CHINA, NATIONAL, LIFESTYLE, FEATURE: What Chinese Children Used to Play
By Song Rui
Nowadays, with the development of high technology, especially the computer, children all over the world are sharing the same games and joys. With the help of the Internet, even children from different continents can play the same game at the same time. However, when there was not such easy access to modern games, kids in China also enjoyed their colorful childhood with various traditional Chinese games, among which, flying kites, playing diabolo and shadow puppets show were the most popular.
The kite, a Chinese invention, has been praised as the forerunner of the modern aero plane. Although it has contributed to science and production, to Chinese children, it's only a good toy. Every year, when spring comes and the wind blows, one can always see sundry kites dot the sky.
It is no easy job to make a kite that one can be proud of. First of all, you have to select the right kind of bamboo for the frame and make it into the shape you want. In most cases, they are made in the shape of animals, such as birds or dragons. The second step is the covering of the frame. This is normally done with glue and paper, sometimes with silk. You should cut the piece of paper or silk according to the shape of the frame and stick it to the frame. The last step (painting the kite) is the most creative one. You can paint whatever patterns you like. Many Chinese choose designs that bear messages of good luck to show their wishes.
When the kite is done, friends usually fly their kites together on a fine day and compete with each other. Of course, the higher, the better.
Another game that is quite popular among kids is diabolo, or Kongzhu in Chinese, meaning empty bamboo. It is an hour-glass shaped hollow toy which consists of a wooden spool that is whirled and tossed on a string tied to two sticks held one in each hand.
The diabolo has a long history as described in literature from the Ming dynasty. Although it seems simple, not everyone can control it well. The player holds the sticks and the diabolo spins as it is manipulated from side to side. Crack players often toss it from the string to the air, then catch it again by the string. It's a kind of high skill game, and today, playing diabolo is a splendid program in acrobatic shows. But in the past in Beijing's narrow old Hutongs, you could easily meet a girl or a boy playing with it. Actually, Diabolo is enjoyed not only by kids but also by many adults.
Apart from those games that can be played on one's own, Chinese children also had games that can be enjoyed together, namely, the shadow puppets show. Among Chinese movable toys, shadow puppets enjoy the longest history and best reputation. Made of colored cardboard, leather, or hardened sheets of plastic, they are used by children and adults in a variety of puppet shows. With wires, strings, or sticks attached to them, the puppeteers can move various parts of their bodies. Similarly made furniture is also used as scenery in puppet shows.
Many of the sets and characters are from ancient Chinese history and folk literature. While appreciating the show, the children are also being educated on Chinese traditional culture.
There are numerous other kinds of Chinese games that were played, and some are still played by Chinese children from generation to generation. Although they vary by time and place, they are a reflection of Chinese culture and also are the memory of many Chinese exhausted by the modern, busy adult world.
Nowadays, with the development of high technology, especially the computer, children all over the world are sharing the same games and joys. With the help of the Internet, even children from different continents can play the same game at the same time. However, when there was not such easy access to modern games, kids in China also enjoyed their colorful childhood with various traditional Chinese games, among which, flying kites, playing diabolo and shadow puppets show were the most popular.
The kite, a Chinese invention, has been praised as the forerunner of the modern aero plane. Although it has contributed to science and production, to Chinese children, it's only a good toy. Every year, when spring comes and the wind blows, one can always see sundry kites dot the sky.
It is no easy job to make a kite that one can be proud of. First of all, you have to select the right kind of bamboo for the frame and make it into the shape you want. In most cases, they are made in the shape of animals, such as birds or dragons. The second step is the covering of the frame. This is normally done with glue and paper, sometimes with silk. You should cut the piece of paper or silk according to the shape of the frame and stick it to the frame. The last step (painting the kite) is the most creative one. You can paint whatever patterns you like. Many Chinese choose designs that bear messages of good luck to show their wishes.
When the kite is done, friends usually fly their kites together on a fine day and compete with each other. Of course, the higher, the better.
Another game that is quite popular among kids is diabolo, or Kongzhu in Chinese, meaning empty bamboo. It is an hour-glass shaped hollow toy which consists of a wooden spool that is whirled and tossed on a string tied to two sticks held one in each hand.
The diabolo has a long history as described in literature from the Ming dynasty. Although it seems simple, not everyone can control it well. The player holds the sticks and the diabolo spins as it is manipulated from side to side. Crack players often toss it from the string to the air, then catch it again by the string. It's a kind of high skill game, and today, playing diabolo is a splendid program in acrobatic shows. But in the past in Beijing's narrow old Hutongs, you could easily meet a girl or a boy playing with it. Actually, Diabolo is enjoyed not only by kids but also by many adults.
Apart from those games that can be played on one's own, Chinese children also had games that can be enjoyed together, namely, the shadow puppets show. Among Chinese movable toys, shadow puppets enjoy the longest history and best reputation. Made of colored cardboard, leather, or hardened sheets of plastic, they are used by children and adults in a variety of puppet shows. With wires, strings, or sticks attached to them, the puppeteers can move various parts of their bodies. Similarly made furniture is also used as scenery in puppet shows.
Many of the sets and characters are from ancient Chinese history and folk literature. While appreciating the show, the children are also being educated on Chinese traditional culture.
There are numerous other kinds of Chinese games that were played, and some are still played by Chinese children from generation to generation. Although they vary by time and place, they are a reflection of Chinese culture and also are the memory of many Chinese exhausted by the modern, busy adult world.
2 Comments:
At 8:08 AM , Tower of Babel said...
Grow up. Holidays can be shared among cultures. Duanwu may have originated in China, but Koreans call it "Dano" and have made it their own. There is room for both Duanwu and Dano in the World Heritage. Given your possessive feelings about Duanwu, perhaps you can understand why Koreans were upset to see China suddenly erase the kingdom of Goguryeo from Korean history when applying to add Goguryeo sites as a World Heritage. Even more serious is the allegation that Chinese authorities are restoring old Goguryeo relics in Tang Dynasty style. Deliberately misrepresenting precious historical relics is far more serious than simply claiming them as your own.
As for Chinese relics in British museums, let me share with you my impressions of a recent visit to the Art Institute of Chicago. The museum has an extensive collection of world art, including works by Monet, Picasso, and Hokusai and other famous artists. I thought it was great that Americans could see world treasures without leaving their country. These works of art were all on loand or purchased legimately, not stolen. While looking at famous American works, I wondered if Chinese museums were acquiring world treasures for Chinese people to appreciate.
A nation's heritage is the world's heritage. Let's share!
Otherwise, I like your blog. It is a window to the ideas and concerns of Chinese university students. Keep up the good work!
At 10:34 AM , Anonymous said...
You mention "China or Chinese" 14 times in this article. You can talk about the "games" and, by the title of this story, readers do realize you are talking about "China". Don't always say Chinese this and Chinese that. It is like you are shoving it down our throats. When you say "Chinese" so much I feel you are really trying to say "The people of the MIDDLE KINGDOM who must be worshiped by all of people's of the world because we are so great and original"!
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