论文部分内容阅读
ONE of the largest metropolises in the world， Beijing has a profound cultural background， with a combination of classic and modern， as well as abundant tourism resources. Beijing’s rich grassroots street culture thrives in addition to its magnificent imperial culture.
Beijing’s street life brings to mind antique architecture， local snacks， commercial streets full of time-honored brands， Beijing dialect and skits， and the protocols of courtesy people follow when they meet， as well as the particular pets they keep as a hobby， all of which reveal the flavor of venerable Beijing culture.
Courtyard Homes and Hutong
Courtyard homes （siheyuan） are the most representative residences in Beijing. It is said that since Beijing was appointed capital of the Yuan Dynasty（1271-1368）， courtyard homes appeared in the city simultaneously with Beijing’s palaces， blocks， lanes and hutong. Old courtyard homes are omnipresent throughout the capital， and their carved beams， painted pillars and tranquil courtyards add a touch of understated elegance to this city.
The layout of a courtyard home takes the form of a quadrangle with buildings around it – the main room， east and west wings and back room. Of old they were known as “four-side homes” in reference to the courtyard thus enclosed on four sides. The building to the north facing south is considered the main room. Those adjoining the main house facing east and west are wing-rooms. The building that faces north is known as the back room. All are connected by beautifully decorated walkways. Usually， a screen wall inside the gate safeguards privacy， but superstition holds that it also protects the house from evil spirits. The spacious yard is an ideal place to plant pomegranate trees， jujubes， persimmons and Chinese flowering crabapple. These produce fragrant blooms， give welcome shade in summer， and luscious fruits in autumn.
The hutong are also an ideal medium in which to explore Beijing’s culture. The city now has more than 7，000 winding hutong. As the carrier of the city’s ancient culture， hutong bear witness to its historical changes. Hutong tours help tourists to better understand local people’s lives and traditions.
However， large-scale urban construction has made Beijing’s courtyard homes rare. In 2002， the city planned 25 historic site conservation districts in the old city. The book Records of Beijing Courtyard Homes includes 1，000 such precious courtyards. Time-honored Brands and Snacks
For old Beijing natives， time-honored brands represent not only quality， but also tradition， as typified by Donglaishun mutton hotpot， Quanjude roast duck， Liubiju pickles and Tongrentang traditional Chinese medicine. These brands are not just city icons； they are cultural phenomena that embody its historical traditions.
Time-honored brands are the quality goods that have survived centuries of commercial and handicraft competition. Sixty-seven of them concentrate mainly on handicrafts， catering， folk art， and culture. In obedience to the dictates of Confucianist culture， these brands focus on integrity of management， high quality， considerate service， and unique skills： the precious spiritual wealth that ensures the survival and development of these brands.
Founded in 1669， Tongrentang is a distinguished time-honored brand of the traditional Chinese medicine industry， and tradition holds that its name was bestowed by Qing Dynasty Emperor Kangxi himself. A former purveyor-by-appointment to the imperial dispensary， Tongrentang enjoys a sound reputation both at home and abroad for its elaborate processing techniques and human capital， as well as its countless ingredient resources.
Having started out as a tea stand in Beixinqiao Street， Wuyutai has become the most profitable tea shop in Beijing after generations of hard work. Its excellent quality and reasonable prices induce many to travel far out of their way to buy Wuyutai tea.
Founded in 1853， Neiliansheng is well-known for its sturdy handmade cloth shoes. About 81-100 evenly distributed stitches of hempen thread are sewn into every square inch. The shop also records customers’ sizes and preferences， so that if a customer desires an additional pair， the new shoes can be made and delivered to order. The shop still preserves the tradition of producing custom made orthopedic shoes and otherwise satisfying special customer needs.
Beijing’s traditional snacks are the city’s history， taste and culture. One who has not been to the hutong， has not strolled around Beijing， so to speak， and one who has not sampled its snacks has not experienced the city.
A number of century-old shops offer Beijing snacks. Many integrate the flavors of the Han， Hui， Mongol and Manchu ethnicities， as well as the imperial snacks of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The more than 200 Beijing snacks include side dishes， tea cakes and night snacks， which differ in taste and cooking methods. Exquisite palace desserts such as pea cake and green bean rolls are ladies’ favorites. Meats like cooked pork or mutton tripe are men’s favorites； however， as these foods are mainly made from animal entrails， eating too much is not good for the health. In addition， visitors can also try sugar-coated haws on a stick， preserved fruit， plum syrup and almond tea. Peking Opera
As the quintessence of Chinese culture， Peking Opera receives the adulation of local citizens. Walking on Beijing’s streets， one often hears locals singing strains of Peking Opera.
Peking Opera was born when the “Four Great Anhui Troupes” brought Anhui opera to Beijing in 1790 to entertain Emperor Qianlong on his 80th birthday. In collaboration with Handiao performers from Hubei Province， while also adopting the performance techniques of Kunqu Opera and Shaanxi Opera， as well as various folk melodies， Peking Opera formed through a process of continuous exchanges and combination. Developing rapidly as a courtly art， it achieved unprecedented prosperity during the Republic of China period （1912-1949）.
Peking Opera performers employ four main skills. The first two are song and speech. The third is dance-acting. This includes pure dance， pantomime， and other types of dance. The final skill is combat， which includes both acrobatics， and fight- ing with all manner of weaponry. All of these skills are expected to be performed effortlessly， in keeping with the spirit of the art form.
During its 200-year history， Peking Opera has become more localized in libretto， spoken parts and rhyme. Moreover， it is not only accompanied by the musical instruments of various ethnic groups， but also integrates art and literature in a manner similar to Western opera.
Peking Opera’s facial makeup is an exaggerated art. It includes a dozen basic facial patterns， but there are numerous specific variations. Each design is unique to a specific character.
The patterns and coloring are thought to be derived from traditional Chinese color symbolism and divination of the lines on a person’s face， said to reveal their personality. Easily recognizable examples of coloring include red – which denotes uprightness and loyalty， white – which represents evil or crafty characters， and black – for characters of soundness and integrity.
Beijing’s street life brings to mind antique architecture， local snacks， commercial streets full of time-honored brands， Beijing dialect and skits， and the protocols of courtesy people follow when they meet， as well as the particular pets they keep as a hobby， all of which reveal the flavor of venerable Beijing culture.
Courtyard Homes and Hutong
Courtyard homes （siheyuan） are the most representative residences in Beijing. It is said that since Beijing was appointed capital of the Yuan Dynasty（1271-1368）， courtyard homes appeared in the city simultaneously with Beijing’s palaces， blocks， lanes and hutong. Old courtyard homes are omnipresent throughout the capital， and their carved beams， painted pillars and tranquil courtyards add a touch of understated elegance to this city.
The layout of a courtyard home takes the form of a quadrangle with buildings around it – the main room， east and west wings and back room. Of old they were known as “four-side homes” in reference to the courtyard thus enclosed on four sides. The building to the north facing south is considered the main room. Those adjoining the main house facing east and west are wing-rooms. The building that faces north is known as the back room. All are connected by beautifully decorated walkways. Usually， a screen wall inside the gate safeguards privacy， but superstition holds that it also protects the house from evil spirits. The spacious yard is an ideal place to plant pomegranate trees， jujubes， persimmons and Chinese flowering crabapple. These produce fragrant blooms， give welcome shade in summer， and luscious fruits in autumn.
The hutong are also an ideal medium in which to explore Beijing’s culture. The city now has more than 7，000 winding hutong. As the carrier of the city’s ancient culture， hutong bear witness to its historical changes. Hutong tours help tourists to better understand local people’s lives and traditions.
However， large-scale urban construction has made Beijing’s courtyard homes rare. In 2002， the city planned 25 historic site conservation districts in the old city. The book Records of Beijing Courtyard Homes includes 1，000 such precious courtyards. Time-honored Brands and Snacks
For old Beijing natives， time-honored brands represent not only quality， but also tradition， as typified by Donglaishun mutton hotpot， Quanjude roast duck， Liubiju pickles and Tongrentang traditional Chinese medicine. These brands are not just city icons； they are cultural phenomena that embody its historical traditions.
Time-honored brands are the quality goods that have survived centuries of commercial and handicraft competition. Sixty-seven of them concentrate mainly on handicrafts， catering， folk art， and culture. In obedience to the dictates of Confucianist culture， these brands focus on integrity of management， high quality， considerate service， and unique skills： the precious spiritual wealth that ensures the survival and development of these brands.
Founded in 1669， Tongrentang is a distinguished time-honored brand of the traditional Chinese medicine industry， and tradition holds that its name was bestowed by Qing Dynasty Emperor Kangxi himself. A former purveyor-by-appointment to the imperial dispensary， Tongrentang enjoys a sound reputation both at home and abroad for its elaborate processing techniques and human capital， as well as its countless ingredient resources.
Having started out as a tea stand in Beixinqiao Street， Wuyutai has become the most profitable tea shop in Beijing after generations of hard work. Its excellent quality and reasonable prices induce many to travel far out of their way to buy Wuyutai tea.
Founded in 1853， Neiliansheng is well-known for its sturdy handmade cloth shoes. About 81-100 evenly distributed stitches of hempen thread are sewn into every square inch. The shop also records customers’ sizes and preferences， so that if a customer desires an additional pair， the new shoes can be made and delivered to order. The shop still preserves the tradition of producing custom made orthopedic shoes and otherwise satisfying special customer needs.
Beijing’s traditional snacks are the city’s history， taste and culture. One who has not been to the hutong， has not strolled around Beijing， so to speak， and one who has not sampled its snacks has not experienced the city.
A number of century-old shops offer Beijing snacks. Many integrate the flavors of the Han， Hui， Mongol and Manchu ethnicities， as well as the imperial snacks of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The more than 200 Beijing snacks include side dishes， tea cakes and night snacks， which differ in taste and cooking methods. Exquisite palace desserts such as pea cake and green bean rolls are ladies’ favorites. Meats like cooked pork or mutton tripe are men’s favorites； however， as these foods are mainly made from animal entrails， eating too much is not good for the health. In addition， visitors can also try sugar-coated haws on a stick， preserved fruit， plum syrup and almond tea. Peking Opera
As the quintessence of Chinese culture， Peking Opera receives the adulation of local citizens. Walking on Beijing’s streets， one often hears locals singing strains of Peking Opera.
Peking Opera was born when the “Four Great Anhui Troupes” brought Anhui opera to Beijing in 1790 to entertain Emperor Qianlong on his 80th birthday. In collaboration with Handiao performers from Hubei Province， while also adopting the performance techniques of Kunqu Opera and Shaanxi Opera， as well as various folk melodies， Peking Opera formed through a process of continuous exchanges and combination. Developing rapidly as a courtly art， it achieved unprecedented prosperity during the Republic of China period （1912-1949）.
Peking Opera performers employ four main skills. The first two are song and speech. The third is dance-acting. This includes pure dance， pantomime， and other types of dance. The final skill is combat， which includes both acrobatics， and fight- ing with all manner of weaponry. All of these skills are expected to be performed effortlessly， in keeping with the spirit of the art form.
During its 200-year history， Peking Opera has become more localized in libretto， spoken parts and rhyme. Moreover， it is not only accompanied by the musical instruments of various ethnic groups， but also integrates art and literature in a manner similar to Western opera.
Peking Opera’s facial makeup is an exaggerated art. It includes a dozen basic facial patterns， but there are numerous specific variations. Each design is unique to a specific character.
The patterns and coloring are thought to be derived from traditional Chinese color symbolism and divination of the lines on a person’s face， said to reveal their personality. Easily recognizable examples of coloring include red – which denotes uprightness and loyalty， white – which represents evil or crafty characters， and black – for characters of soundness and integrity.