Paper cutting

Paper cutting is a traditional art in China which has been making its way along the route of the long history of paper.The kind of art went after the invention of paper in Han Dynasty,once became one of the main form of arts,and was popular to the people of the time; even in royal families ladies were also judged by the ability at papercut.

Most of the papercut artists are women.The themes of their works usually include everything in people's daily life from dumb things to the surroundings.Familiarity makes them understand the real spirit of the art.

The main tool for papercut is scissors.Once they are owned by a master of papercut,they will do so well that they become so supernatural and their papercuts are beyond imagination flow out of his/her hands in the chattering of a common pair of scissors.Another tool for paper cutting is engraving knives which are necessary to enhance a sharpened effect or to make a delicate job.

No doubt that arts come from life and serve life Papercuts are very popular in the countryside.The bright colors of red,green or light blue papercuts provide a strong foil to set off a merry atmosphere.So they are often found in wedding ceremonies or festivals in China.And people like to decorate their windows and doors using colorful papercuts of different shapes and sizes whether they be birds,animals or flowers.

In different parts of china,people young or old find hope and comfort in expressing wishes with paper cuttings.For example:for a wedding ceremony,red paper cuttings are a traditional and required decoration on the tea set,the dressing table glass,and on other furniture.A big red paper character 'Xi' (happiness) is a traditional must on the newlywed's door.Upon the birthday party of a senior,the character 'Shou' represents longevity and will add delight to the whole celebration; while a pattern of plump children cuddling fish signifies that every year they will be abundant in wealth.

Xi(happiness)
shou(longevity )


HONGKONG

Mid-Autumn Day

 I think Mid-Autumn Day is an old traditional festival in China. Everybody likes it because it's a family get-together. You see it is called"Mid-Autumn Day", so it often comes in September or October. It is on the 15th of the 8th of the lunar month. Now, let's say something about this interesting festival.

   Firstly, I'd like to say something about the moon.That day the moon is round, big, just like a beautiful plate hanging on the blue cloth. When I see the moon, I will remember the ancient myths——the godess Chang Er and her little rabbit are playing under the tree which Wu Gang grows. I will also think about Armstrong's first moonwalk.　Secondly, I'11 say something about the tradition on Mid-Autumn Day. Look！There's a big tree in a garden of a Chinese family. All the family members are sitting around a big table under the tree in the open air. They are eating the mooncakes and admiring the full moon in the sky. That is a family reunion dinner. The mooncakes and the moon represent the love from a family. I think this is one of the most valuable things in the world.

  Thirdly，it is a very good opportunity to make ttwo wishes on Mid-Autumn Day. My wishes are: the first, I hope every person in the world will stay with family, share love from the family forever; the second, I hope everybody's dream will come true.

  That is the Mid-Autumn Day in my mind. I will always remember：home is the best.

Chinese Caligraphy

In my country, calligraphy has always been considered as one of the most significant arts. And we are advocated practicing calligraphy when we are children for that we can get some benefits from it.In the first place, it is obvious that practicing calligraphy is of great help to improve our handwriting. Improving our handwriting is very important in that our handwriting can reflect some information about our characteristics. Second, practicing calligraphy can settle our minds and soften our moods. When we are anxious or upset, practicing calligraphy can make us calm down and turn to be rational so that we would not do something impulsive. Finally, practicing calligraphy is a good way to improve our ability of appreciation. By practicing different kinds of calligraphies, we can get knowledge of characters of various calligraphies, compare them with each other and learn to appreciate them. In this process, we are able to develop a good eye for beauty.

Calligraphy is the essence of Chinese culture, which has developed into a special high-level art apart from satisfying the needs of daily writing. It has been flourishing for thousands of years inChina. Shops with strong commercial atmosphere will gain some elegance if they are decorated with some quaint cultural calligraphic works. Sitting rooms, studies and bedrooms can be nice-looking with calligraphy works decorated. As a kind of art work, the writing of calligraphy is particular. The Chinese characters are written on Xuan paper which absorbs ink very well and then are mounted to hang on a wall. The calligraphy works are mostly a poem or a motto that the host of the room likes it much; if it is written by the host himself, it will demonstrate more his aspiration and interest as well as his talent.

into

.As is well known to us all,China is one of  four ancient and civilizational countries in the world.The culture of China is one of the world's oldest and most complex cultures.The area in which the culture is dominant covers a large geographical region in east Asia and southeast Asia with customs and traditions varying greatly between province and regions. Many aspects of Chinese culture can be traced back many centuries ago. Chinese culture is so diverse and unique, yet harmoniously blended, and presents itself an invaluable asset to the world.Since ancient times, Chinese culture has been heavily influenced by Confucianism and conservative philosophies. Up to now, Chinese culture still deeply influences each Chinese.

Tomb-sweeping Day

                    Tomb-sweeping Day
  

       
     The Tomb- sweeping day is one of the traditional festivals in China. On April 5th, people start to visit their ancestors’ tombs. Generally speaking, people will bring the home-made food, some fake money and paper-made mansion to their ancestors. When they start to honor their ancestor, they will light up some candles and incense, put some flowers around the tombs. The most important thing is to put the home-made food in front of the tombs. The food, also known as sacrifices, is usually made up with a chicken, a fish and some pork. It’s a symbol of the offspring’s respect to the ancestors. People believe that the forbears will share the food with them. The children dedicate the food and money to their forbears in order to show their love and caring. The young offspring will go down on their knees and pray for their ancestors. They can say their wishes in front of the tombs and the ancestors will make their dreams come true.                                                                                                                             
       In some provinces of China, people use different activities to commemorate this day, for instance, spring-outing, swinging, tree planting and making special food. One special food is Ay Tsao rice balls. It looks like Tang-yuan, but its colour is green. Mix the ay tsao juice with the rice powder, then make it into small balls. The Ay Tsao rice ball is done. People believe that eating ay tsao rice balls can get rid of the bad luck and everything will go smoothly. Other activities such as spring outing, tree planting are the other ways to commemorate the forbears. For one thing, it is a sign that people should look into the future and embrace the hope; for another thing, we do hope our ancestor rest in peace.