A long time ago in ancient China most people's lives were lived within the framework of the family. A person was not merely a child, but someone's son or daughter. When the child grew up, they were not simply an adult but also a father or a mother. If they were fortunate enough to live so long at some point they would be a grandfather or a grandmother. So it was from the family that an individual learned the most important values of Chinese society.
In ancient China the social hierarchies were natural not static. Social harmony was supposed to be placed above personal goals. In addition, life after death required corporate effort on the part of the family that person left behind. There were significant rites of passage to indicate individual lives. These took place from birth and acceptance into a family, through attainment of adulthood and marriage, to old age, and finally to death and burial. It was this last passage "death" which was regarded by the majority of Chinese people as the most important one of all. This was considered to be the realm of ancestors and spirits. The Chinese view of the after life is also one of mystery and wonder. Life itself, from beginning to end, is a grand cycle!
Best regards from the East,
Harlan Urwiler
For more information, feel free to visit my website at: http://www.myorientalgallery.com/.
It is often said that China is the world's longest continuous civilization. Evidence for this view is suggested by the fact that ancestors of the Chinese people were living in settled communities in the area we know today as "China" no later than 5000 BCE. Of course, China is "continental" in every respect of the term. It encompasses most of the East Asian land area, which includes every climatic and topographical feature that you would expect to find. However, while the present day China may stretch from the deserts of Central Asia to the grasslands of Mongolia, the China of antiquity is generally thought to have been settled in the corner of the Yellow River.
So... who exactly were the ancient Chinese people? A generation or two ago, it was believed that archaeology would give the correct answer to this question. The oldest civilization in China seemed to be the Yangshao and Longshan cultures of neolithic times. They were located in the western and eastern stretches of the Yellow River Valley. According to the then-prevailing theory of historical development, Chinese civilization spread out from this source. Today, it is usually accepted that Chinese civilization had many origins. Numerous cultures actually co-existed, even to the point of contact between them. Sometimes the ancient cultures remained isolated. Some came to have predominance over others while a few vanished without a trace. Therefore, the safest answer nowadays must be that China is the result of many ancient cultures. In any case, this fact in no way diminishes China's long and continuous history in East Asia.
Best regards from the East,
Harlan Urwiler
For more information, feel free to visit my website at: http://www.myorientalgallery.com/.
The art of love has a history in China. In fact, the subject is as old as the human race. Today, Chinese couples appear to be much like couples most anywhere in the West. In ancient China, marriage itself was more of a corporate endeavor than simply the union of one man and one woman. For the common people, there were communal gatherings of young men and young women. These sometimes happened in the spring but also in the autumn. After an exchange of songs and love tokens along with dancing, some serious events would occur. However, for the elite of Chinese society marriage was more of a union of two families.
Durng the Zhou period (1045-256 BCE), the bride was accompanied by her own sisters or female cousins who served as "secondary wives." In all of China's time periods, a man was free to have as many concubines as his family could afford. The primary wife enjoyed all of the highest privileges of the marriage though.
There is a touching Han dynasty stone sculpture of a young couple in a passionate embrace which was found placed above the tomb at Pengshan, Sichuan. The art of love was of great interest in the ancient world of China. Among the manuscripts discovered from another tomb at Mawangdai in Changsha, Hunan were several dealing with the lovemaking techniques of the marriage bedchamber. Some of them even included collections of medicinal prescriptions designed to increase the sex drive of both men and women. Some facts of life do not change with time. The art of making love has fascinated people for a very long time indeed!
Best regards from the East,
Harlan Urwiler
For more information, feel free to visit my website at: http://www.myorientalgallery.com/.
What is the finest of stones, you ask? Well, according to China's first dictionary which was written by Xu Shen and presented at court court in 1000 CE the answer to this question is jade. It was said long ago that jade was the finest of stones because it embraces the five virtues: clarity typified by its luster, rectitude by its translucence, wisdom by the purity and penetrating quality of its sound when struck, courage in that it can be broken but not bent, and equity in that it has sharp edges that do not injure.
As the Chinese dialect evolved over time, the word "jade" was applied to the finest and most mysterious of things known to people. Included in this list were objects used by the emperor of China, the moon, women, sexual anatomy, and also the highest deity in the Daoist religion, the Jade Emperor. The jade stone had a long history of use in China. Museum collections around the world indicate thousands of pieces have survived which everyone agrees are very old. However, no one seems to know just how ancient they are. Different types of jades have been discoverd all over China. Upon closer inspection you may decide that its reputation for being the finest of stones is well deserved!
Best regards from the East,
Harlan Urwiler
For more information, feel free to visit my website at: http://www.myorientalgallery.com/.
It has been said very often that Korean people are first class business people. This information has come from surverys conducted in cities with heavy Korean-American populations including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Atlanta. Most of the data strongly suggests that one third of Korean immigrant households are involved in a self-owned business of some kind. The causes of this stem from the nature of immigration itself. A family comes to America where they do not speak the language so well.... at first! They want to provide a better life for their children and grandchildren too. Business is the logical place to start.
To compete successfully, Korean immigrants have focused on building an economic base. For some, this has meant locating in poor urban ghettos. However, this is not always the case. Others have moved into middle class suburbs. Ultimately, the lives of Korean people have involved a co-mingling with rich and poor alike. Korean Americans have become a visible and important minority in the multicultural land of the United States. This is a hardworking, highly educated, and very organized ethnic community. It is increasing its stake in American society. Soon America will feel its impact as a second generation of Korean Americans reach adulthood!
Best regards from the East,
Harlan Urwiler
For more information, feel free to visit my website at: http://www.myorientalgallery.com/.
The immigration of Korean people has been steady and substantial since the end of the Korean War. In fact, at the time of 1970 there were about 70,000 people in the United States with a Korean heritage. Since then the population has increased more than expected to be about 1.07 million people at the year 2000. When one factors in those who are part Korean/Asian, the statistic rises to about 1.23 million.
So where do the majority of the Korean Americans reside? Forty four percent of Koreans live in the West. This compares to twenty two percent of the general population. Nevetheless, the geography of where Koreans reside in the U.S. has changed in a big way since the 1960s. The most interesting statisic regarding the number of Korean Americans are those who reside in the South. The population of Koreans grew forty six percent between the years 1990 and 2000!
Even so, Koreans as a whole are still most noticeable in a few large city/urban centers. Southern California still leads the way in this regard. More than one quarter million Korean Americans live in the greater Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County-San Bernardina-Ventura metropolis. The biggest population of Korean Americans is in New York City along with the surrounding northern New Jersey, southwest Connecticut, and eastern Pennsylvania regions. It is a fact that the strongest majority of all Korean Americans in the United States reside in these particular areas. However, Korean Americans can live where ever they choose nowadays without any hesitation. After all, this is what it means to be an American- to be free to choose your own destiny!
Best regards from the East,
Harlan Urwiler
For more information, feel free to visit my website at: http://www.myorientalgallery.com/.
