A Quick Guide to Chinese Culture - Illustrated Version

Author: Feng Guochao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: This book aims to delve into the rich connotations of Chinese culture through concise formats, refined language, innovative layouts, and exquisite illustrations. By integrating various elements, it explores sixteen aspects such as intellectual culture, literature, religion, Chinese characters, architecture, science and technology, painting, sculpture, calligraphy and seal carving, clothing, arts and crafts, music and dance, sports and games, drama and quyi, food culture, and folk customs, presenting the vastness and depth of Chinese culture in a comprehensive and three-dimensional manner. This allows readers to acquire knowledge effortlessly within a limited time while broadening their cultural perspectives, aesthetic experiences, imaginative horizons, and enjoyable experiences.
1. Yuan Dynasty Ci Poetry
Yuan Dynasty Ci poetry inherited the legacy of the Song Dynasty but failed to reach its peak. However, many talented poets emerged during this period. Yuan Dynasty Ci poetry can be divided into two periods: The first period includes the works of poets born before the unification of the Yuan Dynasty under Mongol rule; the second period includes the works of poets born after the unification until the fall of the Yuan Dynasty. Poets from the first period mainly consist of three groups: those who moved from the Southern Song Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty, those who moved from the Jin Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty, and those who lived in northern China under Mongol rule. Most of these poets had experienced the fall of their homelands and wars, so their most valuable works express the sorrow of longing for their homeland, as seen in the "Sorrow of the Barley Fields" (《》). Poets from the Southern Song Dynasty who moved to the Yuan Dynasty, such as Zhao Mengfu, Cao Boyiqi, Yao Yunwen, and Liu Hao, Lu Wengui, all reflected their nostalgia for their homeland and the pain of losing their families. Poets from the Jin Dynasty who moved to the Yuan Dynasty, such as Yuan Haowen, Duan Keli, Bai Pu, generally wrote works that expressed "laments over the passage of time." Among them, the most accomplished poets were Yuan Haowen, Zhao Mengfu, and Lu Wengui. The main writers of the second period include Yu Ji, Wang Xu, Zhang Yu, and Zhang Zhu. Their works primarily discuss personal choices, admiration for a semi-reclusive life, and dissatisfaction with reality. Among them, Zhang Zhu is the most renowned, with his works such as "Rui Long Yin," "Shui Long Yin," and "Xie Lian" all characterized by subtle imagery and meticulous descriptions.
2. Yuan Dynasty Drama, Quyi, and Nanxi
A new genre emerged in Yuan Dynasty literature—drama, which is generally divided into zaju () and quyi (). Yuan Dynasty quyi evolved from folk songs in northern China during the Jin Dynasty, with most being northern quyi. Early quyi writers included Guan Hanqing, Ma Zhiyuan, Bai Pu, Lu Zhi, and Guan Yunshi, whose styles were straightforward. Later writers included Qiao Ji, Zhang Keliu, Ju Jingchen, and Zhang Yanghao, whose works showed more talent and elegant language. Quyi included many lyrical songs for banquets and courtesans, as well as numerous short pieces that depicted landscapes, expressed emotions, lamented the past, or criticized the world. Some satirical and allegorical sets, such as Ma Zhiyuan's "Borrowing a Horse" and Ju Jingchen's "The Emperor Returning to His Homeland," were also included. Yuan Dynasty zaju was developed based on earlier forms such as Song Dynasty zaju, Jin Dynasty yuanben, and zhuguangqiao. It featured innovative artistic forms and content that reflected the era, including themes of merchants and courtesans, upright officials and legal cases, historical stories, Water Margin tales, and recluses. Among these, the portrayals of merchants and courtesans were particularly striking. The Yuan Empire spanned Europe and Asia, with commerce highly developed. Merchants often rose to prominence through trade. Courtesans were a byproduct of urban society and were often portrayed as resilient and rebellious in zaju. Famous zaju works include Guan Hanqing's "The Injustice of Dou E," "Rescuing the Windblown Dust," and "The Pavilion by the River." Guan Hanqing, Bai Pu, Ma Zhiyuan, and Zheng Guangzu were later known as the "Four Great Masters of Yuan Quyi." In addition to zaju, there were also Nanxi () in southern China, also known as Nanxi opera. The four greatest Nanxi plays are "Jing Chai Ji," "Bai Yue Ting," "Bai Tu Ji," and "Shagou Ji." Gao Ming's "Pipa Ji" during the reign of Yuan Shunzhi marked the peak of Nanxi development.
3. Great Seal Script
Great Seal Script, also known as Zhu Wen, is said to have been created by Zou Zhuan, the Grand Historian of King Xuan of Zhou. It became widely used in the Qin Dynasty and other regions during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Great Seal Script was primarily written on wooden tablets, bamboo slips, or silk.