Some common knowledge that needs to be known

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This post was last edited by Phantom Solitude on 2011-10-28 at 00:23. 1. 【Four Famous Liquors】 Guizhou Moutai (fermented with soy sauce aroma), Shanxi Fenjiu (light aroma), Sichuan Luzhou Laojiao (rich aroma), Shaanxi Xifengjiu (multi-aroma). 2. 【Ten Famous Teas】 West Lake Longjing (from West Lake area, Hangzhou, Zhejiang), Biluochun (from Biluofeng on Dongting Mountain by Taihu Lake, Wuxian, Jiangsu), Xinyang Maojian (from Cheyun Mountain, Xinyang, Henan), Junshan Yinzhen (from Junshan Island, Yueyang, Hunan), Lu’an Guapian (from Qiyun Mountain in Lu’an and Jinzhai counties, Anhui), Huangshan Maofeng (from Huangshan, She County, Anhui), Qimen Black Tea (from Qimen County, Anhui), Duyun Maojian (from Duyun County, Guizhou), Tieguanyin (from Anxi County, Fujian), Wuyi Rock Tea (from Chong’an County, Fujian). 3. 【Four Famous Embroideries】 Suzhou embroidery (Suzhou), Hunan embroidery (Hunan), Sichuan embroidery (Sichuan), Guangdong embroidery (Guangdong). 4. 【Four Famous Fans】 Sandalwood fans (Jiangsu), fire-painted fans (Guangdong), bamboo silk fans (Sichuan), silk fans (Zhejiang). 5. 【Four Famous Flowers】 Peonies (Luoyang, Henan), daffodils (Zhangzhou, Fujian), chrysanthemums (Hangzhou, Zhejiang), camellias (Kunming, Yunnan). 6. 【Four Great Inventions】 Papermaking (Cai Lun, Eastern Han Dynasty); gunpowder (ancient alchemists, Tang Dynasty); printing (Bi Sheng, Northern Song Dynasty); compass (inventor unknown, Northern Song Dynasty). 7. 【The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Signs】 Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig. 8. 【Major Ancient Festivals】 New Year’s Day: the first day of the first lunar month, marking the beginning of the year. Human Day: The seventh day of the first lunar month, associated with children. Shangyuan: The 15th day of the first lunar month, when lanterns are lit for celebrations; it is also known as the Lantern Festival. She Ri: Around the Spring Equinox, a time for offering sacrifices and prayers for agricultural success. Cold Food Festival: Two days before Qingming Festival; fire is prohibited for three days (related to Wu Zixu). Qingming Festival: At the beginning of April; used for tomb-sweeping and offering sacrifices. Dragon Boat Festival: On the fifth day of the fifth month; people eat zongzi and hold dragon boat races (in memory of Qu Yuan). Qixi Festival: On the seventh day of the seventh month; women pray for skillfulness (related to the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl). Ghost Festival: On the fifteenth day of the seventh month; sacrifices are offered to ghosts and spirits; it is also known as the “Festival of Ghosts”. Mid-Autumn Festival: On the fifteenth day of the eighth month; people admire the moon and miss their hometowns. Double Ninth Festival: On the ninth day of the ninth month; people climb heights and wear dogwood to ward off disasters. Winter Solstice: Also known as the “Day of Extremes”; it marks the beginning of the seasonal cycles. Laba Day: The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month; people eat “Laba congee”.
New Year’s Eve: The evening of the last day of the year, a time to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new one.

9. 【The Four Books】: The Analects, The Doctrine of the Mean, The Great Learning, Mencius.
10. 【The Five Classics】: The Book of Songs, The Book of History, The Book of Rites, The Book of Changes, The Spring and Autumn Annals.
11. 【The Eight-Part Essay Structure】: Introduction, development of the topic, opening remarks, transition to main arguments, first body paragraph, middle body paragraphs, concluding body paragraph, conclusion.
12. 【Collected Works of Six Philosophers】: Laozi, Zhuangzi, Liezi, Xunzi, Yang Xiong’s Fa Yan, Wang Bi’s Zhongshuo.
13. 【Six Categories of Chinese Characters】: Pictographs, simple ideograms, phonetic compounds, associative compounds, mutual derivations, loan characters.
14. 【Nine Principles of Calligraphy】: Pen placement, pen rotation, concealing the tip of the brush, concealing the start of strokes, protecting the end of strokes, swift strokes, gliding strokes, slow, resistive strokes, horizontal and vertical strokes.
15. 【The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove】: Ji Kang, Liu Ling, Ruan Ji, Shan Tao, Ruan Xian, Xiang Xiu, Wang Rong.
16. 【The Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup】: Li Bai, He Zhizhang, Li Shizhi, Li Jin, Cui Zongzhi, Su Jin, Zhang Xu, Jiao Sui.
17. 【The Eight Immortals of Shu】: Rong Chenggong, Li Er, Dong Zhongshu, Zhang Daoling, Yan Junping, Li Babai, Fan Changsheng, Master Erzhu.
18. 【The Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou】: Zheng Banqiao, Wang Shishen, Li Shan, Huang Shen, Jin Nong, Gao Xiang, Li Fangying, Luo Pin.
19. 【The Four Great Masters of the Northern Song Dynasty】: Huang Tingjian, Ouyang Xiu, Su Shi, Wang Anshi.
20. 【The Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties】: Han Yu, Liu Zongyuan, Ouyang Xiu, Su Xun, Su Shi, Su Zhe, Wang Anshi, Zeng Gong.
21. 【The Thirteen Classics】: The Book of Changes, The Book of Songs, The Book of History, The Book of Rites, The Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial, The Gongyang Commentary, The Guliang Commentary, The Zuo Commentary, The Classic of Filial Piety, The Analects, Erya, Mencius.
22. 【Four Major Folktales】: The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, Meng Jiangnu, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, The White Snake and Xu Xian.
23. 【Four Major Cultural Heritage Items】: Ming-Qing archives, Oracle bone inscriptions from Yinxu, Han Dynasty bamboo slips from Juyan, Dunhuang manuscripts.
24. 【Four Great Plays of the Yuan Dynasty】: Guan Hanqing’s The Injustice to Dou E, Wang Shifu’s The Romance of the Western Chamber, Tang Xianzu’s The Peony Pavilion, Hong Sheng’s The Palace of Eternal Youth.
25. 【Four Major Critical Novels of the Late Qing Dynasty】: Li Baojia’s Ghosts; Wu Woyao’s Strange Tales Told after Twenty Years; Liu E’s The Travels of Lao Can; Zeng Pu’s Flowers in the Sea of Sins.
26. 【Five Colors】: Blue, yellow, red, white, black.
27. 【Five Musical Tones】: Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, Yu.
28. 【Seven Treasures】: Gold, silver, colored glass, coral, cowry shells, pearls, agate.
29. 【Nine Musical Modes】: Zhenggong, Zhonglügong, Nanlügong, Xianlügong, Huangzhonggong, Damiantiao, Shuangdiao, Shangdiao, Yuediao.
30. 【Four Famous Porcelain Kilns】: Cizhou Kiln (Hebei), Longquan Kiln (Zhejiang), Jingdezhen Kiln (Jiangxi), Dehua Kiln (Fujian).
31. 【Four Great Dan Actresses】: Mei Lanfang, Cheng Yanqiu, Shang Xiaoyun, Xun Huisheng.
32. 【Six Rituals】: Capping ceremony, wedding, funeral, sacrifices, village drinking ceremony, meeting etiquette.
33. 【Six Arts】: Rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, mathematics.
34. 【Six Literary Devices】: Feng (metaphor), Fu (rhapsody), Bi (analogy), Xing (associative introduction), Ya (elegant style), Song (ode).
35. 【Eight Banners】: Yellow Border, Plain Yellow, White Border, Plain White, Red Border, Plain Red, Blue Border, Plain Blue.
36. 【Ten Abominations】: Treason, plotting regicide, rebellion, committing heinous crimes, acts against morality, extreme disrespect, unfilial conduct, discord among kin, treachery, civil unrest.
37. 【Nine Schools of Thought】: Confucianism, Taoism, Yin-Yang School, Legalism, Logicians, Mohism, Diplomatists, Eclectics, Agrarianism.
38. 【Three Famous Mountains】: Huangshan (Anhui), Lushan (Jiangxi), Yandangshan (Zhejiang).
39. 【Five Mountain Ranges】: Yuechengling, Dupangling, Mengzhuling, Qitianling, Dayuling.
40. 【Five Sacred Mountains】: Songshan (Central; Henan), Taishan (Eastern; Shandong), Huashan (Western; Shaanxi), Hengshan (Southern; Hunan), Hengshan (Northern; Shanxi).
41. 【Five Great Lakes】: Poyang Lake (Jiangxi), Dongting Lake (Hunan), Taihu Lake (Jiangsu), Hongze Lake (Jiangsu), Chaohu Lake (Anhui).
42. 【Four Seas】: Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea, South China Sea.
43. 【Four Famous Bridges】: Guangji Bridge, Zhaozhou Bridge, Luoyang Bridge, Lugou Bridge.
44. 【Four Famous Gardens】: Summer Palace (Beijing), Mountain Resort (Chengde, Hebei), Humble Administrator’s Garden (Suzhou, Jiangsu), Lingering Garden (Suzhou, Jiangsu).
45. 【Four Famous Buddhist Temples】: Lingyan Temple (Changqing, Shandong), Guoqing Temple (Tiantai, Zhejiang), Yuquan Temple (Jiangling, Hubei), Qixia Temple (Nanjing, Jiangsu).
46. 【Four Famous Towers】: Yueyang Tower (Yueyang, Hunan), Yellow Crane Tower (Wuhan, Hubei), Tengwang Pavilion (Nanchang, Jiangxi), Daguan Tower (Kunming, Yunnan).
47. 【Four Famous Pavilions】: Drunken Scholar Pavilion (Chuzhou, Anhui), Taoran Pavilion (Beijing), Love-the-Evening Pavilion (Changsha, Hunan), Lake Heart Pavilion (West Lake, Hangzhou).
48. 【Four Ancient Towns】: Jingdezhen (Jiangxi), Foshan Town (Guangdong), Hankou Town (Hubei), Zhuxian Town (Henan).
49. 【Four Stele Forests】: Xi’an Stele Forest (Xi’an, Shaanxi), Confucius Temple Stele Forest (Qufu, Shandong), ** Stele Forest (Xichang, Sichuan), South Gate Stele Forest (Kaohsiung, Taiwan).
50. 【Four Famous Pagodas】: Songyue Temple Pagoda (Dengfeng, Henan), Feihong Pagoda (Hongtong, Shanxi), Sakyamuni Pagoda (Yingxian, Shanxi), Qianxun Pagoda (Dali, Yunnan).
51. 【Four Great Grotto Temples】: Mogao Caves (Dunhuang, Gansu), Yungang Grottoes (Datong, Shanxi), Longmen Grottoes (Luoyang, Henan), Maijishan Grottoes (Tianshui, Gansu).
52. 【Four Famous Academies】: Bailudong Academy (Lushan, Jiangxi), Yuelu Academy (Changsha, Hunan), Songyang Academy (Songshan, Henan), Yingtian Academy (Shangqiu, Henan).
53. 【Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains】: Putuoshan (Zhejiang; Avalokitesvara), Wutai Mountain (Shanxi; Manjusri), Emei Mountain (Sichuan; Samantabhadra), Jiuhua Mountain (Anhui; Ksitigarbha).
54. 【Four Sacred Taoist Mountains】: Wudang Mountain (Hubei), Longhu Mountain (Jiangxi), Qiyun Mountain (Anhui), Qingcheng Mountain (Sichuan).
55. 【Five Elements】: Metal, wood, water, fire, earth.
56. 【Eight Trigrams】: Qian (Heaven), Kun (Earth), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Li (Fire), Gen (Mountain), Dui (Swamp).
57. 【Three Sovereigns】: Fuxi, Nüwa, Shennong.
58. 【Five Emperors】: Taihao, Yan Emperor, Yellow Emperor, Shaohao, Zhuanxu.
59. 【Three Religions】: Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism.
60. 【Three Pure Ones】: Yuanshi Tianzun (Jade Pure Realm), Lingbao Tianzun (Upper Pure Realm), Daode Tianzun (Great Pure Realm).
61. 【Four Imperial Deities】: Jade Emperor, Great Emperor of the North Pole, Empress of the Heavenly Palace, Earthly Deity who follows Heaven’s commands