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1、Symbolism-In-Symbolism-In-Chinese-CultureChinese-Culture1.TheDaoismViewofNatureandNumbersThewholeuniverseismadeoftwobasicforces:yin（阴）andyang（阳）Yin:thefeminineornegativeprincipleinnature.Yang:themasculineorpositiveprincipleInnature.Yinandyangarethoughttoarisetogetherfromaninitialquiescenceoremptines
2、s(wuji,无极),andtocontinuemovingintandemuntilquiescenceisreachedagain.CharacteristicsofYin YangYinyangareopposingYinyangdescribeopposingqualitiesinphenomena.Forinstance,winterisyintosummersyangoverthecourseofayear,andfemininityisyintomasculinitysyanginhumanrelationships.Itisimpossibletotalkaboutyinory
3、angwithoutsomereferencetotheopposite.YinyangarerootedtogetherSinceyinandyangarecreatedtogetherinasinglemovement,theyareboundtogetheraspartsofamutualwhole.Aracewithonlymenoronlywomenwoulddisappearinasinglegeneration,butmenandwomentogethercreatenewgenerationsthatallowtheracetheymutuallycreate(andmutua
4、llycomefrom)tosurvive.Theinteractionofthetwogivesbirthtothings.YinyangtransformeachotherLikeanundertowintheocean,everyadvanceiscomplementedbyaretreat,andeveryrisetransformsintoafall.E.g.Aseedwillsproutfromtheearthandgrowupwardstowardsthesky-anintrinsicallyyangmovement.Thenwhenitreachesitsfullheight,
5、itwillbegintoweaken,andeventuallywillfallbacktotheearthindecay-anintrinsicallyyinmovement.Yinalwayscontainsthepotentialforyang,andyangforyin.Yin-yangarebalancedYin-yangisadynamicequilibrium.TheyarisetogethertheyarealwaysequalIfonedisappears,theothermustdisappearaswell,leavingemptiness.Thisisrarelyim
6、mediatelyapparent,though,becauseyangelementsareclearandobviouswhileyinelementsarehiddenandsubtle.Yin-yangareomnipresente.g. time/space/relationship:Chinese place names: 洛阳、淮阴 food：寒凉、滋阴壮阳medicine： 针灸（acupuncture） 通则不痛，痛则不通,阴阳失调 so energy line system rebalanced2. Yin and Yang Corresponding EnergiesYi
7、nYangDarkLightMatterSpiritEarthSkyFemaleMalePassiveActiveEvenNumbersOddNumbersCanaddmoretothisbinarysystem:winter/summer,death/life,cold/hot,Sothepointisbasicallythereisnodistinctionbetweengood/bad,etc,numbersinclusive.Allareindispensablepairsinthissystemofbalance.3. Why Lucky and Unlucky numbers?We
8、stern:religion?7:lucky13:unluckyChinese:1）traditionalChinesephilosophy2）wordsthatsoundsimilar(homophones)4. Meaning of Numbers一（一（y）:unity/initiation/beginningDaoism：“Onebegetstwo.”fatherofthechildrenofnumbersholdsyang/masculineenergy.hasathrustingenergythatsurgesforthnewgrowthandpotential.e.g.一心一意（
9、yxnyy）九九归一(jijiguy）二二 （r）：duality/germination/harmonymotherofnumbersevennumber:feminine/yinenergy.“goodthingscomeinpairs”（好事成双hoshchngshung）e.g.weddingapairofredcandles/pillows/shoescouplets三（三（sn）:Thefirstoffspringfromtheunionofnumbers1and2.numberthreeisforeverlinkedwiththesanctityoflife,progenyand
10、childbirth.AssociatedwithendingsintheChinesemeaningofnumbers.（三军、三生：notmeans“three”)Fromthree,thefamilyofnumbersbranchesouttocreatediversityandcomplexity.Daoism:GreatTriad(Heaven-Mankind-Earth)whichcanbelooselytranslatedtomeanthepathfromobscurityintomanifestation.Daoism：“ 道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物道生一，一生二，二生三
11、，三生万物, 万物归于道。万物归于道。” Alsosoundssimilartoshng(生,birthor升，rising）四四 （s）：soundssimilartos（死，death）Manynumberedproductlinesskipthe4“oranynumberchainsendingwith“4”Butitsoundssimilartosh:事（things）or世（world，life）e.g四四如意=事事如意(shshry)：Everythingdoneaswished.四季发财（sjfci）Mayyoubeprosperousallfourseasons.五五 （w)：
12、associatedwiththefiveelementsinChinesephilosophyThedoctrineoffivephasesdescribestwocycles,ageneratingorcreation(生,shng)cycle,alsoknownasmother-sonandanovercomingordestruction(克/剋,k)cycle,alsoknownasgrandfather-nephew,ofinteractionsbetweenthephases.GeneratingWoodfeedsFire;Firecreates/producesEarth(as
13、h);EarthbearsMetal;MetalcarriesWater(e.gH2Oiscreatedbyreactionscatalyzedbymetaloxideswhenmoltenvolcanoeserupt);WaternourishesWood.Othercommonwordsforthiscycleincludebegets,engendersandmothers.OvercomingWoodpartsEarth(suchasroots);Earthabsorbs(ormuddies)Water;WaterquenchesFire;FiremeltsMetal;Metalcho
14、psWood.Also:WoodabsorbsWater;WaterrustsMetal;MetalbreaksupEarth;EarthsmothersFire;FireburnsWood.Thiscyclemightalsobecalledcontrols,restrainsorfathers.SignificanceofWuXingTheoryfeng shui: e.g. architectureTraditionalChinesemedicine五脏（阴）六腑（阳）Martialarts:TheFiveStepsofTaijiMusic/astrology/sensoryForbid
15、denCity：5arches/5gatesFolklore: Wu Fu Lin Men （五福临门）（五福临门）Wu Fu Lin Men （Cont)Alsosoundssimilartow（吾）:poetic“I”e.g吾爱吾生w（我）：520=Iloveyou555=呜呜呜六（六（ li）：harmony/expansione.g.六合（lihe）sixcosmicpointsofdirections：东、西、南、北、上、下pronouncedsimilartoli（流，fluid）e.g.六六顺（lilishn）六六大顺Good/smoothforbusiness.e.g.666:
16、oneoftheluckiestnumbersofallAW666:licenseplatenumberedwassoldforRMB270,000Western:devilsnumber?七（七（q）：spiritualorghostly.Theseventhmonth：“GhostMonth”.notcommonlyassociatedwithluck.TraditionalChineseMemorialDays：7*7=49days1st7:头七2nd7:二七.7th7:尽七BUT Chinese Valentines Day七夕节（qxji）:OnJuly7accordingtoChi
17、neseLunarcalendarAlsocalledTheGirlsFestival（女儿节）Originatedfromlegendarystory“TheCowherdandtheWeavingMaid”（牛郎织女,nilngzhn）TheCowherdandtheWeavingMaid”（牛郎织女）The Storyaboutthe7thdaughterofEmperorofHeavenandanorphanedcowherd.TheywereseparatedbytheEmperor.The7thdaughterwasforcedtomovetothestarVegaandtheco
18、wherdmovedtothestarAltair.Theyareallowedtomeetonlyonceayearonthedayof7thdayof7thlunarmonth.鹊桥会（quqiohu）Example:鹊桥仙FairyOfTheMagpieBridge秦观byQinGuan（1049-1100）纤云弄巧Amongthebeautifulclouds,飞星传恨Overtheheavenlyriver,银汉迢迢暗度Crossestheweavingmaiden.金风玉露一相逢Anightofrendezvous,便胜却人间无数Acrosstheautumnsky.柔情似水Sur
19、passesjoyonearth.佳期如梦Momentsoftenderloveanddream,忍顾鹊桥归路Sosadtoleavethemagpiebridge.两情若是久长时Eternallovebetweenustwo,又岂在朝朝暮暮Shallwithstandthetimeapart.Chinese Ceremonies Girlspreparefruits,melonsandincenseasofferingstotheweavingmaidenGirlsthrowthefive-colorropesontheroofformagpies.Magpieswillcarryropes
20、tobuildthebridge.Girlspraytoacquirehighskillsinneedlecraft,hopingtofindsatisfactoryhusbands.Intheevening,peoplesitoutdoorstoobservethestars.AncientSeventh-sisterParty八（八（b）:soundssimilartof（发:prosperityorwealth）. 发isshortfor发财（fci）：getrich恭喜发财（gngxfci）：congratulationsandgetrich.InChineseNewYearitcan
21、meanHappynewyear!Congratulationsandbestwishesforaprosperousnewyear！Alsoavisualresemblancebetweentwodigits,“88”and囍囍ThemostfavourednumberinChinesecultureExamples:InChengdu：telephonenumberwithalldigitsbeingeightswassoldfor$270,723InHangzhou：licenseplatereadingA88888forRMB1.12million(roughly$164,000USD
22、).TheopeningceremonyoftheSummerOlympicsinBeijingarescheduledtoopenon8/8/08at8:08:08pm.Morephonenumbers:6252-8888.HolidayInnCrownPlazainShanghai6279-8088:NorthwestAirlines6247-8888:ChinaTravelServices九（九（ ji）：thegreatestofsingle-digitnumberswashistoricallyassociatedwiththeEmperorofChinaNumber9isahomo
23、phoneofthewordfor“longlasting”（久，ji）Itsignifiesfriendship,love,andlonglife.e.g长久（chngji）长长久久友谊地久天长（yuydjitinchng）Mayourfriendshiplastforever.Double-9th Day （重阳节，（重阳节，chngyngji）ontheninthdayoftheninthmonthinChineselunarcalendar.Thehighestoddnumber,oryangnumber,appearsindouble，soliterallydoubleyang.ah
24、istoryofmorethan2,000years.Main Conventionsgoingonajourneyascendingheight（HeightAscendingFestival）insertingcornelappreciatingchrysanthemumeatingDouble-Ninthcakeanddrinkingchrysanthemumwine.TheChinesegovernmentsetSeptember9inthelunarcalendarastheEldersFestivalin1989.NowtheDouble-NinthDayhasbeenenlistedasIntangibleCulturalHeritageofChina.5. Number Combinationse.g168：“roadofprosperity”orto“beprosperoustogether”.Fun with Number Combinations145181314131492088、886ClosingRemarks1）信则有，不信则无。2）Beauty/Auspiciousnessisintheeyeofthebeholder?ThankYou39！结束结束
