Showing posts tagged china
“

The reluctance of the educational system - public and private - to grasp the Chinese nettle is a metaphor for a much wider problem: our ignorance about China and our failure to appreciate just how much it will change the world and transform our lives.

[…]

The great task facing the West over the next century will be to make sense of China - not in our terms but in theirs. We have to understand China as it is and as it has been, not project our own history, culture, institutions and values onto it. It will always fail that test. In truth such a mentality tells us more about our own arrogance and lack of curiosity than anything about China.

Let’s take one example. We assume that the nation-state, that long-standing and remarkably influential European invention, is more or less universal. True, China has called itself a nation-state for about a century. But 100 years is a mere pin-prick for a country that dates back over two millennia. Modern China emerged in 221. By the time of the Han dynasty - still more than 2,000 years ago - China’s borders already closely resembled those of eastern and central China today. China is very old, the longest continuously-existing polity in the world. And for more than 2,000 years, it was not a nation-state but a civilisation-state. In essence it still is.

Martin Jacques, Making Sense of China (via perfectcoma)
(Reblogged from asianhistory)

great-china:

Ferghana horses （汗血马） were one of China’s earliest major imports, originating in an area in Central Asia. These horses, as depicted in Tang Dynasty pottery representations of them, “resemble the animals on the golden medal of Eucratides, King of Bactria (Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris).”

Dayuan, north of Bactria, was a nation centered in the Ferghana Valley of present-day Central Asia, and even as early as the Han Dynasty, China projected its military power to that area. The Han imperial regime required Ferghana horses and imported such great numbers of them that the rulers of Ferghana closed their borders to such trade. That move resulted in a war that China won. In 102 CE, the Chinese required of the defeated Ferghana that they provide at least ten of their finest horses for breeding purposes, and three thousand Ferghana horses of ordinary quality. However, there are other views: the Records of the Grand Historian and Book of Han provide no description of Ferghana horses, and as it seemed from these chronicles they were not employed in any known Han expeditions and campaigns.

Chinese statuary and paintings, as well as the Bactrian coin shown above, indicate that these horses had legs that were proportionally short, powerful crests, and round barrels. The forelegs of the Chinese depictions are very straight, resembling the Guoxia horse of present-day China. According to tradition, these horses sweat blood, giving rise to the name: “sweats blood horse” . Modern authorities believe that blood-sucking parasites caused sweat to get mixed with blood when the horses were worked.

‘“Modern researchers, Mair notes, have come up with two different ideas [for the ancient Chinese references to the “Blood-sweating” horses of Ferghana]. The first suggests that small subcutaneous blood vessels burst as the horses sustained a long hard gallop. The second theorizes that a parasitic nematode, Parafilaria multipapillosa, triggered the phenomenon. P. multipapillosa is widely distributed across the Russian steppes and makes its living by burrowing into the subcutaneous tissues of horses. The resulting skin nodules bleed often, sometimes copiously, giving rise to a something veterinarians call “summer bleeding.”

Over 2,000 years ago two Chinese armies traveled 10,000 km to Ferghana to find ‘Heavenly Horses’, the finest mounts then known, apparently infected with a tiny worm causing them to ‘sweat blood’ from skin sores:

“Sometime earlier the emperor had divined by the Book of Changes and been told that “divine horses are due to appear” from the northwest”. When the Wusun came with their horses, which were of an excellent breed, he named them “heavenly horses”. Later, however, he obtained the blood-sweating horses from Dayuan [= Ferghana], which were even hardier. He therefore changed the name of the Wusun horses, calling them “horses from the western extremity”, and used the name “heavenly horses” for the horses of Dayuan.”

P. multipapillosa is thought to have been the cause of the “blood-sweating” of these famous and much desired horses from Ferghana, which Emperor Wu of Han China (Wudi) renamed “Heavenly Horses” (c. 113 BCE). He sent an army of 40,000 men in 104 BCE the 5,000 km to Ferghana, but they were defeated. Another army of 60,000 men was sent in 103 BCE and they managed to negotiate the acquisition of 3,000 horses (though only a few dozen were top class and only 1,000 made it all the way back to China in 101 BCE). However, they did also get an agreement that Ferghana would send two Heavenly horses each year to the Emperor, and lucerne seed was brought back to China providing superior pasture for breeding raising fine horses in China, to provide cavalry which could cope with the Xiongnu who threatened China.

(Reblogged from yiheyuans)

Chinese Islamic Calligraphy

melissachencq:

A while back for my Chinese class I had to do a presentation on world religions and I came across Sini, which is a type of Arabic calligraphy style used in China. It’s interesting because not a lot of people realize that China a pretty sizeable Muslim population, especially in Western China. There’s even a writing style that was developed specifically for transliterating Sinitic languages with Arabic script. I’ll probably post more on that later but for now, here are some pictures of Sini calligraphy.

File:Chinese quran.jpg

File:Sini script.jpg

File:Qur'anic Manuscript - Sini script.jpg

Unlike other styles of Arabic calligraphy, Sini uses brushes as opposed to reed pens so you get lots of soft shapes and tapered effects that are characteristic of Chinese calligraphy.

According to China Heritage Quarterly, Sini script probably emerged during the Ming Dynasty when China broke off contact with many of the Muslim populations ruled over by the Mongols, who had control of China during the Yuan Dynasty.

Here are some pictures of Sini calligraphy used to adorn mosques.

Fig. 13 Calligraphic window decoration in Sini script, Niujie Mosque, Beijing.

Fig. 14

Fig 12 <i>Shahada</i> placard above the entrance to the Beiwu mosque, Dachang, Hebei.

And here’s the official site of Hajji Noor Deen Mi Guang Jiang, one of the most famous Sini calligraphers: http://www.hajinoordeen.com/

Source: China Heritage Quarterly

(Reblogged from tithenai)
gondoleia: in other things that make my blood boil re: liu wen and china made in china? are you KIDDING ME? she’s not some toy that was assembled in shenzhen and guangzhou to be shipped off for consumption in the west and to make money for western businesses, okay? she is a living breathing human being and she’s fucking beautiful and gorgeous and wonderful and absolutely worthy of being profiled but NOT IN SUCH A MANNER. View high resolution

gondoleia:

in other things that make my blood boil re: liu wen and china

made in china?

are you KIDDING ME? she’s not some toy that was assembled in shenzhen and guangzhou to be shipped off for consumption in the west and to make money for western businesses, okay?

she is a living breathing human being and she’s fucking beautiful and gorgeous and wonderful and absolutely worthy of being profiled but NOT IN SUCH A MANNER.

(Source: modellove)

(Reblogged from crackerhell)

Nanjing People

gondoleia:

the-grass-is-greener-here:

Out of all the Mainlanders I’ve met, I’ve decided that I like Nanjing people the most.

They are intelligent, perceptive, charismatic, beautiful, generous, warm and infinitely awesome.

The basis of my judgement? Well, during our trek at the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the Nanjing lady asked me where I was studying high school…

:)

WHAT.

OP, are you SERIOUS. Are you seriously going to make your condescending racist judgments THIS blatant. WOW. No. Not cool.

WHO CARES IF SHE ASKED YOU WHERE YOU WERE GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL

THAT’S JUST BEING POLITE/MAKING SMALL TALK

You’re fetishizing this lady for SMALL TALK. 

GROSS.

(Reblogged from yiheyuans)

vengerturtle:

Iron Man 3 Details Revealed (via CBM)

Following reports that Chinese actor-singer Andy Lau had landed a Scientist role in Iron Man 3, Hong-Kong-based newspaper Apple Daily has confirmed the role, in addition to more production details. Praising the amount of screen time Andy will supposedly have, the report adds that Chinese actresses Fan Bingbing and Yang Mi are joining the Shane Black-directed threequel as as Andy’s wife and assistant respectively. What’s rather more interesting in the report (transcribed via AndyLauSounds) says: 

The film will have location shooting in Beijing and Shanghai, it will narrates that the daughter of Robert Downey Jr.’s friend was kidnapped and brought to China, in order to save his friend’s daughter, he flew over from America to China to seek help from Andy[’s character] to strengthen his abilities to fight The Mandarin. You will see Iron Man fly over The Great Wall of China, National Palace Museum and other landmarks in Shanghai…May 2013 

Although veteran actor Ben Kinglsey’s role has yet to be disclosed, the report lists The Mandarin. Suggesting why why the villain won’t be Chinese, a la his source material, the reports explains: 

In order not to hurt the feelings of Western and Chinese audience, the story will not focus so much on the villain’s background as not to display the Chinese as evil. [The production] had already got approval from the State Administration of Radio Film and Television in order to be shot, all contents that harms Chinese image had been “removed”, this explains why the villain will be a bit different from the original comic 

(Source: oldvengerturtle)

(Reblogged from fyeahlilbit2point0)

dolgematki:

universalbeauty:

Ethnic groups of China.
 

Han Chinese is the largest ethnic group in China. Yet there are many other ethnic groups which aren’t often heard of to the average person.

There are 56 recognised ethnic groups in China. Many have there own languages, Dress and traditions. 

For more Ethnic groups of China and other interesting posts click here. 

This.

I know two girls adopted from China into a Saami family here—I wonder if they know which area, which group, etc. I wonder if the agencies even tell you that sort of thing.

(Reblogged from snarkinfestedwaters)
yerawizardharry: Nüshu (literally “women’s writing” in Chinese) is a syllabic script created and used exclusively by women in the Jiangyong County in Hunan province of southern China. Up until the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) women were forbidden access to formal education, and so Nüshu was developed in secrecy as a means to communicate. Since its discovery in 1982, Nüshu remains to be the only gender-specific writing system in the world.Read more here.

yerawizardharry:

Nüshu (literally “women’s writing” in Chinese) is a syllabic script created and used exclusively by women in the Jiangyong County in Hunan province of southern China. Up until the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) women were forbidden access to formal education, and so Nüshu was developed in secrecy as a means to communicate. Since its discovery in 1982, Nüshu remains to be the only gender-specific writing system in the world.

Read more here.

(Reblogged from asianhistory)
mapsinchoate: The Da Ming Hun Yi Tu (Great Ming Dynasty Amalagamated Map), China, 1389 Painted on silk in AD 1389 but with Manchu language captions superimposed on paper slips several centuries later, is the oldest surviving Chinese world map. View high resolution

mapsinchoate:

The Da Ming Hun Yi Tu (Great Ming Dynasty Amalagamated Map), China, 1389

Painted on silk in AD 1389 but with Manchu language captions superimposed on paper slips several centuries later, is the oldest surviving Chinese world map.

(Reblogged from fyeahlilbit2point0)
View high resolution

(Source: chinese-opera)

(Reblogged from yiheyuans)
damnlayoffthebleach: jedifreac: damnlayoffthebleach: Mulan Chinese From here http://sakimichan.deviantart.com/ BRHood: Hey guys! I’m going to need some help on this. And I’d love it if our Chinese and other Asian followers who may know more than us could comment so we can get this discussion going. I remember a while ago, like a year or so ago, I read THIS POST (took me soooooo long to find it again) discussing Mulan from a feminist aspect. In hindset, it annoying uses western ideas of “feminism” to critique a Disney version of a Chinese story, but whatever. In the article (which I think the girl wrote for a school assignment), it’s mentioned that the Disney Mulan does not really LOOK authentically Chinese.  Part of Mulan’s charm as  Disney Princess and Asian woman is her ravishing beauty, pale skin and “tiny waist.”  However, as Zhongshun writes, “…it was never stressed in the ancient poem that Mulan was a ravishing beauty” (Zhongshun 23).  Furthermore, Zhang Renjie argues that Disney artists “chose to create a Mulan that looks like a Vietnamese” (Renjie 31), versus an authentic-looking Chinese girl.  I would love it if our Chinese followers could maybe clarify. I say this because this submission made me wonder just how “whitewashed” the first picture is when the second picture (the original Disney version) , from my understanding, is not an accurate portrayal of Chinese girls. So what should Mulan REALLY look like? Thank you kindly for any responses we may get. As a young-ish Asian American girl when Mulan first came out in the early 2000s, I distinctly remember not liking Mulan’s appearance. I never really pinned down why exactly this was until recently. I mean, what was up with those slanty eyes? I remember arguing with white kids on the playground when I was younger and the only Asian in my class that Asians didn’t have slanty eyes, see how I did not; I really resented that Mulan had slanty eyes and here Disney was winning the battle over that stereotype. I just remember thinking: she is Asian and ethnically Han Chinese, like me (though my family is more Taiwanese than Chinese at this point)…but I don’t look like that, do I? And I can appreciate Disney basing her appearance on ancient Chinese standards of beauty with the round face and thick eyebrows and defined features, because that is a thing, but still…working on the Racebending protest I really, really began to resent Mulan. Rage resent. Because people would say things like, “If Aang is supposed to be Asian, why doesn’t he have slanty eyes, why doesn’t he look more like Mulan.” And even if I had contextual proof (eg. the Avatar creators have stated that they decided to use the Korean animated art style to draw faces since that was what those artists were good at, etc.) there was still this mental disconnect…because Aang did not look like what white people (and really all Americans via osmosis) EXPECTED Asians to look like. Because these stereotypes are so engrained. Early on in the Airbender protest, I remember giving a long ass PowerPoint presentation on the Asian elements of Avatar: The Last Airbender to a prominent Asian American advocacy group in order to convince them that Avatar was in fact being whitewashed. The leaders of the organization told us that Aaang and co. had round blue eyes and they were confused, until I reminded them that this was the case in anime as well. I remember protesting the Runaways casting calls because Marvel was seriously, seriously considering whitewashing the Japanese American character of Nico Minoru. I remember approaching other longstanding Asian American groups with this news to ask for their support in pursuing the issue. I would send out these briefing sheet emails and attach images of Jo Chen’s beautiful covers featuring Nico. I encountered so much resistance because to these older non-comic book, non-anime savvy Asian American advocates, Nico “didn’t really look that Asian” to them. Instead of being happy that for once, we were not being drawn with exaggerated, stereotypical features, they doubted that Nico was Asian at all. We got the same questions from mainstream geek press. “She doesn’t look Asian to me.” So I began to cull images of Nico from all of the different artists who worked in the book. And I noticed that the Asian, Asian American and Asian Canadian artists would draw Nico looking, well, “normal” …and the non-Asian artists were more likely to, well…draw her as looking like Mulan. Because that is what we are accustomed to imagining cartoon Asians as “looking like.” My love-hate relationship with Mulan is really impacted by the way she was depicted, to the point where I still can’t stand Mulan merchandise. I’ve been looking for an Asian Barbie doll for a long time but I feel like the Mulan doll isn’t a good substitute because of her exaggerated racialized features. I don’t know if I am the only Asian who feels this way or not. I simply experience a lot of cognitive dissonance between how I feel Mulan should look like and how she does look like. I PARTICULARLY resent Disney for always marketing her in the same goddamn outfit she sings about as oppressing her in the movie, and for calling it a freaking “kimono” last Halloween, etc. http://mickey89eli.deviantart.com/art/Real-Mulan-94298507 And for me, it isn’t about wanting Mulan to look more “white” even though yes, I grew up in a culture that taught me that white beauty was normative and to have her not look like the other princesses is kind of othering, etc…It’s just about her not looking like an alien. Because I’m pretty sure part of the reason why aliens are drawn with slanted eyes is because in the early and late 1800s Asian immigrants were referred to as celestials and aliens because we looked so different. (citation needed.) To me, Mulan looks like what white people expect Asian people to look like, and not what I felt Asian people should look like—or do look like. While I don’t think the first picture is perfect either, it is closer to how I would have drawn Mulan. TayTay: Read  Anyone else want to add?

damnlayoffthebleach:

jedifreac:

damnlayoffthebleach:

Mulan

Chinese

From here http://sakimichan.deviantart.com/

BRHood: Hey guys! I’m going to need some help on this. And I’d love it if our Chinese and other Asian followers who may know more than us could comment so we can get this discussion going.

I remember a while ago, like a year or so ago, I read THIS POST (took me soooooo long to find it again) discussing Mulan from a feminist aspect. In hindset, it annoying uses western ideas of “feminism” to critique a Disney version of a Chinese story, but whatever. In the article (which I think the girl wrote for a school assignment), it’s mentioned that the Disney Mulan does not really LOOK authentically Chinese.

 Part of Mulan’s charm as  Disney Princess and Asian woman is her ravishing beauty, pale skin and “tiny waist.”  However, as Zhongshun writes, “…it was never stressed in the ancient poem that Mulan was a ravishing beauty” (Zhongshun 23).  Furthermore, Zhang Renjie argues that Disney artists “chose to create a Mulan that looks like a Vietnamese” (Renjie 31), versus an authentic-looking Chinese girl. 

I would love it if our Chinese followers could maybe clarify. I say this because this submission made me wonder just how “whitewashed” the first picture is when the second picture (the original Disney version) , from my understanding, is not an accurate portrayal of Chinese girls. So what should Mulan REALLY look like? Thank you kindly for any responses we may get.

As a young-ish Asian American girl when Mulan first came out in the early 2000s, I distinctly remember not liking Mulan’s appearance. I never really pinned down why exactly this was until recently.

I mean, what was up with those slanty eyes? I remember arguing with white kids on the playground when I was younger and the only Asian in my class that Asians didn’t have slanty eyes, see how I did not; I really resented that Mulan had slanty eyes and here Disney was winning the battle over that stereotype.

I just remember thinking: she is Asian and ethnically Han Chinese, like me (though my family is more Taiwanese than Chinese at this point)…but I don’t look like that, do I?

And I can appreciate Disney basing her appearance on ancient Chinese standards of beauty with the round face and thick eyebrows and defined features, because that is a thing, but still…working on the Racebending protest I really, really began to resent Mulan.

Rage resent. Because people would say things like, “If Aang is supposed to be Asian, why doesn’t he have slanty eyes, why doesn’t he look more like Mulan.” And even if I had contextual proof (eg. the Avatar creators have stated that they decided to use the Korean animated art style to draw faces since that was what those artists were good at, etc.) there was still this mental disconnect…because Aang did not look like what white people (and really all Americans via osmosis) EXPECTED Asians to look like. Because these stereotypes are so engrained.

Early on in the Airbender protest, I remember giving a long ass PowerPoint presentation on the Asian elements of Avatar: The Last Airbender to a prominent Asian American advocacy group in order to convince them that Avatar was in fact being whitewashed. The leaders of the organization told us that Aaang and co. had round blue eyes and they were confused, until I reminded them that this was the case in anime as well.

I remember protesting the Runaways casting calls because Marvel was seriously, seriously considering whitewashing the Japanese American character of Nico Minoru. I remember approaching other longstanding Asian American groups with this news to ask for their support in pursuing the issue. I would send out these briefing sheet emails and attach images of Jo Chen’s beautiful covers featuring Nico. I encountered so much resistance because to these older non-comic book, non-anime savvy Asian American advocates, Nico “didn’t really look that Asian” to them. Instead of being happy that for once, we were not being drawn with exaggerated, stereotypical features, they doubted that Nico was Asian at all.

We got the same questions from mainstream geek press. “She doesn’t look Asian to me.” So I began to cull images of Nico from all of the different artists who worked in the book. And I noticed that the Asian, Asian American and Asian Canadian artists would draw Nico looking, well, “normal” …and the non-Asian artists were more likely to, well…draw her as looking like Mulan. Because that is what we are accustomed to imagining cartoon Asians as “looking like.”

My love-hate relationship with Mulan is really impacted by the way she was depicted, to the point where I still can’t stand Mulan merchandise. I’ve been looking for an Asian Barbie doll for a long time but I feel like the Mulan doll isn’t a good substitute because of her exaggerated racialized features. I don’t know if I am the only Asian who feels this way or not. I simply experience a lot of cognitive dissonance between how I feel Mulan should look like and how she does look like. I PARTICULARLY resent Disney for always marketing her in the same goddamn outfit she sings about as oppressing her in the movie, and for calling it a freaking “kimono” last Halloween, etc.

http://mickey89eli.deviantart.com/art/Real-Mulan-94298507

And for me, it isn’t about wanting Mulan to look more “white” even though yes, I grew up in a culture that taught me that white beauty was normative and to have her not look like the other princesses is kind of othering, etc…It’s just about her not looking like an alien. Because I’m pretty sure part of the reason why aliens are drawn with slanted eyes is because in the early and late 1800s Asian immigrants were referred to as celestials and aliens because we looked so different. (citation needed.)

To me, Mulan looks like what white people expect Asian people to look like, and not what I felt Asian people should look like—or do look like. While I don’t think the first picture is perfect either, it is closer to how I would have drawn Mulan.

TayTay:

Read 

Anyone else want to add?

(Reblogged from damnlayoffthebleach)

fuckyeschina:

LOL

(Source: )

(Reblogged from yiheyuans)
“
After a thorough, independent investigation found significant issues with working conditions at three factories in China operated by Apple’s major supplier Foxconn, the Fair Labor Association secured groundbreaking commitments that will reduce working hours to legal limits while protecting pay, improve health and safety conditions, establish a genuine voice for workers, and will monitor on an ongoing basis to verify compliance. The nearly month-long investigation found excessive overtime and problems with overtime compensation; several health and safety risks; and crucial communication gaps that have led to a widespread sense of unsafe working conditions among workers.
The report on Apple’s (and other tech companies) Chinese manufacturer is in! And it’s not pretty. Changes afoot. [h/t ProducerMatthew] (via newsweek)
(Reblogged from spacehelmetforacow)
Did I mention that the creepy statue had a partner? View high resolution

Did I mention that the creepy statue had a partner?

Creepy statue in front of a Harbin restaurant. YUP. View high resolution

Creepy statue in front of a Harbin restaurant. YUP.