分类： Toronto Events

The polyphonic strains of the lusheng are common accompaniments to the rituals, festivals and dances of several ethnic communities in southwestern China. The lusheng is a mouth organ made of bamboo pipes, each fitted with a metal reed, that are connected to a blowing tube made of hardwood. The instrument can be as short as four inches or as long as thirty-three feet, and a professional version may have more than 20 pipes. In Miao communities, the lusheng is a “talking instrument,” whose musical tones mimic the tones of speech, and is considered an important means for communicating with the divine or deceased.
继续阅读Lusheng Making (Guizhou Province, China)

Porcelain, derived from kaolin, a soft, white clay, is distinctive for its whiteness and translucence, a result of firing at extremely high temperatures. Jingde in Jiangxi Province has been the centre of porcelain production since at least the 11th century.
继续阅读Porcelain (Jiangxi Province, China)

Patchwork is not only functional in its role covering up holes in clothing and adding warm layers, but has become an art form of its own.

According to legend, patches sewn on children’s clothing would bestow happiness and health upon them. A wide variety of items in China, from bags to bedding, cushions, and more, feature patchwork, and the form is practiced by more than half of China’s ethnic minorities.
继续阅读Patchwork (Heilongjian Province, China)

Qiang embroiderers work primarily with cotton threads, as well as silk, using 16 types of stitches to shape vivid, bright patterns representing local flora, fauna, and daily activities on clothes and household textiles.
继续阅读Qiang Embroidery (Sichuan Province, China)

Guizhou’s Miao and Dong communities base their botanical knowledge on centuries of subsistence farming in the region. At least three species of the flowering plant indigofera are cultivated in Guizhou and provide a dye used on clothing and household furnishings. To prepare the dye, harvested leaves are converted into a paste. Because indigo dye does not have to be kept hot, it is ideal for wax-resist batik. In batik, patterns are applied to undyed cloth using liquid beeswax; when the cloth is submerged in dye, the waxed parts remain white while the unwaxed parts absorb the colour.
继续阅读Batik and Botanic Dyes (Guizhou Province, China)