Chinese Marriage

Ever since ancient times, there has been a saying that the three most delightful moments in one's life come with success in the imperial examination, marriage and the birth of a son. From the Qin (221 BC – 206 BC) to Qing (1644 – 1911) Dynasties, the feudal system dominated over two thousands years. During this period, the importance of getting married was far more than that a person found his better half. For the male side, it determined the prosperity and even the future fame of their family; while for the female side, it meant that parents lost the chance of seeing their daughter for a long time. Thus to choose an ideal partner was vital for both the individual and the family.

 When we speak of Chinese marriage, we mean the Chinese traditional marriage. The process of the marriage is very complex and it varies from place to place. But it has a similar pattern.

In China, to get married was traditionally considered a must. A Chinese motto says well: It is natural to get married when you grow up. So when a girl reached 28 and still remained single, she world get a lot of pressure from relatives, neighbors and even co-workers

Since ancient times, marriage has been regarded as one of the three most blessed events in the life of a Chinese person. The other two are passing the imperial examination and the birth of children. Marriage is solemnized with lots of interesting customs.

In the past, following feudal customs, young men and women were not allowed to choose their future partner themselves. The decision was made by their parents and a matchmaker. Some youths even had their mate picked out for them before they were born. When both sides of parents agreed on the marriage, they would exchange betrothal gifts and choose a day they believed to be auspicious to hold the marriage ceremony.

The wedding ceremony was supposed to be the highlight of the whole marriage; the bride was regarded in a high position and was the center of attention, but was expected to be obedient in her new family after the wedding day. The new couple would kneel in front of the bridegroom’s parents and bow deeply to the heaven and earth, to their parents, and to their future life together. During the wedding feast, the guests would think o f intriguing games for the couple to play. Their embarrassment would bring gentle laughter from the guests.

Today although customs have been simplified and westernized, there are some that are still observed.

Modern Chinese Clothing

   Chinese clothing is not only externally elegant but it also symbolizes culture and communicates its own vitality. Archeological remains from the Shantingtung culture unearthed objects like bone sewing needles, stone beads and shells with holes in them clearly pointing out the use of ornamentation and sewing in that age. Clothing associated with colors was prevalent; red was the color for summer, green for spring, black for winters and white represented of autumns.

   Ancient Chinese clothing favored darker colors and a fully developed system of matching, coordinating and contrasting colors and shades was used in apparels. Modern Chinese clothing has combined the ancient symbols of good fortune with the more modern fashion aesthetics in the Chinese modern clothing. A wide range of eye catchy designs for children and young people's clothing is designed in modern China, which includes lions, deities and masks of Chinese opera characters. Modern silhouettes are increasingly using designs and appliqu bronzes from the ancient clothing. Prints, weaves, embroideries, and motifs from the ancient culture merge with new age fabrics and styles to create modern Chinese clothing.

    Distinctive and unusual designs from centuries gone by like the dragon and clouds embroideries used on robes meant for emperors are making a come back with modern Chinese clothing. These motifs and designs are beautiful and also symbolize ancient culture. The nine dragon and five cloud design was to bring good fortune to its wearer, and the design still holds it's auspicious significance with modern china. The amalgamation of this modern and ancient apparel, trends and symbolism is attractive and earthy. The traditional macram is broadly used in modern Chinese clothing for ornamental purposes. It is used on borders, shoulders, pockets, openings, bodices and seams. The modern bridal tiara is another successful combination of traditional and modern in its Sung dynasty design. Traditional pendants and Sash in traditional colors of red, green and blue embroidered in the Hunan province style is still in existence.

    The Chinese modern clothing springs from traditional designs and customs. Today social occasions still see men dressed in a refined traditional long gown. Women too wear a modified form of fashion from the Ch'ing Dynasty. There is no end to the variations to these ancient clothes in height, length and width and ornamentation. Even the silk making, weaving and spinning techniques from the past have been developed with modernity and textile industries grown around them. Chinese modern clothing hence helps people not only in China but around the world enjoy traditional features and modern chic in clothing apparels.

    The most influential of all ancient times is perhaps the Shang dynasty when silk weaving, spinning and making had been developed. The modern Chinese clothing is visually different yet deeply rooted and interwoven with history. Ancient Chinese art and clothing has and will remain to influence modern Chinese clothing majorly. Culturally, china is neither fully modern nor traditional; this is evident in their lifestyle, modern adaptations of ancient way of dressing and even through ancient art forms depicted as motifs on modern clothing. Despite the advent of western influences and the business suit and 'jeans' in the country, china and modern Chinese clothing remains deeply rooted in the country's history and ancient religion and practices.

About the Author:
Christopher Schwebius is an entrepreneur who seeks out sharply defined, specifically focused topics to research. Upon finishing his research he provides relevant, un-biased information to his readers based on his discoveries and/or personal experiences.

dress one Qipao on the summer day, shining your every second. click here:http://www.chineseclothingcheongsam.com/, you won't regret 

Fifty-percent Expectation

    I believe in the "50-percent theory". Half the time things are better than normal; the other half, they are worse. I believe life is a pendulum swing. It takes time and experience to understand what normal is, and that gives me the perspective to deal with the surprises of the future.     
    Let's benchmark the parameters: Yes, I will die. I've dealt with the deaths of both parents, a best friend, a beloved boss and cherished pets. Some of these deaths have been violent, before my eyes, or slow and agonizing. Bad stuff, and it belongs at the bottom of the scale.     
    Then there are those high points: romance and marriage to the right person; having a child and doing those Dad things like coaching my son's baseball team, paddling around the creek in the boat while he's swimming with the dogs, discovering his compassion so deep it manifests even in his kindness to snails, his imagination so vivid he builds a spaceship from a scattered pile of Legos.      

But there is a vast meadow of life in the middle, where the bad and thegood flip-flop acrobatically. This is what convinces me to believe in the 50-percent theory. One spring I planted corn too early in a bottomland so flood-prone thatneighbors laughed. I felt chagrined at the wasted effort. Summer turned brutal-- the worst heat wave and drought in my lifetime. The air-conditioner died,the well went dry, the marriage ended, the job lost, the money gone. I wasliving lyrics from a country tune -- music I loathed. Only a surging Kansas City Royals team, bound for their first World Series, buoyed my spirits.
   Looking back on that horrible summer, I soon understood that all succeeding good things merely offset the bad. Worse than normal wouldn't last long. I am owed and savor the halcyon times. They reinvigorate me for the next nasty surprise and offer assurance that I can thrive. The 50 percent theory even helps me see hope beyond my Royals' recent slump, a field of struggling rookies sown so that some year soon we can reap an October harvest.
   Oh, yeah, the corn crop? For that one blistering summer, the ground moisture was just right, planting early allowed pollination before heat,withered the tops, and the lack of rain spared the standing corn from floods. That winter my crib overflowed with corn -- fat, healthy three-to-a-stalk ears filled with kernels from heel to tip -- while my neighbors' fields yielded only brown, empty husks.
 Although plantings past may have fallen below the 50-percent expectation, and they probably will again in the future, I am still sustained by the crop that flourishes during the drought.
  ps: if anyone want to know qipao, one kind of clothing from the eastern country and in popular today ,see more pretty pictures you can visit http://www.chineseclothingcheongsam.com/
     

Happy Life

  It is Monday, a new start, right? Slept at 3 o’clock last night and woke up at 8 o’clock in the morning, how is my condition about the first day one a new week? Nice.
  Nice day, nice feeling, and with nice Chinese clothing with enough space to stretch my body. A long time without exercises and all things seems a little lazy.
  The old saying, the early birds have warms, but if I were the warm I should be ate by the early birds, so I decided why I need to get up early, which was last for the past years in my life, sleep early and get up early and day after day like that. Life do not need like that, some changes need to be happen.
So I woke up this morning without the alarm and did not make the beds as usual and did not make up. Did not ate the breakfast because it is a little late for work, so that is me in today.
  But I feel more comfortable than before, with the suit, make people serious, with the polite smile and words. I feel free. To say any nice thing great and fuck all the damn stuff.
Life is like a chart I saw before.
  Are you happy, why not, do you have problem, yes, so can you solve it, if yes, why not happy, if not, so why not bother something you cannot solve? That come to a conclusion, why not be a happy spirit, and spend your time with more fun. May someone just in somewhere is waiting for your happy smile to wake up him/her.

stream of conciousness

    It is Saturday, I always miss the s when wrote Thursday. Listing one song from Korea by casual recommended by the radio player, staying by me, the man saying, I am still sitting in my office cause of only Sunday we can be the holiday. Recently the business is not very well, so sometimes it was not as busy as before; the inner heart gets more peace and less blundering feeling.

    The music passing down one by one but cannot found which can sing to the deep of the heart. I want to quit the present job for a long time, it is really not my style handle this kind of thing, or may be; I should quit without hesitate and then do not have more lazy mind stocking the road. I may it was because of my coward, I am a little confused and not confidence about my career, I want work as an translator or interpreter in traditional Chinese medicine, but I can not find where I should make a space then can get in. It is not normal job so I cannot find in normal way; also I am scared about my medicine English cannot handle the job even when I get one. That is totally embarrasses; so I just pass the days like the zombie, day by day, I know it is not right, I know I should started now even I will know I will lose. Actually I think I am already lost in my narrow and small world. I cannot get out, and I am afraid to get out and face the fact.

Time waits no man, I know that. And actually I know how solve those problem, but I did not, I am afraid the unknown problems will come, I am alone for long time, I am still worried.

   Took off the shining surface, in my inner that was just one small girl, I do not want to be a strong mind women; it is really make me tired, and lonely. I need some one with me. May be I should marry someone and live a peace life, but I know that was not I want.

   I had made the decision if I could found the suitable job within this month, I’d leave, without any hesitation, but it seems find a good job harder than a good guy. Shit, my 2 biggest problems for 2 year.

Whatever, since already had the plan, just do it, even the road full of sad and problems, Ele, come on. You can handle, all will be fine. Just do the aboele. Fighting.

Enjoy the pretty Qipao

   Living in China for 3 years,I saw a lot pretty qipao, and now I get them together and share to you guys, if you like them i'd be very appreciate, if do not, you can make a comment or just keep silence, ths. :)
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    Chinese cheongsam is a kind of art, the old saying, appears makes the man, a good piece of clothes may make you become elegant and dignified. Made of one piece with different materials, the Chinese qipao, or cheongsam as called, became the new favorite worldwide. The traditional oriental clothing originated from the north of China, in recent years, it become a fashion cause of the lingering charm, the qipao can perfectly draw the outline of female, give the clean and natural air, fresh the eyes around you. The Chinese qipao or cheongsam can either suitable the official or casual situation. in http://www.chineseclothingcheongsam.com/ there are a lot of ready-made qipao samples for your choice, you can have a good choice.

Chinese Clothing-Cheongsam

The modernized version is especially noted for accentuating the figures of women, and as such is highly popular as a dress for high society. As Western fashions changed, the basic cheongsam design changed too, introducing high-necked sleeveless dresses, bell-like sleeves, and the black lace frothing at the hem of a ball gown. By the 1940s, cheongsam came in transparent black, beaded bodices, matching capes, and even velvet. Later, checked fabrics also became quite common.The 1949 Communist Revolution ended the cheongsam and other fashions in Shanghai, but the Shanghainese emigrants and refugees brought the fashion to Hong Kong where it has remained popular. Recently there has been a revival of the Chinese cheongsam in Shanghai and elsewhere in Mainland China; the Shanghainese style functions now mostly as a stylish party dress (see also Mao suit).

Some secondary schools in Hong Kong, especially those with long tradition of establishment by Christian missionaries use a plain rimmed sky blue cotton and/or dark blue velvet (for winter) cheongsam with the school badge right under the stand-up collar to be closed with a metal hook and eye as the official uniform for their female students to be worn to regular classes. Schools known to set this standard include St. Paul's Co-educational College, St. Stephen Girl's College, Ying Wa Girls' School, True Light Middle School etc. Their cheongsam uniform is tailored so that the size of their collar is tightly fitted to their neck, and the students are asked to hook up their stiff collar all the time amidst the tropical humid and hot weather. The bottom with short slits are is also too tight to allow students to walk in long strides. Many students feel it an ordeal, yet it is a visible manifest of strict discipline that is hallmark of prestigious secondary schools in Hong Kong. Some dissident students, however, express their dissatisfaction with this tradition by wearing their uniform with stand-up collar intentionally left unhooked or the bottom cut shorter than their knees.

In the 1950s, women in the workforce started to wear more functional cheongsams made of wool, twill, and other materials. Most were tailor fitted and often came with a matching jacket. The dresses were a fusion of Chinese tradition with modern styles.

The Tibetans and Vietnamese (ao dai) have related versions of this dress as their national dress.

The qípáo, qípáor, or ch'i-p'ao, also known as the cheongsam or mandarin gown, is a body-hugging (modified in Shanghai) one-piece dress for women.The English loanwordcheongsam comes from the Cantonese pronunciation of the original Shanghainese term. In most western countries and in the Cantonese dialect cheongsam is the name of a garment worn by both men and women. Chinese who do not speak the Cantonese dialect view the cheongsam as an exclusively male dress and use the word qipao for its female equivalent. In Cantonese usage the word qipao is either interchangeable with the female cheongsam or refer to the two-piece qipao variant that is popular in mainland China.