Listen to authentic Chinese music for serenity
Courtesy of Xiaowei
(this piece takes a little time to download, but well worth the wait)
PanTasy And Legends
This is an interesting read. I was fortunate to stumble onto this site--
'Asiapac 100 Legendary Chinese Women',
and I hope you'll enjoy the stories, which are only some of the paragraphs
I've taken from the main site.
Sunü
In remote antiquity, within the land surrounding Chengdu to
a distance of three hundred li (0.5km), there was once a girl who used music to benefit mankind; a celestial maiden who had power to promote prosperity and growth. This girl is also the earliest example of a female master of the qin(an instrument similar to the zither) in China's historical records.
According to legend, Sunü was Huangdi's (the Yellow Emperor of the Legendary Era) maid and she perfected the art of the se(a kind of qin which has twenty-five strings). The qins made by the Paoxi tribe had fifty strings. When Huangdi asked Sunü to play a Paoxiqin, he found the sound clamorous and discordant.
Huangdi therefore ordered Sunü to remove twenty-five of the fifty strings. When she played the instrument again, the music was sweet and soothing. Huangdi commanded Sunü to reside in Chengdu and play the qin the whole year round because his cherished son, Houji, was buried in the fields surrounding Chengdu. Houji, a god of agriculture, had loved to listen to Sunü play the qin when he was alive.
Sunü plucked the qin gently, creating melodies and throughout the four seasons, the fields of Chengdu seemed to be covered with a glorious brocade; one hundred different crops sprang up unaided; water was plentiful and the grass lush; nothing withered in winter or summer and one hundred beasts lived side by side in harmony. In winter, the music from the qin would stir a warm breeze; in summer, it would summon refreshing showers. The sound of the qin transformed the region into a land worthy of the name "Land of Plenty" (a traditional name for Sichuan province of which Chengdu is the capital).
In Qingcheng Mountain, which is near to Chengdu, there is a place called 'Jade Girl Cave" Legend has it that Sunü would visit this cave to rest. It is said that even today, Sunü is present in the open fields of Sichuan.
Fufei
The legendary Emperor Fuxi had a daughter who was very delicate and sickly. Fragile and lonely, she was like a tender sapling swaying in the breeze. All who knew her believed that she would be a great beauty one day, yet her father paid her little attention.There were two reasons for his indifference: firstly, Fuxi had many daughters. Secondly, he preferred plump, robust women like his sister and his wife, Nuwa.
Fuxi's daughter, free to roam in the very bosom of nature, gradually matured to womanhood with the almost imperceptible passage of time. Although she had a pure heart to match her great beauty, Fuxi's daughter was often melancholic.
One day, she came to the banks of the Luo River, a tributary of the Yellow River, The girl's loveliness and sorrowful expressions intrigued the Luo River so much so that it began to woo her. Ripples appeared on the water and mist, like fine gauze, rose up from the surface and created the illusion of countless enchanting scenes. The girl saw river banks crowded with blossom trees; cliffs soaring skywards from deep, still pools; tiny rivulets like silver threads; mountainous waves, craggy peaks, gorges and long stretches of sandy beaches. Mesmerised, Fuxi's daughter gave herself to the water's embrace and was pulled down into its depths.
After some time, Fuxi noticed that one of his daughters was missing and went in search of her. Arriving at the Luo River, he noticed a slight ripple on the water. To his astonishment, he saw a woman of matchless beauty rise up and hover above the surface. Fixing her gaze on him, the lady gave a slight smile. Fuxi recognised her as his daughter, but only now was he aware of her flawless beauty. He chastised himself for having neglected to love her as a father should. The girl, however, could not be separated from the river. Fuxi, to make amends for his past behaviour, gave his daughter the title Luoshen, meaning Goddess Of The Luo.
The Illustrator
Lu Yanguang was born in Kaiping, Guandong province in 1348.
He is presently director of Guangzhou Art Gallery, vice-chairman of Guangzhou Artists'
Association and chief editor of Guangzhou Art Studies.
His published works since 1985 include Lu Yanguang's Album of illustrations,
Selected New Works of Lu Yanguang's illustrations, Album of Lingnan Sceery and
Legends,100 Chinese Women, I00 Chinese Emperors, 100 Chinese Gods, 100 Chinese
Scholars and 100 Chinese Monks.
A renowned artist, Lu Yanguang started his career by drawing illustrations and
cartoons. Instead of the traditional Chinese style of brush painting, each
character in this collection is a combination of the old - the dynastic eras of
ancient China, and the new - Lu Yanguang's refreshingly artistic technique of xiuxiang
hua (portraits in decorative style). His illustrations are characterised by a
strong sense of speed and rhythm.
The Translator
Kate Foster was born in Leeds in 1968. She graduated from
the University of Durham, UK in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Chinese
and Management Studies.
An avid traveller who has been to East Africa, Europe, the People's Republic
of China and Taiwan, her other interests include drama, music and literature.
Presently, she lives and works in Hong Kong.
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thanx for visiting!
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