Tag: Historical Stories

The Furniture from Ming and Qing Dynasties, especially the Qing-style furniture(清式家具Qīngshì jiājù), has attached particular importance to the application of decoration as the way of embodying its rich cultural connotations(the connotations of a particular word or name are the ideas or qualities which it makes you think of). That is why the decoration of the furniture is in conformity with the popular gorgeous and sumptuous styles advocated in Qing Dynasty(清朝Qīngcháo). In terms of the decorative patterns, except the geometric designs, the furniture from Ming and Qing dynasties tend to use plants, animals, characters and other historical stories and folk tales to express emotions such as devotion, expectation, pursuit and blessing.

Han Tune Erhuang Opera(汉调二黄戏Hàndiào èrhuáng xì), also called Shaan Erhuang and Shan Erhuang, is the second important genre of opera in Shaanxi, and enjoys popularity in Ankang, Hanzhong, Shangluo and Xi'an of Shaanxi Province and some areas in Hubei and Gansu. Originating from mountain airs, eclogues and folksongs, it developed its own style with influence of the Shaanxi opera (qinqiang in Chinese) during the early Qing Dynasty, and by absorbing the tunes of Kunqu opera, Chuiqiang and Gaobozi, and using local dialects. At the very beginning, the opera was accompanied by two flutes which used bamboo as huang (reed), hence the name. To be distinguished with Peking Erhuang opera, it was also named Tu Erhuang. There are a great variety of plays in the Han Tune Erhuang Opera, over 1200 in Ankang alone. 420 complete series and 517 highlights have been explored and sorted out. Most of these plays have drawn materials from Romance of the States of Eastern Zhou, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Canonization((Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church) the act of admitting a deceased person into the canon of saints) of Gods and other folk legends and historical stories.

In China's cities and the countryside, New Year pictures are closely linked with the Spring Festival (the Chinese New Year). Pasting up New Year pictures is a part of the festive celebrations.

漳州木版年画主要流传于漳州的芗城区和闽南、岭南一带，并远销台湾、香港和东南亚等地。Zhangzhou New Year wood-block prints are popular in the Xiangcheng District in Zhangzhou City, the Southern Fujian areas and areas in the south of Five Ridges, and are often sold in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia.
宋代福建的刻书业开始兴盛，迅速带动了民间版画刻印技术的发展。明清两代，漳州木版年画开始流行，漳州月港的兴起给木版年画的外销带来了有利条件。20世纪初，漳州联子街、香港路、台湾路一带集中了大批年画店，直至50年代尚有八九家存在。The book-printing industry thrived in Fujian in the Song Dynasty, which led to the rapid development of civil printmaking. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Zhangzhou New Year wood-block prints began to gain popularity, and the rising of the Yuegang Port in Zhangzhou facilitated the export of such products. In the early 20th century, a large number of new year prints stores concentrated along Lianzi Street, Hong Kong Road and Taiwan Road in Zhangzhou, and a few of them remained until the 1950s.
繁多的民间民俗活动是漳州木版年画业生存和发展的基础。漳州民间木版年画的主要题材有辟邪消灾、祈求吉祥、历史戏文故事及装饰图案等。漳州年画中以门画居多，门画又分粗、幼神及文、武神等种类。粗神指以大红或朱红纸为底印制的门画；幼神指直接以本色纸印制，而人物背景上自行调色套印淡红色的年画；文神指画面人物没有骑马或插旗的年画；武神年画与文神相反，画面上人物一般要骑马或插旗。A variety of folk activities have provided soil for the survival and development of the Zhangzhou New Year wood-block prints industry. The themes of Zhangzhou wood-block prints mainly relate to symbols warding off evil, marks of blessings, historical stories in dramas, and decorative patterns. Most Zhangzhou New Year prints are door-god paintings, which are divided into Cushen, Youshen, Wenshen and Wushen. Cushen refers to door paintings printed on bright red or vermeil paper; Youshen refers to door paintings directly printed on unbleached paper, with the background overprinted with pink (mixed color) later; Wenshen refers to door paintings on which figures do not ride a horse nor carry flags; Wushen, on the contrary, features figures riding a horse or carrying flags.