Beijing Opera(China Peking Opera)

Peking opera of China is a national treasure with a history of 200 years. In the 55th year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty(1790) ,the four big Huiban opera Troupes entered the capital and combined with Kunqu opera, Yiyang opera, Hanju opera and Luantan in Beijing's thearetical circle of the time. Through a period of more than half a century of combination and integration of various kinds of opera there evolved the present Peking opera, the biggest kind of opera in China, whose richness of repertoire, great number of artists of performance and of audiences, and profound influence are incomparable in China.



Peking opera is a synthesis of stylized action, singing, dialogue and mime, acrobatic fighting and dancing to represent a story or depict different characters and their feelings of gladness, anger, sorrow, happiness, surprise, fear and sadness. In Peking opera there are four main types of roles: sheng (male) dan (young female), jing( painted face,male), and chou (clown, male or female). The characters may be loyal or treacherous, beautiful or ugly, good or bad, their images being vividly manifested.

The repertoire of Peking opera is mainly engaged in fairy tales of preceding dynasties, important historical events, emperors, ministers and generals, geniuses and great beauties, from the ancient times to Yao, Shun, Yu, the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period and the dynasties of Qin, Han, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing.


The music of Peking opera is that of the "plate and cavity style".Its melody with harmonious rhythms is graceful and pleasing to the ears. The melody may be classified into two groups: "Xipi" and "erhong", guiding pattern, original pattern, slow pattern, quick pattern, desultary pattern being their chief patterns. The performance is accompanied by a tune played on wind instruments, percussion instruments and stringed instruments, the chief musical instruments being jinghu (a two-stringed bowed instrument with a high register), yueqin( a four-stringed plucked instrument with a full-moon-shaped sound box), Sanxian( a three-stringed plucked instrument), suona horn, flute drum, big-gong, cymbals, small-gong, etc.

peking opera masks

The costumes in Peking opera are graceful, magnificent, elegant and brilliant, most of which are made in handicraft embroidery. As the traditional Chinese pattern are adopted, the costumes are of a high aesthetic value.
The types of facial make-ups in Peking opera are rich and various, depicting different characters and remarkable images, therefore they are highly appreciated. Moreover there are numerous fixed editions of facial make-up.
Since Mei Lanfang, the grand master of Peking opera, visited Japan in 1919, Peking opera has become more and more popular with people all over the world, and it has made an excellent contribution to cultural exchange between China and the West, to friendly association and to improvement of solidarity.



Peking Opera house of Beijing has been invited to perform in U.S.A., England, France, Germany, Italy (three times), Australia, Japan( four times), Brazil, Turkey, Singapore, South korea and Hongkong (five times). The performances have made an outstanding contribution to Sino-foreign cultural exchange and to the promotion of friendly association of peoples in the world, and were highly appreciated by foreign audiences.



In 1993 Peking Opera House of Beijing as a big Peking opera troupe made a performance visit to Taiwan, pushing the cultural exchange to a new height.
Peking Opera house of Beijing is willing to participate in activities of international cultural exchange and of commercial performances and sincerely hopes that friends in various countries will make contacts with us about cultural exchange and performances.

May Day Holiday Travel Destinations, Travel in Spring!

The May Day Holiday is coming soon, do you have a excellent plan about where to travel？Now here recommend you some places to go in spring, may you all have a good time in China!

Beijing is the capital of China, the center of Chinese politics, culture and international communication. Beijing is also a famous historical and cultural city which attract tourists from all over the world. Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Badaling Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Bird Nest, Water Cube and more landmarks make Beijing a charming and popular travel destination.

Red, yellow, blue, green…… Yunnan is a colorful place in our imagine. But when you come here, you can find Yunnan is a place which is covered with white. In Yunnan, there are 25 ethnic minorities, learning different culture about different minorities you will be attracted deeply. Besides, Yunnan is a world consists of flowers, camellia, cuckoo, lily and more famous followers make Yunnan a beautiful garden. Come here to feel the fresh air, you will have an unforgettable Yunnan travel.

Guilin is the world famous scenic city, it is located in the southwest of Nanling Ridge, its famous “Karst” landscape become rare wonder all over the world. As a common saying , Guilin’s scenery is the best all over the world.  

As tourists know, Xian is an old city with rich culture, it is the famous one among the four famous ancient capitals, at the same time, it’s the cradle of the Chinese nation, the birthplace of Chinese civilization and the representative of the Chinese culture. In Xian you can appreciate the Terracotta Warriors, the Bell Tower and the famous Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and many other landscapes, which attract a large variety of tourists to appreciate.

The May Day holiday 2012 is coming soon, do you want to have an happy holiday travel in this spring ?

Lijiang Trip In China.

   Lijiang,a most charming tourist destination in yunnan.

    The mornning of lijiang is quiet,an old women who is going to shopping，some relaxed travellers and the sunshine down from the eaevs,a charming landscape is formed.Fresh air give you the most comfortable felling.

   After 15:00 every afternoon ,lijiang come into a busy status.Many travellers go to the street,buying some memoriable presents,seeing the most beautiful scenery or taking a photo with best friends.There are  many handsome boeys ,pretty girls ,besides for the original landscape,they also become another scenery。

    Darkness enveloped,lijiang show  another status.People come together ,listening t the most moving story in the small town.Many people come back to lijiang after many year's hardworking,they love the quiet pace here ,they miss the fresh  air and charming status.

   Time comes by ,lijiang become the destination where time stop.Felling the lesuir states，you will love your lijiang trip in China.

Christmas Songs

Well, Christmas is right in the corner, have you prepared well a present for your families? A piece of chocolate, a toy, a coat or sth. else?

During Christmas, there is one thing should never be forgotten to mention: listen to Christmas songs, whether you are deliberately going for finding one or just come across a piece of song on the street.

Here is a list of Top 6 Christmas Songs according to general knowings:

1. Jingle Bells
2. Silent Night
3. White Christmas
4. Winter Wonderland
5. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
6. Chipmunks Christmas Song

While beyond these traditional songs, there are still quite a few new made songs, one of them is Mistletoe by Justin Bieber, nice and beautiful, have you heard it before?

Top 10 Photographs of 2011

As 2012 is approaching, it is time to make a conclusion of 2011, from your work, your life, your progress or some aspects else.

Here is a brief summary of top 10 photographs of 2011, have a look and welcome to speak out your ideas about photographs:

Rift in Paradise by Albertine Rift, Uganda

A tree-climbing lion stirs in Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Too Young to Wed

Herat, Afghanistan

A veil of gauze protects a patient named Zahara from flies in a burn ward in Herat, Afghanistan. Afghan women who set themselves on fire may do so to escape abuse at home, believing they will die instantly. Yet many linger on with terrible injuries.

Baghdad After the Storm

Iraq 

Moviegoers at Baghdad's first 4-D cinema get an extra thrill from shaking seats and wind machines during a 3-D sci-fi film. During the worst years of violence, families stayed home to watch TV or DVDs. Most cinemas closed, as did this one, though it has plans to expand and reopen.

Taming the Wild

Novosibirsk, Russia

This brown rat's angry display at the photographer reflects 73 generations of breeding for hostility to humans. Scientists at Novosibirsk and in Germany are comparing the aggressive rat genome to that of rats selected for friendliness, attempting to untangle connections between DNA and behavior.

Orphans No More

Nairobi Elephant Nursery, Kenya

Dedicated keepers at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's Nairobi Elephant Nursery in Kenya protect baby Shukuru from the cold and rain, and the risk of pneumonia, with a custom-made raincoat.

Spirit Bear

Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia

In a moss-draped rain forest in British Columbia, towering red cedars live a thousand years, and black bears are born with white fur.

Sami

Sven Skaltje was saddened to find the carcasses of two female reindeer whose antlers had become entangled during a dominance struggle in northern Sweden. He estimates it took three days for them to die of starvation. After separating the bodies, he saw from the ear markings that one belonged to him and the other to his cousin. Skaltje is much admired by the younger Sami in his herding group, but he is unsure whether the skills he teaches them will endure.

Rift in Paradise

North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rule of the gun prevails in North Kivu, a conflict-ravaged province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Mai-Mai Kifuafua, one of many local militias, flaunts its power on a road where it extorts money from villagers and travelers. For almost 20 years near-constant fighting over land, mining riches, and power has terrorized the

people.

Beautiful Teenage Brains

Austin, Texas

No elbows, no knees. Their "fight club" had rules. At least one Friday a month, boys gathered after school in the backyard of Bryan Campbell (at far left) to wrestle and box. Campbell's mother made sure they kept it safe; a bloody nose was the worst injury. The boys often used phones to film their contests, posting the videos to a private Facebook group so more friends could admire their prowess. The rush of a headlock, a bond between friends—their fights delivered both excitement and social rewards.

Conquering an Infinite Cave

Minh Hoa, Vietnam

JANUARY ISSUE

A giant cave column swagged in flowstone towers over explorers swimming through the depths of Hang Ken, one of 20

new caves discovered last year in Vietnam.

Gällivare, Sweden

Top 9 Lakes in Tibet

1. Namsto Lake
As the second largest salt water lake in China, the Namsto Lake is also the largest lake standing in the highest altitude. All around the lake, there are verdant mountains and vast grassland.

2. Basum Lake
Compared to Namsto Lake, Basum Lake may be not that well-known, it is the largest fresh water barrier lake in Tibet.

3. Tangra Yumco Lake
Besides in myths and legends, Tangra Yumco Lake is rarely known, let alone those who has ever been there. It is the largest sacred lake for Tibetan Bonism and also the third largest lake in Tibet, covering an area of 1,400 sq.km at an elevation of about 4,600 m.

4. Raksas Tal Lake
Closely nestled another sacred lake Mapam Yumco, the Raksas Tal Lake is noted for a sacred devil lake, though closed situated, the water in these two lakes are quite different. In Mapam Yumco, the water is fresh and clean, sweet while in the Raksas Tal Lake, the water is, however, bitter to swallow.

5. Mapam Yumco Lake
For Buddhists, Mapam Yumco Lake is the most sacredest, the water in the lake can help wash away all annoyance in one's heart.

6. Ram Naco Lake
The lake resembles a piece of skull, hidden in dense forests, the Tibetans believe they can receive true enlightenment from the lake and they can see their own prelife and life after death.

7. Yamdrok Lake
The water in Yamdrok Lake is noted as the freshest, which mainly comes from the melting snow.

8. Siling Lake
Together with Raksas Tal Lake, the Siling Lake is known as a devil lake.

9. Lake Palgon
The last lake comes to Lake Palgon, there is no religious myths about the lake, while it is one of the most famous lake in Tibet.

Where to Go in this Winter

Shelly said that: If winter comes, can spring be far behind? On the other hand, why not enjoy the gift given by nature? Winter, though cold, boasts its own attractiveness. Here recommended a routes in 7 days Northeast China tour for you:
From where you are to Harbin, have a general understanding of Harbin on the Central Street, and in Saint Sophia Cathedral;

the Central Street

Saint Sophia Cathedral

Then the second day, leisurely walk on the Central Street, Stalin Park, Sun Island Snow Expo, Snow and ice macrocosm, enjoying "Chinese-Baroque" architecture;

The third day, go to Shanghe Town in Wuchang City and later go to Dongsheng;

something like the view in Jiangnan?

The forth day, start from Dongsheng, hiking to Shuangfeng forestry station;

The fifth day, begin your visit from Shuangfeng forestry station to Jingpo Lake, then Dunhua City,

later to Erdaobaihe Town, the autonomous district of Korean nationality in Yanbian;

the temperature of the water is as high as 80C, so eggs can be boiled within 30 minutes

The sixth day, start from Erdaobaihe town to Mt. Changbai scenic area, enjoying wonderful view in the Tianchi Lake, the hot spring, the forest underground and the waterfalls, and stay in Dunhua City for a night;

The last day, from Dunhua to Jilin and enjoying the world-known Rime.

 

Orange & Movie Day

Heard about Valentine's Day or various kinds of Movie Festival before, while have you ever known about Orange Day? It maybe the most bitter sweet days among the 12 Valentine's Day, with no flagrant of roses, no sweetness of chocolate, while it is a day for lonely ones to find someone to accompany and enjoy a movie in the cinema.

Almost fogot to mention the date: November 14, the 1st day of the tenth month according to Chinese lunar calendar, right today!!! So happy Orange & Movie Day!!! Which movie do you want to watch?

 

How Do Chinese Celebrate the Singles' Day?

Chinese Singles' Day, falls on November 11 every year since 1990s, started from Nanjing University and quickly accepted by almost all Chinese people. And the November 1 is usually called the small Singles' Day by the combination of three 1.

 

Baozi and Youtiao for breakfast

On this day, some interesting customes are formed, for instance, the breakfast, singles often eat four Youtiao (deep-fried dough sticks) representing the four "ones" in "11.11" and one Baozi (steamed stuffed bun) representing the middle dot.

For those who decided to draw an end to their single many attend 'blind date' parties. Interestingly, quite a number of and many people choose to marry on this day. In addition to meaning 'single,' the four 'ones' of the date can also mean 'only one' as in 'the only one for me'.

 

Happy Marriage on the Singles' Day

It has been a convention that on the day, young single people would stay together, enjoy a banquet then arrange for other activities, KTV for instance. Though called Singles' Day, it is not a lonely day for those singles in my eyes. And in 2011, there is a movie on, called Love Is Not Blind, drawing quite a number people to watch, anyway, Happy Singles' Day!

Pilgrimage Begins

Five pillars of Islam are Testimony of faith (Shahaadah or Kalima), Prayer (Salat), Almsgiving (Zakat), Fasting (Sawm) and Pilgrimage (Hajj). Pilgrimage is the fifth pillar of Muslim and one of the must-obey rules of Muslims, every Muslim bearing capacity in financial and material capabilities as well as physical strength should go hijj at least once to Mekka. The pilgrimage is the biggest activity falls on every year at the 12th month of Islamic calendar, millions of Muslims would get togather around Mekka, praying, dining and learning. In November 3, over 2,500,000 Muslims rush to Mekka, symbolizing the beginning of Pilgrimage in 2011, which may last for 5 days.

The photo above says ten thousands of Muslims pray on the roof of the Grand Mosque.

 It is calculated that all around the world, there are about 1.2 billion Muslims, dotted within 204 countries and regions, taking some 19.6% of the whole world population, and there are in total 45 Muslim countries, half of which venerate the Muslim as state religion.

Reading Koran

I myself is an atheist, to tell the truth, I cannot fully understand them, esp, when they  immersed in their belief, while I totally respect them. On the other hand, I always wonder what makes them so devoted and pious, their dedicated expression in talking about their Almighty Allah is indeed touching, anyway, wish them and those bearing religious belief peaceful and happy.

Chinese Housing Price

It is learnt that: China housing price is dropping in recent days, esp, in developed cities, like Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, etc. It is reported that the trading volume of houses in Shanghai in October, 2011 drops 19% than that in 2010 at an average price at 21,247 yuan/sq. m, 5% lower.

Chinese housing price once was like a wild house out of control

Since the end of 2007, Chinese housing price becomes increasingly crazy, from 7,000 yuan/sq.m in Shanghai in 2007 to almost 30,000 yuan/sq.m now, you can image how much pressure the Chinese bear since in China, house is regarded as a necessity for marriage, and so does it important in daily life.

Will you feel happy when stay in these concrete and steel box, bearing hundreds of thousands debt?

Luckily, it is falling, but at what range? Will it back to 7,000, or just keeps 5% lower? Nobody can accurately predict, we just need to sit and see. Maybe living in Shanghai and owing one's own nest is easier or maybe keeps an unreachable dream for most of us.

Are you standing in the queue, counting your pocket and waiting for the coming of the day when one of these houses belongs to you?