Traditional Chinese culture has historically been male-centred. In Imperial China, politics and business were almost entirely the affairs of men, while women were typically restricted to the home. Patriarchal values were even reinforced through religious experiences and ancestral worship, as the ancestors to whom an imperial emperor would make sacrifices to were almost exclusively patrilineal ancestors (Ebrey 18). When women were recorded in the early Chinese historical record, it was generally because they were considered to have caused problems for their male counterparts. For example, in Gender and Sinology: Shifting Western Interpretations of Footbinding, the author recalls a story recorded during the Zheng dynasty when the daughter of
It is so sad to see how women have to be fit in with the traditional Chinese standard. Just because men prefer women with small feet, they have to bind their feet so tight together, so tight that after their bone and meat became weird shape.
China is known as one of the most conservative countries in the world, where people have a tightly closed mindset about topics like sexuality, especially when applied to women. In such patriarchal society, oppression and punishment towards women are used to regulate social order. In “No Name Woman”, the introductory chapter from Maxine Hong Kingston’s book called “The Woman Warrior”, a mother’s storytelling to her daughter is much more than a simple bedtime fairytale. It is a tragic story about the no name aunt who took her own life away for being impregnated by a man who is not her husband. The use of silence in this story helps to maintain a cultural stability in the Chinese traditional views about women’s sexuality.
She used natural cleansers made from seaweed and jellyfish as well as facial massages and exercises to improve the circulation in the face. She also believed the link between diet and skin care. Women during Tang Dynasty desire pale skin as tanned skin was associated with working class. At first their desire of pale skin was to show that they did not have to work, however, powdered face and smooth skin soon became a fashion statement. They used white powdered made from lead to achieve a whiter complexion as well as natural gel and lotion to remove pigments and permanently bleach their skin.
The Chinese zodiac proves to be one of the most significant components in Chinese culture. Ever since the Han dynasty up until now, the Chinese zodiac never fails to influence the lifestyle of the people. From careers, up to marriages, the zodiac judges it all. The characteristics and symbols endowed by a zodiac sign is then used to judge what career the person born on that sign must take; or even the most suitable partner for that person. For instance, if the job requires someone who is intellectual, then the person born on the zodiac sign with the characteristic of great intellect will be most likely hired.
Like the previous Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty maintained a civil service system by drafting officials through standardized examinations and recommendations to office. This civil order was undermined by the rise of regional military governors known as jiedushi during the 9th century. Chinese culture flourished and further matured during the Tang era; it is considered the greatest age for Chinese poetry. Two of China's most famous historical poets, Du Fu and Li Bai, belonged to this age, as well as the poets Meng Haoran, Du Mu, and Bai Juyi. Many famous visual artists lived during this era, such as the renowned painters Han Gan, Zhang Xuan, and Zhou Fang.
In the beginning of the story, Tan describes the mother as a stereotypical Chinese mother, who can be labeled as very strict. The mother was very determined, to make her child, Jing-Mei a success, “instantly famous...or a child prodigy.” Jing-Mei was forced to take piano lessons by a former piano teacher, who was deaf. Chinese children can be stereotyped as studious and obedient. Many Chinese families may fit into these stereotypes, but not every single one of them does and Tan exposes that in her story. Jing-Mei didn’t fit in the stereotype she, “ was so determined not to try, not to be anybody different, [she] learned to play only the most ear-splitting preludes, the most discordant hymns,” on the piano.
Tan sets all her novels within the circle of the Chinese American family and inside the minds and psyches of the family members. Tan takes her readers into pre-Communist Chinese society in which the aristocratic family is the visible evidence of unwritten rules that require absolute filial piety, that sanction hierarchies based on gender and class, that condone concubinage and the virtual enslavement of women within arranged marriages, and that stress above everything else the importance of saving face rather than self. The interior landscapes are connected, for in Old China lie the seeds of the conflicts that threaten to rend the fragile bonds holding the immigrant family together and only when the second generation recognizes and understands the
The Symbolism of the Chinese Dragon in Ancient and Modern Popular Chinese Culture Chinese Dragons have been symbolic of power and strength all throughout history and continues into present-day. The Chinese Dragon plays a major role in current popular culture and media exploration. Not only can you find them in films such as Disney’s Mulan, but also in artwork, modern and traditional dances, and writings. Chinese Dragons are essential to the culture of modern, traditional, and ancient Chinese society. They are present in many aspects of life from film and festivals to mascots and astrology.
The Chinese dragon is a very important symbol of royalty to the people of China as the ancient emperors used to wear dragons on their clothing. The emperors called their sons "seeds of dragons", their robes were "dragon robes", and their chairs were "dragon chairs”. When you enter the Forbidden City, you can see elements of Chinese dragons everywhere: the nine sons of the dragon on the golden roof, on the stone floor, the imperial chair decoration, wood sculptures on pillars, and handrails, etc. The Chinese dragon has transformed over the years to a mascot (which is a symbol) from ancient times to the present. Not only is the dragon prevailing in China, but it's also very popular among the Chinese people living in countries other than China.