Chinese culture, one of the most ancient cultures in the world, developed along the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. While other ancient civilizations have declined or fallen, the Chinese civilization has continued to evolve for thousands of years to the present day. The breadth and depth of Chinese culture resulted from the continuous assimilation of hundreds of tribes in Asia since the Stone Age. Today, 20% of the world’s population comprises 1.3 billion Chinese. Even though English is the international language, more people use Chinese on a daily basis than any other language. The influence of Chinese culture on the rest of Asia and the West can be observed by objects and concepts which have been adopted from China, such as china, silk, alchemy, kung-fu, to name a few. What are other characteristics about Hanzi — China is home of the giant panda, one of the most beloved animals; the Great Wall, the biggest man-made structure on earth; and 56 ethnic nationalities. Among the 56 nationalities, “Han,” with a population of 1.2 billion, is the largest single nationality in the world. Hanzi, or Chinese characters, is the only “active” ideographic writing system where characters are developed from pictures and symbols. The first record of nova was carved in hanzi on a turtle shell some 3,400 years ago. This is antedated by unearthed clay wine vessels (called “zun”) from 4,500 years ago, each bearing a pictograph quite close to the inscriptions on shells and oracle bones. China is the only country that has a continuous history of 5,000 years with relatively complete written records of major events. Chinese calligraphy, which evolved from ancient hanzi, has become a highly regarded art form in its own right. In this vast land, there are hundreds of dialects spoken by many regional groups. Hanzi is the single written language in which all Chinese people can communicate. It plays an important role in the history of China as a unified country. • Acrobatic feats like juggling, balancing, wire walking, etc. Special performances were presented in theaters specifically designed for stage shows. Outdoor performances extending for several miles with hundreds of thousands of common folks participating were recorded during the Sui Dynasty of the 6th Century. Even today Chinese dance, music, acrobatics, magic shows, and martial arts continue to dazzle audiences all over the world. Confucius (551-479 BC) and Sunzi (also spelt Sun Tsu, around 600 BC) — The continuity of Chinese culture over thousands of years is remarkable, and this same ancient culture is still held in high esteem today. Born in the same period as Plato (438-348 BC) and Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) (563-483 BC), Sunzi authored the book The Art of War, which is studied in military academies and the business world today. The great Chinese philosopher and teacher, Confucius, is still often quoted in daily conversation. • Rites (a system of social structure & decorum) Confucius believed in selecting government officials from the most learned and capable through examinations. His philosophy for academic excellence has influenced generations of Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Vietnamese, and people of many other Asian countries. Technology — Many scholars note that Taoism is the father of technological development in China. Rooted in the philosophy of the Yellow Emperor, China’s legendary chief of antiquity, the goal of Taoism is to pursue a life of peace, health, and longevity. In this pursuit, Taoists developed alchemy, chemistry, biology, medicine, astronomy, and many other fields, and were considered advanced scientists in the world before the 17th Century. Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) wrote in his book Novum Organum: “... printing, gunpowder, and the compass. For these three have changed the appearance and the state of the whole world...” Without knowing that they were from China, Bacon praised these three technologies as the greatest inventions of mankind. All Rivers Flow Toward The Ocean Joseph Needham called the ancient civilizations “river cultures” as major cultures were developed independently along the world’s four great rivers. Besides China, the other three ancient civilizations were Babylonian in Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Egyptian around River Niles, and Indian along Ganges River. He analogized the modern civilization to "ocean culture," as all rivers flow toward the ocean and have become one giant melting pot. He wrote: “Certainly it is that no people or group of peoples has had a monopoly to the development of science. Their achievements should be mutually recognized and freely celebrated with the joined hands of universal brotherhood.” And we celebrate each other’s culture and arts as well. Copyright © 2003 by Ann K. Woo. All rights reserved.cpaa@comcast.net Note: Readers are encouraged to get more information from local libraries Bibliography
Introduction — The cosmopolitan Bay Area, encompassing the beautiful city of San Francisco and world-famous Silicon Valley, is renowned for its diversity. This diversity contributes to the area’s strength in business and quality of life. The Bay Area has the largest population of Chinese-descent in the US, and they have proudly preserved many aspects of the Chinese heritage including authentic Chinese cuisines, visual and performing arts, acupuncture, herbal medicine, tai chi, and more. In Silicon Valley, thousands of Chinese working in hi-tech industries are influenced by the philosophy of Confucius, which promotes a high respect for academic achievement. However, Chinese culture remains ambiguous to many people, sometimes even Chinese Americans themselves. As the global economy network continues to expand, there is a need to understand the culture of 20% of the world’s population, and Chinese Americans, who make up 10% of the Bay Area population, can serve as a bridge between the East and the West.. Founded in Silicon Valley as a nonprofit organization in 1991, CPAA is chartered to introduce Chinese culture as an integral part of American society through the performing arts. CPAA presents these arts of exceptional beauty and richness so that these cultural treasures can be shared by the world. Entertainment as well as education is the criteria for CPAA’s programing. Audiences will find the programs delightful, enchanting, and inspiring. It’s a wonderful way to experience the highlights of the Chinese culture without traveling to China. CPAA is the only company in the US with the artistic resources to produce professional and diverse Chinese performing arts programs on an on-going basis. In the last decade, CPAA has performed for over 400,000 people with 15% being youth under 17. CPAA has toured various cities, including San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Reno, Honolulu, Beijing, and many others. The Artists — CPAA's principal performers are professionally trained artists from China. They form the core of the performing company under the direction of the artistic team: Company Productions — CPAA’s repertoire is abundant, diverse, colorful, and powerful. It includes dance, music, martial arts, acrobatic, etc., and many are original works. A performance will be tailored to the theme and the stage size. Please visit CPAA’s website at ChinesePerformingArts.org. For contracted appearances and more information, call (408) 973-8276 or email to cpaa@comcast.net. Tel / Fax: 408-973-8276 • Email: cpaa@comcast.net
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Splendid Legacy
What is Chinese culture?
the Chinese and China?
Performing arts — Even older than hanzi, Chinese dance, music, and martial arts were developed from religious and hunting rituals that were daily activities of primitive tribes. The oldest Chinese musical instrument still played today is called “xun,” a clay pot with several wind holes, invented some 7,000 years ago. Chinese dances with props and costumes decorated with feathers can be traced back to celebration ceremonies after a successful hunt in prehistoric times.
As early as 200 BC in the Han Dynasty, performing arts described as “hundred acts” were highly sophisticated, even by today’s standards. Ancient paintings, literature and unearthed pottery revealed a full repertoire of performing arts such as:
• Martial arts incorporating swordplay, archery, fist sets, etc.
• Dances with fans, silk ribbons, lanterns, dragon props, etc.
• Solo & ensemble music, opera, etc.
• Magic acts involving cutting strings, disappearing and reappearing fish or human bodies, etc.
• Sports like wrestling, horse racing & games
One of the greatest teachers of all time, Confucius believed in “unbiased education for all learners.” He taught his students “six arts”:
• Music (including other performing arts)
• Horsemanship (including military skills)
• Archery (including martial arts)
• Literature (liberal arts)
• Arithmetic
The ancient Chinese were also credited for the inventions of silk, paper, porcelain, cast iron, the cross-bow, the kite, deep drilling, the wheelbarrow, the draw-loom, the wagon-mill, and many others, according to Joseph Needham (1900-1995). A member of Royal Society, and an accomplished biochemist and archeologist, Needham is recognized as the leading authority on the history of Chinese science and technology. In his 7-volume (20-parts) publication, Science and Civilisation in China, he lists 26 inventions transmitted from China to the West through the Middle East, while only naming four inventions originating in the West and migrating to China before the Industrial Revolution: the screw, the force-pump, the crankshaft, and clockwork. Needham concluded that the advancement of technology in the West is built on the technology learned from the East.
and from websites.
Websites:
Chinese Performing Artists of America (CPAA)
Artistic Director Yong Yao Award winning choreographer
Music Director Phil Young Award winning composer
Executive Director Ann Woo Executive producer
!! NEW !!
CPAA Arts Center — Opened since June 2004, CPAA Arts Center is a spacious 7,000 sq ft facility located above the ice skating rink inside Vallco Fashion Park in Cupertino, California. The Center providse various cross-culture and arts classess for adults and youth, including music, dance, children's drama, martial arts and visual arts. Instructors at CPAA Arts Center are resident artists of CPAA, each an accomplished artist in his/her own field. Please visit the CPAA Art Center and Artists pages for more information.
CPAA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations to CPA
A are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
Website: www.ChinesePerformingArts.org
Mailing address: CPAA, 22997 Standing Oak Court, Cupertino, CA 95014
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