A Foreigner's Story and Adventure in The Porcelain Capital, Jingdezhen (China)

Wow! I must admit this is the first video I've seen where the narrator, Daniel, not only brings us on a journey of making Chinese ceramics in Jingdezhen, but also participated in the entire process! Kudos to Daniel for being such a good sport and taking the time to share his experience with us!



https://youtu.be/1RadZYqdb2c

The Roles of Chinese Empresses Explored (Qing Dynasty)

This documentary, albeit short, covered an exhibition which took 4 years in the making. It explored the various roles of Chinese empresses during the Qing dynasty. On display were a variety of objects including portraits, jewelry, garments, Buddhist sculptures and decorative artworks.

Key takeaways:

1. Many of the best things were not only reserved for the emperor, but also for the empress and empress dowager.

2. As the 'Mother of the Empire', they were role models within the imperial family.

3. They had the right to voice their opinion and make suggestions to the emperor.

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnB1WloDmoI

History Behind China's 3 Teachings - Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism (Religion)

A short but informative video highlighting the 3 main faiths in China - Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, and how different dynasties favoured different faiths. It's no surprise that politics sometimes played a part in this, but sometimes it was a matter of 'fashion'.

China's 3 faiths have also borrowed extensively from each other, even though Taoism was apparently a reaction to Confucianism while Buddhism was a fresh perspective, and a faith that started with philosophy before finding justification for its premises in the real world.

Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/OvfOMhx3cj8

How Exactly Did The Forbidden City Withstand Centuries of Conflict And Disaster (China)?

I've always marvelled how some structures, built centuries ago could withstand the harshest weather and still not crumble.

One such example is the Forbidden City. Not a single nail or drop of glue was used to hold the buildings together. Yet, it managed to withstand multiple earthquakes and fire over a 500 year history.

This documentary briefly talks about its history and sheds some light on the secret construction technique used to construct this magnificent historical site.

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbbHrWRBXF0

Amazing Restoration Effort Of Qianlong Emperor's Imperial Screen!

Thoroughly enjoyed this video highlighting the painstaking process involved in restoring Qianlong Emperor's Imperial Screen for the Lizzadro Museum. Enjoy!

http://www.theconservationcenter.com/articles/2019/12/16/the-imperial-screen-of-emperor-qianlong

History of Beautiful Yangcai Vase From Qianlong Collection Explained (Qing Dynasty)

I realised I may have shared an article on this beautiful Yangcai vase (with beautiful landscape painting and imperial poem) a while ago. But I liked that The Value included a brief video of Christie's Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art specialist, Ms Liang-Lin Chen, explaining the history of this vase to the public. I was particularly curious to know why Qianlong chose to put poems that he had composed on Yangcai porcelain. Glad Ms Chen briefly touched on this subject in this video:)

Enjoy!

https://en.thevalue.com/articles/christies-qianlong-ceramics-vase

Exquisite Wine Cup A Symbol Of China's Strong Eternal Integrity (Qing Dynasty)

'Jinou Yonggu' Cup

Weighing 500 grams and inlaid with different kinds of gems, including 11 pearls, nine rubies, 12 sapphires and four pink tourmalines, this wine cup is truly a sight to behold. It's no wonder the emperors of the Qing dynasty only used it once a year!

An exquisite golden vessel such as this, was apparently used to represent the completeness of the sovereign’s territory and prosperity of China.

This wine vessel was used in the Opening Brush Ceremony held at midnight on the first day of the Spring Festival. The ceremony was initiated by Emperor Yongzheng (1678-1735) and officially established by Emperor Qianlong.

*This article originally appeared in Shine.cn.

https://www.shine.cn/feature/art-culture/1908099926/