Archive for December 20th, 2008

China Travel – Sutra Pillar of the Ksitigarbha Temple

Saturday, December 20th, 2008

The Sutra Pillar of the Ksitigarbha Temple is located in the original ancient pillar park at the Tuodong Street of Kunming City, Yunnan Province.

 

The Sutra Pillar of the Ksitigarbha Temple, also called the Sutra Pillar of Dali Kingdom, is commonly known as the Ancient Pillar. It was built to release the soul of Gao Mingsheng, a son of Shanshan Marquis Gao Guanyin by Yuan Douguang, a Buxie (name of an government official) of the Dali Kingdom(937-1253). The Sutra Pillar was unearthed when a park was built on the ruins of the Ksitigarbha Temple in 1923, and was moved to the park subsequently.

 

The pillar looks like a pagoda. It is a seven-storeyed stone construction with an octagon underside and a total height of 8.30 meters. Its first floor is a drum-shaped pillar base, with the complete Notes on the Construction of the Honor Sutra Pillar by Dali Kingdom Buddhist Buxie Yuan Douguang in Chinese and sutras such as Sutra of the Buddha’s Teaching On Prajna-paramita-hrdaya, Vairocana Buddha Vowing Sutra, and so on in Sanskrit. The second floor is carved with four Guardian Kings (Caturmaharajas) and Dharani Sutra in Sanskrit; four immortals and sitting statues of Sakyamuni are engraved on the four corners respectively. Four Guardian Kings face to four directions, with coronets on the head, armors on the body, axes and swords in the hands, defeated Yaksa under the feet, and about 1.20 to 1.30 meters in height. Upper floors, from the third to the seventh floor, are carved with Tantra statues such as Bodhisattva, Guardian Kings, redpolls, halls and flying immortals. Altogether, there are 300 exquisite and beautiful josses. Larger josses are one meter in height, while small ones are from five to seven centimeters, and the smallest one are 3 centimeters only. A lotus throne and several beads lie on the top of pillar. Because of its exquisite design and skillful carving, the sutra pillar is full of character of Tantra figures, and is praised to be an art masterpiece of central Yunnan Province. Recording many historical materials about the regime separation of Da Li district, the pillar becomes a reflection of the relation between Shanshan state (today’s Kunming) and the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The pillar is of high historic and artistic value.

(Source: chinaculture.org)

Chinese Culture – Attendant Tombs of Mausoleums of Emperors of Tang

Saturday, December 20th, 2008

 

Attendant tombs of royal family members and high officials scattered around mausoleums of emperors, early period of the Tang Dynasty (618-907)

 

Period: 643-785

 

Location: Mainly located at Liquan County and Qianxian County, Shaanxi Province

 

Excavated from 1950 to the present

 

Gate tower, part of the mural: (up); Colored, glazed pottery figurines of woman dancers and musicians: (mid, height 17.6 cm-26.2 cm); Scene of receiving guests, part of the mural: (bottom)

Significance: They have offered valuable materials for the study of the burial systems and social life of the Tang Dynasty.

 

 Introduction

 

Attendant Tombs of Mausoleums of Emperors of Tang are tombs for high officials, generals and aristocrats. The arrangement of attendant tombs was an important part of the Tang burial system. It is said that to be buried in the attendant tombs was a laurel for the dead, and sure this was also a means for the emperor to win over his officials and thus stabilize his political power.

 

In the attendant tombs of the Tang Dynasty, there were abundant murals and funerary articles, such as Tang San Cai, terracotta warriors, gold-and-silver wares. After his death, Tang Emperor Taizong (Li Shimin) was buried on Mt. Jiuzong in Liquan County, and his impressive mausoleum was named Zhaoling which had 167 attendant tombs.

Source: chinaculture.org

Learn Chinese Podcast – Happy China 363

Saturday, December 20th, 2008
 
 

  大牛:大哥,大哥…

  Hey, boss …

  海盗:嚷什么呢?

  What are you yelling about?

  大牛:快看,恐龙岛就在前面啊。

  Look, the Dinosaur Island is right ahead.

  海盗:好。全速前进!别忘了

  Okay. Full speed ahead! Don’t forget

  我们上岛之后的联络口号。

  the password for communication

  on the island.

  大牛:放心吧。忘不了。

  Rest assured. I won’t.

  不就是快乐学汉语,轻松又好记嘛。

  The password is: Learn Chinese with fun.

  It is easy to remember.”

  告诉您吧,

  Let me tell you

  我现在不是大牛,是海盗甲。

  I am no longer Daniel. I am Pirate A.

  海盗:动作麻利点,

  You must be quick

  咱们这一次一定要抢到恐龙化石。

  and manage to get hold of some

  dinosaur fossils this time.

  大牛:是!

  Yes, sir!

  韩佳:教授,海盗们已经上岛了。

  Professor, the pirates have

  come ashore.

  您怎么还不走啊?

  Why don’t you leave?

  教授:恐龙化石是我们的国宝。

  Dinosaur fossils are our national treasures.

  我们要尽力保护。

  We should do all necessary to

  protect them.

  Kǒnglóng huàshí shì guóbǎo, wǒmen yào jìnlì bǎohù!

  恐龙 化石 是 国宝, 我们 要 尽力 保护!

  The dinosaur fossils is a national treasures.

  We should do everything possible to protect it.

  把这份资料带走。

  Take this data with you.

  千万不要落入海盗的手里。

  You must by no means let it fall

  into the pirates’ hands.

  韩佳:我知道了。您也多加小心啊。

  I know. You should also be careful.

  跟班:老大…

  Boss …

  海盗:怎么了?教授找到没有?

  What? Have you found the professor?

  跟班:没有。不过我倒抓到个女的。

  Not yet. But I have caught a broad.

  韩佳:放开我!

  Let go of me!

  跟班:就是她。

  It’s her.

  韩佳:告诉你们吧,抓了我也没用。

  Let me tell you that kidnapping me

  won’t be of any help for you.

  教授已经把恐龙化石

  The professor has hidden the

  fossils away

  放在了一个你们绝对找不到的地方。

  in a place which you would never find.

  大牛:什么!就凭你

  What! You are

  一个手无搏鸡之力的女子。

  only a frail girl, who is “shou wu

  bo ji zhi li”.

  还敢跟我们斗?

  How dare you to fight us?

  韩佳:那叫手无缚鸡之力。

  That phrase is “shou wu fu ji zhi li”.

  缚,是指捆绑;

  ”fu” means to tie up

  搏,就是指打斗拼搏。

  while “bo” means to fight.

  手无缚鸡之力就是说

  ”shou wu fu ji zhi li” means

  连捉一只鸡的力气都没有,

  that someone doesn’t even have

  the strength to catch a chicken

  形容人的力气很小。

  and describes someone being

  very weak.

  海盗:少跟她废话!赶快把教授给我找出来!

  Talk no nonsense to her!

  Go find the professor for me!

  大牛:好!

  Yes, sir!

  海盗:快说,教授藏哪儿去了?

  Tell me where the professor is hiding!

  韩佳:科学家们为了研究恐龙化石

  How devotedly scientists work

  付出了那么多心血!

  for the research of dinosaur fossils!

  我是绝对不会让你们轻易得逞的。

  I would absolutely not allow you

  to get your way easily.

  Wǒ shì juéduì búhuì ràng nǐmen qīngyì déchěng de.

  我 是 绝对 不会 让 你们 轻易 得逞 的。

  I’ll never let you get away with it.

  海盗:我看你是敬酒不吃吃罚酒?

  Do you want to refuse a toast only

  to drink a forfeit?

  教授:韩佳,我就是教授。放了她!

  Han Jia, I am the professor.

  Let her go!

  韩佳:教授快跑!

  Professor, run quickly!

  跟班:快说,恐龙化石藏哪儿了?

  Tell me where you’ve hidden the fossils!

  教授:在中华恐龙馆。

  In the Museum of Chinese Dinosaurs.

  海盗:给我打!

  Beat him!

  大牛:老大,不好了!

  Boss, something’s wrong!

  特别行动队的飞机来了。

  The commando’s airplane has come.

  海盗:你们两个给我把它打下来!

  You two shoot it down for me!

  合: 好!

  Yes, sir!

  特工:教授,趁他们不注意,你快逃吧。

  Professor, run away now while they

  are paying attention to you.

  大牛:老大,我们可真是被打得落花流水呀。

  Boss, we were beaten like

  ”luo hua liu shui”.

  海盗:都什么时候了,你还有心情

  It is no time to talk about

  说什么赏花流水之类的事情。

  beautiful flowers and flowing water.

  韩佳:才不是赏花流水呢。

  ”luo hua liu shui” has nothing to

  do with flowers and water.

  落花流水是指暮春时节花儿凋零的景象,

  ”luo hua liu shui” originally meant the

  withering flowers in late spring,

  后来通常用来比喻被打得大败。

  but is now used as a metaphor for getting

  completely thrashed by one’s opponent.

  海盗:得得,别在这儿给我上课了!

  Stop lecturing me!

  还不赶快把她给我抓住,

  Get hold of her

  好用她来威胁教授交出化石!

  and use her to force the professor

  to surrender the fossils!

  大牛:对。哎,你别跑。

  Yes. Hey, stop running.

  韩佳,你别跑。我都跑不动了。

  Han Jia, stop running. I can’t run

  any more.

  韩佳:你们谁也别想拿到化石和资料。

  None of you should expect to get

  the fossils and data.

  Nǐmen shuí yě bié xiǎng nádào huàshí hé zīliào.

  你们 谁 也 别 想 拿到 化石 和 资料。

  Don’t even think about getting your

  hands on the fossils and the data.

  大牛:韩佳,这也太过火了吧。

  Han Jia, they’ve gone too far.

  韩佳,我可不能失去你这个好搭档啊。

  Han Jia, Hana Jia, I can’t afford to

  lose you as my excellent co-host.

  韩佳:大牛,你干吗呢?

  Daniel, what are you doing?

  大牛:韩佳,你没事吧?

  Han Jia, are you okay?

  韩佳:没事。

  I am okay.

  大牛:没受伤?

  You are not injured?

  韩佳:没有啊。

  No.

  大牛:那就好。

  That’s fine.

  我们这趟恐龙岛冒险可真是惊险。

  Our adventure trip to the Dinosaur

  Island was so thrilling.

  不过现在总算是结束了。

  But at long last, it’s all over.

  韩佳:观众朋友们,

  Viewer friends,

  您看得过不过瘾啊?

  was it fun to watch all this?

  那接下来就让我们进入今天的赏心悦目

  Next let’s move on to today’s Feast

  for the Eyes

  来放松一下。

  to relax for a while.

  大牛:请看。

  Please watch.

  赏心悦目:

  ”中华恐龙园”自建园以来

  Since its establishment, the China

  Dinosaur Park

  吸引了近百万观光游客

  has attracted nearly a million visitors.

  影视特效 多媒体网络等完美结合

  The audio-visual and multimedia

  technologies

  融标本展示 科普知识

  as well as model displays,

  娱乐 休闲及参与性表演于一体

  recreations and performances, all make it

  享有”东方侏罗纪”的美誉

  known as the Jurassic Park in the east.

  韩佳:好了,看完了今天的赏心悦目,

  Well, after today’s Feast for the Eyes,

  我们的节目也该跟您说再见了。

  it is time for our program to bid

  you goodbye.

  感谢您收看我们今天

  Thanks for watching today’s

  《快乐中国》之冒险恐龙岛。

  Dinosaur Island adventure trip

  on Happy China.

  我们明天见。

  See you tomorrow.

  大牛:不对啊。

  Oh, no.

  还没有给观众朋友们出题呢。

  We haven’t told our audience

  today’s question.

  观众朋友们,你们听好了。

  Viewer friends, listen carefully.

  今天的问题是这样的。

  Today’s question is as follows.

  (问题部分略)

  韩佳:精美礼品等您拿。

  A beautiful gift is waiting for you.

  大牛:观众朋友们,

  Viewer friends,

  我们明天同一时间不见不散。

  see you tomorrow at the same time.

  韩佳:最后要提醒您,

  But before we go, we’d like to remind you

  别忘了我们的口号:

  not to forget our slogan:

  合: 学说中国话,朋友遍天下。

  Learn Chinese and have friends everywhere.

(Source: cctv.com)