The power of the written word has long been recognized by humankind, and throughout history, books have played a crucial role in shaping our understanding of the world around us. From the earliest manuscripts to modern-day publications, each text holds a wealth of knowledge and insights into the past. The documentary "Ancient Books Through Time" takes viewers on a fascinating journey through the ages, exploring the evolution of the written word and uncovering the secrets that lie within some of the ancient Chinese books. Through a combination of expert analysis, stunning visuals, and compelling storytelling, this documentary offers a rare glimpse into the past, illuminating the extraordinary impact of books on human history. The documentary "Ancient Books Through Time" shows us in the most convincing way that ancient books come through time and can also be integrated into our lives.   1 Vivid life in the ancient books Everyone's life is always inseparable from food, clothing, housing, and transportation, and it was the same in ancient China. Let's start with food and clothing, and learn how the ancient people lived from the ancient Chinese books. If we travel back to the Song Dynasty, we should not have to worry that…

Are you looking to add some extra flair to your cheongsam outfit? Cheongsams are already a stunning traditional Chinese dress that exudes elegance and grace, but with the right accessories, you can take your outfit to the next level. Whether you're attending a formal event or simply looking to spice up your daily wardrobe, the right accessories can make all the difference. From jewelry, hats to handbags, there are many options to choose from. Here are some of the best accessories to match with your cheongsam.   01 Shawl A shawl can be a beautiful accessory to pair with a cheongsam outfit. One of the advantages of wearing a shawl with a cheongsam is that it can add an extra layer of warmth and comfort, especially if the dress is made of lightweight fabric. Additionally, a shawl can add a touch of elegance to the outfit, especially if it is made of luxurious fabric such as silk or cashmere. Another advantage of wearing a shawl with a cheongsam is that it can be used to add some color and texture to the outfit. A brightly colored or patterned shawl can complement the dress and create a beautiful contrast. It can…

As an objective visual aesthetic element, the color in nature has a stable aesthetic meaning as the cognitive ability of the aesthetic subject improves and the aesthetic interest accumulates. Human cognition of the objective color world is the sublimation of people from material cognition to spiritual cognition, so color has strong psychological properties and emotional factors. During thousands of years of history, the Chinese people, with their unique cultural character, have gradually formed their own philosophical and discursive view of color in their consideration of nature and themselves.   1 Traditional Chinese Color Theory Ancient Chinese color theory is mostly derived from man's profound understanding of ecological phenomena in nature, as well as the imitation and generalization of natural colors. On this basis, the ancients linked their understanding of color with the traditional "Wuxing (五行, five phases)" philosophy, forming a very oriental flavor of the "Wuxing & Wuse (五行五色, five phases, and five colors" color theory. When the ancients began to understand color at the beginning, they saw that everything in the world was covered with harmonious and beautiful colors, so they had the desire to follow suit and collected colorful objects for their own decoration. With a further understanding…

Wearing incense sachets in daily life, or burning the incense burner when reading or sipping tea, the pursuit of fragrance by the ancient Chinese surpassed even modern times. The combination of form and spirit is the ancients revered spiritual states. Clothing provided the form of the real state, while the flavor implied in the air gave the spirit part. The documentary "The Flavor of History" features a unique perspective that brings hanfu and flavor together again.   Tang Dynasty Ruilongnao (瑞龙脑) is produced in the country of Brahma (now Brunei). In addition to growing in hot places, it needs to be smoked to release its aroma. But its flavor is as cool and pure as its appearance, like a contradictory combination of noisy and silent, entwined and moving. In the clothing system of the Tang Dynasty, color was an important clue to distinguish the superior and inferior. According to the Book of Tang - Records of Yufu, the emperor's regular clothes are Chi Huang (赤黄, a color between yellow and red, #F8CE00) robes, Fu Tou (幞头), nine rings belt, and Liu He boots (六合靴)". At the time of Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty, it was officially stipulated that Chi Huang…

"The Journey of Chong Zi" is an ancient immortal drama directed by Liu Guohui and starring Yang Chaoyue and Jeremy Tsui. The drama is based on the novel of the same name by Shu Ke, which tells the love story over three lifetimes between the disciple Chong Zi (重紫), a young girl born with evil miasma and destined to become a demon, and master Luo Yin fan, who is supreme immortal and handsome. Since its launch, the cumulative broadcasting of "The Journey of Chong Zi" has reached 750 million.   The Journey of Chong Zi Plot Summary Chong Zi (played by Yang Chaoyue) is pure and kind, but is the daughter of the demon king Ni Lun. She was saved by the Chu Bu Fu and was encouraged to seek further training to Nan Hua. But it doesn't go well, as Chong Zi is rejected because of her natural evil aura, and Min Yunzhong, the supervisor of Nan Hua, asserts that she will definitely become evil. At the critical moment, Luo Yinfan (played by Jeremy Tsui), the venerable master of Nan Hua, comes forward to accept her as his disciple, and from then on, Chongzhi becomes Luo Yinfan's only disciple.…

Recently, Zhou Xun's Qipao (旗袍, cheongsam) dress look in the movie "Hidden Blade" brought this traditional costume back into the spotlight. If it is said that every era has representative clothing, then, the Republic of China women's closet must not be missing one cheongsam.   01 Fashionable clothing in the Republic of China period Qipao dress can be said to be the most representative clothing in the Republic of China. For social needs, the ladies also often update cheongsam style. Song Meiling often wore cheongsam, when she went to the United States to seek support for the war, especially when she spoke in the U.S. Congress, the image of a black satin cheongsam stunned the crowd, while boarding the major U.S. magazines. The popularity of the cheongsam owes much to the successful incorporation of practical Western elements without losing traditional Chinese features. Although designated as one of the Chinese dresses, the Qipao dress is actually a Western-style wear under a Chinese-style appearance. On the outside, the Qipao dress still adheres to the traditional Chinese elements such as silhouette, Pankou, and vertical collar, and the custom of "right overlapping" is also retained, which constitutes the unique aesthetic form of the Qipao…

In 2022, Chinese Xuanhuan dramas achieve great success, with the airing of "The Blue Whisper", "Immortal Samsara", and "Love Between Fairy and Devil", that have left countless netizens lingering in the fairyland. As with historical dramas, there are still some unaired dramas on the 2022 to-broadcast list, check them out here. In this article, we will recommend some of the Xuanhuan dramas that will be aired in 2023.   Lost You Forever · 长相思 (Aired) Aired: July 24, 2023 Also known as: Chang Xiang Si Period Background: Alternative Reality Genres: Romance, Fantasy Main Role: Yang Zi as Xiao Yao, Zhang Wan Yi as Qiang Xuan, Deng Wei as Tu Shan Jing Plot summary of Lost You Forever In the ancient times, humans, gods and demons lived together, and the three kingdoms of Shennong, Xuanyuan and Gao Xin were in power. However, after a hundred years of hardship, Ji Jiu Yao (姬玖瑶, played by Yang Zi), the queen of Gao Xin, had not only lost her identity but also her looks and she had to settle in Qing Shui Town as Wen Xiao Liu, who had nowhere to go, no one to rely on, and no way to protect herself. Ji Jiu…

So maybe you’ve been interested in hanfu for a while, and you’ve vaguely started to pick out the differences between Ming Dynasty aoqun and Tang Dynasty heziqun, but you still have no clue what the order of the time periods are or even what they were characterized by. Upon a quick sift through Wikipedia, there’s just wayyyyy too much information to process, and you don’t even know what information to look for—what matters to your understanding of hanfu culture. Fear not! Here’s a compendium of what you need to know about the historical context of hanfu.   The Structure of Ancient Chinese History There’s a phenomenon in Chinese history that we call the Dynastic Cycle. Ancient China was ruled over by many different time periods called Dynasties, each with a family of rulers, and most of these follow the same general scheme: the central ruling power is established, the population goes up and the country flourishes, corruption starts affecting the political scheme, people revolt, and the country either dissolves into several warring states or gets conquered by another group of people. Then one state emerges victorious over the other ones or the invaders, the next dynasty is established, and the…

Cheongsam, as one of the traditional Chinese dresses, can be seen as one of the tags of oriental women. It is like an ink-scented rice paper, which writes the history of Chinese dress, and like an inscription of the ancient time, even the folds of which contain the scent of ancient culture. It is not only a garment, but also a carrier of traditional Chinese culture. As one of the key elements of the composition of cheongsam, the collar shape has a very important influence on the style of cheongsam. Traditional cheongsam collar, often with a stand collar design, formed an elegant effect, with good effect in highlighting the lines of the female neck and body. The details of the cheongsam collar, show the workmanship, also the soul of the cheongsam. The right collar type can fit perfectly with the body, but also with the cheongsam as a whole, to the overall style of cheongsam into more exquisite aesthetic temperament, from the fundamental focus on temperament.   The origin of the cheongsam collar The relationship between modern cheongsam and Qing dynasty Manchu robe is still controversial, but it is undeniable that there is an inextricable relationship between cheongsam and Qi…

Even if the petals fall to the ground, the fragrance remains forever. The documentary "The Flavor of History" evokes the traces of time with fragrance, recreates important points in history, and experiences the turbulent choices of the ancients, with cinematic images and quality copywriting, which is fascinating and heart-warming.   1 The Fragrance Deep in the Memory "Memories evoked by the sense of smell are always profound." This quote is perfect for the story of Yang Guifei and Tang Emperor Xuanzong. Yang Guifei was left there forever after the Mawei Inn incident, and soon afterward, Li Longji, Emperor Xuanzong, retired to the second line and became the retired emperor. And Yang Guifei's favorite fragrance, Rui Long Nao Xiang (瑞龙脑香, borneol fragrant), became a deliberate aroma that Li Longji avoided. But the former palace musician He Huai Zhi deliberately offered the hat stained with Yang Guifei's fragrance, opening the memory of Yang Guifei. The aroma on this hat, is from a late afternoon. Li Longji is in the game, Yang Guifei sitting aside to watch, and He Huai Zhi playing the lute. When Li Longji was about to lose the game, Yang Guifei put down the puppy in her arms, disrupting the…

In the thousands of years of Chinese civilization, there were not only the conquests and games between emperors and generals, but also the brilliant and practical institutions and mechanisms created by professionals and low-level clerks. The author Ma Boyong has distilled six wonderful stories from local histories and ancient texts to form the book "The Great Ming Dynasty Under the Microscope". The storyline is full of reversals, the number of characters and relationships, as well as the richness of the detailed descriptions, while adding to the difficulty of the drama adaptation. Because the historical evolution is completely different from the concentrated competition in the drama. In the original, Shuai Jiamo (帅嘉谟) in the silk tax case is considered the male lead, but he just appears occasionally. He is more like Ye Wenjie in "Three-Body", who ignited the fuse for this whole affair.   01 Smart Adaptation of the Original In the drama, the silk tax case was preserved, but the main characters have richer personalities. During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, a citizen of Renhua County, Jin'an Prefecture, Shuai Jia Mo (帅家默, played by Zhang Ruoyun. In the drama, the names of the characters are replaced, but the…

The xuanhuan drama "The Starry Love" is adapted from the novel of the same name by Yi Du Jun Hua (一度君华), starring Chen Xingxu, Landy Li, Luke Chen and He Xuanlin, and is the finale of the "The Honey Trilogy" after "Ashes of Love" and "Skate Into Love". With the release of the teaser and poster, the attention of "The Starry Love" is rising, the gorgeous scenes of the drama is particularly eye-catching, combined with the sweet and heart-tormenting mythological story structure, making the drama a must-see xuanhuan drama in early spring this year.   Classic drama nucleus and contrasting personalities "The Starry Love" only took two episodes to plant a very classic drama nucleus: marrying the right man in the wrong palanquin. The queen of the human race gave birth to twin sisters, the older sister Qing Kui (played by He Xuanlin) is gentle and kind, admired by the human race, and was registered as a heavenly consort by the gods; the younger sister, Ye Tan (played by Landy Li), is intelligent and cunning, but has been bullied, and she was promised to the demon world as a demon consort. Their wedding is arranged on the same day. However,…

The rise of the hanfu market restored traditional festivals back to former hustle and bustle. Lighting lanterns, pasting couplets, wearing hanfu, and singing ancient poems, built a bridge between ancient and modern times and seized the young people’s hearts. Hanfu brings feelings of nostalgia, ancestor worship, and gratitude to modern people. At the same time, hanfu production, sales, makeup, and supporting service markets have risen, and hanfu element immersive experience marketing is also in the stage of vigorous development.   Traditional culture in the costume The West Lake cruise ship with rabbit lanterns is swaying in the lake, and several tourists in hanfu complement with beautiful scenery, which is pretty much in line with the feeling of crossing Hangzhou, a thousand-year-old city. Many young people are immersive in it. "When I watched costume dramas as a child, I often put on a bed sheet to imitate a robe, and now wearing hanfu is more like a dream come true." Yan Peishan, who studied in Italy, said, "Earlier, I played erhu on stage in hanfu and won a lot of praise. It turns out that there are not only cheongsams in China, but also beautiful hanfu." Hanfu does not only refer…

Jin Yong's martial arts novel "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" is a voluminous and difficult for film adaptation. "Sakra (乔峰传)" takes the most central character in the original novel, Qiao Feng, and develops the entire story around his fate and life. With his understanding and creative approach, Donnie Yen has created a new image of Qiao Feng. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es5NAYPdcdI During the Northern Song Dynasty, Qiao Feng, the heroic and chivalrous leader of the Beggar's Gang, was supported by the martial arts world, but was suddenly identified as a Khitan and defected from the family. In Qiao Feng to trace his life, looking for enemies on the way, he and Murong family maidservant girl Azhu acquaintance and mutual affection. They go through several adventures, until Ah Zhu is mistakenly killed by Qiao Feng because of Mrs. Ma's design, and Qiao Feng finally finds out that everything is Murong's plot to restore Yan. Qiao Feng killed Murong Fu, and then took Zhu's last wish and went to the outside of the country.   The Difficulty of Adapting Jin Yong's Wuxia Work The creators of "Sakra", Donnie Yen and Wong Jing, had just previously collaborated on the "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" film series, with Donnie…

The Chinese New Year holiday has not yet passed, February has already arrived. 2023 is a common year (distinguished from a leap year), so February only has 28 days, but full of early spring romance and tenderness. February 4 is the traditional Chinese solar term "Li Chun, 立春, Beginning of Spring", although the weather is still cold, but the flowers, which have endured the whole winter have long gotten the news in advance, with action to convey to the world: Spring day arrived! Spring means a fresh start. And for gourmets, a new season means new cuisine to eat. The best thing about spring is leeks. Although leeks are available all year round, the newborn leeks in early spring are extremely tender and fragrant. So much so that the ancients would still use it for ancestral rituals. Without getting too sophisticated, leeks can be stir-fried or wrapped in dough to make leek cakes, which is one of the romantic ways the ancient Chinese welcomed spring. February 5 (the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar) is the Lantern Festival, which is the first full moon of the Chinese calendar new year and the return of spring to…

Today is the Lantern Festival, the first full moon night of the year in the Chinese Lunar New Year. In the Chinese lunar calendar, the first month of the year is called the month of Yuan (元), and the ancient people called the night Xiao (宵), so it is called the Yuan Xiao (元宵, Lantern Festival), also known as Shang Yuan (上元) and Yuan Xi (元夕). On this night, all activities revolve around lantern. As a specific festival, the Lantern Festival was shaped in Sui, and from Tang to Qing Dynasty, it was continuously grand, gradually forming a festival custom with lanterns as the core. How did people spend the Lantern Festival in the past? Follow The Palace Museum to check out the Lantern Festival customs that inherited for thousands of years.   Rich Traditional Lantern Types Both daily or festival, from the palace to the folk, the ancient people used a wide range of lantern styles, characters, flowers, birds, fish, insects, and so on. The exquisite and chic appearance of the lanterns gives good meaning. During the Lantern Festival, there are some specific categories of lanterns. For example, the Qingcheng lantern is a custom-made palace lantern in the Forbidden…

"A League of Nobleman" (君子盟) is the latest thriller detective drama directed by Yang Fan and Jia Xiaoxiong, starring Jing Boran and Song Weilong, broadcast on January 30, 2023. The drama is adapted from the novel Zhang Gong An (张公案) written by Dafeng Guaguo. It tells the story of Zhang Ping, a simple and upright young man who loves reasoning and investigating, and young gentlemen Lan Jue, who is elegant and gentle Ceremonial Master. They jointly explore and investigating cases, find the true circumstances of Lan's birth, and work together to maintain justice and protect the peace of the people.   Next detective drama classic? Classic detective dramas appeared frequently in the early years. "Young Judge Bao" not only has eye-catching ratings but also makes many classic clips unforgettable to the audience. "Detective Dee" series not only had the highest ratings at that time but also created the most classic image of Di Renjie in the history of TV series. The drama "Judge of Song Dynasty" in 2005 is still a classic in the hearts of many audiences. The series is enough to surpass most ancient costume detective dramas in terms of plot, performance, and theme depth. However, with the…

Vocabulary Ji, 笄 (jī) - the most simplistic hair accessories to secure updos used by ancient Chinese.  Zan, 簪 (zān) - a more complex version of Ji. What hanfu hairpins are now called. On one end are accessories, and the other is a pin that is inserted into a hair bun. Chai, 钗 (chāi) - also a hairpin quite similar to Zan. Chāi have two split pins on one end. The two pins will get pushed into the hair bun and stay much more securely than one pin in Zan and Ji. Guan, 冠 (guān) - literal translation is "crown". The crown in ancient China looked more like a net hat that encompassed hair buns within. Based on the crown, any sort of hairpin can be used to further secure the hat to the head.   Materials and Purpose Ji are considered the earliest and plainest hair accessories. It takes on the shape of a stick with or without a simple carved out design on one end and a single stick on the other. It is often carved out of a single piece of material or cut out separately then assembled at the end. This accessory is said to exist even…

In the Spring Festival of 2023 in China, "Deep Sea (深海)", a fantasy animated film was released. The film builds a new underwater world different from the past, telling the story of a girl who pursues and explores in the mysterious underwater world and meets a unique journey of life.   01 The Light of Chinese animation Three years ago, "Jiang Ziya" released a trailer of "Deep Sea" at the end of the film. The sea flows like a paint plate, the starry sky shines like a diamond, and people gets a glimpse of the magnificent scene unprecedentedly in Chinese animation. Now, after the long-awaited, "Deep Sea" has finally come out. The film unfolds in the extremely beautiful particle ink style, and the whimsical underwater world makes audience hold their breath in deep concentration. The unprecedented gorgeous and splendor, the fantasy world where paint texture and ink temperament mingle. The depths of the sea contain innocence and melancholy, and the deduction of light can only be so colorful in the animation world. Its animation production can be said to be a milestone in China's animation production in recent years. In order to present the ultimate visual effect, it pioneered particle…

Wuxia drama "The Blood of Youth (少年歌行)" is adapted from the original novel of the same name by Zhou Munan, directed by Yin Tao, the original author Zhou Munan as a scriptwriter, the story tells a group of influential teenage chivalrous experts in the Jianghu world. Since the broadcast of "The Blood of Youth", it has become the first popular martial arts drama in 2023. At a time when the martial arts drama style is gradually weakening, this achievement is quite excellent. From the perspective of audience portraits, the main audience of "The Blood of Youth" is aged 18-24, and the audience aged 18-29 accounts for 80% of paying users. This is a martial arts drama that depends on the support of young audience. The Blood of Youth can win the favor of young audiences because it reshapes the spirit of chivalry. It is a Wuxia drama and also an emotional drama full of hot blood and sincerity. Its special effects are outstanding, but it does not overwhelm main focus; it portrays many characters, but focuses on important plots instead of introducing them one by one. When the cost of investment is not high, there is even simplicity visible in…