Shopping for Those who Learn Chinese in Beijing

Article by Kane Holding

Modern day China provides quality education, great food, cheap living, cultural experiences, good times, and great shopping. For those who learn Chinese in Beijing they will experience it all. Good news for shopaholics, shopping in Beijing ranks as one of the best places within the country.

Zhongguancun - BeijingThe Zhongguancun area is known as China's Silicon Valley, because of its many universities and IT-based companies. The area has a large variety of really big markets, selling anything you can imagine in computers and electronics. What adds to the atmosphere, these shops are all within walking distance from each other.

When you learn Chinese in Beijing and want to purchase electronics within the nation, it is important to realize that prices may be more expensive than your home country. Many things in China are cheap, electronics are not. Therefore, students on a budget are recommended to purchase all their electronic needs before they arrive to China. If your equipment breaks down, or if you are in need of an upgrade, then Zhongguancun is the place to go when you learn Chinese in Beijing. You will be able to find second-hand electronics here also. One market that stands out is Zhonghai electronic market, selling used computer stuff and notebooks, which could be convenient if you prefer low prices rather than getting the latest model. In general, the markets in this area really have anything you could possibly need from products to service and repair. Be cautious however, you could end up paying for it.

Salespeople and AtmosphereNot many salespeople of Zhongguancun speak English. This is usually a good thing however as if you come to learn Chinese in Beijing, it is important to practice speaking Chinese with Chinese and shopping outings which require bargaining serve as great out-of-classroom practice. If you find yourself in need of assistance, do not be shy to ask the Global Language team as they accompany you in pursuit

Yashow - BeijingAnother great shopping loca! tion for those who learn Chinese in Beijing is the Yashow Market located in Sanlitun, the popular bar street in Eastern Beijing. The layout here is similar to the layout of the Silk Market. Shoes, handbags and suitcases are sold in the basement. On floors one, two and three there are mainly designer's clothes, and on floor three there is also a tailor with a large selection of silk and suit cloths. This floor also holds some children's clothes and silk products.

The fourth floor has a concoction of a little of everything. Mp3/Mp4-players, watches, jeweler, pearls, Chinese ornaments, and toys can all be found. Decent beauty salons can also be found tucked away offering you the chance to get your eyebrows trimmed, your nails painted and your feet massaged

Salespeople and Atmosphere

Since the market is a hotspot for tourist many of the salespeople can speak a degree of English. Because of it being popular among the tourist it is even more important to bargain harder. When you learn Chinese in China, expect to be taken out on these fun shopping excursions with your Global Language team.

The Good Fortune Peony - a Chinese Painting Demo by Henry Li

Along with the plum blossom, peony is a traditional floral symbol of China, where the tree peony(Paeonia suffruticosa) is called 牡丹(mǔdān). The peony flower is also known as 富贵花(fùguìhuā) "flower of riches and honour," and is used symbolically in Chinese art. The inscription on this painting is written in the Han seal script: 宜富当贵(Yi-fu-dang-gui)meaning "youdeserve to be rich and honour." If you are interested in learning how to do it and other subject matters in Chinese brush painting style, I will be teaching a step-by-step online class this coming July. For more info please visit tp://theartfulgathering.blogspot.com/p/instructors.html For Chinese painting supplies please visit: www.blueheronarts.com and here is a list of materials used in this painting for your reference 1) Blue Heron Arts Semi-sized Xuan rice paper www.blueheronarts.com 2) A soft(goat or sheep) hair brush for the flowers, and I used the set of 3 waterbrushes for the rest of the painting. www.blueheronarts.com 3) Maries Chinese Painting Colours: yellow, vermilion, cinnabar and rouge for the petals; yellow, indigo, vermillion and ink for the leaves, umber and vermillion plus ink for the wood stems. 4) Chung Hwa bottled Ink or any other sumi ink. 5) Felt pad. 6) Ceramic flower palette. 7) Brush washer, rest and holder, 8) Magnetic paperweight and magnetic white board. 9) Stone seal and seal ink pad. You can find these supplies at our online store: www.blueheronarts.com Wishing you a happy ...

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The Chinese on the Art of Painting: Texts by the Painter-Critics, from the Han through the Ch'ing Dynasties (Dover Fine Art, History of Art)

One of the first Western systematic studies on more than two thousand years of Chinese art by a premier expert in the field. Includes comments by noted landscapists, poet-painters, historians, and theoreticians during the Sung dynasty, methods of study and aesthetic principles of the Ming period, and more. 7 black-and-white plates of illustrations.

List Price: $ 11.95 Price: $ 5.82


The Chinese Army Today: Tradition and Transformation for the 21st Century (Asian Security Studies)

The Chinese Army Today is a comprehensive study of the Chinese military, examining its ground forces in a level of detail not found in any other contemporary works. This new, revised edition has been fully updated to take account of recent changes in the institution.

In 1999, the military modernization program of the Chinese People's Liberation Army increased in intensity and achieved a focus not seen in the previous two decades. Based primarily on actual Chinese sources, this book details these changes and puts them in the context of the many traditions that still remain.

Written by a retired professional military officer who has served in China, the text uses first-hand observation of the Chinese military and three decades of military experience to weave many disparate threads from official Chinese statements, documents, and media reports into an integrated whole. The author also conducts an in-depth exploration into the many forces that constitute the People's Liberation Army.

This is an essential book for all students of Chinese military and security affairs, and highly recommended for students of Chinese Politics, Asian Security, and International Relations and Strategic Studies, in general.

List Price: $ 39.95 Price: $ 32.75

Art in China (Oxford History of Art)

About the Oxford History of Art Series:

"An impressively challenging and ambitious series intended to rewrite no less than the whole history of art in terms of new ideas and new scholarship."--Christopher White, Director of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

"A welcome introduction to art history for the twenty-first century....The best of the past and future."--Robert Rosenblum, New York University

The last twenty years have witnessed profound changes in art history, the greatest of which stem from the social and cultural perspectives now attached to art scholarship. Written by scholars at the forefront of new thinking, many of whom are rising stars in their fields, theOxford History of Art series offers substantial and innovative texts that clarify, illuminate, and debate the critical issues at the heart of art history today. Providing a fresh new look at art that moves away from traditional elitist approaches, the series makes use of new research and methodologies, as well as newly accessible and non-canonical works to offer comprehensive coverage of the art world from archaic and classical Greek art to twentieth-century design and photography, from the artistry of African-American and Native North Americans to the masterpieces of Europe, Polynesia, and Micronesia. Lavishly illustrated and superbly designed, the Oxford History of Art brings new substance and verve to the exciting and ubiquitous world of art.

China boasts a history of art spanning 5,000 years and embracing a wide diversity of images and objects--from jade tablets, painted silk handscrolls and fans to ink and lacquer painting, porcelain-ware, sculpture, and calligraphy. But this rich tradition has not, until now, been fully appreciated in the West where scholars have focused their attention on sculpture, while largely ignoring those art forms most highly prized by the Chinese themselves, such as calligraphy. Now, in Art in China, Craig Clunas marks a breakt! hrough i n the study of the subject. Taking into account all the arts practiced in China, and drawing on recent innovative scholarship, this rich text examines the production and consumption of art in its appropriate contexts. From art found in tombs to the state-controlled art of the Mao Zedong era, Art in China offers a novel look and comprehensive examination of all aspects of Chinese art.

List Price: $ 27.95 Price: $ 7.47

Peranakan Chinese Porcelain: Vibrant Festive Ware of the Straits Chinese (No)

Exuberant, ornate and colorful, Straits Chinese porcelain is a variety of polychrome enameled export ware made to specification in China during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This lovely porcelain was made for the Straits-born Chinese or Peranakan communities in Penang, Malacca and Singapore and was used on festive occasions such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and Chinese New Year.

Peranakan Chinese Porcelain is illustrated with over 800 full-color photographs of these distinctive porcelain types. Supported by text and photographs on many related aspects of the characteristic Straits Chinese culture, such as architecture, dress and cuisine, Peranakan Chinese Porcelain is a wonderful contribution to the history of the Straits Chinese.

List Price: $ 65.00 Price: $ 30.06

Total Modernity and the Avant-Garde in Twentieth-Century Chinese Art

"Written by one of the most important advocates and theorists of contemporary Chinese art, Total Modernity and the Avant-Garde in Twentieth-Century Chinese Art traces the historical roots of contemporary Chinese art and interprets some of the most important events that shaped it over the past three decades. Making serious theoretical claims based on firsthand observations, this book sheds light not only on the unique characteristics of recent Chinese art but also on the growing complexity of contemporary art in general." Wu Hung , Harrie A. Vanderstappen Distinguished Service Professor of Art History and East Asian Languages and Civilizations, and Director, Center for the Art of East Asia, University of Chicago

List Price: $ 39.95 Price: $ 26.33

Chinese Calligraphy (The Culture & Civilization of China)

Chinese calligraphy, with its artistic as well as utilitarian values, has been treasured for its formal beauty for more than three millennia. This lavishly illustrated book brings to English language readers for the first time a full account of calligraphy in China, including its history, theory, and importance in Chinese culture. Representing an unprecedented collaboration among leading Chinese and Western specialists, the book provides a definitive and up-to-date overview of the visual art form most revered in China.

The book begins with the premise that the history of Chinese script writing represents the core development of the history of Chinese culture and civilization. Tracing the development of calligraphic criticism from the second century to the twenty-first, the fourteen contributors to the volume offer a well-balanced and readable account of this tradition. With more than 600 illustrations, including examples of extremely rare Chinese calligraphy from all over the world, and an informative prologue by Wen C. Fong, this book will make a welcome addition to the library of every Western reader interested in China and its premiere art form.

(20081221)

List Price: $ 75.00 Price: $ 47.45

In the Realm of the Flower Phoenix

The Flower Phoenix is an ancient handscroll which has been created through generations of women artists. The original page of the handscroll was created by China's Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai. The Tang Dynasty is considered by many to be the height of Chinese artistic culture, and Li Bai is China's most renowned ancient poet. Li Bai was inspired by the beauty of Yang Mei. Yang Mei inspires the master painter Wu Daozi. Wu Daozi creates the second page of the Flower Phoenix handscroll. Legends say that Wu Daozi was a mystical painter, who at the end of his life painted a doorway in the side of a mountain, opened the door and disappeared forever.
Each generation creates panels in the book. By telling the story, the storyteller creates a portal into the Realm of the Flower Phoenix. The "storybearer" reads the story and summons the power of the energy of all the generations.
The story opens with Mable "Peach Blossom" Yang's one hundredth birthday celebration. She is going to pass the book on to the next generation. Mable is the most potent storybearer in the family line.
Hand scroll paintings were rolled from one side to the other and as each painted section was revealed, the story of the imagery was viewed and discussed. The book unfolds over many generations and the lives of the long line of women artists who created the Flower Phoenix are brought to life by the telling.The Flower Phoenix is an ancient handscroll which has been created through generations of women artists. The original page of the handscroll was created by China's Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai. The Tang Dynasty is considered by many to be the height of Chinese artistic culture, and Li Bai is China's most renowned ancient poet. Li Bai was inspired by the beauty of Yang Mei. Yang Mei inspires the master painter Wu Daozi. Wu Daozi creates the second page of the Flower Phoenix handscroll. Legends say that Wu Daozi was a mystical painter, who at the end of his life painted a doorway in the side of a mountain, opened the door and disappe! ared for ever.
Each generation creates panels in the book. By telling the story, the storyteller creates a portal into the Realm of the Flower Phoenix. The "storybearer" reads the story and summons the power of the energy of all the generations.
The story opens with Mable "Peach Blossom" Yang's one hundredth birthday celebration. She is going to pass the book on to the next generation. Mable is the most potent storybearer in the family line.
Hand scroll paintings were rolled from one side to the other and as each painted section was revealed, the story of the imagery was viewed and discussed. The book unfolds over many generations and the lives of the long line of women artists who created the Flower Phoenix are brought to life by the telling.

List Price: $ 0.99 Price: $ 0.99

BK0271Y-Chinese Painted Fancy Basket , Vintage, China, Wood (Mu), Antique Asian Decor: Chinese Paint

  • Vintage
  • China
  • Red / Gold
  • 13" wide x 13" deep x 16.5" high
Chinese painted fancy food basket with carved images of bats of happiness and deer on lid and other Chinese symbols on the bottom rim. Reed handles and red lacquered finish.

Price:

Chinese calligraphy writing and brush painting / sumi set

  • Great starter set
  • 5 brushes, ink well / stone, ink stick, signing ink, stone chop, brush rest, & water well
  • Nicely presented in chinese brocade gift box
  • Size: 8.5" x 6"
  • Made in China
Chinese character writing is a highly evolved discipline that relies as much on artistic craftsmanship, as it does on literary composition. Our basic writing set comes with two brushes, a black ink stick, ink stone and red ink for the "chop" or signature stamp. The ink is made by gently rubbing the ink stick in a small pool of water in the ink stone. This ancient method allows for very little waste. The same bushes and inks may be used both for writing and painting, as the two art forms are so closely linked. Our writing set comes from Shanghai, the literary capital of China. Also available on Amazon from REORIENT, is the traditional rice paper used for painting and writing.

List Price: $ 14.94 Price: $ 14.94


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