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People who are not familiar with Chinese history and parables may have the impression that the above image is a genre painting of fisherman’s daily life. But in fact, there is more meaning to it. Dr Yibin Ni will explain the story in detail and ho...
Mr Henk B. Nieuwenhuys from the Netherlands is the first foreigner who has kindly donated his art collection to China. Here are short video clips from a documentary made for this special event, in which Dr Yibin Ni was invited to introduce Nieuwen...
The image of apples, in addition to cue a pun on the ideal of ‘universal peace’, may be combined with lychee or tangerine to form pi...
In Chinese pictorial art, the image of the fruit ‘apple’ can be used to denote the pun on ‘peace and order’. The Chinese word ‘ping 苹’ in ‘ping guo 苹果 for ‘apple’ is a pun on ‘ping 平’ for ‘peace’. ‘Da 大’ in ‘da ping guo 大苹果’ for ‘big apple’ is tantamount to ‘tai 太’ fo...
The story scene refers to an old Chinese saying: in the fight between the sandpiper and the clam, the fisherman has the best of it. This parable came from an ancient Chinese text entitled ‘Strategies of the Warring States (战国策 Zhanguo Ce)’. The book contains anecdotes of diplomacy and warfare during the Warring ...
This scene is an episode from the Ming drama ‘The Story of the Girl Holding ...
Wang Zhaojun (王昭君, c.52 – c.15 BCE) was one of the court ladies in the harem of Emperor Yuan of the Western Han dynasty (汉元帝, 206 BCE – 8 CE). It was not possible for the emperor to meet every one of the three-thousand concubines, so he had a court painter paint their pictures to facilitate his selection proc...
Pun Design: Persimmons + Apples + Quails
Punning Details：
The Chinese character ‘shi 柿’ in ‘shi zi 柿子’ for ‘persimmon’...
Pun Design: Quails + seedheads of foxtail millet
Punning Details:
The word ‘sui 穗’ for ‘millet seedhead’ is a pu...
Pun Design: Persimmons + Quails
Punning Details:
The word ‘shi 柿’ in ‘shi zi 柿子’ for ‘persimmon’ can pun on ‘shi 事’ for ‘things’. The re...
Pun Design: Apples + Continue Reading
According to Confucian ethics, a man’s ambition and pride need to be balanced by humility.
General Lian Po (廉颇, active 298–236 BC) and Minister Lin Xiangru (蔺相如, active ca. 279 BC) were colleagues in the government of the state of Zhao. When Lin Xiangru received a higher appointment than Lian Po’s, Lian Po felt it...
Pun Design: Quail + Long-tailed Continue Reading
Pun Design: Quails + Magpies
Punning Details:
The word ‘an 鹌’ in ‘an chun 鹌鹑’ for ‘quail’ puns on ‘an 安’ for ‘peace’ or ‘secur...
Pun Design: Quails + Cereal Plant
Punning Details：
The word ‘an 鹌’ in ‘an chun 鹌鹑’ for ‘quail’ makes a pun on ‘a...
The Chinese character ‘an 鹌’ in ‘anchun 鹌鹑’ for ‘quail’ makes a pun on ‘an 安’ for ‘peace’. The character ‘zhu 竹’ for ‘bamboo’ is a pun on ‘zhu 祝’ for the verb ‘to wish’ and thus is used here to cue the character cluster ‘zhubao 竹报 (祝报)’ for the verb phrase ‘to wish to...
Pun Design: Two + Quails
Punning Details: The word ‘an 鹌’ in ‘an chun 鹌鹑’ for ‘quail’ makes a pun on ‘
Quail is a middle-sized bird, and is nowadays farm-raised for table food and their eggs. However, they play an interesting role in traditional Chinese art with an auspicious meaning.
Quail’s Chinese name is ‘an chun’(鹌鹑). Its first character 鹌 (‘an’) is often used in Chinese language for its pun ...