Archive for February 12th, 2010

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

China Travel – Haihe River(2)

Friday, February 12th, 2010

The Haihe River is situated between the roads and the iron fences of the river’s both banks (from the Jingangqiao Bridge to the Guanghua Bridge) as if a green long belt. The two banks of the river in the Park are covered with trees, flowers and grasses. The lawns are like green flannelette blankets with many clusters of shrubs and rosebushes among them. One can see various flowers and grasses in the raised flower terrace, such as the weeping forsythia, flowering peach, Chinese flowering crabapple, pear flower and wistaria in spring, and the everflowering rose, cockscomb and scarlet sage in summer. There are various pavilions in various postures among the green trees and flowering shrubs. There are devious corridors under the shelf of Chinese wisteria. The stone tables and pews under the corridors are for tourists to have a rest. There are spouting springs, flying rain and figure sculptures in different postures in the garden from the Bei’an Bridge to the Jiefang Bridge.

There are two or three small fishing boats on the Haihe River once in a way. The 100-meter long sculpture and calligraphic work One Hundred Dragons Making Fun in Water is clear and legible. The illuminations at both riverbanks turn on at the same time, they are shining upon the river, and the wave light and the lamp images in the water are mutually twinkling. This beautiful spectacle makes people on the scoop. In addition, people can visit the evening scenery by water in the evening, such as Nezha Stirs Up Trouble in the Sea, the Overlapped Waterfall, the Sound-Control Spouting Spring and the 100 Dragons Making Fun in Water, etc.

(Source: chinaculture.org)

Posted in China Travel, learn Chinese | No Comments »

Beijing Olympic – Opera: Daughter of the Communist Party

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Presenter: Song and Dance Troupe of the General Political Department of the PLA
Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts – Opera House
Dates: June 30 – July 02, 2009    19:30

Programme Introduction

It is the legend of Chinese Joan Arc, even if unfamiliar with that history, from the opera Daughter of the Party the spectators could still feel the passion that has excited Chinese people of many generations. The aesthetic style that Daughter of the Party depicts is quite different from Western classic operas that we often see nowadays. The open personality, the heroic emotion and the spirit of ready to sacrifice for faith quite directly influence our sense organs and have enormous power. In the present day of being familiar with soft music, the shock given by drums has another kind of magnificence.

Synopsis
In 1935, Dujuanpo of the Communist Party area in Jiangxi Province.

The Red Army goes northward to fight against Japanese invaders, so Dujuanpo is surrounded by white terror. On the execution ground, Communist Tian Yumei escapes from death under the protection of the branch secretary.

Tian Yumei is not frightened by the enemies’ bloody massacre; on the contrary, she wipes the blood on her and determines to fight against the enemies until her last breath. She finds Ma Jiahui, the former secretary of the Communist Party area and tells him that before his death the branch secretary said there was a traitor in the Party. In fact the traitor is Ma Jiahui. Tian Yumei almost falls a prey to Ma Jiahui’s plot. Ma Jiahui and the regimental commander of the White Army design the ambush to annihilate the guerrilla forces. At the very dangerous moment, Tian Yumei gets Qishugong’s trust with her loyalty. She goes into the dangerous area again, kindles Guiying’s flames of revolution and points out that Ma Jiahui is the traitor.

Tian Yumei, Qishugong and Guiying climb the hill that very night to tell the guerrilla forces this important information, but the guerrilla forces have transferred to other places. At this moment of losing communication with the Party organization, the three people establish the battle team.

The guerrilla forces get the information from Qishugong and, through a careful plan, attack the enemies’ ambush. Tian Yumei and Guiying encounter Ma Jiahui while preparing salt for the guerilla forces. They fight against the traitor bravely and kill him at last. Guiying sacrifices her life for protecting Tian Yumei. The sound of the gun brings the White Army, and Tian Yumei is captured by the enemies as she protects Xiao Cheng of the guerilla forces. Tian Yumei faces death without fear and sacrifices her life with the belief that the Communist Party will definitely defeat the enemies in heart. Her everlasting spirit is changed into the azalea blossoming all over the hill.

(Source: ebeijing.gov.cn)

Posted in Beijing Olympic, China Travel | No Comments »

Chinese Culture – Painting on Glass(1)

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Glass painting is a kind of drawing painted on the inside surface of transparent glass with gum or paints for the viewers to appreciate from outside the glass.

Archeological discoveries prove that China had been able to make glass by the Western Zhou Dynasty (1100-771BC). Glass painting, originated in Europe, was introduced into China by Italian painter Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766) in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and it soon became popular in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Guangzhou, etc.

At the first beginning, glass painting was employed to decorate palace buildings, and later it developed into craftworks such as screens and palace lamps. During the reign of Emperor Qianlong, glass painting spread among ordinary people, and was much favored by wealthy people in China’s coastal areas.

Glass painting is a relatively new medium, where proprietary liquid paints are used to color glass. Usually an outline is applied and is filled with the color. Pale tints are possible and colors can be mixed to obtain colors not possible with the original stained glass, only they are less durable and should be protected from the elements.

The subjects for glass painting are extensive, ranging from landscapes, historical resorts, birds, beasts, fishes and worms, to exotic flowers and glasses. There are literally dozens of ways to paint on glass, ranging from using traditional oil paints to using specialized glass paints that require firing with a kiln.

Traditional stained glass painting

Traditionally, glass painting referred to painting on the surface of a sheet of glass to be included in a stained glass work. This kind of painting, which is actually closer to drawing than painting, was done to add details such as faces and folds of clothing that couldn’t be added with traditional lead lines. It was also used to cover up portions of stained glass works so that light was kept from shining through.

In most cases, the glass paints used for stained glass painting are predominately browns and gray-blacks. The colors tend to be water or gum arabic based, and can be applied with a brush in a method similar to the way watercolors are applied. In most cases, these paints are fired onto the glass using a kiln. The heat of the kiln causes them to bond permanently with the glass.

There are several major types of traditional stained glass paints, including vinegar trace paint, matt paint, silver stain, and oil-based paints.

（Source: chinaculture.org）

Posted in Chinese Culture, learn Chinese | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »