A monthly quiz of general history, traditions, geography questions for September
1. Nu Mengjiang is associated with which event in Chinese history?
digging the Grand Canal
fall of the Tang dynasty
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. The second Yi Jing hexagram is called what?
Qian - initiating
Kun - earth
Kui - diversity
The 64 hexagrams of the Yi Jing (I Ching) begin with heaven (all yang) followed by its opposite earth (all yin).
3. There is a festival on the ninth day of the ninth month (double ninth) which is also known by what name?
Hungry Ghost festival
Zhong yang
Mid Autumn 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.
4. The 'Five Avenues' (Wudadao) is an area of colonial buildings in which city?
Fuzhou
Tianjin
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).
5. If a character in traditional Chinese opera wears black make-up what does it denote?
Villain
Invisibility
Hero
Actors dressed in black with black make-up are considered 'invisible';
6. Liu Jin in 1510CE accumulated four million pounds of gold in just four years. What was his profession?
Tax collector
Silk merchant
Imperial eunuch
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.
7. What does a carp symbolize a wish for in artwork?
Good luck
children
promotion
A carp symbolizes a favorable wish as it sounds similar to 利lì ‘favorable, benefit, advantage’ and 力lì means ‘strength, power’.
8. The founder of the Han dynasty Liu Bei had his powerbase in which modern province?
Hunan
Sichuan
Guangdong
Liu Bang, born of peasant stock, led the rebellion against the vestiges of Qin dynasty rule and became the first Han Emperor in 206BCE.
9. What is the ideal depth of water for a paddy field?
1 inch
3 inches
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.
10. Why is Ginseng mainly considered a potent medicine?
scent of leaves
root shape
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.
11. What are foxes associated with in China?
evil spirits
prosperity
romance
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.
12. Reginald Johnston was famous in China in what position?
Tutor to the last Emperor
Head of customs service
First Ambassador
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.
13. 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.
14. Mukden is an old name for which Chinese city
Hohhot
Shenyang
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.
15. Kowloon town within the city of Hong Kong means what in English?
Harbor view
Nine dragons
Prosperous harbor
Nine is an Imperial number and nine dragons is considered particularly propitious.