Archive for February 14th, 2010

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

China Travel – Yellow River(1)

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

The Yellow River, with a total length of 5,464 kilometers, is the second longest river in China, just next to the Yangtze River. The Yellow River is the birthplace of ancient Chinese culture and the cradle of Chinese Civilization. It takes its source from the northern piedmont of the Bayanhar Mountain Range in Qinghai Province, meandering across 9 provinces and finally emptying into the Bohai Sea at Kenli of Shandong Province. Along the Yellow River Reaches, tourists can view the majestic resorts of the Yellow River and the unique scenery of the Loess Plateau.

The natural landscapes of the Yellow River are breathtaking and attractive, especially those in the Henan segment. As a huge dragon crouching on the central plains, the Yellow River begins to flow northward from Kaifeng City. The Zhengzhou segment of the Yellow River is broad and grand. Tourists acclaim the waves of the Yellow River as the acme of perfection. After entering Longmen, the steep precipices at both banks of the Yellow River seem to be cut by knife, and the river waves are surging and rushing forward. The supernatural power of the nature created various landscape resorts at the Sanmen Gorge where the Yellow River is surging inward and roaring forward and people can feel the perfect combination of gentleness and manly virility of the Yellow River.

(Source: chinaculture.org)

Posted in China Travel, learn Chinese | No Comments »

Beijing Olympic – Puccini’s Opera: Madama Butterfly

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

A Cooperative Production of Teatro La Fenice and NCPA
Conductor: Nicola Luisotti
Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts  – Opera House
Dates: June 04 – 07, 2009    19:30
Price:  VIP    1080    880    680    480    280 RMB

Programme Introduction

Among all the dreamy beauties that Puccini has created with his whole heart, Madama Butterfly is the most poetic and vigorous character. It is well shown in Puccini’s concise outplay and his personal preference. Puccini grants the protagonist Cio-Cio-San with more love, sense and care. Especially in the respect of music, Madama Butterfly is more elegant and graceful. In the prelude of the symphony, a piece of urgent fugue, like an exquisite water-color picture, brings spectators into the splendid world of the harbor of Japan’s Nagasaki, all of which is the representation of Puccini’s magnificent inspiration. Madama Butterfly is also Puccini’s first opera which has an exotic sense.

As what Puccini once emphasized, what attracted him most in this opera was that in it an atmosphere of death was everywhere. Since the beginning, this sense of death surrounds the whole play and the description of this sense is where the strong artistic appeal lies.

Teatro La Fenice
The Phoenix, Teatro La Fenice was established in 1792 and is Venice’s most important opera house. With its long history and first-class level, it has become Europe’s palace of classic operas since over 200 years ago. During its history of over two hundred years, quite a lot of legends were connected with it. Such classic operas as La Traviata, Rigoletto and Semiramide made their first performance in this opera house, meanwhile, almost all important conductors and composers conducted important opera performances there. The opera house got its name from the legendary bird — phoenix, and what is coincident is that its destiny depicts the legend of phoenix’s nirvana. During the past 200 years it was destroyed by fire for three times and rebuilt and repaired for three times. Being in fire for three times gives the opera house a more legendary color.

Synopsis
In the end of the 19th century, the harbor of Nagasaki, Japan. Cio-Cio-San, known as Madama Butterfly, is an innocent and lively Japanese girl. She abandons tradition and faith for love and marries American naval lieutenant Pinkerton. Shortly after the marriage, Pinkerton goes back to America and does not send any information back, but Cio-Cio-San believes that he will come back and gazes into the distance from the harbor every day, expecting her husband’s return. During this period Cio-Cio-San gives birth to their son. Three years later, Pinkerton comes back with his American wife and wants to takes their son away. The beautiful dream comes to nothing, being grief-stricken, Cio-Cio-San kills herself in the room with the sword that her father has left and ends her romantic but misery life.

Cast
Butterfly       Liping Zhang     (June 4/6)
Francesca Scaini  (June 5/7)

Suzuki         Rossana Rinaldi     (June 4/6)
Daniela Innamorati (June 5/7)

Pinkerton    Massimiliano Pisapia (June 4/6)
Kamen Chanev        (June 5/7)

Sharpless    Gabriele Viviani    (June 4/6)
Simone Piazzola   (June 5/7)

(Source: ebeijing.gov.cn)

Posted in Beijing Olympic, China Travel | No Comments »

Chinese Culture – Painting on Glass(3)

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

** Silver stain

Silver stain, which is available in shades of red, yellow, and orange, gets its name from the presence of silver nitrate in the stain. After firing, it turns golden, not silver-colored. It is unlike paint in that it actually changes the color of the glass, rather than simply covering it up with a dark line or wash.

Silver stains do not flow well from the brush, but since they are generally used to add accent colors (rather than detailed lines) this is not a major issue. They are often applied to the opposite side of the glass from vinegar trace and matt paints, and may be fired face down, with the silver stain resting on the kiln shelf.

Since silver stains are fired to around 1000 to 1100 degrees Fahrenheit, they may be fired at the same time as stained glass paints. Unlike glass paints, silver stains darken and grow deeper with each firing.

** Oil-based stained glass paints

The advantages of oil-based glass paints are that they come in more colors, are easier to work with, and are not effected by general atmospheric conditions. The major disadvantage of these paints are that they tend to be less consistent in application; although colors may be mixed like regular oil paints, they do not always mix easily or thoroughly and sometimes fire unevenly.

Oil-based paints, which use an oil-turpentine base, are generally fired to a slightly lower temperature than water-based paints. They tend to break up if fired to higher temperatures.

Paints made for surfaces other than glass

It is possible to paint on glass with paints that are made for painting on other surfaces. All you need are some paint and a desire to experiment. Oil paints and acrylic paints can work, as will widely available alternatives such as model paint or automobile paint.

These kinds of paints can be brushed on by hand, but airbrushing frequently yields better results. The advantages of this approach to painting on glass are that the paints are easily found, relatively inexpensive, and can be mixed into virtually any color. In addition, no kiln is required, although firing in a kiln can help oil paints dry and adhere better.

（Source: chinaculture.org）

Posted in Chinese Culture, learn Chinese | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »