Archive for December 14th, 2008

China Travel – Zhongdu Imperial City of Ming and Stone Tablets in Imperial Mausoleum

Sunday, December 14th, 2008

Zhongdu City of Ming is located at the southern piedmont of Fenghuang Mountain in the northwest of Fengyang County, Anhui Province.

 

After Zhu Yuanzhang, Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), ascended to the throne, he established the capital in Nanjing, and took Linhao (today’s Fengyang) as the Zhongdu (middle capital). Zhongdu City was built in the 2nd year (1369) of the Hongwu reign till the 8th year of the Hongwu reign. Due to a short time of construction, the city had not become the political center, but some of the city planning concepts including the palace arrangement had great influence on the city planning of Beijing.

 

Zhongdu City was divided into the outer city, the middle city and the inner city. With a perimeter of 25 kilometers, the outer city has been destroyed. The middle city was the imperial palace, with a perimeter of 6.5 kilometers. The inner city had a perimeter of 3 kilometers, with its walls about 9.5 meters high. Only the Wumen Gate and a section of walls from the Xihua Gate to the northwest corner are well preserved. The Wumen Gate was the central gate of the inner city. The gate had three arch gateways, with each 5.1 meters wide and 8 meters high. The building constructed above the gate has been destroyed.

 

At the bottom of the city walls on both sides of the Wumen Gate, the three arch gates and the two wing-buildings was a white stone base of 480 meters long and 160 centimeters high. The base was carved with relief of animal and other decorative patterns, including figures of dragon, phoenix, kylin, peony, lotus, and emblem. The base was finely carved and built into various vivid figures.

 

Many places in Zhongdu City had carved bricks, such as flying dragon, phoenix, and wave-shaped patterns carved along the streets and on the Donghua Gate, the Xihua Gate, and the Xuanwu Gate. Stone railings and columns built in the palace were also carved with relief and decorative patterns such as flying dragon, dancing phoenix and twisted dragon in clouds.

 

The Zhongdu City of Ming was one of the most splendid constructions in ancient China. It inherited the artistic tradition of the Song and Yuan period, and created a new style of Ming and Qing period, occupying an important position in the development history of ancient city construction in China.

(Source: chinaculture.org)

Chinese Culture – Longmen Grottoes

Sunday, December 14th, 2008

Buddhist grottoes

 

Location: Luoyang, Henan Province

 

Period: 5th century-12th century

 

Significance: They are the epitome of the art of grotto sculptures in ancient China.

 

– Introduction

 

Longmen Grottoes is one of the Three Great Grottoes in China and reflect the heyday of the Tang Dynasty culture (618-907).

 

Located 13 km south of Luoyang, Henan Province, the Longmen Grottoes are concentrated on the east and west cliffs of the Yishui River, and stretch for one km. Work started on the grottoes around the year 494 of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and continued for the next 400 years. In total there are over 2,100 caves and niches, housing more than 100,000 statues of Buddha, Bodhisattvas and Arhats, together with 3,600 inscribed stone tablets and 43 stone stupas. Among them, the most representative caves are: Guyang Cave, Binyang Cave, The Lotus (Lianhua) Cave of Northern Wei, Qianxi Temple, Cave of Ten Thousand Buddhas (Wanfuo), Fengxian Temple and Kanjing Temple. The rich collection of statues and figures, most of which can be dated, facilitate the study of the history of Chinese sculpture with precise data.  

Vairocana (Sanskrit, meaning “pervasive like the light of the sun”) from Feng Xian Buddhist Temple: (behind, height 17.14 m); Overview of the Longmen Grottoes: (front)

 

Large numbers of memorial texts and inscribed stone tablets at the Longmen Grottoes, like the Twenty Gems of Longmen Calligraphy and Zhu Suiliang’s stone tablets, are considered rare treasures of Chinese calligraphy. The Zhu Suiliang Inscription, made in 641 in honor of the mother of the fourth son of Emperor Taizong, is one of them. More than 140 prescriptions inscribed on the Prescription Cave offer first-hand materials for the study of China‘s ancient iatrology.

 

– Cultural Heritage

 

The grottoes and niches of Longmen contain the largest and most impressive collection of the plastic arts of China in the late period of the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty.

 

The grottoes provide information on religion, painting, calligraphy, music, costumes, medicine, construction and foreign relations during this period.

 

1. Sculpture

 

The stone sculptures in the Longmen Grottoes are unique in their blending of religious grandeur and secular touches. Based on the essential concepts and doctrines of Buddhism imported from India, the rock sculptures in the Longmen Grottoes already begin to assume distinctive Chinese characteristics. The style of the sculpture, the design of clothing and the facial expressions of the statues, as well as the carving methods all exhibit the pinnacle of development of Chinese grotto art. For example, the 11 Buddha statues in the Binyang Cave, typical Northern Wei carvings, represent a style in transition from the simple and compact depictions in the Yungang Grottoes of Datong, Shanxi Province, to the vigorous and realistic Tang Dynasty sculptures.

 

The Longmen Grottoes reveal the great creativity of Chinese artisans at that time. In the case of statues, differences of personalities were emphasized, with creative means of expression. Among the most famous figures in Buddhism, the serene Sakyamuni, the grave Kasyapa, the brisk Ananda and the muscular Guardian Warriors are all depicted with captivating details and impressive vividness.

 

Advanced techniques were also applied to achieve expressiveness. For example, in the modeling of large statues, artisans with a keen sense of perspective deliberately amplified the heads of the figures, so as to avoid virtual distortion; in the particular shaping of facial features, the Indian method of raising the nose bridge was adopted, and the Greek method of protruding eye pupils was not only borrowed but also enriched by the use of glass material. An exemplary piece is the statue of Vairocana (the Buddha of Great Enlightenment), which is 17.14 m in height and highly acclaimed as the quintessence of Buddhist sculpture in China.

 

2. Calligraphy

 

The Longmen calligraphic works constitute an important chapter in the evolution of Chinese calligraphy. Mainly inscribed as memorial articles upon the completion of statues on the walls of caves and niches, they have been passed down for generations as precious remainders of calligraphic styles of that time. Twenty of these inscriptions are the most famous, categorized as the Wei epigraphic genre, a comparatively mature transitional stage of Chinese calligraphy.

 

Chinese calligraphy is a graphic art of high abstraction. It has developed for over 3,000 years and ranges in style from the meticulously and laboriously inscribed Zhuan (seal) script to the Li (official), Kai (regular) and Xing (semi-cursive) scripts, and to the flamboyant and unconstrained Cao (cursive, or grass) scripts. Like painting, it is often judged and described by such terms as balance, texture, vitality, energy, bones, wind, and strength. The Longmen calligraphy, mostly in the Wei epigraphic genre, featuring vigorous strokes, medium-slow progression, compact texture, latent energy and immense possibilities for change, has been imitated by many generations of calligraphy lovers.

Source: chinaculture.org

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 357

Sunday, December 14th, 2008
 
 

     韩佳:大牛,你在这里发什么呆呀?

  Hey, Daniel, why are you looking

  so spellbound?

  大牛:韩佳,

  Han Jia,

  我觉得这大雄宝殿实在是太精美了。

  I am amazed at the beautiful

  Daxiong Baodian Hall.

  韩佳:不光精美,而且规模宏大。

  It is not just beautiful, but also

  very huge.

  大牛:对,所以我得好好观察。

  Yes, indeed. So I’d better take a

  closer look at it.

  韩佳:那你在这里慢慢欣赏。

  Take your time appreciating it.

  观众朋友们,跟我走。

  Viewer friends, come with me.

  大牛:哎,别别别。别把我落下。

  Oh, no. Don’t leave me alone.

  合: 那好吧,让我们一起走进常州的天宁寺。

  Well, let’s get into Tianning Temple

  of Changzhou together.

  韩佳:常州的天宁寺始建于唐代,

  Tianning Temple of Changzhou

  was built in the Tang Dynasty

  一直以来都非常有名。

  and has enjoyed high renown

  ever since.

  大牛:光是这些雕塑造像就够精美的了。

  Just these statues and their images

  are beautiful enough.

  能不出名吗?

  How can the temple not be renowned?

  韩佳:给人印象深刻吧?

  Is it impressive?

  其实这只是天宁寺的特点之一。

  Actually this is only one of the

  features of Tianning Temple.

  这里还有许多特点要等你去发现呢。

  There are still many other unique

  features waiting to be discovered.

  Zhèli hái yǒu xǔduō tèdiǎn děngzhe nǐ qù fāxiàn ne.

  这里 还 有 许多 特点 等着 你 去 发现 呢。

  There are still many unique features

  waiting to be discovered.

  大牛:韩佳,我发现了这里的第二个特点。

  Han Jia, I’ve discovered its second

  feature.

  天宁寺规模宏大、建筑巍峨。

  Tianning Temple is very large and

  the structures here are quite “wei e”

  韩佳:巍峨这个词用得好。

  The word “wei e” is used perfectly.

  那你倒是说说它什么意思啊。

  Then tell me what it means.

  大牛:很简单。巍峨,巍读一声,峨读二声,

  Pretty easy. “wei e”, 1st tone, 2nd tone,

  形容山或者建筑十分高大、雄伟。

  describes mountains or buildings

  being very imposing.

  巍峨。

  ”wei e”.

  韩佳:没错。

  Exactly.

  巍峨就是用来形容

  ”wei e” is used to describe

  山或者建筑十分高大、雄伟。

  high mountains or imposing buildings.

  这个特点你找到了。

  You did find this feature.

  大牛:这不是明摆着的嘛。根本不用找。

  It’s obvious. I don’t need to find it.

  韩佳:那还有一个特点也是明摆着的。

  There is another feature which is

  also obvious.

  看你能不能发现了?

  Can you find it?

  大牛:明摆着的东西哪能发现不了呢?

  How can’t I find the things which

  are obvious?

  走。我们接着往下看。

  Come on. Let’s go on with the tour.

  韩佳:好。

  Okay.

  大牛,发现了吗?

  Have you found it, Daniel?

  大牛:发现了,发现了。

  Yes, I have.

  这里还有瓷做的佛像。

  There are also Buddhas made of

  porcelain here.

  韩佳:嗨,这哪是瓷做的呀。

  Hey, they are not made of porcelain.

  这些佛像明明是玉做的。

  These Buddhas are obviously

  made of jade.

  Zhèxiē fuóxiàng míngmíng shì yù zuò de.

  这些 佛像 明明 是 玉 做 的。

  It’s obvious that these Buddhist

  sculptures are made of jade.

  大牛:那这也是天宁寺的一个特点吗?

  So this is also one of the features

  of Tianning Temple?

  韩佳:当然是了。

  Of course, it is.

  不过啊这也不是我说的那个。

  But it isn’t the feature I meant.

  大牛:还有什么特点呢?

  What else would there be?

  韩佳:接着找啊。

  Go on looking for it.

  大牛:韩佳,这里是藏经阁吧?

  Han Jia, is this building Zangjingge?

  韩佳:没错。也叫三宝殿。

  Yes. It is also called the Sanbao Hall.

  大牛:三宝殿?

  The Sanbao Hall?

  韩佳:你一定听说过:

  You must have you heard of the saying:

  “无事不登三宝殿”这句话吧。

  ”I wouldn’t go to Sanbao Hall for no reason”.

  大牛:听说过,听说过。

  Yes, I have.

  就是说没有事情就不到这里来。

  It means you wouldn’t visit someone’s

  home for nothing.

  对吧?

  Right?

  韩佳:没错。这句话里的三宝殿

  Exactly. The Sanbao Hall in the saying

  泛指佛殿,又引申为人们的住宅。

  refers to a Buddhist temple and, in an

  extended sense, one’s home.

  无事不登三宝殿呢

  ”wu shi bu deng san bao dian”

  就是说没有事情不登门拜访。

  means no one would pay a visit

  for nothing.

  大牛:哦,无事不登三宝殿

  ”wu shi bu deng san bao dian” means

  that someone doesn’t pay a visit

  就是说没有事情不登门拜访。

  unless they have some kind of request.

  无事不登三宝殿。

  ”wu shi bu deng san bao dian”.

  可是韩佳,我觉得这三宝殿

  But, Han Jia, I don’t think the Sanbao

  Hall here

  也算不上特别吧。

  is anything special.

  我知道,你是不是说这座塔呀?

  Now I know it. Did you mean this tower?

  韩佳:什么时候有了座这么高的塔呀?

  when did they build a tower of

  this height?

  以前可没有。

  There wasn’t one here before.

  大牛:韩佳,这个特点连你都不知道。

  Han Jia, not even you knew

  that characteristic.

  Zhè ge tèdiǎn lián nǐ dōu bù zhīdào.

  这 个 特点 连 你 都 不 知道。

  Not even you knew about

  that characteristic.

  韩佳:这也算是天宁寺的一个特点。

  It may be considered a characteristic

  of Tianning Temple.

  不过,这也不是我所说的那个。

  But it’s not the one I meant.

  大牛:还有啊?

  Still another one?

  这下我可犯难了。

  Now I am baffled.

  韩佳:别着急。慢慢找。

  Don’t worry. Take your time.

  大牛:哪有啊,还有什么特点。

  There can’t be other characteristics.

  韩佳:大牛,你来看看这个,

  Daniel, come and look at this

  然后再好好想想。

  and then rack your brains.

  大牛:地藏菩萨。

  Earth Store Bodhisattva.

  这也是天宁寺的特点?

  is this also one of the features of

  Tianning Temple?

  韩佳:对呀。那边有观音菩萨。

  Yes. There is Bodhisattva Guan Yin

  over there.

  这边有地藏王菩萨,还有文殊菩萨、

  And there is Earth Store Bodhisattva

  there as well as Bodhisattva of Wisdom

  普贤菩萨。

  and Bodhisattva of Universal

  Benevolence.

  大牛:哎,这不是中国四大佛教名山

  Oh, these are the Bodhisattvas

  供奉的菩萨吗?

  enshrined at the four most famous

  Buddhist mountains in China.

  哦,原来特点就在这里啊!

  Oh, the other feature of the temple

  is right here!

  韩佳:没错。常州人不用出远门,

  Exactly. People here don’t have

  to leave town

  就可以见到四大佛教名山的四尊菩萨。

  to see the four Bodhisattvas of the

  four famous Buddhist mountains.

  大牛:这的确是天宁寺的独特之处。

  This is indeed a unique aspect of

  Tianning Temple.

  哎,韩佳,能够发现这样的一个特点

  Eh, Han Jia, it was still very difficult

  对我来说还挺难的。

  for me to have found out this

  characteristic.

  韩佳:不过你已经挺不错的了。

  But you are already pretty good.

  还知道中国四大佛教名山呢。

  You even know China’s four famous

  Buddhist mountains.

  大牛:多谢夸奖。

  Thank you for your compliment.

  又到赏心悦目的时间了。

  It’s time again for the Feast for the Eyes.

  韩佳:好吧。让我们来轻松一下。一会儿见。

  Right. Let’s relax for a while.

  See you later.

  赏心悦目:

  韩佳:哎,大牛又怎么了?

  Hey, what are you doing here, Daniel?

  大牛:我在想今天给观众朋友们

  I was wondering what kind of

  留一个什么问题好。

  question we should ask our

  audience today.

  韩佳:嗨,就这事呀?我这儿有现成的。

  Hey, just that?

  There is already one I’ve prepared.

  (问题部分略)

  大牛:精美礼品等您拿。

  A beautiful gift is waiting for you.

  韩佳:如果您还有什么问题或者是建议,

  If you have any questions or suggestions,

  可以用屏幕上的方式随时跟我们联系。

  please contact us anytime using

  the method given here.

  大牛:今天的节目就到这里了,

  I’m afraid that’s all for today’s show,

  别忘了我们的口号:

  but don’t forget our motto:

  合: 学说中国话,朋友遍天下。

  Learn Chinese and have friends everywhere.

(Source: cctv.com)