conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me a description for a story titled Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs about Chinese, Eight, Immortals with the genre: Religion & Spirituality, New Age & Spirituality.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: The Eight Immortals, the five elements, the dragon, phoenix, yin and yang -- representatives of these important cultural symbols are pervasive in Chinese art and architecture. Without an understanding of their significance, Asian art cannot be fully appreciated. Originally published in Shanghai in 1941, this is the standard reference for students of China and Chinese culture. With over 400 illustrations, it not only explains the essential cultural symbols but also contains articles on Chinese beliefs, customs, arts and crafts, foods, agriculture and medicine. This is an indispensable guide to the Middle Kingdom's artistic and architectural wonders.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Reverse the sentences.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: This is an indispensable guide to the Middle Kingdom's artistic and architectural wonders.. With over 400 illustrations, it not only explains the essential cultural symbols but also contains articles on Chinese beliefs, customs, arts and crafts, foods, agriculture and medicine. Originally published in Shanghai in 1941, this is the standard reference for students of China and Chinese culture. Without an understanding of their significance, Asian art cannot be fully appreciated.The Eight Immortals, the five elements, the dragon, phoenix, yin and yang -- representatives of these important cultural symbols are pervasive in Chinese art and architecture
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the first five paragraphs for this story.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs
  Stone abounds in southern and western China, and marble, granite, sandstone, and limestone are all used for building purposes in a rough as well as in a dressed state, while pulverized stone is used for making toothpowder and cosmetics. Stone monuments, archways, artificial rockwork, and architectural reliefs are sculptured with great skill by the Chinese, who thus display their artistic and symbolic designs with striking effect."Ornamental walls are frequently formed of large slabs set in ports, like panels, the outer faces of which are beautifully carved with figures representing a landscape or a procession." The stone-cutter produces large numbers of monuments and statues for public and private use, and for placing at the grave.
  The carving and cutting of semi-precious stoneware is carried out with great accuracy and artistic finish. Jade, agate, cornelian, lapis-lazuli, malachite, coral, fluorspar, and crystal are cut into figures, while Shansi amethyst and turquoise matrix are made into beads and pendants. Juvenile workers are largely employed as apprentices, and can be seen at their rough lathes, hollowing out agates, etc., in preparation for the external working of the piece. Natural markings in the stone are invariably adapted for the cutting of leaves and floral sprays, etc., in order to enhance the beauty of the article, and no effort is spared in utilising the grain and markings to the best effect. A design may often take several months to work out satisfactorily. A rough-shaped stone might suggest, for example, a dragon, on account of its peculiar shape; it may have an awkward shaped top, which, however, must not be cut away or wasted; the part at the top may suggest a hill, so the dragon is carved coming round a hill, and any natural markings in the hill can be cut in relief as dwarf shrubs, rocks, or any other motifs which will appear to be suitable to the engraver. The designer's motto might well be "Artistry, but Economy."
  The practice of burying figures of stones, clay, metal, etc., with the dead is of great antiquity. They were generally in the shape of servants, concubines, horses, etc., and were interred with the dead primarily for superstitious reasons relating to the invisible powers of evil and the means of controlling them, in fact with fetish worship, and secondarily in connection with the honours paid to deceased celebrities by the sacrifice of human beings and domestic animals to attend them in the land of shadows (vide DEATH). Stone statues (石象) of men and animals were erected before the tombs of Chinese Emperors and high officials for the same reasons as the figures were placed with the corpse; effigies made of coloured paper are now also burnt at the graveside. Sacrifices of animals at the grave have been carried out from time immemorial, but living sacrifices were not introduced until life-size images of human beings had first been erected before the grave and their miniature counterparts interred with the body. Some of the ancient stone figures and bas-reliefs found in China reveal traces of Indian or Grecian origin, while others are purely Chinese in conception. If extensive excavation was not impeded for reasons of FENG SHUI (q. v.), no doubt many interesting sculptures would be unearthed, which would be highly important from an archaeological standpoint (vide also JADE).
  Mount Tài (泰山), in Shantung, has the epithet of "eminent" attached to it as it is the most famous of all the mountains of China. A stone from this sacred mountain is believed to have the power to ward off demons, though any local stone may be employed. The following inscription is cut upon it: "This stone from Mount Tài dares to oppose" (泰山石敢當), and it is sometimes erected at sharp turnings of the road where evil influences are considered likely to strike against it. No doubt the origin of the motto is partly due to the security offered by Mount Tài in times of flood and Yellow River disaster in Shantung, and to its former use in the worship of the sun.
  The stone chime is a musical instrument of percussion, consisting of a plate in the form of an angle or T-square, made of jade or other stone and sometimes of bronze.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me four more paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Buddha is said to have been fond of flowers, and vases are always placed on the Buddhist altars. The vase is one of the auspicious signs on the FOOTPRINTS OF BUDDHA (q. v.), symbolizing the idea of "not leaking," and signifying that condition of supreme intelligence triumphant over birth and death. (Vide also CHINAWARE.)
  Vermicelli is one of the staple foods of north China, where rice is not plentiful. It is made of wheat and beans, especially the green bean (綠 ), Phaseolus mungo L, large quantities being exported, principally from Chefoo and Newchwang. Both the solid vermicelli and the tubular macaroni are made of the same materials, the best qualities being produced in Shantung. A coarse variety of vermicelli is made from rice flour. Fine vermicelli (銀絲) is made from flour dough, drawn out on a frame and dried in the sun.
  Vermicelli is always eaten on the first and fifteenth days of each month, or when the moon is at the full, and, owing to its length, is regarded as an emblem of longevity. It is generally served at weddings and birthday festivities, when the guests are expected to partake of it to intimate their wish that those in whose honour the celebrations are held will be blessed with long life.
  Translated into Japanese as Mount Reishu, "The Mountain of the Spiritual Eagle," Sanskrit Gridhrakrita. So called because Mâra (魔王) the Evil One, according to Buddhist tradition, once assumed the form of a vulture on it to interrupt the meditation of Ânanda, the disciple of Buddha. It is also called "the Hill of the Vulture Cavern" (雕驚窟山), because Buddha, by his supernatural power, made a cleft in the rock, introduced his hand, and stroked Ânanda's shoulder, so that his fear of the evil bird passed away. Some say that the name is merely due to the fact that vultures abound on the mountain.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the last four paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Chinese cosmogony is based upon the principle of dualism, which has its parallel in the Ormuz and Ahriman of the Persians, the masculo-feminine principle of the ancient Egyptians, the subdivision of the Hondoo God Brahma into male and female elements for the creation of the world, and Plato's theory of universal dualism, etc.
  The y ï n (陰) and yáng (陽) are the negative and positive principles of universal life, and are pictorially represented by the symbol , which is the diagram of an egg showing the yolk and the white strongly differentiated, the dark and light colours distinguishing the two principles. Yáng signifies Heaven, Sun, Light, Vigour, Male, Penetration, the Monad. "It is symbolized by the Dragon and is associated with azure colour and oddness in numbers. In fēngshuî, or the geomantic system of orientation, raised land forms (mountains) are yáng. Similarly y ï n stands for Earth (the antithesis of Heaven), Moon, Darkness, Quiescence, Female, Absorption, the Duad. It is symbolized by the Tiger and is associated with orange colour and even numbers. Valleys and streams possess the y ï n quality."
  The celestial principle (or soul of the universe), tiānlî (天理) first existed, combined with the immaterial principle qì (剩), or vapour, and then came primary matter (器), which accumulated and constituted substance (or the qualities of matter) zhì (質), from which all creation evolved. The Great Monad or Extreme—the first cause—TAIJI (太極) (q. v.) being contained in the immaterial principle, moved and produced the yáng, the superior or male principle of native. When it had moved to the utmost it rested; and having rested, it produced the y ï n, the inferior or female principle of nature. When the pure male principle was diluted, it formed the heavens; while the dark and heavy y ï n coagulated and formed the earth. The y ï n and the yáng together constitute the dào (道), the eternal reason or principle of heaven and earth, the origin of all things human and divine, and thence was finally produced the jì 繼 or Succession.
  The following diagram of the Chinese cosmology illustrates the process of change and evolution out of the Unknown and the ultimate return into it, and is quoted from a paper on "The Chinese Idea of the Second Self," read at a meeting of the Things Chinese Society, on the 26th May, 1931, at Peiping, China, by Mr. E. T. C. Werner.