Thursday, December 31, 2009

Significance of Fire Crackers

We all know, the loud noise most of the time disturb the peace of silence, but when accompany with burst of brightness it creates a sense of security , excitement amidst of the darkness and sadness.

It is believed that a Chinese monk Li Tian of Hunan province during Tang dynasty, invented the firecracker- that he filled the bamboo tube with gun powder. That loud noise that got rid of the evil dragon that troubled the Emperor of the time. Thus the tradition of using fire crackers to frighten off the evil spirit begun, and thereby it is employed to announce the joyous celebration of marriage , enhance the joy of religious celebration and in chasing away the evil and welcome the good luck of the Chinese New year.

All these seem to be originated with bamboo tube. Someone might have noticed when bamboos are burnt as fire wood, bangs will be heard. It so happened when an army chef, who filled the three common kitchen ingredient of charcoal. Saltpeter , and sulfur into the bamboo tube and put in the fire to burn, an explosion accompanied with a very loud bang . That was believed to be the humble birth of fire cracker, of all places in the most unlikely army’s kitchen.

Thus for the Chinese, Crackers are the means of bringing in good fortune, announcing glad and happy events and celebrating success of our day to day life and an essential ingredient of celebration of New Year



Saturday, November 7, 2009

Pei May Chinese School



The 75-year-old school in Kolkata, the only Chinese school in India








Courtesy : Hakka TV ( It's a Hakka satellite cable channel operated by Taiwan Broadcasting System (TBS) in Taiwan, launched on July 1, 2003 )

Monday, October 19, 2009

Universal Brotherhood

Citizens Of All Faiths Join Hands For Clean-Up Campaign

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Chinese Family Names

Our name , most of the time stands for our Identity.

It usually has two parts, consist of surname and given name. i.e. the individual family identity and individual’s identity.


In the Chinese culture as in most of the other cultures, the surname is the indication of the clan of one’s origin, and the given name give some idea of expectation or wishes of our parents or their hope for us.

Before 2, 300 years ago, most of the people did not have Surnames, for at that time the surnames were for the royalty and the aristocrats. In other word, it is a privilege or a title bestowed and not a right for everyone. Wong – 王 (Royal name; Song – 宋(Descent of Righteous Prince); Hu –胡and Chen- 陳Royal names.

After this time, the surnames were given to people by the decree of the emperor, or as a sign of recognition of the person as he as earned it by his position. Ma – 馬 the Tax officer; Kang – 康The Great Governor; Qian – 錢 The Treasuers .

Soon after the unification of China into one country, the common people, family-wise; begun to take surnames :

They took the name of their states in order to express their allegiance to a national or ethnic identity. Song – 宋; Chen- 陳; Wu- 吳; Tan – 譚 .

The name of their place of origin, Ouyang –歐陽 ( Descendant of a Prince.)

The name of their well known or well love ancestor, Kwan –關 (Descendent of a famous warrior )

Sometime the order of the seniority within the family is used as surname. The eldest is Meng - 孟; the second – is Chong 仲; the third is Shu - 叔; the fourth Ji- 季.

The name of an occupation is taken as surnames: Minister of War – Sima 司 馬; Potter – Tao 陶; Shaman (A spiritual leader)- Wu 巫

The surname taken to show its ethnic group: Hu- 胡 (the non-Han people living in the northern China)

It is estimated that there were more than 22,000 surnames in China, but due to elimination over the time, there are about 3,500 now.


Although there are thousands of Chinese family names, the 100 most common surnames, which together make up less than 5% of those in existence, are shared by 85% of the population. The three most common surnames in Mainland China are Li, Wang and Zhang, which make up 7.9%, 7.4% and 7.1% respectively. Together they number close to 300 million and are easily the most common surnames in the world.

Transliteration of Chinese family names into foreign languages poses a number of problems. Chinese surnames are shared by people speaking a number of dialects and languages which often have different pronunciations of their surnames. As a result, it is common for the same surname to be transliterated differently.

So it is common for family names to appear ambiguous when transliterated. Example: 鄭/郑 (pinyin:Zheng) can be romanised into Chang, Cheng, Chung, Teh, Tay, Tee, Zeng or Zheng, (in pinyin, Chang, Cheng, Zheng and Zeng are all different names).

Translating Chinese surnames from foreign transliteration often presents ambiguity. For example, the surname "Li" are all mandarin-based pinyin tranliteration for the surnames 黎 (Lí); 李, 理 and 里 (Lǐ); 郦/酈, 栗, 厉/厲, and 利 (Lì) depending on the tone which are often omitted in foreign transliterations.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

MOON FESTIVAL ( OCTOBER 3 , 2009 )


The Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese Calendar, which is usually around late September or early October in the Gregorian calendar. It is a date that parallels the autumn and spring Equinoxes of the solar calendar, when the moon is supposedly at its fullest and roundest.


Chinese people like the moon very much. In Chinese culture, the full moon is a symbol of peace and prosperity for the whole family. Its roundness symbolizes wholeness and togetherness. In the middle of the eighth month of the Chinese calendar the moon is full, and eight is also a popular number in Chinese culture.


Farmers celebrate the end of the summer harvesting season on this date. Traditionally, on this day, Chinese family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes and pomelos together. Accompanying the celebration, there are additional cultural or regional customs, such as:

Eating moon cakes outside under the moon
  • Putting pomelo rinds on one's head
  • Carrying brightly lit lanterns, lighting lanterns on towers, floating sky lanterns
  • Burning incense in reverence to deities including Chang'e
  • Planting Mid-Autumn trees
  • Collecting dandelion leaves and distributing them evenly among family members
  • Fire Dragon Dances


The main celebrations during the Moon Festival are appreciating the moon, eating moon cakes together and making Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns though mid-autumn lanterns are not as colourful as the ones in Lantern Festival. These three celebrations or rituals have been passed from generation to generation. Chinese people may think the Mid-Autumn Festival is not coming if they don’t do these three things. This Year It's on 3rd October 2009


Thursday, September 17, 2009

Warriors of Heaven and Earth

The film's score and soundtrack were composed by two-time Academy Award winning Indian composer A. R. Rahman and features 16 tracks, including the theme song, "Mirage (Warriors In Peace)", in 3 languages, Chinese (Mandarin), English and Hindi.


The Mandarin version of the theme song is sung by Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai, while the Hindi version is sung by Sadhana Sargam and English version by Sunitha Sarathy.

Following the film's release, the score and soundtrack were released in one album separately, under the title Between Heaven and Earth. ( SONY )

In 2003 after researching and utilizing Chinese and Japanese classical music, A. R. Rahman did the music for Warriors of Heaven and Earth.

Performers of the score include The Czech Film Orchestra and soloists. Other instruments, including the erhu, flute, duduk, dizi, taiko drums, and others, are also featured.

Track listing :

"The Golden Era" (3:56) – Instrumental
"Warriors in Peace" (Mandarin Version) (4:31) – Jolin Tsai
"Lord An’s Empire" (3:31) – Instrumental
"Water" (3:52) – Instrumental
"Horses" (2:27) – Instrumental
"Mountains" (1:49) – Instrumental
"Dacoit Duel" (3:26) – Instrumental
"Lai Chi" (1:31) – Instrumental
"Buddha’s Remains" (2:40) – Instrumental
"Blue Light" (2:23) – Instrumental
"The Monk and the Miracle" (4:05) – Instrumental
"Warriors of Heaven and Earth (English Version)" (4:31) – Sunitha Sarathy
"Desert Storm" (5:19) – Instrumental
"Escape" (2:33) – Instrumental
"Warriors of Heaven and Earth" (4:27) – Instrumental
"Warriors of Heaven and Earth (Hindi Version)" (4:31) – Sadhana Sargam


Wednesday, September 16, 2009

The Chinese Film Festival at The Spring Club

The Chinese Film Festival is on at the Spring Club till September 20th
Screening starts at 4 pm onwards

The Films :
  • The Road Home
  • Kekexili : Mountain Patrol
  • Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
  • Warriors of Heaven and Earth
  • Light Rail No 3
  • Together

at Silver Screen in THE SPRING CLUB- KOLKATA
5, J B S Halden Avenue
Phone: 22517057 / 8 / 9

Film screening schedule :

16.9.2009 : CROUCHING TIGER , HIDDEN DRAGON(4PM) / TOGETHER(7PM)
17.9.2009 : WARRIORS OF HEAVEN AND EARTH ( 4PM) / KEKEXILI(7PM)
18.9.2009 : LIGHT RAIL (4PM)/ THE ROAD HOME (7PM)
19.9.2009 : TOGETHER (4PM)/ CROUCHING TIGER , HIDDEN DRAGON (7PM)
20.9.2009 : KEKEXILI ( 4PM)

Friday, July 31, 2009

YANGQIN

In Celebration of the installation of the bronze bust of Lu Xun At the Town Hall of Kolkata ,there will be Yangqin Solo performance by Prof (Dr) Liu Yuening On August 1, 2009 at 6:30 p.m.


The trapezoidal Yangqin is a Chinese hammered dulcimer originally from the Middle East (Persia (modern-day Iran)). It is also spelled yang quin or yang ch'in. Hammered dulcimers of various types are now very popular not only in China, but also Eastern Europe, the Middle East, India and Pakistan. The instruments are also sometimes known by the names " Santoor " and " Cymbalom ".


Prof (Dr) Liu Yuening , a famous Chinese Yangqin performing artist and music educator, is currently a professor of Yangqin at the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) in Beijing, China and serves as the Vice President of the Chinese Yangqin Association. She used to be a visiting professor of Michigan University, USA, M.Lysenko Lviv State of Academy of Music, Czech Republic. In 2008, Prof. Liu Yuening was granted ASIA Fellows Awards funded by the Ford Foundation and now studies music and culture of India in Dehli University and National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama, India. She has won numerous awards like the Gold Medal in the "International Jiang Nan Shi Zhu" Competition in 1993 and the Art Director Award of the First Folk Instrument Solo Competition of CCOM in 1994. Prof. Liu Yuening has also released 10 albums, published 11 textbooks and dozens of research paper and journal articles.


Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Your Excellencies & My Brothers and Sisters

Today we stand here in the Town Hall of Kolkata City, to unveil the statue of Lu Xun, the great Chinese personality. Overwhelmed with the greatness of this simple function, I feel encouraged standing here in front of you and speaking on this great occasion with the thought that our Association has contributed towards the growth of our culture, as the famous proverbs says, " It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." Usually soon enough, there will be many more candles to light up our way, and the darkness will stay away.

The presence of Lu Xun’s statue in this City of Joy, should enkindle the hope of further understanding of two of the World’s most rich and ancient cultures where people must work for harmony and prosperity. We hope this occasion will lead to necessary encouragement and sharing of goodwill.

This joint project announces to all men of good will and hope, and awaken the desire in all, to come forward and offer our service to the betterment and welfare of all the citizens of this city.

We stand here to express our gratitude to Mr. Qian Jianmin, Mayor of Shaoxing City, Shri Bikash Ranjan Bhattachayra Mayor of Kolkata City, Mr. Mao Siwei, Consul General of China, Mr. Alappan Bandyopadhyay, Kolkata Municipality Commissioner, Ms. Yang Hui Attaché, Embassy of China, with their teams and all who have contributed to make this occasion a reality.

I would like to end this by hoping that this event will give rise : Swei,

  • To greater confidence to further cooperation and understanding between two great nations ;

  • Greater understanding of each other’s culture and cooperation to bring the fruit of it to their own citizens ; and

  • Greater mutual respect and sense of service for the growth of each individual and society at large.



Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Chinese Poet Finds Place In Town Hall



28 July 2009 ( Kolkata , Tuesday , page 3 )
Subhro Niyogi , TNN

Lu Hsun, the revolutionary poet who is to the Chinese what Rabindranath Tagore is to Indians, will soon be rubbing shoulders with his illustrious contemporary at the Town Hall. Qian Min, the mayor of Shao Xing city, will join mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, to unveil the bronze bust of Lu Hsun.

Lu Hsun defied the Chinese aristocracy, shunned the ancient scholarly language and wrote in simplified Chinese. He was born in Shao Xing city in Zhejiang province and became a cult figure in post-liberation China. The citizens of Shao Xing donated the statue to the city's Chinese community earlier this year, responding to the interest shown by Indian Chinese Association (ICA), a Kolkata-based organisation for culture, welfare and development.

"The unveiling of Lu Hsun's statue will mark the beginning of a new chapter in Sino-Indian relations. While economic ties between the two countries have strengthened, culturally, there is a need to understand each other more. Lu Hsun's arrival in Tagore's city can make that cultural connect. Indians can learn about Lu Hsun and the Chinese can learn about Tagore," Chinese consul-general Mao Siwei said.

ICA president Paul Chung said giving Lu Hsun's statue a pride of place in a prestigious setting as the Town Hall was symbolic of a major change in the way Indians perceived the Chinese community. "It's great to see Kolkata that has been home to the biggest Chinese community in India pay respect to the greatest literary figure in Chinese culture. This gives our community a sense of belonging," he said.

That is important, given the mistrust the community had developed after the widespread arrests during the Chinese aggression in 1962. The closure of tanneries four decades later dealt another blow to the community and sparked off widespread immigration.

"Some Chinese felt they did not belong here. Embracing a cultural ambassador like Lu Hsun will go a long way in demonstrating the government's concern for us. It will foster goodwill and restore the community's confidence in India," said Hsieh Ying Hsing, the owner of Big Boss restaurant in Tangra.

The statue has been kept at the Sea Ip Church since it arrived from Shanghai in March. It was first proposed to be installed at a park in Lu Hsun Sarani or CIT Road. After discussions with community representatives and the Chinese consul-general, the Town Hall was chosen as the venue that befitted Lu Hsun's stature.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

AROUND US

Before we leave the topic of colour behind, it will be good to observe that colour around us do have some influence on us. For example :

C O L O U R ~~~ I N F L U E N C E

Red ~ Excitement

Pink ~ Emotional healing , Nurturing

Orange ~ Creativity , Balance

Brown ~ Stability , Tranquility

Gold ~ Desire for power , Concentration

Yellow ~ Enthusiasm , Desire to improve

Green ~ Renewal , growth , Soothing effect

Tourquoire ~ Refreshing

Blue ~ Peace , reassurance , patience

Purple ~ Dignity , Self-confidence

White ~ Purity , Simplicity

Silver ~ Coolness , self-sacrificing

Grey ~ Conservative , security

Black ~ Emptiness , Authority , Serious

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

COLOUR HARMONY

Traditionally, in the five colours, viz. Red, Yellow, Green , Black and White, sometime, we wonder why the prime colour Blue is not among these.The reason is, colour Green is the colour of growing; like colour of leaves during spring; it ranges from yellowish green to dark blue, therefore the colour blue is inclusive of green in the traditional Chinese colour.

The significance of these five basic colours of the Chinese tradition or traditional Chinese system of colours are :

Red : Good luck, celebration, happiness, joy, vitality, long life, generosity and romance, therefore it is the bridal colour.


Yellow : Nourishing, of royalty, joy, happiness, intelligence, optimism and honour.

Green : Growing, developing, success, abundant, fertility, Hope, good health and good fortune.

Black : Protection, strength of character , power, dignity, formality, secretiveness.

White : Purity, peace, virginity, positivity, reverence, simplicity, self-sacrifice, precision, and innocence. This colour is used when mourning the death.

Gold is also seen as bright, prestigious and an obvious symbol of the rich. Gold is the second most auspicious colour after red.

Silver is considered vibrant and bright, the most distinctive attribute of silver is its modernity.




Monday, June 1, 2009

Semiotics


In our philosophical sphere, existence of elements do not remain in isolation, but are interrelated and governed by the generating aspect and overcoming aspect.

In the Chinese numerical symbolism, Number 5 is the centre number between 1 to 9; therefore it is at the centre which is symbolic of the perfect balance . It is this number that signify the harmony and dynamicism.

So, it gives rise to the 5 elements ; 5 directions ; 5 emotions et al.

The five elements are : Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water

The five basic Colours are : Red, Green, Yellow, Black and White

The five directions are : East, West, Centre, North and South

The five emotions are : Anger, Happiness, Love, Grief / Sadness and Fear/Scare

Friday, April 3, 2009

COLOUR

Colour is simply light of different wavelengths and frequencies and light is just one form of energy that we can actually see that is made up from photons.

In Chinese Culture, Colours has an acknowledged place in making things more auspicious and create awareness of sadness too.The auspicious colours according to the Chinese are Red, Green and Yellow, and because of its association Gold and Silver are also considered lucky colours to use.When packing gifts for presentation, it's very important to use Red paper as the Red packet for the New Year and other occasions.

Colours have its spiritual and therapautic place in nature, and thus make things more interesting.

Use and Experience colours everyday in your lives . Appreciate it.

Monday, January 19, 2009

4706 of the Earth Ox

The Chinese new year of the earthen Ox will begin on 26/01/2009 (2009 is Year 4706 in the Chinese lunar Calendar ). This year will be a year of patience, observance and great strength. It is a year of assistance for the people around you to help you. Do not be surprised by people's good will even you may not expect it.Be calm and cool, and strike when the time is right, and success will be yours, wishing each and everyone a successful and patience year.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Lu Xun ( 1881-1936 )

The half-bust bronze statue mold of Chinese Poet Lu Hsun from his birthplace in Shaoxint city coming to Kolkata .