Month

While some cultures might think of December as the month of twinkling lights and festive cheer, for ancient China, it held a different significance. The 21st or 22nd of December marked the Dongzhi Festival, a celebration of the winter solstice, the year's shortest day and longest night. But Dongzhi wasn't just about cozying up by the fire. It was a time steeped in rich history, philosophy, and tradition, a turning point in the natural world and a moment of cosmic balance. A Dance of Yin and Yang: Imagine the universe as a delicate dance between yin and yang, darkness and light, cold and warmth. Ancient Chinese believed the winter solstice marked the peak of yin, with darkness holding sway. Yet, Dongzhi also held the promise of yang's gradual ascendance. Days would slowly lengthen, signifying hope and renewal. This shift resonated deeply, inspiring customs and symbolism throughout the festival. Grand Ceremonies and Family Reunions: Emperors, in elaborate ceremonies, worshipped the heavens and ancestors, seeking blessings for bountiful harvests. Commoners gathered with families, offering sacrifices and sharing meals filled with symbolic significance. Dumplings, resembling the full moon, represented wholeness and family unity. Tangyuan, sweet rice balls symbolizing reunion, were shared in steaming…

The air-conditioning, cold drinks and ice cream seem to be the standard of modern summer. But in ancient times, how did people spend the long summer? In this article, we will peek at the ancient summer time through a large number of ancient paintings.   Summer Festival July 4 is the sixth day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, which has been officially designated as Tian Kuang Festival (天贶节) since the Song Dynasty, with the custom of offering sacrifices to ancestors and prohibiting slaughtering. At this time of the year, ancient people would expose grain, clothes and books to the sun to prevent them from getting moldy and being moth-eaten, so the sixth day of the sixth month was also called the Shai Xi Festival (晒洗节). In the Ming and Qing dynasties, people would take their pets to the river to give them a bath, officials would conduct bathing ceremonies for pets owned by the imperial family, such as elephants brought in from other countries. They are often performed during grand celebrations to show the royal majesty. During the Tian Kuang Festival, ancient people also used to store some well water for brewing sauce and vinegar, and for…

Hanfu models are arguably the luckiest of all, as they are always the first to try on the latest hanfu and take beautiful photos. But becoming a good hanfu model also takes a lot of hard work. Modern Hanfu found four hanfu models and let's hear their stories.   No.1 A Shang (阿尚) I am a college student studying drama performance, and I chose to join the hanfu modeling industry in my freshman year because I wanted to gain more shooting experience to better train myself and to reduce some economic pressure for my family, and I had participated in some aspects of modeling work. When I first joined the hanfu modeling industry, I thought hanfu modeling was the same as print modeling, but then I realized that I had to have my own "Yun Wei (韵味, charm)" to make it work. And the outside world's opinion about hanfu is really too single, each hanfu model as a "show" on stage for a minute or even a dozen seconds, may have to do a full month or two months of preparation off stage. From the understanding of the costume, to the selection of the overall style, to the design of…