Chinese Culture & History

    What is the White Dews?

    “White Dews” is a typical solar term in autumn. It’s a peak season for allergic conditionsand bronchial asthma. It’s better to eat less prawns, fish and seafood. This season isalso very dry, making people feel thirsty all the time. Eating Continue Reading

    Medicine of Minority in China : She 中国少数民族医学:畲族

    The medicine theory of She Nationality has aprofoundrelationship with TCM. During the long-time minority migration, the She people have absorbed the essence of the medicinal theories owned by other minorities such as Miao, Yao and Zhuang. They have not Continue Reading

    Chinese furniture:Meditation Chair

    he meditation chair (chanyi) has a spacious seat that the legs can be drawn up upon. Aside from this general characteristic, it was produced in many styles. Images of luohans and chan masters from the Song dynasty illustrate such Continue Reading

    Chinese furniture: Couch Beds

    Although the use was similar to the daybed, the couch bed (chuang, luohan chuang) is distinguished by railings, which render it as a more formal piece of furniture. The development of railings may be related with the early placement Continue Reading

    Chinese furniture: Daybeds

    Therein, a gentleman relaxes leisurely upon on a simianping daybed, and while reclining against a backrest, looks out upon an enclosed private garden. Open-frame daybeds were popularized during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), and their use gradually eclipsed the Continue Reading

    Chinese furniture: Bamboo-style Construction

    ‘Bamboo-style’ furniture employs rounded, bamboo-like members that are configured to simulate the wrap-around and layered construction techniques of furniture made from real bamboo. Sometimes the members are smooth without carving; sometimes they are carved with bamboo-like nodes. This category, Continue Reading

    Chinese furniture: Platforms

    During the late Ming, some sophisticated connoisseurs preferred the archaic style of the box-style platform over the modern daybeds with free-standing legs. Although the old tradition gave way to popular fashion, some limited use continued throughout the Qing dynasty Continue Reading

    Chinese furniture: Corner Leg Construction

    Corner-leg construction can be divided into ‘waisted’ and ‘simianping’ (literally flush-sided) styles. The corner-leg form is self-descriptive with legs generally set flush to the corners of the top frame. The legs can be of straight, c-curved, or cabriole style; Continue Reading

    Project 985 “985工程”

    Project 985 is a constructive project for founding world-class universities in the 21st century conducted by the government of the People’s Republic of China. On May 4, 1998, President Jiang Zemin declared that “China must have a number of Continue Reading

    Chinese furniture: Round Stool

       Rounded furniture forms were especially popular during the Ming dynasty. As a stylistic concept roundness and wholeness (yuanhun) suggest organic unity. Unfortunately, because curvilinear components are easily broken, few of these lovely objects have survived the vicissitudes of time. Continue Reading