Peking Opera

National Treasure~Peking Opera

Chinese Space Traveller

The Shenzhou-7 spaceship blasts off

Black And White of Wuxia World

Gu Long's WuXia World

I'm a fun of Wuxia novels.in all of the novelists,i most like Gulong.reading his works,i think it is a kind of enjoyer.

Xiong Yaohua(1937-September 21,1985),who wrote under the pen name Gu Long,was a Taiwanese writer of Wuxia novels.He was born in HongKong and moved to Taiwan in 1950.Several of his novels were adapted to film and television,most notably The Eleventh Son which was adapted several times,including a 1971 film adaptation as Shaw Brother's Swordsman and
Enchantress.He began his own movie studio,Bao Sian,to further the adaptation of his novels.

1938

Born in Hong Kong.

Some sources say that he was born in 1936, while others believe that he was born in 1937 in China.

1952

Moved to Taiwan with his parents.

1956

His parents divorced.

Without anyone to care for him, Xiong Yaohua's life lost a measure of stability. After graduating from the Foreign Language Department of the University of Danjiang in Taiwan,with assistance from friends, as well as money earned from part-time work, he found a job in the United States Army Advisory in Taipei.

1956

Published his first pure literary work.

Called "From the North to the South", the work was printed in two installments in Wu Kaixuan's "Daylight" magazine.

1960

Wrote his first wuxia novel, "The Vault of Heaven and the Sword of Divinity".

This novel, written under the pen-name of "Gu Long", came about because of the influence of the times, as well as the encouragement of friends and the pressure of financial need. Although it was meant to be the anti-thesis of traditional works, the content itself was "written carelessly and at random". Consequently, the novel read like an outline.

1960-1961

Published a flurry of eight novels before retreating in solitude to the town of Ruifang for three years.

Novels like "The Fragrant Rain of Swords" , "Broken Gold, Flawed Jade" and "The Strange Moon and the Evil Star" captured readers with bizarre plots, but the stories themselves remained unremarkable because the traditional literary style was still being used. During this time, his attitude towards writing was akin to child's play, starting new stories and casting them aside irresponsibly according to his fancy.

Other works, like "The Sword and the Scholar" and "A Spark of Distraction", had an originality in prose that seemed to indicate an improvement, yet they did not have the ingenuity needed for a breakthrough.

After reading Lu Yu's "Ways of the Young", he decided that a "new style of wuxia fiction" was worth pursuing. He began making a gradual change to his traditional style of writing and soon came up with novels such as "The Legend of the Solitary Star" and "The Sword of Concubine Xiang". Yet, these attempts in taking a new route to wuxia writing did not result in the desired success.

At that time, the wuxia fiction scene in Taiwan was monopolised by the "Three Swordsmen", Wolong Sheng, Zhuge Qingyun and Sima Ling. Gu Long was unwilling, of course, to be their little page (attendant).

After retreating to Ruifang, he focused on understanding the ways of life and sought a new perspective to his work. The results were amazing almost to the point of incredulity, for he quickly gained a reputation that put him on the same footing as the "Three Swordsmen". Together, they were known as the "Four Heavenly Kings" of wuxia fiction.

1964

Completed "The Record of Cleansing Flowers and Swords".

Also known as "The Hero of the Rivers and Seas", this flowing and poetic tale was soon hailed as the best among his early works. During this time, Gu Long drew heavily from the works of three well-known wuxia authors: Japan's Yoshikawa Eiji, China's Huanzhu Louzhu and Hong Kong's Jin Yong.

Taking a cue from Yoshikawa's "Miyamoto Musashi" that talked about "understanding the true essence of life through the way of the sword", he focused on the tension that preceded a duel and finished things off with a single stroke of the sabre. By despatching characters within three strokes and two stances, he never had to write another lengthy battle scene again. This marked his breakthrough in wuxia fiction as well as the dawn of his inimitable "simplified" style.

He also understood the subtleties in the philosophy of "overcoming the sword with swordlessness" that Jin Yong wrote about in "Divine Eagle, Gallant Knight". This took place a whole three years before Jin Yong expanded the description of the philosophy as the peerless skill of "overcoming form with formlessness" in the novel "Smiling Proud Wanderer", where Feng Qingyang instructed Linghu Chong in the "Nine Swords of Dugu".

In addition, Gu Long began doing his best to create an atmosphere of literature and art in his works, using simple yet succinct dialogue to convey a variety of philosophies. In addition, he used many poetic phrases and passages to depict human nature and the philosophies of life.

Unfortunately, "The Record of Cleansing Flowers and Swords" had too many hints that foreshadowed later developments in the story. Unable to tie all these loose ends up, Gu Long eventually produced a work that read like the tiger's head and the snake's tail: a fine start but a poor finish that reduced the artistic value of the book.

1967

Published "The Chronicles of Ironclad Determination", better known as "The Marvellous Tales of Chu Liuxiang".

These stories showcased the individuality and character of Gu Long at his best.

Between 1967 and the end of the 1970s, his novels finally secured him a place in the annals of modern wuxia fiction. As the sole representative of excellence in the genre from Taiwan for an entire decade, he was named along with Jin Yong and Liang Yusheng as the three legs of the tripod of wuxia.

Epiphyllum is blooming~!

Yesterday,the epiphyllum planted at my home was blooming,just for two hours.in order to catch its beautiful process.i waited from lunch time to 12:00 at night,all most for 8 hours!

But the flower is so saintly,it worth people's await~!!!

The maple leaves of the Fragrant Hills

The fascinating National Stadium (Bird nest)

Moon Cakes

There is this story about the moon-cake. during the Yuan dynasty（A.D. 1280-1368）China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung dynasty（A.D. 960-1280）were unhappy at submitting to the foreign rule，and set how to coordinate the rebellion without being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion，knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near，ordered the making of special cakes. Backed into each moon cake was a message with the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival，the rebels successfully attached and overthrew the government. Today，moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this legend and was called the Moon Cake.

For generations，moon cakes have been made with sweet fillings of nuts，mashed red beans，lotus-seed paste or Chinese dates，wrapped in a pastry. Sometimes a cooked egg yolk can be found in the middle of the rich tasting dessert. People compare moon cakes to the plum pudding and fruit cakes which are served in the English holiday seasons.

Nowadays，there are hundreds varieties of moon cakes on sale a month before the arrival of Moon Festival.

Mid-Autumn Festival

The joyous Mid-Autumn Festival was celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth moon，around the time of the autumn equinox. Many referred to it simply as the “Fifteenth of the Eighth Moon”.

This day was also considered as a harvest festival since fruits，vegetables and grain had been harvested by this time and food was abundant. Food offerings were placed on an altar set up in the courtyard. Apples，pears，peaches，grapes，pomegranates，melons，oranges and pomelos might be seen. Special foods for the festival included moon cakes，cooked taro and water caltrope,a type of water chestnut resembling black buffalo horns. Some people insisted that cooked taro be included because at the time of creation，taro was the first food discovered at night in the moonlight. Of all these foods，it could not be omitted from the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The round moon cakes，measuring about three inches in diameter and one and a half inches in thickness，resembled Western fruitcakes in taste and consistency. These cakes were made with melon seeds，lotus seeds，almonds，minced meats，bean paste，orange peels and lard. A golden yolk from a salted duck egg was placed at the center of each cake，and the golden brown crust was decorated with symbols of the festival. Traditionally，thirteen moon cakes were piled in a pyramid to symbolize the thirteen moons of a “complete year，” that is，twelve moons plus one intercalary moon.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festivity for both the Han and minority nationalities. The custom of worshipping the moon can be traced back as far as the ancient Xia and Shang Dynasties（2000 B.C.-1066 B.C.）. In the Zhou Dynasty（1066 B.C.-221 B.C.），people hold ceremonies to greet winter and worship the moon whenever the Mid-Autumn Festival sets in. It becomes very prevalent in the Tang Dynasty（618-907 A.D.）that people enjoy and worship the full moon. In the Southern Song Dynasty（1127-1279 A.D.），however，people send round moon cakes to their relatives as gifts in expression of their best wishes of family reunion. When it becomes dark，they look up at the full silver moon or go sightseeing on lakes to celebrate the festival. Since the Ming（1368-1644 A.D. ）and Qing Dynasties（1644-1911A.D.），the custom of Mid-Autumn Festival celebration becomes unprecedented popular. Together with the celebration there appear some special customs in different parts of the country，such as burning incense，planting Mid-Autumn trees，lighting lanterns on towers and fire dragon dances. However，the custom of playing under the moon is not so popular as it used to be nowadays，but it is not less popular to enjoy the bright silver moon. Whenever the festival sets in，people will look up at the full silver moon，drinking wine to celebrate their happy life or thinking of their relatives and friends far from home，and extending all of their best wishes to them.

The Chinese Lute (Pi Pa)

The pipa , a combination of pi and pa, originally referred to two right-hand techniques: pi meant "to play forward" and pa "to play backward". The archetype of the modern pipa, which had a half-pear-shaped soundbox, a crooked neck, 4 or 5 strings and 4 frets, originated in Central Asia and arrived in China in the 4th century AD. The immortal poetry Song of the Pipa by Tang poet Bai Juyi reveals the instrument's great popularity in the Tang and Song period (618-1279). Until then a plectrum was used; after that time, performers only used their fingernails, which still persists today.

The number of frets has gradually been increased, up to 23-25 frets in the modern type, expanding the instrument's range chromatically. Now the strings are steel wires, instead of silk, with or without nylon coiling round. Its range is over three and a half octaves. The pipa's clear, bright and mellow tone and its variable volume can be seen from the description of Bai Juyi's verses:

The bold strings-they patterned like the dashing rain,

The life strings-they sounded like the lovers' whispers.

Chattering and pattering, pattering and chattering,

As pearls, large and small, on a jade patter fall.

Today the playing techniques are even more sophisticated. The pipa is often used for solos and in ensembles or in the modern Chinese orchestra.

Journey of Tai An city

Because one of our clients placed an order of metal accessories,then we had this chance to visit factory located in Tai An city.

Tai An city is famous for Taishan mountain.because of time limitation,we could just visit Dai Temple.now,please allow me to introduce it to you.

Dai Temple ,which is also known as Dongyue Temple or Tai Temple, is situated at the foot of Mt.Taishan. It was the place where the ancient emperors came to worship and pay homage to the God of Mt.Taishan. The construction of the temple began during the Qin and Han Dynasties, expanded in the Tong and Song Dynasties and renovated for more times in the Jin,Yuan,Ming and Qing Dynasties. The temple with its long history is the largest and best-preserved complex in the Mt.Taishan area.

As a palace-style architecture, the temple is so grand and magnificent together with eight gates, corner towers and numerous halls. With double-edged eaves, the Palace of Heavenly Blessing was built in highest rank of ancient building style and known as one of the three foremost ancient palatial halls in China. A mural of Song Dynasty inside the hall—the God of Mt.Taishan Making the Journey is regarded as the rare cultural relic of China.

Inside the temple there are ancient trees jutting out into the sky and over 300 steles, including the Li’s stele of Qin Dynasty which is the earliest stele erected on Mt.Taishan; Hengfang stele and Zhangqian stele which is noted for its lishu style of calligraphy; stele to Madame Sun which is regarded as one of three important steles of Jin Dynasty; the Double-sheaf stele of Tang Dynasty which is particular in style; and the imperial steles of successive dynasties. The cypress trees of Han Dynasty and scholar trees of Tang Dynasty are the most famous trees in the temple. Both famous steles and ancient trees represent the long history and splendid culture of Dai Temple.

It was a pity we couldn't have enough time to visit,maybe i can give a detailed description for you next time.

Legends of Great Wall

In the north of China, there lies a 6,700-kilometer-long (4,161-mile-long) ancient wall. Now well-known as the Great Wall of China, it starts at the Jiayuguan Pass of Gansu Province in the west and ends at the Shanhaiguan Pass of Hebei Province in the east. As one of the Eight Wonders in the world, the Great Wall of China has become the symbol of the Chinese nation and its culture.

Lots of beautiful legends and stories about the Great Wall took place following along the construction, and since that time these stories have spread around the country. Those that happened during construction are abundant, such as Meng Jiangnu's story and the legend of the Jiayuguan Pass. Meng Jiangnu's story is the most famous and widely spread of all the legends about the Great Wall. The story happened during the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC). It tells of how Meng Jiangnu's bitter weeping made a section of the Great Wall collapse. Meng Jiangnu's husband Fan Qiliang was caught by federal officials and sent to build the Great Wall. Meng Jiangnu heard nothing from him after his departure, so she set out to look for him. Unfortunately, by the time she reached the great wall, she discovered that her husband had already died. Hearing the bad news, she cried her heart out. Her howl caused the collapse of a part of the Great Wall. This story indicates that the Great Wall is the production of tens of thousands of Chinese commoners.

Another legend about the Jiayuguan Pass tells of a workman named Yi Kaizhan in the Ming Dynasty (1368BC-1644BC) who was proficient in arithmetic. He calculated that it would need 99,999 bricks to build the Jiayuguan Pass. The supervisor did not believe him and said if they miscalculated by even one brick, then all the workmen would be punished to do hard work for three years. After the completion of the project, one brick was left behind the Xiwong city gate. The supervisor was happy at the sight of the brick and ready to punish them. However Yi Kaizhan said with deliberation that the brick was put there by a supernatural being to fix the wall. A tiny move would cause the collapse of the wall. Therefore the brick was kept there and never moved. It can still be found there today on the tower of the Jiayuguan Pass.

In addition to the above-mentioned stories about the construction of the Great Wall, there are also plenty of stories about current scenic spots. A famous one is the legend of the Beacon Tower. This story happened during the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC-711 BC). King You had a queen named Bao Si, who was very pretty. King You liked her very much, however Bao Si never smiled. An official gave a suggestion that setting the beacon tower on fire would frighten the King's subjects, and might make the queen smile. King You liked the idea. The subjects were fooled and Bao Si smiled at the sight of the chaos. Later enemies invaded Western Zhou, King You set the beacon tower on fire to ask for help. No subjects came to help because they had been fooled once before. Thus, King Zhou was killed by the enemy and Western Zhou came to an end.

Beautiful stories and legends about the Great Wall help to keep alive Chinese history and culture. In each dynasty after the building of the Great Wall, many more stories were created and spread.