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.

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Wu Xing (Chinesepinyin: 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 ( mù), Fire( huǒ), Earth ( tǔ), Metal ( jīn), and Water ( shuǐ).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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Afghanistan’s Future Is Built on Skateboards and Containers

As we’ve already covered in our blogs, shipping containers can be used to build high-end homes, hotels, villas, restaurants you name it. Due to their low prices, shipping containers are especially good for low income areas. They have even built a shipping container skate park in Afganistan.

The mega shipping container skate park will be built by an international NGO Skateistan that uses skateboarding as a tool for youth outreach in both Afghanistan and Cambodia. The most recent skate park in Mazar-e-Sharif is an educational safe have for children.The 6000 square meter educational and sport complex was built out of repurposed shipping containers and other locally sourced materials to host 1,000 local children on a weekly basis.

Afghanistan’s skate park is not actually one of its kind in developing container-based education in developing countries. For example Apple‘s rival the Korean electronics chaebol Samsung has also used shipping containers to build  schools in South Africa. In Indonesia they have even build shipping container libraries.

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It is yet unfold whether the skate park grows the future’s Tony Hawks or even enhances Afganistan’s economy but for the well-being and sophistication of local children the shipping container skate park is in a big role.

Some of our students on Go Skateboarding Day

Shipping containers are a superior tool for businesses to actualize their corporate social responsibility programs as well as to spread culture and a high level of sophistication to developing countries. In general, we do not have many tools for helping the ones in need but shipping containers are a practical solution.

40% of Afghanistan's skateboarders are female. 100% of those are tough as nails.

If you are planning to use shipping containers, please contact us in Shanghai Metal Corporation. We ship standardized shipping containers worldwide and compile prefabricated container buildings for customers needs. For detailed specifications, please visit our website. Please also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: Inhabitat, Skateistan

São Paulo Presents Marvellous Container Art

The Brazilian city of São Paulo organized a design weekend during August 2014.  During the weekend some fabulous pieces of design art were presented. One of the providers was a Brazilian design company Contain[it] that transforms pieces of shipping containers into beautifully designed furniture.

Among the works on display were a lounger chair, lamps, vases, modular shelving, and a table that are made out of shipping container scraps.  The scraps are collected from the company’s shipping container projects that turn discarded containers into new spaces.

Shipping containers are becoming a mainstream construction material for green and environmentally friendly construction projects. In general, the world is suffering from oversupply of shipping containers because they are seldom reused for shipping.

Shipping container architecture solves the problem of used shipping containers turning into waste, but only partially. Shipping container houses, villas, hotels etc. need to be modified through welding which creates waste of container scraps.

Contain[it] solves this problem by giving the container scraps a new life and therefore creating art with zero waste. The company’s mission is to create art that gives an impact in an intelligent way. The company really gives a great contribution for the well-being of nature.

Today sustainable architecture and shipping containers are becoming synonyms. No other building material can be same time as durable and low-cost as shipping containers. Shipping container architecture enables designers to create environmentally friendly construction that can easily be retrofitted to any natural environment.

As an experienced provider of shipping containers, Shanghai Metal Corporation is proud of serving its international clients as well as giving a major environmentally friendly contribution to the construction industry. You can also familiarize yourself with our product offering by visiting our website. You can also send us an inquiry about any product you have in mind, and our English speaking staff will give you assistance. Please also visit our social media sites in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: São Paulo Design Weekend, Contain[it], Inhabitat

Shakespeare Reborn in Container Theaters

We cannot all be masters, nor all masters cannot be truly follow’d.                   –Quotation from Shakespeare’s Othello

The modularity of shipping containers enables creative architects to design beautiful container homes and hotels. Open top containers can be turned into swimming pools. Open side containers can become excellent theaters.

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In 2013 a local architecture studio O+A designed the architectural setting of the 20th Over het IJ Festival and transformed Amsterdam’s shipyard into a huge restaurant area with theatrical stages. The building of the “container city” took four days, and another two days to take down, lasting only two weeks in between.

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Shipping containers theaters have also been used in Miami. In 2012, the actors of Microteatro por Dinero  performed in 15 minute short dramas for 15 people six times a night in a shipping container. The concept of “por dinero performance” (in English for money) has its roots in Madrid where local actors turned an old bordello into a commercial mini theater and spread the word in social media.

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Besides drama, shipping containers have also been used as movie theaters. Container mini theaters showed short films in New York in 2011. The event was a part of USA Network’s Character Project and it also was supported by the director of the Alien Saga, Ridley Scott. Audience was placed in 18-seat air conditioned screening pods to watch the shorts. The tour also took place in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.

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It is yet unclear when does this “Broadway in a box” concept spread globally and go mainstream. Still, because of these events, mobile mini theaters will gain popularity in cinema and drama industries.

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Whenever there is a need for shipping containers, one should always contact Shanghai Metal Corporation. Our wide collection of shipping containers can help companies to pack great entertainment in a box. For more information about our shipping containers, please visit our website (http://www.smccontainer.com). Please also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Try also our new mobile application by scanning the QR code below.

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Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: WLRN, N-punto, Broadway World, Gizmag, Wired, Miami New Times, Inhabitat, Oplusa.nl

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.

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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.

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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