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⚫ | '''Chinese folklore''' encompasses the folklore of [[China]], and includes songs, poetry, dances, puppetry, and tales. It often tells stories of [[human nature]], historical or legendary events, love, and the supernatural. The stories often explain [[List of natural phenomena|natural phenomena]] and distinctive landmarks.<ref>Giskin, Howard. ''Chinese Folktales.'' (NTC Publishing Group, Chicago, 1997). {{ISBN|0-8442-5927-6}}.</ref> Along with [[Chinese mythology]], it forms an important element in [[Chinese folk religion]]. |
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⚫ | '''Chinese folklore''' encompasses the [[folklore]] of [[China]], and includes songs, poetry, dances, puppetry, and tales. It often tells stories of [[human nature]], historical or legendary events, love, and the supernatural. The stories often explain [[List of natural phenomena|natural phenomena]] and distinctive landmarks.<ref>Giskin, Howard. ''Chinese Folktales.'' (NTC Publishing Group, Chicago, 1997). {{ISBN|0-8442-5927-6}}.</ref> Along with [[Chinese mythology]], it forms an important element in [[Chinese folk religion]]. |
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==Folktales== |
==Folktales== |
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In the "Chinese myth of the Moon Goddess, [[Chang'e]]", frogs and toads are a symbol of wealth and prosperity as well as symbolize fertility, regeneration, yin, and immortality. It is said that there were ten suns exposing the earth in the ancient times. [[Hou Yi]] who was an archer as well as the husband of Chang'e, he shot down nine suns from the sky with his bow and arrow. For expressing gratitude god rewarded him with pill which is an immortal elixir. In some versions of this tale, Chang'e took the pill for in avarice and she transformed into a three-legged Ch'an Chu and eventually flew to the moon. Hou Yi loved his wife so much that God allowed him to reunite annually with Chang'e at moment of the full moon on the 15th of August in Chinese lunar calendar, which is the celebration of Mid-Autumn Festival. From then on, the moon and Chang'e relate to the toad comprise the significance eternal and reunion.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog, Adder's Fork and Lizard's Leg : The Lore and Mythology of Amphibians and Reptiles|last=Crump|first=Martha L|publisher= University of Chicago Press.|year=2015|isbn=9780226116143|location= Chicago |pages=87–88}}</ref> |
In the "Chinese myth of the Moon Goddess, [[Chang'e]]", frogs and toads are a symbol of wealth and prosperity as well as symbolize fertility, regeneration, yin, and immortality. It is said that there were ten suns exposing the earth in the ancient times. [[Hou Yi]] who was an archer as well as the husband of Chang'e, he shot down nine suns from the sky with his bow and arrow. For expressing gratitude god rewarded him with pill which is an immortal elixir. In some versions of this tale, Chang'e took the pill for in avarice and she transformed into a three-legged Ch'an Chu and eventually flew to the moon. Hou Yi loved his wife so much that God allowed him to reunite annually with Chang'e at moment of the full moon on the 15th of August in Chinese lunar calendar, which is the celebration of Mid-Autumn Festival. From then on, the moon and Chang'e relate to the toad comprise the significance eternal and reunion.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog, Adder's Fork and Lizard's Leg : The Lore and Mythology of Amphibians and Reptiles|last=Crump|first=Martha L|publisher= University of Chicago Press.|year=2015|isbn=9780226116143|location= Chicago |pages=87–88}}</ref> |
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==Study |
==Study== |
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Chinese folklore began to gain popularity around the 1910s, as an area of study with the movement to formally adopt [[Vernacular Chinese]] as the language of education and literature. Because Vernacular Chinese was the dialect in which most folklore was created, this movement brought to scholars' attention to the influences that Vernacular Chinese folklore had upon classical literature. [[Hu Shih]] of the [[Peking University]], who had published several articles in support of the adoption of Vernacular Chinese, concluded that when Chinese writers drew their inspiration from folk traditions such as traditional tales and songs, Chinese literature experienced a renaissance. When writers neglected these sources, they lost touch with the people of the nation. A new emphasis on the study of folklore, Hu concluded, could therefore usher in a new renaissance of Chinese literature.<ref name="Folktales of China" /> |
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The Folksong Studies Movement became a key contributor to establishing Chinese folklore as a modern academic discipline. This movement was founded by students and professors at Peking University in 1918. They were successful in creating a field of study that focused on literature pertaining to Chinese folklore and attempted to bring to light the early traditions and culture of Chinese folklore in order to reestablish China's national spirit.;<ref name="auto">AN, D., & YANG, L. (2015). Chinese Folklore Since the Late 1970s. Asian Ethnology, 74(2), |
The Folksong Studies Movement became a key contributor to establishing Chinese folklore as a modern academic discipline. This movement was founded by students and professors at Peking University in 1918. They were successful in creating a field of study that focused on literature pertaining to Chinese folklore and attempted to bring to light the early traditions and culture of Chinese folklore in order to reestablish China's national spirit.;<ref name="auto">AN, D., & YANG, L. (2015). Chinese Folklore Since the Late 1970s. Asian Ethnology, 74(2), 273–290.</ref> The May Fourth Movement is a historical event in 1919 relating to the collecting and recording of historical folklore literary in both rural and urban areas in China. This movement was composed of researchers from the folklore realm and also included a large proportion of students. Folklores collections in the May Fourth Movement had a broad coverage of a wide territory level in China, that including not only the ethnic Han which forms the majority of Chinese but also the minority areas of China.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mair |first1=Victor |last2=Bender |first2=Mark |title=The Columbia Anthology of Chinese Folk and Popular Literature |date=2011-05-03 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=9780231526739 |pages=13–14}}</ref> Folksongs collections were held by the Peking University one year before the May Fourth Movement, started in 1918.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Asian Folklore Studies|journal = Asian Ethnology|volume = 26|issue = 2|last=Knecht|first=Peter|publisher=Nanzan University|year=1979|issn=0385-2342|location=|pages=5–6|jstor = 1177728}}</ref> It is claimed that folksongs as one of the significant part in the integration of folklore culture, contains the traditional ideology of in the early twentieth century of China, as well as a functional tool to convey the spirit of socialism and communism after the Liberation period.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mackerras|first=Colin|date=April 1984|title=Folksongs and Dances of China's Minority Nationalities: Policy, Tradition, and Professionalization|journal=Modern China|volume=10|issue=2|pages=194–195|jstor=189024}}</ref> |
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A rising sense of national identity was also partially responsible for spurring the new interest in traditional folklore. The first issue of the ''Folk-Song Weekly'', a publication issued by the Folk-Song Research Society, stated that "Based on the folk songs, on the real feeling of the nation, a kind of new national poetry may be produced."<ref name="Folktales of China" /> |
A rising sense of national identity was also partially responsible for spurring the new interest in traditional folklore. The first issue of the ''Folk-Song Weekly'', a publication issued by the Folk-Song Research Society, stated that "Based on the folk songs, on the real feeling of the nation, a kind of new national poetry may be produced."<ref name="Folktales of China" /> |
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Folksongs are divided into three major parts which are shan' ge (mountain songs), xiaodiao (little tunes), and chang'ge (long songs). Regarding shan'ge the mountain songs are having a deviation to represent the specific regional level, concentrating on rural rather than urban region. Xiaodiao can be considered as the mainstream folksongs among the genres, which are introduced to the general public with familiarity. Always accompanied by performs and professional stage shows presenting to the public. In terms of the chang'ge, long songs, which is a certain kind of narrative songs utilized mostly by the national minorities in some special events as a narrative form in singing.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mackerras|first=Colin|date=April 1984|title=Folksongs and Dances of China's Minority Nationalities: Policy, Tradition, and Professionalization|journal=Modern China|volume=10|issue=2|pages=195–196|jstor=189024}}</ref> |
Folksongs are divided into three major parts which are shan' ge (mountain songs), xiaodiao (little tunes), and chang'ge (long songs). Regarding shan'ge the mountain songs are having a deviation to represent the specific regional level, concentrating on rural rather than urban region. Xiaodiao can be considered as the mainstream folksongs among the genres, which are introduced to the general public with familiarity. Always accompanied by performs and professional stage shows presenting to the public. In terms of the chang'ge, long songs, which is a certain kind of narrative songs utilized mostly by the national minorities in some special events as a narrative form in singing.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mackerras|first=Colin|date=April 1984|title=Folksongs and Dances of China's Minority Nationalities: Policy, Tradition, and Professionalization|journal=Modern China|volume=10|issue=2|pages=195–196|jstor=189024}}</ref> |
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== Stories of Chinese Folklore == |
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* 'The Mother’s Brother and His Sister’s Son':<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mair |first1=Victor |last2=Bender |first2=Mark |title=The Columbia Anthology of Chinese Folk and Popular Literature |date=2011-05-03 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=9780231526739 |pages=16–17}}</ref> This Chinese folklore pertains to a special wild [[ginseng]] plant growing in the mountain areas with precious medicinal value. The story is about an uncle and his nephew who went to gather ginseng from the mountains in the cold winter. After a long and arduous journey, they finally saw ginseng in a hollow cave. So the uncle used a bamboo basket to send his nephew to the bottom of the cave. He requested him to pick the ginseng and place it in the basket. He pulled up the rope tied to the basket with the ginseng in. After the rapacious and selfish uncle got the ginseng, he left his nephew in the cave and ran away with his ginseng. The Nephew cried loudly in the cave and alarmed a [[Python (genus)|python]], who is the guardian of the ginseng. The Python told him that he could help him leave the cave when spring arrived. He ate the '[[Ganoderma|lingzhi]]' -a kind of mushrooms - to stay alive during the winter. At last, spring came, the nephew was saved from the cave with the assistance of the Python. Thereafter, the Python punished the Uncle severely. |
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* 'Goddes Gemu':<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mair |first1=Victor |last2=Bender |first2=Mark |title=The Columbia Anthology of Chinese Folk and Popular Literature |date=2011-05-03 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=9780231526739 |pages=54–55}}</ref> A long time ago, there was a goddess named Gemu, who was born in Yunnan Province. After a week of birth, she has a beautiful voice and is able to sing and dance perfectly. She acquired all the knowledge in all realms after three months of birth. Her beauty and wisdom are spread all over, people around the world came from long distance visited her and adored her gracefulness. When she was an adult, countless admirers came to propose, but she never promised to any marriage. Until one day, when she was working in the field helping her mother for farm works, the spirit from heaven was attracted by her appearance and her diligence. The heaven spirit turned into a gust of wind and took Gemu away, she yelled out loudly, her thunderous voice frightened the heaven spirit, Gemu fell down from his hand and dropped to the top the Lion Mountain. She was trapped on the Lion Mountain, forever. From then on, she guarded the safety of the villagers inseparable as her routine obligation. So on the 25th of July in the lunar calendar, folks celebrate the Mountain Worshipping Festival for commemorating her contributions. In the festival, folks dancing and singing around the Lion Mountain, praising her dedication and guard. |
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* ‘Tears that Crumbled the Great Wall':<ref>{{Cite book|title=Old China Through the Eyes of a Storyteller|last=Herrera|first=Julie Moss|publisher=Parkhurst Brothers, Inc.|date=2012-08-01|isbn=9781935166863|location=|pages=69–78}}</ref> This is a story happened a long time ago when the Emperor Qin Shihuang was the Great Wall for protecting the territory and a huge amount of workers are demanded. The government arrested folks everywhere as migrant workers. There is a scholar in Suzhou called Fan Xiliang, who has to hide around in order to escape the pursuit of the government. One day, he fled to the Mengjiang Garden and accidentally met Meng Jiang. And they fall in love with each, and soon got married. Unfortunately, Fan Xiliang was caught by the force of the government to repair the Great Wall. Mengjiang started to seek for her husband in the Great Wall. Along the way, Meng Jiang did not know how much hardship would have experienced and how much she would suffer before she came to the foot of the Great Wall. But migrant workers in the Great Wall told her that Fan Xiliang was dead and the bones were filled into the wall. Hearing this heartbreaking news, she burst into tears, crying so badly, the sun and the moon were dull. The Great Wall collapsed for dozens of miles, revealing countless bones, Meng Jiang biting her finger and dropping blood on a bone. Secretly praying if it is the bone of her husband, the blood will seep into the bones. If not, the blood will flow to the Quartet. Finally, Meng Jiang found the bones of Fan Xiliang in this way. She was holding this pile of bones and weeping sadly. |
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==Influence of folklore on other media== |
==Influence of folklore on other media== |
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=== Art === |
=== Art === |
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Chinese folklore has provided inspiration for visual imagery by Chinese weavers, painters, water colorists, and florists. One of the most striking examples is a silk funerary banner (circa 168 BC) that contains a number of stories from early China.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=cuddgTWyx50C&dq=hare+and+toad+on+the+moon&source=gbs_navlinks_s Chinese Myths], by Anne Birrell. University of Texas Press, Sep 15, 2000 |
Chinese folklore has provided inspiration for visual imagery by Chinese weavers, painters, water colorists, and florists. One of the most striking examples is a silk funerary banner (circa 168 BC) that contains a number of stories from early China.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=cuddgTWyx50C&dq=hare+and+toad+on+the+moon&source=gbs_navlinks_s Chinese Myths], by Anne Birrell. University of Texas Press, Sep 15, 2000 – Literary Criticism – 80 pages</ref> |
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=== Film === |
=== Film === |
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Modern iterations of traditional Chinese stories can be found internationally as well as in native Chinese literature. [[Laurence Yep]]'s ''[[The Magic Paintbrush]]'', [[Maxine Hong Kingston]]'s ''[[The Woman Warrior]]'', and [[Walt Disney Pictures]]' ''[[Mulan (1998 film)|Mulan]]'' all borrow from Chinese folklore traditions. |
Modern iterations of traditional Chinese stories can be found internationally as well as in native Chinese literature. [[Laurence Yep]]'s ''[[The Magic Paintbrush]]'', [[Maxine Hong Kingston]]'s ''[[The Woman Warrior]]'', and [[Walt Disney Pictures]]' ''[[Mulan (1998 film)|Mulan]]'' (based on [[Hua Mulan]]) all borrow from Chinese folklore traditions. |
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=== Literature === |
=== Literature === |
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* [[Chinese literature]] |
* [[Chinese literature]] |
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* [[Chinese mythology]] |
* [[Chinese mythology]] |
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* [[Classic Chinese Novels]] |
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* [[Dance in China]] |
* [[Dance in China]] |
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* [[Music of China]] |
* [[Music of China]] |
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* {{portal-inline|China}} |
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* {{portal-inline|Society}} |
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== References == |
== References == |
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==Further reading== |
==Further reading== |
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* Lou Tsu-k'uang (ed.), ''Asian Folklore and Social Life'' |
* Lou Tsu-k'uang (ed.), ''Asian Folklore and Social Life'' – 2 vols. (Orient Cultural Service, Taiwan, 1975). |
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* Women of China (firm), ''Women in Chinese Folklore.'' (Chinese Publications Centre, Beijing, 1983) |
* Women of China (firm), ''Women in Chinese Folklore.'' (Chinese Publications Centre, Beijing, 1983) |
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{{Asia in topic|Folklore of}} |
{{Asia in topic|Folklore of}} |
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{{Portal bar|China|Society}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chinese Folklore}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chinese Folklore}} |