Romance of the West Chamber is a story of young lovers consummating their love without parental approval, and has been called "China's most popular love comedy" and a "lover's bible".It is one of the most famous Chinese dramatic works. It was written by the Yuan Dynasty playwright Wang Shifu (AD 1260-1336), and set during the Tang Dynasty.
Author: chinesemoment
Shaoxing Opera绍兴剧
Shaoxing opera or Yue opera is a relatively new local Chinese opera popular in the southern regions of the Yangtze River. It originated in Shengxian County (present Shengzhou City), in the Shaoxing region of northeastern Zhejiang Province, which belonged to the Yue State in ancient times, so it was popularly known as Yueju . Yue opera has a history of about 800 years. It was derived from a kind of story-singing. At first, it was performed with a small drum and hardwood clappers for rhythm and later, choral and orchestral accompaniment was added. It drew some musical elements from Shao opera and subsequently formed its own characteristics.
Types of Chinese tea 中国茶的种类
由于我国产茶历史悠久,茶区辽阔,自然条件各异,茶树品种繁多,更因采制加工方法不同,从而形成了千姿百态、丰富多彩的茶品。Since China has a long history of tea planting, extensive tea areas, various natural conditions, numerous varieties of tea trees and also different methods of tea collecting and processing, it has produced thousands of tea products.
绿茶Green tea
绿茶是一种不经发酵制成的茶。叶片及汤呈绿色。中国著名的绿茶有西湖龙井、洞庭碧螺春、信阳毛尖,等等。Green tea is non-fermented. Its leaves and tea soup are green. Famous green tea in China includes West Lake Longjing Tea,Dongting Biluochun tea, XinYang fresh tea made of delicate leaf bud, etc.
红茶Black tea
红茶是一种经过发酵制成的茶。叶片及汤呈红色。中国著名的红茶有安微祁红、云南镇红、湖北宣红,等等。Black tea is fermented. Its leaves and tea soup are red. Famous black tea in China includes Qimen black tea from Anhui, Zhenjiang black tea from Yunnan and Xuanhong black tea from Hubei, etc.
乌龙茶Oolong tea
乌龙茶是一种半发酵茶,特征是叶片中心为绿色,边缘为红色,俗称绿叶红镶边。主要产于福建、广东、台湾等地。一般以产地的茶树命名,如铁观音、大红袍、乌龙等。它有红茶的醇厚,而又比一般红茶涩味浓烈;有绿茶的清爽,而无一般绿茶的涩味,其香气浓烈持久,饮后留香,并具提神、消食、止痢、解暑、醒酒等功效。Oolong tea is half-fermented. The character of this type is the leaves showing green in the centre and red at the edge, it is commonly called green leaves with red edging. It is mainly produced in Fujian, Guangdong and Taiwan, etc. Generally, it is named in accordance with tea trees of producing areas, e.g. Tie Guan Yin, Da Hong Pao Tea and Oolong, etc. It is mellow as black tea but bitter and stronger than ordinary black tea while fresh as green tea but without the bitterness of ordinary green tea. It keeps strong and long-lasting flavor even after drinking, and has the effects such as refreshing oneself, promoting digestion, curing dysentery, cooling down the summer heat and sobering up, etc.
白茶White tea
白茶是一种不经发酵,亦不经揉捻的茶。具有天然香味,茶分大白、水仙白、山白等类。其中以银针白毫最为名贵,特点是遍披白色茸毛,并带银色花泽,汤色略黄而滋味甜醇。主要产地在福建福鼎县和政和县。White tea is non-fermented and needs no rolling. It has natural flavor and can be divided into large white, narcissus white and mountain white, etc. Among them, the most famous and precious one is white tip silver needle whose features are: coating with white fuzz all around and with shining silver glosss, tea soup is slightly yellow and mellow. The main producing areas are Fuding County and Zhenghe County from Fujian Province.
黑茶Dark tea
黑茶属于后发酵茶,是我国特有的茶类,生产历史悠久,以制成紧压茶边销为主,主要产于湖南、湖北、四川、云南、广西等地。主要品种有湖南黑茶、四川边茶、云南普洱茶等。其中云南普洱茶于古今中外久负盛名。Dark tea belongs to post-fermented tea, which is a special tea from China with a long production history. Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Yunnan and Guangxi etc. are focused on producing pressed tea and selling to border areas. Main types of dark tea are Hunan dark tea, Sichuan brick tea and Yunnan puer tea, etc., among which Yunnan puer tea has great fame for a long time in modern and ancient times in all around the world.
黄茶Yellow tea
黄茶属发酵茶类,黄茶的制作与绿茶有相似之处,不同点是多一道闷堆工序。这个闷堆过程是黄茶制法的主要特点,也是它同绿茶的基本区别。代表茶有蒙顶黄芽、霍山黄芽。Yellow tea is fermented, whose production process is similar to that of green but has one more stack-cover process. This extra process is the main feature of yellow tea production and also the fundamental distinction with green tea. Typical types are Mengding yellow tea and Huoshan yellow tea.
其他著名茶品
Other famous teas
花茶。花茶是成品绿茶之一。将香花放在茶胚中窨制而成。常用的香花有茉莉、珠兰、玳玳、玫瑰、柚花等。以福建、江苏、浙江、安徽、四川为主要产地。苏州茉莉花茶,是花茶中的名品;福建茉莉花茶,属浓香型茶,茶汤醇厚,香味浓烈,汤黄绿,鲜味持久。Scented tea. Scented tea is one of the made-up green tea, which is made by putting fragrant flowers into tea embryos with scenting process. The most commonly used fragrant flowers are jasmine, chloranthus, petitgrain, rose and pomelo flower, etc. The main producing areas are Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and Sichuan. Jasmine tea from Suzhou is famous among scented tea while jasmine tea from Fujian belongs to tea with strong flavor, which has mellow tea soup, strong scent, yellow and green soup and long-lasting freshness.
砖茶。砖茶属紧压茶。用绿茶、花茶、老青茶等原料茶经蒸制后放入砖形模具压制而成。主要产于云南、四川、湖南、湖北等地。砖茶又称边销茶,主要销售边疆、牧区等地。Brick tea. Brick tea belongs to pressed tea. It is made by pressing steamed raw tea such as green tea, scented tea and old green tea in brick-shaped moulds. It is mainly produced in Yunnan, Sichuan, Hunan and Hubei, etc. Brick tea is also referred to as border area tea, which is mainly sold to border areas and pasturing areas, etc.
Tea Culture in China: Tea Brings Tao 中华茶文化:以茶可行道
中国人视道为体系完整的思想学说,是宇宙、人生的法则、规律。在中国饮食、玩乐诸活动中能升华为“道”的只有茶道。Chinese regard Tao as a complete system which is the rule and law of universe and life. Among Chinese food culture, entertainment and other activities, it is tea ceremony that can only be qualified to Tao.
什么是茶道What is tea ceremony
茶道属于东方文化。东方文化与西方文化的不同,在于东方文化往往没有一个科学的、准确的定义,而要靠个人凭借自己的悟性去贴近它、理解它。早在我国唐代就有了“茶道”这个词,例如,《封氏闻见记》中:“又因鸿渐之论,广润色之,于是茶道大行。”唐代刘贞亮在饮茶十德中也明确提出:“以茶可行道,以茶可雅志。”尽管“茶道”这个词从唐代至今已使用了一千多年,但至今在《新华辞典》、《辞海》、《词源》等工具书中均无此词条。那么,什么是茶道呢?Tea ceremony belongs to oriental culture. What oriental culture is different from western culture is that there is no scientific and exact definition for it. Instead, people need to be close to it and understand it through their own existence. The word “Tea Ceremony” can be dated back to the Tang Dynasty in China, e.g. “as for theory of Hong Jian which was refined extensively, tea ceremony was popularized” in The Record of What Mr. Feng Sees and Hears. Liu Zhenliang in the Tang Dynasty had put forward explicitly in Ten Virtues in Drinking Tea, “Tea brings Tao and Elegance.” The word “Tea Ceremony” has been used for over 1,000 years since the Tang Dynasty, but this entry still can not be found in reference books such as Xinhua Dictionary, Word-Ocean Dictionary and Etymology till now. So, what is tea ceremony?
吴觉农先生认为:茶道是“把茶视为珍贵、高尚的饮料,饮茶是一种精神上的享受,是一种艺术,或是一种修身养性的手段。”Mr. Wu Juenong thought, tea ceremony is “To regard tea as precious and gracious drink while drinking tea is a spiritual enjoyment, an art or a means of cultivating the moral character and nourishing the nature.”
庄晚芳先生认为:茶道是一种通过饮茶的方式,对人民进行礼法教育、道德修养的一种仪式。庄晚芳先生还归纳出中国茶道的基本精神为:“廉、美、和、敬”他解释说:“廉俭育德、美真廉乐、合诚处世、敬爱为人。”Mr. Zhuang Wanfang thought, tea ceremony is a kind of ceremony to teach people about the law and discipline of rite as well as moral cultivation by means of drinking tea. Mr. Zhuang Wanfang also summarized the basic spirit of Chinese tea ceremony as, “honour, beauty, harmony and respect” and explained, “cultivating morality, being honest and money saving, in order to conduct oneself in society harmoniously and honestly, and to respect and love people.”
陈香白先生认为:中国茶道包含茶艺、茶德、茶礼、茶理、茶情、茶学说、茶道引导七种义理,中国茶道精神的核心是和。中国茶道就是通过茶是过程,引导个体在美的享受过程中走向完成品格修养以实现全人类和谐安乐之道。陈香白先生德茶道理论可简称为:“七艺一心”。Mr. Chen Xiangbai thought, Chinese tea ceremony includes seven philosophical connotations listing as tea art, tea morality, tea rite, tea principle, tea feeling, tea science and tea ceremony guidance. The essence of Chinese tea ceremony spirit is harmony. Chinese tea ceremony is to regard tea as a process that guides individuals to move towards and finish moral cultivation, thus to realize harmonious and peace between human beings. Tea ceremony theory of Mr. Chen Xiangbai can be simplified as, “seven arts in one heart.”
周作人先生则说得比较随意,他对茶道的理解为:“茶道的意思,用平凡的话来说,可以称作为忙里偷闲,苦中作乐,在不完全现实中享受一点美与和谐,在刹那间体会永久。”While Mr. Zhou Zuoren explained tea ceremony leisurely as, “To put it simply, the meaning of tea ceremony is to take a break from a busy life and seek joy amidst sorrow. It is to enjoy a little beauty and harmony in an imperfect reality and taste eternity in a blink.”
台湾学者刘汉介先生提出:“所谓茶道是指品茗的方法与意境。”其实,给茶道下定义是件费力不讨好的事。如果一定要给茶道下一个定义,把茶道作为一个固定的、僵化的概念,反倒失去了茶道的神秘感,同时也限制了茶人的想象力,淡化了通过用心灵去悟道时产生的玄妙感觉。用心灵去悟茶道的玄妙感受,好比是“月印千江水,千江月不同。”“茶道”如月,人心如江,在各个茶人的心中对茶道自有不同的美妙感受。Mr. Liu Hanjie, a scholar in Taiwan propose, “Tea ceremony is a method and artistic conception of drinking tea.” As a matter of fact, to define tea ceremony is a waste of time. If a definition must be determined for tea ceremony and regard it as a fixed and rigid concept, the mystique of tea ceremony will be lost. Meanwhile, it limits the imagination of tea drinkers and the mysterious feeling which comes from discovering the philosophic theory with heart will be faded away. To understand the mysterious feeling of tea ceremony with heart is just like that “The moon is reflected in thousand rivers but the reflections are diffent from each other.” “tea ceremony” resembles the moon while people’s heart are the rivers. Everyone who drinks tea enjoys the wonderful feeling for tea ceremony which are different from others’ in their own hearts.
The mysterious culture——Dongba Painting 东巴画
Dongba painting, the oldest and most representative religious painting of the ancient Naxi people, is also the people's most special and characteristic artistic legacy.
Gaoqiang Opera——高腔戏
Gaoqiang, or "high pitched music", refers to a number of singing styles that can all be traced back to a southeastern percussive style called yiyang. High-pitched opera is believed to get its name from the very high, forceful falsetto in which it is sung, or possibly because of its popularity in Gaoyang district.
Chinese Buddhist Dances 佛教舞蹈
The earthly world cannot live without music and dance, neither can the nirvana. The Buddhism was introduced to China from India in the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD). Not only the civilians but also the emperors believe in the Buddhism. Temples were centers of religious activities as well as entertainment. Music and dance were important components of sacrificial rites, and also one of the religious propaganda tools.
A Water Town Wedding in China
A wedding boat (喜船 xǐ chuán) decorated with red silk knots awaited the bride and groom, both dressed in traditional Chinese red wedding suits, with a bridal veil covering the bride’s head. The new couple boarded a boat, waving to the crowds on the bank as they left the dock. The boat drifted beneath several stone bridges before it stopped at a bank where a bridal sedan chair (花轿 huājiào) awaited the bride. Surrounded by blaring horns and gongs, the bride in her sedan chair passed through a narrow alley before stopping in front of the Festive Hall (喜庆堂 xǐqìng táng), a place where the couple is to perform formal bows (拜堂 bàitáng). The bride stepped out of the sedan chair, accompanied by her bridesmaid, while the groom led the way.
2013 Dragon Boat Festival Knowledge
2013 Dragon Boat Festival is the 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar year is an important day for the Chinese people. Let's look at some useful and interesting Knowledge about 2013 Dragon Boat Festival.
Do you know Childhood games of Chinese early 80’s
Do you know Childhood games of Chinese early 80's? There are all kinds of interesting games for 80's Chinese, such as: Chicken vs Eagle, Rubber band skipping,Iron ring pushing, Paper folding,Hopscotch,Pick-up sticks,Hop-A-Little game, Blind game, Cockfighting and Arm-wrestling.