Archive for March 18th, 2010

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China Travel – Huashan Mountain(1)

Thursday, March 18th, 2010
Greeting Pine

Located in the south of Anhui Province, straddling Shexian, Yixian, Taiping and Xiuning counties. It was called Yishan Mountain in the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC), and got its current name in 747 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Guanyin Rock by Zhang Yongfu

The scenic area covers 154 square kilometers, and is celebrated for its peaks, rocks, pines, clouds and springs. The renowned Four Wonders of Huangshan Mountain are the spectacular rocks, oddly shaped pines, hot springs and sea of clouds. Huangshan Mountain has distinctive scenes respectively in spring, summer, autumn and winter, which earns it the name Earthly Fairyland.

Other attractions are lakes, waterfalls, streams, rare flowers and animals. Forests cover 83.4% of the area, with some 1,452 species of native plants in 203 families. Huangshan Mountain also has a rich cultural heritage. Xu Xiake, a famous traveler of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) visited Huangshan Mountain twice, and described it in a poem, calling it best of all mountains in China.

Cultural Heritage

Huangshan Mountain has long been closely connected with religion. As early as in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), stories about Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor), and the alchemists Rong Chengzi and Fu Qiugong making pills of immortality on Huangshan Mountain were recorded. Many peaks are named after them, such as Xanyuan Peak, Fuqiu Peak and Pill-making Peak. Even the name Huangshan Mountain is related to the story of the Yellow Emperor’s making of pills of immortality. Taoist temples built on Huangshan Mountain in the early days are Fuqiu Temple, Nine-Dragon Temple and so on. Since the end of the Ming Dynasty, Buddhism has taken the place of Taoism in Huangshan Mountain culture. Buddhist monasteries have been built in large numbers, among which, Xiangfu, Ciguang, Cuiwei and Zhibo are called the Four Big Monasteries of Huangshan Mountain.

Generation after generation, people have come to eulogize Huangshan Mountain, resulting in a rich legacy of art and literature. Some artists have even formed the Huangshan Mountain School. Besides, there are numerous and widespread fairy tales and legends about the Mountain.

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Chinese Culture – Regong Art of Qinghai Province(1)

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

Originating in the Wuhe River Valley of Qinghai Province (Tongren County of the Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture), Regong art is a successful mix of religious art by Tibetan and Tu ethnic minorities and local folk arts. To better protect the art, it was included in the second phase of the National Folk Culture Protection Project in April 2004.

Regong art includes paintings (murals and scrolls called “thangka ” in Tibetan), clay and wooden sculptures, barbola, color paintings on buildings, patterns, butter sculptures , and so on. Among these, the paintings, sculptures and designs are most famous.

The contents of Regong art ranges from the story of the Sakyamuni, Bodhisattvas, Buddhist guardians and fairies, to Buddhist stories.

The art — an important genre in Tibetan Buddhism — has a history of more than 700 years. It is called ” the flower on the Tibetan Plateau” and “a magnifient pearl of Chinese art”.

Tongren: Birthplace of Regong art

Along the Yellow River to the southeast of Qinghai Province, Tongren County is reputed as the “Home of Tibetan Culture and Art”. Tongren, also called “Regong” in Tibetan, is where the art form sprang up along with the rise of Lamaism and the construction of lamaseries, mainly reflecting the Tibetan Buddhist culture.

By the mid-17th century, Regong had become a village where nearly everyone could paint, and every family was engaged in the art. The people of Regong handed down the art from generation to generation, and now almost everyone there is an artisan.

（Source: chinaculture.org）

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Learn Chinese Podcast – Deep-fried Fish in the Shape of a Chrysanthemum

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

Deep-fried Fish in the Shape of a Chrysanthemum
Deep-fried Fish in the Shape of a Chrysanthemum

Taste: Crisp, soft, sweet and sour to the right degree.

Features: When cooked, the fish is in golden color and chrysanthemum shape.

Ingredients:

1 freshwater fish(preferaly grass carp)about 350 grams(0.77lb)

4 grams(2/3tsp)salt

150 grams(11.5tbsp)sugar

100 grams(5.5tbsp)ketchup

60 grams(4tbsp)vinegar

75 grams(5tbsp)water

500 grams(1.1lb)dry cornstarch(only 200 grams or 044lb to be actually consumed)

15 grams(1tbsp)mixture of cornstarch and water

10 grams(2tbsp)sesame oil

1,000grams(4cups)cooking oil(only 100grams or 8tbsp to be actually consumed)

Directions:

1.First remove the fish’s head, tail and bones to obtain two large chunks of meat. Put the meat on a chopping board with skin side down. Make slanting cuts deep into the skin with a 6mm-space between every two cuts. Section the fish with every four cuts. Turn the fish around 90 degrees and use the chopper to cut in a vertical manner right to the skin with 6mm(0.23 in)between every two cuts to create diamond shapes of about 6mm(0.23 in)on each side. Spread dry cornstarch on the fish.Dust off unnecessary cornstarch and the chunks will show a preliminary chrysanthemum shape.

2.Put the cooking oil in the wok and heat it until it is about 200-220°C(390-430°F). Deep-fry the ready cut fish chunks until they are golden brown. Put the fried fish on a plate. Now  pour out most of the oil but leave about 20 grams(1.5tbsp)of it in the wok for making sauce. Add in the water, suggar, ketchup, salt and mix well. When the sauce is boiling, put in the vinegar, and then the cornstarch-water mixture to make the sauce into thick gravy. Add in the sesame oil and immediately pour the gravy onto fried fish on the plate.

(Source: culture.chinese.cn)

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