Chinese Kites

Chinese Ancient Coins

The currency is a medium for the exchange of commodities;it was the inevitable outcome of such exchanges.In ancient China the currency came in different forms and was made variously from shells,jade,gold,silver,and paper.The following is a brief introduction to ancient coins in China.

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Shell money.Shell money was the oldest form of currency in ancient China.As the shells were small and hard in texture,they came in handy as money.By the Shang and Zhou dynasties the use of shell money reached its zenith,and shell money became a symbol of wealth.Even today the Chinese like to call their most valuable objects"baobei",which is derived from the name of the Chinese shell money.In ancient China it was not uncommon to use shell money as burial objects.

Hoe-like Money.The hoe-like money was evolved from an ancient Chinese farming tool.In the early days it bore close resemblance to a hoe.Because the hoe is similar to the shovel.This is why the hoe-like money is also known as "shovel money".

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Bronze money in the design of seashells.With the development of commodity exchange,the supply of natural shells as the currency ran out of supply.Imitation shell money made from stone,bone,ceramics and bronze was thus invented to make up for the shortage.But eventually it was bronze shell-shaped money that replaced natural shells.It was not until Qinshihuang unified the currency in 221 B.C.that shells finally were with-drawn from commodity circulation.

Knife-shaped money.Cast of bronze during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods,the money's knife-like shape was derived from a certain weapon from old days.

Bronze coin with a square hole in the centre. In the late Warring State Period,bronze coins with a round hole in the centre first appeared in China.The hole made it convenient to string the coins together.When Qinshihuang unifed the nation and the currency,he had the round hole in the bronze coins changed into a square,as the round coin and its square hole is regarded as a reflection of the ancient theory that "heaven is round and earth square".Feudalism lasted for more than 2,000 years,however,despite the change of times and the currency,the round bronze coins with a square hole in the centre was in use for roughly the same duration.It was after the demise of the Qing Dynasty that they were gradually replaced with paper money. <table class="folder1-1" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="450" align="center"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: center">

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Chinese coins are essential ingredients in the practice of Feng Shui (fēng shuǐ 风水), the traditional Chinese study of geomantic omens for buildings or cemeteries It is the most potent symbol of wealth, especially when tied with red thread. They are rounded shape with a square hole in the center. The circle represents heaven while the square represents earth. When used by humans, they represent the cosmic trinity of luck of "Heaven-Earth-Man".There is the Yang side (yáng miàn 阳面) (with four chinese characters according to reign of emperor) and the Yin side (yīn miàn 阴面) (2 characters) on every chinese coins. The Yang side should always be used facing up. Feng Shui masters (fēng shuǐ shī 风水师) often focus only on Ching Dynasty coins compared to other dynasties because Ching was the most powerful dynasty in China, while other dynasties usually collapsed in less than a century. The Chinese coins, particularly of those of the Kang Hsi or Chien Long Emperors' reign are deemed most auspicious. Chinese coins are creation of old advisors of emperors and that is why chinese coins are powerful emblems of wealth, endless fortune and prosperity.
Resource: <a href="http://www.chineseword.cn/article.php?id=154">http://www.chineseword.cn/article.php?id=154</a>;
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Numbers in Chinese culture In Chinese culutre, certain numbers are believed by some to be auspicious (吉利) or inauspicious (不利) based on the Chinese word that the number name sounds similar to. However some Chinese people regard these beliefs to be superstitions. Since the pronunciation and the vocabulary may be different in different Chinese dialects, the rules are generally not applicable for all cases.

Because of the supposed auspiciousness of certain numbers, some people will often choose, attempt to obtain, or pay large sums for numbers that are considered to be lucky for their phone numbers, street addresses, residence floor (in a multi-story building), driver's license number, vehicle license plate number, bank account number, etc.

Lucky numbers are based on Chinese words that sound similar to other Chinese words. The numbers 6,8, and 9 are believed to have auspicious meanings because their names sound similar to words that have positive meanings.

Lucky numbers

Two

The number 2 (二 or 两,Pinyin: èr or liăng) is a good number in Chinese culture. There is a Chinese saying: "good things come in pairs". It is common to use double symbols in product brandnames, such as double happiness, double coin and double elephants. In Cantonese, two (jyutping: yi) is a homophone of the character for "easy" (易).

Three

The number 3 (三, Pinyin: sān, jyutping: saam¹) sounds similar to the character for "birth" (生, Pinyin: shēng, jyutping: saang¹), and is thus considered a lucky number.

Five

The number 5 (五,Pinyin: wŭ) is associated with the five elements (water, wood, fire, earth and metal) in Chinese philosophy, and in turn was historically associated with the Emperor of China. For example, the Tiananmen gate, being the main thoroughfare to the Forbidden City, has five arches. It is also referred to as the pronounciation of "I", as the pronunciations of "I" (我, <a title="Pinyin" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin"><font color="#0645ad">Pinyin</font></a>: wŏ) and 5 are similar in Mandarin.

Six

The number 6 (六,Pinyin: liù) in Mandarin is pronounced the same as "leew" (澑, Pinyin: liù) and similar to "fluid" (流, Pinyin: liú) and is therefore considered good for business. The number 6 also represents happiness. In Cantonese, this number is a homophone for blessings (祿 Lok). In I-Ching, the number 6 stands for "yin".

Seven

The number 7(七, Pinyin: qī) symbolizes "togetherness". It is a lucky number for relationships. It is also recognized as the luckiest number in the West, and is one of the rare numbers that is great in both Chinese and many Western cultures. It is a lucky number in Chinese culture, because it sounds alike to the Chinese character 起 (Pinyin: qǐ) meaning arise.

Eight

The word for "eight" (八 Pinyin: bā) sounds similar to the word which means "prosper" or "wealth" (发 – short for "发财",Pinyin: fā). In regional dialects the words for "eight" and "fortune" are also similar, e.g. Cantonese "baat³" and "faat³".

There is also a visual resemblance between two digits, "88", and 囍, the "shuāngxǐ" ('double joy'), a popular decorative design composed of two stylized characters 喜 ("xĭ" meaning 'joy' or 'happiness').

The number 8 is viewed as such an auspicious number that even being assigned a number with several eights is considered very lucky.

<ul> <li>A tekeogibe number with all digits being eights was sold for USD $270,723 in Chengdu, China.</li> <li>The opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Beijing began on 8/8/08 at 8 seconds and 8 minutes past 8 pm (local time).</li> <li>A man in Hangzhou offered to sell his license plate  reading A88888 for RMB 1.12 million (roughly USD164,000).</li> <li>The Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia each have 88 Floors.</li> <li>The KLM route from Hong Kong to Amsterdam is Flight KL888</li> <li>The United Airlines route from San Francisco to Beijing is Flight 888.</li> <li>Dragon Fish Industry in Singapore, a breeder of rare Asian Arowanas  (which are "lucky fish" themselves, and, being a rare species, are required to be microchipped), makes sure to use numbers with plenty of eights in their microchip tag numbers, and appears to reserve particular numbers especially rich in eights and sixes (e.g. 702088880006688) for particularly valuable specimens.</li> <li>The value of eight could also be linked with Buddhism and the meaning of Lotus flower (eight petals).</li> <li>As part of grand opening promotions, a Commerce Bank branch in New York's Chinatown raffled off safety deposit box No. 888.</li> <li>An "auspicious" numbering system was adopted by the developers of 39 Conduit Road Hong Kong, where the top floor was "88" – Chinese for double fortune. It is already common in Hong Kong for ~4th floors not to exist; there is no requirement by the Buildings Department for numbering other than that it being "made in a logical order." A total of 43 intermediate floor numbers are omitted from 39 Conduit Road: those missing include 14, 24, 34, 64, all floors between 40 and 49; the floor number which follows 68 is 88.</li> </ul>

Nine

The number 9 (九,Pinyin: jiŭ, jyutping: gau²), being the greatest of single-digit numbers, was historically associated with the Emperor of China; the Emperor's robes often had nine dragons, and Chinese mythology held that the dragon has nine children.

Moreover, the number 9 is a homophone of the word for "longlasting" (久), and as such is often used in weddings.

Unlucky Numbers

Four

Number 4 (四; accounting 肆;Pinyin: sì) is considered an unlucky number in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cultures because it is nearly homophonous to the word "death" (死 Pinyin<font color="#0645ad">:</font> sǐ). Due to that, many numbered product lines skip the "4": e.g. Nokia cell phones (there is no series beginning with a 4),^{<font color="#0645ad">   </font>} Palm,PDAs, Canon PowerSho G's series (after G3 goes G5), etc. In East Asia, some buildings do not have a 4th floor. (Compare with the Western practice of some buildings not having a 13th floor because 13 is considered unlucky.) In Hong Kong, some high-rise residential buildings literally miss all floor numbers with "4", e.g. 4, 14, 24, 34 and all 40–49 floors, in addition to not having a 13th floor. As a result, a building whose highest floor is number 50 may actually have only 35 physical floors.

Number 14 is considered to be one of the unluckiest numbers. Although 14 is usually said in Mandarin as 十四 "shí sì," which sounds like 十死 "ten die", it can also be said as 一四 "yī sì" or 么四 "yāo sì", literally "one four". Thus, 14 can also be said as "yāo sì," literally "one four," but it also sounds like "want to die" (要死 Pinyin: yào sǐ). In Cantonese, 14 sounds like "sap⁶ sei³", which sounds like "sat6 sei2" meaning "certainly die" (實死). Not all Chinese people consider it to be an unlucky number as the pronunciation differs among the various dialects. In Chiu Chow, 4 is pronounced as "see" or "yes". It is seen to be a lucky number because Chinese people like things in pairs (four would equal two pairs). However, the superstitions regarding numbers from Chinese people have been adopted by the other Cantonese people.

Five

Although five (五, pinyin: wǔ, jyutping: ng⁵) can represent "me" (吾,Pinyin : wú) in Mandarin, it is usually associated with "not" (Mandarin 无/無, Pinyin wú, and Cantonese 唔 m⁴). If used for the negative connotation it can become good by using it with a negative. 54 means "not die" or "no death". If used for the positive it can be used as a possessive. 528 is a way of saying "no easy fortune for me". 53 ("ng⁵ saam¹" in Cantonese) sounds like "m⁴ sang¹ （唔生）" – "not live".

Six

Six in Cantonese which has a similar pronunciation to that of "lok6" (落, meaning "to drop, fall, or decline") may form unlucky combinations.

Seven

Seven is considered spiritist or ghostly. The seventh month of the Chinese calendar is also called the "Ghost Month". See Ghost Festival for more detail. During July , the gates of hell are said to be open so ghosts and spirits are permitted to visit the living realm. However, the Chinese lunar calendar also has July 7 as Chinese Valentine's Day (qi xi), so the number 7 is not generally associated with bad luck. In most of the regions in China number 7 remains neutral or associated with luck.

Resource: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numbers_in_Chinese_culture">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numbers_in_Chinese_culture</a>;

Chinese Table Manners

Chinese table manners are the traditional styles that are used for eating in the region of China. In most dishes in Chinese cusine, food is cooked in bite-sized pieces and easy to grab and eat. Therefore, chopsticks are used at the table instead of forks  and knives.

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Eating in Chinese Culture

Eating is a dominant aspect of the Chinese culutre. For instance, the Manchu Han Imperial Feast - a feast that consisted of at least 108 unique dishes from the Manchu and Han cultures- is one of the most notable Chinese cuisines since the Qing Dynasty. In China, eating out is one of the most accepted ways to treat quests. Similar to Westerners drinking in a bar with friends, eating together in China is a way to socialize and deepen friendship.

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Table Manners

There are many traditions that govern table manners in China such as the correct treatment of guests and how to use chopsticks correctly. Although each Chinese household has its own set of table manners and rules, the foundational traditions used to welcome guests are the same.

Table Manners for Inviting Guests

There are common rules for inviting guests over. When the guest of honor enters into the room, the hosts stand until the guest of honor is seated. The host then orders the dishes brought, and the guest should be silent. When the dishes arrive, the meal begins with a toast from the host, and the guests then make a toast in turn in the honor of the host. The guest of honor should be the first one to start the meal. The best food in a dish should be left for the guest of honor. When the hostess says her food is not good enough, the guest must be courteous and tell her it is the best food he has ever tasted. Guests should never “split the bill” with the host. A guest who “split(s) the bill” is very ungracious and embarrassing to the host. However, it is expected for the guest to offer to pay for the meal multiple times, but ultimately allow the host to pay.

Chopstick Usage

Since chopsticks are often used in many dishes in Chinese cuisine, knowing the correct chopsticks usage is essential. The most common chopsticks usages are the following:

<ul> <li>It does not matter whether you grab the chopsticks in the middle or at the end, but you should make sure that the ends are even.</li> <li>Chopsticks are not used to move bowls or plates.</li> <li>Chopsticks are not used to toy with one's food or with dishes in common.</li> <li>When not in use, chopsticks must always be placed neatly on the table with two sticks lying tidily next to each other at both ends.</li> <li>Treat chopsticks as extension of your fingers, and do not point at other people or wave chopsticks around.</li> <li>Do not suck the tips of chopsticks.</li> <li>Do not pierce food with chopsticks.</li> <li>Do not point the chopsticks at another person. This amounts to insulting that person.</li> <li>Do not bang your chopsticks like drums. It implies you are a child.</li> <li>Do not stick chopsticks vertically in a bowl of rice; it implies the food is for the dead.</li> </ul>

Importance

Table etiquette is very important to Chinese people. In Chinese culture, using correct table manners is believed to bring “ luck” while incorrect use will bring shame. Similarly, table etiquette indicates children’s educational status: holding chopsticks incorrectly leaves a bad impression and shames the parents, who have the responsibility of teaching them.

Link: <a href="http://www.chineseword.cn/article.php?id=146">http://www.chineseword.cn/article.php?id=146</a>;

Resource: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_table_manners">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_table_manners</a>;

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