Tag: Traditional Chinese

Zài Zhōngguó, jǐhū suǒyǒu zhōng lǎo nián rén dōu yòngguò gāoyào, yóuqí shì yǒu yāobèi téngtòng děng zhèngzhuàng de lǎo nián rén. Rújīn, gāoyào yǐ chéngwéi xǔduō jiātíng de bìbèi yào. Nàme, gāoyào wéishénme huì zài zhōngguó shòudào rúcǐ guǎngfàn de huānyíng ne ？
在中国，几乎所有中老年人都用过膏药，尤其是有腰背疼痛等症状的老年人。如今，膏药已成为许多家庭的必备药。那么，膏药为什么会在中国受到如此广泛地欢迎呢？In China, almost all the elderly people use herbal plasters, especially people with lower back pain. Nowadays, herbal plaster has become a basic medication for many families. So, why is plaster so popular in China?
Gāoyào zài Zhōngguó yóu lái yǐ jiǔ, shì zhōngyào de wǔ dà zhǒnglèi zhī yī. Rénmen zuìchū jiāng yáng 、zhū děng dòngwù de yóuzhī tú dào pífū shàng, fángzhǐ pífū dòngshāng lièkāi, huòzhě zhìliáo pífū shàng de kuìyáng. Táng 、sòng shíqī, zhōngyào dé dào le hěn dà fāzhǎn, gāoyào de zhǒnglèi zēngduō, zhìliáo fànwéi yě suí zhī kuòdà, bùjǐn néng yòngyú pífū bìng, hái néng yòngyú diē dǎ sǔnshāng děng. Dào le Qīngdài, gāoyào yǐjīng chéngwéi yìzhǒng pǔjí dù hěn gāo de wàiyòng yào le.
膏药在中国由来已久，是中药的五大种类之一。人们最初将羊、猪等动物的油脂涂到皮肤上，防止皮肤冻伤裂开，或者治疗皮肤上的溃疡。唐、宋时期，中药得到了很大发展，膏药的种类增多，治疗范围也随之扩大，不仅能用于皮肤病，还能用于跌打损伤等。到了清代，膏药已经成为一种普及度很高的外用药了。Herbal plaster originated in China a long time ago and is one of five types of traditional Chinese medicine. People at first applied the oil of animals such as goats or pigs, to their skin in order to prevent frostbite, cracked skin, or to treat ulcers of the skin. During the Tang and Song Dynasty, traditional Chinese medicine developed greatly. The types of plaster increased and the therapeutic range expanded, including not only treatment of skin diseases, but also traumatic injuries etc. During the Qing Dynasty, herbal plasters became popular medicine for external use.

Havoc in Heaven 大闹天宫

Today let's take a brief introduction of a famous Chinese movie named "Havoc in Heaven".The film Uproar in Heaven (Da Nao Tiangong) is a lavish production of Shanghai Animation Film Studio. It is divided into two episodes, and was finished in 1961 and 1964 separately. Adapted from the first seven chapters of the masterpiece Journey to the West, the film is the best animated interpreter of the classic Chinese novel. It is directed by the reputed Wan Brothers, the founders and pioneers of the Chinese animation industry. Wan Laiming, one of the directors, is the chief adaptor of the animated movie. The two-episode two-hour film took the dozens of animation creators four years to complete.

The Wedding Banquet喜宴

Today let's take a brief introduction of a famous Chinese movie named "The Wedding Banquet".The Wedding Banquet, the first film that made Ang Lee known in the international film circle, won the Golden Bear Award at the 1993 Berlin Film Festival and Best Picture at the Golden Horse Award. The most remarkable feature of the film is the way it deals with the homosexual issue – with the family ethic concept and balanced view point that are unique to the Chinese. The social issue that bothers almost all those families finally finds a comic solution in the film. The way they deal with the homosexual issue is kind of oriental, which can be found similarities even in classical Chinese novels. However, the story takes place in the most prosperous and modern metropolis – New York, where tradition and modernity blend, and old and new concepts conflict and compromise. As the story goes on, Ang Lee reveals the perplex, helplessness and tolerance of a traditional Chinese family towards the impact of modern conception.

捏面人niē miànrén: Dough Figurine

Niē miànrén shì zhōngguó chuántǒng de mínjiān shǒugōng yì, céngjīng guǎngfàn de zài quánguó gèdì liúchuán, tèbié bèi háizǐ men suǒ xǐ’ài.
捏面人是中国传统的民间手工艺，曾经广泛的在全国各地流传，特别被孩子们所喜爱。Dough Figurine, a traditional Chinese art craft, used to be popular among children all over China.

奇怪的中药药酒Strange Brew

In any traditional Chinese pharmacy, one of the first things to strike a foreigner is always the ingredients… Frankly, they’re a little strange: dried sea horses, geckos, snakes, worms, a stuffed deer and one lone owl gazing down from above.

A Woman with Oriental Charm, Bai Yang

Bai Yang (白杨 Bái Yáng, 1920-1997) was a woman with oriental charm. She made a name for herself when she played the leading role in the 1936 film Crossroads. In the film, Bai performed alongside Zhao Dan (赵丹 Zhào Dān) in her portrayal of Yang Zhiying (杨芝瑛 Yáng Zhīyīng), a young instructor at a cotton mill from a bourgeois family.

Kung Fu Pop 精舞门

Today let's take a brief introduction of a famous Chinese movie named "Kung Fu Pop".Kung Fu Pop is the first domestic inspiring film displaying a confrontation of Shaolin Kung Fu and Thai boxing, with the most popular hip-hop as the carrier. The film is directed by Fu Huayang, a renowned advertising producer and secular disciple of Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin. Starring Chen Xiaochun, Fan Bingbing, and Asian king of dance Nam Hyun Joon, the film combines Chinese Kung Fu with modern hip-hop and disco dancing while adding quite a lot of fashion elements, telling an inspiring story of a man from the grass-root level that bravely pursues his dream of becoming the ultimate Dance King.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan 雪花秘扇

Today let's take a brief introduction of a famous Chinese movie named "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan"Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, inspired by the namesake novel written by Chinese American writer Lisa See, tells the story of women in a remote area of Hunan Province in the 19th century creating their unique language of communication – Nvshu (literally, women’s script). In the film, Lily and Snow Flower, played by Li Bingbing and Gianna Jun respectively, are a laotong pair (or sworn sisters). They communicate with each other by writing Nvshu script, swearing to keep company and never betray each other.

Peking Opera Blues 刀马旦

2020-02-20

Today let's take a brief introduction of a famous Chinese movie named "Peking Opera Blues".“Daomadan” is one of the “Dan” roles in Peking opera, and “dan” refers to the female characters of different ages and identities. Daomadan plays the female warrior role that is highly skilled in military drill, usually riding a horse with a sword held in hand. They are mostly marshals or generals; hence often present an imposing manner, such as Mu Guiying, Fan Lihua, etc. In terms of stage performance, Daomadan attaches equal importance to chang (singing), nian (dialogue), and zuo (acting). She is also required to have combat skill, but the combat scene is far less fierce than that of “Wudan”, and stress is laid on figure posture, highlighting the mighty and dignified temperament of the role. Compared with other terminological names of Peking opera roles, Daomadan has got widespread fame for the namesake movie directed by Hark Tsui in 1986 (the film is entitled ‘刀马旦’ in Chinese, which writes ‘Daomadan’ in pinyin, but the English title is ‘Peking Opera Blues’).

Pushing Hands推手

2020-02-20

Today let's take a brief introduction of a famous Chinese movie named "Pushing Hands".The screenplay of Pushing Hands was written by Ang Lee himself in 1990 and it won Excellent Screenplay Award from Taiwan government. In 1992, 37-year-old Ang Lee directed his first film based on this story in New York. This is a comedy which reflects the generation gap and cultural shock in a Taiwanese-born family who lived in New York. The contrast between the Chinese old man who emigrated to America and the female American writer, Ang Lee said, actually mirrors his two-faced life during the first few years after graduation. The film not only won Best Film Award at Asia Pacific Film Festival, but also achieved three awards, including Best Actor, Best Actress and Special Jury Award for Best Director, of Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards. What’s more, it was also nominated for nine other awards at Golden Horse Film Festival.

The story of Pushing Hands centers on an emigrated family in America and shows the contrast between traditional Chinese culture and American customs and habits. Different cultural backgrounds lead to different views on family. In western culture, individualism is highly emphasized and the American hardly accept to live with the last generation; while in China family means living together and looking after each other. Focusing on this contrast, the story of Pushing hands goes like this: Retired tai chi teacher Lao Zhu emigrates from Beijing to live with his son, American daughter-in-law, and grandson in a New York City suburb. Lao Zhu cannot speak English and it is quite inconvenient for him to go outside. Therefore Lao Zhu has to stay at home and practice tai chi. His daughter-in-law Martha, who writes at home, is afflicted for having no clue at that time. They two cannot communicate with each other and their relationship becomes more and more intense.