Han, Another Name for Chinese

Just like we often use Gaulish to describe people of French ethnicity, there’s also another word for the Chinese: Han.
Originally, Han referred to the Han River in central China, after which the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) itself was named.
The Han Dynasty, lasting 400 years, was one of the most glorious periods in China’s history. It consisted of two periods: the Western Han (206 BC-24 AD), with its capital in Chang’an, now known as Xi’an, and the Eastern Han (25-220 AD).
The Western Han conquered many surrounding ethnic groups and expanded its territory. The unified people began calling themselves “Han Ren,” and the nationality “Han Zu,” presently accounts for more than 90 percent of the total population in China.
It was then the word Han rose in popularity and gradually secured the connotation of “Chinese.”
There’s more to “Han” than a people. Its meaning was further extended to mean Chinese culture because the Han Dynasty thoroughly established the social culture which has been passed down to this day, over the course of 2,000 years. Thus came Han Yu and Han Zi, which mean Chinese language and Chinese characters respectively.

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Lindsay Lohan out and about in LA March 13th 2009 leaves after having lunch at a restaurant.

Jennifer Aniston looks happy on the set of 'The Baster' in Brooklyn .

Jessica Alba was out for a playdate at Coldwater Park in Beverly Hills on Wednesday with her daughter.

Colombian singer Shakira watches a match between Rafael Nadal of Spain and Frederico Gil of Portugal at the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida March 30, 2009.

Hilary Duff reviews her lines as she makes her way to a casting call March 19 in Hollywood, Calif.

U.S. pop star Madonna walks while holding her adopted Malawian son David Banda at a school she financed, some 50 km south of Malawi's capital Lilongwe, March 30, 2009.

U.S. pop singer Madonna leaves the high court in Lilongwe March 30, 2009. Madonna appeared in a Malawi court on Monday seeking to adopt a second child, a girl called Mercy James, from the southern African country.

Tiger Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren, follows her husband during final round play in the Arnold Palmer Invitational PGA golf tournament at the Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Florida March 29, 2009.

Jade Love — Time Slip to the Qing Imperial Court

As the old Chinese saying goes “Gold has a value while jade is invaluable.” This jewel is very special in Chinese culture, whose development is closely linked to that of China’s etiquette system and civilization from the cultural and historical perspectives.
Among the major kinds of Chinese jade, Hetian nephrite is known as the national jade. It is an important carrier of Confucius morality and traditional culture used to make sacrificial vessels in ritual or military ceremonies. So-called Chinese jade culture nowadays is actually the culture of Hetian nephrite.
For thousands of years, jade had been the physical manifestation of spiritual virtue, the embodiment of all that is most desirable: beauty, grace, purity, perfection, power and immortality, reflecting many Chinese beliefs and values in ancient China.
In ancient times, as today, jade was also used for furnishing articles, ornaments and personal adornments: jade rings, bracelets, pendants, combs. Watery, translucent, often exquisitely carved and with gentle greenish or a white sheen, items made of this kind of beautiful stone were quite popular at the imperial court. From collections used in the Qing (1644 – 1911 AD) court, we can see the purity and nobility of Chinese jade culture.

Jade Lion

Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD)
Height: 1.5 cm, length: 6 cm, width: 4.5 cm

The recumbent beast is carved in the round, with his massive head finely detailed with bulbous eyes below prominent spiral eyebrows and curled fur swept, the stone of a well-polished creamy white tone with minor russet inclusions. A similar shaped tri-colour glazed pottery excavated from underway palace of FaMeng Temple of the Tang Dynasty in Xi’an can prove that these two handcrafts were of the same period.

Jade Comb Enchased with Flowers and Birds Tang dynasty (618 – 907 AD)
Length: 10.5 cm, width: 3.5 cm, thickness: 0.4 cm

Hemicycle jade comb was made of white jade with a slight cyan in it, enchased with three flowers in the middle of the outer arc and a bird on each side. Below the arc is the fine comb teeth set close together. In the Tang Dynasty, apart from being used to comb one’s hair, combs were often used on the head as ornamentation. This short-teeth comb is very thin with slim teeth, conjectured to be ornamentation.

Jade Censer Sculptured with Cloud and Dragon

Song Dynasty (960 – 1279 AD)
Height: 7.9 cm, mouth diameter: 12.8 cm

The round censer made of steel-gray sapphire has a bulging body with a pair of animal-head handles on it. On the exterior wall, there incised with patterns of flying dragon, lucky clouds and seawater waves. Its interior bottom is incised with a poem by the Qianlong Emperor.
It was very popular to enjoy and appreciate antiquities in the Song Dynasty, and the research on bronzes yielded a rich harvest. Thus a new shape category of jade ware gradually derived from the former ones, imitated jade ware of ancient bronze style. This one was modeled after a bronze Gui (a kind of food vessel), yet much changed on forms and ornament patterns, and the material used was no longer yellow colored.

Grey Jade Pei in the form of a Pair of Cranes

Song Dynasty (960 – 1279 AD)
Length: 6.8 cm, width: 4.3 cm

White with cyan sheen, the jade ornamentation was smooth textured with grease-like luster. Two connecting cranes formed a circle in general shape, face to face, claws to claws, and they were spreading their wings as if to soar away. On the top there was a little hole for thread to be fastened to clothes. Cranes are seen as an auspicious sign in Taoism, to which Emperor Huizong of the Song was an adherent.

Jade Bi with Nine Chi Design

Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644 AD)
Diameter: 20.4 cm, aperture: 5.8 cm, thickness: 2 cm

The bi is a form of circle jade disc with a round hole in the center, which testifies to the concentration of power and resources in the hands of a small group of elite in ancient China. This bi was dark grey with yellow spots, one side decorated with vortex design, another side carved nine chi designs in relieve. The chi in the middle hole was dragon faced, playing a fire ball with one of its claws, five other small-head chi circling it. Another three were on the edge of the disc, facing one side while hind limbs and tail on the other side. Chi was believed in ancient China a kind of dragon, and the decorative pattern was widely used on jade bi after the Song and Yuan (1271 – 1368 AD) Dynasties.

Twin-barrel Jade Brushpot in the Form of Bamboo and Peach Stalks

Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644 AD)
Height: 21.9 cm, large diameter: 5.5 – 6 cm, small diameter: 4.5 – 4.7 cm

This fine Chinese twin-barrel jade brushpot is made of celadon jade in the form of bamboo and peach stalks, connected by a peach branch. The taller “bamboo pot” was attached by two ganoderma lucidums at the root, while the shorter “peach pot” was decorated by peach fruits, branches and leaves, with an orchid at the bottom.
Brushpot is a basic piece of article for ancient Chinese scholars to hold brush or other things, and some magnificently carved ones made of rare materials are also perfect decorations and treasured items. The design of bamboo, peach, orchid and ganoderma lucidum represented morality and virtue of the scholar.

Jade Gui with Stria and Animal-head Handles

Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644 AD)
Height: 8.8 cm, Mouth diameter: 13.2 cm, Foot diameter: 9.4 cm

The round jade gui differs in design and text engraved on the surface from those of the Shang and Zhou that were widely used as food vessels. Beginning in the Ming Dynasty, such gui was a common decoration among upper classes and also could hold incense for burning. Sculpted with patterns of clouds and delicately grooved curling grass, the rosewood cover was matched to this gui during the Qing, together with an excellently engraved jade piece made in the Yuan as button on the top, the whole is circulating a thick noble and luxurious atmosphere.

Chinese Shadow Play--Precursor of Modern Cinema

Shadow play, a traditional Chinese folk art with a history of more than 2,000 years, has embarked on a revival path after a period of marked decline, thanks to conservation efforts and lasting interest in rural area.

Known as a precursor of modern cinema, shadow play is a kind of drama in which silhouettes made of hard paper, buffalo and donkey hide are projected onto a white screen. The performer manipulates the characters behind the screen while singing the libretto to tell the story.
The artistic effect of the play is produced through light, screen, music, singing, and puppetry. The shadow play is widely referred to as “a magic, lightning-like art" that can win people's high praise internationally.

The puppets in the shadow play are made of transparent leather and Chinese shadow artists first carve out the lines of the design and then dye them in bright colors. These transparent leather puppets become very lively and beautiful under the lantern light. With strong local characteristics, the shadow puppets are folk handiworks and a wisdom crystallization of Chinese shadow play artists through the ages.

Known as a precursor of modern cinema, shadow play is a kind of drama in which silhouettes made of hard paper, buffalo and donkey hide are projected onto a white screen. The performer manipulates the characters behind the screen while singing the libretto to tell the story.
The artistic effect of the play is produced through light, screen, music, singing, and puppetry. The shadow play is widely referred to as “a magic, lightning-like art" that can win people's high praise internationally.

The puppets in the shadow play are made of transparent leather and Chinese shadow artists first carve out the lines of the design and then dye them in bright colors. These transparent leather puppets become very lively and beautiful under the lantern light. With strong local characteristics, the shadow puppets are folk handiworks and a wisdom crystallization of Chinese shadow play artists through the ages.

Chinese shadow play, which came into being during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) in northwest Shanxi Province, spread to South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia and North Africa in the 13th century. The ancient Chinese art spread to Europe in the 17th century with the famous German poet Goethe staging a European opera in the form of Chinese shadow play, and modern movies derived, in part, from the ancient art.
Shadow play, with distinctive folklore styles, had long been one of the only entertainment forms in Chinese villages till two decades ago.

But the ancient art gradually fell from the limelight due to the impact of modern audio-visual media such as television and movies. Many shadow play groups have been disbanded, and many of the most talented artists have died. In many areas, certain types of plays and the art of performance are actually nearing extinction.
Fortunately, shadow play is still alive and warmly welcomed among people in some rural areas in China.

Both Chinese artists and the Government are making great efforts to conserve and propagate the ancient art form. China is applying to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) for a certification as an intangible cultural heritage.

The Legend of Shadow Play
Concerning its origin there is a beautiful love story that has Liu Zhe, the Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, who liked all kinds of entertainment and kept many artists in his palace. Among the musicians Li Yannian was the best. Not only was he good at playing all kinds of musical instruments, but also at improvising songs. One year the King of Qiuzi, a tribe in the northwest, came to present a tribute and at the reception banquet Li Yannian was ordered to give a performance where he sang about an exceeding beauty. All the people were fascinated and lost in the graceful scene he created. Later when someone reported to the Emperor Wu that Li's sister was such a beauty, the emperor was so pleased as to call her in. Finding she was pretty beyond description, he fell in love with her at first sight wherein she received great favor and gave birth to a son the next year.

But good times did not last long for she fell seriously ill afterwards. When the emperor visited her, she covered her face with a quilt and said, 'I hope your majesty can take good care of my brother and son for the sake of our past.' But she refused his request of taking a last look at her, 'A woman makes up to please her lover but I am not as good-looking as before and not dressed up. Please leave me as I am.' So finally the emperor went away disappointed. As explained to her maid she said, 'His majesty favors me because of my appearance. I'm no longer pretty with illness and he will forget all my goodness at my sight. But otherwise he'll remember me forever.'

After her death the emperor missed her so much that a necromancer was summoned to call back her spirit. Though his mind racked, the necromancer found no way to meet this expectation. In the evening when pacing up and down in his room, he saw his shadow reflected on the wall. Thus an idea was hit upon. He copied the concubine's picture onto a piece of leather and after coloring and cutting a lifelike silhouette was made. With all the details well prepared, Emperor Wu was invited to the room. From far away, he saw his concubine's silhouette came up slowly and gracefully, knelt down respectfully and remained there. Just as he was approaching, the necromancer stopped him and said the spirit needed a respectful distance. And hundreds of years later Pi Ying Xi was passed down from the descendants of the necromancer.

Authorities deny thwarting auction

Chinese cultural relics authorities have denied involvement in the sabotage of the 30-million-euro ($40 million) sale of two bronzes in Paris last week, while reiterating its stance that the items belonged to China.
They also said they did not know who was behind the bid for the relics until Monday, when Chinese antiques collector Cai Mingchao revealed he was the mystery bidder, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said yesterday.
Cai later refused to pay for the bronzes as an act of patriotism.
While pointing out Cai's action was "not official", Qin said his ministry and the Ministry of Culture had repeatedly made clear China's stance against buying back the looted relics.

The bronze heads of a rabbit and a rat were sold to an anonymous telephone bidder during late French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent's art collection's auction.
The heads were once part of a fountain featuring the Chinese zodiac's 12 animals at the Old Summer Palace. They were looted by invading Anglo-French troops when they razed the Old Summer Palace during the Second Opium War in 1860. Five of the bronzes had been returned to China while the other five's whereabouts are unknown.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman yesterday called for "attention to the core of the matter" when asked about the 44-year-old Cai's refusal to pay.
"The relics belong to China. They were looted by Western invaders and smuggled abroad," he said.
China had repeatedly demanded Christie's halt the auction and return the relics to their rightful owner. But a French court ruled the auction could proceed.
Cai yesterday referred to an order issued by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) the day after the auction as further reason for not paying.
SACH requires documentation proving all artifacts Christie's shipped into and out of China are from legal sources. Because the two items had been officially deemed to have been illegally looted, Christie's would not be able to deliver them to Cai even if he paid, Cai said.

"As a Chinese, I must comply with the Chinese government's regulations. If the two auction items cannot enter China, of course, I won't pay," Cai said.
Auction laws state Cai could be required to pay commissions incurred by Christie's and compensate the firm for the price difference if the items are again put up for auction. The loss could easily add up to 10 million euros.
The National Treasure Fund, a non-governmental organization that retrieves looted treasures, supported Cai.
It said if he had not placed his bid, the two stolen bronzes would be lost forever, and the auction would have created a bad precedent for treasures scattered around the world.
Cai's justification of his move as a patriotic action had polarized the public.

Some view him as a national hero; others believe he was merely a renegade.
"It is the biggest default in auction history," Beijing Huachen Auctions general manager Gan Xuejun said.
He said the move might damage Cai's viability at art auctions.
Cai had passed Christie's financial screening because he had paid Sotheby's a record HK$116.6 million for a Ming Dynasty Buddha sculpture two years ago. He also owns an auction house in Xiamen, Fujian province.
"But Cai's political protest will put his name on the blacklists of auctioneers worldwide," Gan told China Daily.
"That means he will not be invited to future auctions, and his company would have difficulty financing overseas."
China Association of Auctioneers' chief lawyer Wang Fenghai criticized Cai for damaging Chinese people's global image and sabotaging their collective credibility, which had been built up over decades of reform and opening up.
But 74 percent of more than 260,000 netizens who participated in a sina.com survey supported Cai.
Some praised Cai for cleverly bringing the issues to a wider international audience, allowing Chinese people's discontent to be heard.
Many also said the high personal risks he accepted made him heroic.
Wang told China Daily Christie's still holds Cai's guarantee money and may claim it as a penalty.
In theory, Christie's could also organize another auction and require Cai to compensate for any price difference. But that would prove difficult in practice.
"A long legal and diplomatic wrangle is possible," he said.

Eggs Can "Stand Up" During The Spring Equinox!

Eggs can "stand up" during the spring equinox!

March 20th is the first day of spring, or vernal equinox.During this day,you can balance eggs on end.It's the time when day and night are of roughly equal duration,and the gravity is balanced.In China,it's a custom to stand a raw egg on end during the equinox.It's very interesting!

The Story of Dong Yong and the Seventh Immortal Maiden

Dong Yong legend is a well-known love story between a goddess and a mortal. TheJade Emperorof Heaven has seven daughters, the youngest of whom is the ravishingly beautiful Seventh Fairy Maiden, who daringly flees down to the human world to help a poor farmer-Dong Yong, an honest and kind-hearted serf. Then, they fall in love with each other, so they get married, in defiance of theJadeEmperor. She makes the cruel landlord shorten Dong Yong's three years' indenture to 100 days, but gods are forbidden to love mortals, so the Jade Emperor has her snatched back to heaven, breaking up the happy couple.

The Dong Yong legend is very popular in the rural areas of China. Since the 20th century, the story has always been a theme of popular literature and film.

In its 2,000 years of being passed down from generation to generation, the story has mixed with the life of the local people and has formed the basis of some local legends. There are also things named after Dong Yong, such as a stele, village and other areas. Wangrong County in Shanxi Province，Dongtai City in Jiangsu Province，Wuzhi County in Henan Province，Xiaogan City in Hubei Province all have records claiming that Dong Yong was a resident.