Chinese Culture and Society Megathread

[SexyChineseLady]

Shanghai Auto Show -- what a SHOW!

 

[skywatcher]

CNSA celebrates China Space Day

 

[KurtisBrian]

marriage rate in China and South Korea also collapsing. not only birth rate collapse. Kryptonian Taoists must be hoping to get rid of certain men or races by selective reproduction. Wonder if this is part of the error they make that leads to the end of Kryptonians.

China records fewest marriages since 1986, adding to fears of population crisis | CNN

China last year registered the fewest marriages since its public records began more than three decades ago – adding to concerns the country faces a looming demographic crisis.

www.cnn.com

Sep 1, 2022 — In just six years, the number of Chinese people getting married for the first time fell by 41%, from 23.8 million in 2013 to 13.9 million in ...

‘Like going to hell’: more young Chinese are falling out of love with tying the knot

A report about the drop in marriage rates started trending over the Lunar New Year holiday, a time many people visit their families.

www.scmp.com

Jan 29, 2023 — The number getting married for the first time dropped to 11.6 million last year, almost 700,000 down on the previous year, according to the ...

https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20211216000079



In the past 20 years, the number of marriages in Seoul has decreased by 43 percent and the number of births by 64 percent, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Thursday.

Marriage registrations in the capital city hit a 20-year low of 44,746 in 2020, down 43.2 percent from 78,745 tallied in 2000. From a year ago, the 2020 figure also represented a drop of 7.3 percent.

The average age of first marriages last year was 33.61 for men and 31.6 for women, up 3.96 years and 4.35 years from 2000, respectively, an analysis released by the city government based on state-run Statistics Korea’s demographic data between 2000 and 2020, showed.

Accordingly, the average age of the parents at their child’s birth increased from 29.49 in 2000 to 33.98. The average time it took for a couple to have their first child after marriage was 2.6 years.

 

[SexyChineseLady]

Wow! Cover by FeiZhouBobo from Rwanda on a classic Chinese song -- Bie Zhi Jie (Parting)! So GOOD!

A sample of the song in China for comparison:

别知己 || Bie Zhi Ji

youtube.com

 

[SexyChineseLady]

A dosen high school friends became Douyin sensations by eating and dancing around restaurant tables

 

[SexyChineseLady]

Wow!!! Classic Chinese song "Snow Falls, North Wind Blows" with a African beat! So GREAT!!!

Snippet of the song in China:

一剪梅 | Nhất Tiễn Mai #douyin

www.youtube.com

 

[skywatcher]

Only in China——0.23 billion people travel on holiday

 

[skywatcher]

How China lost Central Asia in 751AD ——Islamization of Inner Asia

38 years after the Chinese annexation of the Turkic Khaganate on the Mongolian steppe, a new Uyghur rebellion broke out from the north and succeeded in establishing the Uyghur Khaganate.
In the meanwhile, the rising Tibetan Empire posed an increasingly serious challenge to the Chinese dominance in Xinjiang from the south as well.
And what's more the Abbasid Caliphate was confronting against the Chinese in Kazakhstan from the west...A small scale war between the two great empires had a lasting repercussions for the next millennia——Islamization of Inner Asia.

 

[skywatcher]

Chinese History is neatly classified into Four periods

0.Ancient(~2000BC-221BC)

Centralization
Xia(~2000-~1600BC)
Shang(~1600-1046BC)
Zhou(1046~771BC)

Decentralization(771-221BC)
Spring and Autumn(771-476BC)
Warring States(475-221BC)

1.Early-Imperial(221BC-581AD)

Centralization(221BC-220AD)
Qin Dynasty(221-206BC)
Han Dynasty(206BC-220AD)

Decentralization(220-581)
Three Kindoms(220-280)
Jin Dynasty(266-420)
Sixteenindoms(304-439)
Northern & Southern Dynasties(420-589)

2.Mid-Imperial(589-1279)

Centralization(589-907)
Sui Dynasty(589-618)
Tang Dynasty(618-907)

Decentralization(907-1279)
Five Dynasties & Ten Kingdoms(907-979)
Liao Dynasty(916-1125)
Song Dynasty(960-1279)
Western Xia Dynasty(1038-1227)
Jin Dnasty(1115-1234)

3.Late-Imperial(1279-1912)

Centralization(1279-1912)
Yuan Dynasty(1279-1368)
Ming Dynasty(1368-1644)
Qing Dynasty(1644-1912)

Decentralization/Republic of China(1912-1949)
Warlord Era(1912-1927)
First Chinese Civil War(1927-1937)
WWII(1937-1945)
Second Chinese Civil War(1945-1949)

 

[skywatcher]

this is gold

1966 The Red Sun Shines on the Frontier

 

[SexyChineseLady]

 

[SexyChineseLady]

Chinese swords!

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

m.youtube.com

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

m.youtube.com

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

m.youtube.com

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

m.youtube.com

 

[Azaad]

How come the katanas are anyday more popular & respected over Chinese swords ? They're also much more expensive than Chinese blades . @SexyChineseLady

 

[SexyChineseLady]

How come the katanas are anyday more popular & respected over Chinese swords ? They're also much more expensive than Chinese blades . @SexyChineseLady

They are more popular and respected than European blades as well!

Japanese sword makers have kept their lineage preserved and the fact that Japanese officers used katanas in to the modern age and that it became a huge collector item after WWII with many US servicemen bringing them home as souvenirs helped push their popularity.

But the most expensive sword ever auctioned is a Chinese Boateng Sabre (the sword belonging to Napoleon came in second)

15 Most Expensive Swords and Daggers in History

Some swords and daggers are extremely valuable due to their craftsmanship and history. Learn about the most expensive swords and daggers in the world.

swordencyclopedia.com

There are many modern replicas of Jian and Daos worth thousands of dollars in China's market. The sword market in China is self contained though with history and traditions less well known to the outside world but there are some outside collectors

Opinion | Stories of Ganjiang and Moye, ancient China’s celebrated swords

Named after the married couple that made them, Ganjiang and Moye were two of ancient China’s most famous swords.

amp.scmp.com

Early Chinese Bronze Sword Warring States

Early Chinese bronze sword in the Warring States style. The sword with a tapering blade, extending from the guard, which is cast with the decoration of a taotie mask. The round pommel is decorated with a radiating design. The sword shows malachite encrustations throughout. With a silk box.Blade...

live.revereauctions.com

 

[Azaad]

They are more popular and respected than European blades as well!

Japanese sword makers have kept their lineage preserved and the fact that Japanese officers used katanas in to the modern age and that it became a huge collector item after WWII with many US servicemen bringing them home as souvenirs helped push their popularity.

But the most expensive sword ever auctioned is a Chinese Boateng Sabre (the sword belonging to Napoleon came in second)

15 Most Expensive Swords and Daggers in History

Some swords and daggers are extremely valuable due to their craftsmanship and history. Learn about the most expensive swords and daggers in the world.

swordencyclopedia.com

View attachment 203459
View attachment 203460

There are many modern replicas of Jian and Daos worth thousands of dollars in China's market. The sword market in China is self contained though with history and traditions less well known to the outside world but there are some outside collectors

Opinion | Stories of Ganjiang and Moye, ancient China’s celebrated swords

Named after the married couple that made them, Ganjiang and Moye were two of ancient China’s most famous swords.

amp.scmp.com

Early Chinese Bronze Sword Warring States

Early Chinese bronze sword in the Warring States style. The sword with a tapering blade, extending from the guard, which is cast with the decoration of a taotie mask. The round pommel is decorated with a radiating design. The sword shows malachite encrustations throughout. With a silk box.Blade...

live.revereauctions.com

View attachment 203462
View attachment 203463

Indeed. But in the event I wasn't referring to antique swords at all . I was referring to contemporary swords. In the said category Japanese katanas even the badly crafted ones which again is subjective see sales & prices far far above the best of Chinese crafted ones which in fact lag behind European ones too.

I find it rather surprising given the lineage & pedigree of Chinese swords & swordsmiths.

 

[SexyChineseLady]

Indeed. But in the event I wasn't referring to antique swords at all . I was referring to contemporary swords. In the said category Japanese katanas even the badly crafted ones which again is subjective see sales & prices far far above the best of Chinese crafted ones which in fact lag behind European ones too.

I find it rather surprising given the lineage & pedigree of Chinese swords & swordsmiths.

Comtemporary swords are replicas or fantasy that depends on demand. Outside China, there is simply a greater demand for katanas as collector items. Inside China, there is a demand greater for Chinese swords. The katana is based on the Tang Dao

Real sword - Tang Dao

m.youtube.com

 

[SexyChineseLady]

Interesting study into how to draw a T'ang Long Sword -- emphasis on long

 

[SexyChineseLady]

Did you know that the "J" in Chinese fighters -- J-10, J-11, J-20, J-35, etc. is the first character of the pinyin spelling for jian --the traditional double-bladed Chinese sword:

Traditional jian sword making in China:

 

[SexyChineseLady]

There are two major families of swords in China -- the jian and the dao:

Explaining the dao:

The Chinese Dao sword #shorts

m.youtube.com

The T'ang Dao is the origin of the Katana:

 

[SexyChineseLady]

This is the Sword of Goujian. It is 2000 years and still extremely sharp.

It might have been the greatest sword ever forged.

People who stood in front of it at the Hubei Provincial Museum said it emanates power through its lines, its color and the inscription on it: "The King of Yue Made This Blade For His Personal Use."

It doesn't look 2000 years-old and feels magical and alive!