Qu Yuan

dragon boat festival

Chinese Chess

Chinese chess is a very popular intellectual game with the Chinese people．The basic rule is as follows：each player has 1 6 pieces of chess，one general：two mandarins，two elephants，two chariots，two horses，two cannons and five soldiers．The player moves the pieces according to game rules with the ultimate aim of capturing the enemy general．

Chinese chess originates from ancient bo and yi games，both of which were intellectual board games widespread during the pre-Qin period．Yi was an ancient encirclement chess，the predecessor of the modem go，while bo，a six-piece chess，the predecessor of the modem chess．As the chess pieces were mostly made of carved ivory，bo was also called elephant chess or elephant game．Because ancient bo and yi both had a gambling nature, the ancients held both positive and negative attitudes towards these board games．Confucius said in Analects of Confucius“A man who eats three square meals a day and does not at all use his brains is a good-for-nothing．Aren’t there the games of throwing dice and playing chess? It is always better to play such games than to do nothing at all.” Mencius，however，held a different opinion．In the chapter“Li Lou”of the book Mencius，he said“There are five universally acknowledged unfilial cases,..．second，indulging in games of chessmen and drinking bouts，to the neglect of one’s parents．”

The term“xiangqi”(elephant chess)first appeared in Qu Yuan’s poem Zhaohun in Chuci in the Warring States period．There was also a record of this game in Liu Xiang’s Shuo Yuan of the Han Dynasty．However the board game referred to as elephant chess was not the same type of chess be in talked about today，for it was a six-piece chess played in ancient times．

Today，Chinese chess has very standardized and specific rules of the game．The chess board is a grid of nine files and ten ranks with ninety intersections called points on which the chess pieces are placed．In the middle of the playing field there is a river．The X-shaped area is called“nine palace”．The chess pieces differ in color (black

for one side，red for the other)．The setup of the chess pieces is like this：general in his palace, while on each side of the general from near to far are placed mandarin，elephant，horse and chariot．Cannons are positioned in their special places in the middle of each territory，and soldiers on the front line near the river．Usually the game starts with a move by the red side first，black side second．The rules for the movements are as follows：me horse can only move one point in any non-diagonal direction，followed by one point in a diagonal direction，so that it ends two points away from where it started；elephant can only and must move two points in any diagonal direction；while soldiers can only move one point forward；chariots can move any number of points in any non-diagonal direction；and the cannons can move just like the chariot when not capturing：when capturing, it must leap a single piece of either color before proceeding to the point occupied by the target piece；the general can never leave his palace．The object of the game is to capture the enemy general．The game is won as soon as one player can make no move that prevents capture of his general．This is checkmate．Stalemate，where one player has no legal move but is not in check，is a win for the last player to move．

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The Dragon-Boat Race

The dragon’boat race is a boating game involving dragon-shaped long canoes propelled by a crew of many paddlers in unison。As a traditional folk sporting contest，the dragon-boat race is held annually in May 5th of the lunar calendar in some renowned rivers and lakes in various regions．

The dragon-boat race originated in the State of Chu in the Warring States Period．It started as a sacrificial activity to commemorate the death of Qu Yuan，the greatest romantic poet．According to some historical records, Qu Yuan was an aristocrat in the State of Chu and he once served as the minister of state．Because Chu Huaiwang，the head of state，believed the false accusation against him，Qu Yuan was exiled to the north of Hanshui．Later on，Qing Xiangwang，the successor to the late head of state，sent Qu Yuan into exile again in the south of the Yangtze River．Feeling hopeless to save the State of Chu from its fall，Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River on the fifth of May．The sympathetic local people raced out onto the river to drive away the fish and turtles and threw theft rice dumplings into the river in an attempt to prevent fish and turtles from eating his body．This event has been documented in some Chinese history books．The Boat Race，which was based upon the re-enactment of the race to save Qu from drowning，thus came into existence．

From the Qin and Han dynasties onward，the boat race began to spread from the State of Chu to the whole country，especially to the various parts of the south．The boat race gradually dropped its sacrificial service as part of its subject matter，leaving only the race as a sporting event．By the time of Wei，Jin and the Southern and Northern dynasties，the dragon-boat race had become a very popular event．The tradition was passed on from generation to generation until today．

Dragon boats in a broad sense fell into three types in ancient times．The first type was an ancient type of dragon boat referring to the boat painted with dragon design．The second type referred to emperor’s special boat．The third kind was a long canoe specifically made for the dragon-boat race．In its narrow sense，a dragon boat only refers to the third type，that is，the dragon-shaped long canoe for a dragon-boat race．htttp://www.beijingfeeling.com

Chinese Wushu

Wushu，also known as (also spelt as kungfu)or martial arts，a valuable cultural heritage of the Chinese nation．is a traditional Chinese sport with a unique national characteristic．It enjoys a long history and a large number of practitioners．Based on movements employed in fighting，such as kicking，striking，throwing，catching， repelling，and stabbing，wushu is practiced in various types of set exercises，either barehanded or with weapons．They can be practiced singly，in pairs or collectively．Offensive or defensive，quick or slow，hard or soft，the Practitioners wrestle with each other and try to outwit each other，which help them to build their physique，heighten their will，cultivate themselves and preserve their lives．

Chinese wushu is long in history，rich in content and varied in form．Today wushu generally falls into 5 categories：barehanded exercises，exercises with weapons，dual combats，group performances，and combat using offensive and defensive skills．

Barehanded exercises：They include northern boxing like chaquan boxing and huaquan boxing，shadow boxing，southern boxing，imitation boxing，eight-diagram boxing，through the back boxing，fanzi boxing，pigua boxing．shaolin boxing，lying boxing，animal-imitating boxing，drunk boxing，etc．

Exercises with weapons：They include broadsword，sword，spear，club，long-handled broadsword，double cutlasses．double swords，double hooks，double spears，double rods，double maces，9-section whip，3-section cudgel，meteor hammer，rope dart，etc．

Dual combats：Designed for two or more people，they are set exercises for striking and defending，including 3 forms：barehanded dual combats，dual combats with weapons，one barehanded versus another with weapons.

Group performances：This refers to performances by more than 6 people，either bare handed or with weapons. They form patterns and exercise to music，with orderly formations and unified movements．

Combat using offensive or defensive skills：They include sanda(free combat)，tuishou(or hand pushing)，Hand-to-hand fighting，and combat with long weapons．

Chinese wushu，which has been practiced for several thousand years，has gone through the following stages：

Wushu began to take shape in the struggle of the people against nature．In the primitive society，there were more animals than human beings．The tools people used were very simple and crude，and productivity was low．To survive，people came together，moving from one place to another，hunting and gathering wild fruits．During their hunting trips．they not only developed“free exercises”such as striking and kicking，jumping and dodging，but also learned to use stones and sticks as weapons for cutting，chopping，pricking and stabbing．These

movements were in fact a primitive way of combat，and a form of instinctive self-defense，which gave rise to the early stage boxing and the use of weapons．Obviously，wushu originated from labor．

In the clan society，tribes resorted to force for wealth，which often led to wars．As a result，weapons such as bows and arrows，ammunitions，and broadswords and battle-axes appeared to meet the growing needs of wars．In years and years of practice，people began to acquire certain skills of combat，offensive or defensive，and practice again and again those skills proven useful in battles in their free time，exchanging views and teaching each other 80 as to accumulate the fighting and striking experience．Later，when experience was turned into a conscious act，combat techniques made a great leap forward．

In the Shang and the Zhou dynasties，violent military conflicts resulted in the improvement of weapons，from simple to sophisticated to diversified，and also in the improvement and development of combat skills．This was also true of the tactics concerning wars of chariots in the North and battles fought on the waters in the South．With the advent of the copper-smelting industry，more and more copper weapons were used，including spears，dagger-axes，battle．axes，tomahawks，halberds，swords，etc．，and manuals on how to use such weapons and how to defend oneself came out in time．Such simple movements of chopping，pricking，grappling，pressing，and lightly pushing were based on people’s experience in the battlefields, which laid a good foundation for the future development of wushu．

During the Spring and Autumn Period，the princes vied for supremacy．And battles were fought one after another．which led to the separation of men of letters and men of military capacity．Boxing and the art of attack and defense were highly valued to improve the combat effectiveness or fighting capacity of the soldiers．Special attention was paid to the application of skills and tactics in the battlefield．

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Beijing Acrobatics

The history of acrobatics in China can be traced back to Neolithic times. It is believed that acrobatics grew out of the labor and self-defense skills that the people practiced and demonstrated during their leisure time.

By 300 BC, such skills as walking on 3-meter high stilts and juggling 7 daggers at a time had been developed in China.

As the world economy developed, acrobatics was also developed into a kind of performance art. Acrobatics became known worldwide through performances presented along the Silk Road.

During the 13th century, the reputation of acrobatics as an impressive art form began to suffer. The public didn't respect acrobatics as they had before, and many acrobats found it very difficult to find places to perform.

After the sounding of the drum, the acrobatic show would begin. Several benches and a few props was all an acrobat owned. These early acrobatics didn't care so much about giving a beautiful performance, so long as the conveyed a feeling of danger and peril.

The life of those fallen acrobats was tough. A lot of acrobatic performers were forced to do farming in countryside. Because of their love for acrobatics, acrobatic art was able to survive for generations.

Located in Northeastern Plain, Wuqiao County relies on agriculture. Wandering through small villages here, you can see a lot of people practicing acrobatics. Although, they're not as professional as I expected.

Currently, Mr. Jiang is teaching acrobatics to his children. There are over 400 families who are capable performing acrobatics. They sometimes perform in the other cities together.

The 'Acrobatic Macrocosm' was built for local acrobatic performances by the Wuqiao Municipal government. There are many other forms of folk art performed here.

Because renting a stage in a big theatre in urban areas is often very expensive, local acrobatic troupes build temporary stages for their performances. These temporary stages not only can save money, but also can be moved and reused.

In the early 1980s, the American Education Commission introduced acrobatics into the students' curriculum. China established two art schools especially for acrobatics-Wuqiao Acrobatic School and the Beijing Acrobatic School.

To become a competent acrobat, students must begin practicing the basic skills from the time they are only 6 or 7 years old. Because the techniques employed in acrobatics are extremely difficult and risky, students must endure a good deal of pains for their gain.

Handsprings are one of the basic skills in acrobatics. Students must practice everyday. Apart from somersaults and handsprings, waist and leg flexibility and headstands are the other basic skills students must master. The training is long, hard, and intense.

Acrobatic students can better illustrate the beauty of human body when they are performing in physique class.

In Europe and North America, Chinese acrobatic performances attract large audiences.

Acrobatics is an interactive art form. Whether you are old or young, educated or illiterate, you can appreciate it as long as you can see. There is no language barrier and cultural border.

Shenyang Acrobatic Troupe was awarded many gold medals during the 'Tomorrow and Future' International Acrobatic Festival in France, which draws the most outstanding acrobats from around the world.

A high level acrobatic program needs excellent technique coaches and much preparation time before it is ready to be performed in public.

Zhou Pinqi, technical coach of Shenyang Acrobatic Troupe, started to practice acrobatics when he was a child and became a coach. He, Zhang Gongli and other four students participated in the Shengyang Acrobatic Troupe in 1997. The programs he guided have twice won the highest prize at French Acrobatic Festival. He has his own unique methods of coaching his students.

Because it has an abundance of excellent acrobatic coaches, Shenyang Acrobatic Troupe has trained a group of outstanding acrobats.

The Shenyang Acrobatic Troupe produced the first themed acrobatic gala entitled 'Moon Light Acrobatics' in China.

The performance matches the theme 'Moonlight Acrobatics' through innovations in stage lighting.

Acrobatic art has its own peculiarity. The performance itself is very depictive; therefore the requirement for lighting is much stricter than opera and drama.

The theme music perfectly coincided with the performance, which made the atmosphere of the event even livelier. However, before the rehearsal, the performer gave the director a lot of trouble. Ju Yi, director of 'Moonlight Acrobatics', said, 'Most acrobats do not have dancing experience. They don't understand music. I mean the performance just didn't fully express the emotion of the music.'

Chinese acrobatic art is still what it was centuries ago in that it does not over emphasize the role of music. Performers pay more attention to action. Therefore it takes time for performers to adapt to the music. ‘Moonlight Acrobatics' took eight months to prepare, from planning and rehearsing to the performing the first show. That was much longer than other stage performances.

A successful acrobatic show also requires appropriate clothing. Costumes further enhance the beauty of the performance and increase the visual effects.

When you watch a Chinese acrobatics show, you are strongly impacted both mentally and physically. It is truly and unforgettable experience.

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Beijing Opera is a refined classical art．It is a treasure of the Chinese nation as well as a cultural symbol of China．Rich in content，perfect in form and unique in style，Beijing Opera，with a long history，is still enjoyed by a large Chinese audience．

There is a long list of Beijing Operas with a wide range of subjects．Beijing Opera can be divided into different types according to different criteria or approaches．

According to the time of the story, Beijing Opera falls into four categories．They are traditional operas，costume operas，new or contemporary operas and modem operas．Traditional operas reflect life in ancient times，and their subjects are all from the traditional Chinese culture such as Yuefei’s Mother Tattooing His Back，General Wen Tianxiang，Fisherman’s Revenge，Entering the Palace for the Second Time，Farewell My Concubine，Gatherings of Heroes，The Story of the Black Basin，Picking Up a Jade Bracelet，Madame White Snake，The

Lotus Lamp，etc．After the Revolution of 191 1，there appeared a new form of opera，called the costume opera，in which the Dan players wear costumes，with song and dance dominating the show．The representative pieces are Chang E Flying to the Moon and Lin Daiyu Burying A Dead Flower．The new or contemporary operas refer to the newly written plays in the late Qing Dynasty, plays reflecting the real life of the people，such as The New Camellia and Wronged Ghosts Soul in an Opium Den．Modem Operas mirror the real life of modem people，such as The Story of QiuJin，The Legend of the Red Lantern，The Story ofShajiabang，Takeovel‘of Tiger Mountain，etc．

According to the performance style。Beijing Opera call be divided into“civil”pieces，which are characterized by singing and acting，and“martial”ones，which feature acrobatics and stunts．Some operas are the combination of both．

According to the duration of time，Beijing Opera carl be classified into ben xi and zhezi xi．The former refers to the whole play，which could even be staged several days on end．The latter refers to an act or the highlight of a play，which is a complete story on its own．

According to the number of characters in a play，Beijing Opera can be grouped into dui xi or a play involving only two major characters and qun xi or a play involving many characters，each playing all equally important role in the play．

Beijing Opera can also be categorized according to the type of role．The major roles in Beijing Opera include laosheng fvirtuous old men wearing beards)，xiaosheng(handsome young men)，wusheng(young warriors)，qingyi(sedate ladies with dignities)，daomadan(warrior women)，wudan(military or non—military women capable of martial arts)，huadan(either vivacious young girls or viragoes)，hualian(male characters with a painted face)，jiazi hualian(male characters with a painted face，often associated with rude persons and outlaws)，tongchui

hualian(male characters with a painted face，usually associated with upright，strong and resolute persons)．And the operas are therefore named after the names of the roles such as laosheng show，and the like．

The roles of Beijing Opera are strictly classified．There were altogether ten types of roles in the beginning，which were sheng，dan，ring，chou，mo，A，wai，wu，za，and liu．Later，they were reclassified into four major roles，namely sheng(male)，dan(female)，ring(painted face)，chou(clown)．And each role was further divided．With Beijing Opera becoming better and approaching perfection day by day，there have appeared many outstanding performers regarding each type of role．Yu Shuyan，Yan Jupeng，Ma Lianliang，Tan Fuying，Zhou Xinfang，GaoQingkui，and Li Shaochun are famous laosheng(old men)players；Yang Xiaolou，Shang Heyu，Ge Jiaotian wusheng(young warriors)players；Mei Lanfang，Cheng Yanqiu，Shang Xiaoyun，Xun Huisheng，Zhang Junqiu，Yan Huizhu and Guan Sushuang dan(female)players；Gong Yunpu and Li Duokui laodan(old women)players；Jin Shaoshan，Hao Shouchen，Hou Xirui，Qiu Shengrong，Fang Rongxiang，and Yuan Shihai ring(painted face)players；Wang Changlin，Xiao Changhua and Ye Shengzhang chou(clown)players．All of them have a style of their own，playing an important role in the development of Beijing Opera，serving as a link between past and

future，and have developed a school of their own．There are many schools of Beijing Opera，with distinctly different styles，each having its own merits．

The singing in Beijing Opera is melodious and sensational；the recitation vividly brief，and harmoniously rhythmic．The music is graceful and charming，and the stage art is bright and colorful．And the facial make-up is a distinctive feature of Beijing Opera．It is very Chinese and national in color．All this has made Beijing Opera a unique flower in the world garden of performing arts． http://www.beijingfeeling.com

Beijing has a long history with an abundance of historical and cultural heritage that represents treasures from the city's civilizations.

A) Temples and Religions

Beijing has many temples. Through them you can learn about the development of different religions in Beijing.

Tanzhe Temple, the largest of all the Buddhist temples in Beijing, has a long history dating back as early as the 3rd century AD (Jin Dynasty).

The largest Taoist temple in Beijing is the White Cloud Temple. Built during the Tang Dynasty, it was once the Taoist center of North China.

Tibetan Buddhism was introduced to Beijing before the Yuan Dynasty (1271 AD). Tibetan Buddhist temple (Lama temples) have been built in Beijing since that time. White Dagoba Temple is one of the earliest Lama temples in existence, and dates back at the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty. The Yonghe Lamasery is the city's largest Lama temple, serving as the upper court of the Yellow Sect Lamaism. It was built in the Qing Dynasty.

B) Landmark Structures

1. Forbidden City

The Forbidden City is the largest and most magnificent cluster of ancient buildings in China. It is a great achievement of Chinese architecture. Built between 1406 and 1420 during the Ming Dynasty, it was residence to two dynasties of emperors, the Ming and the Qing. From the palace the emperors governed China. The construction of the Forbidden City symbolized the supremacy of emperors.

2. Ming Tombs

This is an imperial tomb site where 13 Ming emperors were buried. The Dingling Tomb is the second-largest tomb, and it is the first of the 13 tombs to be excavated and opened to the public. It is an example of a typical imperial tomb.

3.Summer Palace

Located in a northwestern suburb of Beijing, the Summer Palace is an immense park containing some Chinese traditional architecture and arts. It was built and served as a royal garden during the Qing Dynasty. It exhibits the quintessence of the Chinese classical landscape gardening. The halls, the pavilions, the corridors, the pagodas, the bridges and the water were elaborately arranged. The long Corridor is one of the most exquisite structures in the garden. It is over 700 meters long and decorated with thousands of Chinese traditional paintings.

4. Tiantan (The Temple of Heaven)

The perfection of Ming architecture, Tiantan now symbolizes Beijing. It was considered highly sacred ground and it was here that the Ming and Qing emperors performed the major ceremonial rites of the year.

5. The Great Wall

The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan Pass on the east coast of the Bohai Sea to Jiayuguan Pass in the West Bobi Desert, crossing five provinces and two autonomous regions. The undertaking was begun 2,000 years ago during the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC), when China was unified under Emperor Qin Shihuang. Separate sections of the walls, constructed by independent kingdoms during the Warring States period to keep out marauding nomads, were linked up.

6. Confucius Temple

The Confucius Temple was first built in the Yuan Dynasty (1302 AD). It is the largest in China after the one at Qufu in East China's Shandong Province. This magnificent group of buildings shows the importance of Confucius and his philosophy.

C) Arts

1. Beijing Opera

Beijing Opera is the most popular of all the opera styles in China. It developed from classical singing and dance styles dating from the Ming Dynasty and gradually merged by the late 18th and early 19th centuries into the Beijing Opera we see today.

2. Acrobatics

Acrobatics are a combination of folk art forms the started from about 2,000 years ago.

D) Handicrafts

Beijing is famous for handicrafts. Well-known handicrafts produced in Beijing include cloisonn? glassware, ivory sculptures, carpets, and snuff bottles with painting inside.

E) Beijing's Traditional Cuisine

Beijing has many traditional cuisine specialties, including Beijing duck, Mongolian hotpot, Muslim barbecue, and Beijing traditional folk food. Imperial and the Tanjia cuisine are examples of Beijing's traditional cuisine.             http://www.beijingfeeling.com

The City of Beijing.

Situated at a location 40 degrees north latitude and 116 degrees east longitude,the city of Beijing is backed by mountainous areas to the north and west and overlooks the North China Plain to the south and east.The city lies at an average elevation of about 43 meters(140 feet) above the sea level,with the Yanshan Mountains the western one,both of which converge at Nankou Pass.

The city covers an area of 16,800 square kilometers(6,490 square miles),38 percent of which is flat land while the rest is mountainous area.Its highest point,2,303 meters(7,556 feet) above sea level,is found on top of Lingshan,in the district of Mentougou.

The city stands more than 180 kilometers(112 miles) northwest of the Gulf of Bohai.It is divided into 16districts and 2 counties.

Beijing enjoys a moderate continental climate that is typical of the most of the Temperate Zone where the four seasons are distinct.Spring in Beijing is often dry and windy.Summer is usually hot and rainy.Autumn is fine and mild and is the best season of the whole year.Winter is sometimes severely cold with little snow.The amount of precipitation averages about 600-700mm(24-27 inches),with most of the annual total falling from July to August.The frost-free period is 185-200 days.

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As for tea etiquette，different areas had different rules．Take gongfu tea of Fujian Province for example．Gongfu tea came into being in the Qing Dynasty．Gongfu in Chinese means time—consuming．When drinking gongfu tea，one must choose very carefully the appropriate tea set，take time to prepare the tea，and take time to taste and drink the tea．Normally，the tea vessels are small and exquisite，with the teapot as small as a fist and teacups as small as walnuts．During the drinking process，first the teapot and teacups arc heated with hot water, then tealeaves are put into the teapot(about seven tenth of the capacity)，next boiling water is poured into the teapot-When pouring boiling water from the kettle into the teapot，one should raise the kettle high, and when pouring tea from the teapot into the teacups，one should lower the teapot and keep its spout close to the teacups．

，when serving gongfu tea，one should not fill one teacup after another，instead，one should put the teacups in a circle and pour a little tea into the teacups each time．Only after two or three rounds of pouring should the teacups be filled with tea．This is to ensure that each teacup gets an even share of tea and each cup of tea has the same taste，so that all drinkers would feel treated equally．

Moreover

What is worth mentioning is that，even when only a few drops of tea water is left，the person who is serving Tea should not stop serving；instead，he／her should drip the tea water into all the teacups in turn to the last drop．

The teapot for gongfu tea is very small，so the person who does the serving should not take the teapot into his／her hands，but should take the teapot handle with his／her thumb and middle finger，push the teapot lid open with his／her forefinger，and make the tea water drip up by means of air pressure．          http://www.beijingfeeling.com