Happy Qixi (七夕) festival! As today is the seventh of July (七月初七 qīyuè chūqī) according to the Chinese lunar calendar, it’s a special day for single women and couples alike. Literally meaning “The Night of Sevens”, Qixi celebrates the love, loyalty and commitment between lovers, as well as every single lady’s right to wish for her own Prince Charming to enter her life.
Tag: Ancient Chinese
[Chinese Instrument] 箫 — xiāo
Xiao The xiao (simplified Chinese: 箫; pinyin: xiāo) is a Chinese vertical end-blown flute. It is generally made of dark brown bamboo (called "purple bamboo" in Chinese). It is also sometimes (particularly in Taiwan) called dòngxiāo (simplified Chinese: 洞箫; traditional Chinese: 洞簫), dòng meaning "hole."
[Chinese Instrument] 古筝 — Gǔzhēnɡ
古筝 — Gǔzhēnɡ The guzheng (Chinese: 古箏; pinyin: gǔzhēng) is a Chinese plucked zither. It has 18-23 or more strings and movable bridges.
[Chinese Instrument] 古琴 — Gǔqín
古琴 — Gǔqín The guqin (simplified: 古琴; pinyin: gǔqín; literally "ancient stringed instrument") is the modern name for a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument of the zither family. It has been played since ancient times, and has traditionally been favored by scholars and literati as an instrument of great subtlety and refinement, as highlighted by the quote "a gentleman does not part with his qin or se (two ancient instruments) without good reason,"as well as being associated with the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius. It is sometimes referred to by the Chinese as "the father of Chinese music" or "the instrument of the sages".
The 24 Solar Terms 24节气
The 24 Solar Terms The “24 solar terms” originated and was firstly used in China. It was created thousands years ago on the basis of practical needs of agriculture. It's determined by the changes of the sun’s position in the zodiac throughout the year, with two segments each month. Ancient Chinese people used it to guide agriculture production, special climate signs such as floods and drought, cultural ceremonies, family gatherings and even healthy living tips. Nowadays the “24 solar terms” is still being used by farmers and followed in many other parts of the world apart from China.
Spring Begins, The Rains, Insects Awaken, Vernal Equinox, Clear and Bright, Grain Rain are all in spring.
Summer Begins, Grain Buds, Grain in Ear, Summer Solstice, Slight Heat, Great Heat, are all in summer.
Autumn Begins, Stopping the Heat, White Dews, Autumn Equinox, Cold Dews, Hoar-Frost Falls are all in autumn.
Winter Begins, Light Snow, Heavy Snow, Winter Solstice, Slight Cold, Great Cold are all in winter.
Springs Begins, Summer Begins, Autumn Begins and Winter Begins show the beginning of the four seasons. Vernal Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice indicate the turning points of the changes in the luminosity of the sun.
National flower of China
Mǔ dān–牡丹 The national flower of People's Republic of China is considered as peony(Chinese: 牡丹, Pinyin: mǔ dān) by publics, but it's not designated by the government.
Chinese Dragon VS. Western Dragon
The Chinese dragon is a far different feast from its Western counterpart. Smaug from J.R.R.Tolkien's "The Hobbit" is perhaps the most widely known dragon from recent Western fiction, a cruel, avaricious and bloodthirsty creature whose lair under the Lonely Mountain identifies him as a creature of the earth. Tolkien drew much of his inspiration for Smaug from the dragon in the Old English epic of "Beowulf", penned more than a thousand years earlier, which gives some indication of depth of the European tradition of portraying dragons as bad news.