The Book Tower and the Chinese Book Collecting Culture

China enjoys a long history of book collection. This tradition can be dated back to the Zhou Dynasty more than 3,000 years ago, and it has undergone the stages of emergence, development, booming, prosperity, decline, and transformation. Basically, there are four systems in this convention, namely, the State book collection (also referred to as official book collection), private book     

CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION CALLS FOR GREATER PUBLIC AWARENESS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

A 36-person delegation from the US President＇s Committee on the Arts and the Humanity paid an official visit to China from June 5 to 13 at the invitation of Chinese Cultural Ministry. On June 10, the delegation attended a seminar on the conservation of world heritage sites in Suitcase House in Commune by the Great Wall,a resort hotel in the suburb of Beijing.At the seminar Shan Jixiang,Director-General of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China,delivered a presentation on the trends of cultural heritage conservation in China as wall as China-US exchange and cooperation in the field of cultural heritage conservation.     

HIDDEN ＂VALLEY OF FEMALE BEAUTY＂REDISCOVERED

Donnu Guo （＂Eastern State of Women＂） was an ancient kingdom governed by queens and existing during the Sui and Tang dynasties （approx. 6th-9th centuries AD）. Few historical records have been ever found about this mysterious matriarchic society until it was rediscovered one thousand years later in Danba, a county in western Sichuan Province adjacent to Tibet. Ancient watchtowers, unique terrains in the shape of plum blossoms and in particular beautiful women that have been insulated within the depth of mountains for hundreds of years,all have gained it a reputation as the ＂valley of female beauty＂.     

2004： An Epitome of Chinese Film Over the 20th century

2004 was a special year for Chines emovies. In this year, various types of movies were produced and shown to welcome the 100th anniversary of China‘s movie industry which will come in 2005. These new productions provided us an opportunity to review and recall the history of Chinese movies in the past 100 years.     

SUNKEN ANCIENT SHIP SALVAGED

Editor＇s words：Over the sweep of history,Chinese people have paid heavy price in their struggles with the ocean.A large number of sunken ships are evidence that testifies to the history of South China Sea as an important maritime passage linking the mainland to the outside world since the Song Dynesty dating back to more than 1000 years.In 1987 the discovery of the sunken Song-Dynasty ship＂South China Sea No.1＂in the border area between Yangjiang and Taishan counties in Guangdong Province is the landmark event for China＇s underwater archeologists.20 years from then on,surveys and excavations done to this ancient ship have witnessed the development of Chinese underwater archeology.With decades of efforts by experts from various fields,the sunken ship was eventually salvaged out of water in 2007 and will be housed in the newly-built Maritime Silk Road Museum in Guangdong...     

Nanjing Brocade： last Milestone of Chinese Silk Fabrics

Nanjing is an old city where ten dynasties and regimes in Chinese history founded their capitals. Over its 2500-year history, ancestors in this city have left behind numerous brilliant masterpieces of cultural heritage, among which yunjin is one of the most valuable.Yunjin refers to the incredibly beautiful brocade. Yun in Chinese means clouds, and jin means brocade. The image is lovely—a delicate and ossy piece of brocade that feels just like soft clouds. An inch of the Nanjing brocade was…     

Lasting Glamour：Money on the Silk Road

Over the sweep of history, the Silk Road has had immense impact on the political, economic and cultural evolution of ancient China, India, lran as well as many other nations in the heart of Asia and around the Mediterranean. These ancient civilizations have made significant contribution to the richness and diversity of human culture and arts. Thus, we cannot have a complete, comprehensive understanding of the history of ancient Asia and Europe without in-depth studies of the ancient Silk Road. And ancient coins circulated along this trade route provide valuable references for us to know more and better about the history, culture, economy, religion and arts of ancient nations along the Silk Road.[第一段]     

Calligraphic Styles of the Heydays of the Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty is the last dynasty in the history of China. In 1636, the Manchurian regime changed the state title from Post Jin to Great Qing. In 1644, Emperor Shunzhi moved the     

FORMER CELEBRITY RESIDENCES IN QINGDAO

Many famous cultural personages in the history of modern China dwelled or .stayed in Qingdao, a beautiful coastal city in east China. Their former residences are now well preserved as cultural heritage, which add to cultural richness and natural beauty to this beach paradise.     

History Museum of Shaanxi： A Treasure House of Ancient Art

The History Museum of Shaanxi stands in the southern suburb of Xi＇an, capital city of Shaanxi Province, with the Big Goose Pagoda on its east side and the Da Xingshan （Great Benevolence） Temple on its west side. The neighborhood is the most dynamic cultural center in the Tang Dynasty （618 - 907 AD） where candidate scholars passing imperial examinations had their names inscribed on the Goose Pagoda as honors, emperors bestowed banquets to officials and honored scholars, noblemen appreciated dances and operas and poets ascended the Goose Pagoda to recite their poems on the Double Ninth Festival （the festival for climbing heights）. While numerous beautiful legends occurred in the neighborhood in the past, it attracts tourists from home and abroad with its unique charms today.     

Art Information

Government and Bank Collaborate to Support Cultural Industries
On March 10, the Ministry of Culture of China （MOC） and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China （ICBC） signed a strategic cooperation agreement in supporting cultural industries. Cultural Minister Cai Wu and ICBC Chairman Jiang Jianqing attended the signing ceremony. According to this agreement, MOC and ICBC will abide by the principle of＂conducting long-term cooperation, supplementing each other＇s advantages and promoting common development＂ in order to encourage the development of cultural industries of China.     

Historic City of Suizhou

The historic city of Suizhou, located in the northern part of Hubei Province, has been well known in recent years,because it has been recognized as the birthplace oftheYan Emperor, a legendary figure ancestral to Chinese culture and people, and sets of bronze chime bells of Marquis Yi of the Zeng State were unearthed here. With these unique heritage legacies, this historic city has attracted more and more visitors from home and abroad.     

Classical Guqin Maker Tian Shuangkun

The quiet and melodious music led me to Tian Shuangkun＇s courtyard house in the depth of a hutong （alley） in the downtown of Beijing. Tian is a master maker of the Guqin, a seven-stringed zither known as China＇s oldest stringed instrument.His studio is furnished with traditional Chinese stuffs - old- style furniture, calligraphic and ink painting works, old pictures and the guqin as well. While I appreciated all these, Tian explained to me the long history of the guqin and his lifelong pursuit of perfection in making the guqin.     

Wuyutai： a Leading Tea Brand of China

Wuyutai is a time-honored tea brand that enjoys great popularity in Beijing. Its history can date back to 1887 when the brand＇s founder opened a small tea shop in the capital city of the Qing Empire.Today, this small tea shop has grown to be a flagship company in China＇s tea industry, with 220 chain stores and annual sales volume of more than RMB500 million.     

新闻

Chinese Qigong Practiced in Brussels, Belgium A Chinese Qigong training course was launched from October 24 to November 1 inBrussels Qigong Association. Officials and coaches from the State Administration of Sports of China were invited to give lectures for this training course. On October 30.     

SHADOW PLAY CHERISHED AS INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

In celebration of ＂China Cultural Heritage Day＂, a comprehensive exhibition showcasing Chinese .shadow play masterpieces was held in June in the National Art Museum of China. Some 17,000 rare leather silhouettes used for shadow plays and collected by NAMOC was displayed for the first time in the history of NAMOC and shadow plays by folk troupes were presented in the museum for three days in order to give the audience an authentic taste of this timehonored art form.[第一段]     

Oriental Magic Glass On the History and Artistic Charm of the Chinese Export Porcelain

When mentioning porcelain, people will always associate it with China.The colorful porcelain in various kinds, suffused with pearl-like luster, has witnessed the glory and splendor of the history of the Chinese porcelain production.The integration of clay and fire gives birth to the unique, charming and legendary art treasure - porcelain. When you touch it, its tender texture and crystal-clear luster will make you feel so grateful for God for bringing this magical gift to China     

Monuments Attesting to the History of China-Japan Friendship

The Monument to Premier Zhou Enlai in Arashiyama, the Monument to Lu Xun in Sendal, the Japan-China Friendship Monument, the Monument to the Japan-China Treaty of Peace and Friendship. . .all these Japanese monuments have close connection with Chinese politics, history and culture and attest to the history of friendship between Chinese and Japanese people. As the author wrote, people today should cherish these hard-won achievements made over the past century. Retro- active misdeeds done by Japanese rightists will be surely opposed and condemned by Chinese people and people from the rest of Asia and the world.