Join us at Lao Beijing on October 14th for a market inspired by traditional Chinese culture: we’ll have vendors, snacks, traditional craftspeople, talks and folk-craft workshops!
Find out more about the talks and workshops we’ll have on offer below!
Workshops
‘Pinching dough’ Glutinous Rice Modelling Workshop (1pm)
There is no easy way to say ‘捏面 nie mian’ in English! It literally means ‘pinch flour’ but in fact this folk-craft, which dates back to the Han dynasty, involves a lot more than just pinching! The ‘clay’, actually dough, was traditionally made of glutinous rice and colourings made from different foods. The final product, beautiful though it was, could be eaten. Today, certain additives such as honey and paraffin might be added to improve the longevity of the final product, and they definitely can’t be eaten!
Many techniques such as pinching, rolling, and cutting are used to make the figurines. The artist also uses a thin bamboo tool to dexterously place, cut, engrave, and shape the body parts of the figurine.
Many different figurines can be made, with cartoon characters being popular with children today. The most famous however is Sun Wu Kong, the Monkey King! You can learn to make a Sun Wu Kong figurine using traditional techniques in our one-hour workshop at Lao Beijing 1-2pm for only 88RMB. Sign up at the link below.
Chinese Knotting Workshop (3pm)
Knots have been in use for thousands of years. The earliest examples in China are from silk paintings and tomb carvings from the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-6AD). Knotting had become a folk art by the Tang Dynasty (618-904) and had become very popular even at court by the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
There are many different knots. One of the earliest seen in the archaeological evidence is a double coin knot.
In this workshop, you’ll learn to make a Panchang knot (shown above), also known as an infinity knot, which is the quintessential Chinese knot! This workshop starts at 3pm, finishing at 4pm or when you’ve completed your knot.
Workshops are delivered in Chinese, but an English-speaking assistant will be on hand to help! Suitable for both adults and kids, they cost 88RMB each and include all materials. Please sign up in advance here.
Talks
TCM for Autumn (11.15am)
This thirty-minute introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine will explain the basic principles of TCM and give you some tips on how to prepare for autumn the traditional Chinese way!
Fengshui for home, happiness and health (2.15pm)
This thirty-minute introduction to home and office Fengshui will give you some simple tips to help improve your life and luck by following the basic tenets of fengshui.
Talks are delivered in English and are free of charge! No need to sign up!
Feel free to get in touch via email at events@culturalkeys.cn or via WeChat at NicD1280 if you have any questions! We look forward to seeing you at Lao Beijing!
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About Us
Are you interested in learning more about the traditional culture of China, and perhaps experiencing it for yourself? Since 2013, Cultural Keys Chinese Culture Centre has been helping people doing exactly that.
Through our provision of content, classes, information and services, Cultural Keys helps people access, understand and experience the traditional culture of China, from kung fu to calligraphy, feng shui to painting. Click here to read more about Cultural Keys and what we can do for you, your school, company or organisation to help you get more out of your time in China.
For more information about anything on this page, please contact us or use the form below to let us know your specific requirements.
We look forward to hearing from you!