How do Chinese define what "New Year" looks like?
It can be the harmonious "rhythm turning to hongjun jiaqi tong, shoulder rubbing hub percussion music and harmony", or it can be the world's datong "harmony and harmony"; it can be "after dusk, the family group sits to live for the years." The children's feelings of wine syrup, brilliant lights, women and children, all throwing dice and fighting leaves for fun, can also be the vision of the homeland of "the people are clear, and the harmony is all nations".
For thousands of years, it is precisely this kind of cultural belief with the same root and the same lineage, like an invisible bond and force, that pushes the wheel of the times forward and attracts people to run thousands of miles to one place. Although with the baptism of time and the development of science and technology, many traditional folklore and life experiences that were once familiar have gradually changed. However, the core of value that continues to be written in the genes of generations of people has always been the same, and it is still the source of supporting the integration of upper and lower levels and cultural innovation. In every seemingly ordinary daily life, the beauty of the times is reconciled, so that life itself becomes the best cultural heritage.
1./ Barn Knows Etiquette /
The best entry point to learn about traditional Chinese culture is the Lunar New Year. On the solemnity of etiquette, there are few people who stand out from the right, just combing through its more than 4,000 years of historical evolution takes a lot of effort; on the charm of time and yin, it is even more intoxicating, full of the long tone of deep blessings, joy and harmony. As far back as the Book of Etiquette of the Later Han Dynasty, people have held a specific court ceremony at the end of the year: matching the twelve months, Fang Xiangshi led twelve beasts to expel the evil ghosts of the epidemic, so it is called "chasing the epidemic". As far as the Eastern Han Folk Literature "Customs and Customs and Rituals", the custom of "Chinese New Year's Eve" keeping the age and driving away evil spirits has been officially seen in the pen, and has been given the meaning of sending the old, prolonging the year, and avoiding murder: "Often decorating peach people with wax Chinese New Year's Eve, weeping reeds, and painting tigers at the door, all follow the example of the past, hoping to resist the evil." "Outside the hall, the folk observance of the New Year is also a festive atmosphere of illumination, wine and food. In the ancient southern dynasty book "The Chronicle of the Jingchu Years", it is described in detail, "At the end of the year, the furniture of the family is the position of the old age, in order to welcome the New Year, get together and drink." Between the words, the pious state of the people of the world to drive away evil spirits and seek blessings and wish for good fortune jumped on the paper. It can be seen that the ancient ancestors have long regarded the end of the year as an important node for removing the old and welcoming the new, and selected the appropriate time for them in the calendar. The modern Spring Festival also originated here: earlier, the summer calendar used spring and January as the first month. Although it has since undergone the change of the Shang calendar, the Zhou calendar, and the Qin calendar (颛顼 calendar), the winter December, the winter November and the winter October are the first months, respectively. However, after the promulgation and implementation of the Taichu Calendar, which was revised by Sima Qian and others during the Western Han Dynasty, it was revived with the first month of the Xia calendar as the first month. It has been gradually fixed over thousands of years, and the solemnity of the tradition is still retained.
Today, traditional customs such as sweeping the courtyard, posting couplets, decorating the door gods, and distributing pressing money to children Chinese New Year's Eve are still the "New Year's flavor" of China that people value. Among them, the pressure of old money is an indispensable cultural symbol, which has a long history and is timeless. As early as the spring of the Han Dynasty, children would wear a five-baht coin commonly known as "tired of winning money" or "pressing chongqian", and the front and back were cast with auspicious words such as "easy to get out, suitable for children and grandchildren" and "to destroy the evil", which are mostly regarded as the origin of today's old money. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, every Spring Festival, children will also "receive" copper coins tied up in red rope or wrapped in red paper by the elders, and take good color heads such as disaster avoidance and great luck. The so-called "Zhengzheng row of households throwing Qiongxiang, half throwing bedside to press the old money" is exactly the folk portrayal of the Ming and Qing dynasties that distribute silver coins, gold and silver coins, etc.: or string hundreds of copper coins, taking the meaning of "long life and 100 years old"; or stringing them into carp, Ruyi and other shapes, taking the auspicious harmonic sounds such as "Qianyu" and Ruyi.
Today, modern pressing money still retains the traditional "Chinese red" appearance, praying for the meaning of red and red. Every time it is opened, the cultural memory of perfect harmony, solidity and knowledge of etiquette fills the heart.
2./ Zodiac coordinates engraved in time /
In December 1975, winter will be strong. A large number of Jian Mu have been unearthed from the tomb of sleeping tiger Diqin in Yunmeng County, Hubei Province: about 2,200 years ago, a grass-roots official of the Qin Dynasty recorded the social legal system and administrative documents of that time in detail in these bamboo janes, including two kinds of "Book of the Day" similar to the yellow calendar. Surveying the section of "Japanese Book and Thieves", archaeologists accidentally found the earliest and more systematic records of the twelve zodiac signs in China so far: zi rat, ugly cow, Yin tiger, 卯 rabbit, Chenlong, 巳 worm, noon deer, Wei Ma, Shen Huan (Tong Ape), Youshui (Tong Pheasant), Shu Yang, Hai Feng. The recorder writes that during the Qin Dynasty, people used the twelve zodiac signs and the twelve land branches to divinate the physiognomy characteristics, hiding places, and appearance rules of the thieves, so it was called "divination and theft". It can be seen that in the long river of time, the zodiac has long been used by Chinese to chronicle. Although it was not yet fully finalized during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, it has begun to take shape. So, what exactly is the zodiac sign? Birth refers to the year of birth, and Shaw is similar. The meaning of the zodiac sign, from the very beginning, symbolizes that a person was born in a certain year, which will be similar to the animal genus of that year and closely related to people's lives.
In fact, traces of its birth can be traced back to the "Book of Poetry and Xiao Ya" in the pre-Qin era. The so-called "auspicious day Gengwu, both send me horses", which means that people think that on an auspicious day such as Gengwu, it is suitable to ride a horse to go out hunting. Then, between the "noon" and the "horse", a kind of connection was vaguely established. Later, in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the twelve zodiac sign combinations that are completely consistent with modern times have appeared in the "On Balance and Material Potential": "Yin, Muye, its birds, tigers; 戌, Jinye, its birds, dogs also; ..." It can be said that the ancients, in the cognition of looking up at astronomy and looking down at themselves, shifted the stars and changed the seasons, and each important time node was regarded as the basis for food, clothing, shelter and transportation.
Traditional festivals are born in such time series. The figurative zodiac sign carries abstract time, and the zodiac represents the twelve hours, and the cycle alternates and repeats. It is in line with the Confucian concept of endless life and unity. For example, in the evolution of intertwining and symbiosis with Chinese civilization, in the presentation and existence of various themes such as cities, architecture, art, folklore, and artifacts, the zodiac belief blooms with a long and wonderful light. Even though the picture of life around the New Year will continue to be updated with the development of the times, the cultural genes contained in it have never changed. Just as the humanistic bones with Wei Jin pen and ink and Tang and Song songs as the core will continue to write a new era of civilization, the traditional festival represented by the year is still the best opportunity to connect tradition and modernity. The zodiac "code" engraved in the bones of the Chinese has always been the coordinates of the time when people greet each other when they first met.
3./ The bravery and peace of the "King of the Hundred Beasts" /
Mr. Lu Xun, who is known for his sharp words, has been criticized for doting on children, for which he wrote a poem humorously responding: "Ruthlessness may not be really haojie, how can a pitiful son not be a husband?" Those who know whether the wind is roaring or not, when they look back, they look smaller than sustenance. After this stroke, the image of the tiger immediately adds a bit of warm tenderness to the majesty of the wind - even if it is a fierce tiger, it will also take care of the cubs behind it from time to time. If you think about it, the image of the tiger in the zodiac is not like this. There is not only the courage and domineering spirit of the tiger looking at the eagle, the mighty and majestic step of the dragon and the tiger, but also the loving and righteous deeds of protecting the calves. The Classic of Mountains and Seas describes the enlightened god who guards the ruins of Kunlun, that is, "a large tiger with nine heads, all of which are human faces, facing east to Kunlun." This is also why the word "寅" in the oracle bone looks more like a "ya", which is highly similar to an arrow with a letter. In the eyes of the ancient ancestors, the powerful tiger of the hole type was unstoppable, and undoubtedly had the momentum of suppressing evil spirits. In fact, as early as the Prehistoric Stone Age, more than 6,000 years ago, the tiger was worshipped and worshipped as a totem by primitive tribes as the "king of the hundred beasts". In May 1987, a pair of mussel sculptures of dragons and tigers were excavated from tomb No. 45 of Yangshao Culture in Puyang, Henan, that is, the tiger was on the left and the dragon was on the right, which showed that the status of the tiger was quite high at that time. Since then, from the Shang Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period, the image of the tiger has mostly been used by the royal family or the ruling class: from the tiger charm, the tiger head token, the tiger pattern crown ornament, etc., to the tiger general, the tiger soldier, and the tiger army, all of which symbolize the courage of the army and the fierceness of the soldiers. In modern times, there is still no shortage of elite combat pronouns such as tiger divisions, tiger regiments, and tiger battalions in the military.
However, the tiger was really active in the folk, incarnated as a mascot and a protective god, and assumed the heavy responsibility of seeking good fortune and avoiding evil, after the unification of the Qin and Han Dynasties. In the Han Dynasty's "Customs and Customs", it is recorded that after the ancient gate god Yu Lei Shendi caught the ghost, he would feed it to the tiger, and all of them were evil and scattered because the divine tiger appeared. As a result, the people also began to draw tigers in the hall, hoping to defend the murderer. From the Sui and Tang dynasties to the Ming and Qing dynasties, danqing paintings and note novels with tigers as the theme can be described as a steady stream.
In modern times, those who love tigers and draw tigers like gods should be Zhang Shanxiao, the brother of Zhang Daqian, a master of Chinese painting. He deliberately raises a tiger at home, observes the form every day, and learns the painting method. Therefore, the tiger in his pen, one muscle, one ridge, one shoulder, one claw, all of them are all shaped and solid, and they are three points into the wood. It is reported that in order to let his brother be unique in his beauty, Zhang Daqian rarely painted tigers. The elder brother deeply understands its meaning, and his painting is also doubly careful. In 1935, the tiger picture axis drawn by the duo was a masterpiece of brotherhood and brotherhood, harmony and unity: Zhang Shanxiao painted the eye highlights with white paint, which made the tiger's eyes glow, and Zhang Daqian set colors with flowers and blues, and the branches and leaves of pine trees highlighted the strength of the brush.
The so-called art conveys the voice of the heart. In the cultural memory of the Chinese people, the famous tiger can not only distinguish between loyalty and adultery, but also has the merit of eliminating violence and peace, and can ensure peace on one side. To this end, from the tiger's head nailed to the courtyard door, the "Town House God Tiger Map" hanging in the hall and the door of the house, to the craft paper cuts pasted on the window ledge and the cabinet, all of them pinned on people's desire to drive away evil spirits and seek blessings and protect the tranquility of the family home. The cloth tiger, tiger hat, tiger head shoes, etc., which inherit the essence of folk art, are condensed between the needles and threads, and the blessings and care of the older generation for the new generation are condensed, and it is hoped that the children will be alive and well in the coming year.
4./ See "Harmony" in "Home" /
Tiger leaps and bulls return, vientiane is renewed. From the 23rd day of the lunar month to the Chinese New Year's Eve and even the 15th day of the first month, Chinese people around the world will spend the seventh Year of the Tiger since New China - the Year of the Lunar Calendar. The most important festival of the year has finally arrived! No matter how the ritual of worshiping the New Year changes, as long as you write "one yuan square sign, vientiane rejuvenation", "the heavens increase the years, the blessings are full of qiankun"... Those reunion tastes that are precipitated in the depths of people's memories, or the happy memories of sitting around the TV with their families and enjoying the Spring Festival Gala of the Central Radio and Television Station will not fade. Since its official debut in 1983, the Spring Festival Gala has become an indispensable "Chinese New Year's Eve meal" for Chinese people around the world to Chinese New Year's Eve nights. Family gathering together to watch the Spring Festival Gala is the main way for people to enjoy this cultural feast. In the past nearly 40 years, the Spring Festival Gala has always been the homeland in the hearts of countless wanderers, echoing the emotions and resonance of an era, and also condensing the collective memories of a generation of people about the Spring Festival. Also recording the children's vigorous growth process and cherishing the childhood time of a generation, there is also the New Year's gift presented by China Construction Bank to Chinese children around the world with the theme of the zodiac for eight consecutive years since 2015 - the golden year-stamped money series exclusively created for the Chinese New Year:
Whether it is the wise and righteous Happy Goat, the childhood idol Sun Wukong, the "Chicken Boy General Mobilization" that highlights the feelings of father and son, the pet dog that expresses love and companionship, the kind, optimistic, dreamy and pursuing Mai Du, the Shuk and Beta that symbolize justice and friendship, the simple and generous "Cow Beryn" and the "Bull Strong" who bravely moves forward, or the "General Taiwan Zodiac Tiger" who is full of blessings and ascends to the Year of the Tiger with full blessings. Each zodiac image condenses positive and positive energy, guiding growing children to pay attention to mainstream values.
Especially since last year, CCB and CCTV Spring Festival Gala have opened cooperation to jointly launch the Spring Festival Gala Golden Pressed Year Money Series to upgrade the blessings again: while committed to inheriting the cultural belief of "auspicious protection and harmony and consummation", through the spring festival gala, the spiritual home, the voice and picture of the times are preserved for Chinese people around the world, and the Golden Year Pressure Money series is used to create a more Chinese New Year's eve gift, which will contain Chinese blessing culture and zodiac culture. Just like the New Year of 2022, the "Good Construction and Longevity CCTV Spring Festival Gala Tiger Year Pressure Gold" jointly developed by CCB and Taiwan Cultural and Creative Is also around the theme of growth, containing the cultural influence and spiritual driving force that has flown for thousands of years.
This set of pressed gold is cast from Au999 gold and refined with an advanced ultra-thin double-sided die casting process. What is particularly commendable is its Chinese-style packaging design: fluorescent ink craftsmanship, stylish translucent effect insert sleeves and metallic box surfaces, which not only light up childhood, but also warm the homes of new Chinese New Year's Eve. At the same time, WeChat scans the small program code at the bottom of the box, the AR function scans the box surface, clicks on the Kong Ming lantern and the "General Taiwan Zodiac Tiger", you can release your wish into the sky and harvest exclusive New Year blessings; put a family portrait photo, you can treasure the happy moments of the year; you can also handwrite a growth message, word by word is a sincere blessing to the child, with a full sense of ceremony to accompany the child to thrive in the future.
Opening the package, the "protagonist" who appears on the front of the pressed gold is a pair of cute "General Taiwan Zodiac Tigers". In the background picture of the Yuyue Dragon Gate, the pair of "General Taiwan Zodiac Tigers" have a bright eye and a tiger tiger; at the same time, the smiling, thick and funny look is doubly lively and cute. In the main picture, the use of laser craftsmanship, gold diamond relief and other techniques skillfully integrates traditional age pressing culture and modern craftsmanship: the 3D effect, three-dimensional and vivid "General Taiwan Zodiac Tiger", as if about to step out of the picture, will be blessed and peaceful to the children personally; one forehead is written with the word "He", stepping on the colorful auspicious cloud of the magic laser craft, implying blessing and peace; the other forehead is written with the word "He", and a string of red lanterns hanging high next to it reflects the new year of every household and witnesses people's life Xiangyun, prayer lamp, fuzi spring strip, zodiac tiger pattern, fish leaping dragon gate and other shaded designs, each place is full of greetings from the old and welcoming the new, running to a beautiful New Year's wishes.
Since it is based on the traditional Chinese handmade art "Cloth Tiger", the "General Taiwan Zodiac Tiger" is also placed on the auspicious protection and the beautiful expectation of kaizhi Nafu. Combined with the plum blossoms blooming behind him and the "mighty wind and blessing drum", it cleverly fits the good wishes of the auspicious New Year and the well-being of Futai. What is particularly precious is that the character "Fu" on the front of the CCB Tiger Year Pressed Gold was personally inscribed by Mr. Zhou Lingzhao, the designer of the national emblem of the new China, the overall art design of the second three or four sets of RMB bills, and the 103-year-old Fushou old man Known as the "New China Image Designer", to send New Year blessings to the new generation of children. The back design of the pressed age gold is also full of heart: the painting "Tiger Baby Sending Blessings" was created by Mr. Wu Guanying, one of the designers of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games mascot "Fuwa"; the famous carver Mr. Gu Kesha processed it into a carved version effect, between a stroke and a dot line, carrying the wishes for the children's good luck and well-being.
The law gradually springs back, and the four orders extend each other. The enduring charm of Chinese culture lies precisely in maintaining respect and yearning for the vast light of civilization and communicating with the world with the national spirit of "world unity and symbiosis". Constantly following the magnificent river of history, it traces the beauty of tradition and draws immortal power from the 5,000-year-old mountains, lakes, rivers and seas.
Adhering to such cultural beliefs and responsibilities, the great people of the country represented by the CCB have always focused on injecting the idea of harmony, harmony and peace into cultural creation and dissemination, and are committed to practicing the value concept of "for the benefit of the public and good for the builder". Thus, the thickness of history is interpreted on the scale of time, and the beautiful vision of "peace between the home and the country, and universal republican harmony" is composed. If it is the heart, it will not be forgotten, and there will be an echo; it will not stop, and it will be imprinted on the heart. As Mencius said: The foundation of the world is in the country, the foundation of the country is at home, and the foundation of the family is in the body. Seeing "harmony" with "home" and building dreams with "harmony" is the answer that life itself gives us.