Chinese Traditional Instruments: Guqin, Erhu, Pipa and More
A guide to Chinese traditional instruments through their sounds, materials and communities, from ancient bells and guqin music to lusheng performances and modern orchestras.
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Chinese culture
Discover the stories behind Chinese art, festivals, customs and everyday objects, from historical settings to living traditions.
Showing 1–12 of 180 articles
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Falling Flowers and Flowing Water Pattern: History, Meaning, and Design
Explore the Chinese Falling Flowers and Flowing Water pattern—its Song textile roots, flower-and-water composition, meanings, related motifs, and modern design use.
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What Is the Beginning of Autumn (Liqiu) in China?
Discover Liqiu, China’s Beginning of Autumn solar term: its date, meaning, three pentads, farming role, regional customs, seasonal foods, and cultural legacy.
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What Is Bifang? The One-Legged Fire Bird of Chinese Mythology
What is Bifang? Explore the one-legged fire bird of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, its crane-like and human-faced forms, fire omen, wood-fire symbolism, Yellow Emperor connection, and modern adaptations.
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What Is Qiongqi? Origins, Symbolism, and the Winged Tiger Myth
What is Qiongqi? Explore the ancient Chinese beast's cow and winged-tiger forms, its place among the Four Fiends, reversed morality, exorcistic role, symbolism, and modern adaptations.
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What Is the Qiankun Circle? Origins, Symbolism, and Nezha’s Legendary Ring
The Qiankun Circle (乾坤圈, Qián kūn quān) is Nezha’s legendary ring in Chinese mythology. This guide explains its literary origins, visual features, symbolism, differences from other treasures, and modern cultural...
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What Do Chinese Fans Symbolize?
Chinese fans symbolize wisdom, elegance, reunion, scholarship, status, good fortune, and cultural identity. Explore their history, major forms, meanings, modern uses, and related designs.
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What Is Chinese Calligraphy? History, Styles, Meaning and Art
Chinese calligraphy is the art of writing Chinese characters through expressive brushwork. Explore its history, five major scripts, tools, cultural meaning, famous masters, and how to appreciate it.
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What Is The Chinese Lion Dance And Symbolize?
Discover the history, performance styles and symbolism of Chinese lion dance, including northern and southern lions, eye-dotting, cai qing, colors and modern traditions.
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Chinese Wooden Architecture: Structure, Dougong and Timber-Frame Design
Discover how Chinese wooden architecture works, from column grids and mortise-and-tenon joints to dougong brackets, deep eaves, ceilings and famous surviving timber buildings.
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Who Are Ox-Head and Horse-Face? Chinese Underworld Guardians
Discover Ox-Head and Horse-Face, the fearsome officers of the Chinese underworld, their origins, duties, symbolism, and closest Western counterparts.
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What Are The Gifts For Qixi Festival
Choosing a Qixi Festival gift is not mainly about finding the most expensive object. It is about showing that you understand the person, recognize the stage of your relationship,...
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