Today, we'll have a brief introduction of Tiananmen. The Tiananmen Square in the center of Beijing, is said to be the biggest square in the world. It is 880 meters from north to south, and 500 meters from east to west, with total area of 440,000 square meters and can hold one million people. The Tiananmen Gate Tower sites at the north, the Five-Star Red Flag flies high on the square, the Monument to the People's Heroes dominates the center, the Great Hall of the People and the Museum of the Chinese Revolution and the Museum of Chinese History to the east and west of it, as well as The Chairman Mao Memorial Hall and the Qianmen gate, sit in the south of the square. Over several hundred years, in front of the Tiananmen, many democracy meetings and demonstrations are held. Tens of thousands of people visit daily. The Square is listed top among Beijing's 16 scenic spots.
Tag: Chinese Mythology
Zoomorphic Ornaments 兽形装饰
Today I'd like to make an introduction of Zoomorphic Ornaments– a traditional Chinese decoration. Chinese palaces, temples and mansions have on their roofs a special kind of ornaments called wenshou or zoomorphic ornaments, some on the main ridges and some on the sloping and branch ridges.
Folk Religion in China
Chinese folk religion comprises the religion practiced in much of China for thousands of years which included ancestor veneration and drew heavily upon ideas and beings inside Chinese mythology. Chinese folk religion is occasionally observed as a constituent a part of Chinese classic religion, but more typically, the two are regarded as synonymous. It's estimated that there are a minimum of 800 million adherents to Chinese folk religion worldwide.Chinese folk religion is composed of a mixture of religious practices, including Confucianist ceremonies, ancestor veneration, Buddhism and Taoism. Chinese folk religion also retains traces of a few of its ancestral neolithic belief systems which contain the veneration of the sun, moon, earth, the heaven, and numerous stars, also as communication with animals.
Chinese unique architectures独特的中国建筑
♦Paifang
Paifang, also called Pailou in Chinese, is very Chinese architecture. Actually, a Paifang is an archway usually made of fine wood or stone, well painted and with glazed tiles sometimes, for memory and decoration. On its middle beams, moral inscriptions by certain calligraphist, mostly preaching some norms, often can be seen. Usually, these so-called memorial structures stand in downtown areas, or before entrances of mausoleums, temples, bridges and parks.
Chinese Myth Figures 中国神话人物 22 Pixiu 貔貅
Also known as Tianlu or Bixie, Pixiu is one of the five auspicious animals in ancient Chinese mythology, the other four being the dragon, phoenix, tortoise, and Chinese unicorn. Pixiu is considered a wealth-bringing divine animal with a dragon’s head, a horse’s body and a unicorn’s feet. The animal, capable of flying, looks like a lion and has gray fur.
Chinese Myth Figures 中国神话人物 13 Dragon
The dragon is an imaginary divine animal of ancient China. It is believed to have a snake body and tail, lizard legs, eagle paws, deer horns and fish scales, with a beard at the mouth corners and a pearl under the forehead. In Chinese mythology, the dragon changes from time to time, controls the cloud and rain, and benefits everything in the world. Chinese people call themselves "descendants of the dragon", because they regard the dragon as a symbol of dignity. In ancient times, the dragon was not what they look today. Its image was gradually evolved with the long history.
Chinese Myth Figures 中国神话人物 05 Qilin 麒麟
The kylin is an animal in ancient Chinese mythology. It is somewhat like a deer, with horns on the head and scales over the body. Its tail is like that of an ox’s. The kylin is said to be an animal of longevity that could live for 2,000 years. It is also believed that the beast could spit fire and roar like thunder. The Kylin is one of the "Four Divine Creatures", the other three being the phoenix, the turtle and the dragon. In ancient times, it was regarded as a celestial animal, a benevolent animal, the mount for god and a symbol of auspiciousness. Of all animals, the kylin was ranked second only to the dragon.
Pixiu, Coming with Fortune 貔貅
Pixiu (also called Tianlu or Bixie) is one of the five auspicious animals of traditional Chinese culture (the other four are the dragon, phoenix, turtle and kylin). The Chinese people call it “fortune beast.” This lion-looking beast has the head of dragon, the body of a horse and the legs of a kylin and is able to fly. The Pixiu is both ferocious and powerful so it works as a security guard of Heaven, resisting demons and ghosts. Just like the dragon and the kylin, the Pixiu brings happiness good luck for people and has an exorcising function. What is different from the kylin is that the Pixiu is a ferocious animal and has strong will in protecting its master. That is the very reason why many Chinese people wear jade Pixius.
Chinese allegories Lesson 2
qí lǘ kàn chàng běn – zǒu zhe qiáo 骑驴看唱本 – 走着瞧 Reading a play while riding a donkey –
Houyi Shot the Suns 后羿射日
Houyi, also called simply Yi, was the hero who shot the suns in the ancient mythology of China. He is sometimes potrayed as a god of archery descended from heaven to aid mankind, and sometimes as the chief of the Youqiong Tribe during the Xia Dynasty.
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