China Mystery

Different strokes for different folks

Chen Heliang founds his own creative path by breaking [...]

Tourists banned from Chinese world heritage site to protect ancient forest

FUZHOU, June 2 — Chinese authorities have taken the rare step of banning tourists from a key protection area of the renowned Mount Wuyi on the World Heritage List to better preserve the environment. [...]

Why does Zongzi become tasteless?

A Starbucks employee serves zongzi, glutinous rice dumplings, at [...]

Dragon Boat Festival observed nationwide with traditions back(video)

BEIJING, May 28  Zhang Xuanqi got up Thursday morning and fastened a small hand-made scent bag on his shirt. This kind of adornment has been a must for him on this special day every year since his childhood.
    “Inside the bag is cinnabar that can keep away evils,” said Zhang, a middle school student in [...]

Lacquer Ware

Emanating a serene luster, lacquer ware is another exquisite Chinese craft. The earliest users of lacquer, Chinese people have enjoyed its beauty since the Neolithic Age.

A wood-based red lacquer bowl made 6,000 - 7,000 years ago unveiled the history of lacquer techniques. Early pieces were in simple red and black. During the Warring States Period [...]

Chinese Operas, Dramas, Performances, Art Forms, Opera Styles

Chinese opera together with Greece tragic-comedy and Indian Sanskrit Opera are the three oldest dramatic art forms in the world. During the [...]

China Silk, Silkworms, Silk Products, Cloth, Brocade, Crape

"A silkworm spins all its silk till its death and a candle won’t stop its tears until it is fully burnt." This Tang poem accurately [...]

Chinese Seals, Stamp, Seal Engraving, Sphragistics, Signet Artworks

When foreigners negotiate, or register in certain areas of China, they may be surprised at Chinese’ special fondness and preference for [...]

China Pottery, Ware, Ancient Crockery, Ceramics, Clay Vessels

Pottery may be the oldest artwork of human beings. As far back as the Neolithic Age (more than 8,000 years ago), people began mixing clay and water [...]

Chinese Porcelain, Stoneware, Fine China, Artworks, Kilns

Porcelain, also called ‘fine china’, featuring its delicate texture, [...]

Chinese Paper Cutting, Cutting Tools, Scissor-Cut Handicrafts

Paper-Cut
Paper-cut is a very distinctive visual art of Chinese handicrafts. It originated from the 6th century when women used to paste golden and silver foil cuttings onto their hair at the temples, and men used them in sacred rituals. Later, they were used during festivals to decorate gates and windows. After hundreds of years’ development, [...]

Chinese Kites, International Kite Festival, Patterns, Flying a Kite

In ancient China the kite was known as ‘Zhiyuan’ (paper glede). Originally regarded as a technology, the kite also featured prominently in [...]

Chinese Jade, Bracelet, Jade Ware, Jadeite, Nephrite Jade, Ornament

Jade has a history in China of at least four thousands years. Unknown to some, jade is found contained within the development of religion [...]

China Cloisonne, Jingtai Blue, Ornament, Artworks

Cloisonne is a unique art form that originated in Beijing during the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368). In the period titled ‘Jingtai’ during the [...]

Chinese Music, Musical Instrument, Lute, Chime Bell, Flute

Traditional Chinese music can be traced back 7,000 - 8,000 years based on the discovery of a bone flute made in the Neolithic Age. In the Xia, [...]

Chinese Painting, Paintbrush, Ink, Ancient Painting Genres

The tools used in traditional Chinese painting are paintbrush, ink, traditional paint and special paper or silk.
Chinese painting developed and was classified by [...]

Chinese Calligraphy, Brush Pen, Ink Stick, Paper, Ink Slab, Writing

In China calligraphy occupies a distinguished position in the field of traditional art. It is not only a means of communication, but [...]

China Embroidery, Embroidered Artworks, Handcrafts, Styles

Development of Chinese Embroidery
Embroidery is a brilliant pearl in Chinese art. From the magnificent Dragon Robe worn by Emperors to the popular embroidery seen in today’s fashions, embroidery adds so much pleasure to our life and our culture.
The oldest embroidered product in China on record dates from the Shang Dynasty. Embroidery in this period symbolized [...]

Chinese Bronze Vessels, Pot, Musical Instrument, Bronze Mirror

Bronze is the alloy of copper, stannum and plumbum. After the invention of this alloy 5,000 years ago, bronze prevailed immediately and led our ancestors into a newstage - the bronze era.Generally speaking, bronze culture underwent three stages, that is, the forming period, the thriving period, and the turning period. The forming period indicates the [...]

Chinese Folk Toys, Festival Toys, Knickknacks, Handiwork

As an indispensable part of traditional folk art, toys are a unique expression of the long and uninterrupted Chinese history. Religious [...]