Chinese tradition, ceremony,culture

Introducing spectacular Wangkang Festival in Melaka. Originated in Quanzhou, Fujian province brought by the immigrant to Melaka, Malaysia. It is 150 years old tradition. The last one held in 2017 after 84 years of hiatus. Originally organized by peranakan community now it is organized by temple association

Wangkang festival
Ghosts are being collected, a chingay group shows off their skills, lions are dancing, musicians play, stilt-walkers are towering over us, Confucian priests are performing their rituals, the five Ong Yahs deities are carried around in elaborate sedan chairs and at the end of the procession, mediums are in a trance and a big barge pulled by about thirty devotees slowly makes its way through the Malacca’s old quarter. More than 10,000 devotees and tourists bear witness to the procession making its way, symbolically sweeping away all evil forces that threaten to disrupt peace and prosperity.
The Wangkang festival is organized to collect wandering souls, evil spirits and other negative elements on the streets of Malacca that are held responsible for the epidemic scourges and chaotic conditions of the world. They are then put in the barge and send them away into the Unknown by burning the barge at the fifteenth and last day of Chinese New Year. This will bring health, peace, prosperity and happiness to the world and to Malacca in particular. It’s a grand and costly religious procession. When digging just a bit deeper, you’ll find the story of an ancient Chinese community, emperors, priests and deities, a Diaspora, a new multicultural community and old traditions that are still being honored.

History
The Wangkang customs were brought to Malacca by Hokkien emigrants from Fujian province, China. They migrated to Malacca since the fifteenth century, but a big influx came when Hokkiens were fleeing persecution during the Qing or Manchu Dynasty (1644 - 1911). In Fujian province five deities or Ong Yahs with the surnames Choo, Hoon, Tee, Lee and Pek were worshipped. When the Hokkiens brought their deities to Malacca, the locals came to regard them as their patron saints. The temple and the festival were originally run by the Peranakan or Baba and Nyonya community. They are the descendants from Chinese immigrants and local women. But since many have become Christians or Buddhists, the local Hokkien community has become more involved.
Every year the Temple members collect the wandering souls, but only when the medium at the Yong Chuan Tian Temple gets the command from the heavens, they organize the elaborate Wangkang procession. The message was delivered via a small chair that when held ‘writes’ characters. Through the chair the deity directed the temple committee to organise the Wangkang. If predictions for the year of the Black Water Dragon are to be believed, we may have to brace ourselves for calamities such as earthquakes and tsunamis.
In Malacca, as far as could be determined, the Wangkang Procession was first held in 1854 at Kandang and up to 1880 it took place every five to eight years. In 1891 when an outbreak of cholera was very virulent, it was again held, and since then it has been taking place every fourteen years until 1933. The festival was dormant for 68 years before it was revived in 2001 during the height of the SARS epidemic which jeopardized tourism in Malacca.

Procession
The evening before the procession, many people gathered at the temple to witness ceremonies that were performed, to deposit their bad luck at the Barge and to meet friends and family.
As early as 6.00, members of the Hokkien community began to gather at the Temple for the procession on 6 February. At 7.30 the road was cordoned off by the police and the flotilla started emerging from the temple. Five smaller boats driven by motorcyclists, as well as cultural troupes such as dragon and lion dancers came out. There was a chingay troupe showing off their stunts such as balancing a towering flag pole. There were also stilt-walkers clad in colourful, traditional Chinese costumes and over a hundred musicians from various temples. Last but not least the barge came out. Simultaneously deafening fire crackers erupted, producing a haze. From the temple the procession, like a majestic flotilla, proceeded for 20 km along the streets of Malacca, before heading back to the temple at 16.00.
The main attraction of the procession was the majestic Barge. The Royal Barge was 5.8 meters long, 2.5 meters wide and 2.0 meters high with a 6.2 meters high mast. It was made of merbau timber and five-layered plywood, and it took five committee members three months to build.
The lion on the bow looked impressive; bright yellow and red with majestic black. It made an impact, especially at night when its eyes were lit. Lanterns were swinging at its side. The dragon at the hull also helped to absorb the negative elements during the procession. The Barge was heavy and fully loaded with rice, water, wine, joss paper, herbs, pots and pans, stoves and other supplies for the ‘evil





A series of photo

The 100 men and women dressed in Chinese national costumes are the campers of the "5th Huaxia Cultural Camp." The descendants of these dragons wear clothes back to Han Chinese and advocate the restoration of traditional Chinese clothing in order to revive the Chinese civilization. this year's camp held its first adult ceremony and the first in Malaysia Chinese

This is coming of age ceremony
coming of age ceremony is a ceremony that marks the stage for adulthood when boys and girls turn 18 years old. There are different kinds of adult rituals in various countries in the world. I think Japanese has similar ceremony

They revive this old ceremony. But it look to touristy and devoid of solemn ritual . Does not do justice to the Glorious Tang dynasty that is the zenith of Chinese civilization with their inclusiveness, egalitarian, cosmopolitan.Bringing the blessing of reason, en lightness, beauty and greatness in art, music , dance, painting, poetry to the world . I found this excellent video not sure who make this . it has segment on the Japanese connection to Tang. It is very long video but if you are buff of Chinese history is well made. It is sad not many symbol of this Dynasty left in China .They did rebuilt the front gate of the palace but that is about it .Maybe some day the will built the most important hall as tribute to this dynasty

Traditional worship held to mark winter solstice in China's Shaanxi
Source:Xinhua Published: 2017/12/22 19:19:55

A worship of the heaven is modelled after that of ancient China's Tang Dynasty (618-907) at the Daming Palace National Heritage Park in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Dec. 22, 2017, the day of winter solstice. Photo:Xinhua







4.History background: The Daming Palace ("Palace of Great Brilliance") was the imperial palace complex of the Tang Dynasty, located in its capital Chang'an. It served as the royal residence of the Tang emperors for more than 220 years. Today, it is designated as a national heritage site of China. The area is located northeast of present-day Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. The Tang dynasty (618-907AD) was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It was founded by the "Li" family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire. The Tang dynasty maintained a civil service system by recruiting officials through standardized examinations and recommendations to office. The Tang government also gave great reputations to outstanding foreign officals and scholars who work or study in empire and Tang also got lots of respect from other regions. Because of the mistake of making military policy. the emperors lost control of military and regional warlords rose up. The Tang empire took a heavy toll from the 8-year period of An Lushan Rebellion. This disaster made it impossible to back to prosperity again. In late period, eunuchs took control of whole empire by holding young emperors, and imperial officials and regional warlords fought each other for the power. In 907 A.D, warlord Zhu Quanzhong occupied Chang'an city, the Tang Dynasty was end. The golden age of Tang dynasty were open, colourful and peaceful. In two censuses of the 7th and 8th centuries, the Tang records estimated the population by number of registered households at about 50 million people. The capital Chang'an (present-day Xi'an), which at the time was the richest international city in the world with maximum of 1,000,000 people, is generally regarded as a high point in Chinese civilization - a golden age of cosmopolitan culture. There were the biggest prosperous market which attracted foreign businessmen from the Silk Road. The women in Tang Dynasty got unbelievable social freedoms. Wu Zetian was the only female emperor in Chinese history. Through use of the land trade along the Silk Road and maritime trade by sail at sea, the Tang were able to gain many new technologies, cultural practices, rare luxury, and contemporary items. From the Middle East, India, Persia, and Central Asia the Tang were able to acquire new ideas in fashion, new types of ceramics, and improved silver-smithing. To the Middle East, the Islamic world coveted and purchased in bulk Chinese goods such as silks, lacquerwares, and porcelain wares. Songs, dances, and musical instruments from foreign regions became popular in China during the Tang dynasty. Chinese culture flourished and further matured during the Tang era; it is considered the greatest age for Chinese poetry. Two of China's most famous poets, Li Bai and Du Fu, belonged to this age, as did many famous painters such as Han Gan, Zhang Xuan, and Zhou Fang. There was a rich variety of historical literature compiled by scholars, as well as encyclopedias and geographical works. Tang also exerted a powerful cultural influence over neighboring states such as those in Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

Nyonya ware easily one of the most colorful and beautifull of Chinese porcelain Made in Jing dezhen the capital of pottery in in Jiangxi province but designed according to the taste of Peranakan clientele
In 60's many family throw away this porcelain thinking it was old and outdated when they move form kampong(village) to housing estate or new house in the suburb
It is colorful with predominant of turqoise and pink with auspicious Chinese figure and symbol
Now these porcelain worth thousand if not ten of thousand in present day Singapore and Malaysia. And very much sought after
Xinhua news agency did a report on this porcelain.
The Chinese didn't think much about this type of porcelain thinking only for export

Outstanding overseas Chinese tycoon the third richest man in Hingkong yet also great philantropic. And very patriotic too Ai guo. Very moving he cried when he retell how hard life is when he was little forced to make living at age of 10. And suffer humiliation and bullying at the hand of Japanese military

1. Exclusive interview with Forbes' Hong Kong Rich List #3 Lui Che-woo Part I: strive for the rejuvenation of China. One Japanese military told him that Chinese are uneducated He then resolve to get rich and contribute to education in China He donate 150 primary and secondary school in Xinjiang and Yunan
   
   
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Puppet Theatre aka Wayang Potehi I am glad they revive this theatre specific for Fujian province
It is beautiful and full of moral teaching for the kid. So much beloved by the peranakan community
Pulling the strings
By Lin Qi | China Daily | Updated: 2018-02-27 07:10

An exhibit of a puppet show on stage. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

An exhibition in Beijing features more than 300 puppets made by members of the Xu family from Zhangzhou through seven generations.

For more than two centuries, the Xu family in Zhangzhou, East China's Fujian province, have been passing down one skill - carving a variety of faces on small pieces of camphor wood.

These heads are then added to limbs, and the complete pieces are then dressed up in delicately woven outfits.

The pieces are called glove puppets. And they are widely used in traditional opera orchestras.

Puppet shows have been around in Zhangzhou for more than 1,000 years.

Xu Zhuchu, now 80 and a sixth-generation master craftsman from the Xu family, is like his ancestors as a devoted fan and practitioner of this time-honored art.

One of his ancestors, Xu Ziqing (1768-1858) opened the family's first studio in 1807.

Xu Zhuchu says the sounds he heard most when growing up were of carving knives cutting wood.

The silent wooden dolls were his best friends in childhood, and constant reminders of the family business he was to inherit.

When he was at the opening of a grand exhibition of the Xu family puppet art earlier this month in Beijing, Xu Zhuchu seldom spoke but mostly, gazed smilingly at the works his family has produced.

His son, Xu Qiang, 53, the family's seventh-generation craftsman, did most of the talking.

"I'm getting old," Xu Zhuchu says. "I want to spend more time being with and talking to them (the puppets)."

The exhibition, titled Craftsmanship, at the National Museum of China, features more than 300 puppets made by members of the Xu family through seven generations, including Xu Zhuchu, a State expert of intangible cultural heritage and Xu Qiang.

Xu Zhuchu became a full-time artisan after completing his middle school education. Over more than six decades, he has changed puppet-making, so the puppets are not just the stars of a live show but also, eye-arresting pieces of art widely displayed at home museums and abroad


The puppet figurine is among the exhibits of an ongoing show at the National Museum of China that features more than 300 puppets made by members of the Xu family from Zhangzhou, East China's Fujian province. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

For a long time, puppets were made about 20 centimeters tall, which suited small, street theaters. But Xu Zhuchu makes them between 30 and 50 cm, so that people can have a better view of the details.

Meanwhile, as traditional puppet shows move to bigger stages and even films, bigger puppets are a must.

When Xu Zhuchu took over the family studio, he inherited a repertoire of around 100 puppet characters including fairies and ghosts. Through the years, he has enriched the trove to between 500 and 600 characters.

Old-time artisans could hardly live on making puppets. They had to supplement their incomes with sculpting Buddhist figures for temples and making toys, as well as painting temple walls and applying lacquer to furniture.

And artisans incorporated the visual elements they saw in temples and on classic furniture into puppetry.

Xu Zhuchu has taken this a step further by creating new characters, after being inspired by other categories of traditional arts and crafts. To gain inspiration, he frequently visits markets and fairs where he sets up stands to sell puppets and toys.

Also, he keenly observes passers-by and those who make an impression on him ultimately become the "faces" of his works.

The puppets by Xu Zhuchu and his family are highly sought by puppet troupes in Zhangzhou and also in the neighboring city of Quanzhou, which boasts a rich tradition of marionette shows.

(cont)


The puppet figurine is among the exhibits of an ongoing show at the National Museum of China that features more than 300 puppets made by members of the Xu family from Zhangzhou, East China's Fujian province. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

The exhibition at the National Museum showcases many characters used in Zhangzhou's glove puppet plays and in Quanzhou's marionette plays.

Matchmakers are one of the common characters, because romance and marriage are popular themes in traditional puppet performances.

The exhibition features several matchmaker figures made by members of the Xu family.

Li Xue, a curator of the National Museum, says that among the Xu family puppets, one who makes a living from matchmaking is typically portrayed as a funny-looking middle-aged woman who has a pale complexion and is well dressed.

She says matchmaker puppets made by the Xu family can open and close their mouths, which suggests they are very eloquent.

In the past, puppet shows were more than a means of entertainment, and they often spoke for ordinary people.

When I was like 6 or 7 years old I remember seeing a puppet of a Chinese opera character about 8 or 10 inches tall just like the one in the picture hanging at a Chinatown grocery store in Houston and it freaks me out.

It is amazing how culture spread From Fujian it was introduced to Okinawa by Chinese immigrant . Then it spread to Japan and known as Bunraku. Except no String because it take alot of skill to use string. I am glad China now recoqnized it as Intangible cultural heritage and put it in the National Museum . It is very old Fujian tradition more than 1000 years old Not that many people has the skill to operate this puppet

BUNRAKU




male puppet Bunraku is Japan's professional puppet theater. Performed with chanting, a three-stringed shamisen and puppets, each of which is usually manipulated by three people, and also known as joruri (narrative chanting), it developed at the end of the of the 16th century, about the same time that the samisen was introduced from Okinawa and kabuki performances started in the Kyoto area. In 2003, bunraku was designated by UNESCO as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Bunraku is deeply associated with Osaka. [Source: Paul Jackson, Yomiuri Shimbun]

Bunraku is named after a promoter named Uemura Bunrakuken who popularized the form in the 19th century. Bunraka did not originate in Osaka but it was popularized there. Bunraku is performed only by men, and is performed mostly at national theaters in Osaka and Tokyo. Bunraku was once very popular and loved by ordinary people but these days its audience is in decline and many associate it with high-brow culture. Marionette versions of Noh and kabuki were once popular but these art forms have largely died out and are performed manly with knee-high puppets at

15th day after lunar new year mark the end of Chinese new year and normally people light up lantern and eat glutinous ball with sweet ginger tea
It is also the only time is ancient China when parent allow their daughter to be seen in the public
A perfect time for suitor to prospect for a bride.The peranakan community follow this tradition right up to WWI.When the girl fancy a suitor she will throw a mandarin to the guy for him to catch. Then it is up to him to approach a match maker and ask for the girl hand

The fifteenth day of the Lunar Calendar, also known as the Lantern Festival, is the last day for all the Spring Festival celebrations, making it time to enjoy the indispensable festival delicacy: rice glue balls.

Here is beautiful lantern show in Xian 2018

lantern festival 2016