China Travelogue

4 Famous Chinese Embroidery Styles

Feb

Embroidery is a traditional Chinese caft to draw using colored son through the material with embroidery needles are necessary to obtain colored patterns, which has already landed on the ground. The adoption of different needling methods resulted in different embroidery styles and technical schools. Chinese embroidery had already reached a high level in early Qin and Han dynasties, and silk and embroidery were the main products transported along the ancient Silk Road in China. The four famous Chinese embroidery is embroidery Su province of Jiangsu, Xiang embroidery of Hunan Province, the Yue embroidery of Guangdong Province and the Shu embroidery of the province Sichuan.

Chinese Embroidery

Su embroidery has a history over 2000 years. There was a large scale during the dynasty Song. At the end of the Ming Dynasty and early Qing Shen Shou dynasty sand absorbed the Japanese and Western art has combined the skills of traditional Chinese embroidery to produce simulated embroidery with ray effects. In the 1930s, the technique has been used in the illicit Vocationa1 embroidered School Zhengze a girl, created in Danyang. In 1957, the Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute was founded. Su embroidery is known for its refinement and elegance. The design is very simple, in general, high lighting a main theme. The stitches are smooth, thick, thin, clean, yet delicate and harmonious. The film is divided into a maximum of 48 clones only visible to the naked eye. Double-sided embroidery has the same pattern on both sides and uses the same embroidering method that does not show the connections of the eye. Thus, the embroidery has been sent to participate in the Panama World Fair in 1915. Since then, the style more and more famous in the world.

Xiang embroidery was initiated in the Kingdom of Chu during the warring States. He was the main activity in places around Changsha, capital of Hunan Province in Qing Dynasty Xiang embroidery was developed from Hunan folk embroidery methods, but relied on the skills of Su embroidery and needlework Yue. Xiang embroidery products use loose colorful son pattern embroidery and stitching is not as clean as those of other embroidery styles. Son of different colors are mixed, showing a gradual change in color with a rich and harmonious. Plans for the construction of Xiang embroidery mostly traditional Chinese paintings of landscapes, human figures, flowers, birds and animals. The most common designs on Xiang embroidery are lions and tigers. The Tigers appear strong and courageous, it reveals the power and the threat of a king of beasts. Xiang embroidery won the best in the world exhibition in Turin, Italy in 1912 and first prize at the Panama World Fair in 1933. Xiang embroidery is known abroad as the ideal embroidery.

Yue embroidery artisans completed the Tang Dynasty of China have grown old together as embroidery thread embroidery twisted decorative peacock feathers, pony used in point for work in the long term.

Drafts of Yue embroidery are rich and complicated in content with bright colors and strong decorative effects. The embroidery is smooth and normal. One type, gold and silver embroidery pillow, a lovely three-dimensional effect Yue embroidery has a wide variety of modes of worship, one of which is the most common birds of the sun, dragons and Phoenicians. Yue embroidery includes the Guang Chao and branches, the seams have different styles.

Chinese Embroidery-fan shape

Shu embroidery products are mostly located in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province. They are made with soft satins and colored threads as the raw materials are embroidered. The various methods of sewing is the only local style The Shu embroidery designs include flowers, birds, landscapes, fish, worms and human figures. These are the same quilts, pillows, blankets, pillows, back, table , scarves and shawls.

Besides the four major embroidery styles exists or embroidery of Wenzhou, province of Zhejiang, Bian embroidery of Kaifeng, Henan Province and Han embroidery of Wuhan, Hubei Province.

Tags: Chinese Embroidery Styles

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Chinese dress adornment

Posted in Chinese clothing

Feb

In ancient society people lived in caves first, naked. During the Neolithic Age have been invented bone needle and began to dress in winter with leaves and simple sewing fur. It was the development of society, people engaged in agriculture and began to spin and weave, even sewed coats with linen.

In class society, dress became the symbol of social status. It was the Xia and Shang Dynasty, as the system garment from China. In the Zhou Dynasty, the system improves. From this point, the differences in color, design costumes and ornaments were strictly between the emperor, officials and ordinary people.

China is a multiethnic state. Every nation has a traditional culture of its own. The mutual support and inspiration among different nationals made Chinese dress more plentiful and tasty.

During the Sui and Tang, the booming economy and people led a quiet life. People from different countries gathered in Changan and Luoyang to promote international cultural exchanges. Above all, the culture of Central Asia greatly influenced Chinese dress system.
On the other hand, the ideology directly influenced dress and adornment. During the warring States period, many vassal states were competing with each other so that the chain of clothing and jewelry has diversified. By providing both the Sui and Tang, the unity of ancient China and the prosperity of the economy with new ideas, and the dress was beautiful, especially decolIetage appeared. Because of the intensity of feudal ideology, the patterns of clothing and jewelry progressive conservative song and Ming dynasties. Influenced by western cultures, projects are more appropriate and tasteful end of the Ming.

Standards of old clothes were divided into two groups: Rock-and-Rock and One Piece . Green rocks and was driven primarily by women and One Piece from men.

Strict rules are the color of old clothes and jewelry. Yellow is the color the more valuable as a symbol of the center.
Green, red, white and black symbolizes the east, south, west and north respectively. Green, red, black, white and yellow are pure colors used by the emperors and officials. Common people could only secondary colors. With the development of society, the colors of clothes that are more consistent and provide a contrast to partially replace the distant past, it was very easy. These changes make the clothes and beautiful jewelry.

The geometric motifs are pictures of animals and plants commonly used in clothing and jewelry. Before the Shang and Zhou, standards were primitive, almost abstract. According to Zhou, the trend was much clearer. The compositions were balanced and symmetrical. During the Tang and Song, greater attention has been given to the compositions. From the Ming Dynasty and Qing dynasties, most models were realistic, and flowers, animals and mountains and waters were all really true to life.

Tags: Chinese dress adornment

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Chinese new year celebration

Posted in Chinese culture

Feb

Chinese New Year holiday is a fortnight on a different date each year, is a combination of lunar and solar movements. It is usually in January and February. This year, the year of the Tiger .

chinese-new-year

The date of Chinese New Year changes each year and coincides with the second new moon after the winter solstice. The date of the event is decided according to the calendar, which is a combination of solar and lunar calendars. Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, cat, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and pig is the animal to be favorable. Any person, because he believed in the Chinese calendar is like a beast and reflected on the possibilities.

Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, as they say, is the most revered festivals of the year. That’s when family and friends and pray for their ancestors and deities, which followed a lavish dinner to inaugurate the new year. Meanwhile, families decorate their homes during the feng shui believers therefore their own home. Stay at the end of Chinese New Year, members of a family, as the legend says that this would be a long time, and the gods give the golden sky for every family in order to keep alive, active and ready to accept a gift gold.

Chinese paper cutting-tiger

Families decorate their homes with beautiful vases and flowers, symbolizing nature awakens. Oranges and tangerines are entering the house as a sign of happiness and prosperity. A tray of sweets from eight different types of cakes are available with these devices. The candies are lotus seeds, longan, peanuts, coconut, kumquat, melon seeds red melon confit, etc.

Traditional foods that an important part of Chinese New Year Party includes Jai, fish and chicken, pasta and desserts. Dinner has a symbolic significance, ie, when the richness of Chinese dumplings, as in the form of ancient Chinese gold or silver. ITC is the traditional drink of China symbolizes longevity and Daikon, a white radish. Chilli symbolize happiness, while ensuring the harmony of rice.

The Chinese are generally in the streets, especially children, the Chinese dragon masks and go for the Chinese New Year Dragon Parade. The dragon dance is an important part of Chinese New Year. A man, a pearl of wisdom on a pole, lures the dragon beats the drum, and then like in search of wisdom and knowledge. The lion dance is a ritual as important in the consecration of a happy time in China. The Lantern Festival has created a visually stunning display of colorful lanterns craftsmen to the design of butterflies, dragons, birds, dragonflies and other insects or animals. The Dragon Boat Festival marks the day of the Chinese scholar around, which flows into the river for a political protest.

Chinese New Year not only a celebration of joy and a part, but once the new season, pray for the welfare and prosperity and to cleanse evil.

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Chinese Kung Fu

Posted in Chinese art

Feb

Chinese martial arts were first reported in the literature of the dynasty Chou 1122-255BC and only Shaolin Kung Fu history begins with the construction of the Monastery Shaoling 495AD. The monastery was built in the Song Mountain in the province of waves up to 2000 monks housed in a moment and considered the most famous monastery of China reported. Because Shaolin Kung Fu taught orally transmitted much of the early history is a mixture of historical facts mixed with legend.

Chinese kung fu

When the father of Shaolin Kung Fu and the founder of Zen Buddhism, monk Random mother left India in the 6th century AD, migrated east, then north to the arrival of the Shaolin Monastery, where he stopped and taught Zen meditation. Random realized that most monks are unable to handle the rigorous rules of mediation Zen discipline, created a series of exercises to develop their health and increase endurance. Very similar to the yoga exercises, both mentally and physically, seen as the beginnings of Shaolin Kung Fu have been trained.
It was during the holy pilgrimage, martial arts really developed mainly out of necessity, as the monks are often denied their religious treasures of the many pirates or bandits of the year. Taught with exercises and postures and refined by recent fighting traffic, the influence of Zen, a deadly form of martial art is born, and was well equipped to protect themselves and their treasures. Over the centuries this form of self-defense and spiritual way of life was legendary.

In 1736, the monastery of Manchu troops were attacked and beaten monks, but the large number of soldiers and destroyed the monastery was burned to the ground. Fortunately, there were survivors, and fled in a way that the history of Shaolin Kung Fu taught and even flourish. The monastery has been rebuilt several times and is still remembered as the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu.

Chinese-Kung-Fu

Although the messages are still found, was one of the first historical references to the history of Shaolin Fung Fu in 1784, published in the Boxing Classic: Essential Boxing Methods. The note gives the first documentation of Shaolin monks and the monastery as the origin of Shaolin Kung Fu. Today Kung Fu broadcast around the world and there are many ways, there is such a model has been suspended, which he named after Hung Hei Guen, one of the Ten Tigers of Shaolin. He learned by Gee Sin who was the abbot of Shaolin, the fire escape, and continued to teach and disseminate the history of Shaolin Kung Fu and methods across China, which sent the famous art now, but we all used to the world .

Tags: Chinese Kung Fu

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Chinese traditional masks

Posted in Chinese culture

Feb

Chinese masks are legend. The tradition of mask making in China and other Asian countries reflect the religious and rich cultural traditions of each particular group of people. Buddhist masks of Tibet to the royal masks of Beijing, is the love of Asian masks abundant. You in this tradition with the masks of China at home. Let us help you and deal with some beautiful Chinese masks.

To be able to buy Chinese masks, should be what kind of masks you visit this different regions of China each reflect a different kind of culture to determine their interest. You can choose to buy colorful masks in wood. Or maybe you’d prefer to have a golden dragon mask. The type of mask you buy depends partly on your budget. Playing the wooden mask can cost under $ 50, while the gold authentic masks and other metals, you can return thousands of dollars.

When deciding what kind of Chinese masks to buy, you’re ready to buy. For affordable masks, think you should check your local dealer to your input. If a branch or a small low volume is a trader, you need a little luck and a shop that specializes in foreign products. Or show a local decorating or furniture store. These places often have reproduction items for sale at reasonable prices.

If you are looking for authentic Chinese masks, but you may have a little more work to do. The Internet is a good place to find authentic products. Auction sites on the sites developed by merchants in China, the options are configured via the Internet has no limits. If we do not take themselves too well, online, or you’re not well versed in the Internet, you can contact the local antique shops and auctions are held your head. The most important thing to know when shopping for authentic items to your dealer. To save a lot of questions and learn more about the history or if you can find.

Now that you have purchased one or more beautiful Chinese masks, you’re ready to decorate. There are many ways of the ancient Asian masks at home. Consider a gold mask important in a large room or hall. Add a golden Buddha and some jade and style combined you get the fun and exciting place. Or use a wooden mask in a room of neutral colors and fabrics. In any case, new decor China will please your guests.