Mo Yan

novelist and short story writer

Mo Yan (full name: 管谟业, Guan Moye) is a Chinese novelist and short story writer, in 2012 awarded with the Nobel Prize in Literature for his work as a writer "who with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary writing". Often described as the Chinese answer to Franz Kafka and Joseph Heller, he is best known to Western readers for his 1987 novel Red Sorghum Clan.

The Monkey King (孙悟空, Sun Wukong)

a figure with supernatural powers

Features in a series of legends that can be traced back to the Song dynasty (960-1279). He is a main character in the 16th century Chinese classical novel Journey to the West, comic adventure story of a search towards enlightenment with strong roots in Chinese folk religion, mythology and philosophy. Until present time the most enduring Chinese literary, theatre, TV and movie character.

Jia Zhangke

film director and screenwriter

He is generally regarded as a leading figure of the "Sixth Generation" movement of Chinese cinema.

Jia's early films, a loose trilogy based in his home province of Shanxi, were made outside of China's state-run film bureaucracy, and therefore are considered "underground" films. Beginning in 2004, Jia's status in his own country rose when he was allowed to direct his fourth feature film, The World, with state approval.

Jia's films have received critical praise and have been recognized internationally, notably winning the Venice Film Festival's top award Golden Lion for Still Life. NPR critic John Powers praised him as "(perhaps) the most important filmmaker working in the world today."

Photo by: Yasu under CC BY-SA 3.0

Zhang Yimou

film director, producer, writer and actor, and former cinematographer

Zhang has won numerous awards and recognitions, with Best Foreign Film nominations for Ju Dou in 1990, Raise the Red Lantern in 1991, and Hero in 2003, Silver Lion and Golden Lion prizes at the Venice Film Festival, Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. In 1993, he was a member of the jury at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival.[6] Zhang directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games, which received considerable international acclaim.

Photo by: Injeongwon under CC BY-SA 3.0

Chinese traditional architecture

Demonstrates an architectural style that developed over millennia in China. Until today, the structural principles of Chinese architecture have remained largely unchanged, typified by various features: bilateral symmetry, use of enclosed open spaces, the incorporation of ideas related to feng shui, directional hierarchies, and the allusion to various cosmological, mythological, or other symbolism.

Chinese traditional painting (国画, guohua)

one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world

It involves the same techniques as calligraphy and is done with a brush dipped in black ink or coloured pigments (oils are not used) painted on paper or silk. The finished work can be mounted on scrolls, such as hanging scrolls or handscrolls. Most common motives are natural beauties, mountains, rivers, animals and people.

Chinese calligraphy (书法, shufa)

form of “visually pleasing” writing

The most appreciated artistic expression of Chinese language. With its aesthetic quality, various styles and writing techniques, it possesses a very long tradition. Today, calligraphy is regarded as one of the main arts in China, and the origin of many other art forms including seal carving, ornate paperweights, and inkstones.

Peking Opera (京剧, jingju)

most dominant form of Chinese opera

Combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. It arose in Beijing in the mid-Qing dynasty in the 17^th century and is regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China. Peking opera features four main role types: sheng (gentlemen), dan (women), jing (rough men), and chou (clowns), all performing in rich colourful costumes.

Guzheng (古箏, guzheng)

Chinese zither

Is a Chinese plucked string instrument with a more than 2,500-year history. The modern guzheng commonly has 21 strings and is one of the most commonly played instruments in China.

Hot pot (火锅, huoguo)

2000-year-old cooking method

Most famous in China, prepared with a simmering pot of soup stock at the dining table. Typical hot pot dishes include thinly sliced meat, leaf vegetables, mushrooms, wontons, egg dumplings, tofu, and seafood. The most famous variations are Chongqing hot pot (numb and very spicy) and Sichuan hot pot (spicy and peppery).

Wushu (武术, wushu)

Chinese Kungfu

Is a martial art and a full-contact sport. It was developed in 1949 in an effort to standardize the practice of traditional Chinese martial arts. Wushu has become an international sport with the World Wushu Championships held every two years. Competitive Wushu is composed of two disciplines: taolu (forms) and sanda (sparring), and other non-competitive ones like self-defence or breaking hard objects.

Tea culture

Tea culture has a long history in China, with emperors drinking it in the 2^nd century BC. According to popular legend, tea was discovered by Shennong (“Agriculture God”, mythical ruler of prehistoric China) when a leaf from a nearby shrub fell into water the emperor was boiling. Today, as in the past, people don’t only enjoy the flavour of it, but the consumption of quality tea marks their social status.