A monthly quiz of general history, traditions, geography questions for September
1. Liu Jin in 1510CE accumulated four million pounds of gold in just four years. What was his profession?
Silk merchant
Imperial eunuch
Porcelain manufacturer
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.
Entrance through the Gate of Peace at the Lama Temple Beijing (Yonghegong), or Palace of Peace and Harmony Lama Temple or Yonghegong Lamsery, a renowned lama temple of the Yellow Hat Sect of Lamaism. Building work on the YongHeGong Temple started in 1694 during the Qing Dynasty. It originally served as an official residence for court eunuchs. It was then converted into the court of Prince Yong Zheng (Yin Zhen), a son of emperor KangXi. After YongZheng's ascension to the throne in 1722, half of the building was converted into a lamasery, a monastery for monks of Tibetan Buddhism, while the other half remained an imperial palace. November 2006.
Image by Dennis Jarvis ➚ from Halifax, Canada available under a Creative Commons license ➚
2. Nu Mengjiang is associated with which event in Chinese history?
flood in 1459
Han dynasty Empress
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.
4. There is a festival on the ninth day of the ninth month (double ninth) which is also known by what name?
Zhong yang
Mid Autumn festival
Hungry Ghost festival
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.
Emperor Qianlong's Pleasure during Snowy Weather. c. 1736-1738. From Chiumei Ho: The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong, London 2004.
Painting by Giuseppe Castiglione ➚ (1688?1766). Available under a Creative Commons license ➚.
5. Why is Ginseng mainly considered a potent medicine?
flower shape
grows in graveyards
root shape
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.
6. Kowloon town within the city of Hong Kong means what in English?
Nine dragons
Prosperous harbor
Crane Hill
Nine is an Imperial number and nine dragons is considered particularly propitious.
A pavilion located at Nan Liang Garden in Hong Kong
7. What is the ideal depth of water for a paddy field?
1 foot
1 inch
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.
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.
Stock Certificate of South Manchuria Railway (1926-45) Image by South Manchuria Railway available under a Creative Commons License ➚
9. What does a carp symbolize a wish for in artwork?
children
peace
Good luck
A carp symbolizes a favorable wish as it sounds similar to 利lì ‘favorable, benefit, advantage’ and 力lì means ‘strength, power’.
10. What are foxes associated with in China?
romance
evil spirits
cunning
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.
11. Reginald Johnston was famous in China in what position?
Tutor to the last Emperor
Army General
Governor of Hong Kong
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.
The East India Company iron steam ship Nemesis, commanded by Lieutenant W. H. Hall, with boats from the Sulphur, Calliope, Larne and Starling, destroying the Chinese war junks in Anson's Bay, on 7 January 1841. Image by Edward Duncan ➚ available under a Creative Commons License ➚
12. The founder of the Han dynasty Liu Bei had his powerbase in which modern province?
Jiangsu
Sichuan
Henan
Liu Bang, born of peasant stock, led the rebellion against the vestiges of Qin dynasty rule and became the first Han Emperor in 206BCE.
13. The 'Five Avenues' (Wudadao) is an area of colonial buildings in which city?
Tianjin
Shanghai
Beijing
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).
15. A Jewish community has lived for many centuries in which Chinese city?
Tianjin
Xi'an
Kaifeng
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.