LITERATURE
李白《长干行》 妾发初覆额，折花门前剧。 郎骑竹马来，绕床弄青梅。 同居长干里，两小无嫌猜， 十四为君妇，羞颜未尝开。 低头向暗壁，千唤不一回。 十五始展眉，愿同尘与灰。 常存抱柱信，岂上望夫台。 十六君远行，瞿塘滟滪堆。 五月不可触，猿声天上哀。 门前迟行迹，一一生绿苔。 苔深不能扫，落叶秋风早。 八月胡蝶来，双飞西园草。 感此伤妾心，坐愁红颜老。 早晚下三巴，预将书报家。 相迎不道远，直至长风沙。
Jiuzhai Valley by Ilana Friendman
Jiuzhaigou Valley [九寨 ], also known as “Nine Village Valley” is a beautiful location, home to a variety of wildlife. There are nine Tibetan villages currently existing within the national park. The Jiuzhaigou Valley is located in the Min Shan mountain range within Northern Sichuan in South Western China. The Jiuzhai Valley National Park is home to over 27 different state-protected rare and endangered species of animals. Over 223 species of birds have been recorded in Jiuzhai gou Valley National Park. Some of the most famous animals residing within the area are the Giant Pandas, Red Pandas and Sichuan Golden Monkeys. The convenient location of this Valley between the Tibetan Plateau and Central Asia gives the Park a large biodiversity as well. One of the most well known attractions within the large area is Pear Shoals Waterfall. Many of the waterfalls in the area, as well as Pear Shoals, freeze during the winter, leaving the water frozen in an almost “curtain-like” way. Another iconic area within the park is the Five Flower Lake, a result of the chemical reactions of the various species of algae residing within the lake and the uneven overlapping of the submerged vegetation.
Beijing: A Visual Tour Photos Courtesy of Shang Laoshi
TRAVEL
Hong Kong: A Guide by Mia Sakurada
Located in the South China Sea off the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong is a center for trade and a culturally vibrant archipelago known for its skyline, night-life, food, and shopping. Hong Kong can be divided into four districts: the Hong Kong Island, the New Territories, the Kowloon Peninsula, and a myriad of smaller, outlying islands. Having spent a month in Hong Kong over the summer, I’d love to share some highlights of this amazing city.
Victoria Peak: The highest point in Hong Kong,
take a bus up to this lookout to view the city from above. Stop by the art museum at the top or grab a snack at the Peak’s galleria. Just make sure to visit on a clear day!
Aberdeen Boat Tour: Experience a different
side of Hong Kong. View the developing side of this city by taking a boat city.
Man Ho Temple:Dedicated to the gods of liter- ature and war, Man Ho Temple is one of Hong Kong’s oldest temples.
Causeway Bay shopping: This district is a
tangle of food stores, department stores, and stalls. Often called the “Olympics of shopping,” this place has anything and everything.
Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade: Go for a
stroll to view the night-time skyline, statues, and architecture.
Temple Street Market: For a fun, chaotic
night of bargaining, eating, and shopping, visit this night market for an authentic experience. Be prepared for aggressive merchants and heavenly street food.
Tim Ho Wan: One of the best dim-sum restau-
rants, Tim Ho Wan is hidden in Central Station. The long search and very long wait is all worth it.
IFC Mall: This rooftop mall is ringed with fancy restaurants and bars and has an unforgettable view of the city at night.
The Longest Chinese Dynasty By: Alexandra Langer
For roughly 4000 years China lived under a dynastic system passing through eighteen dynasties before becoming the Republic of China. The longest of these dynasties was the Zhou Dynasty (周朝) which stayed in power for around 790 years before becoming the Qin Dynasty (秦朝). Originally the Zhou were a clan that lived equally as a peaceful group within the Shang Dynasty (商朝), however when King Wen (周文王) took over the Zhou he begun to hatch a plan to overpower the current King of the Shang Dynasty. While King Wen never saw his dream realized during his lifetime his son, King Wu (周武王) ( battled against the Shang army and overthrew the emperor creating the Zhou Dynasty. The citizens of the Shang Dynasty felt wronged by their previous ruler, King Zhou (商紂王), therefore they were more welcoming of the new dynasty and assisted the Zhou rulers in removing the Shang dynasties’ influences. However King Wu allowed some of the Shang family to remain in power by giving the previous Shang heir apparent, Wu Geng ( 武庚) control over the city of Youli (羑里) a former Chinese colony. The Zhou Dynasty is tra ditionally thought of as two separate periods known as Western Zhou (1046-771 BCE) and Eastern Zhou (770-256 BCE). The Western Zhou period can be described as the feudal age of China, where most of the land was controlled by wealthy nobles who owed their loyalty to the crown in exchange for power. The Eastern Zhou period played host to some of the most prolific and profound philosophers, poets, and artists to ever come out of China like Confucius (孔子) and Laozi (老子). Within the Eastern Zhou period there was the Spring and Autumn Period (772-476 BCE), which marked the start of political conflict amongst the 100 city-states prespres ent at the beginning of the 700s BCE. By the end of the Spring and Autumn Period only 40 states remained, but the continuing violence, wars, assassinations, and massacres did not end till centuries later. The period after the Spring and Autumn Period was known as the Warring States period (476-221 BCE), which made up the last years of the Zhou Dynasty as China fell to their enemies in the East, the Qin clan. The Qin had appeared during the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, but stayed as their allies protecting them from Eastern enemies. However, as the Zhou dynasty felt the effects of the Warring States Period, the Qin saw their opportunity and stormed the city of Chengzhou (成周) and killed the last Zhou king, King Nan (周赧 王). The Zhou Dynasty, which once was the most powerful and long lasting dynasty of China created such great minds like Confucius, yet like history teaches all kingdoms and ways of life, must end eventually just as the Zhou Dynasty did in 256 BCE.
Northern Song Ru stone wares AD 1086-1106 /1125 on exhibit at the British Museum
Ru Ware by Morgan Ru When you think of Asian last names, the last one to probably come to mind would be “Ru”. Although almost unheard of, it is probably one of the most definitive last names in ancient Chinese art. In the 12th century (AD 1086 to 1106) located in the Northern Song Dynasty, the Ru name referred to the simple, delicate, yet beautiful Ru ware ceramics. Coated in subdued blue, green, or white colored, cracking glaze, the almost translucent Ru ware pottery was commissioned strictly for the imperial family. The unique color of the Ru ware pottery comes from the pieces being slightly under fired at temperatures from 1200 to 1250 degrees Celsius. Unfortunately due to the takeover of Northern China by the Jin Dynasty lead by Jurchen, many of the works and kilns were destroyed, leaving only a few kilns to exist today. Because of the unique beauty and craftsmanship of the ceramics, artists after wards tried their hands at many attempts to imitate the Ru ware. Some of these pieces include the Guan ware, which although similar in likeness to the Ru ware, admit their roots to the original Ru pottery. Due to the rarity of the Ru ware, single pieces today range in the ten millions, belonging to only private collections rotating through museums across the globe. On our recent trip to London, my father’s main vendetta was to make sure that my sister and I were able to see our family’s work. After some coffee and an 8 am taxi, we arrived at the British Museum and rushed to the “Chinese Ceramics” exhibition. The only people in the room, my father explained the history of our family to us through these pieces. Looking at the work that my family was so highly regarded for, I felt a sense of family pride wash over me. There, sitting in one of the world’s greatest musemuse ums was the creation of my bloodline and I had the honor of sharing that name.