The Chinese Literary Culture Related to the Character “酒”(wine)

Just because wine has a very long history, because it is close to people’s daily life and because it is regarded as a kind of entertainment, there are quite a lot of saying or tales or anecdotes related to it.

1）Enjoy while one can. （今朝有酒今朝醉）

2）Many kiss the baby for the nurse’s sake.（醉翁之意不在酒）

3）Guan Gong beheaded Hua Xiong while heating liquor.（关公温酒斩华雄）

4）Cao Cao was cooking a liquor commenting on heroes.（曹操煮酒论英雄）

5）Drunken Beauty of the highest ranking in the imperial cuts in right in front of Bawang.（贵妃醉酒别霸王）

6）Wu Song was fighting a tiger while he was drunk.（武松醉酒打老虎）

7）The sun has not set, yet I feel I must drink and sing. （白日放歌须纵酒）

8）One can’t be drunk if he ‘s not in the mood.（酒不醉人人自醉）

9）Wine can make sorrow more sorrowful.（酒入愁肠愁更愁）

10）            Raising my cup I invited the bright moon, with shadow and me, there appeared us three.（举杯邀明月，对影成三人）

11）            Sing with the wine while we can, for life is short.（对酒当歌，人生几何）

12）            A  pot of wine among the flowers, I drank along.（Or Amidst the flowers a jug of wine, I pour alone lacking companionship.）（花间一壶酒，独酌无相亲）

13）            Behind the red doors wine and meat stink, but on the roads lie men frozen to death.（朱门酒肉臭，路有冻死骨）

14）            I advise you for one cup of wine more, for westward outside Yang Pass you’ll have no friend more.（劝君更尽一杯酒，西出阳关无故人）

15）            Cut running water with a sword, it will faster flow, drink wine to drown your sorrow, it will heavier grow.（抽刀断水水更流，举杯消愁愁更愁）

16）            If the friends and relatives in Luoyang ask about me, tell them my icy heart is as the wine in the jade pot. （洛阳亲友如相问，一片冰心在玉壶）

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Drinking Vessels

Drinking vessels have as a long history as wine. As early as in the Neolithic Period pottery was brought into use to hold wine. And a variety of forms from a simple cup to those with handles and elaborate shapes were produced. Also different materials were made into drinking vessels. Usually, the quality of the vessels can suggest the status of the owner.

Classification of the Drinking Vessels according to the Materials

1. Natural material vessels like wood, bamboo, animal horn, whelk, bottle gourd.

2. Bronze vessels

Bronze vessels became the fashion during the Shang Dynasty. They were usually in the shapes of the tiger, elephant, rhinoceros, ox or sheep, etc, and for four different purposes:

A.     for heating their contents;

B.     for containing a quantity of wine;

C.     for storage of wine;

D.     as a symbol social status.

3. Lacquer vessel

Lacquer vessels became popular in the Han Dynasty. Excavation of the Mawangdui Han Tombs has revealed some 90 ear-handled cups. Ears-handled cups were used for the convenience of the Han people because they used to sit on the floor of the houses in diner.

4. Porcelain vessel

Porcelain vessels are popular in the Tang Dynasty and were still highly in use in the Ming and the Qing Dynasties. With the development of manufacturing skill, the design was not as clumsy as before. They became smaller and more delicate with some patterns of flowers on.

There are still other kinds: Jade vessels; Crystal vessels; Gold vessels; Silver vessesl; Tin vessels; Ivory vessels; Cloisonne vessels; Glass vessels; Aluminium vessels; Stainless steel vessels; Plastic vessels; Paper vessels.

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Drinking Games

Drinking games came into being in the Western Zhou and thrived in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. It’s unique to China.

Drinking game is very popular among the gentlemen and intellectuals, as well as the lower-class people. Its purpose is to add to the enjoyment, and avoid drinking to excess.

There are two kinds of drinking games. One is called the literary, the other is called the common.

The literary drinking games can only be enjoyed by the educated people, for entertainment of the kind is to compose couplets or verses, ask riddles, and even write poems.

The common drinking games do not require a great deal of acumen and are easy to learn and play. But usually they are very noisy.

Here are some popular ways of performance.

1.      Throwing Dice

Dices are rolled for others to guess number of spots. If not correct, one has to take a cup of drink.

2.      Finger Guessing

Two people stretch out fingers at the same time while shouting out a number from 2 to 10. If on shouts out a number that is equal to the total number of fingers extended, then he will win, while the person shouts a number that is less or more, will lose the game and has to take a drink as punishment. To add to the fun of the game, the plays do not just give the numbers but will say a relevant phrase such as “ two kind brothers” to represent 2, “three stars shining” to represent 3, “making a fortune in four seasons” to represent 4, and so on. The relerant phrase vary with places. For example, Shanghai’s is different from Beijing’s.

3.      Beating the Drum and Passing the Flower

A  person beats a drum or basin behind the scenes, the other sit around the table and quickly pass a flower from one to another. When the drummer stops, whoever has the flower will drink and even give a simple performance according to the rules.

Drinking games are an inseparable part of alcohol culture. It is representative of Chinese hospitality.

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