Year of the Dragon: Paint the Dragon, Dot the Eyes
In traditional Chinese culture, the dragon is a sacred creature. It is generally believed that the dragon is one of the divine creatures in the heavenly realm, responsible for controlling the rain, lakes and seas, and other waters. Therefore, in Chinese folklore, there are stories about the Dragon King of the Four Seas, as well […]
Storm in a Teacup: A Visual History of Tea (I)
by Anne Wallentine To dunk or not to dunk, that is the question. Tea is quite a conundrum: it is an uplifting social drink that has caused all manner of chaos,from devastating colonial exploitation to mere ‘violent disputes’ over its brewing methods, as George Orwell wrote. Tea fuelled centuries of imperial expansion, exploitation and industrialisation. […]
Shang and Zhou Dynasties: The Bronze Age of China
By Department of Asian Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art The long period of the Bronze Age in China, which began around 2000 B.C., saw the growth and maturity of a civilization that would be sustained in its essential aspects for another 2,000 years. In the early stages of this development, the process of urbanization […]
The Garden of Perfect Brightness, part 2
Comes from part one In order to create a private retreat near the Forbidden City but away from its formality, the Kangxi emperor created a villa with gardens to the northwest of Beijing which was named the Garden of Joyful Spring (Changchunyuan 暢春園). The emperor had taken frequent excursions to this area at the foot […]