Category: Chinese customs

The platform bed was naturally extended with surrounding screen panels or tented awnings to provide nighttime enclosure. The canopy bed is thus characterized by a super structure fitted to the top of the bed, which was enclosed with panels and/or hung with draperies. This room within a room provided private space that was further insulated from drafty quarters.

  The ‘official’s hat chair’ is divided into two categories: the yokeback armchair (with four protruding ends) and southern official’s armchair. Of these, the ‘yokeback’ chair or is perhaps foremost amongst the various traditional Ming-style chair forms, exhibiting dignity and poise. It is a formal chair, and frequently appears in hierarchical seating arrangements.

This sweet and sour pork is prepared American-style with more batter and deep-fried twice for extra crispiness.

  Round-back armchairs emerged simultaneously with other highback chairs during the Tang and Song dynasties. Its origins are suggested by the ancient, curved armrests with three short legs that were used on ground mats and later placed on platforms. Song texts also refer to armrests made of bent wood or bamboo. By the Ming dynasty, it developed into one of the most graceful chair forms of traditional furniture. Its rounded backrest and smooth, downward sloping armrest are exceptionally comfortable for supporting the elbows and arms.

Swing is a kind of game utensils. Swinging is a sport that the player swings back and forth with a tread plate hung on a frame by long ropes.

Side chairs, or chairs without arms, appeared from the Song dynasty through the Qing dynasty with little change to the basic form. It is usually smaller than official’s hat chair, but with backrest and crest rail of similar style. Of all chairs, it was likely the most common type; however, because its form is less structural than those integrated with armrests, side chairs have survived in fewer number.

Chui wan (strike pellet), one of the colorful ball games in ancient China , is believed to be the origin of golf, a modern outdoor game. Chui wan was originally called bu da (walk and hit), a game in which the player scored points by hitting the pellet into a socket in the ground. The game was developed from cuju, or the ancient football game. Wang Jian, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, Describes the game in one of his poems: "Stands have been set up on both sides of the palace hall, during the Hansi festival court people play the bu da ball. They walk and kneel in competition, and the champion thanks the emperor when he wins." This proves that bu da, a game similar to golf, had been popular more than 1,000 years ago.