Dec

Culture Smart: Wrap a Gift and Don’t Forget the Feather

by Sheron Long on December 8, 2013

Swan standing on planet Earth, representing a Chinese gift giving legend. Image © Denis Zaporozhtsev / Hemera.

China’s swan feather legend is a gift to the world.
© Denis Zaporozhtsev / Hemera

In Chinese tradition, the legend of the swan feather dates to the Tang Dynasty (618-906 CE) and is still relevant today, especially during this gift-giving season.

According to legend, a local official in a far-away vassal state asked Mian Bogao to take two swans to the emperor as a gift. Such gift-giving was customary to show respect to the emperor, and swans (rarely found in China) were the most precious of gifts.

Swan feather, symbolizing gift giving with sincerity and respect in Chinese tradition. Image © Lendy 16 / iStock.

A single swan feather sends a significant message.
© Lendy 16 / iStock

Mian set out on the long journey. As he neared his destination, he stopped by a lake to wash the swans. Freed from their cage, however, the two swans escaped and left only a feather behind.

Though Mian had now lost the precious gift for the emperor, he knew he had to complete his mission. He wrapped the swan feather in a white silk cloth and wrote a poem (as translated by CozyChinese.com):

千里送鵝毛 (qiān lǐ sòng é máo)—A swan’s feather from a thousand miles away
禮輕情意重 (lǐ qīng qíng yì zhòng)—An insignificant gift, with it the sincere wishes of the sender.

When Mian arrived at the palace, he watched as others offered jewelry and great riches to the emperor. When his turn came, he presented his simple gift and explained his story. And the emperor, impressed with Mian’s honesty and diligence to complete his mission, rewarded him greatly.

From this legend came a Chinese saying about walking a thousand miles and presenting a swan feather as a gift. It recognizes the value of the thought and sincerity behind a gift over its cost.

Today, you can honor this Chinese tradition and show sincere sentiments to your friends—just add a beautiful feather to their gifts.

Present tied up with feathers in the bow, showing a Chinese tradition in which a feather symbolizes gift-giving with great sincerity and respect. Image © Studio-Annika / iStock

A feather on a gift is such a thoughtful touch!
© Studio-Annika / iStock

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China/Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Cultural Symbols/Literary World

Nov

Culture Smart: The Musical Scale Across Cultures

by Your friends at OIC on November 24, 2013

Children learning to play the violin, symbolizing the different musical scales across cultures

Learning to play different styles of music

Tonal Patterns and Changing Intervals

When you first learn to play an instrument, the first series of notes taught is called a scale. A scale is a series of ascending pitches, usually ending on the octave, the same note, at a higher pitch. Music from different cultures uses different intervals between the notes of an octave.

If you’ve seen The Sound of Music, you know the Western music major scale: do, re, mi, fa, so la, ti, do. It consists of 7 unique notes, with the 8^th note being the octave. Listen to a C Major Scale:

In the Middle East, the scale is also 7 unique pitches plus the octave, but it differs by several notes from the Western scale. A common song using the Middle Eastern scale is Hava Nagila. Listen to a C Middle Eastern scale:

Unlike the other two, the Chinese scale has only 5 pitches. Most Chinese folk tunes can be played using just the black keys on the keyboard. Listen to a C Chinese Scale:

Starting on C, the middle key of the piano, typically called Middle C, this chart shows the actual notes played on each scale:

There are several theories on why different musical scales were devised in different cultures. One is that scales are derived from the sounds made by the language spoken and the tonality of pronunciation. Another has to do with religion and superstition determining the number of notes (5 being lucky in Asian culture and 7 in Greek) and the intervals.

Hear music from all over the world at the World Music Network.

Comment on this post below.

Image © iStockphoto

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China/Cultural Diversity/Middle East/The World's Music

Aug

Art Goes Across Cultures in “Tribute to Mandela”

by Sheron Long on August 15, 2013

How is it that a Belgian emerging artist, working with Chinese seals, honors South African activist and former President Nelson Mandela with a monumental portrait in the streets of Shanghai?

The inspiration that comes from going across cultures is, at least, part of the answer. In this video, seal artist Phil Akashi, shows his creative process.

If the video does not play, watch it here.

Mandela, An International Hero

Nelson Mandela (1918– ) celebrated his 95th birthday on July 18, 2013.

Nelson Mandela, subject of Phil Akashi's "Tribute to Mandela," a portrait created with Chinese seals and illustrating the art of going across cultures

His vision of equal rights for the citizens of South Africa led to resistance against apartheid policies and to his imprisonment for 27 years.

After his 1990 release, he and President FW de Klerk negotiated an end to apartheid for which they won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

At age 77, Mandela voted for the first time in the 1994 elections, in which he became South Africa’s first democratically elected President.

Sheron Long 2 Comments

China/Crossing Cultures/South Africa/The World's Art & Design

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