NO.1孔子(Confucius)是春秋时期(theSpringandAutumnPeriod)的大思想家、大教育家和儒家学派(Confucianism)的创始人,是古代中国人心目中的圣人。孔子的言论和生平活动记录在由他的弟子或再传弟子编成的《论语》(TheAnalects)一书中。《论语》是中国古代文化的经典著作。在孔子之后几千年的中国历史上,没有哪一位思想家、文学家和政治家不受《论语》的影响。不研究《论语》,就不能真正把握中国几千年的传统文化。Asagreatthinker,educatorandfounderofConfucianismduringtheSpringandAutumnPeriod,ConfuciusisasagetotheancientChinesepeople.HiswordsandlifestorywererecordedbyhisdisciplesandtheirstudentsinTheAnalects.AsanenduringclassicofChineseculture,TheAnalectshasinfluencedallthinkers,writersandpoliticiansinthethousandyears’ChinesehistoryafterConfucius.Noscholarcouldtrulyunderstandthislong-standingcultureortheinnerworldoftheancientChinesewithoutthisbook.NO.2大约在两千多年前,中国就出现了蜡染(waxprinting)。在中国服饰中,蜡染是一种流传时间长、流行范围大、使用领域广的服装工艺。蜡染是在布匹着色的过程中,以蜂蜡(beeswax)作为防止染色的材料。蜂蜡干了之后,会产生一些裂纹,这些裂纹在染色过程中渗透进靛蓝色,于是形成了如冰花式样的美妙纹理。这样自然天成的纹理可以说是蜡染的灵魂所在。WaxprintingappearedinChinaabout2,000yearsago.WaxprintinghaslongbeenawidespreadtechniqueusedinthehistoryofChinesefashion.Duringthedyeingprocess,beeswaxisappliedtopreventsomepartsoftheclothformbeingdyed.Whenthebeeswaxdries,itdevelopscracks,whichabsorbindigointheprocessofdyeing,thusformingthebeautifulnaturallinesresemblingbreakingice.Thesenaturallyformedlinesrepresentthebeautyandsoulofwaxprinting.NO.3景泰蓝(cloisonné)是驰名中外的传统工艺,它集青铜艺术、瓷器和雕刻诸种工艺制作技巧于一身,是一门地道的北京绝活。它是收藏家收藏的佳品,也是人们居家使用的精美物品。这项工艺始创于明代景泰年间,初创时的颜色主要是蓝色,故得名“景泰蓝”。到了成化年间,景泰蓝技术进一步成熟,这个时期的作品沉稳凝重又透明灵动,而且铜胎也极为讲究。CloisonnéisatraditionalartwidelyknowninandoutsideChina.ItisakindofsuperblocalexpertiseformofBeijing,whichcombinestheskillsofbronzeart,porcelain,carvingandothertypesoffolkarts.Itisdeemedvaluableintheeyesofcollectors,aswellasrefinedornamentsfordailyuse.ThemakingofcloisonnéfirstappearedduringtheJingtaireignoftheMingDynasty,withthemaincolourusedbeingblue,hencethename“JingtaiBlue”asitbecameknownlateron.BythetimeoftheChenghuareign,thetechniquesformakingcloisonnéwerefurtherdeveloped,withproductsofthisperiodlookingheavyanddignifiedyetnotlackingineloquenceorvividness.Moreover,itscastwasalwaysmadeofchoicecopper.NO.4西塘在浙江嘉兴,位于上海和杭州之间。这个占地规模并不大的古镇有着悠久的历史,它初建于春秋时期(theSpringandAutumnPeriod),位于吴国和越国的交界处。西塘的大致规模在宋代之前就已经形成,今所见西塘著名的桥梁望仙桥(WangxianBridge)就是宋代的遗迹。在明清时期,西塘既是远近闻名的鱼米之乡,又是著名的丝绸制造之地,还以制陶业(ceramics)而享誉全国。XitangislocatedinJiaxing,ZhejiangProvince,betweenShanghaiandHangzhou.Thoughsmallinsize,thisancienttownboastsalonghistory.ItwasfirstbuiltduringtheSpringandAutumnPeriod,attheborderbetweenthestatesofWuandYue.ThepresentlayouthadalreadytakenshapebeforetheSongDynasty,andthefamousWangxianBridgeinXitangisalegacyoftheSongDynasty.BytheMingandQingDynasties,Xitanghadbecomeawell-knowntradecenterforfarmproducts,silksandceramics,allproducedinthesurroundingareasandfamousthroughoutthecountry.NO.5秧歌舞(Yangkodance)是中国汉族的一种传统民间舞蹈,通常在北方省份表演。秧歌舞者通常穿上明亮多彩的表演服装,他们的表演动作迅速有力。在农历春节、元宵节等节日期间,人们一旦听到锣鼓声,不管外面天气有多冷,他们都会蜂拥到街上观看秧歌舞表演。近年来,中国东北某些城市的老年人自发组织了秧歌队,队员常年通过跳舞来保持健康,同时他们也乐在其中。TheYangkodanceisatraditionalfolkdanceoftheHanChinese,commonlyperformedinthenorthernprovinces.Yangkodancersusuallywearbrightandcolorfulcostumes,andtheirmovementsarevigorousandquick.Duringholidays,suchasthelunarNewYearandtheLanternFestival,assoonaspeoplehearthesoundofdrumsandgongstheyswarmintothestreetstowatchYangkodanceperformances,nomatterhowcolditisoutside.Inrecentyears,elderlypeopleinsomecitiesinNortheastChinahavebeenorganizingthemselvesintoYangkoteams,withthedancersenjoyingthemselveswhilekeepingfitallyearround.NO.6中国的青铜器时代(BronzeAge)从夏开始,经历商、西周到春秋时期(theSpringandAutumnPeriod),前后持续了一千五百多年的时间。大量出土的青铜器物表明,中国创造了灿烂的青铜文明。这些青铜器物不仅有丰富的政治和宗教内涵,而且还具有很高的艺术价值。今藏于中国历史博物馆的大盂鼎(theGreatDingforYu)是中国青铜器时代的代表性作品之一。它是西周康王(KingKang)时期的作品,距今大约有三千多年。TheBronzeAgeinChinalastedmorethan1,500years,fromtheXiathroughtheShangandWesternZhouDynasties,totheSpringandAutumnPeriod.Largenumbersofunearthedartifactsindicateahighlevelofancientbronzecivilizationinthecountry.Theyfeaturerichpoliticalandreligiousthemes,andareofhighartisticvalue.ArepresentativeexampleistheGreatDingforYu,whichisnowpreservedintheMuseumofChineseHistory.Itwascastabout3,000yearsagoduringthereignofKingKangofWesternZhouDynasty.NO.71911年,中国爆发了历史上的第一次资产阶级革命——辛亥革命(theRevolutionof1911),它推翻了中国封建社会的最后一个朝代——清朝,废除了中国延续了2000多年的封建帝制,建立了中国的第一个民主共和国——中华民国。民国政府成立以后,要求全国人民都剪掉头上的辫子(queues),选择自己喜欢的发型。至此,在中国延续了280多年的辫子法令终于被解除。In1911,thefirstbourgeoisrevolutioninChinesehistory—theRevolutionof1911brokeout.ThelastdynastyoftheChinesefeudalsociety,QingDynasty,wasover-thrownandthemonarchsystemthathadahistoryofmorethan2,000yearswasabolished.TheRepublicofChina,thefirstdemocraticrepublicinChina,wasfoundedin1912.Afteritsfoundation,thegovernmentofRepublicofChinahadrequiredthecitizenstocutofftheirqueuesandmakethehaircuttheyliked.Sincethen,thewearing-queueorderthathadlastedformorethan280yearsinChinahasbeenabolished.NO.8出现在中国五代时期的妇女缠足(foot-binding),虽然最初是宫廷舞女为了方便跳舞而采用的一种行为,但由于有人认为脚裹起来更好看,所有很多人就开始效仿起来。到了宋代,封建社会的纲常思想非常严重,受到男尊女卑的封建礼教的影响,女子裹脚的风气被传承下来,并逐渐成为一种习俗。为了与妇女的小脚相适应,宋代还出现了专门为裹足妇女制作的弓鞋(gongxie)。Thepracticeoffoot-bindingforwomenappearedintheFiveDynasties,butinthebeginning,itwasonlyadoptedbyt