#Western Han dynasty

[artifacts-archive]

Recumbent Stag

China, Western Han dynasty (206 B.C.–A.D. 9)

#artifact #China #Western Han Dynasty #sculpture

[chinesehanfu]

【Han Dynasty Artifact Reference】

China Western Han Dynasty Painted Female Figurines (early and middle period of Western Han）

・Plain yarn garment (straight) Mawangdui No. 1 Han Tomb (Xinzhui)

material: silk，size: dress length 132 cm, sleeve length 181.5 cm

[Hanfu · 漢服]Chinese Han Dynasty Traditional Clothing Hanfu Photoshoot【风露霓裳】

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📝 Plan： 成都临溪摄影

📸Photo： 何力

💄Stylist：  百丽 熊熊 ​​​

🧚🏻‍ Model： 弋歌

🔗Weibo：https://weibo.com/1648616372/N3L7fw0hT

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#chinese hanfu #Han Dynasty #western han dynasty #chinese history #hanfu art #hanfu #chinese traditional clothing #chinese #chinese coustume #chinese relics #hanfu accessories #chinese culture #China History #hanfu photoshoot #chinese historical fashion #漢服 #汉服 #成都临溪摄影 #何力 #百丽 熊熊 #弋歌 #风露霓裳

[yebreed]

Several shots from a clay installation, impressive for its verisimilitude. It reproduces a large-scale scene of traveling by horse-drawn carriages and the life of aristocratic manors in the Western Han Dynasty.

Qi Heritage Museum (齊文化博物館), Zibo, Shandong.

Photo: ©大关沿路拍

#ancient china #chinese art #chinese history #chinese culture #western han dynasty #chinese miniatures #miniature art #sculpture art #ancient tomb #archeology #clay #clay art #clay sculpting #figurine #pottery #ceramic art #ceramic #tomb art #chinese customs

[blueiskewl]

A Rare Western Han Dynasty Tomb Found in Southwest China

A well-preserved tomb, dating back to the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-25 AD), with a clear recorded year has been discovered in Wulong District of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, the Chongqing Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute said Tuesday.

This archaeological project is a rescue excavation and protection work carried out to forge cooperation with the Baima project, the last of a cascade of hydropower stations on the section of the Wujiang River in Chongqing.

With the approval of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the Chongqing Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute set up a work team of more than 20 people from different archaeology research institutes and universities to excavate the site in March this year.

According to Huang Wei, the leader of the archaeological project, a collection of tombs dating from the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD) to the Six Dynasties period (222-589) were newly discovered as part of this project. Among them, the tomb dating back to the Western Han Dynasty was the most important, and more than 600 precious cultural relics such as lacquerware, wood ware, bamboo ware, pottery and bronze ware were unearthed from the tomb.

Due to the tomb being filled with water throughout the year, it remains undisturbed and unharmed, and the funerary objects in the tomb are well preserved.

"What is exciting about this discovery is not just the large number of unearthed artifacts but also the list of burial items containing a precise year record, which has been verified as 193 BC, providing clarity on the tomb's burial timeframe. An unearthed jade ware from the tomb shows the prominent position of the tomb owner," Huang said.

The list of burial items found in the tomb is complete and clearly records the name, quantity and size of the funerary objects.

The tomb discovered this time is the one containing the largest quantity of lacquered wood and bamboo wares ever found at one time in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in China, said Bai Jiujiang, head of the Chongqing Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute.

Based on publicly available information, it is also the earliest tomb of the Western Han Dynasty found in China, with a clear recorded year, according to Bai.

This is a major archaeological discovery regarding the Qin and Han Dynasties in the Wujiang River Basin, offering physical evidence and important basic research materials for future study of burial customs and the comparative analysis of famous artifacts from the early Western Han Dynasty, according to the archaeologists.

#A Rare Western Han Dynasty Tomb Found in Southwest China #Tomb Holding Hundreds of Ancient Relics Unearthed in China #Western Han Dynasty #ancient tomb #ancient grave #grave goods #ancient artifacts #archeology #archeolgst #history #history news #ancient history #ancient culture #ancient civilizations #ancient china #chinese history #chinese art

[art-from-within]

||Remembering Loss|

#artists on tumblr #art #pride art #hanfu #western han dynasty #lgbtq artwork

[beehunni62]

The Advisors Alliance Mini Encyclopedia Translation - Post 15: Revolt of the Seven States

The Advisors Alliance 大军师司马懿之军师联盟 is a 2017 two-part Chinese TV series depicting the life of Sima Yi, a government official and military strategist who lived during the late Eastern Han Dynasty 东汉 (25 CE - 220 CE) and the Three Kingdoms Period 三国時代 (220 CE - 280 CE). [Wikipedia of the show’s first season]

The second part is titled Growling Tiger Roaring Dragon 虎啸龙吟 and keeps following Sima Yi’s life as he matures and becomes wiser [Link to the show’s second season’s MyDramaList page].

The Weibo account [Link] of the show made a series of posts in the style of small encyclopedias explaining different historical and cultural facts that where included in the series. The user @moononmyfloor compiled the 50 posts and asked me to translate them. This will be an ongoing series where I will do just that. Although I tried to stay as close as possible to the original text, I had to take some liberties in some posts to get the meaning across better. On the side, I have included extra information from personal research that explains certain things better.

The posts are not in order of the episodes but I will provide the episode and season number to avoid confusion. If there are any mistakes in translation, do let me know in the comments or privately message me and I will do my best to fix them.

If it is difficult to read the letters, tap or click on the image to expand it. Without more preamble, here you go.

Extra information

Below is a handy map to picture the conflict better:

Map showcasing the states involved in the Revolt of the Seven States (154 BCE) created by Wikipedia user Seasonsinthesun. Posted July 8, 2017. I added the black arrows and names of the historical figures involved for readers’ convenience [image source].

Let me clarify something. 王 is “king” in Chinese. However, that title only applies to a ruler in ancient China before it became an empire and the title “emperor” 皇帝 was created. Thus, when we are talking about pre-imperial China, in English, the title 王 is translated as “king”. Once China unified and became an empire, to appease regional lords of states, the emperors allowed them to keep the title of “王” while the emperors took the title of 皇帝. However, in English, we, for the most part, do not translate the rulers of states after China unified as “kings”. Instead, we translate them as “princes”. It’s important to note that the phrase “大王” Great King (His Majesty) was used by emperors in ancient China despite containing 王. The further back we go, the blurrier it gets between 皇帝 and 王 and, sometimes, some 皇帝 preferred to go by 王 instead.

When Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, ascended to the imperial throne, he took the title of 皇帝 and gave his allies land (states) that would operate as their own (mostly) independent kingdoms and granted them the title of “王” (Prince). Nevertheless, he had them all killed and replaced by his own kin, the Liu clan. That’s why, in the post above, you see so many princes with the names “Liu”. This was a terrible miscalculation because, in consolidating more power for his family, Liu Bang (Emperor Gaozu of Han) created a fractured empire with kingdoms that were independent and even minted their own coins (created their own currency). This independence made these states unwilling to follow the orders and laws of the central government (the imperial court).

By the reign of emperor Jing of Han, the personal relationship between him and several vassal princes was gravely strained thanks, in no small part, to Jing (then crown prince Qi) killing the vassal Prince of Wu, Liu Pi’s heir apparent, Liu Xian. Crown prince Qi and Liu Xian, while drunk, disagreed over the rules of the board game they were playing called Liubo 六博, a chess-like game tied to divination. Seeing as how Liu Xian, who was from a lower rank as the son of a vassal prince, dared to staunchly disagree with the crown prince, Qi, in what could only be described as a fit of drunken derangement, grabbed the hefty wood board, scattering the pieces to the ground, and proceeded to violently bludgeon Liu Xian in the head, eventually killing him. That act, along with the Vassal Domain Reduction Policy, triggered Liu Pi to start a revolt against centralized power. Below is what a Liubo set looks like:

Lacquered Liubo chess set excavated from Han Tomb No.3 (believed to have been of the son of the Marquis of Dai), Mawangdui, Changsha city, Hunan. Early Western Han (206 BCE – 25 CE), 12th year of Emperor Han Wendi (168 BCE). This Liubo set was around the time period of Crown Prince Qi and is likely to resemble the actual set he used to kill Liu Pi’s son, Liu Xian. This set is currently at the Hunan Provicial Museum.

A close up of a pair of Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 CE) ceramic tomb figurines of two gentlemen playing Liubo. Earthenware figures displayed at the Met Museum [image source].

Note: The two Liu Xian mentioned here aren’t the same. They are both called Liu Xian and both names are written as 刘贤 (Trad. 劉賢) but one is the Prince of Zichuan and the other is the son of Liu Pi.

Note: Another name that repeats is Liu Wu. There are two different Liu Wu. The first is Liu Wu 刘戊 (Trad. 劉戊) Prince of Chu, ally to Liu Pi, and the other is 刘武 (Trad. 劉武), Prince of Liang, ally to Emperor Jing.

The “good judgement” on the part of Zhou Yafu in the text refers to him purposely disobeying Emperor Jing’s orders to save Prince of Liang, Liu Wu. Instead, Zhou, opted to cut off the supply lines of the states Chu and Wu creating a decisive defeat for those two states and a victory for the emperor and Zhao.

Catalogue (Find the rest of the posts)

#chinese history #chinese culture #history #the advisors alliance #eastern han dynasty #western han dynasty #han dynasty #liubo #ancient chinese board game #revolt of the seven states #rebellion of the seven states #rebellion of the seven kingdoms #cao pi #sima yi #emperor jing of han #emperor wen of han

[panicinthestudio]

Roof tile end with tiger

Western Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 9), China

Earthenware

Diam. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm); D. 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm)

In ancient Chinese cosmology, the tiger symbolizes the western quadrant of the four cardinal directions. The animal was depicted on molded bricks, roof tiles, and walls of buildings to protect the living, as well as on architectural parts of tomb chambers to guard the deceased in the afterlife.

Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

#Western Han dynasty #Han dynasty #Chinese #tiger #art #art history #earthenware #ceramic #The Met #Metropolitan Museum of Art #1st century #symbolism #Four Symbols #四象

[a-modern-major-general]

The Han Dynasty (202 BCE - 220 CE) was the second dynasty of Imperial China (the era of centralized, dynastic government, 221 BCE - 1912 CE) which established the paradigm for all succeeding dynasties up through 1912 CE. It succeeded the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE) and was followed by the Period of the Three Kingdoms (220-280 CE).

It was founded by the commoner Liu Bang (l. c. 256-195 BCE; throne name: Gaozu r. 202-195 BCE) who worked toward repairing the damage caused by the repressive regime of the Qin through more benevolent laws and care for the people. The dynasty is divided into two periods:

Western Han (also Former Han): 202 BCE - 9 CE

Eastern Han (also Later Han): 25-220 CE

The separation is caused by the rise of the regent Wang Mang (l. 45 BCE - 23 CE) who declared the Han Dynasty finished and established the Xin Dynasty (9-23 CE). Wang's idealistic form of government failed and, after a brief period of turmoil, the Han Dynasty resumed.

Gaozu initially retained the Qin Dynasty's philosophy of Legalism but with less severity. Legalism gave way to Confucianism under the most famous monarch of the Han, Emperor Wu (also given as Wudi, Wuti, Wu the Great, r. 141-87 BCE) who, among his many other impressive achievements, also opened the Silk Road, establishing trade with the West. The Han also negotiated a peace, which was more or less observed, with the nomadic peoples of the Xiongnu and Xianbi to the north and the Xirong to the west which stabilized the borders and encouraged peace and cultural development in the arts and sciences. Many of the commonplace items taken for granted today were invented by the Han such as the wheelbarrow, the compass, the adjustable wrench, seismograph, and paper, to name only a few.

The Han also restored the cultural values of the Zhou Dynasty, which had been discarded by the Qin, encouraged literacy, and the study of history. The historian Sima Qian (l. 145/35-86 BCE) lived during this period whose Records of the Grand Historian set the standard and form for Chinese historical writings up through the 20th century CE. Chinese mythology and religion also developed during this time including the popular messianic movement focused on the Queen Mother of the West.

By c. 130 CE, however, the imperial court had become corrupt with eunuchs exercising more actual power than the Chinese emperor. By the time of the emperor Lingdi (r. 168-189 CE), the Han royal house had less actual authority than the palace eunuchs and the generals (who were more or less autonomous warlords) stationed at the borders of the country. In 184 CE, the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out in response to high taxes and famine and these generals put it down.

Among them was Cao Cao (l. 155-220 CE) who, afterwards, waged war against his fellow commanders for control of the state. He was defeated at the Battle of Red Cliffs in 208 CE after which the country was divided between three kingdoms and the Han Dynasty fell. Its legacy is so profound that it continues to the present day and the majority of ethnic Chinese refer to themselves as Han People (Han rem) proudly in identifying themselves as descendants of the great ancient dynasty.

#studyblr #history #military history #politics #chinese politics #philosophy #trade #invention #qin dynasty #han dynasty #western han dynasty #eastern han dynasty #xin dynasty #three kingdoms #chu-han contention #yellow turban rebellion #battle of red cliffs #china #emperor gaozu of han #wang mang #emperor wu of han #sima qian #emperor ling of han #cao cao #legalism #confucianism #silk road

[moononmyfloor]

Hi Producer (正好遇见你) Infodump

Disclaimer: I have no idea about the accuracy of the information shared in the drama, I'm merely transcribing for future reference purposes. Proceed with caution!

.

Ep 7 cont: Costume History Through Paintings (Pt 1, Pt 3)

Western Han Dynasty: T-shaped Silk Painting From Mawangdui Tomb 1

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Jin Dynasty: "The Admonitions of the Instructress of the Court Ladies"

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Tang Dynasty: "Emperor Taizong Receiving the Tibetan Envoys"

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Tang Dynasty: "Court Ladies Preparing the Newly Woven Silk"

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More Hi Producer Posts

#cdrama #chinese drama #chinese history #fashion history #Hi Producer #Western Han dynasty #Jin Dynasty #Tang Dynasty #chinese painting #正好遇见你

[ancientstuff]

They've had a good year, archaeologically-wise, in China with some pretty outstanding discoveries.

#archaeology #ancient china #Western Han Dynasty tomb #intact tomb

[romanceyourdemons]

imagining a song dynasty assassin who disguises themself as an official and puts razor blades on the ridiculously long wings of their hat a la oddjob in goldfinger (1964). they spin around and decapitate a quarter of the court

#lame that i keep on having these song dynasty specific ideas when my current writing project is based on the western han dynasty #ryddles

[artifacts-archive]

Pair of Braziers (Lu) with Eared Cups (Erbei)

China, late Western Han or early Eastern Han, 1st century B.C./1st century A.D.

Eared cups with warming stands were probably used to heat sauces for meat. Each side of these warming stands is cast with one of the Animals of the Four Directions (si shen)—the Green Dragon of the East, the White Tiger of the West, the Black Warrior (tortoise and snake) of the North, and the Red Bird of the South. In Han art, the pervasive appearance of these symbolic animals reflects a desire to center the owner within the favorable influences of the universe.

#artifact #China #Western Han Dynasty #Eastern Han Dynasty #brazier

[chinesehanfu]

【Han Dynasty Historical Reference Artifacts】:  

As early as the late Western Han Dynasty(206 BCE-25S CE), the High hair bun became popular, and it was no longer limited to the low hairstyle like early Western Han Dynasty (put the hair down and tied behind the back). Moreover, high hair bun it has been popular until the Eastern Han Dynasty(25–220)  and Wei & Jin Dynasty. According to the "Ballad in the City《城中谣》" of the Han Dynasty: 

城中好高髻，四方高一尺。 城中好广眉，四方且半额。 城中好大袖，四方全匹帛。

【Translate】

High buns are popular in the city, and people all over the world have buns that are one foot taller.

Wide eyebrow are popular in the city, and people in the world draw(eyebrow) half their foreheads.

Big sleeves are popular in the city, and people all over the world use whole pieces of cloth to make them.

※" Ballad in the City 《城中谣》" is a folk song in "Yuefu Poetry Collection Miscellaneous Songs and Ballads《乐府诗集·杂歌谣辞》". On the surface, it talks about the fashion and its variation in the Han Dynasty, but actually satirizes the social atmosphere of blindly following the trend at that time.

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In addition, There were also changes in the way of dressing in the Western Han Dynasty and Eastern Han Dynasty Period.

Left：Murals of the Eastern Han Dynasty from Dahuting Han tombs

Right: female pottery figurines of the Western Han Dynasty (presumably early Western Han Dynasty)

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Western Han Dynasty Mural Tomb unearthed from Xi'an University of Technology↓

Western Han Dynasty Mural,Unearthed from Cuizhuyuan Tomb No lin Qujiang New District of Xi'an, Shaanxi, in 2008

Western Han Dynasty Murals, Luoyang Museum Collection

Eastern Han Dynasty Mural in Lujiazhuang, Anping County/安平县逯家庄东汉壁画墓

[Hanfu · 漢服]Chinese Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 A.D.) Traditional Clothing Hanfu Photoshoot

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📸Photo：@松果sir

👗Hanfu：@桑纈

📍Filming Location: Minhou, Fuzhou,China

🔗Weibo：https://weibo.com/3250619702/N4GoJiBmz

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#chinese hanfu #Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 A.D.) #western han dynasty #chinese history #chinese traditional clothing #hanfu history #chinese archeology #chinese #chinese historical fashion #hanfu #hanfu photoshoot #China History #hanfu accessories #hanfu artifacts #漢服 #汉服 #松果sir #桑纈

[blueiskewl]

The Tomb of Marquis of Haihun in China

Dethroned after 27 days, the shortest reign among Western Han emperors, Liu He (92-59 B.C.), master of the Haihunhou Tomb, was banished as a commoner, and later allowed to reside near a lake and given the title of the Marquis of Haihun. He died in his early 30s.

Such vicissitudes might have deprived his life of imperial glory, but the relics unearthed from his tomb tell a different story, revealing a dynasty's grandeur.

The tomb near Nanchang, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province, turns out to be the best-preserved Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD) cemetery ever found, with the most integrate structure, distinct layout and complete sacrificial system.

One of China's top ten archaeological discoveries in 2015, the tomb has yielded the largest number of relics boasting of  the most variety and the finest craftsmanship in Jiangxi.

Among a raft of  relics including gold, bronze, and jade artifacts, archaeologists discovered a broken lacquer "screen" in the main chamber of the tomb and restored two portraits, one of which is believed to be the earliest portrait of Confucius ever found in China.

Also unearthed were more than 5,000 pieces of bamboo slips of Confucian classics, indicating the prevalence of Confucius' teachings among the royal more than 2,000 years ago.

The Qi version of The Analects of Confucius, which had been lost for about 1,800 years, was found in the unearthed bamboo slips which have been subject to infrared scanning and are ready for further study.

It is also the only tomb with a chariot burial site in the south of the Yangtze River. Five well-preserved horse-drawn vehicles, each with four sacrificed horses, were found, indicating that the owner was among the highest echelons of the Han Dynasty.

Liu, the marquis, was the  grandson of Emperor Wu, whose reign ushered in  a  prosperous period  of the Han Dynasty that is believed on a par with the reign of the first emperor of Qin Dynasty.

"To know Emperor Qin and his dynasty through archaeological artifacts, one can turn to Terra-cotta Warriors. Nevertheless, before the Haihunhou tomb, there were not many artifacts for an in-depth study of Emperor Wu," said Yang Jun, a researcher at the Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the leading archaeologist.

In Yang's view, the Haihunhou tomb shed light on the mightiness of the Han Dynasty as all treasures bearing the mark of the marquis had been buried with him.

The 4 million unearthed Wuzhu bronze coins attested to the dynasty's opulence. This finding  is the first hard evidence of the Chinese using a string of 1,000 coins as a monetary unit, pushing the original date back 600 years.

#The Tomb of Marquis of Haihun in China #Liu He #western han dynasty #emperor #royal grave #royal tomb #ancient grave #ancient tomb #ancient cemetery #ancient artifacts #archeology #archeolgst #gold #gold coins #treasure #history #history news #ancient history #ancient culture #ancient civilizations #ancient chin #chinese history

[consortmadness]

Imperial Chinese Harem Systems part 3

Western Han

Empress (皇后 ; huáng hòu)

Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; zhāo yí)

Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; jié yú), created by Emperor Wu

Lady of Graceful Beauty (娙娥; xíng é), created by Emperor Wu

Lady of Lovely Countenance (容華; róng huá), created by Emperor Wu

Lady of Complete Deportment (充衣; chōng yī), created by Emperor Wu

Beauty (美人; měi rén)

Virtuous Lady (良人; liáng rén)

Consort (八子; bā zi)

Lady (七子; qī zi)

Senior Palace Woman (長使; zhǎng shǐ)

Junior Palace Woman (少使; shǎo shǐ)

Lady for Miscellaneous Uses (五官; wǔ guān)

Lady of Complaisant Constancy (順常; shùn cháng)

Lady Without Impurity (舞涓; wǔ juān), Lady of Reverent Gentleness (共和; gòng hé), Lady who Pleases the Spirit (娛靈; yú líng), Lady who Could Comfort a Multitude (保林; bǎo lín), Lady of Excellent Employment (良使; liáng shǐ), Lady for Night Attendance (夜者; yè zhě)

The principal wife of the Crown Prince was called (妃; fēi). There also exists a sub-ranking system for concubines; they were called Ladies of Excellence (良娣; liáng dì) and (孺人; rú rén). For grandchildren of the Emperor, their principal wives were called Madame (夫人; fū rén). Concubines for these people have no titles, and were simple called (家人子; jiā rén zǐ).

Eastern Han

Empress (皇后; huáng hòu)

Noble Lady (貴人; guì rén)

Beauty (美人; měi rén)

Courtier (宮人; gōng rén)

Talented Lady (才女; cǎi nǚ

No limits were set for these consorts. This later created situations when more than 20,000 women were living in the palace during the reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling.

Three Kingdoms

Cao Wei

During the reign of Cao Cao (who was not an emperor but a king):

Queen (王后; wáng hòu)

Madame (夫人; fū rén)

Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; zhāo yí)

Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; jié yú)

Lady of Lovely Countenance (容華; róng huá)

Beauty (美人; měi rén)

During the reign of Emperor Wen:

Empress (皇后; huáng hòu)

Madame (夫人; fū rén)

Noble Imperial Concubines (貴嬪; guì pín)

Lady of Pure Beauty (淑媛; shū yuàn)

Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; zhāo yí)

Lady of Cultivated Countenance (修容; xiū róng)

Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; jié yú)

Lady of Lovely Countenance (容華; róng huá)

Lady of Humble Capability (順成; shùn chéng)

Beauty (美人; měi rén)

Virtuous Lady (良人; liáng rén)

During the reign of Emperor Ming:

Empress (皇后; huáng hòu)

Madame (夫人; fū rén)

Noble Imperial Concubines (貴嬪; guì pín)

Pure Consort (淑妃; shū fēi)

Lady of Pure Beauty (淑媛; shū yuàn)

Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; zhāo yí)

Lady of Bright Magnificence (昭華; zhāo huá)

Lady of Cultivated Countenance (修容; xiū róng)

Lady of Cultivated Deportment (修儀; xiū yí)

Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; jié yú)

Lady of Lovely Countenance (傛華; rǒng huá)

Beauty (美人; měi rén)

Virtuous Lady (良人; liáng rén)

Northern & Southern Dynasties

Liu Song

1 Empress (皇后; huáng hòu)

3 Madames (夫人; fū rén) Noble Imperial Concubines (貴嬪; guì pín), Consort (夫人; fū rén), and Noble Lady (貴人; guì rén)

9 Imperial Concubines (嬪; pín) Pure Consort (淑妃; shū fēi), Lady of Pure Beauty (淑媛; shū yuàn), Lady of Warm Ceremony (淑儀; shū yí), Lady of Cultivated Splendidness (修華; xiū huá), Lady of Cultivated Countenance (修容; xiū róng), Lady of Cultivated Deportment (修儀; xiū yí), Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; jié yú), Lady of Everlasting Splendidness (傛華; yǒng huá), and Lady of Sufficient Splendidness (充華; chōng huá)

Beauty (美人; měi rén)

From 456, during the reign of Emperor Xiaowu:

1 Empress (皇后; huáng hòu)

3 Madames (夫人; fū rén) Noble Consort (貴妃; guì fēi), Noble Imperial Concubines (貴嬪; guì pín), and Noble Lady (貴人; guì rén)

9 Imperial Concubines (嬪; pín) Pure Consort (淑妃; shū fēi), Lady of Pure Beauty (淑媛; shū yuàn), Lady of Warm Ceremony (淑儀; shū yí), Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; zhāo yí), Lady of Bright Countenance (昭容; zhāo róng), Lady of Bright Splendidness (昭華; zhāo huá), Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; jié yú), Lady of Lovely Countenance (容華; róng huá), and Lady of Sufficient Splendidness (充華; chōng huá)

Beauty (美人; měi rén)

Lady of Regular Talents (中才人; zhōng cái rén)

Lady of Complete Deportment (充衣; chōng yī)

From the reign of Emperor Ming:

1 Empress (皇后; huáng hòu)

3 Madames (夫人; fū rén) Noble Consort (貴妃; guì fēi), Noble Imperial Concubines (貴嬪; guì pín), and Noble Concubine (貴姬; guì jī)

9 Imperial Concubines (嬪; pín) Lady of Pure Beauty (淑媛; shū yuàn), Lady of Pure Deportment (淑儀; shū yí), Lady of Pure Countenance (淑容; shū róng), Lady of Bright Splendidness (昭華; zhāo huá), Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; zhāo yí), Lady of Bright Countenance (昭容; zhāo róng), Lady of Cultivated Splendidness (修華; xiū huá), Lady of Cultivated Deportment (修儀; xiū yí), and Lady of Cultivated Countenance (修容; xiū róng)

5 (職; zhí)

Handsome Fairness (婕妤; jié yú)

Lady of Lovely Countenance (容華; róng huá)

Lady of Sufficient Countenance (充華; chōng huá)

Lady of Inherit Honor (承徽; chéng huī)

Lady of Kind Honor (列榮; liè róng)

Beauty (美人; měi rén)

Lady of Regular Talents (中才人; zhōng cái rén)

Lady of Talents (才人; cái rén)

Lady of Virtue (良人; liáng rén)

Lady of Complete Deportment (充衣; chōng yī)) Handsome Fairness (婕妤; jié yú)Lady of Lovely Countenance (容華; róng huá), Lady of Sufficient Countenance (充華; chōng huá), Lady of Inherit Honor (承徽; chéng huī), and Lady of Kind Honor (列榮; liè róng)

Beauty (美人; měi rén)

Lady of Regular Talents (中才人; zhōng cái rén)

Lady of Talents (才人; cái rén)

Lady of Virtue (良人; liáng rén)

Lady of Complete Deportment (充衣; chōng yī)

#historical chinese harem system #western han #eastern han #three kingdoms #cao wei #northern and southern dynasties #liu song

[beehunni62]

Advisors Alliance Mini Encyclopedia Translation Post 19: Dogwood

The Advisors Alliance 大军师司马懿之军师联盟 is a 2017 two-part Chinese TV series depicting the life of Sima Yi, a government official and military strategist who lived during the late Eastern Han Dynasty 东汉 (25 CE - 220 CE) and the Three Kingdoms Period 三国時代 (220 CE - 280 CE). [Wikipedia of the show’s first season]

The second part is titled Growling Tiger Roaring Dragon 虎啸龙吟 and keeps following Sima Yi’s life as he matures and becomes wiser [Link to the show’s second season’s MyDramaList page].

The Weibo account [Link] of the show made a series of posts in the style of small encyclopedias explaining different historical and cultural facts that where included in the series. The user @moononmyfloor compiled the 50 posts and asked me to translate them. This will be an ongoing series where I will do just that. Although I tried to stay as close as possible to the original text, I had to take some liberties in some posts to get the meaning across better. On the side, I have included extra information from personal research that explains certain things better.

The posts are not in order of the episodes but I will provide the episode and season number to avoid confusion. If there are any mistakes in translation, do let me know in the comments or privately message me and I will do my best to fix them.

If it is difficult to read the letters, tap or click on the image to expand it. Without more preamble, here you go.

There’s a typo. I meant “Ming Dynasty” not “Mind Dynasty”.

Extra information:

Double Ninth Festival, also known as Double Yang Festival and Chongyang Festival, is a Chinese holiday celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth month in the traditional Chinese calendar. It’s called the Double Yang Festival 重阳节 [Trad. 重陽節] because nine, in Chinese culture, was regarded to be a Yang number (6 was Yin). As such, the ninth day of the nine month was considered to have very strong Yang energy and, thus, was auspicious. People celebrated it by climbing high places such as mountains (from there the festival also came to be known as the Height Ascending Festival 登高节), drinking chrysanthemum wine, eating chrysanthemum cakes, appreciating chrysanthemum flowers, wearing dogwood branches on the hair, and visiting the graves of ancestors to leave food, drinks, and gifts. The tradition of climbing mountains likely came from the worship of mountains as ancient Chinese people climbed them to pray and receive blessings from the gods and/or ancestors. The Double Ninth Festival predates the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Like all other traditional Chinese holidays, poets wrote poems dedicated to celebrating the auspicious days. The fragment of the poem that is mentioned at the beginning of the post is one taught to children in China in elementary school. It’s by the Tang poet Wang Wei 王维 and it’s titled 《九月九日忆山东兄弟》 [Trad. 《九月九日憶山東兄弟》]. Below is the poem in both simplified and traditional Chinese. I will leave a translation made by American Poet Witter Bynner below.

Traditional:

獨在異鄉為異客，

每逢佳節倍思親。

遙知兄弟登高處，

遍插茱萸少一人。

Simplified:

独在异乡为异客，

每逢佳节倍思亲。

遥知兄弟登高处，

遍插茱萸少一人。

Translation (On the Mountain Holiday Thinking of my Brothers in Shandong)

All alone in a foreign land,

I am twice as homesick on this day.

When brothers carry dogwood up the mountain,

Each of them a branch -- and my branch missing.

The three sacrificial animals 三牲 changed depending on the dynasty. For instance, nowadays, people associate the three sacrificial animals with chicken, pork, and fish. However, in the time of the Western Zhou Dynasty, people referred to the three sacrificial animals as cow, sheep, and pig. Variations also include chicken, duck (or geese), and fish. Another variation involves five animals instead of three: chicken, duck, pork, fish, and squid. The purpose of animal sacrifice was to ask the gods and ancestors for protection and/or blessings.

Picture showcasing the five animal sacrifices 五牲 of chicken, pork, fish, duck, and squid [image source].

Catalogue (find the rest of the posts):

#chinese culture #chinese history #the advisors alliance #history #food history #food #dogwood #double yang festival #eastern han dynasty #western zhou dynasty #three kingdoms #wang wei #chinese poetry