China Real Estate

Hao linen, a schoolchild of the zone hit by the earthquake of the province of the Sichuan in the southwest of China, walked at the head of the Olympic delegation complicates at the time of the opening ceremony of the Olympic games of Beijing Friday evening.

Linen, aged of nine years, took the head of the delegation of 1 099 members, next to the basketteur Yao Ming, carrier of the national flag of China.

Linen is a pupil of the primary school of Yuzixi of the borough of Yingxiu, in the district of Wenchuan, epicenter of the devastating earthquake of magnitude 8 that shaken the province of the Sichuan and hiss neighboring regions May 12.

The disaster made more than 80 000 deaths or extinct as well as 10 millions of without shelters.

According to the medias, at the time of the earthquake, Li risked its life to save friends buried by collapsed buildings and endured several injuries. He saw himself awarding the title of Young Hero in the help to the disaster victims of the earthquake."

In dyes it ancient, the ritual of funeral ceremony was a lot more complex than today. When someone would die, one put him some sons of silk in the mouth to see if it breathed again. As in a lot of other ancient cultures, one conducted the recall of the soul, then to the bath and to the clothing of the body. One put food in its coffin or a piece of jade (that was supposed to protect the body of the decomposition). If the deceased was someone important, one buried it with its jewelry and precious objects.

The deceased's family came to collect itself and some Buddhist priests were invited to pray for the deceased's soul. The ceremony was long in prayers and laments, and complex in its progress, in particular if the deceased was a notable. Once the finished ceremony, the deceased's body was entérré and rejoingnait the god of soil.

Quarantes new days after the death, a funeral shelf was placed on the family's altar, that could make the mourning then. The mourning was characterized by the port of a shirt made of linen or in white hemp (the white is the color of the death dyes some).

Today, funeral ceremony simplified themselves considerably and were the opportunity to organize some banquets with the family and the friends. Besides, the Chinese government encourages the population has incinerate its deaths. In sign of mourning the family and the near carry more today of the colors beige or ecru, although the white remained present. It is of coputume to burn false tickets, ingots of gold, watches, etc. for the dead because one believes that there is a life after the death and that the deceased will need these objects.

The 4 of the month of April, at the time of the feast of the deaths (Festival of Qingming..), the Chinese of the farming regions come to honor the tombs of their forebears and make explode of the firecrackers and burn some tickets. If the ritual dimmed, today's Chinese remain nevertheless deeply respectful towards the memory of their deceased and their forebears.

The Festival cultural of Baosheng is a celebration that opens its doors every years in Xiamen in the province of the Fujian, in the East of China. During this feast, the Chinese venerate the god of medicine.

The festival cultural of Baosheng attracts every year of the thousands of visitors. Since several years, the believers of Baosheng Dadi, or "the emperor who protects life", come to participate in the évènement. They pray for health, the peace and the recovery of the patients.

The legend wants that doctor Baosheng Dadi, also known as Wu Ben, dedicated its life to the medical research has 300 years. He began to study the herbs and the acupuncture since its young age. During its life, he healed the thousands of people. The local people considers it as the god of medicine and the protector of life.

The believers think that Baosheng Dadi can grant their prayers.

The festival of three days incorporates various benefits artistic traditionelles, as the dance of the dragon and the one of the lion. They have been preserved well in their shapes traditionelles in the urban region. For this reason, this belief was registered on the list of the immaterial cultural heritage of China.

The cult in Baosheng Dadi in Taiwan could go back up to the dynasty of the Ming, when people of the Fujian emigrated to Taiwan.

Today, there are more than 4 hundred temples in honor of Baosheng Dadi in Taiwan.

The Pure Light, one of the 24 periods of the climatic year, is located between the 4 and April 6. Since its arrival, the temperature begins to go up and the precipitations increase. Consequently, it is the period of the ploughing and seedtimes. However, the Pure Light is not only a climatic period concerning the farmworks, but also a feast at a time sad and happy for the Chinese. First, it is the day where one honors the memory of the deaths. The Hans and a part of the minority ethnic groups offer in this day a sacrifice to their forebears or visit the tomb of their near parent or deceased friend. That day, one doesn't cook and one only eats cold food.

Before, the day preceding the feast of the Deaths was the feast of the cold Meal. People in the antique prolonged it to the feast of the Deaths. With time, the two feasts merged in one only.

During the feast of the Deaths, all cemeteries are filled with visitors and the roads leading to the cemeteries are jammed. Today, customs simplified themselves progressively. One first cleans the tomb, then offer of food, a bouquet of flowers and some objects that were pleasing to the deceased while alive, one burns some papers and finally one collected itself one minute and one tilts before the deceased.

Unlike the sadness, one also shares during the feast joy and the hope brought by the spring. The delicious day of spring and the reverdissement of the trees and herbs return the nature full of life. Since the antique, the Chinese have for tradition to make an excursion of spring during the Pure Light. One can see many excursionists going for a walk in magnificent sites or merely in the country.

To play the kite is another activity very appreciated by people during the feast. One not only makes it in the day, but also in the night! The small lanterns hung to the kites sparkle as the stars in the sky. One calls them " sacred lamps."

Before and after the feast, the rate of success of plantation of trees is the most elevated. Consequently, the Chinese took the habit to plant some trees to this period. The feast of the Deaths was even called before " day of reforestation". besides, March 12 is the national Day of reforestation legal of China since 1979.

The Feast Qingming (清明节 - the feast of the deaths) tomb April 4. That day, the Chinese go to the cemetery to do homage to the near defunct. The "Qing" word means "clarity", and "Ming" means brilliant. The feast announces the arrival of the spring and the exit of people after a long hivernage.

The previous day of Qingming is called Hanshi (cold food in French). This name has its origin in a historic anécdote:  During the Period of the Springs and Autonmes, to the 7th century, the Duke Xiao, the monarch of the state of Jin, fed the intention to deprive having it right of the prince heir Shen Sheng, his eldest son, to the profit of Li Ji, the child of hi favorite concubine. Later, Shen Sheng has been murdered, and the second son Chong'er ran away, having learned that the same leaves would fall to him.

The fugitive and his setting lived in wandering during 19 years. Without fire nor place. One day, he was to agony after several days of famine. One of his faithful topics, Jie Zitui, appropriated a piece of flesh on his own leg and served it to his master, who got quickly over his extreme weakness. In 636 J.C ave., Chong'er finally succeeded to go up on the throne, with the official title of the Duke Wen of the state of Jin. On the following day of his enthronement, he rewarded his continuation of time, without recalling itself yet the offering of Jie Zitui. This one, the broken heart, left the country. When the Duke remembered the fidelity of Jie later, he sent people to his research. Having learned his home, the Duke surrendered of it in person to ask him to forgive his carelessness and to return in the ducal palace. But Jie refused its offer and retired in the depths of the mountains, so that no one found it more. Some civil servants proposed the duke to fire the mountainous region to force Jie to take some and to assure him a comfortable life. The proposition has been accepted. One put fire in the mountains. The fire lasted three days. Jie Zitui has been found there, back to back to a big tree and structural on the back his mother. But they died all two.

Greatly sorry, the Duke enacted the construction of a monastery to the memory of his most faithful topic and the interdiction to light fire to the birthday of his death. The whole country had to eat the cold food that day that was called after "Hanshi."

Besides, one went the same day to the tomb of Jie Zitui to return him homage. It is only under the Dynasty of the Qings, 300 years ago about, that the custom to consume the cold meal on the day of "Hansi" has been supplanted by the tradition of Qingming, the one to offer some sacrifices to the forebears.

In the ancient China, Qingming was not the only day to make the sacrifice. The ceremonies of this kind were frequently held, at the rate of once by fifteen, without counting the other cults. Otherwise, the ritual of these ceremonies was as complex as expensive. Under the Dynasty of the Tang, in 732 after J.C. the Xuanzong empéreur, in order to reduce the ritual expenses, enacted that the ceremony to the memory of the forebears didn't take place that the day of Qingming and in the cemetery. This custom always keeps itself. In this opportunity, the descendants sweep the dead leaves, remove bad herbs and put all in order around the tombs. So Qingming is called him also the day of big cleaning. Around the Feast of the Deaths, the Pekinese affluent in Babaoshan, the biggest cemetery of the city, to do homage to their near defunct.
The Feast Qingming (the feast of the deaths) tomb April 4. That day, the Chinese go to the cemetery to do homage to the near defunct. The "Qing" word means "clarity", and "Ming" means brilliant. The feast announces the arrival of the spring and the exit of people after a long hivernage.

The previous day of Qingming is called Hanshi (cold food in French). This name has its origin in a historic anécdote:  During the Period of the Springs and Autonmes, to the 7th century, the Duke Xiao, the monarch of the state of Jin, fed the intention to deprive having it right of the prince heir Shen Sheng, his eldest son, to the profit of Li Ji, the child of his favorite concubine. Later, Shen Sheng has been murdered, and the second son Chong'er ran away, having learned that the same leaves would fall to him.

The fugitive and his setting lived in wandering during 19 years. Without fire nor place. One day, he was to agony after several days of famine. One of his faithful topics, Jie Zitui, appropriated a piece of flesh on his own leg and served it to his master, who got quickly over his extreme weakness. In 636 J.C ave., Chong'er finally succeeded to go up on the throne, with the official title of the Duke Wen of the state of Jin. On the following day of his enthronement, he rewarded his continuation of time, without recalling itself yet the offering of Jie Zitui. This one, the broken heart, left the country. When the Duke remembered the fidelity of Jie later, he sent people to his research. Having learned his home, the Duke surrendered of it in person to ask him to forgive his carelessness and to return in the ducal palace. But Jie refused its offer and retired in the depths of the mountains, so that no one found it more. Some civil servants proposed the duke to fire the mountainous region to force Jie to take some and to assure him a comfortable life. The proposition has been accepted. One put fire in the mountains. The fire lasted three days. Jie Zitui has been found there, back to back to a big tree and structural on the back his mother. But they died all two.

Greatly sorry, the Duke enacted the construction of a monastery to the memory of his most faithful topic and the interdiction to light fire to the birthday of his death. The whole country had to eat the cold food that day that was called after "Hanshi."

Besides, one went the same day to the tomb of Jie Zitui to return him homage. It is only under the Dynasty of the Qings, 300 years ago about, that the custom to consume the cold meal on the day of "Hansi" has been supplanted by the tradition of Qingming, the one to offer some sacrifices to the forebears.

In the ancient China, Qingming was not the only day to make the sacrifice. The ceremonies of this kind were frequently held, at the rate of once by fifteen, without counting the other cults. Otherwise, the ritual of these ceremonies was as complex as expensive. Under the Dynasty of the Tang, in 732 after J.C. the Xuanzong empéreur, in order to reduce the ritual expenses, enacted that the ceremony to the memory of the forebears didn't take place that the day of Qingming and in the cemetery. This custom always keeps itself. In this opportunity, the descendants sweep the dead leaves, remove bad herbs and put all in order around the tombs. So Qingming is called him also the day of big cleaning. Around the Feast of the Deaths, the Pekinese affluent in Babaoshan, the biggest cemetery of the city, to do homage to their near defunct.

Qingming is not only the day of cult, but also the sign annonciateur of the spring. A lot of poets under the Tang dedicated some verses to Qingming. Let's mention in example the poem of Han Hong:

    * The kittens bloom profusely through the capital, * A meaningful scene of the vernal landscape.
    * Under the breath of wind of is the day of the cold food, * The weeping willows bend themselves in the imperial court.
    * When the night falls mildly, * The candlesticks ignite in the Palace Han.
    * Toward the five big houses of the nobles, * flies off smoke silvered of the candles.

Qingming was also one of the favorite topics of the Chinese traditional paintings. Under the Song, Zhang Zeduan made a famous picture, title "Qingming Shanghetour (Scene of life along the stream the day of Qingming." This painting on silk (5.5-m long on 0.25-m large), one of the most precious of China, is in perfect conservation in the Museum of the Imperial Palace (Mentions it Forbidden Crimson) in Beijing. She represents a panoramic view of the social life of the time:  a road to intense circulation very close to the river, of the fairs on the fields, of the villages full of life, of the alleys crammed of people of various professions and various age,:  civil servants, merchants, soldiers, literate and carriers, as well as men, women, young and old. The picture totals about 500 people and about twenty beasts, without counting some vehicles, chairs to carriers, bridges and boats. He illustrates in a living way the festivities and the animation of the social life of then the day of Qingming.

The spring is the season of the kite, notably in the north of China, where he makes a lot of wind. The launching of this contraption is in vogue around Qingming. The kite could be invented there are more than 2000 years by a legendary woodworker named Read Proclamation. He was made primitively of wood, under the name of Propelled Yuan ("Propelled" means wood and "Yuan", "sparrow hawk"). This group of words means "sparrow hawk of wood." Later, he was called "Zhi Yuan", because the paper (that is pronounced "Zhi" in Chinese) has been used instead wood in the manufacture. The kite was not solely at the time an entertainment. He has been used to ends militiaires. The archives mention gigantic kites capable to carry a man in air, intended to observe the enemy's movements. 1 500 years ago, the Wudi empéreur used this contraption fly to throw some calls to the help, whereas he was besieged by hostile troops in Nanjing.

Under the Tang, one attached to the kite a thin plates bamboo, that vibrated to the breath of wind, producing the purr, a sound similar to the one of the Zheng, a Chinese musical instrument of time. Of or comes his name Chinese "Feng Zheng" (the group of words means "Zheng to wind").

Under the Qings, one frequently released the string when the kite took a high altitude, in the hope that the contraption left with the bad luck and the illnesses. On the other hand, the one that collected the abandoned kite could harvest the misfortune.

The fans liked the casting in the night. They hung to the string of small lanterns colored with lit in candles. The sky of night is sprinkled of "multicolored stars", when a dozen of kites hovered together in air.

Every spring, some Pekinese throw on the Place de Tiananmen of the kites of shapes and various measurements. The biggest is the dragon or the centipede of hundred-meter long, composed of hundred sections. The festival of the kite of Weifang, province of the Shandong (is China) attracts every year of the thousands of competitors and tourists come of all corners of the world.