In China, fair skin isn’t just a beauty preference—it’s a deep-rooted cultural ideal. From ancient poetry to modern billboards, pale skin has symbolized youth, elegance, and refinement. This fascination is not a passing trend; it’s…
Chinese porcelain is one of the most unique products of the history of Chinese culture. Unlike porcelain equipment, tools, and ornaments we see in western countries, Chinese porcelains have unique translucency and luster, giving the Chinese earthenware rather unique characteristics and popularity over those from other countries.
The existence of Chinese abacus can be dated back from the 14 century A.D. And since Chinese are known to relate their ways of like to its environment the attributes such as the top and bottom are considered heaven and earth respectively. The counting of the beads or the computation is done by moving each bead in either up and down manner towards the beam.
Jade has been a very important part of the Chinese tradition, and the history between the Chinese culture and jade has been recorded for a very long time and can be traced back to as early as the Neolithic era (10,000–4,500 BCE) with records showing how the ancient Chinese during the period has worn jade accessories and ornaments.
Chinese is one of the oldest languages in the world. It has been around for more than 5,000 years, and in that time it has changed and grown a lot, leading to many different regional dialects and variations.
Linguists still argue about where the Chinese language came from, yet there are several thoughts about how it developed and changed over time.
The Chinese dragon is depicted in many ways in Chinese culture. It can be depicted as one of the animals in the zodiac. It can also be a part of their folklore. And it can be a form of the symbolism of the power dynasties and emperors.
Owls, because of their association with darkness and nighttime activities, naturally lend themselves to metaphorical connotations linked with the unknown and unseen spirit realm. Because of its nocturnal habit, the owl has a wide range of meanings in many civilizations. Sometimes it signifies good luck and other times it portends bad luck.
Fu Dog the Chinese guardian lion that is also called 石獅shí shī, is a very important symbol in Feng Shui. Historically the Fu Dog statues were placed in front of temples, government offices, and even imperial palaces in ancient China. However, in today’s Feng Shui applications, the Fu Dog is not only believed to be a protective amulet but is also a symbol of social status and family wealth that is often placed in front of wealthy homes.
Baoding balls, also known as Chinese meditation balls, exercise balls, or sometimes Zen meditation balls, are a pair of relatively small balls, each of them small enough to be held in one hand. Baoding balls are typically used by rolling both them (or sometimes, more) repeatedly in the palm of your hand, where the relative positions of the balls are constantly switching. This exercise is intended to improve finger dexterity, relaxation, as well as aiding the recovery of motor skills and muscle strength after injury.
Today, Chinese masks are usually associated with Chinese New Year or Chinese opera. Those are the two most common occasions when we can see people wearing them. In the past, they had more functions - from scaring evil spirits to celebrating various events. If you were wondering what do all these masks actually mean, you will find the answer to that and many other questions here.
