06:48 (PD
SUBJECT:
stories of liao tsai chi yi in english
COMMENT:
I enjoy your site very much! can you refer me to any translations of the strange tales of liao tsai chi yi in english. You have it in chinese on your site but I can not read it yet.
I also tried to download chinese font using your directions but was not able to find a source that is still working. Can you plese check it and give me a recomendation.
Thank,
respectfully,
hirsh d.
FROM:hirsh diamant <hjdiamant8@aol.com>
olympia, wa usa - Sunday, October 10, 1999 at 10:51:53 (PD
SUBJECT:
Symbols in Chinese Art
COMMENT:
A Dictionary
of Chinese Symbols : Hidden Symbols in Chinese Life and Thought
Wolfram Eberhard
Traces of Butterflies' Dreams
- 蝶夢痕
My Poetry
FROM:A.W. Tueting <Ti@fa-kuan.muc.de>
慕尼黑, 德國 - Sunday, October 10, 1999 at 10:03:53 (PD
SUBJECT:
Symbols in Chinese Art
COMMENT:
I am interested in finding detailed information(I have found brief meanings but no in depth history) on the symbols used in Chinese Art, particularly flower, plant and nature symbols. I am interested in learning about their history and how they have evolved over time, possibly their connections with other cultures such as India etc. and the significance of their meanings in Chinese culture. I would like to look at these symbols and their uses in the various art forms such as clothing, ceramics, paintings etc. Can anyone help me?
FROM:Helen <meachie@senet.com.au>
Adelaide, SA Australia - Saturday, October 09, 1999 at 20:11:02 (PD
SUBJECT:
COMMENT:
Te-Fang:
From the Home Page, click on the "Classics" button and you will see the
text of Book of Mencius in Chinese, as well as many other classics.
FROM:Ming Pei <pei@chinapage.org>
- Saturday, October 09, 1999 at 18:17:26 (PD
SUBJECT:
Fuchs
COMMENT:
Dear Alfred:
You're right. It is an bad idea to explain jokes. If one does not get it the first time, the second time does not sound funny either.
You have mistaken me. When I said that there are lots of Jewish people in "this country" with the last name "Fuchs." I meant the United States. I do not live in Taiwan. There are not too many Jewish people in Taiwan as far as I know. I had a great friend when I was child in Taiwan. I was curious about the festivals that he observed, which were totally different from those of Chinese. I later learned that he is jewish. Interestingly, he looks just like any Chinese. I was told that he descended from a branch of Jewish people who immigrated to Henan province thousands of years ago, and his parents came with Chiang Kai-Shek's army from the mainland China to Taiwan in 1949. This branch probably has been intermarried with Chinese, so they all look like Chinese now. The only identy left is probably their religion and customs only.
There were some of German catholic missionaries in Taiwan, when I was a child. Interestingly, most of them speak and read (romanized Taiwanese) Taiwanese fluently.
FROM:Stephen Hwang <formosa@webzone.net>
- Saturday, October 09, 1999 at 14:30:45 (PD
SUBJECT:
Fox - Fuchs - Fu - Hu - 狐
linguistic jokes etc.
COMMENT:
To explain in Germany how the Chinese language is 'working' and that it is very,
very easy to learn (because very close to German), one person asks the other
one:
It is interesting to hear from you that lots of Jewish people are living in
Taiwan. I suppose they were coming from Shanghai after WW2, as there were many
European refugees (from Russia, Germany etc.) finding shelter there, great deal
of them being Jews. The first name 'Fuchs' (=fox) is a rather common German
name, not too specific for Jewish people only. It also exists in many other
countries/languages as a first name e.g. 'Fox' (England/U.S.), 'Farkas' - oh
no, that's 'Wolfe' (Hungary), 'Renard' (France), 'Volpe' (Italy), the latinized
form 'Vulpius' (Germany) - and (rather common!) 'Fenek' (Malta).
I'd like to hear more from you about German people living in China (臺灣). Are
they integrated? Do they speak Chinese or even dialects? What professions are
they? What social level etc.?
Traces of Butterflies' Dreams
- 蝶夢痕
My Poetry
FROM:A.W. Tueting <Ti@fa-kuan.muc.de>
慕尼黑, 德國 - Friday, October 08, 1999 at 08:52:51 (PD
SUBJECT:
The Fox in Chinese Life & Literature
狐狸 - Hu-li
COMMENT:
Traces of Butterflies' Dreams
- 蝶夢痕
My Poetry
FROM:A.W. Tueting <Ti@fa-kuan.muc.de>
慕尼黑, 德國 - Thursday, October 07, 1999 at 23:09:02 (PD
SUBJECT:
something about mencious!
COMMENT:
does anyone happen to know where to find the materials about Mencious孟子 on the internet?
Please e-mail back to me . Thank you very much!
Te-Fang
FROM:Te-Fang Chu <chu33@uclink4.berkeley.edu>
Berkeley, CA USA - Thursday, October 07, 1999 at 19:26:49 (PD
SUBJECT:
Su Shi's poem
COMMENT:
Dear Hong:
Thanks for pointing out the missing line in my Su Shi page. I have
corrected the error.
There are, I am sure, many errors in these pages. I depend on you and others like you to tell me about them.
Once again, thanks.
Ming
FROM:Ming L Pei <pei@chinapage.org>
- Thursday, October 07, 1999 at 18:18:40 (PD
SUBJECT:
Fox
COMMENT:
Dear Alfred,
FROM:Julian Yiu
Canada - Thursday, October 07, 1999 at 14:37:45 (PD
SUBJECT:
The Fox in America
COMMENT:
Traces of Butterflies' Dreams
- 蝶夢痕
My Poetry
FROM:A.W. Tueting <Ti@fa-kuan.muc.de>
慕尼黑, 德國 - Thursday, October 07, 1999 at 13:45:27 (PD
SUBJECT:
foxes in Germany?
COMMENT:
Alfred,
That was truly an amazingly thorough expose' of the "fox" subject in Asian literature and folklore! I enjoyed it.
The first question that pops in my mind, is, did any fox appear to you that night as you and Prof. Eberhard were working on this 'slippery subject', and what did she look like? Maybe wearing a Bavarian Oktoberfest dress, and offering a big glass of cold beer?
Here in America, the word "fox' is used commonly as accepted slang (by young males, anyway) for any good-looking, sensual, sexy, svelte, enticing young lady. "She's a fox!" Or, "That's one foxy looking girl!"
I'm wondering too, why the Yangtze River cut these juicy stories off from the southern Chinese? Can't foxes swim in China?
FROM:Bob Koconis <bkoconis@hotmail.com>
Boulder, CO USA - Thursday, October 07, 1999 at 13:04:02 (PD
SUBJECT:
Fox
COMMENT:
Dear Alfred,
FROM:Julian Yiu
Canada - Thursday, October 07, 1999 at 12:31:48 (PD
SUBJECT:
The Fox in Chinese Life & Literature
狐狸 - Hu-li
COMMENT:
The fox being 1000 years (and attributed with nine tails) is said to be very
sensual. A fox of this kind is said to having deduced the last emperor of Shang
dynasty in the shape of beguiling Tan-chi, enticeing him into doing many atrocious
deeds, in the end losing his own life and empire (reported in the famous novel
'Feng-shen yen-i' - 'The Metamorphoses of the Gods' - from 17th century). Already
2000 years ago, the fox was taken for a demoniacal animal with ghosts riding
on his back; on the other hand his appearing was regarded as a lucky omen.
Yet, its erotical notion always has been predominate, e.g. the fox related to
sexual deseases etc. I personally have read lots of ancient Chinese stories
of this kind: a wonderful young girl appears during the night in front of a
young scholar still busy with his studies. He makes love to her until dawn,
when the girl leaves him. After this, the girl keeps coming every night, and
the young scholar getting weaker and weaker. Finally a Taoist priest tells him
that the young girl in reality was a fox slowly sucking him out in order to
get the 'essence for eternal life' from his body.
Fox stories of this kind are restricted to Northern China, Korea and Japan,
the Yangtsekiang river 長江 being the border to the south - so, our friends
in this forum, all being southerners, assumingly don't know 'juicy' stories
like these ;))). (Yet, the Japanese and Korean foxes' characters are said to
be different from the Chinese ones.)
Fox-women often pretend their last name being 'Hu', because of the same sound
of the word 'fox' (hu 狐).
In former Peking 北京 there were lots of houses with (unvisible) foxes living
in, therefore being under administration of a so-called 'fox-official' 狐官
situated in the east gate's tower. Those houses' occupants wanting to avoid
the foxes' revenge (e.g. by throwing dirt into the familiar dishes etc.), used
to now and then offer them food and let them make their noise during sleeping
time.
One could distinguish fox-women from real humans because the foxes never changed
their clothings, these never getting insightly, though. Maybe from this derives
the Chinese expression 'fox smell' for axiliar sweat/odor.
Traces of Butterflies' Dreams
- 蝶夢痕
My Poetry
FROM:A.W. Tueting <Ti@fa-kuan.muc.de>
慕尼黑, 德國 - Thursday, October 07, 1999 at 10:56:36 (PD
SUBJECT:
COMMENT:
Mr. Pei:
Just to let you know the second line of the second standza in the first
poem, "Lin Jiang Sen" on Su Shi (Dong Po)'s page is missing. It is too
beautiful a line to miss. Please inform the editor of your page.
Again, thank you for your beautiful page on Chinese culture.
Sincerely,
frequent visitor of your page
FROM:Hong H. Ma <chamber@sfsu.edu>
San Francisco, CA United States - Thursday, October 07, 1999 at 10:28:28 (PD
SUBJECT:
陞 官 圖
COMMENT:
Dear Tin-kay,
FROM:Julian Yiu
Canada - Tuesday, October 05, 1999 at 16:52:06 (PD
SUBJECT:
Women's script and card game
COMMENT:
Dear Tin-Kay,
FROM:asiawind.com <SL Lee>
- Tuesday, October 05, 1999 at 11:44:15 (PD
SUBJECT:
Chinese Women's Special language/ Mooncake Game
COMMENT:
FROM:Tin-Kay Goh <tinkgoh@hotmail.com>
Sydney, NSW Australia - Tuesday, October 05, 1999 at 09:31:44 (PD
SUBJECT:
Chinese words
COMMENT:
Return to Homepage and click on "Tattoo" button.
FROM:Ming L Pei <pei@chinapage.org>
- Monday, October 04, 1999 at 20:25:34 (PD
SUBJECT:
chinese symbols
COMMENT:
i am looking online for the calligraphy sybols in chinese that people get tatoos of. my freind has one symbol tattoo on her that means strenghth and i was looking to see if you had a list of different symbols meaning such things as strengh, love,happiness etc to get some idea of one i want
could you get back to me asap i want to get my tatoo this weekend
:)
thanks :)
nikki
FROM:nikki <1_nday@fair1.fairfield.edu>
fairfield, ct usa - Monday, October 04, 1999 at 18:38:50 (PD
SUBJECT:
seal
COMMENT:
Dear Sarah,
FROM:Julian Yiu
Canada - Monday, October 04, 1999 at 07:32:35 (PD
SUBJECT:
Beijing Opera
COMMENT:
There are several different kinds of Chinese operas, each is called by a differnt name, and each has its different musical style.
The most popular is the Beijing (Peking) Opera.
Another is the Cantonese opera.
If you are interested in the Cantonese Opera, check out
http://cantonese-opera.com/
FROM:Ming L Pei <pei@chinapage.org>
- Monday, October 04, 1999 at 07:14:28 (PD
SUBJECT:
Chinese Opera CDs and VCDs
COMMENT:
FROM:Tin-Kay Goh <tinkgoh@hotmail.com>
Sydney, NSW Australia - Sunday, October 03, 1999 at 19:41:20 (PD
SUBJECT:
Oldest playable flute
COMMENT:
Dear Ming,
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Sunday, October 03, 1999 at 17:57:43 (PD
SUBJECT:
Oldest playable flute
COMMENT:
Dear Ming,
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Sunday, October 03, 1999 at 17:57:19 (PD
SUBJECT:
Oldest playable musical instrument
COMMENT:
S.L. brought to our attention of the report of the 9,000 year old musical instrument (sept 23, 1999) which is still playable.
I mentioned that this appeared to be the same as shown in a photograph
china room page
(click on "historic relic")
Was it
笛子 or was it 簫?
Do you hold it horizontally or vertically while playing?
FROM:Ming L Pei <pei@chinapage.org>
- Sunday, October 03, 1999 at 13:51:49 (PD
SUBJECT:
Chinese Opera CD
COMMENT:
Kevin:
From the homepage, click on "Buy Books" button.
Enter "classic music" and "chinese opera".
You can order Chinese opera CD there.
Gook luck.
FROM:Ming L Pei <pei@chinapage.org>
- Sunday, October 03, 1999 at 06:42:43 (PD
SUBJECT:
Chinese Opera CD
COMMENT:
Hi,
I have been looking pretty hard for Chinese Opera CD or VCD for my mum but to no avail. May u tell me where I can find them? Perhaps I can order them over the internet?
Those u have on your webpages are the titles and artists that my mum would love to have.
regards,
Kevin
FROM:Kevin <exquisite@pacific.net.sg>
Singapore - Sunday, October 03, 1999 at 04:56:55 (PD
SUBJECT:
seals
COMMENT:
I am trying to find a particular seal and some information about it. I have looked at the Art of Seal Carvings but no luck. I would be really grateful if someone has any suggestions where to look now.
Thankyou.
FROM:sarah <houghey@yahoo.com>
united Kingdom - Saturday, October 02, 1999 at 15:17:45 (PD
SUBJECT:
Guenter Grass
COMMENT:
Traces of Butterflies' Dreams
- 蝶夢痕
My Poetry
FROM:A.W. Tueting <Ti@fa-kuan.muc.de>
慕尼黑, 德國 - Saturday, October 02, 1999 at 13:59:43 (PD
SUBJECT:
China's Middle Class
& Students abroad etc.
COMMENT:
Traces of Butterflies' Dreams
- 蝶夢痕
My Poetry
FROM:A.W. Tueting <Ti@fa-kuan.muc.de>
慕尼黑, 德國 - Saturday, October 02, 1999 at 11:28:46 (PD
SUBJECT:
China's development
COMMENT:
Dear Alfred,
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiaiwnd.com>
- Saturday, October 02, 1999 at 08:08:54 (PD
SUBJECT:
being patient
COMMENT:
Dear Alfred:
Your points are well taken. I don't know how long will it take for China to become a country ruled by law not by personalities. However, I agree its policy of modernizing or liberalizing the economy first before modernizing the political system. Just look at Russia (Russland)! Political freedom usually follows economic development, and generally the transformations are less painful.
In China's thousands of years of history, there has never been "an enlightened majority" (middle class), which is absolutely essential for democracy to function. There was the elite ruling class which is using the written language (classic Chinese) that few people can read and understand, and there was this majority illiterate peasants. Chinese cleaverly invented the examination system to connect these two disparate classes. There has never been a middle class like that is Taiwan and Hong Kong today.
There is still no complete middle class in China today. It is emerging but not the majority of population yet. It is a vast country, and I expect it will take longer come to existence. The quality of living in China these days is thousands fold better than in 1970s. We have to give credits to them. They are trying to achieve industrialization in 30 years, which took the West 300 years to get. I have no doubt that political freedom will eventually happen.
FROM:Stephen Hwang <formosa@webzone.net>
- Saturday, October 02, 1999 at 07:08:42 (PD
SUBJECT:
Guenter Grass 根特格拉斯
Nobel prize for literature
COMMENT:
He studied in Duesseldorf and Berlin to be a sculptor and a designer. His first
volume with poetry was appreciated, yet sold just about some 300 times. Then,
in 1959, his famous novel 'Die Blechtrommel' (The Tin Drum) was published, and
- rejected and loved - became a best-seller. Much later, it was excellently
adapted for the screen - with pictures I ever have had in my mind since reading
the book as a teenager. This novel was the first part of his 'Danziger Trilogie'
(Gdansk trilogy) followed by 'Katz und Maus' (Cat and Mouse'), 1961, and 'Hundejahre'
(Dog's Years), 1963.
GG belongs to the so-called German 'Flakhelfer-Generation' (flak assistent generation,
i.e. teenage boys abused for defence purposes at the end of WW 2).
In 1977 his remarkable novel 'Der Butt' (the flounder) appeared, yet much less
appreciated than his earlier works. In the style of the fairytale 'Der Fischer
und seine Frau' (The Fisherman and his Wife), he cultural-historically deals
with the women's lib on a literary-fictional level.
GG is not a politician but his heart beats with the social democrats. Being
an independent spirit, his criticizing the way how German reunification had
been accomplished, in my opinion, somehow drove him into isolation during the
last decade. So, the Nobel prize, coming late though, came right in time. GG
now is 72, living in 'Hansestadt' Luebeck. He has two officially wed wives -
one after the other ;) - eight children and eight grandchildren. His appearence
is still looking somewhat asiatic (Mongolian?) - and (shame on me!) I do not
remember a single one of his poems!
Traces of Butterflies' Dreams
- 蝶夢痕
My Poetry
FROM:A.W. Tueting <Ti@fa-kuan.muc.de>
慕尼黑, 德國 - Saturday, October 02, 1999 at 06:31:30 (PD
SUBJECT:
Guenter Grass - Nobel Prize
COMMENT:
Grenter Grass [格 拉 斯] just received the Nobel Prize for
Literature.
空 蕩 蕩 的 公 車
衝 越 繁 星 之 夜
或 許 司 機 在 唱 歌
快 樂 ， 因 為 他 在 唱 歌 。
by 格 拉 斯
tr. 鄭 樹森
According to Zheng, Grass 格 拉 斯 (Chinese often has trouble with the 'r' and 'l' sound) first visited Hongkong during the height of the Cultural Revelotion Period, and was familiar with Chinese literatures and the conditions in China.
FROM:Ming L Pei <pei@chinapage.org>
- Friday, October 01, 1999 at 13:22:13 (PD
SUBJECT:
PRCh 50 years anniversary etc.
COMMENT:
Dear Alfred and Friends,
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Friday, October 01, 1999 at 12:57:05 (PD
SUBJECT:
PRCh 50 years anniversary etc.
COMMENT:
Traces of Butterflies' Dreams
- 蝶夢痕
My Poetry
FROM:A.W. Tueting <Ti@fa-kuan.muc.de>
慕尼黑, 德國 - Friday, October 01, 1999 at 09:30:30 (PD
SUBJECT:
PRCh 50 years anniversary etc.
COMMENT:
Dear Stephen, Alfred, Ming and all the Friends of this forum,
1. People are basically satisfied in needs on food, housing and clothing.
2. People are educated enough to know how and what to choose for their system and leadership.
FROM:asiawind.com <sllee@asiawind.com>
- Friday, October 01, 1999 at 07:46:26 (PD
SUBJECT:
PRCh 50 years anniversary etc.
COMMENT:
I am not enclined to widen this political topic on this cultural platform, so
just one remark to your optimistic view:
Traces of Butterflies' Dreams
- 蝶夢痕
My Poetry
FROM:A.W. Tueting <Ti@fa-kuan.muc.de>
慕尼黑, 德國 - Thursday, September 30, 1999 at 23:59:52 (PD
SUBJECT:
50th anniversary
COMMENT:
Dear Alfred:
You know how I feel about the Chinese regime. However, one cannot argue with the fact that with the establishment of the "New China", communist or not, provided Chinese, in the first time in 100 hundred years of humiliation by Asian and European power, a new reorganized country. The old organization started to crumble at the middle of 19th century, and the country became completely chaotic after the last Manchu emperor abdicated in 1911.
The Chinese communists were really good at mobilizing people from the grass roots up. They came from the grass roots. However, after years of over mobilizations, political movement after political movement due to Mao's own personal mania, people now become fatiqued, cynical, and ignorant. The old revolutionaries, who used to be the prosecuted by corruptors, now are prosecutors and corruptors themselves. "Absolute power bears absolute corruption." This applies to both East and West politics.
The reason that America became the world's superpower in just 200 years is because America has a great system of law and peaceful power transition system, that allows peaceful and orderly means of solving conflicts and passing powers. This way, no unnecessary enery of the people and the country will be wasted in bloodshed and political conflicts or wars. China has yet so far come up with such a system. Taiwan now is a full democracy, because Taiwan has a majority of people who are literate, well fed, and "middle class."
The "middle class" is rapidly appearing in China these days, thanks to the economic development. I predict China will eventually be democratic like Taiwan. The political environment in China today is very similar to Taiwan 30 years ago. Fify years is just one second in the long great history of China. We call the Mongolian Dynasty "Yuen" a short dynasty. Yuen lasted ~90 years. Chinese people are long being inventive and adoptive. The current brain drain and exodus, although sad and worrisome, will one day be changed once China finally realize a democratic, law-binding system, capitalist system is the best way to go. I see nothing but bright future!
Stephen Hwang
FROM:Stephen Hwang
- Thursday, September 30, 1999 at 20:02:34 (PD
SUBJECT:
Why did I discover this page so late?
COMMENT:
Dear Professor Pei,
To be frank, I enter "China, the Beautiful" now by chance . It impresses me deeply. I came from mainland China one month ago to pursue my Ph D degree here at the U of Alabama. I just have a strong feeling that I shall express my gratitude to your work and I will tell all my friends of your page. Thank you again
Sincerely,
Xu Yuejin
FROM:Xu Yuejin <xu_yuejin@hotmail.com>
Tusacaloosa, AL USA - Thursday, September 30, 1999 at 19:40:28 (PD
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