But the organizers made a fatal mistake to use the “classic” word. “Classic” has the meaning of artistic value. “Classics” are naturally formed. It is obvious that to generate “classics” by ballot would be impractical. Who votes? What criteria? In what way? there are endless questions. If we only selected “the most representative works of each era”, perhaps we can have a more objective identification criteria.
This bronze ware perhaps was unearthed around mid 19th century during Daoguang or Jiaqing era of Qing Dynasty at Liangshan, Shouzhang County, Shandong Province. There are six other bronze wares unearthed at the same time. All together, they are known as “Seven Treasures of Liangshan”. As the most precious one of seven, Taibao Ding was owned by several people, such as Li Zong-dai, Ding Lin-Nian, Xu Shi-chang, etc. Xu even wrote a poem “Song for Obtaining the Ding” to celebrate his ownership.
China is one of many civilizations that have recorded juggling in early cultures. Most history books recorded this vivid performance art throughout Chinese history. The earliest juggling record dates to more than 2,000 years ago.
Here I list some Chinese juggling videos selected from YouTube for you. Some of them are totally unique for Chinese juggling; some are Chinese originated but also adapted by western juggling; some are universal but of Chinese characteristics.
Three Sacred Mountains of Daocheng consist of three snow peaks: Xian-nai-ri, Yang-mai-yong, Xia-nuo-duo-jie. They are completely separated peaks, but every close to each other, forming a triangle. The geography diversity in this region is gorgeous with snow peaks, cliffs, lakes, prairie, forests, creeks and rivers. When explorer Joseph Rock found this place, he was astonished by the beautiful scene of Yang-Mai-Yong: “Exceptional pyramid-shaped peak Yang-mai-yong, she is the most beautiful snow peak my eyes have ever seen.”
Today Chinese music lovers are able to recite complete scores from Bach to Brahms’s; Books such as “Guide to Western Classics”, “300 Western Classical Music” fill the music section of bookstores and personal bookshelves. When it comes to Chinese music, most people would look at each other, without much to talk about.
Chinese lack of awareness of their own music as a whole because that Chinese music had never been in a systematic order, which needs a prerequisite for a broad knowledge of understanding.