Традиции, обычаи и праздники Китая (Traditions, Customs and Festivals of China). Сухомлинова С.И - 86 стр.

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85
their designs. Even today the dragon is sometimes adopted as the
symbol of Chinese exhibitions held abroad or the cover designs of
books on China printed by foreign publishers. "The Giant Dragon of
the East" is becoming a sobriquet for the country.
Belief in the dragon, and drawings of the imaginary animal can
be traced back to primitive society when certain prehistoric tribes in
China adopted the dragon among other totems as their symbol and
guardian god. Some of the recently unearthed bronze vessels of the
Yin Dynasty, which existed more than 3,000 years ago, are decorated
with sketches of dragons of a crude form. Earliest legends in China
described the dragon as a miraculous animal with fish scales and long
beards. As time went on, it became more and more embellished in the
minds of the people, acquiring the antlers of the deer, the mane of the
horse and the claws of the eagle — in short, appropriating the
distinctive features of other creatures until it became what we see
today everywhere in the palace.
The Chinese phoenix, likewise, exists only in legends and fairy
tales. Sovereign of all birds, it has the head of the golden pheasant,
the beak of the parrot, the body of the mandarin-duck, the wings of the
roc, the feathers of the peacock and the legs of the crane; gloriously
beautiful, it reigns over the feathered world. An early design of the
phoenix can be seen on the silk painting discovered in a tomb of the
Warring States Period (475 - 221 B.C.) near Changsha in Hunan
Province.
The dragon and the phoenix often served in classical art and
literature as metaphors for people of high virtue and rare talent or, in
certain combinations, for matrimonial harmony or happy marriage. As
an important part of folk arts, dragon lanterns, dragon boats, dragon
and phoenix dances are still highly popular on festivals among the
people of all localities.
Task 3. Answer the following questions.
1. Why was the number “nine” symbolic of the supreme sovereignty of
the emperor ?
2. How many courtyards did ancient palaces consist of?
3. What is the structure of the buildings in the Forbidden City of
Beijing?
4. What numbers in their combination represent the imperial majesty?
5. Where else is the number “nine” used? 
the ir des igns. Eve n t oda y t he drago n is so met i mes adopted as t he
symb o l o f C hinese e xhib it io ns he ld abroad or t he co ver des igns o f
books o n C hina printed b y fore ign pub lis hers. "The G ia nt D ra go n o f
the East " is beco ming a sobriq uet fo r the co unt ry.
       Be lie f in t he d ra go n, a nd d raw ings o f t he i ma ginary a ni ma l ca n
be traced back to pri mit ive soc iet y whe n certa in pre his toric t ribes i n
China ad opted t he d ra go n a mo ng ot her tote ms as t he ir s ymbo l a nd
gua rd ia n god. So me o f t he rece nt ly uneart hed b ro nze vessels o f t he
Yin D ynast y, whic h e xisted mo re t ha n 3,000 years a go, are decorated
wit h sketches o f dra go ns o f a crud e fo rm. Earliest le ge nds in C hina
described t he d ra go n as a mirac ulo us a nima l w it h fis h scales a nd lo ng
beards. As t i me we nt o n, it beca me more a nd mo re e mbe llis hed in t he
minds o f t he peop le, acq uiring t he ant le rs o f t he dee r, t he ma ne o f t he
ho rse a nd t he c laws o f t he ea gl e — in s ho rt, approp riat ing t he
dist inct ive feat ures o f ot he r creat ures unt il it beca me w hat we see
toda y eve ryw here in t he pa lace.
       The C hinese p hoe nix, likew ise, exists only in le ge nds a nd fa ir y
tales. So vere ign o f a ll b irds, it ha s the head o f t he go lde n p heasa nt,
the beak o f t he pa rrot, t he bod y o f t he ma nda rin-d uck, t he w ings o f t he
roc, t he feat hers o f t he peacock a nd t he le gs o f t he cra ne; glorio us ly
beaut iful, it re igns o ver t he feat he red world. An early des ign o f t he
phoe nix ca n be seen o n t he silk pa int ing d isco ve red in a to mb o f t he
Warring Sta tes Period (475 - 22 1 B.C.) near C ha ngs ha in Huna n
Pro vince.
       The d ra go n a nd t he p hoe nix o ften served in c lassica l art a nd
literat ure as metap hors for peop le o f high virt ue a nd rare ta le nt o r, in
certain co mb inat io ns, for mat rimo ni al har mo ny o r ha pp y marria ge. As
an imp orta nt part o f fo lk arts, drago n la nterns, dra go n boats, drago n
and p hoe nix da nces are still highly pop ular o n fest iva ls a mo ng t he
peop le o f all loca lit ies.

       Task 3. Ans wer the follo wing quest ions.
1. Why was the number “ nine” s ymbo lic o f t he sup re me sove re ignt y o f
the e mpe ror ?
2. How ma ny co urt ya rds d id anc ie nt palaces cons ist o f?
3. What is t he st ruct ure o f t he b uild ings in t he Forb idde n C it y o f
Be ij ing?
4. What nu mbers in t he ir co mb inat ion rep resent t he i mperia l majest y?
5. Where else is the nu mber “ nine” used ?


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