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Where did the title "China" come from? Why is our country called "China"?
On February 14, the Press Center of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics organized more than 100 Chinese and foreign journalists to visit the Palace Museum and read about China among more than 130 cultural relics selected from 30 museums across the country.
These more than 130 precious cultural relics, from the Stone Age to the Qing Dynasty, include stone tools, ceramics, jade, bronzes, gold and silverware, calligraphy and painting, ancient books, seals and other categories, including He Zun, Changxin Palace lamp, Tibetan "Four Medical Classics" and other well-known national treasures. The exhibition regards the long-standing and profound Chinese civilization as a big river, and shows the charm of Chinese civilization with three units: "source", "flow" and "convergence".
The "Why China" exhibition will be on display until May 4th, and interested readers can visit the Wenhua Hall of the Forbidden City!
Force dagger
"Source" water ben also
ZHONG GUO
阝勹
廴匚
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In the land of Shenzhou, which has evolved over hundreds of millions of years, in the frequent interaction with natural things, the ancestors will observe the world and recognize the ethnic groups, turn gold, wood, water and soil into various beautiful tools, flourish in all industries, and start from birth, and the soul of China will be born from the beginning.
By the time of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the productive forces had undergone tremendous changes, the relations of production had been revolutionized, the historical storms and storms had met, and a hundred schools of doctrine had flourished, and unprecedented ideological agitation and institutional exploration had begun. People-oriented, the unity of nature and man, the taoist law, self-improvement, harmony and difference, the national character of the world as the public and the institutional construction of a unified multi-ethnic country are laid by the foundation!
1. He Zun (Collection of Baoji Bronze Museum)
▼ Dimensions: Height 38.8 cm, caliber 28.8 cm, weight 14.6 kg
He Zun is a bronze ceremonial vessel for ancestors cast by the early Western Zhou nobleman "He", and the 12-line and 122-character inscription on the bottom of the abdomen contains extremely important historical information. He Zun is the first bronze vessel known to have a chronological inscription in the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty, and its inscription records the historical facts of king Chengwang's construction of the eastern capital Luoyi in the fifth year, which is completely consistent with the historical documents such as "Luohuan" and "Zhaoyi" in the "Book of Shang", which plays a role in confirming and supplementing history, and provides important physical materials for the study of Western Zhou history and the dating of bronzes. The known words "Zhong" and "Guo" as a phrase are also first seen in this inscription as "Zhaozi China".
2. Hongshan Cultural Jade Dragon (Collection of the Palace Museum)
▼Dimensions: Height 25.5cm, width 21.8cm, curved length 60cm
The image of the "dragon" in the Hongshan culture is a deification of a variety of animal images, reflecting the change of the ideology and concept of the ancestors, and is the product of the development of prehistoric religious sacrifices to a certain height. In the Hongshan culture, the number of jade carved dragons excavated in and around the Niuheliang site is relatively large, which is not unrelated to the large-scale sacrificial sites of Niuheliang, and the jade dragon should be an important tool for prehistoric shamans to communicate with the gods. Since then, the image of the dragon has gradually become a symbol of power status.
This jade dragon is simple and mysterious, and it is the largest piece of its kind seen so far. It is a god worship object of the prehistoric Hongshan people and one of the sources of Chinese dragon culture and civilization.
3. Yu Chun (Zhejiang Provincial Museum Collection)
▼Size: Pass height 9.9 cm, perforated diameter 8.4 cm
It is an important ritual vessel of the Neolithic age. This piece of jade is qin, showing chicken bone white; the cross-section is slightly rounded and square, the middle is drilled, the hole wall is polished smoothly, and the vessel wall is thinner; the four corners are carved with the face of the god and the beast, the ornament is combined into the god-beast-face-god- god- and the god-man is decorated with two sets of parallel string patterns on the forehead, the face is carved with heavy circle eyes, and the nose is wide and flat. This relatively abstract combination of human and animal images is the basic feature of Liangzhu culture's jade ornamentation.
Regarding the use and shape of the body, it may initially be worn as a bracelet, so the overall cylindrical shape; and then the outer ring is gradually no longer processed into a circle, and the inner circle of the body is presented; after the height of the body continues to increase, and gradually develops into a slender multi-section shape, its wearing function is also weakened, and eventually evolved into a ceremonial instrument.
4. Liangzhu Culture Yubi (Collection of the Palace Museum)
▼Size: Outer diameter 22.1 cm, inner diameter 4.2 cm
Jade bi has always occupied a very important position in ancient Chinese jade culture. The ancients believed that its symbol of heaven was the key instrument of ritual sacrifice, the so-called "Cangbi Ritual Heaven". Yubi is also regarded as an important vessel, that is, the instrument of auspicious rui.
5. Bone raft with rattan (Zhejiang Provincial Museum Collection)
▼ Dimensions: Length 18.4 cm, blade width 9.8 cm
The Hemudu culture is distributed in the Ningshao Plain and Zhoushan Islands on the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay, and its discovery is considered to be one of the most important archaeological discoveries on the mainland in the twentieth century.
Bone rivets are the most important agricultural tools of the Hemudu people, and are chiseled from the shoulder blades of even-ungulate mammals such as deer and buffalo. The upper end of the skeleton is thick and narrow, with a slightly square section, a transverse square mow at the shoulder mortar, 16 circles of rattan and the end of the wooden handle bound by the rattan remain on the outside of the horizontal brass, and the lower end of the blade is thin and wide, and friction marks in different directions are visible. This bone is the only well-preserved prehistoric bone with a rattan-bound wooden handle found in China so far, which is a microcosm of the level of agricultural development of the Hemudu culture.
6. Changxin Palace Lamp (Hebei Museum Collection)
▼Size: Height 48 cm
The Changxin Palace lamp was excavated from Dou Qi's tomb, and got its name because the lamp had the inscription "Changxin" on it. The material of the lamp is copper gilded, and the shape is a young palace girl sitting on her knees to hold the lamp, which is composed of six parts: head, body, right arm, lamp holder, lamp plate, and lampshade. The lady who holds the lamp is safe, holding the lamp in her left hand, her right arm is raised, and the cuffs are naturally drooping. The lamp plate and lampshade can be turned at will to adjust the direction of illumination. The brass brass of the lamp plate can be used to insert the lamp candle, and after the lamp candle is lit, the green smoke enters the body along the cuff of the palace maid, thus playing a role in keeping the room clean. In addition, the head, cuffs, lamp trays and other parts of the palace are removable for easy cleaning.
"Flow" sets water from multiple sources
In the long years, in the intermingling of various ethnic groups in the region, the scope of the Chinese nation has continued to develop and enrich. Under the mutual learning with foreign civilizations, the world has learned about China, and China has also listened to the world. In the dialogue and interaction with natural things, the Chinese nation constantly updates its understanding of the universe, adjusts its relationship with the environment, and condenses the oriental wisdom of the unity of heaven, earth and man.
1. NiuHu Copper Case (Collection of Yunnan Provincial Museum)
▼Dimensions: Height 43.0cm, length 76.0cm, width 36.0cm
"Tiger eating cattle" is a common theme in Dian culture, the tiger symbolizes authority and power, and the cow symbolizes wealth and life. This "Niuhu Copper Case" is one of the bronzes excavated from the Lijiashan site in Yunnan, which was used to sacrifice livestock during the sacrifice activities, and the shape and function are similar to the four-legged case trick in the Central Plains. The copper case takes the back of the large tumor cow as the case, and then there are tigers climbing and eating, and there are calves under the newborn, and the weak flesh and the strong food in nature can be instantly reflected. The naturalistic decoration of ancient Dian artifacts contrasts sharply with the more stylized animal motifs on the artifacts of the nomadic peoples of the northern steppe.
The ancient Dian people had no writing, and the bronze artifacts unearthed by Lijiashan showed us the social life of the Dian people at that time in an unprecedented way.
2. "Marquis of Jingui Yiqiang" Golden Seal (Gansu Provincial Museum Collection)
▼Dimensions: Height 3.0 cm, side length 2.3 cm
Printed in gold, camel button. The five characters of the Yin script small seal "Jin Gui Yi Qiang Hou" have a square font, a rigorous layout, and a straight stroke, showing a typical Jin Dynasty official seal text style.
The Qiang and Qiang are ancient peoples living in present-day Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan and other regions, and the tribes are ruled by kings, princes, and xiang. From emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to Hexi and Wudu, to the Wei and Jin dynasties, the leaders of the Qi and Qiang tribes were mostly worshipped by the Central Dynasty. At present, there are a certain number of seals of lower-level officials of the Wei and Jin dynasties in the Wei and Jin dynasties, while there are fewer seals of princes and the golden seals are extremely rare.
3. Basi Ba Wen Tiger Rune Round Plate (Gansu Provincial Museum Collection)
▼Size: Height 18.0 cm, diameter 11.7 cm
The round plate is iron, inlaid on both sides with a raised Basi Ba wen orthographic character five lines, the word is silver, one is one back, the front is read from left to right, the Chinese translation is: "Immortal weather force, the emperor's holy will, do not follow the punishment", the font is dignified and beautiful. Both sides of the fu are decorated with bas-relief tiger stripes, the tiger face is facing forward, the hair is soaring, there seems to be one or two small three jewels on the forehead, the front paws are held on the chest, and the tiger's body is hidden. The back text is the opposite of the front text. The plaque has a ring of tether. The Basi Ba Wen Tiger Rune Round Plate reflects the historical facts of the establishment of a unified multi-ethnic state in the Yuan Dynasty, and also provides physical materials for future generations to study the political, military and social culture of the Yuan Dynasty.
Such round plates, also known as "circle symbols", existing physical objects are iron, inlaid text has gold and silver differences, according to the embedded text gold, silver material to distinguish the grade. The "Yuan Shi Bing Zhi" records: "In the face of military emergencies, the gold character circle symbol is used as a letter, followed by the silver word." ”
4. Hu people eat cake and ride camel figurines (Shanxi Museum collection)
▼Size: Height 37.0cm, length 30.0cm
On the camel's back was a heavy leather bag filled with rolls of silk and cloth. A short-haired "Hu'er" sat on a high hunchback, holding a cake and nibbling on it, as if enjoying a rare break during a long journey. This vivid clay figurine is from the tomb of The Sui Dynasty Hu (Yin Hu) Luche. Huo Lubu was one of the six major tribes of Gaoche in northern Mobei, with the name of the tribe, which was annexed during the Northern Wei Dynasty and moved to northern Shanxi. The well-known Northern Dynasty folk song "Song of Shule" was first sung by Huo Luche's great-grandfather Huo Lujin and recorded in the history books. The Huo Lu family has been a military general for generations, with a prominent position, through the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty, and has been fully integrated into the melting pot of the Chinese nation. From this figurine, we see the social side of the trade exchanges and harmonious coexistence of various ethnic groups on the Silk Road.
5. Five Yue pattern square mirror (collection of the Palace Museum)
▼Size: Side length 12.3 cm
square. The button and the button seat are mountain-shaped, and the peak is a mirror button, just like Zhongyue. With the button as the center, a mountain-shaped pattern appears on the top, bottom, left and right, which is distributed radially outwards, like the four mountains, and the mountains are decorated with pine trees, birds or animals. The four mountains are connected by the patterns of distant mountains and near water, water birds and vegetation, forming a scene surrounded by mountains and full of vitality, and also reflecting the deep feelings of the Tang people for the mountains and rivers and plants when they enjoyed the Taiping Dynasty.
"Convergence" of thousands of streams in one place Hundreds of rivers of the abyss
From Confucius Ziwen from Zhou Li to the Qianlong Emperor's Ten Offerings, two thousand years of Confucian style. From Yan Zhenqing's sharp and strong pen, carving the wind and bones of the family door; to the return of Turbat to thousands of miles, he remembers the hometown feelings deeply. The concept of respecting benevolence and respecting courtesy, respecting morality and righteousness, and integrating home and country is deeply rooted in the blood of the Chinese nation.
The four major inventions, farming silkworm weaving, porcelain casting iron, architectural gardens, tea medicine, astronomical geography... All scientific and technological achievements embody the spirit of exploration of the Chinese nation to seek new knowledge and benefit the vast number of people.
Five thousand years of Chinese wisdom, the context is long, and the poetry is fragrant. Silver hooks interact and engrave thousands of autumn scriptures. The stone wall is dusty, and the master of all generations. The order of ceremonies, the music and heaven and earth, and the full collection of culture and flowers are the "Four Libraries".
These spirits, skills and classics, created by the people, enjoyed by the people and inherited by the people, are not only the splendid treasures of Chinese civilization, but also make indelible contributions to the progress of human civilization.
1. Three Icons (Confucius Museum)
▼Dimensions: Length 142 cm, width 76 cm
Three Holy Icons, Ming Dynasty Silk Ink, Kongfu Old Collection. The picture depicts the three sages of the "Most Holy" Confucius, the "Fusheng" Yanzi, and the "Zongsheng" Zengzi. In the middle of the picture, the elder is Confucius, wearing a ceremonial crown and wearing a Xuan robe, the disciple Yan Hui stands on the left side, and the disciple Zeng zhan stands on the right side. Both of them wore their heads in scarves and long sleeves with crossed collars. Backing the pine cypress, combined with the "Analects": "Years are cold, and then after knowing the pine cypress, it withers", alluding to the virtue of a gentleman.
The three people's clothes are filled with fly-headed small letters on the book "Analects", because the handwriting is so small that it can only be found if you look closely and carefully, which is amazing. The whole painting has a unique intention, cleverly combining calligraphy, painting art and Confucian classics, which is unique in style.
2. Yan's Family Temple Stele (Rubbing, Xi'an Forest of Steles Museum)
▼Dimensions: Length 338 cm, width 156 cm
This monument was erected by Yan Zhenqing for the Yan family to establish a family temple. According to the Tang Dynasty system, Yan Zhenqing, as a prince and young master, could set up a family temple to worship the four generations of Gaozu Yan Silu, great-grandfather Yan Qinli, grandfather Yan Zhaofu, and father Yan Weizhen. The source of the Yan clan is engraved on the stele, and the names and official positions of celebrities and Yan Zhenqing's fathers, ancestors, brothers and other people in the past. The stele records the transformation of the ancestral house of the Yan clan into a temple kitchen. The inscription was written and written by Yan Zhenqing himself, which is one of his later calligraphy masterpieces, which is of great significance to the study of the Yan Zhenqing family and the Tang Dynasty family temple system.
Yan Zhenqing was upright in nature and was known as a righteous martyr. This inscription describes the "virtues, books, articles, and knowledge" of the ancestors of the Yan clan, "all of which give play to the ancestral virtues and perform the family's voice", which is the embodiment of the traditional Chinese nation's ritual intention of posthumously raising filial piety, respecting the deceased, and receiving the family newspaper, and also has the meaning of an annunciation and a country.
3. Jin Ou Yonggu Cup (Collection of the Palace Museum)
▼Size: Height 12.5 cm, caliber 8 cm
The Golden Ou Yonggu Cup is made of gold, dragon ears, elephant feet, the cup body is engraved with tangled floral patterns and inlaid with red, sapphire and pearls. The four characters of the seal book "Jin Ou Yonggu" and the "Qianlong Year System" are cast on opposite sides of the cup. This cup is regular in shape and richly decorated, combining a variety of precious materials.
Since the Yongzheng period, the Jin Ou Yonggu Cup, as a special wine cup for the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty when he held the "opening ceremony" on New Year's Day every year, has the meaning of "wishing the government to communicate with people, praying for the eternal solidity of the country and mountains". This small wine glass is like a new year's prayer for the Forbidden City, carrying the wishes of the times and the years, and is also the emperor's responsibility to the home country and the world.
4. The Shu Remnant Stone Classics after the Five Dynasties (Sichuan Museum)
▼Dimensions: Residual length 40 cm, residual width 21.5 cm, height 7 cm
The official Confucian scriptures officially inscribed on the stele in ancient China, known as the Confucian "Stone Classics", are the standard scripts on which scholars study and write scriptures, and play an important role in standardizing the writing and promoting education. The Later Shu Stone Classics are the longest and largest of the stone classics in Chinese dynasties, and a total of thirteen Confucian classics, including Mencius, have been engraved, which are both engraved scriptures and annotated texts, and the annotations are parallel, and the proofreading is precise, the body is strict and neat, and it has long been treasured by the study forest, which has a very important influence on the formal stereotyping of the "Thirteen Classics" of Confucianism and the formation of the Confucian classic "Literature Model".
5. Ji Yun Kai Shu Jing Ding SiKu Quan Shu Concise Catalog Volume
(Jingbu Volume) (Collection of the Palace Museum)
▼Size: Length 28 cm Width 398 cm
The "Complete Book of the Four Libraries of The King's Ding" is a large-scale official revision series of the Qianlong Dynasty of the Qing Dynasty, compiled by Ji Yun and others according to the edict. The content of the whole book is vast, divided into four parts: the classic, the history, the sub-book, and the collection, and there are subordinates within the department, which include almost all the important classics of the past. The Jingbu collects Confucian classics, the History Department gathers the history books of the dynasties, the Sub-Department collects the learning of the Hundred Schools of the Sons, and the Collection Department gathers poetry, song, and song. The "four parts are decorated according to the four colors of spring, summer, autumn and winter" for review, and then a total of seven parts are copied, which are divided into seven pavilions in the south and north. "King Ding Siku Quanshu" comprehensively sorts out the classics of traditional Chinese culture, clearly presents the classical literature system of the mainland, although some of the literature was deleted, destroyed or completely destroyed during editing, but the whole book is still grand in scale, almost all subject areas can find the source of the stream, can be described as the integration of Classical Chinese culture.
The Concise Catalogue of the Four Libraries of the King's Dynasty consists of four volumes, one each of which is the Four Classics, Histories, Zi and Ji, and this volume is the Bibliography Volume of the Scripture Department of The Ji Yun Handbook.
"Why China" is actually an eternal proposition of the Chinese nation.
Today, in the face of unprecedented changes in a hundred years, at this critical period of national rejuvenation, standing at the intersection of the "two hundred years" goal, our generation should take history as a mirror, create the future, immerse themselves in hard work, and move forward courageously, leaving the answer of the era of "why China" for future generations of Chinese descendants.
When future generations look back at our cause, we hope that just as we gaze at the achievements of our predecessors, we proudly say: "This is China!" ”
END
Editor 丨Ma Xiaoxian
Picture 丨The Palace Museum
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