Judydoll 橘朵 Cosmetics

                     In one of my favorite Chinese drama, "Destined", the female lead character is a successful businesswoman. She has her own store of make-up. Particularly Chinese blush-on. Another way they call it is  rouge. According to an article that I read online, rouge was used as early as the Shang dynasty. So now here I am sharing with you my experience in using Chinese brand cosmetics. Honestly, Chinese make-up is not as popular as the Western brand, Japanese or Korean cosmetics. Right now Korean cosmetics is very popular in the Philippine market.

Judydoll 橘朵  or juduo in mandarin, it means orange blossom. Like its name Judydoll make-up is really pretty to look at, has a nice range of shade and color. I bought their concealer. I chose the one meant for people whose eyes are like the panda's eyes. It means that their under eye circle is the worst. I also bought their moisturizing lip jelly frost. I also have their oil controlling cushion and lastly their all in one color palette. Today I wore the eyeshadow and I lined my eyes. I like the texture of the make-up, its not chalky. I also like the shade. This cosmetic brand is also popular in Douyin social medi flatform. You can order online in Lazada just look for judydoll .

Chinese Shoes

   你好！ Hello dear readers! I am back again. Still busy juggling life work and family matters. I am in my early 40's now, looking back I never forget my first love which is my interest and love for the Chinese culture. 

For today, I am going to share with you my Chinese shoes. I usually buy my Chinese shoes online. Usually they cost $10 up. I am just using dollars as an example for readers abroad to understand me with regard to the price of these shoes. 

These shoes are partly made of cloth, and somewhat wood in the inner part. You can see from the photo, they are like wooden mat. The soles are made of rubber. Before they are just made of many thick cloth pieced together. You can see this on the video of popular vlogger Li Ziqi 李子柒. As you can see from the photo I have four pairs of shoes. There are two style, one with a strap and without. They are like flats. It is very comfortable to wear. I usually wear mine in the office or whenever I go out, like going to the mall. These embroidered shoes are called "xiuhua", meaning embroidered shoes. You can choose from a variety of designs, from flowers to crane. I also have Hanfu shoes. I especially bought this to go with my Hanfu clothes. I like the Hanfu shoes, they are called "gong xie". Usually they have an exaggerated upturned toe , it is used to hold up the hem so the hem of the Hanfu would not get in the way. There many kinds of Chinese shoes. In the Manchu era they have this heel platform shoe. In the olden days shoes were made of straw. If you are interested in buying Chinese shoes you can order them from Taobao in Lazada. Happy walking! 

White Rabbit Candy

           After a long time, I'm back again! There was a lot of going-ons in my life. Got married in 2020 and then the next year I got pregnant and gave birth. It is just now that I am slowly getting back on track. Last week I bought White Rabbit candy online. This is not the local White Rabbit candy by Candyman which is a hard candy and toffee flavored. The candy that I'm referring to is the milky chewy candy that has an edible wrapper because its made from rice paper. Sadly, the candy was banned in 2007 due to formalin allegations and melamine scare and it has been a long time since I last tasted it. 

Now, its already available online and I was able to buy and taste it again. It is the same milky and chewy candy and I just love its edible wrapper! The White Rabbit candy pack has an expiration date printed on its back. It is manufactured by Shanghai Guan Sheng Yuan Food, Ltd. Today, White Rabbit is still remember by most Asian kids and we feel nostalgic again. Here in the Philippines there was even an ice-cream creation of White Rabbit in honor of the popular childhood candy that we all grew up eating. 

I also saw a memento of White Rabbit online. I bought a White Rabbit Pillow online and it is really nice! It is a must-have for White Rabbit fans all over the globe. Don't have any idea of what I'm talking about? Then better try and buy White Rabbit candy!;

Chinese Embroidery Kit (Do It Yourself)

After polymer clay art, watercolor painting, digital/graphic drawing, and paper cut art, I am now interested in embroidery. I was amazed after watching a video on YouTube about Chinese embroidery, and only a few people in China practice this. One famous embroider is Zhang Xue from Suzhou, China. They are a mother (Xue Jindi) and son team.

I also loved this Chinese drama, the English title is "Because of You."It is about the heiress of family known for their embroidery who got lost, became amnesiac because of an accisent, and was adopted by a middle class family. I also have a Chinese shoes and it is hand embroidered.

When I was young I remember, we have embroidered personalize pillow cases. My aunt has a beautiful embroidered pillow case of her name. Now, I have tried embroidery and I can say it takes a lot of patient, and focus. I ordered an embroidery set, a Do It Yourself kit from China. The pattern is peach blossoms, and the pattern is printed in a small white cloth. It comes with cloth hoop (for securing the cloth), set of different colored threads, a needle and a scissor. The pattern is just small but even after a week I am not still finished with it.

This is another form of Chinese art that I really appreciate. It is really beautiful to look at, and like any form of art, you really immerse yourself in it, devote your time, hard work, and skill to produce a lovely creation. This is another beautiful indoor hobby.

The Ties That Bind by: Teresita Ang-See (Mini-book review)

   Last week my order of the mini-book, "The Ties That Bind" (The Saga of the Sultan of Sulu in China). This is the 2nd edition, written by well-known, and respected Filipino-Chinese writer, and academian. Known in the Philippine media press, as an anti-crime crusader. She is also also one of the founders (along with her late husband Prof.Chinben See) of Kaisa Para sa Kaunlaran, and Kaisa Heritage Center.

From tulay.ph: 

"The Ties that Bind – the Saga of the Sultan of Sulu in China (Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran, 2017, 109 pp.) uses references and resources from China and the Philippines – including valuable photographs – to document the historic visit of the Sultan of Sulu to pay tribute to the imperial court of Ming Emperor Yong Le in 1417. The booklet is published in commemoration of this most significant event which highlights the enduring friendship between the Philippines and China."

You can order online, and have it shipped to your place. Just follow the instructions of their staff. I also contacted them through their Facebook account, and Ms. Meah See, director now of Kaisa, and the daughter of the author was really accomodating. You can finish the book in one-sitting. The book is printed in glossy pages, and the photos are rich, with colorful pictures. As a supporter of the Philippines and China's positive and harmonious relationship,  and as a member of the Philippines - China friendship club. This mini-booklet is full of interesting facts, and details about the long-standing relationship, and friendship of the two countries. Did you know that the Sultan Padaka has living descendants up to now? They have also visited the Philippines.

The story of the Sultan of Sulu, and the Emperor of China was made into a movie wayback. The title was 'Hari sa hari, Lahi sa lahi,' the international English title was 'King and Emperor.'

If you are a Chinese culture enthusiast like me, or if you are interested in culture and history, you should definitely grab a copy of this book. I got my 2 copies for P140.00, plus additional shipping fee. I also requested for the book to be signed by the author. I have not met the author personally, but I'm looking forward for a chance in the near future.

Or you can visit Kaisa, located in Intramuros, Manila. They have a gift shop there when I visited them wayback. They sell t-shirts, and various educational books about Filipino-Chinese culture and history. You should also check out their museum also located in the same building. It is a museum of the Chinese in the Philippine life. It is a definitely must-see. I really enjoyed touring the museum before.

For orders and inquiries: 
You can contact them through their facebook page Kaisa Para sa Kaunlaran or you may email them at info@kaisa.org.ph 

The Beauty of Simple Living 李子柒

  This year as I was browsing YouTube. I saw a video of a young woman who lives in the countryside. The video also showed her preparing, curing different kinds of meat, and also cooking food. What is beautiful about her video, is that is shows us a glimpse of life in the rural area (province). I also like that she uses organic ingredients, fresh produce from where she lives. This woman can practically do anything. I have seen videos of her making Chinese shoes, a swing, making cosmetics out of organic and natural ingredients, and of course cooking various Chinese dishes.

In another social media platform which is Facebook, she has acquired a lot of followers and viewers too. Including me, of course! In the description from another YouTube fansite. The videos in this particular channel has subs or captions in English. It says that she's an orphan. She has worked in the city before, but she moved in the province to care for, and be with her grandmother. I really admire her. Her name is spelled in pinyin as Li Zi Qi. You can see how she looks like from a photo that I posted here.

Watching her videos makes me feel relaxed. I also want to live in the countryside someday. City living is fast-paced, and also a bit stressful. The place where she lives is in Sichuan. I also want to see that place someday. I've been to Hong Kong before but I have never been to mainland, China. If you want to see scenic, beautiful rural living better check her videos. Her weibo account id is mianyangdanshen.

Philippines-China Friendship Club (PCFC)

  I badly wanted to join a Filipino-Chinese or any Chinese studies organization/association or club before. As a Chinese studies and culture enthusiast I wanted to be a part of a solid organization that can help me learn more about China, and wherein I can be considered as part of the family, with the same aspiration as mine. I thoroughly search online and was blessed enough to read about Philippines-China Friendship Club. I was fortunate enough to be able to get in touch with the founding president of that club, a young professional, Mr. Austin Ong. He's an alumnus of the University of the Philippines, and also a master's degree holder from Tsinghua University (China). He has been to a lot of countries, and has been guested in local tv shows here in the Philippines. I have met Sir Austin Ong personally at KAISA this year.

What is Philippines-China Friendship Club all about?

From PCFC website:

It is a friendship club that strives to provide platforms of interactions for Filipino students and young professionals to establish and cultivate life-long friendships with the Chinese.

Objectives of PCFC:
+ To build and to strengthen Filipinos and Chinese friendship through fun and meaningful events.
+ Be a resource for Filipinos to maximize their "China experience".

PCFC also holds meetings, and social gatherings with fellow and like-minded Chinese studies scholars, students, and professionals. (Check out the group photo here about an event that was held in the past, my graphic drawing was also used in the invitation and group page.) I'm also thankful to the founder of PCFC because 2 years ago, I was able to attend the inauguration of Confucius Institute in U.P Diliman. As a former student of Confucius Institute in Ateneo, that was another milestone in my life.

I believe that we can work together for the common good. I hope that the relationship of China and the Philippines will be even more stronger. The relationship of this 2 countries dates far back.

If you are interested in joining the group, you can search for it on Facebook.

(Update: This July 2018, we have available PCFC customized t-shirts. See the photos above. For orders just leave a message here. Thanks!)

Movie Review: To Live

I just watched a Chinese movie recently, another film by Zhang Yimou. I have seen some of his movies and almost always the lead star is the popular Chinese actress Gong Li. This is evident in his previous films which I have seen, The Red Sorghum, and Raise the Red Lantern. The Red Sorghum movie, the way I remember it. It is about the arranged marriage of a young village girl to a rich old man, owner of a distillery. I like the way the movie depicts the provincial way of life. How Chinese life in the rural was like back then. And like most of Zhang’s film, mostly it ends tragically. While Raise the Red Lantern, is another memorable movie for me. (I apologize if I cannot give the full summary of the two movies because I have seen these two movies wayback, years have passed). Moving on, Raise the Red Lantern, reminds me of just one word, concubine. In Chinese period dramas like the Scarlet Heart, the emperor, or his siblings do have concubines. The concubines live in a mansion, they each have their own apartment or house, and if the master spends time with them during the night that is when the lantern is lit up. There is a lot of intrigue in this movie, and what you suspect at first, may not be what it seems. It is also a good movie, even if it doesn't have a happy ending still. Among all of Zhang Yimou's film, I like The Road Home best, the lead actress is Zhang Ziyi. It tells of the love story of a school teacher, and a young village girl. 

Back to my movie review, To Live is a movie that tells of the story of a family in pre and post revolution in China. I am not that knowledgeable about the history of China, from dynasties, up to the present time ruling. But I know a bit about the Chinese civil war, separation of China (Chinese Communist Party) and Taiwan (Chinese Nationalist Party), This movie is about the struggles of a rich man, who is addicted to gambling, and the trials that he and his wife has to endure. This is another bitter-sweet film. The movie is over two hours long, but I didn't get bored watching it. If you want to learn more about the Chinese life, culture and history. The three films that I mentioned are all worth-watching. Grab a popcorn, and your favorite drinks. Enjoy watching!   

女医明妃传The Imperial Doctress

   This is another memorable Chinese tv series for me. Again, it stars Cecilia Liu Shi Shi of the popular Scarlet Heart tv series (I and II). This is another period drama. This is not in the Qing era, but in the Ming dynasty. This drama was based upon the life story of Tan Yun Xian. She was born to a family who practiced medicine. Although this series is not that faithful to the real life story, they added a twist and a sort of love-triangle plot. It is still enjoyable to watch. I am also amazed when it comes to naturopathy, herbal medicines. I have a late aunt who's a doctor and she doesn't rely or believe in these herbal or traditional medicines. But I know some doctors now combine these two beliefs.

Nowadays, some people don't rely on synthetic medicines, and instead turn to natural, or herbal medicines. It's also interesting to hear the explanation why Chinese herbalist, or a Chinese traditional medicine prescribe a certain medicine, like for example to balance our body. I remember a doctor that I visited before. He's a graduate of medicine, but still combines what he learned with traditional medicine. There was a time when I would get mouth sores, and he adviced me not to eat 'hot' food. But instead eat 'cold' or 'cool' foods. Like for example he compared apples from Japan and in the U.S. I just forgot which one he recommended me to eat. Maybe I mentioned it in one of my posts here before. Also, he told me I shouldn't eat food that makes my body hot, like pizza aggravated my mouth sores. He also recommended that I eat pears because it has a cooling effect on the body. Now isn't that interesting?

I really like the character of Prince Qi Yu later on became the emperor it was played by Huang Xuan. He also resembles someone that I saw, some weeks ago that really left an impression on me. Huang Xuan has cute eyes, and I do have a weakness for a person with chinky eyes, I do find Filipino-Chinese and Chinese people attractive.

Anyway, I want to share with you the OST of this drama. The English translation of the title is, 'Until That Day,' sung by Sara Liu. Very heartfelt song. The song is about waiting for someone, even if it takes a long time, even if one will grow old. I guess you can really wait for someone especially if your truly love that person.

sources: dramafever.com

步步惊心 Bu Bu Jing Xin (aka Scarlet Heart): My Favorite Period TV Drama

    I'm really impatient when it comes to watching TV series. If I have a dvd copy of that drama, I usually skip episodes, until I get to the ending. This is the only drama that I've finished watching from the first episode until the last. It was by chance that I came to know  Bu Bu Jing Xin, also known as Scarlet Heart drama. It stars real life couple Chinese actress Cecilia Liu Shi Shi, and Taiwanese actor Nicky Wu. What I like about this drama, is that I can relate to the character of the female protagonist. The female lead here wears glasses which I can also relate to since I also wear one because I'm nearsighted. The storyline is unique, it involves time travel. I think it would be cool if we can go back in time, and experience life the way it was before. Well, Einstein believes that time travel (Special Relativity)  is possible.

    The female character travels back in time in the period of Qing Dynasty, and there her story revolves, and her relationship with the princes, as well as with the emperor himself. If you haven't seen this. I recommend that you do. The series has a nice soundtrack too. I like the songs, One Persistent Thought, and Seasons of Waiting, which are really match for the series. I have included the YouTube video of the song, One Persistent Thought (Yi Nian Zhi Zhou), a beautiful duet by Alan and Hu Ge.

My Swatch Chinese Themed Watches

   I'm not really fond of buying jewelries. I would rather splurge and increase my collection of books. Last year (October 2015), I chanced upon the display in a Swatch store, a black and white design drawing of building with what looks like a Japanese character to me. I asked the sales staff about the watch and they said its a limited edition, the design is about The Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai, China. When I heard that, I decided to buy the watch. Since, it has a connection to China, and the Chinese character design on the dial of the watch. According to the watch details from Swatch website this watch, is a dedication to the artists and their art. THE BLACK & WHITE SWATCH ART PEACE HOTEL (SUOZ197) is a limited edition collaboration with the Peace Art Hotel in Shanghai. A white and black print on the dial and down the semi-transpararent silicone strap will catch the eye with its artistry.  

Since, I also love to draw, and paint, and I have admiration for artists all around the world, I feel like this watch was made for me. I also like its simplicity. It costs me around P3,000.00.

The next watch that caught my attention, but I have second thoughts in buying it because it's really very expensive, costs around P4,000.00. Is the limited edition watch for Chinese New Year 2016. The animal that is featured is the monkey. But I read from the description that this is not just any monkey, the design is about the Monkey King, holding the peach which can bring the gift of immortality to anyone who eats it. I told myself that I will not buy it since I have a Chinese themed watch already. But when I found out that other than the monkey king design, this watch is also about the Chinese art of paper cutting. So all the more reason I wanted to have this watch. Unfortunately, all Swatch stores in the metro is already out of stock, after the Chinese New Year. I asked my sister-in-law abroad to buy one for me but she said it's also out of stock. I was planning to buy online, even if its very expensive. But thank God! Because my sister-in-law was able to find the lone swatch LUCKY MONKEY at Dubai airport. It has still its plastic covering in front, but they don't have the box. But it's okay at least I got the watch. From the description online, Swatch Lucky Monkey. A red monkey on the white dial. This is Swatch special design for Chinese New Year 2016. The monkey is not just any monkey. It is the Monkey King holding a peach. Hero of the classic Chinese novel written in the 17th century. 'Journey to the West'. The design of the watch was inspired by Chinese paper cut that dates back to the 6th century. 

      I was born in the year 1980, and according the Chinese Astrology, the Chinese believed that people born this year was ruled by the monkey. The Chinese word for monkey is 'hou'. So this watch is really right for me.

Photo Exhibit: Tempo of China at University of the Philippines, Diliman

   Last March 16, 2016 I went to see a photo exhibit, Tempo of China at UP Diliman, Wisdom Hall - Asian Center. The photo exhibit is about photos of China today. Cultural activities like this, really fuels up my passion, and love for the Chinese culture. I'm also overjoyed to see the ties between Philippines, and China that can trace its way back during ancient times.

According to the wall plaque information at the exhibit hall, quoting:

"Many associate China with a civilization of ancient origins dating back five thousand years, conjuring iconic images of antiquity, vestiges of yore, while in their mind's eye, images of contemporary China remain unspecific and somewhat blurred. 

Thus, Tempo of China, a photographic exhibition, attempts to capture the spirit of China in perspective of compelling immediacy, that of a nation of immense vim and vigor. It features works selected from entries submitted by more than one thousand professional and amateur photographers around the country. Demonstrating brilliant photographic skills and superb sense of space, movement and alacrity, the winning entries cover spectacular landscape, glorious sunrise, stunning architecture and endearing people of all ages and ethnicities. In focus China in the 21st century, with its vigor and prosperity, vividly and realistically rendered in myriad colors, graceful lines and enchanting  compositions; all images of harmoney and no less.

Indeed they catch glimmers of the sublime, with such boundless vigor that it has to define the tempo of nation today." 

   Here are some of my favorite photos from the exhibit. All rights reserved to the rightful owners of this photo. My most favorite shot is entitled, Old Fiddler and his Captured Audience by Yang Hong, A Selfie by Wu Wei, about Tai-Chi and Vitality photo by Li Biao.

I also like the photo of a beautiful Chinese woman in an alley, a Chinese woman holding a Chinese relic, and a newlywed couple riding a bike.

  The Tempo of China photo exhibit was also held this year (January 2016) in Toronto, Canada. This photo exhibit is sponsored by The Cultural Counsellor's Office of the Chinese Embassy Philippines, and organized by Confucius Institute, UP Diliman, Asian Center UP Diliman.

 

Chinese Traditional Houses and Architecture (excerpts from four documentaries) Part I

One of the things that I admire most in Chinese culture, is the uniqueness and beauty of the Chinese traditional houses. Amidst the buildings and skyscrapers in China’s busiest city, Beijing. We can still get a glimpse of China’s ancient past, like in the Walled City, or the Forbidden City and in other historic sites in the provinces of China wherein you can still get to see traditional houses.

I have watched some documentaries online, and I want to share with you what I have learned. The facts that I’ve gathered here are from the four documentaries I have seen on the internet, namely CCTV 9, Art of Asia – Four Asian Rooms, UNESCO and NTDTV. Images on this blog are from Google Images.

This post of mine is for educational purposes only. For the goal of this blog of mine is to share with you, the wonders and beauty of Chinese culture, music, tradition, food and way of life. This is a two part post.

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The first video that I have seen is about the style of line drawing and how it is integrated in the contemporary design of Chinese traditional houses.

Chinese Civilization : The Charm of Chinese Traditional Houses (CCTV 9)

Line drawing is a Chinese traditional painting technique ink and brush style started in Song dynasty. Plain lines and simple colors are used to capture the rhythm of mother nature.

Some of the people that made marks in the history and style in terms of line drawings.

Gu Kaizhi (16^th B,C) founder the line drawing technique.

Li Gonglin is an artist, civil office and archaeologist  from the Song dynasty, he developed the line drawing system while Wang Qijun is a line drawing style contemporary artist when drawing traditional Chinese tradition houses and architecture. In the Chinese traditional architecture. His painting captures every design of Chinese traditional houses.

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In the next documentary that I have seen. Chinese and Japanese architecture were explained. Architects, carpenters, and artisans of both countries also recreated rooms in Japanese and Chinese styles. I didn’t took included the details with regards to the Japanese Rooms since my main focus is of the Chinese architecture and style.

Aside from the beautifully designed Chinese rooms, I noticed their great fondness for nature, as it is evident in Chinese traditional paintings, photos of flowers, fruits, tress and the backdrop of beautiful hills and flowing waters.

 On the second part of the documentary, gardens were explained briefly, and here we can see that nature is also a part of the Chinese architecture, and in building a house. The life of a government official was vividly pictured here, while the narrator tells each scene, you can feel as if you’re part of the story.

Art of Asia – Four Asian Rooms

Both the Chinese  and the Japanese used impressive halls to receive guests. The Wu family owned an extensive complex of buildings in the town of Dongshan. Their reception hall is the largest and the most important building. The courtyard is surrounded by other structures that made up the family compound.

                                                                            We know that the Wu family was wealthy and socially high-ranking because of the room’s large size, Ornate ceiling carvings, and diagonally laid floor tiles. All designed features reserved by law for important people . 

When receiving guests the head of the household may have sat on a wooden couch, softly lit by lanterns and backed by a receiving folding screen. Similar to these examples by the museums important collections. Their important visitors would have been seated next to the family’s leaders in hard wood chairs. Less important guests sat further away in smaller chairs, and the least important guests would have occupied stools off to the side.

                                    

As a special room for important occasions the owners would have decorated this space with their prized works of art. They would have hung painted scrolls and examples of calligraphy, and in spaces between the rooms pillars. Richly embroidered cushions and pillows would have made sitting more comfortable and giving the room a more luxurious ambiance. Certainly guests by the Wu family would have been impressed by this scale and elegant contents of such a  room in addition to receiving guests the Wu family could also use the reception hall to honor their deceased ancestors by rearrainging the room they could place long altar table  beneath ancestors portraits were family members could make offerings of food and incense. They might have displayed the family shrine before which family members could offer prayers and ask for their ancestors blessings and assistance.The Chinese believe that if their ancestors were honored and cared for in the afterlife all would go well for their living descendants.

The Chinese believe that immersion in nature was an important part of life. Great gardens in Suzhou China integrated outside and inside spaces. A small gardens offers a welcoming view from the scholar’s library.

In China a scholar’s library or studio was a place to quietly enjoy art literature and music. It is a place of intellectual and artistic pursuits for the head of the household also as a place to escape. From the mundane concerns and duties of his job as a government official. In this private place he might practice calligraphy or painting while enjoying his collection of art objects used and treasured by past scholars. Amidst his books and hanging scrolls. He might entertain similar gentleman sipping tea or wine while composing poetry or playing the Qin a stringed musical instrument. He might pass his leisure hours enjoying the songs of  small birds or he might gather crickets and keep them in ornate cages to encourage them to chirp he might tickle them with tiny brushes. These pleasant past times enjoyed alone or with friends are enjoyed in the scholars library where it is easy to forget about the concerns and daily life.

History of Chinese Musical Instruments (excerpts from CCTV9 documentary) Pt.II

This is the continuation of my blog post. History of the Chinese Musical Instruments. Please do check out my previous post.

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Between the years 115-138 B.C  Zhang Qian an explorer of the Western Han dynasties. Visited various countries in the Westerns region. These visits resulted in an increase in cultural exchange in various ethnic groups, a number of foreign instruments were introduced to China. The greatest changes, occurred in the China’s flutes and Xiao. It was not until in the Han dynasty that Chinese flutes were played vertically.

Accordng to Mr. Qia Jianzhong, “In the past the Xiao was also called the flute. Before, the  flute in China was played vertically.”

In the Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian introduced the flutes in the Western regions to China and they were played horizontally. Flutes that were played vertical were renamed Xiao. The sounds produced by the flutes are clear and is pleasant to the ear as the chirping of birds. Both the Xiao and flute are favorite musical instruments of Chinese people and both are equally important.

After the downfall of Han dynasty, China entered a period of incessant wars among various dynasties. These wars became a catalyst for increased cultural exchange as a result foreign cultures found their way to China. Gradually, Instruments that are introduced to the people of China through the silk road become important to the musical life of the country.  

Ruanxian is an improved version of Pipa from the Western regions as used in the Han dynasty, it was called the Qing pipa, but later renamed Ruanxian, named after a scholar who was skilled in playing it. It is a plucked stringed-instrument. A Ruanxian has a round soundbox it also has a straight handle, string bridges, and strings. The crank-handled Pipa is quite different from the round Chinese Pipa, and it is so named because part of its handle is a crank . The Pipa has a pear-shaped soundbox.. The name Pipa suggests how the instruments is played. Pi indicates the strings are plucked inwardly and Pa indicates the strings are plucked outwardly. Renowned Tang Poet Bai Juyi (wrote an essay telling how a Pipa is played). 

“The large string hum like rain, the small strings whisper like a secret. The string hummed whispered and then were intermingled like the pouring of large and small pearls into a plate of jade.”

At first the Pipa was played played horizontally as Bai Juyi wrote she held the Pipa horizontally to hide half of her face. It took more than a thousand years before it was played vertically as it is in the stage today. That period lasted from the 7^th century in the Tang Dynasty up to the 17 th century in the Ming dynasty. Today the Pipa has a box and is played with the hand.

The Pipa was introduced to Japan from China in the Tang dynasty, and even today the Japanese used a bug spectrum to play the Pipa. Today, the Pipa was among the well-known Chinese musical instruments.The Konghou originated in West asia and was introduced to China’ through China’s Western regions.The Paiban was introduced to the Tang dynasty from today’s Northwest China and all of these is evident from the openness of Tang culture towards other culture.Dizi Pa is a kind of vertical flute and is named as 1.8 Zi. Although the instrument disappeared in China long ago it became a traditional instrument in Japan, as with all the case of musical instruments in the Tang dynasty.

It is said that over a thousand years ago a musician of the town imperial palace fled the capital and made his way to this town in South western in Xian due to war. It is here that he established a musical ensemble to teach local people imperial music. Incredibly the group is still active today. Most of them are simple farmers, and after doing their family work they meet together for practice for performances. Most of the musical instruments were handed down to them by their forefathers, and their skills in the instruments were passed on in the same way. It is believed that the musical score in silk that they keep was produced several hundred years ago during the Ming dynasty. 

Li Mingzhong, research fellow Shaanxi Art Institute says, “Xi’an musicians use up to seven types of drums.  The score of their ensembles depends on drum beats. So Xian musicians don’t use drums to command music ensembles as they do in operas Drum beats are use to unite every part of the ensemble. So drums are very important. Although these types of ancient musical instruments were once reserved for Imperial use only overtime they gradually extended to ordinary people.“

Today musician can’t be seen while accompanying performers in the Peking Opera. However the music of the opera reveals to the audience how able the accompanist are as they give expressions equally well as  to tragic feelings or a more gentle sentiments required for the story. Peking Opera doesn’t require a large number of accompanist. Usually just 7 or 8 musicians playing strings or percussions and wind instruments are all that was required and this is the result of many years of experimentation.

This popular band integrating modern and traditional styles caused a sensation in China, the members of the band were all women using traditional Chinese instruments to play contemporary music. (12 Girls Band). Interestingly the musical instruments in their hands actually didn’t actually originate in China but over a long period of time became a representative of Chinese musical instruments.

Older Chinese people will find playing the erhu in the way that they played is unacceptable. The erhu is usually played in a certain manner and context. The erhu is as important to the Chinese as violin is to the Europeans. However many Chinese people don’t know that the erhu is not an original Chinese musical instrument.

 The erhu used to be called the xiqin and is invented by the Xi tribe, during the Sui and Tang dynasties. The Xi was a northern ethnic minority tribe. They invented the two stringed instrument played vertically. 

Qian Jianzhong says, “We didn’t have this kind of instrument in China. Furthermore, until the xiqin appeared during the Tang Dynasty. There were no records about the xiqin until the Song dynasty at which time it was renamed the erhu fiddle. So the erhu fiddle is a product o fthe integration of Chinese and foreign cultures. “

The erhu mainly consists of a bow and  a two strings. But it went through a number of transformations before maturing in the Yuan dynasty to come to the instruments we know today. The result was a bowed string instrument. This kind of instrument was kinda new to China. This instrument was used to accompany the opera, song and dance performances and is an ensemble instrument used in various traditional music groups. According to Qian Jianzhong the erhu’s tension is in its middle. The pitch isn’t very high so the erhu fiddle is sounds quite mellow. Eventually the erhu ousted the pipa as the leading instrument in the Tang dynasty.  

Qian  also mentioned, “The pipa has nodes. When the strings are plucked at, these nodes are produced. It also has strings and other things but it produces its sound mainly  through the points. When it is played the erhu fiddle makes a fine sound. When it is played slowly it makes a long continuous sound. In addition the erhu can mimic the sound of the human voice. When it Is played the erhu most often sounds like singing. This is also true of performances given by Liu Tianhua whose erhu fiddle was  a good singer. The pipa cant do that as it makes sounds through its frets not lines. Which makes it different from the erhu fiddle.”

After the Ming and Qing dynasties variations on the erhu have emerged in China including the gaohu,banhu and jinghu and in this way the erhu came to dominate Chinese folk musical instruments.

Thanks to the effort of Chinese musicians by the period of 1000 years.  4 types of instruments have come to dominate Chinese music.

String instruments were represented by the erhu, jinhu and gaohu.

Plucked instruments were represented by qin and pipa.

Wind instruments were represented by the flute, xiao, sheng, and suona.

And percussions instruments were represented by tanggu, tonggu and bo.

However in Europe in the middle ages things were quite different, by that time larger ensembles were beginning to take shape and larger number of musical instruments were being used producing increasingly complicated music. Modern symphonic music originated to devoted to the glory of God and as such was often more passionate and dramatic.

Traditional Chinese music continues to progress along a Chinese style path.  Ancient Xun makes music that takes you back to the remote past. The Pipa is used produce music that can give expression to a beautiful scenery of a moonlit river on a beautiful spring. The Erhu excels when it comes to portraying people’s sadness and worries.

These musical instruments made of different materials producing different  timbres worked together to give expressions to the unique traditional Chinese culture.Ancient Chinese scholars officials have their own aesthetic taste. The Qin which has a history of a thousand years was a symbol of life for the high people of society. All emperor’s high ranking officials and scholars of the Song and Yuan dynasty right up to the Ming and Qing dynasties took delight in music produce on the Qin.Different kinds of ancient Qin have survived to the present day some of them were handed down from generation after generation within a single family while others,  once assets of the Imperial palace. Yet o are no longer regarded as ordinary musical instruments having become precious art objects in their own rights.

Even today the ancient Qin is still used to produce music that gives expression to ancient Chinese culture and traditions. And it has that unique character that enables it both to express melancholy and nobility.

Today many modern Chinese find in a world full of frantic activity, the sound of Qin can bring peace and tranquillity.

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Source: New Frontiers International documentary CCTV 9.

History of Chinese Musical Instruments (excerpts from CCTV9 documentary) Part I

As a Chinese studies enthusiast, I also do appreciate Chinese music whether it be classical or contemporary. I also wish that someday I’ll be able to learn how to play a Chinese musical instrument. With regards to Chinese contemporary music I like the music of Wang Lee Hom, and Jay Chou (Zhou Jie Lun). I also know the 12 girls band, who plays the Chinese classical instruments and integrates them to modern music. I also recommend the movie, Love in Disguise starring Wang Lee Hom and Liu Yi Fei, while it is mainly a love story, it also shows the importance of the Chinese classical music.

This blog post of mine is about the history of Chinese musical instruments, and their importance to the Chinese people, and their integral part in the culture of the Chinese. Furthermore, I hope that you will also be able to appreciate the beauty of the Chinese musical instruments. Below is my transcription (I edited some parts but they still convey the same thoughts from the narrator or speaker) taken from the documentary presented by the CCTV 9, shown in YouTube channel. I did this mainly for educational purposes, and I do not intend to abuse the copyright, or plagiarized someone’s work. The host of the New Frontiers International is Mr. Ji Xiaojun and is narrated by Su Yang.

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History of Chinese Musical Instruments

Ancient Chinese regarded music as holy and pure and believes that it purifies one’s thinking.

The harmonious combination of musical sounds was made by instruments that fell into 8 categories

 Namely metal, stone, clay, wood, bamboo, string, gourd, and leather. The sounds that the instruments produce gave expressions to the soul of Chinese people.

There is a traditional music revival in China. Maybe one reason is that the old Chinese instruments look quaint to foreigners. Musicians in ancient China use musical instruments that were quite different from now.Many musical instruments are excavated as far  dates back as the Neolithic age.

One instrument is called Xun. You make it by shaping the clay and you baking it. A Xun has at most six holes on it. That was the best Xun the ancient Chinese had. They have 10 holes now, Xun.The sound is melancholy sad, still a Xun creates a unique artistic feeling.They produce sounds of clay. They produce inspiring sounds that no instruments can produce.

Liu Kuanren, President China Xun Culture Society says that, “Tough conditions in primitive society people have to compete for survival. They express emotions in many variety of ways. First form was singing. Then they use clay, vines, bamboo and stones. These gave rise to musical instruments. People who are still living in a tribal society uses musical instruments that are ancient and stretches back to the Neolithic age (primitive).”

Another instrument is the whistle,  this bone whistle is regarded as a musical instrument but in ancient time must be used as a  communication between hunters. Next is, Pottery bell, when they sway bells produce a sound that is clear and pleasant to the ear. While, Drums have bodies made of pottery covered with animal skin. All of these are ancient musical instruments of China. Another is chime stones,  it is also a Chinese musical instruments but  originated from a simple farm tool. The chimes resembles ancient stone plough and hoes, was actually designed for a stick. The round whole by which a chime stone is hung 

According to Ying Youqin, President of China’s Museum of Oriental Musical Instruments, “When chime stones were fiund to be able to produce pleasant sound they gradually became musical instruments. The ancient musical instruments has five notes are Gong, Shang, Jue , Zhi, and Yu.”

They are the equivalent of the do, re, mi, in Western music.

According to Qian Jianzhong, former director of the music institute of China Art Academy. “The Chinese mainly use five of the notes partly because they used five elements to explain the origin of the world. Metal, wood, water, fire and earth or east west north south and middle.  So the Chinese have five notes. Generally speaking we mainly use five of the seven notes. That’s a rule. Two of the notes are secondary and the other five are primary.”

This rule is in line with the traditional, intellectual and cultural aspirations of Chinese people with gentleness and tranquillity. Because of the use of these five notes the Chinese traditional musical instruments were able to produce elegant music without drastic rises of falls and pitch.

The earliest musical instruments were quite rudimentary. By the time of Zhou dynasty as many as 70 different instruments were commonly played. 8^th century bc, the golden age. Confucius himself would later say that playing an instrument was an important indicator of once moral standard. Many did not know that Confucius was a musician.

Overtime the number of musical instruments increased and they produce more objective sounds.

In the 8^th Century, Spring, and Autumn, and the Warring state war period. Musical instruments developed rapidly in this period. According to Wang Peng, Qin Manufacturer. “At first the Qin had five strings. Shun a legendary sage monarch enjoyed making five-stringed plucked instruments based on the notion of the 5 elements, metal, wood, water, fire and earth. Later when King Wu of Zhou attacked King Zhou of Shang he added the E string to the instrument to boost the morale of his troops. When King Wen of Zhou added a string in commemoration of his son, the Qin gained its seventh string.”

As time passed the shape of the Qin instrument becomes more complex. The Qin can take many shapes to accommodate its sound and rationality. For example there are Qins shaped like a banana leaf. Sunset cloud-shaped Qins were produced on the basis of imagined clouds. 

The Qin is one of China’s most important instruments. One of the requirements in playing the Qin was to have good manners. In ancient China, Qin’s were reserved for scholars before playing the Qin the musician was required to take a bow,  and in playing the instrument the player was to remain solemn and quiet. The Qin is meant to rid those who play it of evil thoughts and help them cultivate the mind and develop character.

The ancient city of Wuhan. Has a story about Yu Buoya he was an official who lived in the State of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period. He was superb at playing the Qin. Music brought him and a woodcutter named Zhong Ziqi together. The two are very best friends.When Yu’s friend died it was told that he broke his Qin and never played again.

In May 1978 excavation in Hubei province was undertaken. The tomb’s occupant was a 5^th century king,Zeng Hou Yi. A set of chime bells was discovered. The 65 chime bells weigh 5 tons. The sounds of the chime bells allow us to appreciate the sound of the ancient past. 

According to Feng Guangsheng, VP Hubei Art Vocational Institute.” The bells unearther in Zeng Hou Yi’s tomb produced transparent sounds like drops of water, and the sounds lingered, amazing all of us present. It was wonderful. Theoretically, the bells can produce monophonic or polyphonic sounds (simple or several sounds).”

The chime bells were designed to demonstrate the grandeur of the palace. The bells produce a very wide range of sound. They cover five octaves. The bass bells produced a soul-stirring sound.  This chime bells also proved that the ancient Chinese can produce high quality bronze. They were manufactured by 3 metals, bronze, tin and lead. Mixed in a proper ration. According to Chen Zhongxing, a research fellow, the proportion of tin, lead and bronze in the composition of bells was strictly calculated. So the bells have the best possible pitch tone and color.

Chime bells were not the only instruments found in Zeng’s tomb. There were also chimes made of stones, a giant drum, and more musical instruments, pan pipes as well as bamboo flutes. The chamber also contains sacrificial vessels, and an array of table ware. Laid on, as if a banquet was about to take place. This was in fact the king’s music center. We gain an idea of how ancient Chinese music was performed. There were also lighter instruments found. There are over 128 musical instruments in Zeng Ho Yi’s tomb. It is believed there are at least 41 musicians needed to play all these instruments. It is apparent that Zeng Ho Yi was also a skilled musician himself.

The finest are the chime bells among all the musical instruments in Zeng Ho Yi’s tomb. They were predominant in the music of China.

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Source: New Frontiers International documentary CCTV 9.

Book Review: The Chinese Medicine Bible (Penelope Ody)

Chinese medicine began with myth, its practice has been recorded for centuries. 

   I recently bought a book entitled,"The Chinese Medicine Bible" written by Penelope Ody. When I saw it on the shelf of a popular local bookstore I knew in an instant that I got to have it. As a book lover and a Chinese studies enthusiast, I consider this book indispensable. Nowadays, most people are into naturopathy or alternative medicine, one that relies in the natural healing power of nature. More and more people are becoming health conscious. We can see that through the increasing demand of organic fruits and vegetables. 

 This book is a mini-book. It can be carried easily and you can carry it along inside your bag. It also has a lot of pictures that makes it even more so interesting to read. The classification of food is also included in the book. It says in the book that there are five energies from food. That is the cold and cool foods, neutral, warm and hot food and the balancing food. 

   When I had tonsilitis before (swelling and infection of the tonsils) I went to a doctor who is into the natural and scientific methods in curing an ailment. After checking my throat, he prescribed an over-the counter medicine and food that I should not eat until my tonsils is back in its normal state. He further explained the reason why I should not eat certain food. For example, if I have oral-thrush or mouth sores, what we call 'singaw' in our native language, I should avoid eating 'hot' food. It's not really about the temperature of the food, what he meant by 'hot' is the effects that this particular food have on our body. Pizza is categorized in the 'hot' food. I told him that I frequently eat pizza, and he said, "So you see the effect it has on your body!" Some doctors would dismiss this theory saying that mouth sores are caused by a fungal infection. 

    Here in the Philippines, in Chinatown you can find Chinese traditional drugstores. For throat ailments, I've heard from a friend about this sweet sticky syrup that goes by the name 'Pei Pa Koa' (枇杷膏 pi pa gao). It is a famous Chinese cough syrup. Today, they came out with 'Pei Pa Koa' candies. I have not tried this but I'm using a herbal spray whenever I have sore throat, and it works well for me.

     The book has six chapters. It talks about the theory of Chinese medicine, causes of disease and diagnostics, acupuncture and acupressure, types of Chinese herbal medicines, understanding Chinese food cures and body works. 

     I see nothing wrong in trying alternative medicine and going organic. After all, in the bible it says there that Adam and Eve were to eat only vegetables and fruits (Genesis 1:29). Natural is always the best. Have you noticed that our grandparents have longer life span compared to the generation of today. As they say, everything is instant now, and that's also the same with life. In closing let me quote a famous line, "What you eat today is what you will look and feel tomorrow!" So I say always stay happy and eat healthy!

Book Review: The Chinese Language It's History and Current Usage

   I saw this book while browsing at a local bookstore. When I saw it, I knew immediately that I got to have it. So the next day after work, I rushed to the mall and went straight to the bookstore and yes! The book was still there, waiting for me. 

   I'm studying Basic Chinese 2 at Confucius Institute and I have been trying to learn Chinese since I was in highschool, a friend of mine even gave me a Chinese phrasebook assuming that I'll be able to use it when I travel to China in the future. 

  Chinese language is a very challenging language to learn. As mentioned in the book Chinese language is the putonghua, it is the common and national (official) language of China. The sentence structure differs from the English language, and it is also tonal. Mandarin has four tones. Like the Philippines, China is comprised of different dialects. Mandarin is a Northern dialect. Filipino-Chinese speak Fookien (Hokkien) since a large number of Filipino-Chinese came from Fujian province in China. In Hong Kong, the dialect that is widely used is Cantonese.

  This book was written by Dr. Daniel Kane. It is not unusual for Caucasians to be good or even an expert in the Chinese language. In fact foreigners studying the Chinese language, their numbers are increasing even more. For Chinese language learners, and for those who are Chinese studies enthusiast this book is indispensable. This book is divided into six chapters. It talks about the Chinese language, the characters, history and dialect, grammar, pronunciation, and suggested books for reading.

   To those who want to study the Chinese language, and want to learn more of its history and origin, then this book is for you.

Into the Heart and Mind of a Chinese Culture Enthusiast

   Most of the people I know when they find out that I like Chinese culture, music, anything that's related with it they find it strange. Sometimes, I'm the butt of joke, a fried of mine wayback often say sarcastically, (whenever we encounter oriental or 'chinky eyed' people), "Oh your friends, your people!". 

   Sometimes I get annoyed and pissed when they do that to me. Even if I don't show what I really feel, deep inside I'm already fuming. Is it really strange? I don't really think so! We all have our own interests and hobbies in life. Some study Spanish, French and other languages. While others are addicted to Korean and Japanese music, and tv dramas. Maybe, the only thing that's different, in my case I kinda embraced everything, and have really fallen in love with the Chinese culture, anything that's connected with it. 

Also, I'm not following any fad. I remember it was the height of Korean dramas when I became an ESL instructor to Koreans. I know a thing or two about Korean culture because I have dealt with Koreans before. Still, my interest in China didn't change, it still there lying dormant. It was only now that this passion of mine has been awakened. I guess, you always come back to the one you love doing. Besides, I already have finished doing my masteral, and I'm not really that occupied now so I can really spend a lot of time doing what I love. That is studying and writing about my interest. 

   Someday, I dream of becoming like Dashan. I read a story before about Dashan in my Lonely Planet: China travel book. That was one of my expensive books with regards to China. I bought it during my college days. I remember in our Chinese class yesterday we learned how to say 'big'. The Chinese character for that is 大 it reads as 'da' using the pinyin system. You'll really be amazed because Dashan, Mark Henry Rowswell is his real name, speaks really good Chinese. Actually there are a lot of Caucasians who can speak Chinese very well. I won't mention them all here. My point is, I'm not the only one in love with the Chinese language and culture, and it's not strange at all.

In the music scene, I came to know Frankie P., he is an Italian-American born and raised in the U.S. He speaks and can sing Cantonese very well. Just check out his videos on YouTube. It's really encouraging to see someone who also has the same interest. I've got some encouraging words from him, to just keep on practicing. Another one is an English woman named Mary Jess, she won and bagged the grand price in a singing contest in China, entitled 'I Want to Sing to the Stars.' 民星唱翻天 (Min Xing Chang Fan Tian). "Mary-Jess began studying Chinese at the age of 13 when it was offered as an extra-curricular GCSE at St. Peters RC High School in Gloucester. At the age of 15, Mary-Jess travelled to China for the first time with the school and whilst there she sang at the opening ceremony the summer school that she was attending. Her performance was credited by a lot of local press coverage. During this trip she fell in love with China and knew that she would continue to study Mandarin Chinese." (source: mary-jess.com)

So it's not only me. A lot of people around the world likes and appreciate the Chinese culture. Why? there are a hundreds of reasons and maybe, because its the cradle of the civilization, as mentioned in a local newspaper that I've read wayback. Here in my country, you can't deny the influence and the role of the Chinese in the Philippines way of life and culture.

   I also don't understand why a lot of people blame the Filipino-Chinese here in the Philippines, saying they are controlling everything. Most of the successful leaders here are PBC or Philippine Born Chinese and of Chinese lineage. It's not their fault, if you knew the life of early Chinese settlers here in the Philippines, it was not easy for them. They were the first peddlers, selling 'taho', dimsum (Chinese snacks), etc. on the streets. (visit Bahay Tsinoy in Intramuros to see the life like dioramas, and to learn more about the Filipino-Chinese history). They are just simply hardworking, and the times back then if you really work hard success is not that far behind. That's one thing we should learn from them. In appreciating the Chinese culture and language, I thank GOD for creating such a wonderful thing. I hope I have proven my point, that truly, I am not the only one in love!

(All Photos here were taken from Google Images).

Chinese Oil Paper Umbrellas

   I came to appreciate the Chinese oil paper umbrellas or parasols when I saw it in a music video. An English woman named Mary Jess holding a beautiful oriental umbrella, and singing a beautiful song. When I researched about it I came to know that it is called oil paper umbrellas. 

   I recently saw an episode on CCTV News: Journeys in the Past wherein the host anchor Madam Dang Bing in Beijing talks about oil paper umbrellas. Dai Wang Shu (20^th century poet) poem Rainy Lane depicts a girl wondering alone holding a paper umbrella in her hand.

      Below are some of the information I've gathered about the Chinese oil paper umbrellas from the documentary that I have seen.

The visual appeal of an oil paper umbrella lies in the simplicity of its design. This is deceptive part in making an umbrella. In fact it is a complex undertaking. Consisting of 80 processes, all of them performed by hand. The materials, the bamboo, the paper, and oil, must be carefully selected and processed to achieve the most desirable effect.

The oil paper umbrella was already in use a thousand of years ago. The story of the paper umbrella begins in the city of Luzhuo. Traditional techiniques in producing oil-paper umbrellas are still used there today. Luzhuo grows elastic and flexible bamboos. They’re also producers of Tung oil. Without a good material no skilled craftsman can produce a good oil paper umbrella. The frame of the umbrella is made from a Moso bamboo (a type of bamboo). It takes only 59 days for a Moso bamboo to grow again after being cut down.

The origins of paper umbrellas remain a mystery even today. Many people believe they first appeared in the Tang dynasty. One thing is for sure they were made in Southern China, where  the damp rainy climate created a need for such umbrellas. It was in the the Ming dynasty that the umbrellas rose to the height of their popularity. People believed that red umbrellas bought in Luzhuo can protect good people and turn bad luck into good. 

In my China book, I read that Hangzhou also makes and produces oil-paper umbrellas. I have also found out in Hangzhou they also have an umbrella museum. Oil paper umbrellas can also be seen in Meinong a small Hakka town in SouthernTaiwan. It's really nice to know that people around the world appreciate this one of a kind craft. Each of these oil paper umbrellas are truly a labor of love.