12 Chinese Zodiac Animals

Mouse, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Boar

Han Gaozu

"Dragon Emperor" --> Han Dynasty that believed his mother mated with a dragon and then wore dragons on his robes to show his heavenly mandate.

Siheyuan

Compound structure with open courtyard and housing multiple houses/families with one wealthy main family/home.

Fengshui

Traditional architecture focus on meaning and function.

Blue

Unlucky, Associated with Ghosts/Evil

Red

Lucky, Festive, Color of Life/South/Summer/Zhou Dynasty, Associated with holiness or richness

Pink-Red

Color of Fornication

White

Color of Autumn/Old Age/Funeral/Shang Dynasty, Associated with cunning or treacherous traits

Yellow

Color of Earth/Luck/Progress, Yellow Emperor is 1st Emperor

Li

Often depicted with picture of "carp" fish to promote exam/business success.

He

Often depicted as picture of "crane" along with other symbols like a pine tree and a stone to promote longevity.

Fu

Happiness --> often written on lanterns upside down to show that happiness has already arrived

Shou

Longevity --> written on signs with the peach fruit bc affiliated with youthful virgin and longevity

Xi

Joy --> written twice at weddings to say "double happiness" for the couple

Lu

Good Fortune/Official Salary -->  often depicted with government officials or traditional officials' attire

4

Unlucky when alone because same pronunciation as "death".

5

Lucky because appears in nature with toes/fingers.

8

Lucky because pronunciation is similar to term for "prosperous" and looks like infinity symbol.

10

Ultimate luck number because 10 is perfection and base unit for Chinese.

Chinese New Year/Spring Festival

Jan 1st of Lunar Calendar, Transition to New Financial Period and lots of cleaning to prepare, Spring Couplets/New Year Pictures often include:  fu, shou, xi, and lu.

Lantern Festival

Jan 15th of Lunar Calendar, eat Yuanxiao

Dragon Boat Festival

5th Day of 5th Month of Lunar Calendar, Eat Zongzi and throw some in the river for the poet QuYuan who committed suicide as a rebellion from the King.

Pure Brightness Festival

April 5th (W), Day of Ancestor Worship and sort of Memorial Day

Mid-Autumn Festival

August 15th of Lunar Calendar, Similar to Thanksgiving and eat moon cakes with family to celebrate good harvest.

International Women's Day

03/08

International Labor Day

05/01

International Children's Day

06/01

Chinese Communist Party's Day

07/01

Day of the Chinese People's Army

08/01

National Day

(Mainland)

10/01

National Day

(Taiwan)

10/10

Starch Staples

Millet, Rice, Sorghum, Wheat, Maize, Buckwheat, Yam, Sweet Potato, Etc.

Vegetables

Cabbage, Mustard Green, Bok Choy, Turnip, Radish, Mushroom, Soybean, Cucumber, Tomato 

(new items:  broccoli and lettuce)

Legumes

Soybean, Broad Bean, Peanut, Mungbean

Meat

Pork, Beef, Mutton, Fish, Chicken, Duck, Goose

(Tofu/Doufu)

Fruits

Peach, Apricot, Lichi, Watermelon, Apple, Orange, Plum, Pear

Spices

Red Pepper, Cinnamon, Garlic, Onion, Ginger

5 Colors of Food

Red, Yellow, Blue, White, Black

5 Smells

Chili, Anniseed, Chinese Cinnamon, Clove, Fennel

5 Tastes

Sweet, Sour, Hot, Salty, Sour

Fancai

Fan (starch) + Cai (vegetable)

Bencao Gangmu

Book with list of all plants, herbs, and animals with their usages and effects by Li Shizen during Ming Dynasty

4 Most Popular Regional Styles of Eating

Sichuan, Guangdong (Dim Sum), Shangdong (heavy), Hunan

Mapo Tofu

Sichuan dish with tofu and pork derived from story of lady with freckled face

Beggar's Chicken

Dish from story of poor man without a kitchen that cooked a chicken wrapped in clay over a fire

Dongpo Pork

Dish from story with government official (Su Dongpo) that left pork he was cooking for his friends for a long time and ended up cooking out all the fat.

Tapping Table at Banquet

Means "Thank You"

Tang Dynasty

Best Known for Poetry

(Li Bai and Du Fu)

Song Dynasty

Best known for Lyric Poetry

(Ouyang Xiu, Lu You, Su Shi)

Yuan Dynasty

Best known for Drama

(Guan Hanqing and Wang Shif)

Ming and Qing Dynasties

Best known for novels

(Luo Guanzhong, Shi Nai'an, and Cao Yeuqin)

Peking Opera

Began in Beijing 19th Century before moving to Shanghai, created by Erhuang-Diao and Xipi-Diao music types

Sheng

(2 Types)

Peking Opera male role

(wensheng=civilian or wusheng=military)

Dan

(6 types)

Peking Opera female role

(laodan=old lady,qingyidan/zhengdan=black-clothed respectable women in love,huadan=flowery-clothed seductive women, wudan=warrior women fighting on foot, daomadan=warriror women fighting on horseback, and caidan=villainous ugly women or matchmakers)

Jing 

(3 types)

Peking Opera powerful male role

(zhengjing=main male character, fujing=powerful villain, wujing=emphasize military acrobatics)

Chou

(2 Types)

Peking Opera male clown role

(wenchou=clown in non-military plays and wuchou=clown in military/fighting plays)

Mo

Peking Opera extra 

Symbolic Peking Opera Props

Chair/Bench=prison gates/walls/wells/etc...

Wooden Board with Waving Lines=clouds

Wooden Lantern=darkness

Strips of Cloth with Wheels=Chariot

Whip in Hand=riding a horse

Jinghu

traditional fiddle used in Peking Opera

Erhu

traditional fiddle used in Peking Opera

Yueqin

4 Stringed Guitar used in Peking Opera

Sanxian

3 Stringed Banjo used in Peking Opera

The Ban

Bamboo clapper used in Peking Opera

Other Peking Opera Instruments

Gongs, Drums, Flutes

Famous Peking Operas

(5)

 "Havoc in Heaven"

"The Crossroads"

"Zhongkui Marries His Sister Off"

"Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea"

"Farewell My Concubine"

Mei Lanfang

Famous Peking Opera actor playing Dan roles

(1894-1961)

Kunqu

(Kun Opera)

one of oldest forms of Chinese Opera, dominated during 16th-18th century

Yueju

(Shaoxing Opera)

Opera type foudned around 1906 second in popularity only to Peking Opera

1840

1st Opium War with Britain

(loss and had to open 5 ports)

May 4th 1919

Student riot at Tianmen Square that protested giving Japan same priviledges as the Germans

1937-1945

WWII/Sino-Japanese War

1949

Birth of the People's Republic of China

(PRC)

1966-1976

Cultural Revolution led by Jiang Qing and Mao Zedong

1942

Yan'an Forum speech by Mao Zedong

Jiang Qing

Wife of Mao Zedong who emphasized positive, heroic characters from the classes of workers, peasants, and soldiers

Famous Model Operas

(8)

"The Red Lantern"

"On the Docks"

"Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy"

"Raid of White Tiger Regiment"

"White-Haired Girl" 

"Eulogy of the Dragon River"

"Shajiabang"

"The Red Detachment of Women"

Xushen

Compiled 1st Chinese Dictionary

Huang Di

Yellow Emperor/First Emperor

Cang Ji

Minister to Huang Di that created all characters from 6 principles

4 of Cang Ji's 6 Principles for Characters

Pictograph, Logical Compounds, Sound+Meaning, Indicatives

5 elements

Used in sound+meaning characters,

metal/tree/water/water/fire

"Dream of the Red Chamber"

Novel written by Cao Xueqin of the Qing Dynasty

Li Jinhui

Father of Chinese Popular Music 

Zhou Xuan

"Golden Voice" singer/actress from Shanghai that played a role in Street Angels of the leftwing era of cinema

Nie 'Er

Went by "George Njal" in magazines and was great composer of Republican Era.  Wrote 37 pieces including "March of the Volunteers" which became the PRC's national anthem.

Zhang Minmin

Hong Kong singer during post cultural revolution era of music that was a so-so singer but sang "My Chinese Heart" to become an overnight sensation.

Teresa Teng

Taiwanese singer during post cultural revolution era that sang Taiwan Campus Songs, "Thousands of Words", and "The Moon Represents My Heart"

Ciu Jian

Father of Chinese Rock, said that "Art doesn't have a political purpose; but art should have a political responsibility."

Tang Dyansty

Band of Contemporary Era, first Chinese heavy metal band

Twelve Girls Band

Band of contemporary era that was made up of veterans of PRC orchestras, used traditional instruments and modern compositions

Jay Chou

Taiwanese musician, producer, director, and actor that won 4 world music awards.  Wrote:  "Blue Porcelain", "Curse of the Golden Flowers", and "Huo Yuanjia"

"Dingjun Mountain"

Produced by Fengtai Studios in 1905 under direction of Ren Jingfeng

"The Difficult Couple"

Produced by Asia Film Co. under direction of Zheng Zhengqui and Zhang Shichuan about arranged marriage in 1913.

Yan Shanshan

First Chinese actress in movies who played in "Zhuanzi Tests His Wife" directed by her husband (Li Menwei) in 1913.

Hu Die

Shanghai actress who played in Twin Sisters as both sisters during Leftwing era.

Ruan Lingyu

Shanghai actress who killed herself on 03/08/1935 to make a statement.  Center Stage was after her life story.

"Burning of Red Lotus Temple"

Directed by Zhang Shichuan as 1st film series with focus on theme of Martial Arts during Leftwing era.

Xia Yan

Underground leader of the communist party that encouraged filmmakers to include current issue of Japanese aggression in films of Leftwing era.

Yan Ruisheng Wang Lianying Incident

Foreign banker (Yan) killed flashy prostitute (Wang) for her necklace in order to pay a large gambling debt.  Later made into a movie using real banker and prostitute instead of actors.

Chen Kaige

5th Generation filmmaker that was known for epic storytelling in his films:  "Yellow Earth" and "Farewell My Concubine" (won 2 academy awards).

Zhang Yimou

5th Generation Filmmaker known for use of color that directed the 2008 Olympic opening ceremony as well as The Red Sorghum, Ju Dou, and The Story of Qiu Ju.

5 Calligraphy Styles

Running, Grass, Seal, Regular, and Official

Baidai 

(Baak Doi)

1st Music Recording Studio

3 Film Studios by 1930

Mingxing, Lianhua, Tianyi

3 Facets of Guanxi Culture

Yuanfen (preordained relations)

Mianzi (social/moral face)

Renqing (human emotions)

"Electric Shadows"

(dianying)

Term coined for films during Formation Era of Cinema.

Formation of Chinese Cinema Era

1905-1931

Leftwing Film Era

1932-1937

"Golden Age" of Chinese Cinema

1946-1949

Model Opera Film Era

1966-1976

5th Generation Film Era

1984-Now

Republican Music Era

1912-1949

Revolution Music Era

1950-1976

Post Cultural Revolution Music Era

1977-1989

Contemporary Music Era

1989-Now