Confucius

Confucius named Qiu styled Zhongni, a great thinker and educator in the late Spring and Autumn Period, and the founder of Confucianism. Confucius instructed more than 3000 disciples and some were from poor families. Confucius gradually changed the tradition that only nobilities had the right to receive education. In his later years , Confucius compiled many literary works of ancient times, including The Book of Songs ,The Book of Documents, and The Books of Changes. His saying and behaviors were compiled in The Analects of Confucius by his disciples. His ideology has been absorbed and carried composing the essential part of Chinese traditional ideology. It was also spread into the border regions and areas building up a circle of Confucianism. UNESCO labeled him one of the “Ten Culture Celebrities”. 孔子

孔子名丘字仲尼，春秋末期伟大的思想家和教育家，儒家学派创史人。孔子一共教授了三千多个学生，其中不乏贫困家庭的孩子，改变了只有贵族子女才有资格上学的传统。孔子晚年还编订上古书籍，《诗经》《尚书》《周易》等。孔子的言行被他的弟子们收集在《论语》中，他的思想也被后人吸收和发扬光大，成为中国传统思想最主要的组成部分，并逐渐传播到周边国家，形成了影响范围很广的儒家文化圈。联合国教科文组织曾将孔子列入世界十大文化名人之一。

Beijing Opera

Beijing Opera is the most popular and influential opera in China with a history of almost 200 years. In development Beijing Opera has formed a number of fictitious props. For instance a pedal means a boat. Without any physical props involved , an actor may perform going upstairs or downstairs opening or closing a door by mere gestures. Though exaggerated those actions would give audience an impression with graceful movements. There are four main roles sheng dan jing and chou. A sheng or dan has the eyebrows painted and eyes circled. A jing and chou have their facial makeup ,for example, a red face depicts the loyalty and bravery and a white face symbolizes treachery and guile. 京剧

京剧是中国流行的最广泛影响最大的一个剧种，拥有两百多年的历史。在长期的发展过程中，京剧形成了一套虚拟表演动作，如一条桨就可以代表一只船。不需要任何的道具，演员就能表现出上楼、下楼，开门、关门等动作，虽然经赤了夸张但这些动作能给观众既真实又优美的感觉。京剧演员分生、旦、净、丑四个行当，生和旦的化痕迹要描眉、吊眉、画眼圈，净丑面部需要化妆，比如，红脸表示忠诚勇猛，白脸表示奸险。

Paper-Cuts

Chinese paper-cuts are pretty and exquisite with a unique oriental style. They make viewers to feel the real daily life and a festive atmosphere. The making of paper-cuts is a popular folk art of more than 2000 years in China. They are mostly created by women in rural areas. The designs are fowls domestic animals crops, episodes from operas auspicious symbols and so on. Used on the Chinese lunar New Year or other festivals, they add delight and festivity to the life of the ordinary people. Paper-cuts fall into two categories, simple and natural single-colored ones, and gorgeous and colorful ones. The famous ones are window-panes from Shanxi, figurines of local operas from Weixian Hebei, and embroidery copies in ethnic minorities in southern China. Chinese paper-cut has been listed as one of the world’s cultural heritages by UNESCO. 剪纸

中国的剪纸美丽精巧，带有独特的东方神韵。她们使人感到浓浓的生活气息和欢乐的喜庆的气氛。剪纸艺术大约有2000多年的历史，是中国民间十分常见的工艺品。她们大多出自农村妇女之手，图案有家禽、家畜、农作物、花鸟、娃娃、戏曲故事、吉祥图案等，常常在过年过节和喜庆吉日时使用。鲜艳美丽的剪纸给中国普通百姓的生活带来了欢乐和喜气。剪纸分单色和彩色两种，单色朴素大方，彩色的绚丽多彩。比较有名的剪纸有陕西的窗花，河北蔚县的戏曲人物，以及南方少数民族的绣花底样等。中国剪纸己被联合国教科文组织列入世界文化遗产，

Cheong-sam Long Gown and Mandarin Jacket

Originated in Manchu female’s dress in the Qing Dynasty, Cheong-sam is regarded as the model of Chinese traditional dressing culture. It accords with the harmony of Chinese culture in style and shows rich oriental feature in techniques. It gives prominence to a lady’s slender figure and heightens the gravity center of human body together with high-heel shoes. Civility elegance and dignity can be fully displayed. It has developed its own long-lasting trend.

As for the traditional clothes of Chinese men, the long gown and mandarin jacket are typical. As the dress of Manchu men both have round-necks and narrow sleeves. The mandarin jacket has buttons down the front ,mostly with sleeves like a horse‘s hoof. The front of long gowns is basically large .The long gown and mandarin jacket give the impression of comfortableness and ease as well as sobriety.

旗袍和长袍马褂

源自清代满族女性服饰，旗袍被誉为中国传统服饰文化的典范。它造型风格方面，符合中国文化和谐的特点，它在装饰手法方面也展现着浓厚的东方特质。另外，穿旗袍可以突出形体的修长感，配上中高跟鞋，更可以抬升人体的重心，将东方女性的端庄，典雅和含蓄的美展露出来，因此旗袍在中国民族服装中独领风骚，久盛而不衰。中国男子的传统服饰比较有代表性的为长袍马褂。长袍马褂是满族男子的服装，盘领、窄袖，马褂是对襟，大多有马蹄袖。长袍为大襟，长袍马褂给人的感觉是既不乏庄重，又显得洒脱和舒适。

The Spring Festival

The first day of the first lunar month is the New Year’s Day in the Chinese lunar calendar. The Chinese have many traditional customs relating to the festival, families undertake a thorough cleaning, do the Spring Festival shopping, create paper-cuts for window decoration, put up New Year pictures, write Spring Festival couplets and make New Year cakes, to bid farewell to the old and usher in the new. The night before the festival is the New Year’s Eve. It is the time for a happy family reunion to have a sumptuous New Year’s Eve dinner. People talk and laugh until daybreak, which is called “staying up to see the year out”. When the bell tolls midnight, people eat dumplings. From the first day of the lunar year, people visit relatives and friends to greet each other. Setting off firecrackers is a favorite activity of children in the festival. The sound of firecrackers can be heard everywhere, adding to the rejoicing atmosphere. From the Chinese all over the world, the Spring Festival is the most important day. 春节

春节是农历的正月初一，是中国的农历新年。中国人过春节有许多传统习俗，家家户户要大扫除，买年货，贴窗花，挂年画，写春联，蒸年羔，准备辞旧迎新。春节的前夜叫“除夕”。除夕之夜是家人团聚的时候，一家人吃一顿丰盛的年夜饭，说说笑笑直到天亮，这叫守岁。除夕零点的钟声一响，人们还要吃饺子。过了除夕就是大年初一，人们要相互拜年，说一些祝愿幸福，健康的吉祥话。放爆竹是春节期间孩子们最喜欢的活动，阵阵烟花，声声爆竹，给节日增添了喜庆的气氛，在中国和世界各地华夏子孙心中，春节是最重要的一天。

The Lantern Festival

The 15th day of the first lunar month is the traditional Lantern Festival of China. The Chinese people have the custom of enjoying lanterns and eating glutinous rice dumplings. There is a common saying that “Playing on the Lantern Festival”. The custom started in the Han Dynasty with a history of more than 2000 years. On the night, everyplace is decorated with lanterns to form a bustling atmosphere. People go in crowds to enjoy themselves and some lanterns there are riddles, which encourage people to strive to be the first to find the answer. Another custom is to eat glutinous rice dumplings. It is a round ball made of glutinous rice flour with a filling of sugar and kernels. When boiled it is very savory and tasty. The Chinese people hope that everything is satisfactory .To eat them on the first full moon night of a year is to wish that family members will remain united and happy.

农历正月十五是中国民间传统的元宵节，中国人有赏灯和吃元宵的习俗，俗话说“正月十五闹花灯”。元宵节赏灯的习俗是从汉朝开始的，到现在己经有两千多年的历史了。元宵节这一天，到处张灯结彩热闹非常，人们成群结队地去观赏花灯，花灯上还写有谜语，引得观灯人争先恐后地去竞猜。元宵节这天还要吃元宵。元宵是一种用糯米粉做成的小圆球，里面包着糖和各种果仁做成的馅。煮熟后，吃起来香甜可口，中国人希望诸事圆满，在一年开始的第一个月圆之夜吃元宵，就是希望家人团圆圆圆满满。