Chinese culture Essay Example for Free

Chinese refining EssayWilliam Faulkner once said that The past is not dead. In fact, its not dismantle past and he could have speaking about the history of porcelain rougeing in China. The history of this ancient art lives and breathes in every porcelain plate we touch and eat off of. It lives and breathes in the small villages in China which stay to the past as much as they want to move into the future. We reach the beautiful of city of Yi-xing in the early morning hours. Early enough that the streets were empty and the sun was just peaking through the rows and rows of tea leaves.The run low of organic green and sandy orange reminded me of the beaches of California I had visited at a child. The city of Yi-ing is the home plate of several tea plantations which stretch as far as the eye can see. During the day the rows of teas are cluttered with the presence of severals humans which look out of place in the purely green surroundings. If you promontory south through the bea utiful mountains, which look more like hills to me, you reach a deep and tidy lake. This lake, Lake Taihu, is where Lu Yu once lived when he wrote his now infamous book about the magic of tea and its division in Chinese culture.Tea porcelain are intimately linked in Chinese culture. Each competing with the opposite to see which is older and more hold deard. Upon a close examination of the history it is hard to separate the two. The Chinese Porcelain factory sits on the far edge of the city of Yi-ing and is a striking contrast to the hills and valleys that lay in front of it and beyond it. It is interesting to see the coupling of industrialization and farming in a untaught which in some places seems oddly untouched by civilization and in other devastated by the taint from manufacturers and cars.The story of Chinese Porcelain is one of perseverance and beyond that of innovation. Chinese ceramic and porcelain reveal the resourcefulness of Chinese artisans. They demonstrate in the ir pieces, which are found enclosed in glass in the lobby land of the factory, how they utilized the materials that they had and turned them into pieces of pottery that have with stood the test of time. In the Yuan and Mind dynasties, Chinese porcelain call forrs feature porcelain stone with kaolin however kaolin was extremely hard to work with.It was then that Chinese porcelain makers ascertained that if you ground kaolin and then added water a malleable substance was created with could be kneaded into porcelain stone. This could easily be formed into pots and vases on the potters wheel. During the drying processes a knife is used to slice excess porcelain from the pottery which accounts for the delicate choiceness of Chinese Porcelain. To my surprise once we went into the factory the very same techniques were being used.Centuries later modern Chinese artisans were paying homage to their centuries old mentors by building pottery in the same fashion. The twist is that the in th e buff pottery produced in these factories are brightly colored by hand with a small paint brush. The craftsmanship is perfect and the people here, who are obviously under paid and living in less(prenominal) then optimal condition, absolutely enjoy what they do. They take pride in every piece they make and are more then willing to share their skills with you.Our tour guide informed us that legion(predicate) of the kilns in use at the factory were hundreds of years old. Apparently once a large kiln is realised it can be used for hundreds of years. The art of preparing clay and the process which follows is a craft which is passed down once again and again from generation to generation. This is why visitors can find subtle differences in glazing processes as well as firing processes throughout the villages and cities in China. Porcelain is more then just a container used for tea or food stuff.The art displayed on pieces of Chinese Porcelain reveal the entire history of the Chinese people. From myths to fears, historic battles and even home comings. Pottery and porcelain pieces exported during these periods are an excellent source of research materials on the history of Chinas communications, trade, and economic dealing with other countries. My trip to city of Yi-ing was memorable for several reasons but most classically I was reminded of the value of craft within a society.I will never forget the feel of Chinese Porcelain on my fingertips. The knowledge that something that delicate could last for centuries was truly symbolic of the struggle and political strife that the Chinese people have dealt with since its birth. Art is not merely for decoration, entertainment, or even functionality. It serves a much more important purpose. Through art we can see the evolution and development of not just a soil like China but the spirit and souls of the people who make their homes and keep their families in those counties.