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Fai chun

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45: 243:(桃符; peach wood charms) in ancient times. Peachwood charms are long pieces of wood hung from peach trees. They are about seven to eight inches long and slightly more than one inch wide. According to the legend, there was a peach tree in the East China Sea that was the gate where the ghosts passed through between the underworld and the world of the living. Two gods, Shentu and Yulei, were responsible for guarding this gate. The ghosts traveling the world at night time were required to return to the underworld before the early morning. It was believed that the two gods could dispel all the demons which did harm to human at night time. People, therefore, used the peach wood to make two puppets of the two gods and put them at the entrance of their home in order to protect their family. Then, as early as the 379:(春條) or is a vertical or horizontal rectangle that carries two or four Chinese characters. Auspicious phases are expressed based on various contexts. For example, “Gōngxǐ fācái” 恭喜發財 is an ubiquitous phrase that wishes people to become affluent so it can be seen in all occasions. Regarding workplace, “Cáiyuán gǔngǔn” (財源滾滾; Merchandise will turn like a wheel) is a term that suggest prosperity. At home, “niánnián yǒuyú” (年年有餘; Surplus year-after-year) are deemed to wish for excess family possessions in the end of the year. Children usually paste “Xuéyè jìnbù” (學業進步; Progress in studies) on their bedroom doors hoping for higher form position in the coming academic year while the elderly hang “Lóng mǎ jīngshén” (龍馬精神; Spirits of 33: 337: 365:
only displays one character such as “Chun” (春; Spring), “Man” (滿; Full) and “Fu” (福; Good fortune). “Man” is stuck on rice bins of refrigerators hoping for abundant food. “Fu” is always hung inverted on the center of the door on purpose. The reason behind this is the superstition that the homonymy
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One time, during a rampage, Nian was seen running away from a house which had a red shirt hanging outside and then later, from a light. Consequently, the villagers discovered that the monster was afraid of red color, loud noise and flaming light. Since then, before every New Year, people paste red
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in doorways to create an optimistic festive atmosphere, since the phrases written on them refer to good luck and prosperity. They are customarily written by hand, but for convenience, printed versions are now mass-produced. They may be either square or rectangular in shape. They are popularly used
247:, people found that it was hard and complicated to make puppets, so they simplified the puppets to two peach wood boards on which they drew portraits of the gods. Later on, people simply wrote down the names of the gods on pieces of peach wood and hung them on both sides of the door. Around the 258:
There is another story which is related to Fai Chun history. According to the legend, there was a monster who lived in the deep sea and had a lion-like head and an ox-like body, who was named ''Nian'' (年). Around New Year, it scared the villagers by eating their crops, livestock and even the
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is transformed from metrical poems. Sometimes, concurrently, a horizontal scroll with four to five characters is hung on the crosspiece of the door. Its content expresses the wishes of the homeowner for the upcoming year. Besides being hung on door frames,
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of the Mandarin words “inverted” (倒) and “arrival” (到) suggests the arrival of happiness and good fortune. Combined words, a non-existent word that encompasses parts of Chinese characters, is also very common.
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is in bright red color with black or gold characters inscribed on it with a brush. Similar to the color of fire, red color was chosen to scare the legendary fierce and barbarous beast “
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After Nian went back to the sea, people would come out and celebrate the New Year. This became a tradition every year, with people keep pasting red couplets every year, which is called
251:, commoners no longer wrote the names of the gods only but add some blessings to symbolize good fortune as well as express their hope and best wishes in the new year. Since 340:
Chunlian in an apartment. Normally the installation is at the both sides (and top) of one (normally main) door. Here depth impression is used as a stylistic choice.
305:. Its fine and soft texture enables vivid and dynamic artistic expression of Chinese calligraphy. In this age of technology, city dwellers seldom write their own 309:. Instead, they purchase them in stationery stores or shopping malls where a wide diversity of styles is offered. Thanks to the advancement in technology, 538: 317:
can be seen when animated characters are used to attract children while sparkling decorations are used to attract adults. Moreover, the material of
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is no more limited to mere paper. Fai chun made by cloth, plastic and layers of cardboard are quite common. Nevertheless, the practice of writing
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couplets in and outside their house, and let off firecrackers and fireworks, in order to scare the monster away.
542: 361:(斗方) is a square that its angles point to four cardinal points. Owing to the limited space, this type of 286:”, which ate up villagers’ crops, livestock and even villagers themselves on the eve of the new year. 435: 518: 497: 459: 401:, typically seven characters, on two sides of the door frame, whose content is related to the 512: 453: 402: 398: 204: 101: 563: 213: 415: 252: 248: 108: 32: 244: 302: 17: 122: 383:
and horse), which is conceived to be able to shelter them from diseases.
129: 225: 405:. Lexical and tonal rules are always adhered, though not strictly, as 380: 174: 336: 335: 221: 217: 43: 31: 325:
continues in traditional areas, particularly in walled villages.
283: 203:) is a traditional decoration that is frequently used during 255:, pieces of peach wood were replaced by square red papers. 134: 313:
can be printed in multiple colors. Commercialization of
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are necessary items that are unfurled at the end of a
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Traditional decoration used during Chinese New Year
40:which is made of cloth is being hung on the door. 511:Press, Beijing Foreign Language (2012-09-01). 83: 69: 8: 92: 539:"Chinese New Year 2016, Spring Festival" 436:"A lucky start to the Year of the Goat" 427: 51: 517:. Asiapac Books Pte Ltd. p. 27. 7: 25: 135: 199: 194: 190: 179: 170: 162: 114: 84: 70: 1: 36:An inverted sparkling “fu” 福 591: 514:Chinese Auspicious Culture 494:"Spring Festival Couplets" 455:Chinese Auspicious Culture 48:Examples of combined words 146: 91: 59: 440:South China Morning Post 65:Traditional Chinese 79:Simplified Chinese 341: 259:villagers themselves. 49: 41: 339: 47: 35: 575:Chinese calligraphy 442:. 11 February 2015. 159:traditional Chinese 458:. September 2012. 342: 167:simplified Chinese 50: 42: 390:(Spring couplets) 301:was presented in 150: 149: 142: 141: 102:Standard Mandarin 16:(Redirected from 582: 570:Chinese New Year 554: 553: 551: 550: 541:. Archived from 535: 529: 528: 508: 502: 501: 496:. Archived from 490: 484: 483: 476: 470: 469: 450: 444: 443: 432: 403:Chinese New Year 348:are as follows: 239:originated from 205:Chinese New Year 201: 196: 192: 181: 172: 164: 138: 137: 117: 116: 93: 87: 86: 73: 72: 52: 21: 590: 589: 585: 584: 583: 581: 580: 579: 560: 559: 558: 557: 548: 546: 537: 536: 532: 525: 510: 509: 505: 492: 491: 487: 478: 477: 473: 466: 452: 451: 447: 434: 433: 429: 424: 392: 374: 356: 334: 295: 276: 234: 30: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 588: 586: 578: 577: 572: 562: 561: 556: 555: 530: 523: 503: 500:on 2015-11-12. 485: 471: 464: 445: 426: 425: 423: 420: 391: 385: 373: 368: 355: 350: 333: 327: 294: 288: 275: 272: 233: 230: 216:, but also in 148: 147: 144: 143: 140: 139: 132: 126: 125: 123:Yue: Cantonese 119: 118: 111: 105: 104: 98: 97: 96:Transcriptions 89: 88: 81: 75: 74: 67: 61: 60: 57: 56: 28: 24: 18:Spring couplet 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 587: 576: 573: 571: 568: 567: 565: 545:on 2015-03-17 544: 540: 534: 531: 526: 524:9789812296429 520: 516: 515: 507: 504: 499: 495: 489: 486: 481: 475: 472: 467: 465:9789812296429 461: 457: 456: 449: 446: 441: 437: 431: 428: 421: 419: 417: 413: 408: 404: 400: 396: 389: 386: 384: 382: 378: 372: 369: 367: 364: 360: 354: 351: 349: 347: 344:The types of 338: 332: 328: 326: 324: 320: 316: 312: 308: 304: 300: 297:In the past, 293: 289: 287: 285: 281: 273: 271: 269: 264: 260: 256: 254: 250: 246: 242: 238: 231: 229: 227: 223: 219: 215: 214:Greater China 210: 207:. People put 206: 202: 188: 187: 182: 176: 168: 160: 156: 155: 145: 133: 131: 127: 124: 120: 112: 110: 106: 103: 99: 94: 90: 82: 80: 76: 68: 66: 62: 58: 53: 46: 39: 34: 27: 19: 547:. Retrieved 543:the original 533: 513: 506: 498:the original 488: 474: 454: 448: 439: 430: 416:dragon dance 411: 406: 394: 393: 387: 376: 375: 370: 362: 358: 357: 352: 345: 343: 330: 322: 318: 314: 310: 306: 298: 296: 291: 279: 278:Traditional 277: 267: 265: 261: 257: 253:Ming dynasty 249:Tang dynasty 240: 236: 235: 212:not only in 208: 198: 185: 184: 178: 153: 152: 151: 109:Hanyu Pinyin 37: 26: 245:Han dynasty 564:Categories 549:2015-03-23 480:"Podcasts" 422:References 397:(春聯) is a 303:Xuan paper 136:fai1 ceon1 329:Types of 290:Forms of 412:chunlian 407:chunlian 395:Chunlian 388:Chunlian 377:Chuntiao 371:Chuntiao 363:fai chun 346:fai chun 331:fai chun 323:fai chun 319:fai chun 315:fai chun 311:fai chun 307:fai chun 299:fai chun 292:fai chun 280:fai chun 268:Fai Chun 237:Fai chun 209:fai chun 200:chūnlián 186:chunlian 154:Fai chun 130:Jyutping 55:Fai chun 399:duilian 359:Doufang 353:Doufang 232:History 226:Vietnam 180:huīchūn 115:Huīchūn 38:doufang 521:  462:  381:dragon 224:, and 177:: 175:pinyin 169:: 161:: 274:Color 270:now. 241:taofu 222:Japan 218:Korea 183:) or 519:ISBN 460:ISBN 284:Nian 566:: 438:. 418:. 228:. 220:, 197:; 195:春联 193:; 191:春聯 173:; 171:挥春 165:; 163:揮春 85:挥春 71:揮春 552:. 527:. 482:. 468:. 189:( 157:( 20:)

Index

Spring couplet


Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutping
traditional Chinese
simplified Chinese
pinyin
Chinese New Year
Greater China
Korea
Japan
Vietnam
Han dynasty
Tang dynasty
Ming dynasty
Nian
Xuan paper

dragon
duilian
Chinese New Year
dragon dance
"A lucky start to the Year of the Goat"
Chinese Auspicious Culture
ISBN

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