The Metal Aesthetic: China’s Smartphone Fad

 

The last 2 weeks sent shockwaves through the Chinese smartphone and tablet device markets, with the long-anticipated announcements of new devices by Xiaomi and Meizu. Tech giants in their own right, both companies have come out with guns-blazing with new and improved devices.

But once we step-back from the hype, there’s a striking similarity between them (and indeed, many other devices currently on the market) – ALL METAL DEVICES ARE IN!

Not only does this move signal a paradigm shift from the cheaper reinforced plastic versions of their predecessors, but perhaps we’re finally seeing a responsiveness from tech companies to the demand for a ‘premium-feeling’ that only metal can deliver.

Smartphones from HTC and Apple have sported metal exteriors for several years, so it’s a welcome relief to have a metal-clad warrior bursting onto (and from!) the Chinese domestic stage.

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WU XING, THE FIVE ELEMENTS

In ancient China, Taoist developed a profound understanding of life based on observation of nature which called Wu Xing or the Five Elements. The Elements represents transformation that occurs around us which interact and relate to each others. Despite of Five Elements concept is old, but the concept can be applied to our modern life.

Wu Xing (Chinese: 五行; pinyin: wǔ xíng) also known as the Five Elements is a fivefold concept that many traditional Chinese fields used to explain a wide array of phenomena. This concept of Five Elements was used to describe interactions and relationships between phenomena, such as Feng shui, astrology, traditional Chinese medicine, music, military strategy, and martial arts. The Five Elements are Wood (木 mù), Fire(火 huǒ), Earth (土 tǔ), Metal (金 jīn), and Water (水 shuǐ).

Wood Element is yang/masculine character which represents the pioneer that can do strategic plan and directing. One quality of Wood Element is leadership which needs to be strong and flexible, like bamboo. The leaders that can take charge, determine a plan of action, and always seek to grow.

Fire Element is yang/masculine character which represents the wizard that can do socializing and marketing stuffs. This Fire Element associated with the qualities of dynamism, strength and persistence. It provides warmth, enthusiasm, and creativity which match with the marketing person.

Earth Element is a balance of both yin and yang. It represents the mediator which associated with patience, thoughtfulness, practically, hard work, and stability. The Earth Element seeks to draw all things together in order to bring harmony and stability. This element represents human resources.

Metal Element is is ying/feminine character which represents the alchemist which is organizing and judging. This element represents the minerals, crystals, and gems of the world. This element is the breath of life. This element associated with the qualities of metal which are unyieldingness, rigidity, persistence, strength, and determination.

Water Element is ying/feminine character which represents the philosopher and thinker. Water Element associated with intelligence and wisdom, flexibility, softness and pliancy. Water can be fluid and weak, but it can also be a great power when it floods and overwhelms the land.

Every element has its own strengths. These elements are actually related to each other because it can control one another. For example, fire controls metal because it can melts metal into liquid. Water controls fire because water extinguished a fire. Earth controls water because earth absorbs water. Wood controls earth because it holds the earth together and can also break it apart. Metal controls wood because metal can cuts down trees into wood.

This Five Elements represents the harmony of life. When a family, work team, or any organizations that have all of this five elements within its member, it is said that they would enjoy a lot of harmony. For example, in working place, if you are a leader of a company and are looking to hire people to work with you, it would be good to find people of signs that are “controlled” by you. If you are Fire sign, you would find it best to employ people of a Metal Sign because like it is said before that fire controls metal.

Chinese conceptual is interesting, including this Five Elements. This may not be true but believe it or not it may be true too, so you can considered it when you want to hire people and working with people in your organizations.

Metal is important element which also included in Five Chinese Elements. Metal represents the minerals which are rigid, strong, and determine. Shanghai Metal Corporation which based in China is one of the leading businesses in the manufacturing of metalworking industry. We can produce and export the best quality of metal products, shipping containers, and service. We prioritize the efficient of manufacturing and environmental sustainability.

Want to know more about our company? Please visit our website and you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Feel free to download our new mobile application by scanning the QR code below.

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Source: Wikipedia, Innerjourneyseminars, Tsemrinpoche

Ardelia Sassie/SMC Editor

Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year is approaching and people in China are all getting ready to travel back to their hometown and meet their families. The Chinese New Year, also called the Spring Festival, is the most important traditional festival and most important celebration for families in China. The Chinese calendar is associated with the Chinese Zodiac, it is a repeating cycle of 12 years where each year being represented by an animal and 2015 is the year of goat.

Chinese New Year Decorations and symbols

Before the D-day, family buys presents, decorations, food, new clothes, people have their hair cut and the houses are cleaned. The aim is to get rid of any bad luck from the previous year and clear the way for good luck.

Lights like Christmas lights will light up homes and doors & window are often newly painted in red. On New Years Eve, both narrow strips of red paper (Chunlian or Spring Couplets), and bunches of firecracker decorations are hung on doors to bring good luck. The Chunlian decorations are marked with messages of good luck. In the first 3 days of Chinese New Year celebrations, people light firecrackers, making a series of loud bangs, which is believed to scare away bad luck.

Spring couplets (photo from www.cits.net)

The color red is chosen because it is believed to be a lucky color and it is supposed to chase off the monster Nian, who is thought to come on New Year Eve. The color gold symbolizes wealth.

A red lantern is a symbol of luck and prosperity but also as a mean of “lighting the way” for the family’s Kitchen God on an important annual mission to see the Jade Emperor. People want the Kitchen God to give a good report of their family to the Jade Emperor so that they will have a good harvest and make more money in the coming year.

Red lanterns in Thean Hou Temple (photo from teewallpapers.net)

Chinese New Year Food

Certain dishes are eaten during the Chinese New Year for their symbolic meaning, which is based on their pronunciations or appearance.

The word “fish” in Chinese sounds like surplus. For Chinese, it is good to have a surplus at the end of the year, because it is thought that if you save something at the end of the year, then you can make more in the next year.

Dumplings are a classic Chinese food. Different dumpling fillings have different meanings. On New Year’s Eve it is a tradition to eat dumplings with cabbage and radish, implying that one’s skin will become fair and one’s mood will become gentle.

Dumplings (photo from magazine.fourseasons.com)

The longevity of noodles symbolize a long life. Longevity noodles are longer than normal ones.

Spring rolls get their name because they are traditionally eaten during the Spring Festival. Fried spring rolls look like gold bars and symbolizes a wish for prosperity.

Spring rolls (photo from www.sheknows.com)

Shanghai Metal Corporation would like to wish you a wonderful Chinese New Year celebration, good health, luck and much happiness in the year of Sheep. Gong Xi Fa Cai !

Original article : www.chinahighlights.com, www.topmarks.co.uk

    

Ayu P.//SMC Editor

The Chinese Invention that Changed the World

Our modern printing technology originates from China, where the world’s first woodblock art piece, the Diamond Sutra, was created during the Tang dynasty in 868 AD. Later in the 14th century, the technology in its advanced form spread to Europe leaving a mark to our modern culture. Because of the printing technique,  cultures was now able to be spread and expressed in forms of printed material.

The original artifacts were carved on woodblocks made of pear or jujube tree using a thin paper, rice paste and a special knife, Quan Dao. The rice paste was poured on the woodblock. Then the special paper with artwork on it, was placed on the woodblock. After cautiously removing the paper with Quan Dao, the art piece was printed on the woodblock. The woodblock could now be used to print pieces of art on paper.

The Europeans started using the technology in the 14th century. Only difference was that where the Europeans used only one block to print, say, an image, the Chinese divided the image on several woodblocks. It is unclear how the Chinese invention was brought to Europe. Some experts say it was the missionaries who had learned the technique during their stay in China.

Shanghai Metal Corporation on its behalf continues the Chinese legacy by offering industry standard printing presses for offices worldwide. To know more about our products, please take a look at our website. Please also follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Original articles: worldwideinvention.com, artelino.com

Pictures: Wikipedia, Blogspot