Archive for December 17th, 2008

China Travel – Yuanmou Man Site

Wednesday, December 17th, 2008

The Yuanmou Man Site is located in Danawu Village, about 7 kilometers southeast of Yuanmou County, Yunnan province.

 

The site is situated at the brim of the Yuanmou Basin. A 695-meter-deep deposit in the basin is divided into 28 layers of 4 sections from top to bottom. On May 1, 1965, the Geological Mechanics Research Institute found two fore-tooth fossils of Yuanmou Man in the site. The crown of the teeth is well preserved while the root is incomplete. These two teeth, belonging to the same male adult, are believed to be about 1,700,000 years old. These are the earliest ape-man fossils that have been found in China. Archaeologists named the ape-man as Erectus, Yuanmou New Asian Race, Yuanmou Man for short.

 

In later excavations, Yuanmou animals of early Pleistocene period, such as Yunnan horse, saber tooth tiger, and saber tooth elephant, were unearthed together with stone tools and coal ash. Archaeologists also discovered in the Yuanmou Basin signs of glacier movements during the 4th Geological Age. A stone sign was erected in the site.

(Source: chinaculture.org) 

Chinese Culture – Capital Daxing of Sui and Capital Chang’an of Tang

Wednesday, December 17th, 2008

 

Capital cities of Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907)

 

Location: Xi’an, Shaanxi Province

 

Period: 582-907

 

Excavated from 1956 to the present

 

Significance: Capital Daxing (or Chang’an) of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) was one of the most prosperous international metropolises at that time. The find has offered precious material objects for the study of the structure, layout, historical continuity and changes of the metropolis of both Sui and Tang dynasties.

 

 Introduction

 

 
 
Stone head of chi, a footless dragon: piece of building (up-left); Rectangular earthen brick with lotus design: piece of building (bottom, side length is 31.5 cm)

Present-day Xi’an of Shaanxi Province has been the capital of a number of dynasties including: the Western Han (202BC-8AD), the Sui (581-618), and the Tang (618-907). It was named Chang’an, Daxing and then Chang’an respectively. At the end of the Tang, Chang’an was completely destroyed. The site covers an area of about 83.1 square kilometers.

 

During the Sui Dynasty the construction of Daxing (the name was later changed to Chang’an) was commissioned by Emperor Wen Di at the foot of the Longshou Mountains, just slightly to the southeast of the Han Chang’an location and encompassing present day Xi’an. On the 9th of February, 583, the city was completed. The outer wall was 36.7 kilometers in circumference (eighty-four square kilometers) and was made of rammed earth nine to twelve meters in thickness.

 

When the Li family conquered the Sui in 618, the same capital was used except for the renaming of the city from Daxing to Chang’an (meaning “eternal peace”). The city was designed in the shape of a near-perfect square comprised of the outer city, the imperial city and the palace. The imperial city was located in the north center of the outer city, and the palace in the south of the imperial city. The streets of Chang’an were arranged in a grid pattern with fourteen running in a north-south direction and eleven running from east to west. The widest street was 220 meters in width. Each major street had two drainage canals dividing it into three lanes.

 

Chang’an was geographically located on a north-south axis. From the palace in the north the emperor would face south when seated in his hall of audience thereby symbolically occupying the position of the Pole star as the pivot of the universe. All four cardinal directions were associated with specific animals, elements, and colors. All important cities, tombs, temples, residences, and so forth, faced south in line with fundamental concepts of geomancy which dictated that one’s back should always be towards the north so as to ward off harmful and too powerful Yin influences. One therefore faced the south from which healthy Yang emanations could be received.

 

A large number of cultural relics were found in the site, including construction components and kilns. About 205 gold and silver wares have been unearthed, which is the largest and most valuable excavations of the Tang since the founding of new China.

Source: chinaculture.org

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 360

Wednesday, December 17th, 2008
 
 

  韩佳:快乐学汉语,轻松又好记。

  Learn Chinese the fun way.

  It’s much easier to remember.

  大牛:韩佳,你还在这儿干吗呀?

  Han Jia, what are you doing here?

  赶快走吧。

  Come on.

  韩佳:去哪儿呀?

  Where are we going?

  大牛:今天不是说好了要体验天目湖三绝嘛

  Didn’t we say that we are going to see the

  three unique aspects of Tianmu Lake today?

  韩佳:对啊。

  Yes, we did.

  但是这三绝中的两绝已经在这儿了—

  But two of the three aspects

  are already here-

  天目湖水甜,天目湖茶香。

  the sweet water and the aromatic

  tea of Tainmu Lake.

  大牛:这个我都知道。

  I know them both.

  我最关心的是天目湖的第三绝—

  What I am most interested in is the

  lake’s third unique aspect-

  天目湖鱼头鲜。

  the delectable fish-head of Tianmu Lake.

  韩佳:可是现在还那么早,上哪儿吃鱼头啊?

  But it’s still early. Where can we go

  to eat fish-head?

  大牛:现在不是吃鱼头的时候。

  It’s not the right time to eat fish-head.

  是打鱼的时候。走吧。

  But it’s good time to go fishing.

  Come on.

  韩佳:打鱼?他要去打鱼!

  Fishing? He wants to go fishing!

  哎,大牛,你一个人上哪儿捕鱼去啊?

  Hey, Daniel, Where are you going

  to fish alone?

  大牛:谁说我是一个人?

  Who said I am going alone?

  我要跟他们一块儿去打鱼。

  I am going to fish together with them.

  韩佳:可是你那么冒冒失失的就去。

  You can’t go so recklessly like that.

  他们能同意吗?

  Will they agree to take you?

  大牛:当然同意了。

  Certainly they will.

  不信我问问。

  I’ll go check with them since you

  don’t trust me.

  师傅,我们可以跟你们一起去打鱼吗?

  Sir, can we go fishing with you?

  嘉宾:可以。

  Sure.

  Wǒmen kěyǐ gēn nǐmen yìqǐ qù dǎ yú ma?

  我们 可以 跟 你们 一起 去 打 鱼 吗?

  Can we go fishing with you?

  大牛:打鱼能手大牛在此呀。

  I am going to fish now.

  韩佳,你看看我给你露两手啊。

  Han Jia , I’ll show you some of my skills.

  韩佳:你这样打鱼好像也算不上是绝活吧。

  The way you fish doesn’t seem

  anything different.

  大牛:也是。

  Yes, indeed.

  不过你就等着尝尝这鱼头吧。

  But just wait to taste my fish-head.

  这个最新鲜。

  This is the freshest.

  韩佳:怎么这么大个儿啊!

  How come it is so big!

  大牛:一听你就是不了解啊。

  You sound so ignorant.

  这里的鱼不光个儿大,而且味道鲜美啊。

  Fish here are not only big,

  they are also very delicious and tasty.

  保证让你爱不释口。

  I am sure you will “ai bu shi kou”.

  韩佳:哎,汉语中啊倒有爱不释手这个成语,

  What! In Chinese, there is the idiom

  ”ai bu shi shou”,

  是说喜欢得不肯放开。

  which means you like something

  too much to part with it.

  可没有爱不释口这种说法吧。

  But there is never the idiom “ai

  bu shi kou”.

  大牛:韩佳,你不知道

  Han Jia, you don’t know

  这里的鱼太好吃了,吃了还想吃。

  the fish is so delicious that you

  would always want more

  咬住了就不肯放开。

  and once you bite it, you wouldn’t

  let it go.

  这不是爱不释口嘛。

  That is what I mean by “ai bu shi kou”.

  韩佳:嗨,成语可不能自己瞎编啊。

  Hey, you can’t make up idioms yourself.

  大牛:好,我只是想说

  I only mean

  这里的鱼人人爱吃。今天你也尝尝。

  people here love to eat fish.

  You may also have a taste today.

  保证让你百吃不厌。

  I am sure you would never have enough.

  韩佳:现在说这话有点早吧。

  It’s too early to say so.

  你还是先把鱼打上来吧。

  I think you should catch a fish first.

  Nǐ háishi xiān bǎ yú dǎ shang lai ba.

  你 还是 先 把 鱼 打 上 来 吧。

  I think you should catch a fish first.

  大牛:鱼总算是打上来了。

  I’ve eventually caught a fish.

  韩佳:那接下去该怎么办?

  Then what would you do next?

  大牛:接下来我准备去做一锅香喷喷的鱼头。

  Next, I’m going to cook a dish

  of palatable fish-head.

  韩佳:你呀?会吗?

  You? Do you know how?

  大牛:当然会啊。

  Of course, I do.

  做鱼头可简单了。

  Cooking fish-head is very simple.

  把鱼放到锅里炖不就行了吗。

  Just put the fish in the pot and

  let it stew.

  韩佳:真要那么简单,

  If it was that simple,

  那不是大家都能做了呀。

  everybody would be able to cook it.

  我觉得呀

  I think

  这做沙锅鱼头应该挺有讲究的。

  cooking fish-head hot pot is

  a skillful job.

  哎,不如我们去请一位烹饪大师

  Hey, we’d better invite a chef

  来教教我们怎么样。

  to teach us how to cook the dish.

  大牛:会有人教我们吗?

  Would there be any to teach us?

  韩佳:试试吧。走。

  Let’s have a try. Come on.

  这位就是朱师傅。

  This is Chef Zhu.

  他可是这里做沙锅鱼头最出名的。

  He is the restaurant’s most well-known

  chef to cook fish-head hot pot.

  大牛:韩佳,

  Han Jia,

  这位朱师傅会教我们做沙锅鱼头吗?

  would Mr. Zhu teach us how to

  cook fish-head?

  韩佳:应该会吧。问问。

  I guess he would. Go ask him.

  朱师傅,您能教我们做沙锅鱼头吗?

  Mr. Zhu, can you teach us how

  to cook fish head?

  嘉宾:没问题。请跟我来。

  No problem. Come with me.

  大牛:好。

  Okay.

  观众朋友们,

  Viewer friends,

  这里的沙锅鱼头要用天目湖的水,

  the cooking of fish-head hot pot here

  requires water from Tianmu Lake

  还有天目湖的大鲢鱼。

  and silver carp also from the lake.

  韩佳:哎,还得加上特别的配料以及特制的沙锅。

  Yeah, as well as some special spices

  and the specially made terrine.

  嘉宾:嗯,再加上特色的烹饪工艺才能制成。

  Yes, and add some special cooking craft.

  大牛:嗯,我可等不急了。

  Oh, I can’t wait.

  我们赶快开始吧。

  Let’s get started.

  韩佳:开工喽。

  Let’s start.

  合: 嗯,真香。好香啊!

  Mm, the smell is so good.

  What an appetizing smell!

  大牛:韩佳。这就差不多了吧。

  Han Jia. I think it’s about done.

  韩佳:看上去还不行。

  it doesn’t look likely.

  火候还不够,还得接着炖。

  It hasn’t been cooked long enough

  yet, it needs to be kept stewing.

  Zuò yútóu huǒoguo hái bú gòu , hái děi jiēzhe dùn.

  做 鱼头 火候 还 不 够,还 得 接着 炖。

  The fish-head hasn’t been cooking for long

  enough yet, it needs to be kept stewing.

  大牛,醒醒!

  Daniel, wake up!

  怎么这么会儿工夫你就睡着了呀?

  How come you dozed off within

  such a short while?

  大牛:鱼头炖好了?

  The fish done?

  韩佳:那当然了。你看。

  Of course. Look.

  合: 哎呀,筷子准备好了。赶快尝尝吧。

  My goodness! I’m ready.

  Come on and taste it.

  韩佳:嗯,好香啊!

  Oh, it’s so delicious!

  怎么样?

  What do you think?

  大牛:果然是名师出高徒啊。

  It’s indeed that a great teacher

  has excellent students.

  我做的鱼头就是鲜。

  The fish-head I cooked is surely delicious.

  韩佳:哎,怎么功劳全是你的了?

  Hey, how come you claim all

  the credit?

  大牛:哎,鱼是我打的。也是我做的。

  Yeah, it’s me who caught the fish.

  And it’s also me who cooked it.

  不过吃还得请你吃。

  But you are welcome to eat it.

  韩佳:那还差不多。

  That’s about right.

  那现在就让我们来体验一下

  Now let’s experience

  天目湖的第三绝。

  the third unique aspect of Tianmu Lake.

  大牛:如果您到天目湖的话千万不要错过

  If you come to Tianmu Lake,

  you should by no means miss

  这里香喷喷的鱼头。

  the delicious fish-head.

  一起来看看今天的赏心悦目。

  Let’s watch together today’s Feast

  for the Eyes.

  赏心悦目:

  韩佳:怎么样,

  Well,

  天目湖的三绝都体验过了吧。

  now you have experienced all the

  three unique aspects of Tianmu Lake.

  大牛:什么呀。我好像只体验了一绝。

  Not really. I sort of experienced only

  one of the unique aspects.

  什么水呀茶呀,我都没品尝过呢。

  As for the water and tea here,

  I haven’t tasted any.

  韩佳:别急。先来出今天的问题。

  Don’t worry. Let’s tell our audience

  what today’s question is first.

  大牛:好。

  Okay.

  (问题部分略)

  精美礼品等您拿。

  A classy gift is waiting for you.

  韩佳:这里是我们的联系方式。

  Here’s the way to communicate

  with us.

  您可以随时跟我们联系。

  Please contact us anytime.

  大牛:别忘了我们的口号:

  Don’t forget our slogan:

  合: 学说中国话,朋友遍天下。

  Learn Chinese and have friends everywhere.

(Source: cctv.com)