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This is the Chinese name for the country of the Central African Republic.
See Also: Africa
In short, 節制 or temperance is knowing when to say “when.”
Temperance is the practice of moderation and restraint (in fact, this Asian word is often translated as moderation or restraint).
It was one of the five tenets held to be vital to society in Hellenic culture. It is also one of the Four Cardinal Virtues considered central to Christian behavior by the Catholic Church.
Note: Also considered to be one of the Seven Heavenly Virtues.
A customer asked me to split these Wing Chun maxims into two parts, so he could order a couplet. I thought this was a good idea, so it's been added here.
A couplet is a set of two wall scrolls that start and finish one phrase or idea. Often, couplets are hung with the first wall scroll on the right side, and the second on the left side of a doorway or entrance. The order in Chinese is right-to-left, so that's why the first wall scroll goes on the right as you face the door.
Of course, couplets can also be hung together on a wall. Often they can be hung to flank an altar, or table with incense, or even flanking a larger central wall scroll. See an example here from the home of Confucius
Be sure to order both parts 1 and 2 together. One without the other is like Eve without Adam.
The Chinese Concept of Relationship and Exchange of Favors
The dictionary definition is:
Relations/relationship, to concern, to affect, to have to do with, or connection.
But there's more to it...
In China, the relationship that you have with certain people can open doors for you. Having guanxi with someone also means they would never defraud you but are honor-bound to treat you fairly (of course, this goes both ways). Sometimes it is suggested that guanxi is the exchange of favors. 關繫 / 関繫 / 關係 is more about having a relationship that allows you to ask for and expect favors without shame.
There is no concept in western culture that exactly matches guanxi, but perhaps having a social or professional network is similar.
Note that there are some variations common within Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja for this word...Japanese tend to use a Chinese alternate form as shown to the right for
the first character.
There's also another alternate form of that first character (currently used as the official Simplified form in mainland China) which looks like the character shown to the right. It's basically the central radical of the alternate version shown above but without the “door radical” around it. In more free-flowing calligraphy styles, this version would be the likely choice for a calligrapher.
In Modern Japanese, they use the character shown to the right.
They also tend to use this same form in Korean Hanja (I've only checked this word in my Korean dictionary, but it has not been confirmed by a translator's review).
If that was not confusing enough, there is another alternate form of that second character. See right.
An Asian calligrapher of any nationality may use these forms at their discretion. However, They would tend to stick to the most common form used in their respective languages.
If you have any preference on any of these issues, please give us a special note with your order, and we'll make sure it's done the way you want.
This poem was written almost 1200 years ago during the Tang dynasty.
It depicts traveling up a place known as Cold Mountain, where some hearty people have built their homes. The traveler is overwhelmed by the beauty of the turning leaves of the maple forest that surrounds him just as night overtakes the day, and darkness prevails. His heart implores him to stop, and take in all of the beauty around him.
First, before you get to the full translation, I must tell you that Chinese poetry is a lot different than what we have in the west. Chinese words simply don't rhyme in the same way that English or other western languages do. Chinese poetry depends on rhythm and a certain beat of repeated numbers of characters.
I have done my best to translate this poem keeping a certain feel of the original poet. But some of the original beauty of the poem in its original Chinese will be lost in translation.
Far away on Cold Mountain, a stone path leads upwards.
Among white clouds, people's homes reside.
Stopping my carriage I must, as to admire the maple forest at nights fall.
In awe of autumn leaves showing more red than even flowers of early spring.
Hopefully, this poem will remind you to stop, and “take it all in” as you travel through life.
The poet's name is “Du Mu” in Chinese that is: .
The title of the poem, “Mountain Travels” is:
You can have the title, poet's name, and even “Tang Dynasty” written as an inscription on your custom wall scroll if you like.
More about the poet:
Dumu lived from 803-852 AD and was a leading Chinese poet during the later part of the Tang dynasty.
He was born in Chang'an, a city in central China and the former capital of the ancient Chinese empire in 221-206 BC. In present-day China, his birthplace is currently known as Xi'an, the home of the Terracotta Soldiers.
He was awarded his Jinshi degree (an exam administered by the emperor's court which leads to becoming an official of the court) at the age of 25 and went on to hold many official positions over the years. However, he never achieved a high rank, apparently because of some disputes between various factions, and his family's criticism of the government. His last post in the court was his appointment to the office of Secretariat Drafter.
During his life, he wrote scores of narrative poems, as well as a commentary on the Art of War and many letters of advice to high officials.
His poems were often very realistic and often depicted everyday life. He wrote poems about everything, from drinking beer in a tavern to weepy poems about lost love.
The thing that strikes you most is the fact even after 1200 years, not much has changed about the beauty of nature, toils, and troubles of love and beer drinking.
These search terms might be related to Central:
Achieve Inner Peace; Find Deep Understanding
Always Striving for Inner Strength
Fundamental Principles of Tai Chi Chuan
Inner Beauty / Beauty of Spirit
Inner Beauty / Inner Wisdom
Inner Bliss and Peace From Meditation
Inner Freedom
Inner Heart / Inner Soul
Inner Light / Intelligence
Inner Peace
Inner Peace / Silence / Serenity
Inner Strength
Inner Strength / Inner Well-Being and Health
Inner Strength / Self-Improvement
Inner Strength is Better Than Outward Appearance
Inner Warrior
Inner Wisdom
Intuitive Wisdom / Inner Light
One Key Opens One Lock
Perseverance is the Key
The Key to Immortality is First Living a Life Worth Remembering
The Middle Way
The Two Most Important Days in Your Life...
Below are some entries from our dictionary that may match your central search...
Characters If shown, 2nd row is Simp. Chinese |
Pronunciation Romanization |
Simple Dictionary Definition |
国 see styles |
kokuki こくき |
More info & calligraphy: Guo |
國 国 see styles |
guó guo2 kuo kuniyuki くにゆき |
More info & calligraphy: Guo(out-dated kanji) (1) country; state; (2) region; (3) national government; central government; (4) home (i.e. hometown, home country); (5) (archaism) province (of Japan); (6) (archaism) land; earth; (personal name) Kuniyuki A country, a nation; national. |
中国 see styles |
nakakuni なかくに |
More info & calligraphy: China |
中國 中国 see styles |
zhōng guó zhong1 guo2 chung kuo nakaguni なかぐに |
More info & calligraphy: China(surname) Nakaguni Madhyadesa. 中天 (中天竺); 中梵 The middle kingdom, i. e. Central North India, v. 中印. |
圖瓦 图瓦 see styles |
tú wǎ tu2 wa3 t`u wa tu wa |
More info & calligraphy: Tuva |
地獄 地狱 see styles |
dì yù di4 yu4 ti yü jigoku じごく |
More info & calligraphy: Hell(1) {Buddh} hell realm; Naraka; (2) {Christn} Hell; (3) hell; misery; nightmare; inferno; (4) place where a volcano or hot springs constantly spew smoke or steam; (place-name) Jigoku naraka, 捺落迦 (or 那落迦) ; niraya 泥犂; explained by 不樂 joyless; 可厭 disgusting, hateful; 苦具, 苦器 means of suffering; if 地獄 earth-prison; 冥府 the shades, or departments of darkness. Earth-prison is generally intp. as hell or the hells; it may also be termed purgatory; one of the six gati or ways of transmigration. The hells are divided into three classes: I. Central, or radical, 根本地獄 consisting of (1) The eight hot hells. These were the original hells of primitive Buddhism, and are supposed to be located umder the southern continent Jambudvīpa 瞻部州, 500 yojanas below the surface. (a) 等活 or 更活 Saṃjīva, rebirth, where after many kinds of suffering a cold wind blows over the soul and returns it to this life as it was before, hence the name 等活. (b) 黑繩 Kaslasūtra, where the sufferer is bound with black chains and chopped or sawn asunder. (c) 線合; 衆合; 堆壓 Saṃghāta, where are multitudes of implements of torture, or the falling of mountains upon the sufferer. (d) 號呌; 呼呼; 叫喚 Raurava, hell of wailing. (e) 大呌; 大號呌; 大呼 Mahāraurava, hell of great wailing. (f) 炎熱; 燒炙 Tapana, hell of fames and burning. (g) 大熱; 大燒炙; 大炎熱 Pratāpana, hell of molten lead. (h) 無間; 河鼻旨; 阿惟越致; 阿毗至; 阿鼻; 阿毗 Avīci, unintermitted suffering, where sinners die and are reborn to suffer without interval. (2) The eight cold hells 八寒地獄. (a) 頞浮陀地獄 Arbuda, where the cold causes blisters. (b) 尼刺部陀 Nirarbuda, colder still causing the blisters to burst. (c) 頞哳吒; 阿吒吒 Atata, where this is the only possible sound from frozen lips. (d) 臛臛婆; 阿波波 Hahava or Apapa, where it is so cold that only this sound can be uttered. (e) 虎虎婆 Hāhādhara or Huhuva, where only this sound can be uttered. (f) 嗢鉢羅; 鬱鉢羅 (or 優鉢羅) Utpala, or 尼羅鳥 (or 漚) 鉢羅 Nīlotpala, where the skin is frozen like blue lotus buds. (g) 鉢特摩 Padma, where the skin is frozen and bursts open like red lotus buds. (h) 摩訶鉢特摩 Mahāpadma, ditto like great red lotus buds. Somewhat different names are also given. Cf. 倶舍論 8; 智度論 16; 涅槃經 11. II. The secondary hells are called 近邊地獄 adjacent hells or 十六遊增 each of its four sides, opening from each such door are four adjacent hells, in all sixteen; thus with the original eight there are 136. A list of eighteen hells is given in the 十八泥梨經. III. A third class is called the 孤地獄 (獨地獄) Lokāntarika, or isolated hells in mountains, deserts, below the earth and above it. Eitel says in regard to the eight hot hells that they range 'one beneath the other in tiers which begin at a depth of 11,900 yojanas and reach to a depth of 40,000 yojanas'. The cold hells are under 'the two Tchahavālas and range shaft-like one below the other, but so that this shaft is gradually widening to the fourth hell and then narrowing itself again so that the first and last hell have the shortest, those in the centre the longest diameter'. 'Every universe has the same number of hells, ' but 'the northern continent has no hell whatever, the two continents east and west of Meru have only small Lokāntarika hells... whilst all the other hells are required for the inhabitants of the southern continent '. It may be noted that the purpose of these hells is definitely punitive, as well as purgatorial. Yama is the judge and ruler, assisted by eighteen officers and a host of demons, who order or administer the various degrees of torture. 'His sister performs the same duties with regard to female criminals, ' and it may be mentioned that the Chinese have added the 血盆池 Lake of the bloody bath, or 'placenta tank' for women who die in childbirth. Release from the hells is in the power of the monks by tantric means. |
集集 see styles |
jí jí ji2 ji2 chi chi |
More info & calligraphy: Chichi |
阿里山 see styles |
ā lǐ shān a1 li3 shan1 a li shan arisan ありさん |
More info & calligraphy: Alisan(place-name) Alishan (Taiwan) |
穆罕默德 see styles |
mù hǎn mò dé mu4 han3 mo4 de2 mu han mo te |
More info & calligraphy: Muhammad |
阿喀琉斯 see styles |
ā kā liú sī a1 ka1 liu2 si1 a k`a liu ssu a ka liu ssu |
More info & calligraphy: Achilles |
中央情報局 中央情报局 see styles |
zhōng yāng qíng bào jú zhong1 yang1 qing2 bao4 ju2 chung yang ch`ing pao chü chung yang ching pao chü chuuoujouhoukyoku / chuojohokyoku ちゅうおうじょうほうきょく |
More info & calligraphy: CIACentral Intelligence Agency (US); CIA |
中非共和國 中非共和国 see styles |
zhōng fēi gòng hé guó zhong1 fei1 gong4 he2 guo2 chung fei kung ho kuo |
More info & calligraphy: Central African Republic |
中央アフリカ see styles |
chuuouafurika / chuoafurika ちゅうおうアフリカ |
More info & calligraphy: Central Africa |
せ see styles |
se セ |
(abbreviation) (See セントラルリーグ) Central League (Japanese baseball league); CL; (female given name) Se |
中 see styles |
zhòng zhong4 chung mitsuru みつる |
to hit (a target); to be struck by (a bullet, illness etc); to win (a prize or lottery) (1) (abbreviation) {mahj} (See 紅中) red dragon tile; (2) {mahj} winning hand with a pung (or kong) of red dragon tiles; (surname, given name) Mitsuru madhya. Middle, central, medium, the mean, within; to hit the centre. v. also 三諦. |
刹 see styles |
chà cha4 ch`a cha setsu せつ |
(n,suf) (1) temple (Buddhist); (2) central pillar of a pagoda; (3) (Buddhist term) kshetra (realm, country); ksetra; (female given name) Setsu cha; translit. kṣ. |
弁 see styles |
biàn bian4 pien wakachi わかち |
(old) cap (garment); military officer of low rank (in former times); preceding (1) speech; tongue; talk; eloquence; (suffix noun) (2) dialect; brogue; accent; (3) (abbreviation) bento; Japanese box lunch; (4) petal; (noun - becomes adjective with の) (5) valve; (6) Oversight Department; division of the daijokan under the ritsuryo system responsible for controlling central and provincial governmental offices; (given name) Wakachi |
湘 see styles |
xiāng xiang1 hsiang masato まさと |
abbr. for Hunan 湖南 province in south central China; abbr. for Xiangjiang river in Hunan province (personal name) Masato |
稭 秸 see styles |
jiē jie1 chieh shibe しべ |
variant of 秸[jie1] (See 藁しべ) central stalk of a dried rice plant |
胡 see styles |
hú hu2 hu fu ふ |
non-Han people, esp. from central Asia; reckless; outrageous; what?; why?; to complete a winning hand at mahjong (also written 和[hu2]) (hist) barbarian tribes surrounding ancient China; (surname) Fu; (surname) Hu How? Why? Hun; Turk; random; hemp; long-lived; pepper, etc.; translit. go, hu. |
自 see styles |
zì zi4 tzu mizu みず |
(bound form) self; oneself; from; since; naturally; as a matter of course (prefix) (1) self-; (prefix) (2) (See 至) from (a time or place); (female given name) Mizu sva, svayam; the self, one' s own, personal; of itself, naturally, of course; also, from (i. e. from the self as central). 自 is used as the opposite of 他 another, other's, etc., e. g. 自力 (in) one's own strength as contrasted with 他力 the strength of another, especially in the power to save of a Buddha or Bodhisattva. It is also used in the sense of ātman 阿怛摩 the self, or the soul. |
辨 see styles |
biàn bian4 pien benzaki べんざき |
to distinguish; to recognize (out-dated kanji) (1) (abbreviation) bento; Japanese box lunch; (2) Oversight Department; division of the daijokan under the ritsuryo system responsible for controlling central and provincial governmental offices; (surname) Benzaki Discriminate, distinguish; v. 辯21. |
邦 see styles |
bāng bang1 pang miyako みやこ |
(bound form) country; nation; state (1) country; state; (2) region; (3) national government; central government; (4) home (i.e. hometown, home country); (5) (archaism) province (of Japan); (6) (archaism) land; earth; (female given name) Miyako |
ナン see styles |
nan ナン |
naan (hin:); nan; flatbread in Central and South Asian cuisine; (personal name) Nan; Nunn |
まや see styles |
maya マヤ |
Maya (ancient Indian tribe in Central America); (female given name) Maya; Maia |
上総 see styles |
jousou / joso じょうそう |
(hist) Kazusa (former province located in the central part of present-day Chiba Prefecture); (surname) Jōsou |
中亞 中亚 see styles |
zhōng yà zhong1 ya4 chung ya |
Central Asia |
中區 中区 see styles |
zhōng qū zhong1 qu1 chung ch`ü chung chü |
central district (of a city); central zone See: 中区 |
中南 see styles |
zhōng nán zhong1 nan2 chung nan nakaminami なかみなみ |
South Central China (Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan); abbr. for China-South Africa (place-name, surname) Nakaminami |
中印 see styles |
zhōng yìn zhong1 yin4 chung yin nakain なかいん |
China-India China and India; Sino-Indian; (place-name) Nakain Central India, i. e. of the 五印 five Indies, as mentioned by Xuanzang in the 西域記. |
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Central Africa | 中央アフリカ | chuuou a fu ri ka chuuouafurika chuo a fu ri ka | ||
Central African Republic | 中非共和國 中非共和国 | zhōng fēi gòng hé guó zhong1 fei1 gong4 he2 guo2 zhong fei gong he guo zhongfeigongheguo | chung fei kung ho kuo chungfeikunghokuo |
|
CIA | 中央情報局 中央情报局 | chuuoujouhoukyoku / chuojohokyoku chuojohokyoku / chuojohokyoku | zhōng yāng qíng bào jú zhong1 yang1 qing2 bao4 ju2 zhong yang qing bao ju zhongyangqingbaoju | chung yang ch`ing pao chü chungyangchingpaochü chung yang ching pao chü |
Temperance | 節制 节制 | sessei / sesei | jié zhì / jie2 zhi4 / jie zhi / jiezhi | chieh chih / chiehchih |
Wing Chun Fist Maxims (Part 1) | 有手黐手無手問手來留區送甩手直沖怕打終歸打貪打終被打粘連迫攻絕不放鬆來力瀉力借力出擊 有手黐手无手问手来留区送甩手直冲怕打终归打贪打终被打粘连迫攻绝不放松来力泻力借力出击 | |||
Guanxi | 關繫 / 関繫 / 關係 关系 / 関係 | kankei | guān xì / guan1 xi4 / guan xi / guanxi | kuan hsi / kuanhsi |
Mountain Travels Poem by Dumu | 遠上寒山石徑斜白雲生處有人家停車坐愛楓林晚霜葉紅於二月花 远上寒山石径斜白云生处有人家停车坐爱枫林晚霜叶红于二月花 | yuǎn shàng hán shān shí jìng xiá bái yún shēng chù yǒu rén jiā tíng chē zuò ài fēng lín wǎn shuàng yè hóng yú èr yuè huā yuan3 shang4 han2 shan1 shi2 jing4 xia2 bai2 yun2 sheng1 chu4 you3 ren2 jia1 ting2 che1 zuo4 ai4 feng1 lin2 wan3 shuang4 ye4 hong2 yu2 er4 yue4 hua1 yuan shang han shan shi jing xia bai yun sheng chu you ren jia ting che zuo ai feng lin wan shuang ye hong yu er yue hua | yüan shang han shan shih ching hsia pai yün sheng ch`u yu jen chia t`ing ch`e tso ai feng lin wan shuang yeh hung yü erh yüeh hua yüan shang han shan shih ching hsia pai yün sheng chu yu jen chia ting che tso ai feng lin wan shuang yeh hung yü erh yüeh hua |
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In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line. In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese. |
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All of our calligraphy wall scrolls are handmade.
When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to my art mounting workshop in Beijing where a wall scroll is made by hand from a combination of silk, rice paper, and wood.
After we create your wall scroll, it takes at least two weeks for air mail delivery from Beijing to you.
Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!
When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.
The wall scroll that Sandy is holding in this picture is a "large size"
single-character wall scroll.
We also offer custom wall scrolls in small, medium, and an even-larger jumbo size.
Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.
There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form
of art alive.
Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.
The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.
Check out my lists of Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls and Old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scrolls.
Some people may refer to this entry as Central Kanji, Central Characters, Central in Mandarin Chinese, Central Characters, Central in Chinese Writing, Central in Japanese Writing, Central in Asian Writing, Central Ideograms, Chinese Central symbols, Central Hieroglyphics, Central Glyphs, Central in Chinese Letters, Central Hanzi, Central in Japanese Kanji, Central Pictograms, Central in the Chinese Written-Language, or Central in the Japanese Written-Language.
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