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var sites = new sitesClass("yatsen", "who", "bedroom", "warm", "jade", "language", "words" , "taoismdaoism", "yinyang" , "confucius","buddhism","calendar" );
//*******Who was Dr. Sun Yat-Sen?
sites.yatsen.title = "Who was Dr. Sun Yat-Sen?";
sites.yatsen.description1 = "The Garden is named in memory of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen who is widely regarded as the father of modern China.Dr. Sun played a leading role in overthrowing the last dynasty - the Qing Dynasty - in 1911, bringing China into an era of modern governance.
Dr. Sun was born to a poor family in southern China in 1866. He studied overseas to become a medical doctor and was influenced by western politics and ideas at a young age. He began practicing medicine in Macao but his real interest was in trying to bring democracy to his country and promote cross-cultural understanding between East and West. He soon left his medical career in order to devote his time to his political career.
He was involved in several unsuccessful attempts to overthrow the oppressive ruling government, which led to his exile from China. While in exile, Dr. Sun traveled to many countries to raise money and support for his revolution. He visited Vancouver three times - in 1897, 1910 and 1911. He stayed in a building at the corner of Pender and Carrall, right next to the current site of the Garden which bears his name. In 1911, his revolutionary efforts finally became successful and, in 1912, Dr. Sun became the first President of the Republic of China (different from the Peoples' Republic of China, which was established in 1949). He soon resigned, however, to work in other ways to help improve China's economy. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen died in 1925. For more on Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, please visit the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden home page.
";
sites.yatsen.image1 = path + "sunyatsen.gif";
sites.yatsen.alt1 ="Dr. Sun Yat-Sen";
sites.yatsen.scroll = "show";
//****Background
sites.who.title = "Who were the Scholars who owned private gardens? ";
sites.who.description1 = "A scholar was an advisor to the emperor or a civil servant. Scholars achieved their status and title through years of study and rigorous examinations in the Chinese classics, philosophy, painting, calligraphy, and poetry. Any man from any class, family, or background could compete in these exams after finding a patron to sponsor his studies. The highest test scores yielded precious jobs with the imperial court. In this way, a man could change his social position through diligent study – a rare situation for most ancient cultures. Later, this system of achievement was adopted by many other cultures in place of a system of inheritance; even our modern school exam system originated in China. Considerable family pressure was placed on young men to succeed in the exams and thus be eligible for a post in a government office. These positions as administrators were the only way for a young man to provide wealth and status for the family. Despite having an appreciation for art and a love of nature, these scholar officials could not easily take time to go out of the city to admire nature or pursue creative interests, since their lives were severely restricted by their duties to their job and family. The garden home was a way to find refreshment and inspiration in the midst of a busy life in the city. Upon retirement from civil service, a scholar could enjoy a life of study, philosophy and arts in his garden home.
Scholars were heavily involved in the creation of their own gardens; they became artistic creations in and of themselves. Numerous paintings, poems, and diary entries of the Ming dynasty document the lives of scholars, who visited one another's gardens, painted together, read their poetry, and discussed philosophy.";
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//****Preparing
sites.bedroom.title = "If a scholar would have lived in a garden, where was his bedroom?";
sites.bedroom.description1 = "Scholar's gardens are courtyard homes: the house is built around the garden rather than building the garden around the home like we do in Canada today. The various halls of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden would have been rooms in the Scholar's home: the Main Hall would have been like a modern living room and the Scholar's Study like a modern study or den. In addition, there would have been another section of rooms just through the moon gate off the lookout pavilion. This area would include other bedrooms and a kitchen.";
sites.bedroom.image1 = path + "bedroom.gif";
sites.bedroom.alt1 ="Drawing of the Garden layout";
sites.bedroom.scroll = "show";
//***construction
sites.warm.title = "How did the Scholar and his family keep warm in winter?";
sites.warm.description1 = "A Ming Dynasty courtyard home didn't have the kind of heating and insulation that we are used to today. The Scholar and his family would have worn padded silk garments and heavy furs to keep warm in winter. The major rooms of the house had small 'stoves' in which a few burning coals took the cold edge out of the air.";
sites.warm.image1 = path + "warm.gif";
sites.warm.alt1 ="Silk jacket";
sites.warm.scroll = "hide";
//****stone
sites.jade.title = "Why do all my Chinese friends wear Jade?";
sites.jade.description1 = "Jade is a precious stone that is extremely significant in Chinese culture and history. It is shrouded in mystery, magic, and meaning. The colour of jade symbolizes tranquility; its cloudy appearance represents the mysterious nature of life and the universe. The cool, smooth texture of the jade stone represents the ideal, flawless complexion of a woman. Jade stone has very fine pores that are undetectable to the touch but which, over time, absorb oils, colours, and perhaps even some greater essence of life. In the past, it was believed that jade could prevent a body from decaying, so a piece of jade was often placed in the mouth of a wealthy person after death. ";
sites.jade.image1 = path + "jade.gif";
sites.jade.alt1 ="Jade necklace";
sites.jade.scroll = "show";
//****finishing
sites.language.title = "Who speaks what and where in China?";
sites.language.description1 = "Literally hundreds of different languages (called 'dialects') are spoken in China, most of which are totally incomprehensible to one another. The official language of the People's Republic of China is Mandarin and it is currently taught throughout the country. Mandarin is more commonly the native tongue in the north, Beijing, and Taiwan. Another major language (dialect) in China is Cantonese, which is more widely spoken in the south and in Hong Kong.
Despite the many and varied spoken languages in China, there remains only one written language. Thus, if two Chinese travelers happen to meet on a train platform and speak two totally different dialects, they can still communicate directions to one another perfectly on paper. This is due to the pictographic nature of written Chinese – the characters represent objects or ideas rather than sounds. There are over 50,000 characters in the written Chinese language.
As a result of the pictographic nature of Chinese writing, Chinese calligraphy is more of a visual art than a word art like poetry or creative writing: the visual effect is more important than the meaning of the words. There are hundreds of different styles of calligraphy in Chinese and short phrases are often painted in magnificent, decorative calligraphy styles and displayed prominently. They can be extremely valuable pieces of art.";
sites.language.image1 = path + "ming.jpg";
sites.language.alt1 ="Map of China";
sites.language.scroll = "show";
//****finishing
sites.words.title = "Canton or Guangzhou; Peking or Beijing – why are the same words sometimes different?";
sites.words.description1 = "Since written Chinese is pictographic, rather than phonetic, it is difficult to transcribe Chinese sounds into western writing. Currently, the People's Republic of China, the United Nations, and the majority of academics and journalists use the Pin Yin romanization system. You may be familiar with the older Wade-Giles and Yale systems and so pronunciation of Chinese words can be confusing for westerners. Here are a few examples of the different ways in which Wade-Giles and Pin Yin transcribe Chinese sounds into western pronunciation:
| Wade-Giles | Pin Yin |
| Taoism | Daoism |
| Tai Chi Chuan | Taijiquan |
| Chi | Qi |
| Kung Fu | Gong Fu |
| Peking | Beijing |
| Canton | Guangzhou |
| Ch'ing Dynasty | Qing Dynasty |
";
sites.words.image1 = path + "speakwhat.gif";
sites.words.alt1 ="Chinese scroll";
sites.words.scroll = "show";
//****Landscaping
sites.taoismdaoism.title = "Taoism? Daoism? Where does it originate?"
sites.taoismdaoism.description1 = "If you walk through the Religion/ New Age section of your bookstore, you will come across a number of titles like 'The Tao of Love,' 'The Tao of Money,' or 'The Tao of Pooh.' The western world loves to grab onto tantalizing eastern traditions. But did you ever wonder what Daoism (Taoism) is really all about?
The word 'Dao' (or Tao, pronounced Dow) translates literally into 'the Way,' and it can be used to describe a variety of things from a street name (literally, the 'way to a town'), to its philosophical definition - the all-encompassing, supernatural power that imbues all things in the universe.
Essentially, Daoism is a nature philosophy that suggests that by following the Dao or the natural way of the universe, one can achieve peace, health, longevity, and a true understanding of the world.
Daoism first emerged as a philosophy and religion in the Han dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), but its roots can be traced back much farther. Around the 7th-8th centuries BC, the use of the term 'Dao' began to emerge to describe two separate concepts: both the 'right and proper Way to behave' and the 'Way of Heaven.'
One of the oldest, Chinese Classic texts, the Zhouji, which includes the Book of Changes or Yi Jing (I Ching), was compiled around 1000 BC. It explained everything in the universe using the yin-yang concept, which later became one of the central tenets of Daoism (see yin-yang section below). The first book of Daoism, the Dao De Jing, was probably first complied around 500 BC. This compilation of Daoist sayings is attributed to Lao-Zi, although it is more likely the work of several authors. Like Confucius, the name Lao-Zi is a title of honor, not a real person's name. It means 'Old Master,' and refers to a man named Li Er Tan, who is said to have lived during the same time as Confucius (522 - 479 BC). Legend says that a wise and aging Lao Zi, despairing of the world and the warring Chinese states, set off for the west (or the afterlife) and, on passing through the gates, was begged by the gate keeper, Quan Yin (a deity), to write out his wisdom before leaving. The resulting collection of sayings was later named the Dao De Jing (roughly, 'The Classic Text of the Way and its Power'). The book reached its current form with its current name around 300 years later, during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). For more information, please see the Further Readings section and Garden Meanings.";
sites.taoismdaoism.image1 = path + "daoism.gif";
sites.taoismdaoism.alt1 ="A Scholar";
sites.taoismdaoism.scroll = "show";
//****Opening
sites.yinyang.title = "What are yin and yang?";
sites.yinyang.description1 = "An important concept of Daoism is the duality of yin and yang. This theory maintains that all things in the universe have natural opposing forces and are in a state of constant change, shifting from one state to the other. Some examples of yin elements are female, cold, soft, and wet, while yang can be male, hot, hard, and dry. The duality of yin-yang philosophy can be summarized in four ways: Opposition, Interdependence, Decreasing & Increasing, and Transformation.
1.Yin-yang Opposition states that within the universe, all things have an opposing but co-existing element. For example, man is yang, woman is yin; fire is yang, water is yin.
2.Yin-yang Interdependence suggests that one cannot exist without the other. For example, the inside of a cup is yin and the outside is yang. If a cup does not have an inside, it cannot have an outside.
3.Yin-yang Decreasing-Increasing expresses the ever-changing properties of yin-yang theory. For example, the sun rising represents an increase in yang until mid-day. As the sun begins to set, yang begins to decrease while yin increases. Constant change is exemplified everywhere in the universe and is a very important part of Daoism.
4.Yin-yang Transformation describes the change of yin-yang elements from one form into the other. When you throw a ball straight up into the air, the upward velocity is yang, and upon its descent, it finally shifts into yin.
The Taiji (Tai Chi) symbol represents Daoism and the duality of yin-yang. The circle represents the entirety of the universe. The white (yang) and the black (yin) are divided evenly, increasing and decreasing around one another. There is a dot of white (yang) in the black (yin) and vice-versa suggesting that there is always some yang in all yin and yin in all yang.";
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sites.yinyang.alt1 ="Yin Yang symbol";
sites.yinyang.scroll = "show";
sites.confucius.title = "Who was Confucius and what did he say?";
sites.confucius.description1 = "The name 'Confucius' is actually a Roman version of the title Kong Fu-Zi meaning 'Master Teacher Kong.' Kong lived during the last years of the Zhou Dynasty, between 522 and 479 BC, and was advisor to the state.
Recalling the early Western Zhou as a 'golden era,' Kong and his supporters defended the hierarchy and patriarchy of the Zhou Dynasty as the ideal system for both society and state. At the same time, numerous other schools of philosophy – what became known as the 'Hundred Schools of Thought' – struggled to have their voices heard. During the chaos and pervasive corruption of the Warring States period (480-221 BC), enforcement of strict Confucian rules and rituals seemed an attractive alternative. Confucian scholars and statesmen of the time supported the notion that, by regulating outward behavior through strict adherence to duty and ritual, there would be no room for individual selfishness and, therefore, no room for personal corruption.
In subsequent times, Confucian thought continued to dominate family and state life, establishing a rigid class system, the subservient position of women, and a strict reverence for elders and ancestors.";
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sites.confucius.scroll = "show";
sites.buddhism.title = "Is Buddhism a Chinese Religion?";
sites.buddhism.description1 = "Gradually arriving with monks from India around 300 AD, Buddhism in China incorporated elements of both Confucianism and Daoism and rapidly became an integral part of Chinese culture, philosophy, and religion. Buddhism itself is not a religion in the strict sense of the term, but rather a spiritual philosophy based on the teachings of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni. Though the Buddha himself wrote nothing and none of his teachings were recorded in writing until at least 400 years after his death, Buddhist wisdom has spanned centuries and the globe.
Although it is impossible to condense the teachings of the Buddha into a short paragraph, a few basic teachings may help with an elementary grasp of the tradition. Following his attainment of enlightenment, the Buddha is said to have taught these simple concepts, which are believed to be the basis for understanding life and the struggle for enlightenment.
The Four Noble Truths
1. Dukkha: suffering exists and it is the universal state of all beings
2. Trishna: suffering arises from attachment to desires
3. Nirodha: suffering ceases when attachment to desires ceases
4. The Noble Eightfold Path is the way to achieve detachment from earthly desires
There have been volumes written on Buddhism, which provide great detail on the life of Shakyamuni, his philosophical teachings, and the historical development of Buddhism in China and around the world. We encourage you to pursue Further reading on Buddhism and Garden Meanings.";
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sites.calendar.title = "Does China have its own calendar?";
sites.calendar.description1 = "Two calendar systems are in use in China: the Lunar and the Gregorian. In 1912, the new Republic of China made the Gregorian, or Western, calendar the official calendar in China. However, the Lunar or traditional calendar, still deeply rooted in Chinese cultural traditions, marks the dates of festivals.
According to modern science, one month (i.e. one revolution of the moon around the earth) takes 29.5306 days – an uneven number. Different cultures have found different ways of counting one month to make up for this uneven number of days. In the Gregorian system, months are either 30 or 31 days long except for February, which receives one extra day every 4 years to re-align the calendar.
The Chinese Lunar calendar is not quite so simple. Rather than adding one day every 4 years, the Chinese Lunar calendar adds one full month every two or three years. In every 19-year period, 12 years have 12 months each and the other 7 have 13 months each. That is why, for example, the date of the Chinese New Year can vary from one year to the next by as much as a month.
Connected to the lunar calendar is the Chinese almanac, which designates good and bad days for various milestones, ceremonies such as marriage and daily activities like buying a house, signing a contract or washing your hair.";
sites.calendar.image1 = path + "calendar.jpg";
sites.calendar.alt1 ="Lunar cycle";