Couplets with Custom Calligraphy

Life in China 2017: A Picture a Day, January 14 –  The Chinese New Year preparations have started! Artists doing custom calligraphy are common at this time of year because people like to have custom couplets made to hang on their doorways. This man had a table set-up at our shopping plaza today and was making some couplets for a woman when I went past. I posted some information about couplets last year January 17, 2016. 

In the written Chinese characters, the words are very carefully chosen, as they have very specific guidelines, including that they rhyme, have the same number of characters on each side, and that the two must correspond to and complement each other. Some examples translated would be:

A wide sea lets fish jump; a high sky lets birds fly.

A mountain of books has a way and diligence is the path; the sea of learning has no end and hard work is the boat

Distance tests a horse's strength; time reveals a person's heart.

Smooth sailing with each year; success with each step.

Heaven adds time and people get older; spring fills the world and blessing fills the door.

Chubby Women #5

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, December 14 – This is the 5th and I think the last of the Chubby Women statue series around Songshan Lake. There are many more in the series in other places though. This is the series by the sculptor named Xu Hong Fei, from Guangzhou. You can see the other four on my blog here: http://www.myownchinesebrocade.com/picture-a-day-1?tag=Xu+Hong+Fei  

Chinese Paper-cuts

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, November 2 – When we were at the zoo on Monday, they had a display of Chinese paper-cut monkey designs; Remember, this is the year of the monkey in the Chinese zodiac. Chinese paper cutting is a folk art that can be traced back at least 1500 years, and is still very popular today. Paper-cuts are used as decorations and given as gifts for special occasions like weddings, birthdays, etc. During Chinese New Year celebrations, the “Fu” symbol, which I wrote about with the bat post a few days ago, is a really popular decoration. Paper-cuts are usually made from red paper, but there are also ones in many colors. Sometimes they are made by folding the paper and cutting it with scissors to get a repetitive design, and sometimes a pattern is laid flat over one or more pieces of paper and they are cut with s small knife. Paper-cuts can be extremely detailed! In China, you can often see various items decorated in ways to represent paper-cuts. In my picture, the upper left and lower right monkey designs are some from the zoo display, the upper right is a sale display from back in February at the Spring Festival Flower Market, and the lower left is a large paper-cut we have hanging in our picture window. Ours has “Fu” in the center (although it is backwards here because we hung it to be read correctly from outside), and the four characters at the top basically say “Peace and safety in the four seasons.” 

Mickey and Minnie Mouse

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, October 25 – Mickey and Minnie Mouse are probably the most popular Disney characters in China, although certain Disney princesses are also well known, as well as the more recent movies like Frozen. Mickey Mouse is called 米奇 Mǐ qí, (pronounced Mee Chee) or 米老鼠 Mǐ lǎo shǔ (lao shu is mouse).” Minnie is called 米妮 Mǐ nī (pronounced Mee Nee). The Chinese names are phonetic, and have nothing to do with the actual meaning of the characters (the “mi” means rice, I think it’s a fun thought that they could be “rice mice” in China! :-) ) You find them quite often on young children’s school and art supplies, but although I have searched specifically, I couldn’t find a product with their Chinese names included. I figure it must be something with the copyright laws? There are also plush toys, clothing, etc. with Mickey and Minnie, but it all looks like what you would find in the USA. There has been a Disney park in Hong Kong since 2005, and the first one on mainland China opened this past June in Shanghai. If you’d like to hear Mickey speak Chinese, here is a You Tube video with the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsuf_5_8-Ak

In Guangdong, the province where we live, as well as in Hong Kong, the local language is Cantonese, which is quite different from Mandarin Chinese. Here is the same Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Intro in Cantonese: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TijzuzYFtqc

The picture shows, from top left clockwise: Dr. “Mi qi” and nurse “Mi ni” on a paper pad, Oil pastels (these are what the children use as crayons), pencil cases, candy boxes (these are obviously a little different but still had Disney), backpacks, and a notebook for English practice. All products pictured are official Disney products.

Dragons

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, October 23 – I’m not sure how I’ve made it this far into the year without posting specifically about dragons! Dragons, called龙 long, are HUGE in China and there is no way I’ll cover everything there is to learn about them in this paragraph! Most importantly, dragons in China are GOOD, unlike dragons in Western lore that are/were mean, ferocious enemies. Chinese dragons are mainly symbols of power and good luck. They have a very different look than most Western dragons. They have NO wings (although they can fly) and they don’t breathe fire; They have scales like a fish, the mane of a lion, the claws of a hawk, a long tail like a snake, the antlers of a deer, the mouth of a bull, the beard of a catfish, the nose of a dog, and eyes like a shrimp! Legend says that the emperor was a direct descendant of the dragon. Legend also says that the Imperial dragon had 9 dragon sons; today, you can still recognize nine different specific dragons, used in different ways. The dragon is also one of the Chinese Zodiac animals, the only mythological one of the group. Long ago, the dragon symbol was only allowed to be used by the emperor, but, today dragon symbols are widely used as a decorative symbol. This large ornamental pillar with a dragon wrapped around it is located in the Dalingshan Town Square, in Dongguan. 

Stone Baluster Heads

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, October 8 – I think any country with rivers and lakes has its own style of picturesque bridges and China is no exception! Many of the bridges, whether they are arched, zigzagged, have pavilions in the centers, or something else, have stone balustrades with decorative baluster heads. Long ago, carvings of dragons and phoenixes were used only for the baluster heads on the grounds of imperial buildings; The Forbidden Palace in Beijing has many. In my picture, the dragon baluster heads are around the Drum Tower at the Chiwan Temple in Shenzhen. The bridge is one near us, I’m not sure if the carvings represent flowers or clouds, but they are interesting. Many modern bridges just have plain baluster heads. Other common designs for the more ornate ones are lions, flames, and pomegranates. You can see the plain ones in my post on Zigzag Bridges https://linda-walsh-n6tp.squarespace.com/config/pages/568757bdd8af102bf3da0525

Chubby Women #4 Golf

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, October 5 - I’ve posted three others of the Chubby Women series by Guangzhou artist Xu Hong Fei. We’ve seen her walking a dog (Feb 5), holding a baby (April 11), lying with a cat (June 24), and now we have her playing golf – only she doesn’t have a golf club that is part of the statue. It doesn’t seem to be broken, it looks like there never was one; I thought she should have one, so I gave her a bamboo club for the picture :-) If you want to see the other three statues, follow this link: http://www.myownchinesebrocade.com/picture-a-day-1?tag=Xu+Hong+Fei I think there is still one more to go! www.myownchinesebrocade.com

Panda Statues

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, September 11 – Have you heard the good news that giant pandas have been taken off the world’s endangered animals list? We don’t live in the part of China where pandas are native, but we have some in the zoos around us, and they are very much a part of the Chinese culture. And right now our local shopping plaza seems to have been taken over by pandas! Balloons flying high above the buildings, and little 2 foot high statues all around the plaza, some wearing clothes, some with bikes, some playing sports, and some just sitting around! Planters have new covers with panda designs as well as panda decals on the upper level glass railings! There’s even a nice spot set-up for taking pictures :-)

B. Duck

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, September 5 – B. Duck is a HUGE merchandise branding character that was started in Hong Kong in 2005. He was inspired by the traditional rubber duckie. Quote from the official website “To distinguish himself from the traditional floating duck, the cuddly B. Duck represents the spirit of “Be Playful” for the people of all ages and shares the happiness and fun to everyone …… With twinkling eyes, puffy lips and a big tummy, B. Duck loves to surprise and delight your beloved.”

He has a family, and friends, of other colorful ducks and even a younger sibling who is an unhatched egg! B. Duck is very popular in China, most of Asia, and is also in Europe. I see there is a B. Duck USA website, so maybe he’s in the USA too?  There are whole stores of B. Duck merchandise! You can get an amazing variety of things, plus there are now cafés also! Fun to look at, but all I actually own is a bowl that I got as a promotion with toothpaste once! Pizza Hut is currently using B. Duck in their advertising for their new Beijing duck pizza, notice his pizza hat? Here’s a 10th anniversary video from last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIu775PkN5A

My pictures are a B. Duck store in Shenzhen at Christmastime, current Pizza Hut advertising and big B. Ducks in their windows, and some older pictures of B. Duck statues. 

Boy Riding Ox Statue

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, August 2 – Every time I go to the Songshan Lake Library, I take a picture of this statue, it’s in need of a new paint job, but, I still like it :-) I’ve never seen a live water buffalo in Songshan Lake, but when we’ve gone outside of the city a ways I’ve seen them. I’ve heard about a beach in Hong Kong where there are water buffalo, and I hope to get to see them some day. I couldn’t find any specific information about this statue, but I’ll quote some information I did find: “Popular in many media, representations of young boys with water buffaloes often have Buddhist overtones. The motif of a youth herding a water buffalo alludes to a famous eleventh- to twelfth-century cycle of parables known as the Ten Ox herding Songs. In this cycle, actions such as looking for an ox and herding it represent some of the steps in the quest for enlightenment.” http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/51230 Also, from Wikipedia, “Ox herd boys riding oxen have been used as a motif in painting and graphic arts to symbolize the ability of the mind to control the body. That is, philosophically, symbolizing the ability of intellectual will to rule bodily strength and its physical urges.”

Bull Statue

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, July 19 – I’ve seen charging bull statues in a number of cities in China. Shanghai supposedly has one on the Bund that is similar to the New York City Wall Street Bull. Shenzhen has one in front of their government building as well as a giant one in Sihai Park near where we used to live, and this one pictured is in Dongguan. I don’t think it’s “famous” like the others, but it’s the closest to where we live now and definitely the most colorful! In China, the bull, especially the charging bull, symbolizes determination, diligence, perseverance, and hard work. This makes it a popular decorative statue for offices and desks. The bull, or ox, is one of the twelve lunar zodiac signs, it’s most recent year was 2009 and the next will be 2021. If you are an ox (bull) the previous traits are supposedly part of your personality. 

Han Dynasty Tomb Image Bricks

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, July 14 – Today we went to the Shenzhen Museum to see some special exhibits; One was about Burial Tombs of the Han Dynasty (206BC – AD 220). It was something I hadn’t learned about before and it was interesting how similar the practices were to the Ancient Egyptian burials and tombs. Over 10,000 underground brick and stone tombs have been discovered throughout China! This exhibit was of relics from the province of Sichuan. Statues were made to represent all the comforts of life, and were placed inside the tomb, and these “image bricks,” either molded or carved, were used to decorate the inside of the tombs. The images on the bricks portrayed important aspects of life: eating, farming, hunting, transportation, entertainment, etc. Statues represented the same things, and murals were also used. It all reminded me of the items that are made of cardboard and burnt for the dead in in modern day China. 

Chubby Women #3

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, June 25 – I’ve posted a couple of the Chubby Women series by Guangzhou artist Xu Hong Fei. Here’s one more that is along the shoreline of Songshan Lake. 

Chubby Women #2 Mother and Child Sculpture

I’d like to share another one of Xu Hongfei’s Chubby Women sculpture series that are along the shoreline of Songshan Lake. This one is called “Mother and Child”; There are quite a few in the series with mothers and babies or small children, but I think this one shows a much more tender side where the others are more “fun.” The description on the base says how a child needs his mother’s loving care in order to grow up healthy.

I found a great video on You Tube (13 minutes long) that shows footage from Xu Hongfei’s 2013-2015 Chubby Women International Sculpture Tour with exhibtions in Guangzhou, Florence and Sicily in Italy, Australia, London, Singapore, and Beijing, and also shows him working in his studio. It’s fun to see the people interacting with the sculptures. I think I’ll have to go sit by some of these sculptures on a busy weekend and see what people do :-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8anOkimBc6M&nohtml5=False

The first sculpture picture I shared was on Feb 5th http://www.myownchinesebrocade.com/picture-a-day-1?tag=statues

Life in China: A Picture A Day, March 16, 2016

 Today we visited the Nantou Ancient Village in Shenzhen. People tend to think of Shenzhen as just a modern city because 30 years ago it was just a fishing village, not a known city. But…people did live there, and there is history to be learned! Shenzhen grew up rapidly around the villages. Unfortunately, these old villages continue to be torn down to make room for high rises. Nantou is one old town that some effort has been made to preserve. The preserved South Gate dates back to 1394, when it was built as part of the wall around the town. It is a place where you can see the contrast of old and new. One feature I enjoy of old (and reproduction) Chinese architecture is the eaves tiles, called wadang. Their purpose was to protect the wooden rafters by blocking the rain and wind as well as being decorative. The first ones known date back to about 1000BC. The close-up picture is from the old bank building and the other shows the old Government offices. You can see the roofs with eaves tiles in the center and on both sides.

Life in China: A Picture A Day, March 13, 2016

The arts have been, and still are, very important throughout China’s history. Sculpture is included and can be found in many parks and gardens, as well as museums and more. The housing area where we live, as well as the public areas of Songshan Lake, have quite a few sculptures. Today’s pictures show two areas of the same style of sculptures: The larger group of children, seven in all, is between the largest playground and a small lake. I really like these because even when the weather isn’t so nice and the real children aren’t out playing, these children are :-) They kind of draw you in and make you wish you could go play with them. The boy and the dog are off to the side of the building we live in. I enjoyed “catching” the bird on the boy’s head, it probably even left some droppings, so the boy has good luck now ;-)

Life in China: A Picture A Day, February 24, 2016

A Visit to Singapore: Our last stop tonight was downtown and across the bay from yesterday’s picture. Tonight we walked along the bayfront promenade and visited the famous Merlion statue. It has the head of a lion and body of a fish and is Singapore’s “mascot.” It was first created in 1964 for the tourism board. The lion head represents Singapore’s original name “Singapura” and the fish body and tail represent Singapore’s beginnings as a fishing village. The name Singapura means “Lion City” and was given by a Malay Prince who discovered the fishing village on the island and thought he saw a lion. There are actually five official Merlions in Singapore. I’ll tie this in with China by saying the Merlion reminded me of the many types of Lion statues in China.

Chubby Women Sculpture #1

Life in China: A Picture a Day 2016, Feb 5 - I have seen three sculptures around the lake that have caught my eye as something different for China. Usually, women are portrayed as very petite, so I was curious about these. I have been looking for information about them and was so excited that I finally found it! It turns out that they are a part of a well-known series, from 2010, by Xu Hong Fei 許鴻飛, president of the Guangzhou Sculpture Academy. He did the series because he wanted to challenge Western ideals of beauty. “His ‘Chubby Women’ are not limited by their size and enjoy active and fulfilling lives.” The statue series have made a couple world tours and have been loved! So, here is the first one I saw at Songshan Lake, titled “Under the Sun.” As I explore more of the lake, I expect to find more statues!

Hundred Households Garment

Life in China: A Picture a Day, 2016, January 7 - Today we went to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Sha Tin. My favorite part was the temporary exhibit of Chinese Children’s Clothing. Because of the high mortality rate in the past, babies and young children wore highly decorated clothing, filled with items in nature that had/have symbolism for health and longevity and to ward off sickness and evil spirits. The clothing was all so beautifully made, but I’d like to share this one: I will quote part of the information that was accompanying the display: “Baijiayi, hundred households garment, is a baby garment sewn by putting together scraps of cloth contributed by many households. In the past, after a child was born, the baby’s family would announce the good news to their relatives and neighbors, and scraps of cloth would be collected from close relatives and good friends to be sewn into a ‘hundred households garment,’ so that the blessings from many households would be assembled to ensure the healthy growth of the child.”