Tai Chi
[Typically 1 hour session ]
Tai Chi is a kind of body and mind exercise practiced by millions of people worldwide every day. It is a type of Qigong (Chi Kung) in other words energy or breath skill. As Tai Chi when practiced correctly is always practiced using Qigong (breathing, energy) methods. Although Tai Chi was originally a Martial Art it is mainly practiced today with many health benefits.
Fan Dance
The origins of the fan dance are rooted in the Han Dynasty. Nowadays it represent a way for younger Chinese generations to learn classic tales and lore of China’s past through the fan dance.
Fan dancing also serves as entertainment. Fans are used as props, complimenting coloured costumes for an eye-catching spectacle of movement.
Chinese Opera
Chinese opera is one of the three oldest dramatic art forms in the world. It evolved from folk songs, dances, talking, antimasque, and especially distinctive dialectical music. Gradually it combined music, art and literature into one performance on the stage. Accompanied by traditional music instruments actors present unique melodies as well as dialogues which are beautifully written and of high literary value.
Lion Dance
The lion dance is a traditional Chinese dance performed on big occasions, such as the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) for good luck.
Performed in a lion costume, accompanied by the music of beating drums, clashing cymbals, and resounding gongs, lion dances imitate a lion’s various movements or demonstrate martial arts agility, depending on the style.
Chinese Calligraphy
Calligraphy is the art of writing the signs of a language, it allows a field of artistic expression very broadly. In ancient times, Chinese characters were engraved on the bones of oxen or turtle shells, then on bronze. Brush calligraphy is nowadays done on rice paper. Good calligraphy was traditionally reflects the level of a literate culture. A good doctor should be a good calligrapher and examination to become imperial official put more emphasis on the calligraphy of the candidate than on the contents of the copy.
Chinese Tea Tasting
Tea was and remains a central piece in the Asian cultures, especially in China where it first originated. Chinese tea ceremony was born as a result of the respect for nature and need for peace which the religious ceremonies involved. The philosophies of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism have blended together giving birth to the magical Chinese tea ceremony.