Card game

Author: (Qing) Chen Hongshou
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: Experience the joy of playing wine card games and uncover the stories behind the cards. Wine cards, also known as "Yezi," originated from the "Yezi Xi" game in the Tang Dynasty and flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties. They were a popular choice for drinking games to enhance the atmosphere. Similar to modern playing cards, the cards feature woodblock prints of characters, inscriptions, and drinking rules. Due to their exquisite craftsmanship and profound meanings, players draw cards to interpret the images and drink accordingly, often discovering unexpected pleasures. Following the rules for penalties and rewards not only aids in drinking and livens up the mood but also offers a unique elegance and wisdom through reading the inscriptions and understanding the meanings. This adds a rich cultural flavor to the banquet. At the same time, as a form of art, wine cards became widely popular among the masses, reaching a peak of both artistic and cultural appreciation. With their combination of illustrations and text, as well as their deep cultural content, they are considered fine pieces for modern and contemporary art appreciation and collection. This book selects representative works such as Bo Gu Ye Zi, Lie Xian Jiu Pai, and Han Han Zhai Jiu Pai, which are among the existing wine cards. Unlike the commonly used themes of Water Margin and The West Chamber, these cards feature stories of famous scholars and immortals, some of which may be less familiar. Therefore, each story is explained in detail, and the inscriptions and drinking rules are clearly identified.