travel Qing Dynasty – Page 3

#北京 #中國 #China #Beijing | #紫禁城 #ForbiddenCity #October2023 | #ForbiddenCityDairies -The Palace Museum #ForbiddenCity Collections of Chinese intangible cultural heritage. Collection 11th towards 16th October 2023 …..

October 18, 2023 kevinjamesngLeave a comment

On July 19^th 2023 , the multilingual website of the Forbidden City Palace Museum- Beijing, China, People’s Republic of Chinawas officially released at the Digital Cultural Tourism Development Forum of the 2023 China Internet Civilization Conference! The website covers five languages: English, French, Russian, Japanese, and Spanish, and will meet the needs of audiences with different languages.

The multilingual website of the Palace Museum is committed to establishing an international website that is concise, clear, easy to use for overseas audiences, and fits the construction of the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, including tour guides, information, panoramic tours, online exhibitions, collection appreciation, cultural topics, etc. Rich immersive content describing of the most detail collection that housed within the Forbidden City collection….

On the 11^th October the anniversary of Daily palace, tonight’s good night comes from the 98-year-old Palace Museum…..

The wind blows and the rain blows, the stars move, and the ancient city remains undefeated through the prosperous years. Today is the 98th anniversary of the founding of the National Palace Museum . The Forbidden City carries the ancient memories of history, and has witnessed and accompanied everyone to open new chapters in life over the long years. On the 98th birthday of the Forbidden City, let us look back on every detail of our visit to the Forbidden City, relive our exclusive memories with the Forbidden City, and jointly protect this precious world cultural heritage!

Let’s read the calendar together During the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty, bright yellow satin and flat gold embroidery with dragon and phoenix patterns on the backrest, bedding, and greetings. The Qing Dynasty palace mostly used hardwood furniture. Hardwood furniture is valuable and strong, but it can cause discomfort when sitting or lying down for long periods of time, especially in winter, so soft cushions are needed. The wooden kang is larger, and the mattress, backrest, and handstands are often used together. They are filled with cotton on the inside and wrapped in brocade and other fabrics, making them soft and comfortable. The soft cushion in the picture is embroidered with flat gold, using real gold threads embroidered on the surface of the fabric. Mattress, backrest and handrails are essential items in home life. Although they are trivial details, they are related to personal feelings and can reflect the taste of life, so they are valued by people at the time. Emperor Yongzheng put forward specific requirements for the design of cushions, backrests and hand patterns.

“The Qiang Guan is covered with frost all over the ground.” The autumn wind blows the camel bells, and also blows away the confusion at the end of the eyes of homesick travelers.

[Clothing] Camel gray tufted kui pattern dark flower diameter gauze small simple robe, camel ground dragon and phoenix Ganoderma lucidum Ruyi pattern brocade, beige ground flower pattern woven gold brocade, camel gauze short-waisted women’s socks
[Accessories] Topaz sword head with hooked grain pattern, light camel satin embroidered scratching chrysanthemum pattern waist round purse, gauze head flower
[Daily necessities] Topaz double ear-shaped movable ring bottle with lid, yellow tapestry fan with vines, flowers and butterflies and mahogany carved handles

日面宫# , tonight’s good night comes from Zhu Yunming’s cursive chrysanthemum poem ceremony.

In the Qing Dynasty, the kang blanket was embroidered with red cloth with Chinese characters, dragons and phoenixes, and colorful cloud patterns for generations. The carpet cultural relics in the Palace Museum are divided into carpets, kang rugs, and tapestries according to their uses. The center of this kang rug has a dragon and phoenix character “囍” pattern, and the edges are patterns of bats, gourds, plum blossoms, longevity peaches, and the character “囍”, which symbolize wealth, longevity, and descendants for generations. This kang rug uses Cantonese embroidery stitching and may come from Guangdong. It was a tribute specially purchased for the emperor’s wedding. According to Emperor Guangxu’s “Red Wedding Ceremony”, the East Nuan Pavilion of Kunning Palace used a red felt kang blanket embroidered with dragon and phoenix “囍” patterns.

Forbidden City Autumn Fashionable Color – Fragrant color
“The fragrance of ripe rice is ten miles west. The hibiscus fences fall with long bamboo silk. The hanging mountain fruits hang green and yellow.” In the scene of a good harvest, where does the autumn fragrance come from?

[Clothing] Women’s robe with fragrant yarn embroidered with eight groups of peony and Kuifeng patterns, fragrant satin soap boots with rice beads, fragrant satin velvet mouth with peony pattern oval purse, fragrant silk embroidered flower pattern handkerchief [Accessories] inlaid with pearls and
jade Belt buckle, yellow tourmaline bracelet with pearls and emerald ornaments
[daily necessities] jade flower handle cup, tea powder glazed string pattern bottle, tea powder glazed flower

Qing Dynasty, with dragon and phoenix characters on the mattress. The emperors and empresses of the Qing Dynasty often sat on the kang when they lived in the house, and kang blankets and mattresses were laid on the kang for convenience. According to Emperor Guangxu’s “Red Wedding Ceremony” records, when Emperor Guangxu got married, eight large red satin mattresses embroidered with dragons and phoenixes with “囍” patterns were prepared in the East Nuan Pavilion of Kunning Palace. This cushion was originally stored in Kunning Palace. From the embroidered pattern of dragon and phoenix with the character “囍”, it can be seen that it was used during the wedding of Emperor Guangxu.

Knots are the flowers that decorate the flowers. The mother-in-law is composed of a skeleton, an inner tube, and an exterior mother-in-law flower. The shapes of the flowers are various, including vase-shaped, olive-shaped, long angular, round, etc. They are called knots, hairpins, green strips, etc. according to the yellow strips they are attached to. Among them, the knot is decorated on the lower middle part of the front of the knot. Since most of the knots are equipped with hanging rings on both sides and the bottom edge of the back, beads can be hung; round hairpins are decorated on it, and long angular hairpins are decorated on the left and right sides of the knots..

Qing Dynasty, wood inlaid material, stone, gold and peach leather saddle. The saddle is made of wood, with an asphalt surface and painted with patterns such as butterflies and lotuses. The edge of the saddle is inlaid with rubies, turquoise, coral and other jewels. The attached yellow strips have the words “Happy Saddle” and “Branded Bundle” written on it. , it can be seen from this that it is a wedding saddle specially used for weddings. When the stipulated time came on the day of the emperor’s wedding, the eunuchs used ceremonial carriages to carry the queen to the Kunning Palace in the middle palace. When the queen entered Kunning Palace, the eunuch arrived in advance..

Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, bright yellow silk embroidered with clouds, bats, dragons, phoenixes and 囍 patterns. The napkin is a napkin. The emperor and empress wore it on their chests to avoid staining their clothes when they ate. The main color of this piece of clothing is bright yellow, with red, blue, white, and green colors in between. There is a yellow “囍” pattern in the center, dragon and phoenix patterns on both sides, and the edges are decorated with cranes, bats, deer, and the Chinese characters “Shou” and “Shou”. “囍” character pattern, etc. This bodice was specially made for the weddings or longevity celebrations of emperors and empresses of the Qing Dynasty.

Before the Han Dynasty, there were pre-Qin stone drums and Qin Shihuang carved stones. It was not until the Eastern Han Dynasty that rectangular standing stones with inscribed characters and a certain shape appeared, which were the stele with the meaning of later generations. With the development of the times, the meaning of stele gradually expanded to include stone inscriptions, such as stone inscriptions, epitaphs, cliff inscriptions, statue inscriptions, stone monument inscriptions, etc.

Most of the steles handed down from the Han Dynasty are rubbings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, with only a few rubbings from the Song Dynasty. The “Xiyue Huashan Temple Stele” of the Eastern Han Dynasty was destroyed in the Ming Dynasty, and only four rubbings survive: the Huayin and Siming editions collected by the Palace Museum, the Shunde edition collected by the Cultural Relics Collection of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Nagagaki edition collected by the Taito Ward Museum of Calligraphy in Tokyo, Japan. . Two of them, the Huayin version and the Shunde version, are on display in the first unit of this Song Tuo Charm exhibition, “Xiyue Huashan Temple Stele and Han and Tang Stele Inscriptions

Ming Dynasty, Zigang style sapphire cup. After the sitting ceremony was completed, the emperor and empress performed the ceremony of union. Before the ceremony, the queen redressed and dressed up. In addition to changing into court robes and gown, she also had to comb her long hair, which is a symbol of an unmarried girl, into the “two hairs” of a married daughter-in-law. At the end of the lunar month, the emperor and empress sat on the mattress, drinking and eating. Under the eaves outside the house, the banner couple sang a song of celebration in Manchu to wish the emperor and empress good luck on their wedding, and the wedding ceremony was completed. This sapphire cup has two connected tubes. A phoenix is carved between the two tubes as the cup handle. The rim of one side of the cup is engraved with the inscription “Zigang Zhi”, and the rim of the other side is engraved with the inscription “Henan Cup”.

Qing Dynasty, clay paint and yellow wine jar. Wedding ceremonies are grand and lively, often with wine added to the fun. This wine jar is made of clay and painted with colorful paint. The body of the jar is painted with auspicious patterns of dragons and phoenixes. There is the word “囍” on the jar body and sealing mud. The jar is filled with rice wine produced in Zhejiang. In ancient China, the best rice wine was brewed in Shaoxing, Zhejiang. This wine may have been specially produced by local officials as a tribute to the emperor’s wedding.

Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty, yellow ground pastel magpie plum bowl. In preparation for the wedding in the 11th year of Tongzhi (1872), the palace issued a firing list and official instructions to the Jingdezhen Royal Kiln Factory: “The queen needs to use porcelain for fourteen points and nine colors.” Among them, “Fourteen Points” refers to fourteen sets of porcelain with different patterns, each of which is a sea bowl, a large bowl, a medium bowl, a soup bowl, a rice bowl, a pocket bowl, a nine-inch plate, a seven-inch plate, a five-inch plate, and a four-inch plate. One-inch plates, three-inch plates, two-inch five-plates, wine cups, soup spoons, tea cups, large tea cups, tureens, tea jars, urns, powder boxes, rice bowls, rouge boxes, flower pots, narcissus boxes, etc. The inner wall of this bowl is plain, and the outer wall is painted with magpies and plum blossoms on the yellow ground. The main trunk of the plum tree is curved, the branches are strong, and plum blossoms are dotted on the branches. Black magpies are flying or perching, with vivid postures and delicate depictions. The magpie climbing on the plum blossom is a traditional Chinese auspicious pattern. It is pronounced by the words “xi” and “plum”, which means “happy on the eyebrows”. This patterned bowl is one of the “fourteen points” porcelain fired at Tongzhi’s wedding…

Images and visuals are from – Forbidden City –Palace Museum Beijing- China –People’s Republic of China…..

#北京 #中國 #China #Beijing | #紫禁城 #ForbiddenCity #October2023 | #ForbiddenCityDairies -The Palace Museum #ForbiddenCity Collections of Chinese intangible cultural heritage. Collection 8th -11th October 2023-

October 11, 2023 kevinjamesngLeave a comment

On July 19^th 2023 , the multilingual website of the Forbidden City Palace Museum- Beijing, China, People’s Republic of China was officially released at the Digital Cultural Tourism Development Forum of the 2023 China Internet Civilization Conference! The website covers five languages: English, French, Russian, Japanese, and Spanish, and will meet the needs of audiences with different languages.

中国romantic farewell Hangzhou Asian Games In the eighth month of the lunar calendar, the osmanthus flower blooms and is the official flower of that month. In ancient times, the sweet-scented osmanthus was regarded as a good omen for success, and now it also contains the good expectations of “winning the laurels in the toad palace” and “winning the laurel crown”. The Hangzhou Asian Games will close tonight. Let us give a golden osmanthus to the athletes who are working hard to achieve greater success in their future journey!

Qing Dynasty, yellow satin embroidered pillow with gourd and 囍 characters, dragon and phoenix patterns. Pillows are bedding that is placed under the head to help people sleep. In the early days, they were mostly wooden and porcelain pillows, and later gradually became soft and comfortable fabric pillows. The pillow shapes include rectangular, round waist, cloud heads, petals, silver ingots, chicken hearts, etc. The most common decorative patterns are the lions who control the house, children praying for children, peonies hoping for wealth, dragons and phoenixes blessing marriage, etc. This pillow is used in the bridal chamber for weddings. It is embroidered with yellow satin, with the word “囍” in the center, dragon and phoenix patterns on both sides, and gourd patterns on the edges, which is consistent with the overall decoration theme of the bridal chamber.

Forbidden City Autumn Popular Colour – Sapphire Blue
“A crane lining the clouds in the clear sky brings poetry to the blue sky.” Autumn chrysanthemums, okra, and begonias blend into the gem-like blue sky of autumn.

[Clothing] Royal blue satin robe with flat gold embroidery and cloud and crane pattern, blue satin embroidered chrysanthemum and butterfly pattern bordered pipa lapel waistcoat, royal blue three-autumn pattern makeup satin [Daily necessities] Warm bowl with enamel painted with the Chinese character “Happiness” and treasure phase pattern, blue and
white Snuff bottle with cloud and dragon pattern, blue and white snuff bottle with cloud and dragon pattern, multicolour garlic bottle with golden and blue ground embossed pattern, blue glaze chrysanthemum petal plate, white ground covered blue glass chilong pattern amphora .

Interior view of the bridal chamber of Kunning Palace. This picture shows the northeast Kang (North Outer Kang) in the bridal chamber. Hanging on the wall of the Kang are the couplets “Ancestor Wu’s Rope, the Hall of Five Fortunes is the same as the Five Dynasties; Tianyan is happy, the third level wishes to merge with three more”. During the reign of Emperor Qianlong, there was a “Tangtong with the Five Dynasties”. For this reason, he specially ordered people to engrave the plaque of “Five Blessings and Five Dynasties Hall” and the seal of “Five Blessings and Five Dynasties Hall Ancient and Rare Emperor Treasure”, and wrote an article to record this event. “Three more” means more blessings, more longevity and more children, which means the emperor will have a long life. There are several tables built into the room, there are paintings on the walls, and there are mattresses, cushions, backrests, handrails, etc. on the kang.

The 98th anniversary of the founding of the Palace Museum The ancient city remains undefeated in the turbulent years. After ninety-eight years of struggle, the people of the Forbidden City are ushering in the rising sun of a new day!

[Raise hands] Based on the arrangement of the pictures, how many landmark buildings in the Forbidden City can you recognize?

Palace autumn popular color – Purple color
“The slow autumn light cannot be retained, and the red leaves are full of dusk.” The rustling of the sycamores and the rustling of the maple forest break the tranquility of the cold mountains in late autumn.

[Clothing] Cotton shirt with orchid pattern embroidered with gold and silver, crimson satin cotton with chrysanthemum pattern, maroon satin short-waisted socks [Accessories] oval purse with
dark maroon satin nailed damask bat pattern
[Daily necessities] birch wood inlay Box, purple gauze and silk with flowers and birds, round fan with bamboo carving handle, purple glass flat square snuff bottle, white sauce plate with folded branches, flowers and fruits, sauce stove with white phoenix pattern.

Images and visuals are from – Forbidden City –Palace Museum Beijing- China –People’s Republic of China…..

#北京 #中國 #China #Beijing | #紫禁城 #ForbiddenCity #October2023 | #ForbiddenCityDairies -The Palace Museum #ForbiddenCity Collections of Chinese intangible cultural heritage. Collection 26th 4TH – 8TH October 2023…

October 8, 2023October 8, 2023 kevinjamesngLeave a comment

“The sound of birds and the shadows of flowers attract people to live in”. The blossoms are pink and white, and the birds are singing, which is the most pleasant scene. The apricot ranking is ranked first, the spring breeze is proud, and there is joy and joy.

Today on the 8^th October- 24^th October 2023 is 寒露Cold Dew, the twilight is getting earlier and the dew is cold. It’s late autumn, remember to put on more clothes and keep warm 爱尊城……everyone.

The traditional Chinese calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms. Hánlù, Kanro, Hallo, or Hàn lộ is the 17th solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 195° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 210°.

Interior view of the bridal chamber of Kunning Palace. In the bridal chamber, there is a floor-to-ceiling kang bed with a gourd and vine pattern of “囍” and dragon and phoenix, and a tent with a dragon and phoenix in auspicious “囍” pattern. A bedding is placed on the kang, and a plaque hangs “The sun rises and the moon stays forever.” There is a saying in the book of the emperor and empress of Tongzhi that “the two rituals of movement and coordination will make the husband smooth; the light will shine on the four sides, and the rising sun will praise the husband and the moon.” Therefore, the plaque contains the meaning of blessing. The vine gourd symbolizes the endless supply of melons, which corresponds to the couplet on the indoor wall: “The precious gourd lasts forever, the eight poles of mankind and heaven rejoice; the gold and yellow flowers flourish, the sun and moon shine brightly in the sky”.

Bamboo

“snow-covered sloping tips lean against the north wind”. The slim bamboo can also tower over the clouds and cling to the green mountains. Between the dense green and sparse shadows, the common sense of all things is revealed, showing the demeanor of a gentleman.

Qing Dynasty, silver and gold-plated account hook with the word “囍”. Chinese tent hooks have a long history. Bronze tent hooks were used as early as the Warring States Period, and they have been used continuously since then. In the Qing Dynasty, palace tent hooks were roughly divided into three categories: wedding celebrations, birthday celebrations, and auspiciousness. This is the wedding celebration category. There are small rings on the tent hooks for hanging, and the word “囍” is created in the middle and at the bottom of the semicircular hook, which can be described as meticulous.

“Beautiful flowers and pavilions leaning on the painted bridge”. Eating fresh food can relieve irritability, and observing postures can purify the mind. The round lotus sheds dew, the gentle breeze spreads the fragrance, and the summer scenery in the pond is overwhelming.

Qing Dynasty, red satin embroidered with a picture of a hundred children. This hundred-child picture account is the left half of the folded account. The account is embroidered with children with different expressions, which means more children and more blessings. Because Emperor Guangxu’s wedding took place in winter, this Baizi picture tent is a folder tent, which is warmer than a gauze tent. This account is made of exquisite materials and superb techniques. It is both practical and ornamental. It is a very exquisite piece of woven and embroidered art.

在palace中文 Look for the beauty of the country in the brocade, and enjoy the colourful colours in the courtyard. After seven days of fragrance-seeking journey, I hope the road ahead will be bright and worry-free, and the fragrance of flowers will always accompany you on a smooth journey!

Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty, bright red satin embroidered quilt with golden 囍 pattern for generations. The main color of the quilt is bright red, with gold “囍” patterns embroidered on it. There are also patterns such as pomegranates, bats, gourd vines, lotus round boxes, plums, orchids, bamboos and chrysanthemums, wishing the emperor and the queen a harmonious married life and future generations. This quilt is not only practical, but also has a beautiful meaning. But good intentions did not change the cruel reality. Emperors Tongzhi and Guangxu, who held wedding ceremonies in the Forbidden City, had no heirs, and the idea of five generations living under one roof became a fantasy.

Images and visuals are from – Forbidden City –Palace Museum Beijing- China –People’s Republic of China…..

#北京。 #中國 #China #Beijing | #紫禁城 #ForbiddenCity #September2023 | #ForbiddenCityDairies -The Palace Museum #ForbiddenCity Collections of Chinese intangible cultural heritage. Collection 15th-22nd September 2023..

September 23, 2023 kevinjamesngLeave a comment

From September 16th to November 5th, 2023, the ” 松图Charm – Special Exhibition of Rare Inscriptions and Inscriptions” jointly launched by the Palace Museum and the Chinese University of Hong Kong will be on display in the Wenhua Hall of the Palace Museum. There are a total of 65 exhibits (sets) from the Palace Museum and the Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Among them, both parties each selected 20 Song rubbings and presented them to the audience. The famous Song rubbings collected by the Palace Museum include the Huayin version of the Huashan Temple Stele of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Li Qi version of the Jiucheng Palace Liquan Inscription of the Tang Dynasty, the Induction Stele of the Duobao Pagoda of Qianfu Temple in Xijing of the Tang Dynasty, and the Maoqin Palace version of Chunhua Pavilion in the Song Dynasty. “Ten Treasures of Beishan” collected by the Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and ten “Prefaces to Orchid Pavilion” collected by Prime Minister Yousi of the Southern Song Dynasty will all be displayed in this exhibition. The exhibition is supported by the Beishantang Foundation, Longfor Group, and the Beijing Palace Museum Cultural Relics Protection Foundation. This exhibition is free to visit with Palace Museum tickets, and visitors can make real-name reservations through the “Forbidden City Museum” WeChat applet.

Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, Jiang Pu, and the laurel rabbit in the moon scroll. This is a painting that is cleverly conceived and combines work and writing. The painter Jiang Pu, who was a poet during the Qianlong Dynasty, used the round shape of the moon as the outer frame of the painting to depict the quiet scenery of the Moon Palace. In the picture, the Jade Rabbit turns its head obediently and stares at the osmanthus tree. The osmanthus tree has a unique shape, with its branches naturally curved along with the round frame. The stamens of the sweet-scented osmanthus are dyed with yellow, and the bright colors not only enrich the picture, but also add warmth to the lonely moon palace.

Qing Dynasty, Li Shizhuo, with Osmanthus and Moon Rabbit. Li Shizhuo, the nephew of the painter Gao Qipei. He successively served as magistrate of the state, deputy censor of the capital, minister of Taichang Temple, etc., and was known as “Li Taichang”. His paintings of landscapes, figures, and flowers are all exquisite, with elegant brushwork and elegant colors. He once learned finger painting from Gao Qipei and was very good at using his fingers as well as his brushwork. This picture depicts a white rabbit lying among the grass, looking up at the fragrant osmanthus tree and the bright moon. Through subtle and aesthetic artistic techniques, he hinted at the beautiful and romantic legend between the Jade Rabbit, the Osmanthus Tree and the Moon Palace.

Qing, Lu Han, and Gong’e play with the moon. “Wanyue” means “watching the moon”, “appreciating the moon” and “appreciating the moon”. The moon is constantly changing in people’s eyes. As Xu Zhao of the Song Dynasty pointed out in the poem “Wan Yue”, it “is like a golden hook at first, and will be like a jade plate when it is full.” Therefore, watching the waxing and waning of the moon at night is a romantic thing, and it is also something that men, women, and children enjoy. This painting of a lady has a simple composition, depicting a young woman holding a fan in hand, leaning on a stone in the courtyard to admire the moon. The brushwork is meticulous, the colors are elegant, and the style is graceful.

On the 20 September 2023 a beautiful Beijing sunset No one is allowed to miss today’s sunset. fall in love with the Forbidden City …..

Qing, Anonymous, Mid-Autumn Festival Jiarui Picture Scroll. This is a painting created by a Qing court painter, showing a boy and a concubine spending the Mid-Autumn Festival together. There are many characters in the whole volume, but the author combines art with life, and cleverly uses the plot and the childishness in it to condense the scattered small entertainment groups into a lively whole. At the same time, the author focused on expressing the lively and joyful emotions of children when they were playing, and combined their forms and spirits together, thus enhancing the appreciation of the painting and expressing the festive theme of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Qing, Anonymous, Mid-Autumn Festival Jiarui Picture Scroll (Part). This part shows the author’s ingenuity in creation. He painted the back screen behind the statue into an oval, and painted on it the rabbits, Guanghan Palace, osmanthus trees, etc. that people imagined the moon palace should have, thus using the oval as both the frame of the back screen and the symbol of the moon. The outline adds extra interest to the painting.

The acceptance and demand for tea drinking has enhanced the exchanges between various regions, ethnic groups, and classes in China throughout history; tea drinking utensils and tea preparation methods are becoming increasingly similar, which is a manifestation of the deepening degree of exchanges. In “One is Two”, Emperor Qianlong is dressed in Han Chinese clothing and is sitting on a couch admiring various tea sets and utensils of different dynasties and national styles; the title in the blank space is “One is two, neither is nor separation. Confucianism and Mohism But, why worry, why think?” This shows Emperor Qianlong’s profound view on the inseparable relationship between Confucianism and Mohism.

From the gathering of treasures from past dynasties to the exchange and integration of ideas and theories, the cultural essence of different time and space is presented in the paintings, which reflects the eclectic nature of Chinese civilization and is the epitome of the evolution of the pluralistic unity of the Chinese nation….

Qing, Anonymous, Mid-Autumn Festival Jiarui Picture Scroll (Part). There are various images of rabbits in this scroll, including not only rabbit statues and paintings as works of art, but also real rabbits interacting with children. In the moon palace, docile rabbits are the gods used to make longevity medicine; in real life, they are the happy playmates of children.

Images and visuals are from – Forbidden City –Palace Museum Beijing- China –People’s Republic of China…..

#北京。 #中國 #China #Beijing | #紫禁城 #ForbiddenCity #September2023 | #ForbiddenCityDairies -The Palace Museum #ForbiddenCity Collections of Chinese intangible cultural heritage. Collection 11th – 15th September 2023..

September 15, 2023September 15, 2023 kevinjamesngLeave a comment

Emperor Qianlong once wrote a poem praising crape myrtle as “always blooming with light color in summer, and also emitting light fragrance before the wind”, which is fitting.

Crape myrtle has the same pronunciation as the “Emperor Star” Ziweixing. It has been widely planted in the palace since the Tang Dynasty because of its long-lasting flowering period and bright and lovely appearance. It is also called the “official flower” because it refers to Zhongshu Province. The seventh month of the lunar calendar is a time when all the flowers are blooming. “Sunflowers pour into the sun, hostas scratch your head, crape myrtle soaks in the moon, hibiscus blooms…” Hollyhocks, crape myrtles, cockscombs, etc. have all been nominated as moonflowers by literati in different periods. . The crape myrtle flower may not be the most gorgeous and graceful among them, but it is unique because of its freshness and delicateness….

Qing, Leng Mei, Gao Qiu Wan Yue chart axis. Leng Mei was a disciple of Jiao Bingzhen, a court painter of the Kangxi Dynasty. His neat and meticulous brushwork and beautiful colors were highly appreciated by Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong. This picture depicts a scribe climbing a high pavilion and looking at the bright moon. In the lower left corner of the painting, there is Leng Mei’s self-inscription “Writing on the Mid-Autumn Festival in Gengxu”, which shows that the painting was painted during the Mid-Autumn Festival and depicts the scene of admiring the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival. On August 15th, the autumn air is crisp and clear. The moon is not only full and bright, but also the best place to watch. At this time, people look to the moon to remember, or associate the full moon with reunion, hoping for a happy family; or they look to the autumn wind to ask if Chang’e and the Jade Rabbit are well in the moon palace.

Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, Leng Mei, Emperor Qianlong observing the moon. The court painter Leng Mei once painted “Moon Appreciation”, which depicts the scene of elegant scholars looking at the moon in reverie during the fragrance of sweet-scented osmanthus in August. Emperor Qianlong liked this painting very much and ordered Leng Mei to replace the scribe in the original painting with himself, depicting him wearing Hanfu and admiring the moon under the laurel tree with Ruyi in his arms. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, admiring the full moon and looking forward to family reunion are beautiful wishes shared by emperors and common people.

Qianlong, Jinnong, and Yuehua scrolls of the Qing Dynasty. In traditional Chinese culture, the moon is mystical and poetic because of its distance. In ordinary paintings, it often appears as a supplementary scene, but in this painting, Jin Nong directly expresses the moon as the main subject, which can be described as unique. The whole picture is extremely simple, with only a full moon depicted. Within the moon, the author uses light ink to draw the blurry images of jade rabbits pounding medicine and osmanthus trees. Outside the moon, the author uses green, ocher, and yellow as the main colors. Through the overlapping of colors, the bright and bright light of the moon is highlighted, which shows Jin Nong’s extraordinary imagination and bold expressiveness. The inscription on the lower right side of the painting reads, “The picture of the Moonlight is sent to Mr. Shutong for appreciation, the seventy-five-year-old gold farmer”, indicating that it was a gift to a friend.

Qianlong Qing Dynasty, Chen Mei, Yue Man Qingyou Picture Album. Chen Mei, whose courtesy name was Zaidong and whose names were Dianluan and Zhiwotoutuo, was from Lou County (now Songjiang, Shanghai). In the early years of Yongzheng’s reign, he was recommended by the court painter Chen Shan and became a royal painter. His paintings studied the Northern Song Dynasty style and were influenced by the Western painting style of Lang Shining in the court. The images he created were exquisite and nuanced, with strong modeling ability and artistic expression that conveyed the spirit through form. He was deeply appreciated by Emperor Yongzheng and Emperor Qianlong. During the Qianlong Dynasty, Chen Mei drew the “Yueman Qingyou Tu” in accordance with the emperor’s decree. According to the order of the twelfth lunar month in the Chinese lunar calendar, it showed the recreational activities of the beauties in the palace and garden in each month. This picture is the first in the album. It depicts the scene of the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, when beauties ascend to the Qiong Tower to recite poems, admire the moon, and look forward to family reunions.

During the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, Dong Bangda’s “Enjoyable Illustrations of Remaining Things” in Hongli Shu’s Autumn Post Ci Volume (partial). This is a calligraphy and painting scroll with the theme of Mid-Autumn Festival and the emperor and ministers of the Qianlong Dynasty. It begins with the four words “enjoyable things” written by Emperor Qianlong, and also begins with the imperial inscription “Draft a poem for the Mid-Autumn Festival and order the Imperial Academy and others to harmonize it”. Next, Dong Bangda (a Jinshi in the 11th year of Yongzheng’s reign, from Hanlin official to Minister of Rites) painted the Mid-Autumn Festival scene of the Chengde Summer Resort, the imperial palace outside the Great Wall. The bright moon is in the sky, and there are people admiring the moon in a grass pavilion near the river. Some people set up tables to worship the moon, hoping for happiness and contentment. At the end of the volume are poems by Liang Shizheng, Minister of Household Affairs, Qian Chenqun, Minister of Justice, and Emperor Qianlong. For Emperor Qianlong, appreciating the moon was appreciating the heart. Reunion with his family was important, and harmonious relationships with his courtiers were equally important.

Images and visuals are from – Forbidden City –Palace Museum Beijing- China –People’s Republic of China…..