Classical Chinese

Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese (古文 (gǔ wén = "ancient text") or 文言文 (wényán wén = "text of written language")) is a traditional style of written Chinese based on the grammar and vocabulary of ancient Chinese, making it different from any modern spoken form of Chinese. Classical Chinese was used for almost all formal correspondence in China until the early 20th century, and also, during various periods, in Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Among Chinese speakers, Classical Chinese has been largely replaced by written vernacular Chinese (白話; pinyin: báihuà, "plain speech"), a style of writing that is similar to modern spoken Mandarin Chinese, while speakers of non-Chinese languages have largely abandoned Classical Chinese in favor of local vernaculars.

Literary Chinese is known as kanbun in Japanese, hanmun in Korean, and Hán Văn in Vietnamese (From 漢文 in all three cases; pinyin: hànwén, "Han writing").

While the terms Classical Chinese and Literary Chinese are often used interchangeably, Sinologists generally agree that they are in fact different. "Classical" Chinese (古文; pinyin: gǔ wén, "ancient writing") refers to the written language of China from the Zhou Dynasty, and especially the Spring and Autumn Period, through to the end of the Han Dynasty (AD 220). Classical Chinese is therefore the language used in many of China's most influential books, such as the Analects of Confucius, the Mencius and the Tao Te Ching. (The language of even older texts, such as the Classic of Poetry, is sometimes called Old Chinese, or pre-Classical.)

To Hunt Suspected Terrorists Trump's Possible VP Wants New HUAC

Edit WorldNews.com 22 Jun 2016

Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas DarlingThe same House Speaker that brought Americans the Contract With America now wants a new version of the controversial House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) to root out Americans suspected of planning to commit terrorist attacks in the U.S ... Joseph McCarthy, but they point to how President Harry S ... must declare a war on Islamic supremacists living within the U.S ... Army ... Welch asked him....

photo: AP / Elaine Thompson

Democratic Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., speaks at a news conference announcing his retirement Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, in Seattle.

[VIDEO]: Democrat McDermott: '(House Speaker) Ryan Up In His Office Crying'

Edit WorldNews.com 23 Jun 2016

In the midst of the Democratic Party protest against legislative inaction on gun safety proposals, Rep ... So if you’re wondering where he is, he’s up in his office crying,” said McDermott. “I mean, he had this thing all set, he had it all ready to go and we did this to him ... The network subsequently posted a feed using the Periscope app.– WN.com, Jack Durschlag....

photo: US DoD

File - A UGM-96 Trident missile clears the water during the 20th demonstration and shakedown launch from the nuclear-powered strategic missile submarine USS Mariano G. Vallejo, 9 October, 1984.

U.S., Japan Seek Urgent Security Council N. Korea Missile Briefing

Edit WorldNews.com 22 Jun 2016

Following the launch of two ballistic missiles by North Korea, both the United States and Japan requested an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council Wednesday, The Associated Press reported. France, which holds the council presidency, said closed consultations will take place in the late afternoon. Both countries sent a letter after consultations with South Korea seeking a briefing from the U.N....

photo: AP / Chris Pizzello

FILE - In this April 21, 2015 file photo, Tom Cruise, star of the upcoming film "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation," makes an appearance at the Paramount Pictures presentation at CinemaCon 2015 in Las Vegas.

Tom Cruise Opens $50 Million Scientology Media Complex in Hollywood

Edit WorldNews.com 23 Jun 2016

Actor Tom Cruise recently celebrated the grand opening of the Church of Scientology's massive studio complex last month but images and full details are just being released according to Forbes. The site took five years to fully renovate and cost $50 million dollars ... our own radio station, our own TV channel, and our own broadcasting facilities," said Miscavige ... - WN.com, Maureen Foody....

photo: GFDL / Benchill

Australian woman wakes to 5m python surprise

Edit BBC News 22 Jun 2016

Share. Share this with. Copy this link http.//www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-36573623. A huge snake that has lived in the roof of an Australian home for 10 years has tried to upgrade to the master bedroom. Trina Hibberd, from Mission Beach in Queensland, awoke Monday to find the 5.2m scrub python named Monty stretched from her lounge room to her bedroom ... ....

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When classical Chinese artwork gets a Russian touch

Edit RBTH 22 Jun 2016

It is being staged at the Moscow's Agency Art.ru ... ....

New edition: The Dream of the Red Chamber theme stamps

Edit China Daily 21 Jun 2016

The second set of stamps based on The Dream of the Red Chamber, the classic Chinese literature series, was released in the Oriental Metropolitan Museum in Nanjing on Saturday....

Voyaging To ‘ORIENTAL VENICE’

Edit The Jakarta Post 21 Jun 2016

The Gubei Water Town (gubei shuijian) covers 9 square kilometers filled by old-style Chinese houses, cultural streets, pagodas, markets, alleys and even open-square plazas. The town’s main attractions are the canals girdling the classical Chinese buildings.  Small boats gently navigate those water alleys, offering visitors a sight similar to Venice in Italy or Giethoorn in the Netherlands, albeit with an oriental touch....

{English} Rare Imperial Porcelains, Jades, Chinese and Himalayan Buddhist Sculpture, Classical Paintings and Calligraphies (Sotheby's Inc)

Edit Public Technologies 14 Jun 2016

CLASSICAL AND MODERN CHINESE PAINTINGS AND CALLIGRAPHIES. For the first time Sotheby's Paris Asian Art sale on June 23rd offer a fine selection of classical and modern Chinese paintings and calligraphies from various European collections ... The painting is from an important German private collection of Classical Chinese paintings, calligraphies and rubbings formed in China between 1894 and 1922....

MINI FLUID FASHION. MINI presents limited-run fashion collection at Pitti Uomo 90. (BMW - Bayerische Motoren Werke AG)

Edit Public Technologies 14 Jun 2016

(Source ... It exists in a place beyond categorisation, as a fashion classic equally at home on the street or in collections from major designers ... And so it is with SANKUANZ's design for the MINI FLUID FASHION Capsule Collection, which fuses the aesthetic of classical, Chinese comics from the 1980s with the colour-rich, contemporary SANKUANZ logo and a classic Mini as a symbol of a more friendly, more colourful approach to urban living....

China, France to exchange installation art this summer

Edit China Daily 13 Jun 2016

An outdoor exhibition of installation art, featuring art in containers, will start its world tour in July in Shandong province's Qingdao ... "For the past 30 years, goods made in China are shipped to places all over the world via containers, and goods made in other countries are also brought back to China," says Guan, who is known for integrating classical Chinese gardens' aesthetics into his installations ... dengzhangyu@chinadaily.com.cn....

China, France to exchange installation art this summer (Beijing Municipal Government)

Edit Public Technologies 13 Jun 2016

(Source. Beijing Municipal Government) ... It'll then travel to other cities in China and later head for France ... Qiu's installations are always large-scale ones ... 'For the past 30 years, goods made in China are shipped to places all over the world via containers, and goods made in other countries are also brought back to China,' says Guan, who is known for integrating classical Chinese gardens' aesthetics into his installations ... (noodl....

Classical art market growing

Edit China Daily 09 Jun 2016

The results of the Grand View sale reinforce the impression that the market for classical Chinese art, which has been stable over the past decade, is growing. The classical Chinese art market is becoming bigger slowly even as other categories, including contemporary art and modern Chinese paintings and ceramics that used to produce record prices in the boom years around 2008, have continued to slide....

An exhibition with immense cultural significance

Edit China Daily 09 Jun 2016

The show, divided into two phases, displayed 283 classical Chinese paintings and calligraphy pieces once cataloged in the Precious Collection of the Stone Moat, an inventory of the royal collection of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) ... The exhibition is believed to have reignited people's interest in classical Chinese painting and calligraphy....

Getty Announces Summer Residency for the Silk Road Ensemble (J Paul Getty Museum)

Edit Public Technologies 09 Jun 2016

On August 24, members of the group will provide live musical accompaniment for the 1927 Chinese silent film 'Cave of the Silken Web.' ... The film is believed to be the first screen adaptation of one of the most enduring classics of Chinese literature, Journey to the West, and follows the pious monk Xuanzang and his three disciples on a journey along the Silk Road, where they are under constant threat from demons and malicious spirits....

Love and tragedy highlight London art auction

Edit China Daily 08 Jun 2016

The current auction record for Modigliani is Reclining Nude which was sold to Chinese collector couple Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei for $170 million, at Christie's New York sale last November. Related .. Classical Chinese paintings stand out at Beijing auction. Buddhism-themed ink painting fetches $10m ....

Classical Chinese paintings stand out at Beijing auction

Edit China Daily 07 Jun 2016

Rare classical paintings dated to Song (960-1279), Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties stood out at a Beijing auction by scooping up huge prices ... Chinese retailer Suning Commerce Group made two big purchases in the sale staged by Beijing Poly International Auction on Sunday night....

Horses highlight artist's spirit in exhibition

Edit China Daily 06 Jun 2016

Sun Hao's current exhibition, titled Running into the Night, expresses a collective pursuit of his generation's ink artists to rejuvenate the literati spirit of classical Chinese ink painting....

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