Archive for February 13th, 2010

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China Travel – Nanxi River

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

The Nanxi River, the famous state-level scenic resort, is located in Yongjia County of Zhejiang Province. It is 23 kilometers from Wenzhou City, with Yandang Mountains on the east, the Xiandu Scenic Area on the west and the Xianju Scenic Area on the north. The sinuous Nanxi River has 36 bends and 72 beaches, with a drainage area of 2,429 square kilometers. Running from north to south, the Nanxi River first flows into the Oujiang River and finally empties into the East China Sea. The main scenic spots of the Nanxi River area include the Baizhang Waterfall, the Furong Triangle Rock, the Waterfall of Tengxi Pool, the Twelve Peaks, the Taogong Cave, the Warehouse Under The Cliff, the Furong Ancient Hamlet and the Lion Rock, etc.

The water of the Nanxi River is limpid without any pollution. Upon examination, the sand content of the river water is just 1/10,000g per cubic meter and the pH value of the river water is about 7. So the water of the Nanxi River can meet the requirements of national standard on grade 1 water, and it is reputed by experts as the No. 1 Water in the Sun. People can see ponds and waterfalls everywhere in the upper reaches of the Nanxi River, including the Baizhang Waterfall, the Luoyang Waterfall, the Shy Waterfall Under Cliff, Beikeng Vauclusian Spring and the Three-Bend Waterfall, etc. These ponds and waterfalls have different special charms. The perilous peaks dot the both banks of Nanxi River like stars in the sky and scatter like the chessmen on a chessboard, every scenic spot is enchanting, including the Peace Rock (a marvelous cliff spectacle), the Triangle Rock of the deep pool, the Lion Rock (a natural potted landscape) and the Twelve Peaks, etc. Every scenic sight is appealing.

Up to now, the cultural sites of the Neolithic Age have been well preserved in the unique Nanxi River Reaches, including the ancient villages that were constructed according to the design concepts of the Seven Stars & Eight Diagrams, the Four Treasures of The Study and the Yin-Yang Geomantic Omen. In addition, a large number of records of family trees have been preserved well. These rare historical and cultural relics can make tourists understand the general situation of the Farming and Reading Society and the Clan Society of the ancient China.

The beautiful mountains and rivers, the unsophisticated villages and the attractive cultures and customs in the Nanxi River reaches are attracting more and more visitors from home and abroad.

(Source: chinaculture.org)

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Beijing Olympic – “The Chinese Bond” Folk Music Concert

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

Presenter: China Chinese National Orchestra
Conductor: Hu Bingxu
Solo: Chen Zuohui, Li Yuanyuan
Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts – Concert Hall
Dates: June 28, 2009    19:30

Programme Introduction

From April 21, NCPA and the China Chinese National Orchestra will jointly present ten Chinese folk music concerts. By that time, a great many folk music works of diverse styles of past and present will be staged and present the audience the music treasures of Chinese civilization. Moreover, eight world famous conductors will be invited to wield the baton and present a Chinese folk music gala together with the Chinese National Orchestra.

China Chinese National Orchestra
As the most representative domestic orchestra of Chinese traditional music, China Central Chinese Orchestra consists of a Chinese instruments band and a choir. The founder of the Orchestra was Li Huanzhi, the former Chair of Chinese Musicians Association and its current President is Xi Qiang. Since the creation of China Central Chinese Orchestra the musical life of the nation has been greatly enriched; a great number of traditional folk music have been adapted and recomposed.

Since its establishment, the orchestra has visited dozens of countries and regions in five continents many times, apart from its domestic road shows. In 1993, it founded the Orchestra Asia jointly with Ensemble Nipponia and South Korean National Orchestra to facilitate the creation and exchange of national music in Asia. In 1997, at the invitation of ICM from the U.S., it performed in dozens of American cities like New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, and Los Angeles, and co-performed with the world-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma in Carnegie Hall. The orchestra held the China New Year’s Day Concerts in Goldener Saal Wiener Musikvereins and Berlin Philarmonie in 1998 and 1999 respectively. It also performed for the opening ceremony of “Sino-French Culture Year” in 2003, bringing road shows for audiences in 11 French cities; and the year 2005 saw its performance in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. All these performances have succeeded. As the new century is around the corner, the orchestra has invited famous composers both at home and abroad to create many new works as well.

Conductor: Hu Bingxu
Hu Bingxu is one of the outstanding conductors in the musical world today. He served as a conductor and art director at the China National Symphony Orchestra, Peking Opera House of Shanghai, China National Song and Dance Ensemble, National Opera of China, The National Ballet of China, China Chinese National Orchestra and etc. From April 1997 to April 2000, he served as the first music director and chief conductor at Singapore Chinese Orchestra. In early 1999 he led China Chinese National Orchestra to have a performing tour in 18 cities in USA, and became the first conductor and the first orchestra of Chinese national music performing at Carnegie Hall over a hundred years. In early 2008 he led Guangdong National Orchestra to have a performing tour in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Czech, and gained highly praise including the performance at Goldener Saal Wiener Musikvereins,. Two of the three LPs issued in China by Phillips Records, Ching-hu Symphonic Concerto, Lv Siqing Violin Solo Songs were conducted by Hu Bingxu.

Solo: Chen Zuohui
Chen Zuohui is a famous Chinese drum music performer and a national first-grade performer. He at present serves as leader and the chief drumbeats performer of the National Music Ensemble of Opera and Dance Drama Theater of Guangdong Province. The major prizes he has won include: the first prize for performance of The 1st Guangdong National Music Invitational Competition, and the gold award for gong and drum of The 1st Shanxi International Gong and Drum Art Festival. His work, Chaozhou gong and drum Sheqing (Community Celebration) is highly praised across the country. Chen is good at Chaozhou gong and drum, and very familiar with many kinds of Chinese national gong and drum music and Western percussion. He has formed a style of performance: strong but supple, graceful and smooth, natural and unrestrained, full of artistic appeal. At present Chen is devoted to the performance, study, creation and teaching of Chinese national drum music. Especially in the post of the head of National Music Ensemble of Opera and Dance Drama Theater of Guangdong Province, he together with all the artists of the Ensemble work very hard for the development of Chinese national music and Guangdong Lingnan music.

Solo: Li Yuanyuan
Li Yunyuan serves as the chief Erhu player at China Chinese National Orchestra. At the age of seven, she studied with Zhu Changyao, a famous Erhu player well-known in South China. In 1988 she was awarded the first prize for juvenile of the national music instrument performance competition, and in 1992 she won the first prize for youth of the national music instrument performance competition. Since 1999 she began to work at China Opera. In 2000 she paid a visit to Japan and Korea where she presented the first performance of an Erhu concerto “Ellegy of Fall”, which brought her great success. In 2001 she became a soloist at China Chinese National Orchestra and in the same year she was invited to perform in Greece, and her performance bridged the Greek spectators with the cultural deposits and musical connotation of Chinese traditional instrumental music. Li has formed her personal playing method and art style in Erhu performance: it has pure, beautiful tone and strong expressive force; soft but strong; natural and smooth. In recent cultural exchanges, Li always shows the enchanting artistic charm of Erhu to Chinese and foreign spectators by her wonderful performance.

Programs
Prelude to General’s Command
A traditional Chinese folk music

A Wonderful Night in Spring (with lute and band)
Adapted from a traditional Chinese folk music
by Qin Pengzhang and Luo Zhongrong

South Arirang
Composer: Bai daxiong (Korea)

National orchestral music: Legend of Dragon
Composer: Guan Naizhong

——Intermission——

Chaoyang Flute, Drum and Gong
Adapted from a traditional Chinese folk music
by Ding Zengqin, Chen Zuohui
Orchestration: Fang Xiaomin
Solo: Chen Zuohui

The Butterfly Lovers (with Kao-hu and band)
Composer: He Zhanhao and Chen Gang
Arr.: Liu Wenjin
Kao-hu solo: Li Yuanyuan

Gadameilin, a symphonic poem
Composer: Xin Huguang
Arr.: Liu Wenjin

(Source: ebeijing.gov.cn)

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Chinese Culture – Painting on Glass(2)

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

** Vinegar trace paint

This paint, which is dark and completely blocks out the light in the areas where it is applied, is most often used for figure or design lines. It is fairly thick and must be mixed with water, vinegar, and gum arabic to use. Gum arabic, which helps the paint stick to the glass, is usually purchased in powder form and must be mixed with water or alcohol before using.

Vinegar trace paint must be applied “wet on wet”; that is, both the brush and the glass surface must be wet. You can’t apply more paint to a particular place once it dries; if you do, the paint is likely to flake when fired in the kiln.

Painting with vinegar trace paint requires practice. The hardest part is learning to apply just the right amount of paint. Too much on the brush and it will blot, too little and it will dry before the stroke is complete.

When dry, vinegar trace paint is often scraped or scratched with a small stick or quill. This gives the paint a texture and depth that can’t be gotten from the paint alone. Once prepared, the paint is fired to around 1100 degrees Fahrenheit. It becomes shiny after firing.

** Matt paint

Matt paint, which uses a base of either water and gum arabic or water and vinegar, is easier to apply than vinegar trace paint. It can be applied thickly or thinly and can even be “blended” and stippled or worked with a second brush to give it an interesting texture. Some artists even rub it with their fingers to achieve more unusual effects.

Because it is more transparent than vinegar trace paint, matte paint is generally applied over tracing paint. Often, two firings are required, one for the tracing paint and a second for the matt paint.

Matt paint is most frequently used for filling in backgrounds and adding shadows. As with vinegar trace paints, the color selection is somewhat limited, consisting primarily of blacks, brown, blues, and greens.

（Source: chinaculture.org）

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