Archive for March 7th, 2008
Chinese Character – 火 Flame;Fire
Friday, March 7th, 2008Chinese Culture – Boxwood Carving
Friday, March 7th, 2008
Introduction
With a time-honored history, woodcarving boasts a great amount of genres with a variety of shapes. Historical records show that woodcarving came into existence as early as the Shang Dynasty (circa 1600-1100BC). Lu Ban, who is honored as the founding father of carpentry, was said to have carved a wooden bird, which was able to fly in the sky for three days during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC).
Making boxwood carving
The main artistic feature of boxwood carving is that all the works are made based on their original shapes, maximizing the use of the wood. Though there are many methods, the most prominent and popular way is circular carving.
Legend
Concerning the origin of boxwood carving, there is a legend, which states the art form was invented by a child cowherd called Ye Chengrong, who was a local of Leqing County in Zhejiang Province .
Introduction to boxwood
As a very precious and rare form of wood, Chinese littleleaf boxwood usually grows in virgin forests, high mountains, or precipices. The plant blossoms in winter, and seeds in spring. A saying goes that “A thousand-year-old boxwood would not be enough to make a pat”, which vividly describes its slow growth. Generally speaking, a boxwood plant between the ages of 40 and 50 has a diameter of only 15 centimeters.
Masterpiece
The work of “Liu Hai Playing with the Golden Toad” was carved in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Royal households and high officials collected most of the boxwood carvings dating from ancient times; only a fraction was placed in the temples. The small figure carvings, especially those exceeding 20 centimeters in height, are very rare today.
Author: Jeff
（Source: chinaculture.org）
Beijing Olympic – Jinyang Restaurant
Friday, March 7th, 2008The premises of the Jingyang Restaurant were adapted from a courtyard-style compound which was the residence of Ji Xiaolan, Secretary of the Grand Council in the reign of Emperor Qianlong (reigned from 1736 to 1795) of Qing Dynasty, and the chief compiler of the Complete Works of Chinese Classics. The houses and the courtyard exude an ambience of classical elegance and seclusion, with scenic spots such as the old sites of the Yuewei Thatched House, Begonia Charms, and Subdued Fragrance of Wistaria.
Jinyang is renowned in the food business circle of Beijing as the first large restaurant in the city specializing in authentic Shanxi cuisine.It was awarded the titles of ‘Long-standing Chinese Brand’, ‘State-level First-class Restaurant’, ‘Four-star Restaurant Affiliated with the Beijing Tourism Administration’, and one of the ‘Green Food Corporations of the Country’ by the former Ministry of Domestic Trade.
The restaurant offers not only banquets of all descriptions, but also Chinese-style delicacies of different tastes Aromatic crisp duck, one of its brand dishes, was awarded the Golden Caldron Prize by the former Ministry of Commerce. Other famous dishes include wenxi cake, cat’ s ear (a kind of edible weed) with mixed ingredients, and stir-fried pork julienne and dough fish.
(Source: ebeijing.gov.cn)
