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TheCultureofChina•Dragon•ForbiddenCity•GreatWall•ShaolinTemple•Chopsticks•SpringFestival•QingmingFestival•DuanwuFestival•Mid-AutumnFestivaldragon•ChinesedragonsarelegendarycreaturesinChinesemythologyandfolklore.InChineseart,dragonsaretypicallyportrayedaslong,scaled,serpentinecreatureswithfourlegs.Inyinandyangterminology(术语),adragonisyangandcomplementsayinfenghuang“Chinesephoenix(长生鸟).•InChinesedailylanguage,excellentandoutstandingpeoplearecomparedtothedragonwhileincapablepeoplewithnoachievementsarecomparedwithother,disesteemedcreatures,suchastheworm.AnumberofChineseproverbsandidiomsfeaturereferencesto•thedragon,forexample:“Hopingone‘ssonwill•becomeadragon”(望子成龙).•ManyChinesepeopleoftenusetheterm•“DescendantsoftheDragon”(龙的传人)•asasignofethnicidentity,aspartofatrend•startedinthe1970swhendifferentAsian•nationalitieswerelookingforanimal•symbolsforrepresentations.Thewolf•wasusedamongtheMongols(蒙古),themonkeyamongTibetans(西藏).Fenghuang•FenghuangaremythologicalbirdsofEastAsiathatreignoverallotherbirds.ThemalesarecalledFengandthefemalesHuang.Inmoderntimes,however,suchadistinctionofgenderisoftennolongermadeandtheFengandHuangareblurredintoasinglefeminineentitysothatthebirdcanbepairedwiththeChinesedragon,whichhasmaleconnotations.•InancientandmodernChineseculture,theycanoftenbefoundinthedecorationsforweddingsorroyalty,alongwithdragons.ThisisbecausetheChineseconsideredthedragonandphoenixsymbolicofblissful（极幸福的）relationsbetweenhusbandandwife,anothercommonyinandyangmetaphor.•“DragonandPhoenixinfants”(龙凤胎)isanexpressionmeaningasetofmaleandfemalefraternaltwins(异卵双生).ForbiddenCity•TheForbiddenCitywastheChinese•imperialpalacefromtheMingDynasty•totheendoftheQingDynasty.Itis•locatedinthemiddleofBeijing,China,•andnowhousesthePalaceMuseum.•Foralmostfivehundredyears,itservedas•thehomeofemperorsandtheirhouseholds,•aswellastheceremonialandpoliticalcenter•ofChinesegovernment.•ThepalacecomplexexemplifiestraditionalChinesepalatialarchitecture,andhasinfluencedculturalandarchitecturaldevelopmentsinEastAsiaandelsewhere.TheForbiddenCitywasdeclaredaWorldHeritageSitein1987,andislistedbyUNESCO(联合国科教文组织)asthelargestcollectionofpreservedancientwoodenstructuresintheworld.GreatWall•TheGreatWallofChinaisa•seriesofstoneandearthen•fortificationsinnorthernChina,•builtoriginallytoprotectthe•northernbordersofthe•ChineseEmpireagainst•intrusionsbyvariousnomadicgroups.•Severalwallshavebeenbuiltsincethe5thcenturyBCthatarereferredtocollectivelyastheGreatWall,whichhasbeenrebuiltandmaintainedfromthe5thcenturyBCthroughthe16thcentury.Oneofthemostfamousisthewallbuiltbetween220–206BCbythefirstEmperorofChina,QinShiHuang.Littleofthatwallremains;themajorityoftheexistingwallwasbuiltduringtheMingDynasty.ChineseClassicalGarden•TheChineseClassicalGardenisaplaceforsolitaryorsocialcontemplationofnature.•Chinesegardenswerecreatedinthesamewayasacombinationoflandscapeandpaintingstogetherwithpoems-thiswastheso-called“poeticgarden.”ThedesignofChinesegardenswastoprovideaspiritualutopia(乌托邦)foronetoconnectwithnature,tocomebacktoone‘sinnerheart,tocomebacktoancientidealism.Chinesegardensareaspiritualshelterforpeople,aplacetheycouldbefarawayfromtheirrealsociallives,andclosetotheancientwayoflife,theirtrueselves,andnature.ThiswasanescapefromthefrustrationanddisappointmentofthepoliticalproblemsinChina.Theyusedplantsassymbols.Bamboo(竹子)wasusedineverytraditionalChinesegarden.Thisisbecausebamboorepresentsastrongbutresilient(达观的)character.Oftenpine(松树)isusedtorepresentlongevity(长寿),persistence,tenacity(坚韧)anddignity(庄严).Thelotus(莲花)isusedtosymbolizepurity.Floweringpeaches(碧桃花)aregrownforspringcolor,andsweetolive(橄榄)aswell.Thechrysanthemum(菊花)isusedtosymbolizesplendor,luster(光彩)andthecouragetomakesacrificesforanaturallife.Peonies(牡丹)symbolizewealthandbananatreesareusedsimplyforthesoundtheymakeinthebreeze.Chinesefolklore•Chinesefolkloreincludessongs,dances,puppetry(木偶戏),andtales.Itoftentellsstoriesofhumannature,historicalorlegendaryevents,love,andthesupernatural,orstoriesexplainingnaturalphenomenaanddistinctivelandmarks.•ThemaininfluencesonChinesefolktaleshavebeenTaoism(道教),Confucianism(儒教)andBuddhism(佛教).•Well-knownChinesefolktalesinclude:•ThestoryofQiXi(七夕),alsoknownastheStoryoftheMagpieBridge(鹊桥)ortheStoryofCowherd(牛郎)andtheWeavingMaid(织女),whichtellshowthestarsAltair(牵牛星)andVega(织女星)cametotheirplacesinthesky.•ThestoryofHuaMulan(花木兰),thefemalewarriorwhodisguisedherselfasaman.•ThestoryofChang'e(嫦娥),thegoddessofthemoon.•ThestoryoftheMagicPaintbrush(神笔马良).•ThestoryofMengJiangnü(孟姜女),thewomanwhosoughtherhusbandattheGreatWall.•ThestoryofSunWukong(孙悟空),theMonkeyKing-fromthepopularnovelJourneytotheWest(《西游记》).StudyofChineseFolkloreinChina•TheBookofSongs(诗经),theearliestknownChinesecollectionofpoetry,contains160folksongsinadditiontocourtlysongsandhymns.OnetraditionholdsthatConfucius(孔子)himselfcollectedthesesongs,whileanothersaysthatanemperorcompiledthemasameanstogaugethemoodofthepeopleandtheeffectivenessofhisrule.ItisbelievedthatConfuciusdidencouragehisfollowerstostudythesongscontainedintheShiJing,