Film: Chinese culture on the verge of 1930s modernity....'The Destiny' and Giveaway 2!
Happy Holidays darlings! With the festivities in front of us and more time to peruse a movie or two as we stay home with some yummy turkey, I thought I might do a little cultural film review....since Chinese New Year will follow in two months, so some inspiration for a Qipao will be handy! 'The Destiny' [2014] not to be confused with the high budget martial arts movie....is a film in Mandarin based on the changing life of 1930s China. We follow the journey of a traditional rural girl called Yulian, who marries into a well-to-do family only to find her husband missing.....but that is where her touching love story begins.
After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, China began weaving in modern ideas brought in through education, as children of the rich began returning from overseas studies and imported books circulated. With a new government came a new era, though still unstable between warlords, gangsters and the central government, females started being allowed to enter university or schools to study like their male counterparts. Wanting embrace new ideas to keep up with a changing society, the rich and those who could afford it started sending their daughters to school. The young women emerging in modernity started moving from the traditional 2 piece attire with a high mandarin collared long sleeved blouse and long or midi pleated skirt, to a female version of the loose long robe worn by men called 'Changsan' in Mandarin (which is a parallel to the Cheongsam in Cantonese). So both 2 piece and Cheongsam can be worn interchangeably depending on preference, but the 'Sam Fu' combination of mandarin collared blouse with trousers usually work for more practical uses or for labourous work....in a sense demonstrating status through clothing.
With war dictating daily life, young men dying at the frontline, widows and orphans piling up, marriage and carrying on a bloodline to ensure the survival of a clan name became an urgent priority. Old tradition or rules such as official mourning periods that halted marriages from taking place were adapted in the name of survival within a world that knew not what tommorow could be. Some married in haste so that a chance of consumating the next generation gave hope, while some used marriage as a pathway to get their daughter or son to escape a war-ripped China by marrying a more able family with financial ability or overseas connections.
It is interesting how the ideology of Confucius ettiquette is placed in an elegant throne not to be contaminated whilst modern foreign thoughts have started filtering through the youths. Despite ambitions of education or war, especially with the contrast of Yulian and others around her...status and affluence is a major determinant that binds the characters to the way they live and think. Perhaps the contrast of Eastern and Western cultures should also be mentioned where families and marriages feature here. The traditional Chinese concept of marriage being a unity of two families that forge a binding clan link and the old term 'Cheng Chin' that is hardly used today to describe marriage actually meaning 'becoming family' can be noted. Of course the importance of a son being able to carry the family name through the next generation and the chastity belt to be worn by a wife when her husband is away regulates daily life.
**Watch the movie on YouTube
Now for the second GIVEAWAY promised in the last post! Giveaway 2 has been inspired by cats a little...partially through my love of cats, also because it is a celebration of both my Qipao loving 'Walking in May' blog and my new change in life in starting a Zen Yoga teaching service called 'The Cat Pose'. The prize includes a Burt's Bees Lipbalm in pink grapefruit, a metal business card case, a set of cute cat erasers, an old 1990s knitted brooch, a handmade leather notebook with handmade paper from Nepal and a cute leather cat purse! To enter simply:
Terms:
Good Luck darlings! Wishing you lovely darlings a fabulous start to the Christmas festivities!
 |
| Source: Looking to the East |
After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, China began weaving in modern ideas brought in through education, as children of the rich began returning from overseas studies and imported books circulated. With a new government came a new era, though still unstable between warlords, gangsters and the central government, females started being allowed to enter university or schools to study like their male counterparts. Wanting embrace new ideas to keep up with a changing society, the rich and those who could afford it started sending their daughters to school. The young women emerging in modernity started moving from the traditional 2 piece attire with a high mandarin collared long sleeved blouse and long or midi pleated skirt, to a female version of the loose long robe worn by men called 'Changsan' in Mandarin (which is a parallel to the Cheongsam in Cantonese). So both 2 piece and Cheongsam can be worn interchangeably depending on preference, but the 'Sam Fu' combination of mandarin collared blouse with trousers usually work for more practical uses or for labourous work....in a sense demonstrating status through clothing.
 |
| Source: Looking to the East |
With war dictating daily life, young men dying at the frontline, widows and orphans piling up, marriage and carrying on a bloodline to ensure the survival of a clan name became an urgent priority. Old tradition or rules such as official mourning periods that halted marriages from taking place were adapted in the name of survival within a world that knew not what tommorow could be. Some married in haste so that a chance of consumating the next generation gave hope, while some used marriage as a pathway to get their daughter or son to escape a war-ripped China by marrying a more able family with financial ability or overseas connections.
It is interesting how the ideology of Confucius ettiquette is placed in an elegant throne not to be contaminated whilst modern foreign thoughts have started filtering through the youths. Despite ambitions of education or war, especially with the contrast of Yulian and others around her...status and affluence is a major determinant that binds the characters to the way they live and think. Perhaps the contrast of Eastern and Western cultures should also be mentioned where families and marriages feature here. The traditional Chinese concept of marriage being a unity of two families that forge a binding clan link and the old term 'Cheng Chin' that is hardly used today to describe marriage actually meaning 'becoming family' can be noted. Of course the importance of a son being able to carry the family name through the next generation and the chastity belt to be worn by a wife when her husband is away regulates daily life.
**Watch the movie on YouTube
 |
| 'GIVEAWAY 2' includes a Burt's Bees Lipbalm in pink grapefruit, a metal business card case, a set of cute cat erasers, an old 1990s knitted brooch, a handmade leather notebook with handmade paper from Nepal & a cute leather cat purse! |
Now for the second GIVEAWAY promised in the last post! Giveaway 2 has been inspired by cats a little...partially through my love of cats, also because it is a celebration of both my Qipao loving 'Walking in May' blog and my new change in life in starting a Zen Yoga teaching service called 'The Cat Pose'. The prize includes a Burt's Bees Lipbalm in pink grapefruit, a metal business card case, a set of cute cat erasers, an old 1990s knitted brooch, a handmade leather notebook with handmade paper from Nepal and a cute leather cat purse! To enter simply:
- Follow 'Walking in May' on Facebook, Twitter or Bloglovin.
- Leave a comment on this post to confirm how you entered and contact details (or email).
Terms:
- Giveaway 2 is open to all 'Walking in May' readers globally (international)
- Closing date for entries is on Sunday 18th January 2015
- A winner will be randomly selected from a hat and announced shortly after on this blog and Facebook
Good Luck darlings! Wishing you lovely darlings a fabulous start to the Christmas festivities!
Until the next time,
♥ May xx
PS: Today is the very last day to enter London based 'GIVEAWAY 1' (worth £40) by The Cat Pose. Also those who sign-up to The Cat Pose Newsletter before the end of 2014 will get money off their first Zen Yoga London Open Class....hurry!
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THANK YOU darlings! ♥
