Traditional crafts that are passed on till today were typically embraced and treasured by people, but there is one particular craft that is highly controversial and that is the Kingfisher feather inlay craft, also known as the Dian Cui （点翠） craft.
Most of the pictures on the internet make the jewelry and feathers look extra big, for the purpose of allowing us to see the details of it, but if you have seen an actual Dian Cui piece in person, you would realise that it is actually surprisingly small. This is due to the fact that the Kingfishers are tiny in stature, and their feathers are even tinier, so to inlay them into filigree-based jewelries, you would require quite a lot of the feathers so traditionally they wouldn’t be too big.
Whenever I think of feathers and accessories, I always think of the Native Americans and their sacred headdresses and feather dance. And just like the Native Americans, the Chinese also had a long history of using feathers to accessorise ourselves and for ceremonial dances. There were records of dances that existed some 3,000 years back where they used feathers as props and also for wearing by the dancers.
The use of feathers for shamanistic rituals would have been common in the ancient worlds, and in a particular ancient Chinese culture called the Chu culture (modern day Hunan and Hubei—central China area), there were records of people decorating their wooden jewelry boxes with kingfisher feathers (and flowers, pearls, and jade) about 2,200 years back.
Gradually, about 2,000 years ago, imperial women started to have kingfisher feathers to decorate their walls (yes, what a luxury!), and a few hundred years later, a crown prince used it to decorate his crown. So it was not confined to just jewelry, and it was not just for women.
The earliest visual documentation that I can find, of kingfisher feather being used for accessories by the Chinese, would be the Song dynasty (circa 12th century) Empress in their formal ceremonial wear with their crowns decorated by kingfisher feathers, pearls and other gemstones.
A Chinese period drama in recent years replicated the ceremonial wear for the Song empress, and you can see a more tangible representation of it here:
Of course you could say that you can’t tell much from just a painting, and it could very well be embroidered or silk threads since we have not found any physical proof of it yet. That is definitely a possibility except that the Kingfisher feather industry was a thriving one that was widely documented, and that imperial women were often spotted wearing dresses of kingfisher feathers, or accessories with them to the chagrin of the emperors. Several times during the 12th century, the emperors tried to ban the use of kingfisher feathers precisely for the reason that they found it an unnecessary extravagance that harms the ecosystem, to no avail.
The iridescence and brilliance of the kingfisher feather is seen as unparalleled by any other bird, so there was no way of replacing it with other alternatives.
By the Qing dynasty, the kingfisher feather was everywhere in the accessories of the imperial family. From hairpins to hats, they were lavishly decorated with kingfisher feathers of different shades of blues.
The high demand for kingfisher feathers also meant that more kingfishers have to be killed for it, and eventually it became unsustainable. By the turn of the 20th century, the Chinese were already very familiar with the Cloisonné craft brought in from the west or the Islamic world, and for the commoners, they would use blue and green cloisonné craft on their silver or copper jewelries to create a semblance of kingfisher feather inlay decorated ones.
The last kingfisher factory in China closed in 1933 due to political instability within China and other socio-economic factors.
The Kingfisher feather craft has a bad reputation in recent years because of the rumour that the feathers had to be plucked from birds that were alive, and it was a torturous and slow death for the kingfishers. However, that is a myth. Historically, there were indeed records of plucking the feathers from kingfishers while they were alive, but it was taken out of context. The record mentioned that a few feathers were plucked form the kingfishers and then, the birds were released into the wild. So it implied that the birds were not killed in the process. However, I’m sure that as demands surge, it would be much faster for people to just catch and kill those birds for their feathers, and much more profitable that way.
As part of Yaji Masterclass, we are also going to have an introductory workshop on this traditional jewelry decorating craft using peacock feathers in place of kingfisher so no bird would be harmed in the process. The peacock feather has a really beautiful iridescence to it that changes with light. Since butterflies also have that kind of feathers, I thought it’d be apt to get everyone attending the masterclass to make a pair of butterfly earrings with this technique!
I will also be sharing more about the technical details of this craft, and stories of how famous traditional Chinese Opera singers would own an entire headdress of kingfisher feathers of the finest quality, and one that would cost you a fortune.
If you’re interested to learn this craft with us on the 24 Sep 2022 (Sat), you can get a ticket HERE. Your ticket comes with all that you need for this craft, and you can bring the tools home to make more of your own accessories with feather inlays!
-Some Song dynasty (10th-13th century) literati/ courtesan who adapted Kelis’ Milkshake lyrics
You know, this is actually a believable line in ancient Song dynasty (10th to 13th century) when it comes to tea, shaken (not stirred). And there is a 50-50 chance of it being sung by a Song courtesan, or narrated by a Song literati.
You’re probably thinking, why would anyone want to shake a cuppa tea? And why would it be sung or talked about by a Courtesan or Literati? Isn’t it just, tea?
So I would have to bring you to about a thousand years ago.. and introduce you to the wonderful world of Tea Battles where one’s brilliance is not measured by how big your muscles were, but swiftly they can help you move. In particular, your wrist. I will talk about that more soon.
THE TEASHAKE THAT BRINGS ALL THE BOYS TO THE YARD
But first, here’s the entire process of tea preparation from breaking it down to smaller tea leave bits, to whisking it (that’s where the wrist part comes in, and is also one of the highlights):
You see, people of that period were drinking powdered tea, pretty much like the Japanese matcha that you are familiar with. The Japanese matcha was a continuation of that Chinese tradition, in fact, while the Chinese have long lost it although efforts have been made in recent decades to revive it with reasonable success.
An iconic Intangible Cultural Heritage tea practitioner of China who has been reviving this art for over 40 years said they looked to Japanese whisked tea practice and cross referenced with historical Chinese texts to understand and deduce how it might have been done in the past. How the Japanese have retained so much of ancient/medieval Chinese cultural practices is fascinating, and almost like how Chinese diasporas so faithfully tried to preserve their heritage after they have left China. Of course that being said, the Japanese definitely injected their own life and philosophies into whatever they brought over from China, and it became part of their very own, unique identity.
Kenny whisking up a storm in a teacup
A good cup of tea, to the Chinese of Song dynasty, would be leaves from Fujian Jian’an region, plucked in the earliest part of Spring sometime in March (today, we generally thought of tea leaves from the middle of Spring in April as the best). Of course, there were specificities by the Song Imperial family on how exactly the tea leaf should look like—an eagle’s claw (lol, good luck figuring that out!)—and with a tiny bit of pale green (not green yet).
And this is the part where the tea gets shaken…really badly until it froths up like that hard peak when you beat your egg white for baking really fluffy cakes. Except that you use machine, and the Song people used their bare hands and a bamboo brush, sometimes with just a silver spoon (this is torture I tell you…).
Kenny still whisking away.
And this is also the part where the flexibility and tenacity of your wrist muscle comes in…
If you can whisk some bubbles up, you have failed.
If you can whisk some foam up, you have barely passed.
If you can whisk thick foam up but it has some large bubbles, you probably can get a C grade.
If you can whisk thick foam with extremely smooth texture (like no visible bubbles), you can probably get a B grade.
The ideal state would be like the consistency of wax… so the most modern connection I can make would be whipping the egg whites till it has a hard peak for baking. Yes, those of us who bake knows how long it takes for a machine to do that, try doing with your hands….
If you can whisk thick foam that’s like the texture of wax and can last like 20 minutes without dissipating into the bowl of tea and can retain its thickness and texture when poured out well enough that you can even paint stuff on it with water or powder (phew that’s a super long sentence), then you can get an A.
But wait, as Asians, an A is hardly enough. You need Full Marks. So that means you need to ensure that your water temperature is right, and that in the entire process, you add 7 times water (no more, no less, you can’t shortcut this) with a specific type of water pitcher into a specific type of black glazed Chinese ceramic teabowl (click on link to see the Met Museum collection). This is observed and theorised in a book by the Song emperor Hui Zong, one of the most artistically acclaimed emperors in Chinese history with an exquisite taste and eye for great details.
THE DIFFERENT BOYS WHO ARE BROUGHT TO THE YARD
The middle class commoners
Song Dynasty was a period of great commercialisation and capitalism and the general middle class population were relatively more educated with a great appreciation for the finer quality of life. They were generally quite wealthy, and definitely enjoyed good shopping and parties. They started the first Night Market in Chinese history which operated till about 1am, and they take a break for 2 hours and reopens at around 3am. Even our nightclubs today doesn’t have that kind of vitality! So yes, the boys (and girls) were often out in their yard partying and getting high on tea (amongst other things, like booze but that’s a different topic for a different day).
Based on paintings from that period, it was also a period that greatly celebrated the middle class commoners and their lifestyles. Whereas periods before were much more of aristocratic-focused society.
Market competition in a Tea Garden by top Song dynasty painter Liu Song Nian 刘松年《茗园赌市图》
The Literati, the Emperor and all his men
Song emperor Hui Zong was one of the most highly acclaimed artist-emperor of all times. He was a tea aficionado and as mentioned earlier, wrote his own theory about tea with great detail in a book called Treatise on Tea.
During the Song dynasty, literati and poets were often at the core of its political realm, philosophising and discussing state politics with the emperor thus further blurring the lines between arts and politics.
Detail of a painting by the famously tasteful Song emperor Song Hui Zong on a social gathering with tea served 宋徽宗《文会图》
Monks
Definitely Zen Buddhist monks were one of the pioneers in pure tea drinking culture as it helped them with focus and meditation. It started earlier than Song in the Tang monasteries and there was a famous monk who could whisk tea so beautifully that for each bowl of tea he whisked, he could write a stanza of poem on the froths and together they formed a poem.
Full marks might be the gold standard for Asian moms, but this is like an A+ student who also got top achievement in the arts. Bragging rights for sure.
Drinking Ground Tea by Liu Song Nian of Song dynasty 刘松年《撵茶图》
Later on, the Japanese buddhist monks who went to China to study Zen Buddhism arrived at Mount Tian Mu in Zhejiang and also tea. They brought back the black Jian Ware ceramic teabowl to Japan thinking that it came from the Tian Mu mountains in Zhejiang, and gave it the name Tenmoku. This type of tea bowl became so highly regarded and ceremonial that you required to take courses on it and become certified before you can serve people in this teabowl. But that is another way that the Japanese government and system protects its traditional craftsmanship and ensure continuous patronage and a healthy ecosystem of funding for its arts, cos in Chinese, even I can own one and serve you tea though I know next to nothing about preparing them.
Coffee, Tea and Art
I mentioned earlier the monk who could write poems on tea froths. You probably are thinking about the similarity of that and Latte Art that was in vogue a while back?
So this is similar except with tea, and done 1,000 years before.
I asked Kenny and he said there were two ways of doing it, either with clear water like this:
So the water would dilute the coloured froths and lightening it. So you either pour, drip or paint with plain water to reveal the artwork you’ve painted.
so now you ask, I thought the best froths were supposed to be white and thick like wax, so how does white show on white? Can it get any whiter? I’m sorry this sounds racist but I assure you this is just about tea art and froth.
So there is apparently another method that Kenny shared—it was using tea powder, and sometimes you mix with some water to form a paste-like ‘tea paint’ to be painted over the white froth.
Some said that the Green Matcha is more Japanese and the White one is more Chinese. But Kenny clarified that both types existed in the Song dynasty and they gave them very poetic names—Jade Froth for the white one, and Emerald/Kingfisher Froth for the green one. Yes, Jade were often associated with white nephrite jade for the ancient Chinese (though there were red, green and other coloured jade as well but white was deemed desirable for gentlemen). The Green Jadeite that we often associate with ‘traditional Chinese jade’ is actually relatively much modern, in the last 100-200 years or so, and it is not Chinese but Burmese in origin.
So… Here’s the part that is the whole point of my article..
So if you don’t already know, we’re running a Yaji event which historically would be a social gathering of literati friends who engage in a range of artforms and with knowledge exchanges and discussions. The inaugural edition, we’re basing it on the Song dynasty and the Autumn theme.
One of the highlight workshop is a Song dynasty reconstruction tea workshop by Kenny Leong, a private tea practitioner who mainly hosted corporate guests like banks and luxury brands (you can read more in his bio). So I’ve known Kenny for a while now, and I’m always rather wary of extremely commercialised practitioners of traditional craft because I feel that if most of the times, traditions were just a fancy costume party while money making is the real deal for them. So I was relieved to know that Kenny is not one of those unscrupulous jade sellers or fengshui masters in Chinatown (you know that type..), and like me, we have a full time job so that our passion can be as pure and not tainted by commercial interests.
As part of this workshop, you can also opt to get your own Song dynasty tea kit set as in the photo below (completed with grounded tea powder) and whisk in your own leisure time at home:
The tea towel is based on an actual painting of auspicious cranes by the Song emperor Hui Zong whom I’ve mentioned several times in this article on his love for tea.
Because I themed it to be Autumn/Fall, I’ve also added some finer touches to the Song tea set to include a touch of season—A polished shell cut and engraved into the shape of a gingko leaf.
The whisk in the set is a Japanese chanoyu style of tea whisk, while the original one from Song would most likely be closer to an Okinawaian Bukubuku Tea
You probably would associate the gingko leaf with the Japanese culture more, but the gingko is actually native to China although the Chinese term we use today were based on Japanese and Korean words for it when Gingko was introduced to these two places from China.
There are still Gingko trees of 1500 years old in China, believed to be planted by Buddhist monks in their monasteries as it was believed to be a holy tree.
The most viral one has to be this 1,400 year old one in Zhongnan Mountain in a Buddhist temple. Like the article said, it is definitely a perfect celebration of Autumn:
In case you would like to celebrate Autumn in Song style with us, we have a whole afternoon of activities lined up for you on 24 September, Saturday at the Stamford Arts Centre.
Traditionally, the elegant gathering would’ve been by invitation only amongst a close group of friends who shared similar taste in the arts or worldview. We are adapting the idea of it into a more public affair to open up to those whom we might not know personally, but would like to be part of this interpretive experience on ancient culture and arts.
This is our invitation to you, and you can get your tickets HERE or click on the image to access the ticketing site:
We are selling early bird tickets now until 24 August, and it is definitely a very worthy deal to purchase your tickets now!
So Mid Autumn festival’s around the corner there’s much more to Autumn and Chinese social gatherings than mooncake and lanterns. In fact, what we do at Hanfugirls Collective has always been to challenge those stereotypes and what better time to do that than this Autumn!
We’re relooking at Autumn celebrations and social gatherings this Yaji series, and yes we’ll have the tea, we’ll have the dessert/cakes, and we’ll have the social gathering, but we will not do the Mid-Autumn, Winter Solstice, Spring Festival and Dragon Boat Festival clichés since you really don’t need us to help you celebrate those, do you?
While people are busy with revenge travel, Yaji: Seasons will be the ultimate historically-based cultural experience for those who are dying for some solid historical content delivered as immersive as you can possibly hope for.
You will get to experience a world of ancient Chinese culture (without all the fluffy mysticisms) that you never knew existed, in one afternoon.
It is the first in a series of Elegant Gatherings paying homage to gatherings where ancient literati would enjoy great poetry and exchange thoughts through the finest sensorial experiences. Like the ancients who curated their lives around nature’s offerings, we commence our quarterly Yaji series, themed around the blooms and glooms of seasons – much akin to the rise and fall of ancient Chinese dynasties.The entire series is made up of 4 quarterly events pegged to each season and each event is themed according to an ancient dynasty and their culture, customs and arts.
The concept of Yaji (loosely translated to Elegant Gatherings) is similar to the French Salon, except more chilled/laid-back and bourgeois in form.
I know, the image looks so understated and probably doesn’t quite fit what you have in mind. But that’s the whole point of this entire afternoon—To let you experience the understated luxury valued by ancient Chinese literati. In fact, during the lecture (that’s right at the start) of the afternoon’s programme, I’m going to share about how to appreciate the understated Song aesthetics and how it was a departure from previous periods in fashion and socio-political norms.
We are starting off with the Song dynasty because its aesthetics and life philosophies are still very much in vogue today, as seen in the rise of Minimalism and the pursuit in the fine quality of life. You’d be surprised to know that the highest auction price for Chinese ceramics in the world today actually came from the Song dynasty, yes, with all these very very simple and plain looking wares. And you’ll hear more on why and the stories behind them.
Yaji: Seasons | An Autumn’s Song
A dynasty of oxymorons, the Song dynasty pioneered Chinese capitalism and consumerism while remaining devoted to the practice of Minimalism in its artistic expressions. While the modern Japanese whisked tea ceremony known as chanoyu traces its roots to the whisked tea customs of the Song, and the former’s wagashi from similar periods, the two remain distinctly different in essence. Come into the realm of the Song literati and discover an ancient Chinese world that blends high art with popular culture, kitsch with minimalism, and the understated luxury of the Chinese that you’ve never seen.
If you’ve been watching The Story of Minglan and A Dream of Splendour, you might want to sign up for the introductory lecture that explains the Song society and fashion through A Dream of Splendour.
Yaji, the Elegant Gatherings of ancient literati
The Palace Museum in Taipei did a Special exhibition on Yaji just before COVID (Yes, a little bit of cosmic irony there), naturally nobody get to experience it for the last 2 years at least. The highlight in these by-invitation only events were the poetry and arts experiences and we see how Crazy Rich Asian’s Tanhua viewing scene might be an homage to that cultural tradition (although definitely very diaspora perspective since there’s no poetry, cultural or literary exchanges!).
But one thing that Crazy Rich Asian got right was how seasonal such gatherings were, or rather how the Chinese had such reverence for nature and seasonal changes such that everything revolves around that.
Which is why I thought of having the first series based on seasons and you do see in the feature images that I had Chrysanthemum, Gingko, and Maple leaves. All of which are generally not associated with the Chinese but with the Dead, Japan, and Canada but actually quite quintessentially Chinese.
The entire collection of Yaji: Seasons consists of:
Yaji: A Song dynasty Autumn Dream (24 September 2022)
Yaji: The Qing dynasty’s Ode to Winter (Q4 2022/Q1 2023)
Yaji: Spring blooms in Ming (Q2 2023)
Yaji: The Cooling Summers of Tang (Q3 2023)
Song dynasty Tea Reconstruction & Customs
One of the highlight of the entire afternoon, in my opinion is the special historical reconstruction of Song Tea custom masterclass by Kenny Leong. I’ve known Kenny for the longest time and he is a professional Tea practitioner who has a profound understanding and appreciation for Tea and its role in Chinese societies, philosophies and aesthetics in history. He has been invited by luxury brands and corporates to conduct workshops related to Tea so it’s really as a favour that he’s come on board to conduct a special Masterclass for our Yaji series.
Yaji: An Autumn Experience
I’m working with @HerHeartefact and Kenny for this experience which allow participants to actually get a taste (pun intended) of the actual Song period with snacks and tea recreated from historical sources and recipes. This session follows the introductory lecture of the period, and allows more interactive and experiential type of engagement. You will even get to see replica Song period paintings and have a chat (if you’re into casual engagement) or long discussions (if you are passionate about arts and culture) on the various artforms.
The concept of Yaji might seem daunting and unfamiliar to us at first sight, but it’s really meant to be a fun gathering packed with intellectual and cultural exchanges and engagements!
Get Dressed For the Occasion
There is no formal dresscode for the afternoon, but you are encouraged to turn up dressed in Natural fibre or Autumn’s colours. I am also collaborating with Dressed Up Dreams Photo Studio to offer dress up and styling service to 4 lady-guests. I will be working with the guests for the best look, and the studio will help you get ready in that look with a professional make-up artist and some collector’s item Song era inspired dresses and accessories of mine.
You can opt to have a modern twist to your look, or go all the way authentically Song.
WARNING
I have to give you a warning before you click on the event ticketing link. It’s not cheap because, well, you can never get this anywhere else and the kind of people and experience we can bring to the table, if you’ve been following me long enough, you would know. Also, these sessions are extremely exclusive due to the high interactivity and requirement for tutelage.
The purpose of this is to ensure sustainability in high quality content experiences in the long run. So, I guess I’ll see you there soon?
If you’re interested, here’s the Programme list and QR code to the main listing page! I’ve got all the events in one listing, and also individual events, whichever is more convenient for you to find and register!
Entertainers, prostitutes, muse—these are a few of the terms widely used by academics and general public alike to describe female performers in ancient China. The Chinese term for performing artists evolved from a unisex word (伎jì) referring to male and female performers, into a word dedicated to female entertainers (妓jì) in the Tang dynasty (around 7-9th century) likely due to the wild popularity and prestige of being a female performer (also Courtesan) during that period. Thereafter, due to changing value and political systems, the nature of the profession evolved and these women of spiritual pleasure were objectified into women of carnal pleasures.
It’s interesting to note that in the ancient worlds across the world, there are Courtesans of similar natures. They were usually one of the most educated and artistically accomplished women in society, and they produced and inspired great artistic legacies. We see it in the Mesopotamian culture (West Asia i.e. Iran, Iraq, Syria), the Ancient Greek culture, Indian culture as well as Japanese, Korean and Chinese culture. There’s a wonderful book that I highly recommend everyone to read if you are interested in this topic—“Freewomen, Patriarchal Authority, and the Accusation of Prostitution” by Stephanie Lynn Budin.
Scene extracted from Yanzilou: Forgotten Tales (2021)
For the purpose of this article, I shall touch on the extravagant lifestyles that top courtesans enjoyed, and their role in leading the fashion of their times.
Now in case you think that all these women are sex slaves, you couldn’t be more wrong. They were slaves, yes, but not for sex.
There were courtesans, and there were Courtesans.
While Entertainment Houses weren’t exactly the epitome of female liberty and empowerment, they certainly offered these talented women a break from life as a traditional good wife.
FASHION TREND SETTERS
Gold and Silk
Scene extracted from Yanzilou: Forgotten Tales (2021)
Good wives had to adhere to strict rules on dressing—they have to dress in according to the rule book based on their husbands’ title and social status, courtesans were exempted from any rules. In fact, even though gold and silk were only accessible and permitted to be worn by the elites, Courtesans were decked in them in the comfort their entertainment houses because the realm of the Entertainment House was theirs.
And so, they were at the forefront of fashion styles. This continues to hold true until now, where public performers and celebrities were leaders of sartorial styles because they were bold enough to embody it. In fact, their very existence and popularity kind of depends on it. And you can try to spot the many different styles of Tang Dynasty dresses which you probably would never realised was iconic of the period if you just watched period dramas—most period dramas aren’t very period accurate.
Disclaimer: We actually incorporated Tang dresses worn by women across different periods of the dynasty, spanning 300-400 years so you could see the diversity in sartorial choices. Be it of Hu/western influence, or Han Chinese influence. So it was not specific to one particular time period in Tang.
Purple Brows
How Murex Snail looks like although mostly it could also be normal shell colour based on what I saw instead of purple.
Naturally, make-up was a large part of the fashion trends. Starting from the brow, the Tang period women were known for having extremely bold make-up (think Mulan except more tastefully done). There was mention of a compilation of 10 different brow styles of the period, but unfortunately the actual record was missing. The Courtesans, were the main drivers of this change and they were given a special title— the Ambassador of Brows!
If you actually do catch Yanzilou: Forgotten Tales, do look out for Mamapan and her brows in the early stage and you might just spot a tinge of purple. This was an actual pigment that would’ve been used during ancient China to showcase your wealth and connections.
Purple as we all know, is a colour of royalty in the West, and it was actually frowned upon by Confucius as an inferior colour since he saw it as an ‘impure’ colour unlike red, white, black, yellow and green/blue (yes he’s an CYMK fan). But during the Tang Dynasty, purple became extremely popular that the highest level of honour was to be wearing a purple gown in the imperial court, and to be bestowed one by the emperor. Purple brow pigment was also extremely precious. They came from a Mediterranean Sea snail—the Murex snail and the intense and deep purple produced was called the Tyrian purple. Of course, due to different oxidisation process, it might turn blue as well.
Screencap of the “Tyrian purple brow kit” in the Legend of Zhenhuan. Such a far cry from the actual image above right? And the box they used, was a fake carved lacquerware, it’s made of resin and costs 1/10th the price of a real one. I can just see through its fairness despite the low resolution! The real carved lacquer made by craftsmen, we have in a couple in Yanzilou and you would get to see it in the film experience too. We will make sure you see it because carved lacquerware started in Tang!
The last I checked, Tyrian purple in today’s market would’ve cost you 300USD/gram from a private seller (before shipping). I don’t think it is commercially available on a large scale since the production is extremely limited. But just imagine in those days, with shipping, it would’ve cost you a bomb. That’s why Tyrian purple brow make-up kit appeared in the Legend of Zhenhuan—it was a tribute item from “Persia”. Only the emperor’s favourite concubine would have access to it.
Don’t ask us how Yanzilou got hold of it. It’s a secret we’ll never tell. 😉
On a side note, I heard from a weaver that there are some places in Southeast Asia that produces similar style of purple dye with some sea snail or creatures. That’s quite an interesting thing to explore further!
Scene extracted from Yanzilou: Forgotten Tales (2021)
ARTS CRITIQUE
Arbiter of Taste & Sophistry
When it comes to the arts, we have to admit that taste is subjective and there’s technically no absolute judgement of good and bad art unless you are an ancient Chinese, of course. In which case, it is always literati-lead. So you see a rejection of life-like painting style in Chinese arts, because the literati found it too literal and lacking in imagination and spirit.
And guess who has got them wrapped around their fingers?
*takes a bow*
We often assume that the Chinese Imperial Exam System was probably one of the most meritocratic inventions of the ancient Chinese and that it had been meritocratic from the start. But back in the Tang Dynasty, it wasn’t so exactly. For one, only the rich could afford to study since cost of paper was extremely high. For two, Tang Dynasty exam submissions were not anonymous. So if you have some kind of reputation, or connections, the examiners could very well choose you over someone unknown.
That’s the plight of many scholars and the only way out, was to have their poems and writings known by the influential officials in the capital.
And the most effective way, is not to cold call. But to go through the Courtesans who would have access to the most powerful men in the country since all state banquets and important events would require their attendance. They in fact, would be invited to the private events as well, to host the sessions.
Scene extracted from Yanzilou: Forgotten Tales (2021)
So there were the courtesans, and there were the Courtesans, and there were the Duzhis who were the most highly regarded Courtesans (like Head Courtesans). The Duzhi’s talents were so highly regarded that they would host drinking and poetry sessions with these influential and highly educated patrons, and be the judge of the merits of the poetry. If you were of a lower level official, I suppose Courtesans would be good enough as well!
So just imagine, these Duzhi or Courtesans started praising a random scholar’s poem, or compose a song and used the scholar’s poems as lyrics… It would’ve been the most effective advertisement/product placement!
Most literature and history text books wouldn’t point this out, but it is precisely because of the courtesan culture, of them singing poems as lyrics, that in the dynasty after Tang (the Song Dynasty), the Song Lyrics became an important for of literary arts.
So how did we get from there, to prostitutes?
It’s the same old story in every civilisation, every culture. Like witches being hunted for their knowledge and associated power. I mean, there’s definitely nothing more badass and threatening than women with a great deal of knowledge, free from the traditional rules of a ‘good woman’, and knows all the secrets of influential men.
Just in case you are not on Facebook or Instagram, and have missed out on the announcement of the upcoming virtual interactive film experience, here’s a sneak peek of it! I realised that not many people can imagine what the experience would be like, and at this point, I can only say that you can choose who you meet in Yanzilou, the premium Entertainment House of the 8th century Tang China, and we have as many as 6,464 possible paths so different people would definitely experience Yanzilou very differently. Just like how it would’ve been in real life.
I will leave the trailer below, and if you’re interested to get a ticket, Early Birds/Black Friday sale is on until end of the month! It’s 25% off the regular ticket ($24) and 40% off the Late Bloomer tickets ($30).
It’s only running from 16 Dec to 31 Dec online, and you will receive informations in due course about how to experience this wherever you are, at your own time, with a cup of good wine/tea in a dark room with a pair of kicks earphones/speakers!
So join us on this time travelling experience this Christmas!
I’m shamelessly linking it above and below before we go into what we have prepared for you this International Women’s Day!
This International Women’s Day, we’ve prepared a range of experiences and learning opportunities to satisfy both our thirst for knowledge and our penchant for vanity.
We will kickstart the weekend with a full day of activities focusing on the concept of Chinese femininity (not the way you probably assumed for it to be), epitomised by the Chinese courtesans who are really more of the predecessors of Geishas than what conventionally we would think of as prostitutes.
Of course, since I’ve said in the news report that the world has no lack of pretty girls, we need more empowered women, I can’t possibly offer photoshoot opportunities/packages that are not historically-accurate (means the airy-fairy-goddess kind one would see on TV). Think of it as an experiential learning opportunity rather than a simple glamour shoot opportunity. As part of our fundraising efforts for the performance, I’m partnering Dressed Up Dreams Photo Studio for the Tang courtesan dress-up experience. I will focus on the styling, and Sharon my counterpart will focus on the photos.
7 MARCH 2020
To the ancient Chinese, music and dance were referred to by the same word yuè 乐, and entertainers both male and female would be referred to as jì 伎. Over time, jì came to be identified with female entertainers, then courtesans, and eventually, prostitutes.
History has always been told from a man’s perspective, of their conquests, victories and achievements. This International Women’s Day, we are telling the stories and artistic legacies of women from the ancient past starting from music and dance.
Music and dance have been an integral part of human life throughout history in every culture. Each culture has its unique aesthetic sensibilities which is usually a culmination of beliefs, lifestyle factors and these in turn shape its art forms. It is a continual evolution brought about with the exchange of ideas and people with the opening up of trade routes and human migration. Come and learn more about the evolution of Chinese classical music and dance through the ages, and how foreign influences have contributed to the arts we now know today. Do dress in comfortable attire as you will have the chance to learn and experiment with a few dance movements in this interactive session.
Part I: Encountering Tang courtesans in early Yanzilou $40/person (limited to 10 guests who will stay on for the lecture)
7 Mar (Sat) | 7pm–9pm
Poets and scholars feverishly penned poems to catch her eye, while noblemen gifted her with mansions in exchange for an evening of entertainment. The Tang courtesan accepts no ordinary patrons – only those who value her art above the banal things in life. Tonight, the courtesans of Yanzilou will host ten guests fortunate enough to catch their fancy – you may indulge in conversation with them about the fascinating culture of Tang, and take in the sights and sounds of a regular evening in the courtesan house.
Part II: Origins of the Geisha: Women and Art in Tang China (Lecture) $20/person
Speaker: Mamapan (Hanfugirl)
7 Mar (Sat) | 8pm–9pm
Modern literature, pop culture and even academics often dismiss the courtesans of ancient China as just prostitutes, without exploring their artistic achievements and legacies in a historical narrative dominated by male scholars, literatis, and historians. On the other hand, the Japanese Geishas who were very much influenced by the ancient Chinese courtesans traditions, have been hailed as keepers of Japanese artistic traditions, admired and respected by foreigners and Japanese alike. This lecture will unveil the forgotten origins of geishas in the form of Tang dynasty courtesans, who held contradictory identities of both superstar celebrities and slaves, occupying the liminal space between a muse and a slave, and who were indispensable in the proliferation and popularisation of Tang dynasty literature and arts. You will also see how female entertainers, then as now, were also subjected to objectification and exploitation of their talent, and how history is always repeating itself.
8 MARCH 2020
So this is the moment many of you have been waiting for! Photoshoots! I don’t typically do photoshoots for the public because of my schedule and need for me-time. But I was relieved to find a partner in Sharon who would be doing the photos while I just focus on the styling (yay to no more sleepless nights of photo-editing!). Whenever there’s a query/request for photoshoots, I would also typically refer people to Sharon since she does it professionally for a living.
For this collaboration, you will be transformed into a Tang courtesan and have a taste of what life was like through her eyes. It would also be a once-a-lifetime chance for you to get any shoot of yourself done in our beautifully decorated to Tang style space!
As playing the role of a famous courtesan is no easy feat, come with an open mind, an appreciation for alternative beauty ideals, and an inquisitive spirit in order to get the most out of the session!
Packages start from $588 for an hour’s shoot between 1pm–6pm, and you can top up another $100 for a pure silk dress which was recreated to be as authentic as possible based on Tang artefacts and paintings.
If you were to engage me beyond this opportunity, it would cost you a lot more, so do grab this chance!
Elizabeth Chan, or 美锜, is a Chinese dance practitioner-researcher. She graduated from the University of Roehampton (London) with an MA in Dance Studies in 2016 and prior to that, from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with a BFA in Dance (majoring in Chinese dance) in 2013. She worked in Hong Kong for two years, with Hong Kong Disneyland and as a freelance dance artist. Most recently she is based in Singapore, studying her PhD at the National University of Singapore, as well as working with local artists and fellow Chinese dance practitioners on varied contemporary, intercultural and traditional topics. Her own research is focused on the multiple past and present positions of Chinese dance in the world.
Cen Haishan
Haishan is a Guzheng teacher and performer. She graduated from the China Conservatory of Music with a B.A. in Music Performance. She has played for TV broadcast both in China and Singapore. Haishan has performed with key arts groups both as a soloist and ensemble player with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, City Chinese Orchestra, DingYi Music Company, Teng Company. She was featured in MediaCorp Channel 5 documentary, The Big Unknown I & II in 2005-2006. Her other identities include being a certified Yoga and Taijigong instructor.
#Hanfugirl 