The Unknown Dynasty of China

Welcome to my palace. You may stay if you like Chinese history/art/culture/traditions.

[hanfugallery]

Hairpieces of Chinese hanfu by 锦鲤古典首饰

[remo-ny]

[remo-ny]

[crossconnectmag]

Paintings by Pang Jun  龎均

Pang Jiun born in Shanghai in 1936 to an artistic family and grew up under the influence of both European and Eastern cultural experience, from which he developed an interest in painting and received formal training. In 1987 Pang settled in Taiwan where he began teaching at the National Taiwan University of Arts and held over 30 exhibitions internationally. Oil painting is the media of Pang’s art, of which he has a distinctive understanding of colors. With the artistic foundation and spirit inherited from his family, he further cultivates the possibility of oil painting to seek the equilibrium between Classicism and Modernism. via   

Keep up with all your favorite artists on our Facebook page.

posted by Margaret from tu recepcja

[niniaday]

Play One One Eight Nine

[remo-ny]

[picturesofchina]

Propaganda on a wall in Shenyang, Liaoning

[hanfugallery]

Chinese hanfu by 十三余·小豆蔻国风

[hanfugallery]

Chinese hanfu by 临溪摄影

[ziseviolet]

Hi! I enjoy your blog because it offers much information and is aesthetically pleasing! I was wondering if you could talk about the shoes? What did people wear back in the days? And what are proper and fitting to wear today if you are wearing hanfu? Thank you.

Hi, I’m glad you enjoy my blog! ^^

There are several posts about historical Chinese shoes on my blog - please check them out!:  

- Traditional Chinese Upturned-Toe Shoes

- Ancient Chinese Shoe Tip Styles

- Han Dynasty Shoes

Today, when wearing Hanfu, most people wear traditional Chinese cloth shoes that are decorated with embroidered designs. The most formal type of shoe is the 翘头履/Qiao Tou Lǚ, which is a type of shoe with an upturned toe. The upturned toe was historically used to hold the hem of the Hanfu up, so it wouldn’t drag on the ground. Below - examples of modern Qiao Tou Lǚ with different styles of upturned-toe shoe tips:

More casual and commonly worn is the 弓鞋/Gong Xie, which has a less exaggerated upturned toe:

As you can see, nowadays it’s quite trendy for such shoes to have lace-up ribbons and embellishments such as pearls.

Another type of shoe that’s commonly worn with modern Hanfu is the traditional Chinese boot called 靴/Xue. This type of shoe is often worn by men:    

Bonus - you can wear the shoes with traditional Chinese socks called 袜/Wa:

For more references, please see my Shoes tag. Hope this helps!

Sources/images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

[changan-moon]

Traditional Chinese 团扇Tuanshan( round fan) by 春晼晚.

[tuán shàn gē] 团扇歌( song of tuanshan)

——班婕妤Ban Jieyu(b.c.48-2)

新裂齐纨素，鲜洁如霜雪。裁为合欢扇，团圆似明月。出入君怀袖，动摇微风发。常恐秋节至，凉飚夺炎热。弃捐箧笥中，恩情中道绝。

[waking-sea]

Look how fine that fabric is! I love the deer with the flowering antlers. <3

[mingsonjia-deactivated20170120]

I love that one as well:) I think it’s my favorite. Take a look at the deer after flowering

[fuckyeahchinesefashion]

Chinese fashion by 密扇Mukzin.

[liuyifeiforever]

[indeliblemidnight]

Ancient Cnovel Appreciation

↳ Aren’t these illustrations gorgeous? Over the last two years the cnovel translation community has really grown in scope and vibrancy. Many thanks to 书声Bar and our dedicated group of translator for this.

If you’re considering taking a plunge (dip is okay too =p) here are some recs:

Sansheng, Death Exists Not at the River of Oblivion by Jiu Lu Fei Xiang

Good for those who enjoy lighthearted and sweet fare. The writing is so simple, there’s this sudden jolt as you come to the realization the author has been deftly tugging at your heartstrings. Also a great intro to the concept of reincarnation and Chinese mythology.

Heavy Sweetness, Ash-like Frost by Dian Xian

The love story between a grape & a phoenix. The emotional maturity fits right in with those angsty high school years, but there’s an irresistible charm about this world of gods, fairies and their creatures.

To Be A Virtuous Wife by Yue Xia Die Ying

A personal fave, mostly because I dig stories set in the Imperial Harem. There are similarities to Zhen Huan, however the ladies are fighting over His Yummy Devoted Hotness instead of His Philandering Majesty.

Ballad of the Desert by Tong Hua

Come for the desert adventure, stay for the passionate romance and weep as you find yourself as torn between the two outstanding men as our heroine. [There’s a drama version starring Liu Shi Shi & Eddie Peng HERE]

A Lonesome Fragrance Waiting to be Appreciated  by Feng Nong

This is a favorite of many, however, I have mixed feelings about it. An advisor loses her heart to a royal general of the enemy state. Sounds yummy right? If only there wasn’t stretches of pure stupid pride. [The drama version will be filming soon starring Wallace Chung (yes!) & Angelababy (eh)]

Meow Meow Meow by Ju Hua San Li

AHHHH! This one is still being translated, Vol. 1 is complete, Vol. 2 is pending. However, the zany cuteness when a pampered house cat finds herself traveling back in time, advanced to a demon cat (cultivated enough to be able to take human form / can shift between the two) and is slowly humanized is to die for. If the cheeky humor doesn’t hook you, something wrong with those funny bones.

For the full list of completed and new translations for both ancient and modern Chinese novels, click HERE.

[maakomori]

[dwagunlily]

My whole family owns/operates/works in Chinese restaurants so lemme tell you: -We chop all our vegetables FRESH -We butcher our own chicken from whole chickens (we strip the breasts/tenders from the torso; we debone the thigh meat) -We use the bones to make chicken stock for our soups -We roast our own pork/ribs in an in-house smoker -We peel and devein all of our shrimp BY HAND (this is what i did as a kid) -We make our own dumplings/wontons/egg roll/spring rolls/breaded shrimp BY HAND (none of these are frozen) -We used to make our own dumpling dough from scratch, but it was a lot of work and we switched to premade but many other places still do this -All sauces and marinates are made by hand (no premade/store bought) -All gravy is made by hand from scratch -All soups are made from scratch -Egg Foo Young takes FOREVER TO MAKE (there are like 7 different steps and you can only make one order at a time) -An average take out restaurant has 3-6 employees (oftentimes family) -Most employees work 6 days a week/60-70 hours a week -Many employees live with their employers, sometimes very far away from their families (ie a father sending money back to his wife and kids in China) -Owners (such as my parents) usually work 7 days a week, 364 days a year (we close on thanksgiving) -Oftentimes kids will be helping out/hanging around bc they can’t afford childcare (I’ve been cashiering since i was 10) SO WITH ALL THIS IN MIND, it’s really hurtful when someone complains about our prices. Averaging $5-$10/person (which is FAST FOOD LEVEL PRICES), the food you get has fresh vegetables, fresh meat, no weird preservatives—all cooked to order. “HOW MUCH did you say this cost??? WHEEEEW!” “You’re taking all my money!” “(Asks for extra thing) Why does that cost extra?” “So what do i get for free for spending $20?” “How’s your pork made? It ain’t dog meat, is it?” —all hurtful things I’ve personally heard and had to grin and bear For some reason, it seems people don’t respect Chinese restaurants. You would never treat a Western-owned restaurant like this. Even places like PF Chang and Panda Express (who DO NOT use fresh ingredients) can overcharge out the wazoo but no one complains because they’re oftentimes being served by Western faces. It really hurts for people to act like my family’s hard work isn’t worth anything to them. Treat your locally owned business with respect. Treat your Chinese restaurants with respect. Really think about the food you’re getting and all the work that goes into it. Think of all the hard working people behind bringing you this meal you’re about to enjoy, a meal you didn’t have to prepare (this goes for fast food too). Above all else, TREAT OTHER HUMAN BEINGS WITH BASIC DIGNITY.

[imperialasia]

One of the largest ethnic minorities in China and one that once ruled half of the world-the Mongols (蒙古族). This oblong headdress, called Gugu Guan (罟罟冠) was popular to the noblewomen of the Mongol court. Just like the Liang batou (兩把頭) and Qitou (旗頭) of the Manchurian, only noble Mongol women wear these one reason is because the shape of this headdress limited the women from moving a lot and whenever they move they will be slow and elegant. Another reason is that this headdress is a symbol of Mongolian power, so Han women don’t usually wear them.

This photoset shows three ancient portraits of Empress of the Yuan dynasty (元朝) and also a Gugu Guan unearthed as well as modern women wearing the headdress.

Like what you saw? See more at imperialasia

[imperialasia]

Some more shots of Empress Wanrong (婉容) who lived a tragic and unhealthy life as the last Empress of the Qing dynasty and as the wife of Puyi (溥儀) who was allegedly homosexual or impotent or both.

Like what you saw? Follow @imperialasia for more!