China's traditional arts command a great part of the country's rich heritage. Since ancient time, Chinese society has cherished excellence in its arts. Over centuries, Chinese arts have developed its own unique styles and forms. Singing, sculpture, calligraphy, painting, carving and others are the timeworn forms of expression in Chinese arts.

Seals Carving The role of seals in the Chinese culture can hardly be overestimated. For the last 3,000 years they have been used in official, private, even magic spheres. The earliest examples of seals come from the Shang dynasty (BCE 16-11 c.) from the archeological sites at Anyang. However very little is known about their usage at this early stage, it is only starting from the Spring and Autumn period (BCE 722-481) that we begin to see an increased quantity of seals paired with textual references to them.

Lantern Festival The 15th day of the 1st lunar month is the Chinese Lantern Festival because the first lunar month is called yuan-month and in the ancient times people called night Xiao. The 15th day is the first night to see a full moon. So the day is also called Yuan Xiao Festival in China. According to the Chinese tradition, at the very beginning of a new year, when there is a bright full moon hanging in the sky, there should be thousands of colorful lanterns hung out for people to appreciate. At this time, people will try to solve the puzzles on the lanterns and eat yuanxiao (glutinous rice ball) and get all their families united in the joyful atmosphere.

Kites		In ancient China the kite was known as 'Zhiyuan' (paper glede). Originally regarded as a technology, the kite also featured prominently in many art collections, and was considered to have unique artistic value. It first appeared in the wars of the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC - 476 BC). According to historical records, the prominent ideologist Mo Zi spent three years constructing a wooden kite which failed after one day's flight. One book noted that the master carpenter Lu Ban also made kites which were flown high to spy on the situation of the enemy. The technology evolved further during the famous historical Chu-Han War of 203 - 202 BC. The general of the Han troops Zhang Liang ordered his soldiers to fly kites in the heavy fog around the Chu troops led by Xiang Yu. Children sitting in the large kites played tunes of Chu (the present Hubei Province) on flutes. Hearing the melodies, the Chu soldiers began to miss their homes and scattered without fighting in the war. Xiang Yu, who had been so powerful and renowned for a time, cut his throat.

Another use of kites during this period was to deliver urgent messages. During the prosperous Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), when amusements thrived with the development of culture and economy, kites became the cossets of the people of both court and country. Every Pure Brightness, people took time not just to worship their ancestors but also to take a walk in the countryside to enjoy pastoral life. Making and flying various kites reflected the pleasing mood of the spring. Kite-flying is now believed to be good for the health.

Cloisonne Cloisonne was first described in China in 1388 by Cao Zhao in his Ge gu yao lun (Essential Criteria of Antiquities): The base of this ware is of copper, and designs an it are in five colours, made with chemicals and fired. It is similar to the Fo-lang-k'an (enamel ware). I have seen pieces such as incense-burners, flower vases, boxes, and cups, which are appropriate for use [only] in a woman's apartment, and would be quite out of place in a scholar's studio. It is also known as Ware from the Devil's Country (Kuei-kuo yao). The devil's country comprised the countries situated to the west of China. The technique of making cloisonne was probably imported from Byzantium, reaching China at the end of the fourteenth century. This theory has been reinforced by the technical analysis of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century examples from the museum's collection by the Laboratoire de recherche des musees de France. These tests found that in composition and manufacture the Chinese cloisonne is close to its Byzantine counterpart. In China the bodies of the vases and tripods were cast of brass in shapes inherited from the Bronze Age, whereas plates, dishes, bowls, and decorative panels were made of sheet brass in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and of copper by the end of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). The decorative design was drawn on the vessel with ink, and thin metal ribbons were soldered perpendicularly to the surface, following the inked lines. During the Ming dynasty the ribbons were made by hammering sheet metal, which explains their frequently irregular thickness. After the seventeenth century ribbons were make by rolling out the metal between two metal cylinders, which ensured a uniform thickness.

Wax Printing		Wax printing is a kind of ancient traditional craft. Artists of wax printing make great efforts to weed through the old traditional techniques to bring forth the new and raise the wax printing art to a higher level. Therefore, it stands in the forest of art with an entirely new look. Wax printing, which is known as the first printing in the East, is the most ancient handicraft in China. More than two thousand years ago, in Qing and Han Dynasties, China began to print pictures on the cloth and dye it later. When the wax was removed, the pictures could be seen. In the Tang Dynasty, products of wax printing were exported to Europe and Asia. Later, with the further development of the economy in the Central China, new industry gradually took the place of hand-made operation. The wax printing technique was lost in one place after another. But in some remote areas, such as Guizhou, this precious craft passed down generation after generation by oral instruction for two reasons. One is that the place is hard to get to so there are not much cultural exchanges. The other is that the natural resources that could be used in wax printing are quite rich.. For years, the product of wax printing which is simple and unrestrained, has been the ornament and decoration of clothes and rooms for the minor nationalities in Guizhou. The wax printing in Guizhou is featured as being lucid, lively, and uninhibited. The kinds of wax printing products are various. There are wall hangings, letter bags, bags, aprons, cushions, table-clothes, door curtains, cloth-made dolls and so on. The style is from abstract to realistic. The content varies from figures, flowers and birds, landscapes to calligraphy. There is no ending for the pursuit of art.

Chinese Knots Chinese knots are typical local arts of China. The distinctive and traditional folk handicraft is woven separately from one piece of thread and named according to its shape and meaning. In Chinese, "knot" means reunion, friendliness, peace, warmth, marriage, love, etc. In addition, "knot" and "luck, felicity" sound quite alike, so Chinese knots are often used to express good wishes, including happiness, prosperity, love and the absence of evil. Symmetrical knots are symbols of blessing and good fortune. They are not only used for festive decorations, but also for traditional costume necessities.

Paper-cut The paper-cut is one of the folks traditional decorative art which China popularizes the most. Probably because its so easy that, cost cheap, result stand and see, meet surface wide and welcome generally material; Because it suit rural produce leisure by woman, it acts as practibility can beautify life also most. All parts of the country can see paper-cuts , have even formed different local style schools . The paper-cut has not only displayed the masses' aesthetic hobby, and include and accumulating , It is one of the skills of the people that has the characteristic most in China too, its modelling characteristic especially deserves to be studied.

Chinese Paint   Chinese Paint is very famous in the world. We know from textual and archaeological sources that painting was practiced in China from very early times and in a variety of media. Wall paintings were produced in great numbers in the early period of China 's history, but because so little early architecture in China remained intact over the centuries, few of these large-scale paintings have survived. Paintings were also often done on screens, which served in a sense as portable walls, but these too have not survived. From the Song dynasty onwards, paintings in a variety of other more portable formats, such as the hanging scroll and the handscroll, were collected and passed on to later generations in significant quantities.In their details of everyday life and social customs, these paintings often provide information unavailable from written texts. Many paintings are especially interesting to historians because they can help us imagine what life looked like in earlier periods. Furthermore, because paintings of this period have come to be viewed as one of the highest cultural achievements in China 's history, they provide valuable insight into aesthetic values and tastes that would have lasting impact on later artists and connoisseurs. In this unit we will look at two distinct aspects of painting during the Song and Yuan dynasties. Because many painters created highly detailed scenes of daily life, we can look at paintings for the information they provide about social life during this period. Painting as an art form also reached a very high standard of quality during the Song , which is considered by many to be a high point in the development of the fine arts in China . Landscape themes began to dominate painting during this period, and would continue to be a favorite subject of artists up into the modern period. For those unfamiliar with the special features of Chinese paintings such as seals and colophons, or the various formats and materials, it will be helpful to begin with the section on Technical Aspects of Chinese Painting before viewing the rest of the unit. The tools used in traditional Chinese painting are paintbrush, ink, traditional paint and special paper or silk. Chinese painting developed and was classified by theme into three genres: figures, landscapes, and birds-and-flowers. The birds-and-flowers genre has its roots in the decorative patterns engraved on pottery and bronze ware by early artists.   Among the common subjects in this genre, which reached its peak during the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), are flowers, bamboo, birds, insects, and stones. The genre flourished under Emperor Huizong (1082 - 1135), who was an artist himself and excelled at both calligraphy and traditional painting, especially paintings of exquisite flowers and birds. Painters who specialized in figures included images of immortals, emperors, court ladies, and common people in their works. Through their depictions of such scenes and activities as feasts, worship and street scenes, these artists reflected the appearance, expressions, ideals, and religious beliefs of the people. Chinese figure painting prominently features verve. The portrayal of figures saw its heyday during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). The master of painting, Wu Daozi (about 685 - 758), created many Buddhist murals and other landscape paintings that are marked by variety and vigor. One of his best known works is a depiction of the Heaven King holding his newborn son Sakyamuni to receive the worship of the immortals. As far back as the Northern and Southern Dynasties (386 - 589), landscape painting separated from the figure genre and continued to enjoy popularity through the Tang Dynasty. This style reflected people's fondness for nature. The artist's use of ink and brush to paint a landscape changed, depending on the scenery itself, the weather (sunny or rainy day), the time of day (morning or night), and the season. The earliest known landscape painting was the Spring Outing by Zhan Ziqian of the Sui Dynasty (581 - 618). It shows an enchanting spring scene with people enjoying popular activities: gentlemen riding and ladies boating. A waterfall behind a bridge, near slopes and distant mountains are drawn with clear, fluent lines. During the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) Dynasties, innovation was stressed, and delicate seal marks, calligraphy, poems and frames increased the elegance and beauty of the paintings. Much skill is required of the Chinese painter, who must wield the soft brush with strength and dexterity to create a wide variety of lines--thick, thin, dense, light, long, short, dry, wet, etc. Depending on his skills, he might specialize in detailed and delicate line drawing (Gongbi) or abstract, impressionistic (Xieyi) paintings. Line drawing is the basic training of a painter, who must learn it well before moving on to the delicate details of realistic scenes or the more abstract spirit of impressionism.   Another special skill worthy of mention is painting with fingers instead of a brush, which creates a very different effect. No matter what the subject or the style, traditional Chinese painting should be infused with imagination and soul. A traditional story that captures the Chinese view of painting tells about the establishment of a royal college of painting during the reign of Emperor Huizong. Examinations were held to recruit the best painters. Examinees were asked to draw a picture that reflected the joy of people who had just returned from a spring outing, an outing that had been so pleasant that even the horseshoes seemed fragrant. Many endeavored to depict this bright scene but only one work was chosen; the painter simply drew a horse's hoof followed by butterflies which were in graceful flight. This painter had managed to capture the essential spirit and beauty of the scene.

Chinese Calligraphy Calligraphy is an art dating back to the earliest day of history, and widely practiced throughout China to this day. Although it uses Chinese words as its vehicle of expression, one does not have to know Chinese to appreciate its beauty. Because in essence, Calligraphy is an abstract art. While viewing a Western abstract painting, one does not ask, "What is it?" When viewing Chinese calligraphy, one need not ask, "What is the Chinese word?" In this page, we selected single words from the works of many master calligraphers from the past to illustrate the astounding beauty of the art. Like all art, it is best to simply look at them for enjoyment. Do not be sidetracked with questions of theory, technique, etc. Do not worry about "What is it?" Beside each work, a very short comment is given to describe its "style", based on the classical book of Tu Meng.

Erhu - Chinese violin or fiddle Chinese two-stringed bowed instrument Erhu is a kind of violin (fiddle) with two strings which, together with zhonghu, gaohu, sihu, etc, belongs to the "huqin" family. It is said that its origin would be dated up to the Tang dynasty (618-907) and related to the instrument, called xiqin originated from a Mongolian tribe Xi. During Song dynasty (960-1279), the second generation of the huqin was among the instruments played at the imperial banquets. During the Dynasties of Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911), the erhu underwent a great development at the time of the golden age of the local operas. The erhu then developed in a different "schools". Two famous artists Hua Yanjun (1893-1950) and Liu Tianhua (1895-1932) made an exceptional contribution to the improvement of the erhu, and it was indeed due to the latter that the erhu, an instrument mainly for accompaniment in an opera, becomes a solo instrument. After the foundation of People's Republic of China (1949), the manufacture of the erhu, the playing techniques, the repertoire as well as the musical education of this instrument have undergone an unpresidented development. The repertoire has grown rapidly in the genres of solo, with ensemble as well as concerti with symphony orchestra. Erhu now has become one of the most popular instruments in China. The sound body of the erhu is a drum-like little case usually made of ebony or sandalwood and snake skins. It usually has a hexagonal shape with the length of approximately 13 cm. The front opening is covered with skin of python (snake) and that of the back is left open. The functions of this case of resonance are to amplify the vibrations of the strings. The neck of the erhu is about 81 cm long and is manufactured with the same materials as the drum. The top of the stem is bent for decoration. The two strings of the erhu is usually tuned D and A. The two tuning handles (pegs) are found close to the end of the stem. There is no frets (as contrast to the lute) or touching board (as contrast to violin). The player creates different pitches by touching the strings at various positions along the neck of the instrument. The strings are usually made of silk or nylon. Nowadays, metal strings are commonly used. The bow is 76 cm long and is manufactured of reed which one curves during cooking, and arched with horse hair in the same way as the bow of violin.

Beijing Opera		Beijing Opera (or Peking Opera) has existed for over 200 years. It is widely regarded as the highest expression of the Chinese culture. It is known as one of the three main theatrical systems in the world. Artistically, Beijing Opera is perhaps the most refined form of opera in the world. It has deeply influenced the hearts of the Chinese people. Although it is called Beijing Opera, its origins are not in Beijing but in the Chinese provinces of Anhui and Hubei. Beijing Opera got its two main melodies, Xi_Pi and Er_Huang, from Anhui and Hubei operas. It then absorbed music and arias from other operas and musical arts in China.

There are as many kinds of Chinese Opera as there are dialects. It has been estimated that there are thousands branches of Chinese Opera. Most of them are local, dominating a region within a province and its surrounding area. However, Beijing Opera is the national standard, and has a higher reputation than any of the other branches of Chinese Opera. Almost every province of China has more than one Beijing Opera troupe. Beijing and Tianjin are respected as the key base cities in the north while Shanghai is the base in the south.

There have been campaigns and efforts to rescue this and other theatrical arts. The Chinese Opera journal has sponsored the annual Plum Blossom Award for more than ten years. Each year, the journal invites dozens of opera and drama players to perform in a Beijing theater. The award goes to those who top the poll conducted by the journal. Winners, who must be younger than 45, include actors and actresses from all around China. A Plum Blossom Chinese painting was selected as the Award's offical logo. Other performance competitions among the young actors and actresses have been screened live and aired in China Central Television (CCTV), the largest TV network in China, and national radio stations. A so called Beijing Opera Month just finished lately in Beijing.

Chinese Dance Chinese dance has its own unique vocabulary, meanings, and ordered structure that enable a dancer to fully express his thoughts and feelings with ease and grace. Tradition The art of Chinese dance traces its origins to a time before the appearance of the first written Chinese characters. A study of ceramic artifacts with depictions of dancing figures reveals that people of the Neolithic Yangshao culture of around the fourth millennium B.C. already had choreographed group dances in which the participants locked arms and stamped their feet while singing to instrumental accompaniment. Chinese Dance During the Shang and Chou periods of the first millennium B.C., chinese dance was divided civilian dance and military dance. In civilian dance, dancers held feather banners in their hands which symbolized the distribution of the fruits of the day's hunting or fishing. In the large group military dance, the dancers carried weapons in their hands and moved forward and backward in coordinated group motion. Later, these dance movements evolved into military exercises. The Chinese used choreographed hand and feet movements in dancing to express their veneration of the spirits of heaven and earth, to act out aspects of their everyday life, and to give expression to shared feelings of joy and delight. Therefore, Dance was as much symbolism and expression as it was beauty. After the establishment of the Music Bureau in the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.), efforts were made to collect folk songs and dances. After the Han dynasty, other people of Asia invaded and conquered the Han people. In this way, folk dance forms of the various peoples of Central Asia were introduced into China and merged with the original dances of the Han people. This pattern continued well into the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.). Dance in China entered into a period of unprecedented brilliance during the Tang dynasty as culture flourished.

The Tang Dynasty imperial court founded the Pear Garden Academy, the Imperial Academy, and the T'ai-ch'ang Temple and gathered the top dancing talent of the country to perform the magnificent incomparably lavish "Ten Movement Music" dance. This dance incorporated elements from dance forms of China, Korea, Sinkiang, India, Persia, and Central Asia into one colossal dance. It featured intricate body movements and included colorful, gala stage costumes and props. Poetry, songs, a dramatic plot, and background music were incorporated to create a comprehensive production and usher in the advent of Chinese opera.

Each regional group of China has its own folk dance forms. The Miao (also known as Hmong) people of southwestern China developed a lively form of antiphonal, or responsive, singing and competitive dance. Due to the influence of the their island environment, the aborigines of Taiwan created hand-holding line dances as part of a harvest ritual. Folk dances directly reflect the lifestyles and customs of a people, and though their are numerous folk dances, each and everyone is an invaluable part of China's cultural heritage.

The Present the Cloud Gate Dance Troupe The development of modern Chinese dance has taken on a dynamic personality. Usually, young people going into dance study ballet and modern dance first, then they study the technique and syntax of traditional Chinese dance. From there they seek out new directions for Chinese style body expressions and movements with an open mind for experimentation. Since about 1970, the original and unique compositions of young dancers have occasioned a renaissance in Chinese dance. The Cloud Gate Dance Troupe of Lin Hwai-min began by building on a foundation of the Martha Graham school of modern dance and gradually absorbed elements from traditional Chinese opera performance. The Cloud Gate Dance Troupe has performed abroad on a number of occasions, and is viewed internationally as the most representative of modern Chinese dance groups.