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Beyond the sounds of Beijing Opera – One of China’s most iconic cultures!

Source: thestandnews.com

Chinese opera (戏曲 xìqǔ) might sound a little strange to the ears of those not used to it, but it is a stunning blend of many different art forms – music, singing, dancing, martial arts, acrobatics, costume design and make-up art, as well as literary art forms. Chinese opera reached its height, both in terms of quality and popularity, in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), with hundreds of regional styles developing.

Want to know more about this iconic culture, it’s history and the people involved? Read on to find out!

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Beijing International Horticultural Expo: A CK How-To-Go-Guide

Beijing International Horticultural Expo #1

Not many people in Beijing are lucky enough to have their own garden, so if that’s you, why not head north to Yanqing to see a fantastic array of gorgeous gardens? The International Horticultural Exhibition 2019 (Beijing Expo for short), on until October 7th, features around 80 individual gardens from various organisations, each of China’s provinces, and many countries around the world. There are also exhibition halls featuring the latest agricultural techniques and products.

Read on for our guide on how to get to Beijing Expo and what to see, do and eat there!

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What are Chinese rice dough figurines?

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!

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Who was Master Wang Xizhi?

Calligraphy （书法 Shūfǎ） is now considered an art form, but perhaps you didn’t know that traditionally it was much more – a way to cultivate personal character. It was considered essential for any cultured person to be skilled in calligraphy, as well as the related skill, painting.  Find out more about calligraphy in our introduction to Chinese calligraphy (link).

Who could possibly be so famous that a reproduction of their work would sell for $48 million? The greatest Chinese calligrapher, Wang Xizhi!

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