Alan

she/they | 20s | to define is to limit

[alan-apologist]

hey, guys<3 just wanna say i'm trying to be active on tumblr again after We Are, so please give me some time to get back to any asks you might have sent, and feel free to come talk to me!!

i am pondphuwin lover, enjoyer and truther. JASP.ER are the best boyband in the entire world idc. AND my love for any and all ppw related stuff is boundless.

vibrating at a speed that can shatter glass for Me and Thee :3 MWAH.

[alan-apologist]

look i know you think pond loves phuwin or like phuwin loves pond or whatever but I need to tell you this that in my opinion I don't think they should be together. i think they both should marry me instead.

is this a hate ask

[sinoheritage]

In the Song Dynasty (960–1279) capital of Kaifeng, there existed the world's first equivalent of a gourmet guide. Detailed lists of the best establishments and their specializations were compiled in popular literary notes, such as "Dreams of Splendor of the Eastern Capital”

The city amazed with its variety: there were restaurants specializing exclusively in noodles, only in dumplings (jiaozi), or only in lamb. There were vegetarian kitchens for monks, 24-hour taverns, and even a service for complete banquet takeout with all the dishes and tableware included. This demonstrates an incredibly developed food culture comparable to the modern one.

[sinoheritage]

滴水兽 “drip beasts” are a part of the traditional Minnan architecture in southern Fujian and eastern Guangdong provinces. They were originally rain leaks used to replace the rainwater drainage system. The beasts are carved as animals, Chinese mythological creatures, and plants/flowers.

Meanings: goldfish represents surplus every year, qilin represents delivering children, mandarin ducks represent happiness, tigers represent bravery and fearlessness, elephants represent renewal of all things, and various plants and flowers also carry different meanings.

[linghxr]

20 fun Chinese figurative language expressions

A collection of fun figurative expressions I've learned/come across.

【1】 劈腿 pǐtuǐ Literal: to do the splits Figurative: two-timing (in romantic relationships)

【2】 穿小鞋 chuānxiǎoxié Literal: wear tight shoes Figurative: to make life difficult for sbdy

【3】 鸡肋（雞肋）jīlèi Literal: chicken ribs Figurative: smth of little value that one is reluctant to give up

【4】 绊脚石（絆腳石）bànjiǎoshí Literal: stone that trips one's foot Figurative: stumbling block / obstacle / smth that gets in your way

【5】 摸鱼（摸魚）mōyú Literal: to catch fish Figurative: to loaf on the job / slack off

【6】 踢皮球 tīpíqiú Literal: to kick a ball around Figurative: to mutually shirk responsibility / to pass the buck

【7】 乌鸦嘴（烏鴉嘴）wūyāzuǐ Literal: crow's beak Figurative: person who makes an inauspicious remark (jinxes it)

【8】 露馅（露餡）lòuxiàn Literal: spill filling Figurative: to expose (a secret) / to spill the beans / to let the cat out of the bag

【9】 缩头乌龟（縮頭烏龜）suōtóuwūguī Literal: a turtle that pulls its head in Figurative: coward

【10】 掉链子（掉鏈子）diàoliànzi Literal: to have one's bicycle chain come off Figurative: to let sb down; to drop the ball; to screw up

【11】 放鸽子（放鴿子）fànggēzi Literal: release doves Figurative: to stand sb up / to bail on sb

【12】 唱反调（唱反調）chàngfǎndiào Literal: sing in the opposite key Figurative: to express a different view / to take a different position

【13】 尘埃落定（塵埃落定）chén'āiluòdìng Literal: the dust has settled Figurative: to get sorted out / to be finalized

【14】 抱大腿 bàodàtuǐ Literal: hug the thigh Figurative: to cling to sb influential or famous

【15】 出轨（出軌）chūguǐ Literal: to be derailed; to go off the rails Figurative: to overstep the bounds / to have an extramarital affair

【16】 塌房 tāfáng Literal: house collapse Figurative: to have one's reputation tank due to a scandal

【17】 同温层（同溫層）tóngwēncéng Literal: stratosphere Figurative: echo chamber, bubble

【18】 敲门砖（敲門磚）qiāoménzhuān Literal: a brick picked up to knock on the door and then discarded Figurative: stepping-stone to success

【19】 眼中钉（眼中釘）yǎnzhōngdīng Literal: a nail in one's eye Figurative: smth or sbdy you detest / a thorn in one's side

【20】 小辫子（小辮子）xiǎobiànzi Literal: pigtail Figurative: a shortcoming or wrongdoing that can be seized upon by others

[sinoculinary]

花酥 (huā sū) is a traditional Chinese flaky pastry known for its flower-shaped, layered appearance and delicate crisp texture. 花酥 literally means “flower pastry”. 🌸

Its shape is often chrysanthemum-like. It can be sweet or savory and is often served with tea. Common fillings include: red bean paste, jujube paste, lotus seed paste, black sesame.

Usually associated with northern Chinese pastry traditions, especially Beijing, where they used to be enjoyed by the royal family of Qing dynasty. Also common in old teahouses and festive occasions. It also appears in Chinese Muslim (Hui) pastry traditions, usually made with vegetable oil instead of lard.

[chinoiseriene]

Guangzhou ivory carving 广州象牙雕刻 from Guangzhou, Guangdong province, Qing Dynasty.

Guangdong ivory carving started in the Han Dynasty when China still had its own species of elephant (before 100 BC). Ivory products are also found in the tombs of the local Nanyue Kingdom.

Ivory carving became prosperous in the Ming and Qing dynasties that Cantonese craftsmen were recruited to Beijing to serve the imperial family. Developing large models of houses and other large and showy pieces.

This art is still somewhat popular in the region today, but the ivory has been replaced by contemporary artists with other materials such as animals bones, due to ivory trade becoming illegal.

(The artifacts in this post date to the Qing era)

[shewhoworshipscarlin]

Bracelet in the shape of a dragon, 1100-1300, China.

[shuuenka]

Patterns: Warring states / Han / Jin- excerpt from ''Ornamental Patterns From Ancient Chinese Textiles Han to Tang Dynasties" by Zhao Feng

Detailed information under cut.

warning: this is machine translated notes from the pages above. Any corrections are more than welcome. Notes are numbered as per pages above

Dancing Figures and Animal Motifs

Warring States Period: Brocade with Dancing Figures and Animal Motifs Unearthed in Jiangling, Hubei Province Collection of Jingzhou Museum

This fabric is a plain-weave warp brocade from the Warring States period, unearthed in 1982 from Chu Tomb No. 1 at Mashan, Jiangling, Hubei Province. The main pattern is dancing figures and animal motifs, with a warp repeat of approximately 5.5 cm and a weft spanning the entire width. The unit pattern consists of a zigzag skeleton formed by left-right slanted rectangles, with double dragons and geometric patterns filling the rectangles. The space outside the rectangles is filled with eight sets of patterns: four pairs of dragons, two pairs of phoenixes, one pair of qilin, and most strikingly, a pair of dancing figures wearing crowns with drooping tails, long robes, and belts, gracefully dancing with flowing sleeves.

The pair of dragons at the far left of the fabric has a clear weaving error; the rectangle and the dragon's tail are broken. This error is repeated throughout all the pattern repeats, indicating that the error occurred during the weaving of the pattern book before weaving, making it impossible to correct during the weaving process. This, from another perspective, confirms that Chinese silk weaving technology at that time did indeed possess jacquard devices to control the repetition of patterns on fabric, but it could not yet control the weft repeat, resulting in a lack of weft repeat across the entire width of the fabric.

Zhao Feng. Treasures of Textile Embroidery: An Illustrated History of Chinese Silk Art. Hong Kong: Art Silk House Fashion Publishing, 1999: 59-60.

2.Auspicious Birds and beasts Warring States Period: Brocade with Auspicious Birds and Beasts Pattern Collection of the Cotsen Foundation

These two fabrics are plain-weave warp brocades. After reconstructing the patterns, the main motifs can be seen as two pairs of auspicious birds and beasts: one pair with dragon heads and phoenix bodies; the other pair with bird heads and beast bodies, which, judging from the spots, may be leopard bodies. In addition, there are other patterns interspersed throughout, such as the sun, stars, and rhombus cup patterns.

Zhao, Feng. Early Chinese Textiles from the Lloyd Cotsen Collection. Los Angeles: Cotsen Occasional Press, 2015: 6-7.

3.Phoenix and Dragon pattern. Warring States Period: Brocade with Pairs of Dragons and Phoenixes Collection of the Cotsen Foundation

This is a typical plain-weave brocade from the Warring States period, featuring a pattern of paired dragons, paired phoenixes, and some geometric patterns. The pattern is three-colored, with light brown and red sections highlighting the floral designs on a dark brown background. The red is dyed with cinnabar, forming vibrant banded decorations on the fabric surface. This brocade is very similar to the brocade with paired dragons and phoenixes unearthed from Tomb No. 44 at Zuojiatang, Changsha City, Hunan Province in 1957.

Zhao, Feng. Early Chinese Textiles from the Lloyd Cotsen Collection. Los Angeles: Cotsen Occasional Press, 2015: 1.

4.Intertwined Dragons and Phoenixes

Warring States Period: Intertwined Dragons and Phoenixes Brocade Collection of the Cotsen Foundation

This is a two-tone plain weave brocade, with dark brown patterns on a light brown ground. The pattern features intertwined dragons at the top and intertwined phoenixes at the bottom.

A similar dragon and phoenix pattern can also be seen on a light yellow silk embroidery unearthed from Chu Tomb No. 1 at Mashan, Jiangling, Hubei.

Zhao, Feng. Early Chinese Textiles from the Lloyd Cotsen Collection. Los Angeles: Cotsen Occasional Press, 2015: 5.

5. Diamond-patterned Deer Design Warring States Period: Diamond-patterned Deer Design Gauze Unearthed from a Chu Tomb in Wufu Village, Anji, Zhejiang Province Collection of the China National Silk Museum

This diamond-patterned gauze is a dark-patterned gauze fabric. The pattern is created using a two-warp twist weave on a four-warp ground, resulting in a striking and unique effect. Between the diamond patterns is an animal motif, with four legs and two large antlers on its head, possibly a deer. Above this animal is a tree-shaped pattern, robust at the base and with five branches, evoking a sense of forest and spring. It is noteworthy that the original design of this fabric was symmetrical, but mis-weave occurs at the tips of the diamonds.

Zhao Feng. Silks of the Silk Road: Origin, Spread, and Exchange. Hangzhou: Zhejiang University Press, 2015: 166.

6. Cloud and Animal Pattern

Han-Jin Dynasty: Brocade Armguard with the inscription "Five Stars Rise in the East, Benefiting China" (??)

Unearthed in Niya, Minfeng County, Xinjiang Collection of Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

This brocade is a five-color plain-weave warp brocade, with red, yellow, blue, green, and white warp threads forming the pattern. The overall pattern uses mountain-shaped clouds as a framework, continuously unfolding along the weft direction. From the right side, there are birds, unicorns, and tigers, interspersed with the inscription "Five Stars Rise in the East, Benefiting China." Another fragment from the same tomb can be identified as belonging to the same fabric, bearing cloud patterns, winged figures, star patterns, and the inscription "Exterminate the Southern Qiang." After reconstruction, it can be read as "Five Stars Rise in the East, Benefiting China, Exterminate the Southern Qiang." Through the reconstruction of the "Five Stars" brocade pattern, five dots representing different colors of the five stars can be seen on the fabric. The term "five stars" is used in astronomical astrology and is related to the Five Elements theory of the Han Dynasty. The Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) records, "The five stars divide the sky in the center, accumulating in the east, benefiting China…" Yu Zhiyong.

A Preliminary Study on Han and Jin Dynasty Inscribed Brocades Unearthed in the Loulan-Niya Area. Chinese Historical Relics, 2003(6):38-48,85-95.

7. "Peace and Happiness Embroidered Pattern, Greatly Benefiting Descendants" Cloud and Animal Motif (??)

Southern Han Dynasty to Jin Dynasty: "Peace and Happiness Embroidered Pattern, Greatly Benefiting Descendants" Brocade Unearthed in Niya, Minfeng County, Xinjiang

Collection of Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

This brocade was used to sew the hem of a brown robe. It is a typical Han Dynasty brocade, featuring cloud and animal motifs as its main design. At the time, it was also called the "Cloud and Animal Pattern." The cloud pattern serves as the framework of the design, interspersed with dragons, tigers, leopards, birds, humans, and the Chinese inscription "Peace and Happiness Embroidered Pattern, Greatly Benefiting Descendants." The figure in the design holds a weapon and rides on the back of a dragon. The inscription is arranged from right to left across the entire piece.

"May You Have Abundant Wishes for Ten Thousand Generations" Cloud Pattern

Han-Jin Dynasty: "May You Have Abundant Wishes for Ten Thousand Generations" Brocade Unearthed in Niya, Minfeng County, Xinjiang Collection of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum.

This brocade has a crimson ground with five warp threads of crimson, white, sky blue, deep purple, and dark green. The pattern consists of parallel, differently shaped spiral cloud patterns, with the four characters "May You Have Abundant Wishes for Ten Thousand Generations" woven in clerical script in the center.

Jin Weinuo, Zhao Feng. Complete Collection of Chinese Art: Textiles. Hefei: Huangshan Publishing House, 2010: 59.

"China Prospers, the Four Barbarians Subdue, the Southern Qiang Exterminated" Cloud and Animal Pattern

Han Dynasty: "China Prospers, the Four Barbarians Subdue, the Southern Qiang Exterminated" Brocade Collection of the Cotsen Foundation

This is a typical Han Dynasty five-color brocade, with red, green, yellow, and white patterns on a deep blue ground. The pattern is a cloud and animal pattern, interspersed with tigers, qilin, winged deer, feathered humans, and geese within the cloud and animal framework. The pattern is symmetrical, but the Chinese inscription "China Prospers, the Four Barbarians Subdue, the Southern Qiang Exterminated, Peace and Prosperity, Heaven Without Boundaries" is arranged from right to left throughout the entire piece.

Zhao, Feng. Early Chinese Textiles from the Lloyd Cotsen Collection. Los Angeles: Cotsen Occasional Press, 2015: 15.

10 "May the King and Nobleman Enjoy a Thousand Years of Marriage and Prosperity for Their Descendants" Cloud Pattern

Han-Jin Dynasty: "May the King and Nobleman Enjoy a Thousand Years of Marriage and Prosperity for Their Descendants" Brocade Quilt Unearthed in Niya, Minfeng, Xinjiang Collection of Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.

This brocade was originally used to make a quilt. It is a five-color plain weave brocade with four colors—crimson, white, yellow, and green—on a dark blue ground, with yellow and green highlighted separately. The pattern consists of a cloud pattern framework interspersed with the Chinese characters "May the King and Nobleman Enjoy a Thousand Years of Marriage and Prosperity for Their Descendants." According to research, this brocade was made by a state-run silk weaving workshop in the Central Plains specifically for the weddings of local kings and nobles. Therefore, it is speculated that the owner of the quilt was a king of the Jingjue Kingdom.

Zhao Feng, Yu Zhiyong. The Desert Prince's Treasures: Cultural Relics Unearthed from the Niya Site on the Silk Road. Hong Kong: Yishatang/Fashion Publishing, 2000: 72-73.

[exhaled-spirals]

« In English, consciousness and unconsciousness are part of a vertical plane, so that we wake up ↑ and we fall ↓ asleep and we sink ↓ into a coma. Chinese uses the horizontal line, so that to wake is to cross a border towards consciousness → and to faint is to go back ← . Meanwhile, time itself is vertical so that last year is “the year above” ↑ and next year is “the year below” ↓. The day before yesterday is the day “in front” ↑ and the day after tomorrow is the day “behind” ↓. This means that future generations are not the generations ahead, but the ones behind. Therefore, to look into the future one must turn around… »

— Madeleine Thien, Do Not Say We Have Nothing

[sinoheritage]

Nüshu 女书 was a women-only script used by Yao women in Jiangyong, Hunan province, China.

Nüshu works were a way for women to lament by communicating sorrows, commiserating over patriarchy, and establishing connections with an empathetic community. Typically a group of non-related women would pledge friendship by writing letters and singing songs in Nüshu to each other.

The exact origins of Nüshu and when it came into being remain uncertain, as no written records document the genesis of this script. Yang Huanyi, an inhabitant of Jiangyong and the last person proficient in this writing system, died on 20 September 2004, at the age of 98.

[stumpyjoepete]

Just encountered the idiom "小巫见大巫". Figuratively, it means "to pale in comparison". But literally it just means "small wizard sees big wizard".

And like... No. You cannot just use the words small and big when you're coming up with a metaphor about one thing outshining another in some respect.

Oh, you think the Empire State Building is tall? Well, comparing it to the Burj Khalifah, it's a real case of a... small guy see big guy.

No, absolutely not. Straight to jail. No idea how this one made the cut.

[yunsound]

Chinese Mythology- Ne Zha

In case you forgot, there’s a little (well, not-so-little) country in between Russia, India and the sea near Australia called China. She’s pretty well-known for being big, red, and old. 

As well as other things, but that’s all pretty new and not what we’re talking about here, I draw the line at those topics.

China is like the grandma of most Asian countries within the Sinosphere (area of influence that spread Chinese culture through the Silk Road, Tang dynasty diplomats and ideologies like Confucianism and Taoism and occasionally Buddhism).

As such, Chinese mythology and lifestyle practices are very deeply rooted in cultural beliefs across Asian countries like Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam. 

This isn’t a post about the history of China. Well, it is, but the history of China is some 10,000 years of culture and 4000 years of recorded history, and I have neither the time nor the patience to go through all of it. To be quite honest, about 70% of it is irrelevant to even the lives of Chinese people.

What I’d like to talk about, instead, is some Chinese culture and mythology.

Many of you might have heard of the Journey to the West, or more specifically the Monkey King Sun Wukong. Undoubtedly he’s probably the number one IT boy in China, our biggest cultural icon and representative myth, and his name is synonymous with power, defiance, and badassery. 

You may have seen him featured in the recent hit game, Black Myth: Wukong!

Much of Wukong’s story involves his various shenanigans in his attempt to go to the West and retrieve Buddhist sutras with the monk Xuanzang and several other eclectic and iconic characters. However, Wukong’s history is not as well-known. In fact, much of his early days were spent in constant battle with the Heavenly Court.

That is what I want to talk about: the Heavenly Court. Essentially China’s pantheon. Wukong is so well-known that I feel it’s unnecessary for me to add any more commentary beyond woah, he is so cool, and other people probably have made enough content about him that anything I could add would be 画蛇添足 or paint feet on a snake (a Chinese idiom that means to stop adding useless details that don’t make any sense or serve any purpose).

Regardless.

China, beyond just Wukong, has an enormous selection of mythology involving gods, spirits and immortals as well as their battles against demons and monsters. These stories aren’t as well-known outside China but also feature prominently in what makes up the Chinese mindset. Having said that, here’s my attempt to inspire someone to make a Dragon Ball equivalent that doesn’t feature Wukong. 

___

I figured now would be as good a time as any to start with 哪吒三太子，or the Third Prince Ne Zha, since recently the Ne Zha 2 has smashed some records and brought the myth of Ne Zha into more prominence.

By the way, go watch this movie! I'll gush about this later, but it's super good.

As with most everything in Chinese history and mythology: overly-long exposition and background is always needed. In the 16th century, two dudes got together and decided to record the fall of the Shang Dynasty and the rise of the Zhou Dynasty in a novel. Being dramatic, they romanticized the historical tale and added a lot of pizzazz, including spirits, monsters, and gods. This tale is now referred to as 封神演义,or 封神榜: The Romance of the Inauguration of the Gods, or more commonly translated as Investiture of the Gods. 

This story serves as the basis for much of Chinese mythology and storytelling. Think of the Iliad or the Odyssey.

Ne Zha is a character in Investiture of the Gods. He’s not a key character in the main plot, which centers around King Zhou of Shang (who ironically rules over the Shang Dynasty and not the Zhou Dynasty, which uses a different Zhou pronounced differently in Chinese). However, he’s probably more famous than King Zhou is, just because he’s so fun, and also he’s featured very prominently in many of the stories we tell kids. 

According to the Investiture of the Gods, Ne Zha was born during the Shang Dynasty under the rule of King Zhou. He eventually becomes part of the rebel faction that overthrows King Zhou of Shang and establishes the Zhou Dynasty. For now, though, he is just a kid. His homeland is called Chentang Pass.

In fact, Ne Zha was born with hacks. He’s the incarnation of the 灵珠子, or the Spiritual Pearl, a ball of condensed spiritual energy. As such, he’s pretty OP from birth.

He has two older brothers who are already immortals, called Jin Zha (which means Gold… Zha) and Mu Zha (which means Wood Zha) and his parents wanted five sons named Gold, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth, representing the five elements, with Zha as a suffix.

However, in popular culture, it’s known that Ne Zha, originally Fire, absorbed his brothers Water and Earth in the womb. Because of this, his mother, Lady Yin, is pregnant with him for over three years- which really sucks. When he’s born, he manifests as what looks like a big meatball. 

His father, Li Jing, who’s a very high-ranking military general, freaks out and tries to stab him, but he pops out of the meatball as a fully-formed child, and is bestowed the name Ne Zha, literally: That Zha, since he’s three Zha-s in one. Kind of funny. 

Ne Zha, since he’s OP, could talk and walk from birth and skipped the baby stage and went right to infant. He was taken as the disciple of 太乙真人, or Realized One of Yin and Yang. We’ll call him Master Taiyi for simplicity. He gets two cool weapons: 混天绫, the Skyblinding Sash, or a sentient moving red ribbon similar to Doctor Strange’s red cape, and 乾坤圈, the Ring of Heaven and Earth, a gold size-changing ring. 

Ne Zha is still a human kid, despite being super OP, so when he’s little he asks his mom if he can go out of Chentang Pass to play. She’s like, sure! What’s the worst that can happen!

Oh boy.

Ne Zha wanders for a bit, then decides to take a bath in a river and uses the Skyblinding Sash as a towel. Basically the equivalent of using a tactical nuke to squish an ant. This powerful weapon being used as a towel sends so much energy through the stream that it literally reaches all the way to the East China Sea.

The Dragon King of the East China Sea is called Ao Guang, and he’s also got three sons. In the most well-known Ne Zha movie from 1979, he looks like this:

Ao Guang is like, what the fuck? He sends a yaksha, a mischievous water spirit, to check things out (no, not the yaksha you're thinking of.)

Ne Zha basically makes the ancient Chinese equivalent of a your mom joke to the yaksha, who gets super offended and tries to fight him. Then the yaksha gets his ass thoroughly kicked by a seven-year-old, who uses the Ring of Heaven and Earth to basically bash his head in. Yikes.

Ao Guang’s soldiers report this to him, and he’s very troubled by his lackey’s violent end at the hands of China’s worst iPad kid. Ao Bing, who is Ao Guang’s third son, volunteers to go beat up this seven-year-old kid, and is like, I’m the mighty third dragon prince of the East China Sea, there’s no way this toddler can beat me!

Not only does Ne Zha beat Ao Bing, he beats him so badly that he ends up pulling Ao Bing’s tendons out to make a belt for his dad Li Jing. Ao Bing probably died a staunch advocate for birth control. Ne Zha maybe needs some therapy.

Regardless, when Ao Guang hears his precious baby son has been killed rather painfully, he freaks out and goes to complain to Li Jing. Ne Zha is like, oops I killed your son, he was weak anyway, maybe you should train your next kid to be less pathetic, and Ao Guang is like you son of a bitch I’m reporting you to the Jade Emperor!

The Jade Emperor, by the way, is the leader of the Heavenly Court. In Chinese mythology, unlike many religions, being a god doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a good or virtuous person, it just means you got a promotion. Essentially it’s like being a government worker. 

There is sometimes discussion on whether the Emperor in the myth is the Heavenly Emperor or the Jade Emperor. They're usually considered different people, with the Jade Emperor being an underling of the Heavenly Emperor, but the exact details get foggy. For the purposes of storytelling, I will assume the Emperor in this story is the Jade Emperor.

Ne Zha says, oh shit what do I do, and goes to his Master Taiyi for help. With an invisibility spell Master Taiyi gave him, he goes to Ao Guang’s house and kicks his ass.

Ao Guang, feeling thoroughly wronged, gathers the other three dragon kings of the North, South and West China Seas respectively and decides they’re going to sue Ne Zha and his family in front of the Jade Emperor. 

Lady Yin, Ne Zha’s mom, tells him to chill the fuck out and sits him in their house’s backyard. Ne Zha, thoroughly bored, decides he’s going to do some archery practice with some fancy bows and arrows, which are all inscribed with their family name.

He uses the literal Emperor’s bow and arrow, which were stored there for safekeeping and were unliftable like Thor’s hammer or Excalibur, and casually shoots an arrow up into a cave and kills the disciple of a lady named 石矶娘娘 Lady Stone Spirit.

Lady Stone Spirit kidnaps Ne Zha’s dad after recognising the name on the arrow, and Li Jing is like, yo I’m nowhere strong enough to use that bow and arrow, let me go back home so I can find the true culprit.

Eventually they find out it’s Ne Zha, and Ne Zha flips on Lady Stone Spirit. Master Taiyi eventually kills Lady Stone Spirit for him after Ne Zha loses his weapons. 

Master Taiyi then says, oops, remember Ao Guang, that dragon king you pissed off? Well, he’s back and he’s pissed, and he’s got the Jade Emperor on his side. Ao Guang vows he’ll take revenge for his son and his dignity on Chentang Pass and Ne Zha’s parents.

Li Jing, who’s a bit of a dick father, is royally pissed off at Ne Zha. He’s always been very strict on Ne Zha, and has never liked him much, and basically tells Ne Zha to go fuck himself. Ne Zha, who’s mischievous but responsible, decides he’s going to save his family.

In quite possibly the most gruesome children’s tale you’ve ever heard, in order to pay his parents back for birthing him, he cuts all the flesh off his own bones and then cuts his own bones up as penance and to satisfy the dragon king’s wrath. Metal.

Excuse this blurry image- it's hard to find the exact scene in 4k.

Ne Zha’s wandering spirit tells his grieving mother to build him a temple and try to get him a new body, so she does. The temple goes viral, and Li Jing finds out and smashes everything. Ne Zha is like, what the fuck was that for? Now father and son properly hate each other.

Master Taiyi, this story’s MVP, builds Ne Zha a new body out of lotus roots, and he is reborn in a lotus flower. That’s why he’s sometimes called Ne Zha the lotus prince, and why he’s commonly associated with lotus flowers and lotus roots.

Master Taiyi gives him two new weapons: the 火尖枪, Fire-tipped Spear, a spear that shoots fire, and the 风火轮: Wheels of Wind and Fire, which are basically flying roller skates in the shape of two gold wheels.

Look at that, so fashionable.

Ne Zha tries to go and beat up his asshole father, and Li Jing quickly realises he’s about to get his ass kicked by his pissed-off deified son. Remember when I said Ne Zha absorbed his brothers Water and Fire in the womb?

Because of this, he can now manifest four more arms and two more heads whenever he wants to become 三头六臂哪吒, Ne Zha of Three Heads and Six Arms. Sick.

The Jade Emperor decides enough is enough after seeing Ne Zha beat his dad up a million times. He goes to the Buddha for help, and the Buddha gives Li Jing a mini pagoda which can trap any demon, monster or spirit within it. Li Jing becomes a deity referred to as the Pagoda-Bearing Lord, and Ne Zha is forced to chill out on the patricide.

This is how the tale is known in popular culture, mostly because of a 1979 movie, produced by Shanghai Animation, which changed the original tale quite a bit. I've been using many images from the 1979 Ne Zha.

Movie name: Ne Zha Conquers the Sea, otherwise known as Murder Toddler Terrorizes Local Aquatic Ecosystem

For one, in the movie, Ao Guang and Ao Bing are evil oppressors who eat the children of Chentang Pass. Additionally, details are known differently across different iterations of the myth. For example, in Journey to the West, Ne Zha gets his name because it’s literally written on his hands when he’s born.

Since Ne Zha flies around so quickly on his Wheels of Wind and Fire roller skates, people sometimes see him as a patron deity of racing. If they ever make another Fast and Furious they should give him a cameo.

He is so famous that he’s had like a billion animated movies, stage plays and children’s books written about him. Traditionally, he’s depicted as a kid about seven to ten years old, on his roller skate wheels, holding his staff, with his ring turned into a gold bracelet he wears on his wrist and his red sash flying behind him. He has quite the iconic hairstyle: two space buns!

He’s such an iconic figure in Chinese culture: recent media has included him in many iterations.

Gaming fans will recognise him from Black Myth: Wukong as the aura-farming red fire dude with sick eyeliner and space buns.

I am not gonna lie this is probably the coolest design of Ne Zha I've ever seen.

The most iconic version of him is probably the 1979 version, though the recent Ne Zha movies from 2019 and 2025 are arguably just as popular now.

There was a 2021 movie called New Gods: Nezha Reborn that is a separate adaptation from Ne Zha 2019 and Ne Zha 2 2025, which was kind of a mid movie but worth a watch. 

Several of the adaptations of Ne Zha that have become iconic:

Ne Zha 2019 ^ in his child form

Ne Zha from Fei Ren Zai (非人哉), a comedy series about mythological characters in modern China ^

The Legend of Ne Zha from 2003, a children's TV series ^

Child and Adult (reincarnated in modern world) versions of Ne Zha in 2021 New Gods Reborn: Ne Zha ^

Sometimes though he’s depicted as a teenager. All in all, since he died young, he’s generally never seen as an adult. Occasionally you’ll see him described as male body with a female face, basically meaning he’s super cute. Note that this doesn’t mean transgender or nonbinary as it’s often known in English, which was not a concept in ancient China. 

Oftentimes the media involving him will include jokes of him being mistaken for a girl because he’s a kid with a pretty face.

Eventually Ne Zha becomes an official of the Heavenly Court, a marshall in the army. As I mentioned, he fights for the eventual King Wu of Zhou who overthrows King Zhou of Shang and creates the Zhou dynasty, making him a good guy despite his… concerning childhood. 

Writing the entire myth out in English makes Ne Zha seem like a psychopath from birth, but his story is honestly more about a kid causing shenanigans and being forced to pay for it tragically. He’s really quite a victim, if you can believe it. Imagine a toddler born with Hulk-strength who accidentally smashes a few vases and is beaten for it.

Ne Zha 2019 was super popular, and without spoiling too much, Ao Bing became a super polite and likeable young master instead of the classic villain character he is, and aside from being HOT, he and Ne Zha became friends instead of plucking tendons. No tendon-plucking involved. They also change Ne Zha’s story quite a bit, but not enough that he becomes unrecognisable.

Ne Zha 2019 promotional poster ^

This is Ao Bing (the third dragon prince) in the 1979 movie as a villain.

In contrast, this is Ao Bing from Ne Zha 2019 and 2025. Quite the difference, right?

Adult Ne Zha from the Ne Zha 2019 movie

Ne Zha 2, released in 2025 and currently still airing, is now the eighth-highest grossing movie of all time and China’s biggest-ever film. It’s genuinely quite an incredible film, and is worthy of being the biggest animated movie of all time.

I recommend everyone go watch it even if you don’t know Chinese: it’s super funny and the visuals are astounding. Obviously it’s not perfect, and there are a lot of problems with it, but I don’t know, I’m still a big fan. For being made on such a small budget, it somehow manages to outdo Hollywood animation on sheer spectacle. If you can get IMAX tickets, get them!

If there is no other reason, watch the movie for Ao Guang, Ao Bing's dad. Remember the fugly old dragon from the 1979 version?

Well, this is him now. Talk about a glow-up. No joke, when he appeared on screen the entire movie theatre gasped out loud.

By the way, if you were wondering where Ne Zha falls on the timeline in relation to our friend Wukong, Ne Zha was born several thousand years before Wukong burst out of his rock. As such, when Wukong encounters him and *ahem* kicks his ass *ahem*, Ne Zha is already a deity working for the Heavenly Court. 

I hope after reading this incredibly-long post, you learned something new about Chinese culture and our favourite lotus root, Ne Zha!

[miyamiwu]

A Guide to Chinese Names & Nicknames for your Fandom Needs (Part 1)

I made this guide with my different CMedia fandoms in mind, but it should apply to any other Chinese media.

Something that has been irking me a lot since To Be Hero X penetrated the mainstream English fandom spaces is how many people keep referring to the characters by just their surnames 😭. It sounds weird and demonstrates a lack of knowledge on Chinese culture in general. I don’t blame these people, though. A lot of the TBHX fans are new to donghua, and we’re also past the era of fansubs with detailed translation notes.

However, it’s no excuse to stay ignorant. To help you avoid making the same mistake again, here’s a Chinese names guide for your fanfic and meta needs.

Disclaimer: I am not Chinese, but I have been studying the language for years and also engage in a lot of CMedia. So, I do know some stuff. Regardless, if you find any errors in this post, feel free to tell me so I can correct it.

Note: Fandom-specific examples are written in small text like this.

Post last updated: Apr. 24, 2026

Essentials

1. Chinese name order is Surname first, followed by Given Name.

Chinese surnames are usually only one syllable, making it easy to figure out which character in the full name is the surname. Just look at the first one.

However, there are a few two-syllable surnames, like Sima, Ouyang, Zhuge, etc. You may refer to this list for other two-syllable surnames.

2. Calling someone by both their surname and given name is the neutral, normal way to call anyone.

To those calling Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi as just Lu and Cheng, and Lin Ling and Yang Cheng as just Lin and Yang… Please don’t. Who tf are those 😭

2.2. But in some stories, characters may not have surnames.

In the danmei (Chinese BL) novel Bestial Blade, the setting is a prehistoric-ish tribal society where nobody has surnames. Although some characters may have two-character names, the first character is actually part of the given name and not a surname. In the case of characters with only one-chara given names, affixes/honorifics are added when addressing them. This will be explained later.

2.3. Nobody calls anyone by only one syllable, unless there’s a special reason behind it.

Example 1: In To Be Hero X episode 8, every child in the orphanage has no surname and go by only a one-character given name. But nobody really calls Qing/Cyan as just “Qing.” It’s not always in the English subtitles, but children and adults alike actually call Qing as Xiao Qing (Little Qing). The “xiao” is a term of endearment, and it’s explained later on in this post. At one point, the orphanage director also calls her by the nickname “Qing Qing.”

The one time Xiao Qing was called with only “Qing” in this episode was at the end, when the orphanage director got mad at her. Not using xiao or her nickname at that moment was really chilling.

Example 2: In the danmei novel Your Distance, there were instances where the male lead Bai Changyi addressed the protagonist Ting Shuang by just “Ting.” This sounds weird, but it’s fine ’cause it was on purpose. In the context of the story (two Chinese men living in Germany) and the relationship between the characters at that time (not that close), it sounded as if Bai Changyi was trying to keep his distance from Ting Shuang by refusing to associate with him like how one would with a fellow Chinese.

2.4 If the character’s surname has two syllables, calling them by only surname may be acceptable.

In Link Click, Liu Siwen’s partner is named Ouyang, and in some subs it’s written as Ou Yang. However, Ouyang is actually just her surname, since her father is named Ouyang Bubai. We don’t know daughter!Ouyang’s given name.

When I first posted this, I didn’t know why Siwen would call his partner by only her surname. Now, I do, so I’m updating this post.

From what I’ve observed in the recent cnovels I’ve read, calling someone by only their two-syllable surname is appropriate when...

The surname belongs to a rich, powerful family or a prominent, deeply-established clan. In this case, calling them by surname invokes a sense of reverence. The speaker here would be one of a lower status to that character (like, in Siwen’s case). Still, for extra respect, it’d be more appropriate to pair that with a honorific indicating the other person’s social status. Thus, Siwen not using honorifics for Ouyang is an indication of their closeness in spite of the difference of their statuses.

The given name is not that impressive compared to the surname, or it just has one syllable that can sound weird when uttered on its own. Here, the speaker would be older or of a higher status than the character.

The speaker is just very close friends with the character that such politeness can be ignored. (Like, bros bickering with each other)

In Forced to Share a System with Long Aotian, the male lead is named Sikong He (司空鹤). He’s a martial artist who started cultivating very late, so in a sense, he is everybody’s “junior” in the cultivation world. Those with a higher cultivation than him, like his senior brother, would just casually call him Sikong. His surname is unique enough in the setting, so there’s no worry about mixing him up with someone else. The main character, however, calls him by his full name, indicating a more equal relationship between them.

And honestly, I just think it’s awkward to call a martial artist by his given name Hè because it sounds a lot like that sound they exclaim while they’re training. (The e in Chinese is more of an uh sound than an eh one, unlike in English… I’m oversimplifying this, but you get it…)

3. A close family member calling you by full name and without any honorific can be odd.

Like, imagine your mom calling you by full name. Once or twice, it sounds like you’re in trouble (re: Lucky Cyan example in 2.3). But all the time? Your mom hates you.

Nicknames or given name+honorific is more normal.

This doesn’t apply to Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling from Link Click, even though they canonically consider each other as siblings. Idk, maybe because they have different surnames and aren’t really blood-related? Anyways, how they address each other is fine. And considering how they get along with each other, I also think they’d find those affectionate nicknames cringe 😂

4. If the given name is more than one syllable, then it’s fine to address that person by only given name and without any affixes and honorifics. This is an indication of closeness/familiarity.

e.g. In Link Click: Xia Fei calling Cheng Xiaoshi as only “Xiaoshi.”

However, there are instances where an older person may call a younger person by given name even if they aren’t that close. Like, a preschool teacher addressing their student by only given name is acceptable.

In family, an elder addressing someone from the younger generation with only given name is also normal, regardless of how close they are. But the opposite is not true. It is generally considered rude for someone younger to call an older relative by only given name.

Chinese Nicknames via Name Variation

5. It can be formed by repeating a syllable in the person’s given name.

Edit 1: Thank you @oceans-bluem for pointing out my mistake! Yes, reduplication of the name only happens with the given name. I could’ve sworn I’ve seen it happen with surnames in some novels, but after research, I have confirmed that I just remembered it wrong sgfjhgsjd

Edit 2: Just a few days after edit 1, I encountered an example of surname reduplication in a CNovel 🫠

In the apocalypse novel Guess I’ll Have to Run the Plot Myself! (只好自己走剧情了!), the protagonist Qi He once used his superpowers to move multiple cars forward. He nicknames this move as ‘QQ Flying Car,’ with QQ probably being a reference to the Chinese site/app QQ by Tencent and the initials of his surname doubled (Qi Qi). One of the side characters who didn’t know Qi He’s full name started calling him Qi Qi because of this. But even after he learned his name, he continued to call him Qi Qi as a form of affection. This kind of nickname is acknowledged as unnatural within the story, but considering the context, it wasn’t out of place.

So, tldr: You can’t reduplicate the surname in real life, but in fiction, whatever goes. Just be sure to justify it in your story.

ANYWAYS. Reduplication, for me, is the most affectionate way to address someone. It sounds very cute.

Lin Ling (林凌) from To Be Hero X can be called Ling Ling (凌凌), and that’s why the Chinese fandom abbreviates his name as 00. In Chinese, zero is 零, which is also pronounced as líng.

5.2. However, be careful in choosing which syllable to repeat because you might end up with a nickname that doesn’t sound nice.

In Link Click S1E1, Cheng Xiaoshi laughed when Qiao Ling called Lu Guang “Guang Guang.” This is because Guang Guang sounds a lot like wang wang, the Chinese onomatopoeia for a dog’s bark. (Some subs translated “Guang Guang” as “good boy” to get the joke across.)

5.3 Also consider how you’re portraying a character in your fic.

Would Vein from Link Click, whose Chinese name is Xiāo Wèiyǐng 萧未影, be comfortable being called Yǐng Yǐng 影影? The tones are different, but if you say it fast enough the sound isn’t that far from the yīngyīng 嘤嘤 which is a cutesy way of crying in text online (similar to “huhuhu” in English).

Xiāo Xiāo 萧萧 also sounds close to xiǎo xiǎo 小小, which means tiny.

Xiao Xiao and Ying Ying don’t really sound “manly,” but they’re not exactly bad nicknames either (I think). Just consider the context of your story before going with any of them. If unsure, consult a dictionary or a native Chinese speaker.

6. Adding the prefix ā 阿 for monosyllabic names.

This is more common in Southern China.

In To Be Hero X, Ahu’s name is actually the prefix ā 阿 + the character hǔ 虎, which means “tiger.”

In Mo Dao Zu Shi, Wei Ying is called A’Ying. In Bestial Blade, every female supporting character in the Black Eagle tribe is named with the prefix ā 阿 + a one-character given name.

You can only append ā 阿 to one character. So, no “A’Wei Ying.” Just A’Ying.

7. Adding the suffix 儿 (-r or -er).

This is more common in Northern China.

Like ā 阿, -er 儿 is only added to one syllable

It is often added to the last syllable of the given name

The subtitles don’t show it, but Nezha, from the Demon Child movie, is called Zha’er by his parents.

8. Adding the word 小 xiǎo (little) before the name.

You add this before the name of those younger than you or subordinate to you.

In Link Click S2, Liu Lan actually calls Li Tianxi “Xiao Xi.” But in some subtitles, they put in “Xixi,” probably for English localization.

When done among relatives and family friends, it is a neutral, informal way of calling someone. Cute, but also doesn’t express any special-ness since it’s no surprise for an aunt to call her niece as Xiao + Given Name. Still much more affectionate than just calling them by given name, though.

However, when done in a work setting…

a boss calling one employee with Xiao + Surname expresses some degree of favorability, especially if they still call the other employees by full name.

An older employee calling their younger boss with Xiao would sound like they’re not taking them seriously because of their age.

An old, mature boss calling their reckless new and young recruit with Xiao could indicate they think their employee is childish.

So yeah, it all depends on context as well as the speaker’s tone when they say it.

Xiao + Given Name is often used for children.

e.g. Empress Wu from White Cat Legend calls Li Bing “Xiao Bing-za.” Ignore the “za” for now, but the fact that an Empress is calling her subject with Xiao + Given Name is enough to show how much she favors Li Bing. Or maybe she just thinks he’s like a little kid, since she is waaay older than him. (Don’t be fooled by her young facade; she’s an old lady.) Regardless, “Xiao Bing-za” sounds very informal.

Xiao + Repeated Syllable (re: #5) sounds really cute. A bit childish, perhaps, but it really depends on context and tone.

Not a fandom example, but I used to call my cat Xiao Maomao (little cat cat)

9. Adding the word 老 lǎo (old) before the surname.

This is like the opposite of xiao, and it comes across as more rough/casual. Compared to xiao, it has more of a “bro” vibe.

Lao is often used for those older than you, while xiao for those younger.

But between those of the same age, you can use either depending on the kind of tone you want to achieve (re: #8 for notes on xiao)

If you use lao for someone younger, it could come off as ingratiating or extremely respectful.

Link Click: I can imagine Cheng Xiaoshi addressing Lu Guang as “Lao Lu” when begging him for a difficult favor 😂

That’s all for now! For a more comprehensive guide on Chinese nicknames, check out these resources:

How to Address Chinese People Correctly – Appellations in Chinese

30+ Chinese Nicknames: A Guide to Popular Choices and Cultural Significance

In part 2 of this post, I will talk about Chinese honorifics.

[chinoiseriene]

Carved green jade vase with coral flowers. China, 20th century.

Carved dark jade vase with coral branches. China, 19th century.

Carved prasiolite (green quartz) vase with coral branches. China, 20th century.

Gemstone carving is one of China's most ancient and important art forms. It is a craft steeped in history and tradition, continually reflecting the philosophy and culture of the Chinese people.

By traditional Chinese definition, hardstones are divided into two categories: jade, either jadeite or nephrite, and all other precious and semi-precious stones. Jade is considered the most esteemed gem of all and associated with many desirable qualities in humans.

[safije]

1920s Embroidered Chinese Shawl

This is something we need to bring back in style!

[grand-theft-carbohydrates]

another wonderful day at the box stacking factory

吴 口日白曰旦吕品田唱

it aint much but it’s honest work.