ashok321
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2010
- Messages
- 17,942
- Reaction score
- 4
- Country
- Location
Heritage of Middle Kingdom, UNESCO, Contemporary Chinese Culture: News & Images
- Thread starter ahojunk
- Start date
JSCh
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2011
- Messages
- 13,235
- Reaction score
- 2
- Country
- Location
China split as S.Korea seeks UNESCO listing for Confucian academies
By Zhu Yingmin
2017-07-25 15:39 GMT+8
The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) of South Korea on Monday announced that a group of nine ancient private Confucian academies would again apply for UNESCO World Heritage status next January, a move which has triggered heated discussion on Chinese social networks.
According to Yonhap, CHA's cultural assets committee selected academies set up during the Confucianism-dominated Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) to be considered for a UNESCO Heritage listing despite an unsuccessful application in 2015.
The UNESCO International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) rejected the previous application because the academies -- known as Seowon in Korean -- failed to show features distinctive to their Chinese and Japanese counterparts and had surroundings not included in cultural asset zones.
In re-applying for Seowon to be listed as a world heritage applicant, CHA said it has fully adopted ICOMOS’s recommendations for registration.
Byeongsan Seowon. /Korea Tourism Organization Photo
The news prompted thousands of Chinese netizens to express their views on social media platform Weibo. Many argued that the CHA's action was akin to stealing.
“It should be only China, the origin of Confucianism, that is allowed to seek a UNESCO heritage status. South Korea is just copying! They are not qualified to compete with China on this!” user @wangjiaodian commented.
Others contended that it’s understandable for South Korea to have a similar legacy to China, as both are within the East Asian cultural circle.
“Korean culture is deeply influenced by China. Chinese culture is open and inclusive. This is no big deal. Instead, it can be a way of promoting Chinese culture internationally,” user @yonghu5878307761 said.
Another group wondered why China hasn’t sought UNESCO heritage status for the country’s Confucian academies.
“I’m not angry with South Korea. I wonder if we can pay attention to it earlier,” user @tantanqidong commented.
Dosan Seowon. /Korea.net Photo
An answer to that question can be found in a 2014 interview, in which a Ministry of Culture official said careful consideration was given to prioritizing projects for a UNESCO heritage listing. “We have a large number of heritages that represent human civilization, and there are some important projects on the waiting list.”
Currently, 12 sites in South Korea have been designated as world heritage while China has 52 world heritage sites, topping the list along with Italy.
A final decision on the application is likely to be made at an ICOMOS meeting in 2019.
By Zhu Yingmin
2017-07-25 15:39 GMT+8
The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) of South Korea on Monday announced that a group of nine ancient private Confucian academies would again apply for UNESCO World Heritage status next January, a move which has triggered heated discussion on Chinese social networks.
According to Yonhap, CHA's cultural assets committee selected academies set up during the Confucianism-dominated Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) to be considered for a UNESCO Heritage listing despite an unsuccessful application in 2015.
The UNESCO International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) rejected the previous application because the academies -- known as Seowon in Korean -- failed to show features distinctive to their Chinese and Japanese counterparts and had surroundings not included in cultural asset zones.
In re-applying for Seowon to be listed as a world heritage applicant, CHA said it has fully adopted ICOMOS’s recommendations for registration.
The news prompted thousands of Chinese netizens to express their views on social media platform Weibo. Many argued that the CHA's action was akin to stealing.
“It should be only China, the origin of Confucianism, that is allowed to seek a UNESCO heritage status. South Korea is just copying! They are not qualified to compete with China on this!” user @wangjiaodian commented.
Others contended that it’s understandable for South Korea to have a similar legacy to China, as both are within the East Asian cultural circle.
“Korean culture is deeply influenced by China. Chinese culture is open and inclusive. This is no big deal. Instead, it can be a way of promoting Chinese culture internationally,” user @yonghu5878307761 said.
Another group wondered why China hasn’t sought UNESCO heritage status for the country’s Confucian academies.
“I’m not angry with South Korea. I wonder if we can pay attention to it earlier,” user @tantanqidong commented.
An answer to that question can be found in a 2014 interview, in which a Ministry of Culture official said careful consideration was given to prioritizing projects for a UNESCO heritage listing. “We have a large number of heritages that represent human civilization, and there are some important projects on the waiting list.”
Currently, 12 sites in South Korea have been designated as world heritage while China has 52 world heritage sites, topping the list along with Italy.
A final decision on the application is likely to be made at an ICOMOS meeting in 2019.
JSCh
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2011
- Messages
- 13,235
- Reaction score
- 2
- Country
- Location
Summer camp teaches Chinese culture and gives parents a break
Yang Jian 11:25 UTC+8, 2017-08-25
Ti Gong
A child reads the Thousand Character Classic, which was used as a Chinese "alphabet song" in elementary education for more than 1,400 years.
Putuo District just finished a trial summer camp today which taught traditional Chinese culture to local children during their summer holiday.
About 200 elementary school students from the Changshou community took part in the month-long camp that incorporates Chinese poems, ink paintings and traditional handicrafts such as sugar and dough figurines, grass weaving and movable printing.
Ti Gong
About 200 elementary school students at the Changshou Community take part in the month-long camp.
The camp, which was free of charge, was sponsored by the Juequn Cultural and Educational Fund under the city's Jade Buddha Temple and the community's social welfare foundation.
"The camp aims to free children from mobile phones and video games during the summer vocation and enlighten them with traditional Chinese culture," an official with the Juequn foundation said.
The courses have been designed to help children establish a positive outlook which will benefit them for life, the official added.
The recital of the Thousand Character Classic, for instance, which was used as a Chinese "alphabet song" in elementary education for more than 1,400 years, lets children study astronomy, geography, nature, society and history. Together with the Three Character Classic and the Hundred Family Surnames, it was an integral part of ancient "enlightenment" textbooks.
Ti Gong
Children study sugar figurines, a traditional folk handicraft.
The foundation plans to promote the camp to other local communities during both summer and winter vacations.
The camp also solves the problem working parents have trying to take care of their children during the summer vocation, an official with the Changshou Road Subdistrict said.
Ti Gong
A child showcases her movable printing work. The movable type printing is one of China's four great historic inventions along with gunpowder, the compass and paper making.
Yang Jian 11:25 UTC+8, 2017-08-25
A child reads the Thousand Character Classic, which was used as a Chinese "alphabet song" in elementary education for more than 1,400 years.
Putuo District just finished a trial summer camp today which taught traditional Chinese culture to local children during their summer holiday.
About 200 elementary school students from the Changshou community took part in the month-long camp that incorporates Chinese poems, ink paintings and traditional handicrafts such as sugar and dough figurines, grass weaving and movable printing.
About 200 elementary school students at the Changshou Community take part in the month-long camp.
The camp, which was free of charge, was sponsored by the Juequn Cultural and Educational Fund under the city's Jade Buddha Temple and the community's social welfare foundation.
"The camp aims to free children from mobile phones and video games during the summer vocation and enlighten them with traditional Chinese culture," an official with the Juequn foundation said.
The courses have been designed to help children establish a positive outlook which will benefit them for life, the official added.
The recital of the Thousand Character Classic, for instance, which was used as a Chinese "alphabet song" in elementary education for more than 1,400 years, lets children study astronomy, geography, nature, society and history. Together with the Three Character Classic and the Hundred Family Surnames, it was an integral part of ancient "enlightenment" textbooks.
Children study sugar figurines, a traditional folk handicraft.
The foundation plans to promote the camp to other local communities during both summer and winter vacations.
The camp also solves the problem working parents have trying to take care of their children during the summer vocation, an official with the Changshou Road Subdistrict said.
A child showcases her movable printing work. The movable type printing is one of China's four great historic inventions along with gunpowder, the compass and paper making.
JSCh
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2011
- Messages
- 13,235
- Reaction score
- 2
- Country
- Location
People's Daily, ChinaPublished on Oct 17, 2017
TaiShang
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2014
- Messages
- 27,848
- Reaction score
- 70
- Country
- Location
Film and TV Industry Contributes $86 Billion to China’s Economy, Report Says
The film and television industry contributed a total of 573 billion yuan ($86.3 billion) to the Chinese economy in 2016.
The sector, including Chinese and foreign companies, created 4.1 million jobs and generated a total tax contribution of 105 billion yuan last year, said the Motion Picture Association of America, a trade association that represents the six major Hollywood studios.
The industry’s economic contribution rose 25% from 2014 when it was last surveyed, the report said.
“These numbers tell a great story about the remarkable growth and economic importance of the film and television industry in China,” sid MPAA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin. “They also underscore our partnership with the local film community and wider industry, which will only continue to grow stronger.”
https://k.caixinglobal.com/#anchor1513347287000
The film and television industry contributed a total of 573 billion yuan ($86.3 billion) to the Chinese economy in 2016.
The sector, including Chinese and foreign companies, created 4.1 million jobs and generated a total tax contribution of 105 billion yuan last year, said the Motion Picture Association of America, a trade association that represents the six major Hollywood studios.
The industry’s economic contribution rose 25% from 2014 when it was last surveyed, the report said.
“These numbers tell a great story about the remarkable growth and economic importance of the film and television industry in China,” sid MPAA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin. “They also underscore our partnership with the local film community and wider industry, which will only continue to grow stronger.”
https://k.caixinglobal.com/#anchor1513347287000
JSCh
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2011
- Messages
- 13,235
- Reaction score
- 2
- Country
- Location
China's one-child generation not so selfish after all
December 18, 2017
The study shows that "Little Emperors" are more cooperative than their American or Japanese peers. Credit: Yoshihiko Kadoya
Every generation has a tendency to despair at the next one's perceived shortcomings, and Chinese society is no different in this regard. The "Little Emperor" generation - those born during China's strict one-child policy, have been judged by many weary elders as spoilt and tantrum prone due to the overwhelming attention bestowed on them by doting families.
However, new research from Hiroshima University's Associate Professor Yoshihiko Kadoya suggests that - in the workplace at least - the one-child generation is just as cooperative as preceding generations of Chinese workers.
The study, the first to compare workplace cooperativeness between those born before 1979 when the one-child policy was implemented, and the one-child generation increasingly working alongside them, thus challenges earlier predictions that this pampered cohort would be the most self-centred in China's history - resulting in the overturning of millennia-old Chinese ethics of morality and order.
Dr. Kadoya from HU's Department of Economics based his findings on face-to-face interviews, conducted by Osaka University, with workers aged 20-70-years-old in six major Chinese cities. Interviewees were asked to respond to the statement, "At work, I should follow the opinion of the group".
The average score of "willingness to cooperate" in the workplace, based on responses, was found to be 3.86 on a five-point scale, where one indicated complete disagreement and five indicated complete agreement - showing that Chinese workers as a whole are seemingly very cooperative.
The "Little Emperor" generation -- those born during China's strict one-child policy, have been judged by many as spoilt and tantrum prone due to the overwhelming attention bestowed on them by doting families. Credit: Yoshihiko Kadoya
When the results were broken down into generations, workers born before the one-child policy were found to have a cooperativeness score of 3.89 - and those born during the policies implementation a score of 3.8, showing no real difference in willingness to pull one's own weight in the workplace.
To check the robustness of these results an alternative measure of cooperativeness took into account personality traits and also found no discernible difference between the two generations.
When Dr. Kadoya compared these findings with an international survey asking participants in the USA and Japan to respond to the same statement, the "little emperor" generation was also found to be significantly more cooperative than their overseas peers.
Interestingly, while previous research suggested that the one-child generation is in fact more self-centered and individualistic in their private lives than their for-bearers, this independent streak appears to be discarded at the workplace door.
Dr. Kadoya puts this character down to China's Confucian heritage -- a belief system that requires workers to be loyal to their employers, and which considers work the pivot on which life revolves. Credit: Yoshihiko Kadoya
Dr. Kadoya puts this dichotomy in character down to China's Confucian heritage - a belief system that requires workers to be loyal to their employers, and which considers work the pivot on which life revolves.
Further, he believes this study - published in the Journal of the Asia-Pacific Economy - has real implications for the management of human resources in Chinese workplaces,
"Management of workplace diversity and the promotion of a cooperative work culture is important if organizations are to achieve their objectives. Our study suggests that increasing the share of one-child generation workers in a given workforce is not going to negatively affect cooperation amongst workers - therefore companies should not be put off giving "little emperors" a chance to prove themselves on the office or factory floor".
More information: Yoshihiko Kadoya et al, Effects of China's one-child policy on group cooperation: survey evidence, Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy (2017). DOI: 10.1080/13547860.2017.1409861
https://phys.org/news/2017-12-china-one-child-selfish.html
December 18, 2017
Every generation has a tendency to despair at the next one's perceived shortcomings, and Chinese society is no different in this regard. The "Little Emperor" generation - those born during China's strict one-child policy, have been judged by many weary elders as spoilt and tantrum prone due to the overwhelming attention bestowed on them by doting families.
However, new research from Hiroshima University's Associate Professor Yoshihiko Kadoya suggests that - in the workplace at least - the one-child generation is just as cooperative as preceding generations of Chinese workers.
The study, the first to compare workplace cooperativeness between those born before 1979 when the one-child policy was implemented, and the one-child generation increasingly working alongside them, thus challenges earlier predictions that this pampered cohort would be the most self-centred in China's history - resulting in the overturning of millennia-old Chinese ethics of morality and order.
Dr. Kadoya from HU's Department of Economics based his findings on face-to-face interviews, conducted by Osaka University, with workers aged 20-70-years-old in six major Chinese cities. Interviewees were asked to respond to the statement, "At work, I should follow the opinion of the group".
The average score of "willingness to cooperate" in the workplace, based on responses, was found to be 3.86 on a five-point scale, where one indicated complete disagreement and five indicated complete agreement - showing that Chinese workers as a whole are seemingly very cooperative.
When the results were broken down into generations, workers born before the one-child policy were found to have a cooperativeness score of 3.89 - and those born during the policies implementation a score of 3.8, showing no real difference in willingness to pull one's own weight in the workplace.
To check the robustness of these results an alternative measure of cooperativeness took into account personality traits and also found no discernible difference between the two generations.
When Dr. Kadoya compared these findings with an international survey asking participants in the USA and Japan to respond to the same statement, the "little emperor" generation was also found to be significantly more cooperative than their overseas peers.
Interestingly, while previous research suggested that the one-child generation is in fact more self-centered and individualistic in their private lives than their for-bearers, this independent streak appears to be discarded at the workplace door.
Dr. Kadoya puts this dichotomy in character down to China's Confucian heritage - a belief system that requires workers to be loyal to their employers, and which considers work the pivot on which life revolves.
Further, he believes this study - published in the Journal of the Asia-Pacific Economy - has real implications for the management of human resources in Chinese workplaces,
"Management of workplace diversity and the promotion of a cooperative work culture is important if organizations are to achieve their objectives. Our study suggests that increasing the share of one-child generation workers in a given workforce is not going to negatively affect cooperation amongst workers - therefore companies should not be put off giving "little emperors" a chance to prove themselves on the office or factory floor".
More information: Yoshihiko Kadoya et al, Effects of China's one-child policy on group cooperation: survey evidence, Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy (2017). DOI: 10.1080/13547860.2017.1409861
https://phys.org/news/2017-12-china-one-child-selfish.html
JSCh
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2011
- Messages
- 13,235
- Reaction score
- 2
- Country
- Location
Ancient ruins proving 5,000 yrs of Chinese civilization to apply for world cultural heritage
Ding Xiaoxiao
China Plus Published: 2018-01-26 20:54:41
China will apply for world cultural heritage status for the Liangzhu ruins in Zhejiang Province in 2019, which can prove the use of Chinese characters dating back about 5,000 years, according to the Secretariat of China National Commission for UNESCO, thepaper.cn reported Friday.
The archeological site of the Liangzhu ancient city ruins in east China's Zhejiang Province. [Photo: xuexixiaozu WeChat account]
The ruins of the ancient city of Liangzhu, dating back to 3,300 - 2,300 BC, is located in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. It indicates that there was once a civilization in the lower parts of the Yangtze River that was based on an economy of growing rice and had clear social distinctions.
The Liangzhu ruins were discovered in 2007. Archaeologists also found that the residents of Liangzhu had started using Chinese characters 5,000 years ago, which pushes the use of characters back another 1,000 years from the previously confirmed 4,000 years of history.
Liangzhu ancient city ruins in east China's Zhejiang Province. [Photo: thepaper.cn]
The ruins remain largely intact and confirm the level of agricultural accomplishments along the Yangtze River dating back to 5,000 years ago, providing significant evidence of the Chinese civilization for that time. The ruins can also fill a gap on the World Heritage List of archaeological sites from the Neolithic Period in Central and East Asia.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has shown concern for the protection of the Liangzhu ruins. When he was working in Zhejiang Province, he twice undertook research on the ruins, saying that Liangzhu is an embodiment of ancient Chinese civilization.
An emblem on a jade artifact unearthed at the Liangzhu site, dating back 5,300 years. [Photo: thepaper.cn]
In addition, a hydraulic system was found around the ruins. The waterway system was comprised of eleven dams and formed a water storage area of 12.4 square kilometers. According to International Business Times, the project was one of the ancient world's largest water engineering projects, and it has been confirmed that the water system along the Yangtze River Delta dates back 5,100 years, making it the oldest project in the world.
The hydraulic system can supply water from the Yangtze River to the city's inhabitants and for agricultural use. The discovery of the waterway system indicates that an ancient civilization in the lower part of Yangtze River is indeed a truth.
Ding Xiaoxiao
China Plus Published: 2018-01-26 20:54:41
China will apply for world cultural heritage status for the Liangzhu ruins in Zhejiang Province in 2019, which can prove the use of Chinese characters dating back about 5,000 years, according to the Secretariat of China National Commission for UNESCO, thepaper.cn reported Friday.
The ruins of the ancient city of Liangzhu, dating back to 3,300 - 2,300 BC, is located in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. It indicates that there was once a civilization in the lower parts of the Yangtze River that was based on an economy of growing rice and had clear social distinctions.
The Liangzhu ruins were discovered in 2007. Archaeologists also found that the residents of Liangzhu had started using Chinese characters 5,000 years ago, which pushes the use of characters back another 1,000 years from the previously confirmed 4,000 years of history.
The ruins remain largely intact and confirm the level of agricultural accomplishments along the Yangtze River dating back to 5,000 years ago, providing significant evidence of the Chinese civilization for that time. The ruins can also fill a gap on the World Heritage List of archaeological sites from the Neolithic Period in Central and East Asia.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has shown concern for the protection of the Liangzhu ruins. When he was working in Zhejiang Province, he twice undertook research on the ruins, saying that Liangzhu is an embodiment of ancient Chinese civilization.
In addition, a hydraulic system was found around the ruins. The waterway system was comprised of eleven dams and formed a water storage area of 12.4 square kilometers. According to International Business Times, the project was one of the ancient world's largest water engineering projects, and it has been confirmed that the water system along the Yangtze River Delta dates back 5,100 years, making it the oldest project in the world.
The hydraulic system can supply water from the Yangtze River to the city's inhabitants and for agricultural use. The discovery of the waterway system indicates that an ancient civilization in the lower part of Yangtze River is indeed a truth.
JSCh
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2011
- Messages
- 13,235
- Reaction score
- 2
- Country
- Location
Coming-of-age ceremony held in Xi'an, NW China's Shaanxi
Source:Xinhua Published: 2018/4/29 16:36:03
Students wearing traditional costumes from Qingan High School take part in a coming-of-age ceremony in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 29, 2018. Over 1,000 students took part in capping ceremony (for boys) and hair-pinning ceremony (for girls), and saying vows to celebrate their entering into adults. The ceremony is expected to make the young people hold an idea of social responsibility. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)
Source:Xinhua Published: 2018/4/29 16:36:03
Students wearing traditional costumes from Qingan High School take part in a coming-of-age ceremony in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 29, 2018. Over 1,000 students took part in capping ceremony (for boys) and hair-pinning ceremony (for girls), and saying vows to celebrate their entering into adults. The ceremony is expected to make the young people hold an idea of social responsibility. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)
JSCh
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2011
- Messages
- 13,235
- Reaction score
- 2
- Country
- Location
Physical evidence found for 5,000 years of civilization
By Wang Kaihao | China Daily | Updated: 2018-05-29 07:59
It is often said that Chinese civilization extends back 5,000 years. Now, after 15 years of intense research as part of a nationwide project to explore the origins of that civilization, archaeologists are able to back up that statement with solid physical evidence.
The results were disclosed at a news conference on Monday at the State Council Information Office.
The project has proved with physical evidence that Chinese civilization exhibited a multifaceted unity, said Guan Qiang, deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. "It was inclusive, and its succession has never stopped."
Previously, some overseas scholars expressed doubts about the length of Chinese civilization due "to a lack of physical evidence".
After several years' preparation, the project was launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the heritage administration in 2004.
Nearly 70 research institutions and universities have participated in the program, which is led by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Archaeology and Peking University's School of Archaeology and Museology.
Over 900 academic papers have been published on the project, including nearly 400 released in foreign languages or in overseas journals, Guan said.
"We have done large archaeological investigations in several key, capital city-level sites from 5,500 to 3,500 years ago," said Wang Wei, a leader of the program from the CASS.
New discoveries kept appearing with the help of new research technologies.
Ceremonial jade article called a cong. [Photo provided to China Daily]For example, at the Liangzhu Site in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, which dates from 5,300 to 4,500 years ago, archaeologists unearthed a huge dam 3.5 kilometers long and more than 10 meters thick. Ruins of the city cover 3 million square meters, and the city's walls are 40 to 60 meters thick. The discovery was made possible with remote sensing technology.
"In the city center, we found a terrace that is 630 meters by 450 meters," he said. "Some of the foundations are as large as 900 square meters."
He estimated that the entire city would have taken 10,000 people a decade or longer to build.
"It hardly would have been possible for a tribe or a league of tribes to mobilize so many people," Wang said. "That indicated a time of early-stage states with wide influence."
Division of labor, hierarchical social classes and inequality in wealth were also observed when studying the Taosi Site (from 4,300 to 4,100 years ago) in Xiangfen county, Shanxi province, and several other key sites of "huge city ruins", he said.
The relics are from what is believed to have been the capital of Emperor Yao, a legendary ancient ruler. Some markings were discovered that are believed to be a prototype of written characters, but they appear to have been used exclusively within a small group of ruling elites.
"Around 5,000 years ago, some regions along the Yangtze River, the Yellow River and the western bank of Liaohe River (in Northeast China) stepped into the age of civilization," Wang said. Those ancient states, he said, "controlled certain territory, but had economic, political and cultural connections with each other".
Ceremonial turquoise article shaped like a dragon.[Photo provided to China Daily]
During the time of the Erlitou Site (3,750 to 3,550 years ago), in Luoyang, Henan province, China entered what is often called the age of dynasties, Wang said.
"Erlitou marked the time when the Central China plain began to widely influence the surrounding areas," he said. "It created a foundation for a united country with multiethnic groups."
Speaking of how to define "civilization", Zhao Hui, a professor at Peking University who is in charge of the project, said traditional criteria in Western academia, which emphasize the appearance of written characters and metallurgy, have not strictly been used in this project.
Liangzhu and several other early civilizations in China, however, are known for their highly developed techniques in making jade articles.
"Some characters of human development are common," Zhao said. "The difference also shows there are some unique characters in early Chinese civilization."
He said Chinese civilization also absorbed influences from other civilizations. Archaeological discoveries show wheat cultivation, breeding of cattle and sheep, and bronze-making technology in China originated in Western and Central Asia and were later adopted and acquired local characteristics.
[Photo provided to China Daily]People in South China were the first to begin growing rice about 10,000 years ago and millet in North China about 8,000 years ago, and thus also benefited the rest of world.
"Through the project, we fill a void for a pivotal period in Chinese history," Zhao said. "And it's also a big contribution to the world because Chinese civilization is a crucial segment in human history."
Shen Jiliang, an official with the Ministry of Education in charge of textbooks, said the new academic achievements will be soon included in school syllabuses.
The 4,000-year-old Shimao Site, city ruins found in Shenmu, Shaanxi province, had never appeared in any ancient historical record before being unearthed in recent years. The relics show a strong military presence considered to have close connections with Taosi, and they are now treated as one important origin of Chinese civilization.
Shen said such new discoveries will be added to high school textbooks.
"History education concerns our nurturing of national pride and cultural confidence," he said.
By Wang Kaihao | China Daily | Updated: 2018-05-29 07:59
It is often said that Chinese civilization extends back 5,000 years. Now, after 15 years of intense research as part of a nationwide project to explore the origins of that civilization, archaeologists are able to back up that statement with solid physical evidence.
The results were disclosed at a news conference on Monday at the State Council Information Office.
The project has proved with physical evidence that Chinese civilization exhibited a multifaceted unity, said Guan Qiang, deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. "It was inclusive, and its succession has never stopped."
Previously, some overseas scholars expressed doubts about the length of Chinese civilization due "to a lack of physical evidence".
After several years' preparation, the project was launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the heritage administration in 2004.
Nearly 70 research institutions and universities have participated in the program, which is led by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Archaeology and Peking University's School of Archaeology and Museology.
Over 900 academic papers have been published on the project, including nearly 400 released in foreign languages or in overseas journals, Guan said.
"We have done large archaeological investigations in several key, capital city-level sites from 5,500 to 3,500 years ago," said Wang Wei, a leader of the program from the CASS.
New discoveries kept appearing with the help of new research technologies.
Ceremonial jade article called a cong. [Photo provided to China Daily]
"In the city center, we found a terrace that is 630 meters by 450 meters," he said. "Some of the foundations are as large as 900 square meters."
He estimated that the entire city would have taken 10,000 people a decade or longer to build.
"It hardly would have been possible for a tribe or a league of tribes to mobilize so many people," Wang said. "That indicated a time of early-stage states with wide influence."
Division of labor, hierarchical social classes and inequality in wealth were also observed when studying the Taosi Site (from 4,300 to 4,100 years ago) in Xiangfen county, Shanxi province, and several other key sites of "huge city ruins", he said.
The relics are from what is believed to have been the capital of Emperor Yao, a legendary ancient ruler. Some markings were discovered that are believed to be a prototype of written characters, but they appear to have been used exclusively within a small group of ruling elites.
"Around 5,000 years ago, some regions along the Yangtze River, the Yellow River and the western bank of Liaohe River (in Northeast China) stepped into the age of civilization," Wang said. Those ancient states, he said, "controlled certain territory, but had economic, political and cultural connections with each other".
Ceremonial turquoise article shaped like a dragon.[Photo provided to China Daily]
During the time of the Erlitou Site (3,750 to 3,550 years ago), in Luoyang, Henan province, China entered what is often called the age of dynasties, Wang said.
"Erlitou marked the time when the Central China plain began to widely influence the surrounding areas," he said. "It created a foundation for a united country with multiethnic groups."
Speaking of how to define "civilization", Zhao Hui, a professor at Peking University who is in charge of the project, said traditional criteria in Western academia, which emphasize the appearance of written characters and metallurgy, have not strictly been used in this project.
Liangzhu and several other early civilizations in China, however, are known for their highly developed techniques in making jade articles.
"Some characters of human development are common," Zhao said. "The difference also shows there are some unique characters in early Chinese civilization."
He said Chinese civilization also absorbed influences from other civilizations. Archaeological discoveries show wheat cultivation, breeding of cattle and sheep, and bronze-making technology in China originated in Western and Central Asia and were later adopted and acquired local characteristics.
[Photo provided to China Daily]
"Through the project, we fill a void for a pivotal period in Chinese history," Zhao said. "And it's also a big contribution to the world because Chinese civilization is a crucial segment in human history."
Shen Jiliang, an official with the Ministry of Education in charge of textbooks, said the new academic achievements will be soon included in school syllabuses.
The 4,000-year-old Shimao Site, city ruins found in Shenmu, Shaanxi province, had never appeared in any ancient historical record before being unearthed in recent years. The relics show a strong military presence considered to have close connections with Taosi, and they are now treated as one important origin of Chinese civilization.
Shen said such new discoveries will be added to high school textbooks.
"History education concerns our nurturing of national pride and cultural confidence," he said.
JSCh
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2011
- Messages
- 13,235
- Reaction score
- 2
- Country
- Location
China announces more evidence detailing origins of its 5,000-year-old civilization
CGTN
2018-05-29 09:04 GMT+8
Chinese civilization has long been hailed as one of the oldest in the world – up to 5,000 years old – and now researchers in the country have found more archaeological evidence to prove that.
Officials and experts on Monday unveiled the results of the state-led Comprehensive Investigation into the Origin and Early Development of Chinese Civilization Project, which aims to explore the origins of early Chinese civilization based on major archaeological excavations using modern technologies.
Based on the latest archaeological finds, the project's experts have arrived at the conclusion that early Chinese civilization started some 5,800 years ago in areas including the lower reaches of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River.
"Years of large-scale excavations in the ruins of Liangzhu in east China's Zhejiang Province, the Taosi site in north China's Shanxi Province, the Shimao site in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and the Erlitou site in central China's Henan Province have provided proof," said Wang Wei, who works on the project.
The Erlitou site in central China's Henan Province. /VCG Photo
The project, began in 2001, involves experts from some 70 scientific and archaeological institutions nationwide. The project was supported by national ministries and agencies including China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).
On the basis of scientific summary of field archaeology achievements scored in China over the past 90 years, the research team carried out multidisciplinary studies ranging over social division of labor, class differentiation, central cities and compulsory power so as to present prominent features that define the dawn of a civilized society in ancient China, said Guan Qiang, deputy director of SACH.
In the ruins of Liangzhu, archaeologists found an inner city with an area of nearly three million square meters and a larger outer city dating back around 5,000 years.
The Shimao site in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. /VCG Photo
City ruins with areas between 2.8 million square meters and four million square meters were found in the Taosi site and Shimao site which date back some 4,000 years. In these ancient cities, social stratification are clearly visible in the relics of buildings and graves, experts said.
"These societies were most likely to have had the form of a state," Wang said. "So we believe that the region where these states were located had entered the phase of primary civilization."
According to the research team, signs of civilization emerged around 5,800 years ago in areas of the Yellow River, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and the West Liao River in northeast China.
From 5,300 years ago, various regions of China began to embrace civilization. Around 3,800 years ago, a more matured civilization developed in the Central Plain area and began to exert cultural influence over surrounding areas, establishing itself as the core and leader of the overall process of Chinese civilization, the researchers concluded.
"The origin and early development of the Chinese civilization were not directly recorded in written form. Thankfully we can now describe this period of the history," said Zhao Hui, who also works on the project.
"As the origin and early development of the Chinese civilization is an indispensable part of the origin and early development of human civilization in the world, it is safe to say that our work also filled a blank in world history," he said.
(With input from Xinhua, Global Times)
CGTN
2018-05-29 09:04 GMT+8
Chinese civilization has long been hailed as one of the oldest in the world – up to 5,000 years old – and now researchers in the country have found more archaeological evidence to prove that.
Officials and experts on Monday unveiled the results of the state-led Comprehensive Investigation into the Origin and Early Development of Chinese Civilization Project, which aims to explore the origins of early Chinese civilization based on major archaeological excavations using modern technologies.
Based on the latest archaeological finds, the project's experts have arrived at the conclusion that early Chinese civilization started some 5,800 years ago in areas including the lower reaches of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River.
"Years of large-scale excavations in the ruins of Liangzhu in east China's Zhejiang Province, the Taosi site in north China's Shanxi Province, the Shimao site in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and the Erlitou site in central China's Henan Province have provided proof," said Wang Wei, who works on the project.
The Erlitou site in central China's Henan Province. /VCG Photo
The project, began in 2001, involves experts from some 70 scientific and archaeological institutions nationwide. The project was supported by national ministries and agencies including China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).
On the basis of scientific summary of field archaeology achievements scored in China over the past 90 years, the research team carried out multidisciplinary studies ranging over social division of labor, class differentiation, central cities and compulsory power so as to present prominent features that define the dawn of a civilized society in ancient China, said Guan Qiang, deputy director of SACH.
In the ruins of Liangzhu, archaeologists found an inner city with an area of nearly three million square meters and a larger outer city dating back around 5,000 years.
The Shimao site in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. /VCG Photo
City ruins with areas between 2.8 million square meters and four million square meters were found in the Taosi site and Shimao site which date back some 4,000 years. In these ancient cities, social stratification are clearly visible in the relics of buildings and graves, experts said.
"These societies were most likely to have had the form of a state," Wang said. "So we believe that the region where these states were located had entered the phase of primary civilization."
According to the research team, signs of civilization emerged around 5,800 years ago in areas of the Yellow River, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and the West Liao River in northeast China.
From 5,300 years ago, various regions of China began to embrace civilization. Around 3,800 years ago, a more matured civilization developed in the Central Plain area and began to exert cultural influence over surrounding areas, establishing itself as the core and leader of the overall process of Chinese civilization, the researchers concluded.
"The origin and early development of the Chinese civilization were not directly recorded in written form. Thankfully we can now describe this period of the history," said Zhao Hui, who also works on the project.
"As the origin and early development of the Chinese civilization is an indispensable part of the origin and early development of human civilization in the world, it is safe to say that our work also filled a blank in world history," he said.
(With input from Xinhua, Global Times)
JSCh
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2011
- Messages
- 13,235
- Reaction score
- 2
- Country
- Location
The civilization accelerator: China engraved block printing technique
CGTN
2018-07-05 17:26 GMT+8
Updated 2018-07-05 21:05 GMT+8
Chinese engraved block printing is considered one of the most essential inventions in the progress of human civilization. The technique allowed people to spread knowledge and culture in a much more efficient way than before, and was inscribed into the representative list of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.
Engraved block printing was invented in the Tang dynasty (618 AD – 907 AD) and became popular until China’s Bi Sheng invented the movable type in the following Song Dynasty.
Early printing was carried out primarily among the people, and were mainly used for printing mantras, pronouncements, and almanacs. Engraved block printing eventually came along and was widely used to print books.
A movable type block. /VCG Photo
The method of engraved block printing
The UNESCO website details the process of engraved block printing.
Traditional Chinese engraving technology required the cooperation of dozens of craftsmen. The blocks come from fine-grained wood of either pear or jujube trees. The craftsmen cut them to a thickness of two centimeters, and then polish them with sandpaper.
The desired images are brushed on extremely thin paper before the artisan cuts the design into the wood to produce an elevated character.
The tools of engraved block printing. /Photo via unesco.org
The blocks are then tested with colored ink, and after more alterations, the block covered with ink will be pressed by hand onto paper to print the image.
Modern Heritage
Block engraving condenses several outstanding Chinese craft techniques such as paper-making, ink-making, carving and rubbing.
Students learning engraved block printing skills. /Photo via unesco.org
The Chinese government has attached great importance to the inheritance and protection of the country's traditional cultural heritage.
The Guangling ancient book engraving press, established in 1958, is responsible for the complete preservation of the entire set of ancient engraving block printing technology.
Since 2007, the engraving press set up an institute to develop the technology and pass it on.
Video by Zang Shijie
Top image by Jia Jieqiong
CGTN
2018-07-05 17:26 GMT+8
Updated 2018-07-05 21:05 GMT+8
Chinese engraved block printing is considered one of the most essential inventions in the progress of human civilization. The technique allowed people to spread knowledge and culture in a much more efficient way than before, and was inscribed into the representative list of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.
Engraved block printing was invented in the Tang dynasty (618 AD – 907 AD) and became popular until China’s Bi Sheng invented the movable type in the following Song Dynasty.
Early printing was carried out primarily among the people, and were mainly used for printing mantras, pronouncements, and almanacs. Engraved block printing eventually came along and was widely used to print books.
A movable type block. /VCG Photo
The method of engraved block printing
The UNESCO website details the process of engraved block printing.
Traditional Chinese engraving technology required the cooperation of dozens of craftsmen. The blocks come from fine-grained wood of either pear or jujube trees. The craftsmen cut them to a thickness of two centimeters, and then polish them with sandpaper.
The desired images are brushed on extremely thin paper before the artisan cuts the design into the wood to produce an elevated character.
The tools of engraved block printing. /Photo via unesco.org
The blocks are then tested with colored ink, and after more alterations, the block covered with ink will be pressed by hand onto paper to print the image.
Modern Heritage
Block engraving condenses several outstanding Chinese craft techniques such as paper-making, ink-making, carving and rubbing.
Students learning engraved block printing skills. /Photo via unesco.org
The Chinese government has attached great importance to the inheritance and protection of the country's traditional cultural heritage.
The Guangling ancient book engraving press, established in 1958, is responsible for the complete preservation of the entire set of ancient engraving block printing technology.
Since 2007, the engraving press set up an institute to develop the technology and pass it on.
Video by Zang Shijie
Top image by Jia Jieqiong
JSCh
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2011
- Messages
- 13,235
- Reaction score
- 2
- Country
- Location
Tales of the 3 emperor's daughters
Zhang Qian 10:30 UTC+8, 2018-07-19
Mythology of China
Emperor Yan had three beautiful daughters. Each had a beautiful legend, leaving the human world the stories of Sang (Mulberry), Ling (Spirit) and Que (Bird).
The eldest daughter loved Chisongzi, an assistant to the emperor who practiced magic to pray for rain.
Chisongzi, who had invented an elixir that made whoever took it immortal in fire, presented it to the emperor, but it was rejected with an indifferent smile, “If we all become immortals and leave, who will help the ordinary people?”
Chisongzi jumped into a bonfire after a ceremony praying for rain. As people screamed, he ascended slowly, surrounded by smoke and light.
The emperor’s eldest daughter wanted to be with her lover. She heard that Chisongzi was living in a stone chamber on west Kunlun Mountain. His body was then as light as a feather and capable of flying in a storm. She was determined to become immortal, too.
Unwilling to leave her parents for long, she made a nest on a mulberry tree near home. Sometimes she became a white magpie; sometimes she changed back to a girl wandering in the forest.
Emperor Yan burned the mulberry tree to summon his daughter back. However, the magpie fluttered its wings in the fire, transformed into a fairy in white, bowed and disappeared. Amazingly, the mulberry flourished after the fire. Thus people called the magic tree Dinu Sang, literally “emperor’s daughter Mulberry.”
Emperor's eldest daughter wanted to become immortal as well and be together with her lover Chisongzi.
The emperor decided to burn the mulberry tree to summon his daughter back.
The daughter married Chisongzi and they lived as an immortal couple on Kunlun Mountain, but they still sometimes helped pray for rain in the human world.
Emperor Yan’s second daughter, Yao Ji, was beautiful and sentimental. Unfortunately, she died young and was buried on the south slope of Wushan Mountain near a river. Her soul clinged to a lingzhi mushroom which could help people become immortal.
Her spirit wandered as a mountain goddess. She often stood lonely on the top of the mountain with bamboo around and clouds underfoot, missing her family far away. The goddess always helped guide travelers on rivers in the valleys. She also later helped Yu the Great to tame floods with her divine power.
Gradually, Yao Ji became a straight and graceful peak covered in clouds, continuing to protect the mountains, forests and rivers. This Goddess Peak still stands in the Three Gorges region near Chongqing. Some people called it Dinu Ling, literally “emperor’s daughter Spirit.”
It is said that based on Yao Ji, poet Qu Yuan created the image of Shangui (mountain goddess) in “Nine Songs” during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). As it describes, a girl came to the mountain with a charming look and a becoming smile, clad in creeping vines and girded with ivy.
Shanggui, in Qu Yuan's "Nine Songs," is based on the tale of Yao Ji and is described as a girl clad in creeping vines and riding a red leopard.
“Do you admire me for my lovely form?” She rode a red leopard, striped lynxes following behind. Her chariot of magnolia arrayed with banners of cassia; her cloak made of orchids and her girdle of azalea.
The youngest daughter, Nuwa, was smart and curious. One day, visiting the seaside with Emperor Yan, she wondered how big the sea was and what it was like on the other side. The emperor told her nobody knew as no one had ever been there.
One peaceful and sunny morning, Nuwa sailed a boat to the other side of the sea. Suddenly, dark clouds gathered and her tiny boat was engulfed.
Emperor Yan called her name again and again, but heard no reply but the sound of waves.
On the second day, a beautifully patterned bird flew from where Nuwa's boat had sunk. The bird hovered about the emperor for a while and flew off with a sad cry.
Every day, the bird took small stones and branches in its beak from Mt Fajiu, flying across high mountains and lofty hills and throwing them into the sea in the hope of filling the sea up.
The god of the sea roared: “You tiny bird, don’t overrate yourself. You cannot fill a corner for the big sea even in 10,000 years!”
“Sea, you took my young life away! No matter how many years it may take, I will keep filling you!” said the bird.
Day after day, and year after year, the bird kept flying to the sea with stones and branches, never giving up. People called it Zhique (the bird of will) or Dinu Que, literally “emperor's daughter Bird.”
Although the three daughters suffered misfortune, their inspiring deeds have been widely spread to benefit humanity.
Nuwa turned into a bird after she was engulfed by the raging sea in a boat trip.
Zhang Qian 10:30 UTC+8, 2018-07-19
Mythology of China
The eldest daughter loved Chisongzi, an assistant to the emperor who practiced magic to pray for rain.
Chisongzi, who had invented an elixir that made whoever took it immortal in fire, presented it to the emperor, but it was rejected with an indifferent smile, “If we all become immortals and leave, who will help the ordinary people?”
Chisongzi jumped into a bonfire after a ceremony praying for rain. As people screamed, he ascended slowly, surrounded by smoke and light.
The emperor’s eldest daughter wanted to be with her lover. She heard that Chisongzi was living in a stone chamber on west Kunlun Mountain. His body was then as light as a feather and capable of flying in a storm. She was determined to become immortal, too.
Unwilling to leave her parents for long, she made a nest on a mulberry tree near home. Sometimes she became a white magpie; sometimes she changed back to a girl wandering in the forest.
Emperor Yan burned the mulberry tree to summon his daughter back. However, the magpie fluttered its wings in the fire, transformed into a fairy in white, bowed and disappeared. Amazingly, the mulberry flourished after the fire. Thus people called the magic tree Dinu Sang, literally “emperor’s daughter Mulberry.”
The daughter married Chisongzi and they lived as an immortal couple on Kunlun Mountain, but they still sometimes helped pray for rain in the human world.
Emperor Yan’s second daughter, Yao Ji, was beautiful and sentimental. Unfortunately, she died young and was buried on the south slope of Wushan Mountain near a river. Her soul clinged to a lingzhi mushroom which could help people become immortal.
Her spirit wandered as a mountain goddess. She often stood lonely on the top of the mountain with bamboo around and clouds underfoot, missing her family far away. The goddess always helped guide travelers on rivers in the valleys. She also later helped Yu the Great to tame floods with her divine power.
Gradually, Yao Ji became a straight and graceful peak covered in clouds, continuing to protect the mountains, forests and rivers. This Goddess Peak still stands in the Three Gorges region near Chongqing. Some people called it Dinu Ling, literally “emperor’s daughter Spirit.”
It is said that based on Yao Ji, poet Qu Yuan created the image of Shangui (mountain goddess) in “Nine Songs” during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). As it describes, a girl came to the mountain with a charming look and a becoming smile, clad in creeping vines and girded with ivy.
“Do you admire me for my lovely form?” She rode a red leopard, striped lynxes following behind. Her chariot of magnolia arrayed with banners of cassia; her cloak made of orchids and her girdle of azalea.
The youngest daughter, Nuwa, was smart and curious. One day, visiting the seaside with Emperor Yan, she wondered how big the sea was and what it was like on the other side. The emperor told her nobody knew as no one had ever been there.
One peaceful and sunny morning, Nuwa sailed a boat to the other side of the sea. Suddenly, dark clouds gathered and her tiny boat was engulfed.
Emperor Yan called her name again and again, but heard no reply but the sound of waves.
On the second day, a beautifully patterned bird flew from where Nuwa's boat had sunk. The bird hovered about the emperor for a while and flew off with a sad cry.
Every day, the bird took small stones and branches in its beak from Mt Fajiu, flying across high mountains and lofty hills and throwing them into the sea in the hope of filling the sea up.
The god of the sea roared: “You tiny bird, don’t overrate yourself. You cannot fill a corner for the big sea even in 10,000 years!”
“Sea, you took my young life away! No matter how many years it may take, I will keep filling you!” said the bird.
Day after day, and year after year, the bird kept flying to the sea with stones and branches, never giving up. People called it Zhique (the bird of will) or Dinu Que, literally “emperor's daughter Bird.”
Although the three daughters suffered misfortune, their inspiring deeds have been widely spread to benefit humanity.
JSCh
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2011
- Messages
- 13,235
- Reaction score
- 2
- Country
- Location
China’s four irrigation systems recognized as World Heritage Irrigation Structures
By Pan Zhaoyi
2018-08-14 13:58 GMT+8
China’s four historical irrigation and drainage systems -- the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Jiangxiyan Irrigation system, Lingqu Canal and Changqu Canal -- have successfully been added to the World Heritage Irrigation Structures list at the 69th meeting of International Executive Council (IEC) held at Saskatoon, Canada on August 14, 2018.
The World Heritage Irrigation Structures, designed to recognize historical irrigation structures in the same way as the World Heritage Sites approved by UNESCO, was initiated in 2012, including both old operational structures as well as those of an archival value.
Dujiangyan irrigation system /VCG Photo
The Dujiangyan irrigation system, located in southwest China's Sichuan Province, is an ecological engineering feat originally constructed around 256 BC which produced comprehensive benefits in flood control, irrigation, water transport and general water consumption.
Built over 2,250 years ago, it now irrigates around 668,700 hectares of farmland, according to the data published on the UNESCO.
Lingqu Canal /VCG Photo
Built in 214 BC, Lingqu Canal that covers 4,000 hectares of farmland is a major irrigation structure in southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, connecting the basins of the Yangtze River and Pearl River.
Jiangxiyan Canal /Photo via Xinhua News Agency
The Jiangxiyan Canal in eastern Zhejiang Province, consisting of Jiang and Xi dams, was built in the 14th century and is still in use.
Changqu Canal /Photo via Xinhua News Agency
Changqu Canal, also known as Baiqi Canal, is a 48km long irrigation structure in central Hubei Province.
By Pan Zhaoyi
2018-08-14 13:58 GMT+8
China’s four historical irrigation and drainage systems -- the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Jiangxiyan Irrigation system, Lingqu Canal and Changqu Canal -- have successfully been added to the World Heritage Irrigation Structures list at the 69th meeting of International Executive Council (IEC) held at Saskatoon, Canada on August 14, 2018.
The World Heritage Irrigation Structures, designed to recognize historical irrigation structures in the same way as the World Heritage Sites approved by UNESCO, was initiated in 2012, including both old operational structures as well as those of an archival value.
Dujiangyan irrigation system /VCG Photo
The Dujiangyan irrigation system, located in southwest China's Sichuan Province, is an ecological engineering feat originally constructed around 256 BC which produced comprehensive benefits in flood control, irrigation, water transport and general water consumption.
Built over 2,250 years ago, it now irrigates around 668,700 hectares of farmland, according to the data published on the UNESCO.
Lingqu Canal /VCG Photo
Built in 214 BC, Lingqu Canal that covers 4,000 hectares of farmland is a major irrigation structure in southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, connecting the basins of the Yangtze River and Pearl River.
Jiangxiyan Canal /Photo via Xinhua News Agency
The Jiangxiyan Canal in eastern Zhejiang Province, consisting of Jiang and Xi dams, was built in the 14th century and is still in use.
Changqu Canal /Photo via Xinhua News Agency
Changqu Canal, also known as Baiqi Canal, is a 48km long irrigation structure in central Hubei Province.
JSCh
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2011
- Messages
- 13,235
- Reaction score
- 2
- Country
- Location
Grand canal inspires grand plan
By Cang Wei in Nanjing | China Daily | Updated: 2018-10-19 09:39
Barges navigate a section of the Grand Canal in Huaian, Jiangsu province. [Photo by Zhao Qirui/China Daily]
Museum, cultural park to protect ancient man-made waterway
Authorities in Jiangsu province have unveiled plans for a Grand Canal museum and a national cultural park covering multiple cities to protect one of the world's oldest manmade waterways.
The museum, to be built in Yangzhou's Sanwan Park, will consist of a four-story building in the shape of a ship, and a 100-meter-tall pagoda.
It has been designed by architect Zhang Jinqiu, who is a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
"The museum will make the most of the Grand Canal basin's long history and views," said Xu Rong, chief engineer of the China Northwest Architecture Design and Research Institute.
"It will be placed next to the canal and cover 16,000 square meters.
"The pagoda will resemble those built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907)," he added.
"From the top, visitors will be able to appreciate a view of the whole Sanwan Park."
According to the provincial government, the cultural park will stretch 690 kilometers along the ancient waterway, covering 11 cities.
Once opened, it will be the world's largest national park and feature many places of interest, including scenic spots, cultural relics, and ancient and modern water conservancy facilities.
Dating back 2,500 years and stretching 1,797 km between Beijing and Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, the Grand Canal is among the world's oldest and longest canals.
In 2014, about 1,000 km of the man-made waterway was listed as a UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage site. Roughly a third of that runs through Jiangsu, according to the provincial government.
Although the Grand Canal is not as important in terms of transportation as it was two millennia ago, it has become an important and impressive cultural symbol for the Chinese people, said Mei Yaolin, director of the Jiangsu Institute of Urban Planning and Design.
"It's important to make the public aware of the cultural heritage of the Grand Canal and enjoy the benefits brought by its protection," he said, adding that Jiangsu will improve the environment along the canal.
The provincial government has said experts have been drafted in to restore nearly 800 riverside villages, 1,000 cultural relic protection zones and countless sites of intangible heritage.
Suzhou, for example, aims to carry out water treatment over 100 sq km in the next three years and will invest 7.3 billion yuan ($1.05 billion) to reinforce embankments, plant trees and build leisure centers.
The province also plans to establish a Grand Canal research institute and platforms for international communication.
By Cang Wei in Nanjing | China Daily | Updated: 2018-10-19 09:39
Museum, cultural park to protect ancient man-made waterway
Authorities in Jiangsu province have unveiled plans for a Grand Canal museum and a national cultural park covering multiple cities to protect one of the world's oldest manmade waterways.
The museum, to be built in Yangzhou's Sanwan Park, will consist of a four-story building in the shape of a ship, and a 100-meter-tall pagoda.
It has been designed by architect Zhang Jinqiu, who is a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
"The museum will make the most of the Grand Canal basin's long history and views," said Xu Rong, chief engineer of the China Northwest Architecture Design and Research Institute.
"It will be placed next to the canal and cover 16,000 square meters.
"The pagoda will resemble those built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907)," he added.
"From the top, visitors will be able to appreciate a view of the whole Sanwan Park."
According to the provincial government, the cultural park will stretch 690 kilometers along the ancient waterway, covering 11 cities.
Once opened, it will be the world's largest national park and feature many places of interest, including scenic spots, cultural relics, and ancient and modern water conservancy facilities.
Dating back 2,500 years and stretching 1,797 km between Beijing and Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, the Grand Canal is among the world's oldest and longest canals.
In 2014, about 1,000 km of the man-made waterway was listed as a UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage site. Roughly a third of that runs through Jiangsu, according to the provincial government.
Although the Grand Canal is not as important in terms of transportation as it was two millennia ago, it has become an important and impressive cultural symbol for the Chinese people, said Mei Yaolin, director of the Jiangsu Institute of Urban Planning and Design.
"It's important to make the public aware of the cultural heritage of the Grand Canal and enjoy the benefits brought by its protection," he said, adding that Jiangsu will improve the environment along the canal.
The provincial government has said experts have been drafted in to restore nearly 800 riverside villages, 1,000 cultural relic protection zones and countless sites of intangible heritage.
Suzhou, for example, aims to carry out water treatment over 100 sq km in the next three years and will invest 7.3 billion yuan ($1.05 billion) to reinforce embankments, plant trees and build leisure centers.
The province also plans to establish a Grand Canal research institute and platforms for international communication.
Similar threads
