A monthly quiz of general history, traditions, geography questions for September
1. Nu Mengjiang is associated with which event in Chinese history?
fall of the Tang dynasty
digging the Grand Canal
building the Great Wall
In the famous legend Nu Mengjiang's husband was a conscript sent to build the Great Wall. Nu Mengjiang went to seek out her husband and after much searching was told he had died and was buried beneath the Wall. After three nights of sad and lonely vigil, the Wall split open revealing the bodies of the dead including her husband clasping the other half a jade hairpin she carried with her. Heartbroken she threw herself into the sea.
2. What are foxes associated with in China?
evil spirits
romance
good luck
While many creatures in the west have a worse reputation than in China for example rats; pigs and dragons, for the fox it is the other way around. They are believed to be inhabited by evil spirits.
3. What is the ideal depth of water for a paddy field?
1 foot
2 feet
6 inches
It's little known that the reason that rice is grown in flooded 'paddy' fields is not because rice needs to grow 'underwater' but it is the simplest method to suppress weeds that would grow in marshy or dry land.
4. Reginald Johnston was famous in China in what position?
Governor of Hong Kong
Tutor to the last Emperor
Head of customs service
Scotsman Reginald Johnston became Puyi's most trusted adviser, friend and mentor 1919-24. He was portrayed by Peter O'Toole in the Oscar winning The Last Emperor film.
5. Mukden is an old name for which Chinese city
Shenyang
Harbin
Tianjin
Shenyang was the Manchu capital and ‘Mukden’ is its Manchu name. The city in Liaoning province has many historical sites within the large industrial city.
6. The founder of the Han dynasty Liu Bei had his powerbase in which modern province?
Sichuan
Hunan
Jiangsu
Liu Bang, born of peasant stock, led the rebellion against the vestiges of Qin dynasty rule and became the first Han Emperor in 206BCE.
7. A Jewish community has lived for many centuries in which Chinese city?
Kaifeng
Beijing
Xi'an
Discovering a Jewish synagogue at Kaifeng, Henan came as a great surprise to Europeans in the 19th century. Although the synagogue was built in Chinese traditional style it had a copy of the Torah and was following traditional Jewish teachings.
8. What does a carp symbolize a wish for in artwork?
peace
children
Good luck
A carp symbolizes a favorable wish as it sounds similar to 利lì ‘favorable, benefit, advantage’ and 力lì means ‘strength, power’.
9. If a character in traditional Chinese opera wears black make-up what does it denote?
Invisibility
Hero
Villain
Actors dressed in black with black make-up are considered 'invisible';
10. The second Yi Jing hexagram is called what?
Kun - earth
Qian - initiating
Kui - diversity
The 64 hexagrams of the Yi Jing (I Ching) begin with heaven (all yang) followed by its opposite earth (all yin).
11. The 'Five Avenues' (Wudadao) is an area of colonial buildings in which city?
Xiamen
Fuzhou
Tianjin
The distinctive architecture of old foreign concession buildings can be seen at Tianjin and the nationality of the original concessions is embodied in the style of the houses. Reflecting its colonial past there are two large cathedrals: Wang Hai Lou (north) and Xi Kai Jiao Tang (south).
12. Why is Ginseng mainly considered a potent medicine?
root shape
yellow flower color
grows in graveyards
Like the mandrake plant in Europe, ginseng has been associated with magical powers because its root is shaped like a child (and hence the use of 人 rén ‘person’ in its Chinese name of Renshen). It was believed that it cried when it was pulled out of the ground.
13. There is a festival on the ninth day of the ninth month (double ninth) which is also known by what name?
Zhong yang
Hungry Ghost festival
Chinese Valentine's Day
On the 9th day of the 9th month for the (Zhongyang or Chongyang) festival people used to take to high ground and fly all sorts of kites as a way of appeasing the spirits. If a mountain or hill is not to hand a tall building or pagoda would be climbed.
14. Liu Jin in 1510CE accumulated four million pounds of gold in just four years. What was his profession?
Imperial eunuch
Porcelain manufacturer
Provincial governor
The top Imperial eunuchs controlled access to the Emperor and received huge bribes to get anyone a personal interview. Although some eunuchs became extremely rich most were just menial servants with very basic pay.
15. Kowloon town within the city of Hong Kong means what in English?
Nine dragons
High pagoda
Prosperous harbor
Nine is an Imperial number and nine dragons is considered particularly propitious.