CHAPTER 2
CHINESE CULTURE AND FOOD
China has a deep and long cultural tradition dating back to prehistoric times. China’s traditional arts reflect this long history with refined arts and practices. Traditional Chinese medicine draws on philosophical knowledge grounded in cultural practices, while Chinese cuisine reflects the variety of a large, complex and diverse nation.
TRADITIONAL CHINESE ARTS
What we call the traditional arts in China have been around for thousands of years. The brush arts—calligraphy, painting and poetry—were the artistic pursuits of the educated class through much of China’s history. The great Song Dynasty poet Su Shi (1037–1101) was also a renowned calligrapher and painter, and the great Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei (699–759) was equally well known for his landscape paintings.
RUNNING STYLE CALLIGRAPHY
CALLIGRAPHY BRUSHES
CALLIGRAPHY SUPPLIES
CALLIGRAPHY SCROLL
POETRY
Whereas the West is known for Greek philosophy, Roman law, Renaissance art and Italian opera, poetry is the most striking cultural element of Chinese civilization. It was one of the earliest forms of written expression in China, with the Book of Songs dating back to the 7th century BCE. Poetry became the highest form of creative expression throughout Chinese civilization, and for most of China’s history poetry was an integral part of daily life for the educated class. It was promoted by the government and pursued as a vehicle for personal pleasure and communication. In the Tang Dynasty (618–907) alone, more poetry was composed than in the rest of the world combined up to the 18th century. One anthology, the Complete Tang Poems, which is considered incomplete, contains 48,900 poems by 2,200 poets. People in the Chinese-speaking world today continue to read and compose classical poems in the styles developed during the Tang and Song dynasties.
There are numerous anthologies of Chinese poetry translated into English but two that provide a good introduction to classical Chinese poetry are Sunflower Splendor: Three Thousand Years of Chinese Poetry by Wu-Chi Liu and Irving Yucheng Lo (1975) and Classical Chinese Poetry: An Anthology by David Hinton (2010).
The most famous Chinese poems are short, either four or eight lines long. Common themes include longing for a lover, nature and recalling the past. Many Chinese school children memorize this famous poem by the Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai.
Moonlight shines on my bed
Like frost on the ground
I look up and gaze at the moon
Then lower my head and think of home.
chuáng qián míng yuè guāng
yí shì dì shàng shuāng
jû tóu wàng míng yùe
dī tóu sī gù xiāng
CALLIGRAPHY
Calligraphy, the writing of Chinese characters with a brush and ink, is considered one of the highest forms of Chinese art. In ancient China, calligraphy was practiced by the educated élite, who comprised a small percentage of the population. Calligraphy may consist of a single character, common sayings, poetry, essays and other writings. It is still valued and practiced in China today. Bookstores usually have a department that sells calligraphy supplies, including brushes of various sizes, brush stands made of wood or ceramic, ink stones, ink sticks and liquid ink as well as various kinds and sizes of paper and silk scrolls. There are also dedicated calligraphy shops.
There are five basic styles of calligraphy:
Ancient Style This is the earliest calligraphic style, dating back to the Shang (1650–1045 BCE) and Zhou (1045–256 BCE) dynasties. It includes large and small seal scripts as well as the ancient script that was carved onto animal bones and inscribed onto bronze vessels in ancient times.
Li or Official Style This style was invented during the Qin Dynasty (221– 206 BCE) and was adopted for almost all government and official purposes. It became more standardized during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) when it was used for all kinds of stone monuments and official records.
Regular Style This style was developed during the later part of the Han Dynasty. By the time of the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE), it was firmly established as one of the standard styles. It is more regular in that there is little room for artistic flair. In fact, many Chinese print fonts are based on the regular style.
Running Style This style was also developed in the later Han Dynasty and was used alongside the Regular Style. It is more artistic than previous styles in that it resembles cursive handwriting, with freer, more vivid and flowing movements. It is the most common style for regular writing with a brush.
Grass Style This style was also developed simultaneously with the Regular and Running styles. It is the most highly artistic, a kind of carefree, highly stylistic cursive form. But for those untrained in calligraphy, it can be difficult to decipher the characters.
Learning calligraphy can be a daunting task as it requires a great deal of practice. Most universities in China offer a Chinese calligraphy class, especially those with foreign student populations. In these classes students learn about the basic supplies needed before practicing writing in the Regular Style. They may also learn the Li or Running styles. The Ancient and Grass styles are usually reserved for advanced students. Some universities in the United States with larger, more established Chinese programs as well as some community adult education programs also offer Chinese calligraphy courses.
After learning the basics of how to hold the brush and do basic stroke patterns, students can also practice calligraphy using self-instruction booklets sold at most Chinese bookstores, which provide a way for the student to trace the characters, either using tracing paper over the characters or following the arrowed outlines of characters. Booklets like these are very suitable for children.
Scrolls with Chinese calligraphy are not only a popular art form in China but are also popular souvenirs. Scrolled calligraphy is sold in many bookstores, souvenir shops and dedicated calligraphy shops. Souvenir shops catering to tourists usually sell cheap replicas of Chinese calligraphy done by master calligraphers. True original works of art can cost up to several thousand dollars.
CHINESE CERAMICS
When one thinks of Chinese ceramics, the iconic blue and white Ming vase usually comes to mind, but many kinds of Chinese ceramics were produced during different historical eras, as can be seen in museums in China. These range from early hand-built, low-fired pottery intended for everyday use to sophisticated fine porcelain wares made for the imperial court. Two separate production areas, in the north and south, each with different raw materials, collectively produced three-color leadglazed ceramics, celadon, blackwares (used for teapots and cups), underglaze blue and white wares, delicate white porcelain, and much more.
Porcelain was being made in China as early as the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220