Account Name: 双鹏（沈阳）进出口贸易有限公司
(ShuangPeng ShenYang Import & Export Company)
Account Number: 285681758865
Bank Account: 中国银行股份有限公司沈阳建设西路支行
(JianSheXiLu Branch of Shenyang, Bank of China Limited)
Company Address: 中国辽宁省沈阳市铁西区富工二街11号1-6-3
(11#1-6-3 Fugong Street 2 Teixi District Shenyang City Liaoning Province, China)
Price: $50
From an early age, Chinese people are taught that China’s “Four Great Inventions” are four major technological innovations from ancient China that had a profound impact on the course of world civilization. They specifically include papermaking, the compass, gunpowder, and printing. Through continuous improvement and application across different historical periods, these inventions played milestone roles in the fields of information recording, maritime exploration, military transformation, and cultural dissemination, and are widely recognized by the international academic community as iconic contributions of Chinese civilization.
Papermaking: Greatly reduced the cost of writing materials and promoted the spread of knowledge. Its techniques spread westward along the Silk Road and directly contributed to the European Renaissance.
The Compass: Made long-distance ocean navigation possible, provided key technological support for the Age of Discovery, and reshaped the global trade system.
Gunpowder: Brought an end to the age of cold weapons, drove changes in fortress defense systems, and accelerated the disintegration of the European feudal system.
Printing: Enabled the mass production of books, lowered the threshold for access to knowledge, and laid the foundation for the Reformation and the Scientific Revolution.
Key points in historical evaluation:
Connection to the “Needham Question”: When British scholar Joseph Needham posed the question “Why did modern science not arise in China?”, he particularly emphasized the global significance of the Four Great Inventions as technological forerunners.
Marx’s assessment: Marx referred to gunpowder, the compass, and printing as “the three great inventions that heralded the coming of bourgeois society,” highlighting their catalytic role in transforming relations of production.
The Nine Sons of the Dragon is an ancient Chinese mythological tradition. It refers to the nine sons born of the dragon, each with distinct characteristics. Although none of them becomes a dragon, each possesses unique talents. The images of the nine sons are widely used in architecture and decorative objects, symbolizing diversity and harmony in traditional culture.
Qiuniu (囚牛): With a dragon’s head and a snake’s body, gentle in temperament and fond of music. Often carved on the head of stringed instruments, symbolizing artistic cultivation.
Yazi (睚眦): With the head of a jackal and the body of a dragon, belligerent and bloodthirsty. Commonly used to decorate sword and knife hilts, representing authority and martial power.
Chaofeng (嘲风): Resembling an auspicious beast, adventurous and fond of looking into the distance. Placed on the corners of palace roofs, signifying good fortune and protection from disasters.
Pulao (蒲牢): A small dragon-like creature, timid yet fond of roaring. Cast as the knob of bells; when struck—often said to be by a whale—the bell’s sound carries far.
Suanni (狻猊): Lion-shaped with dragon patterns, preferring stillness and incense smoke. Commonly seen on Buddhist seats and incense burners, symbolizing Zen tranquility and peace.
Bixi (赑屃, also called Baxia 霸下): With the body of a turtle and the head of a dragon, immensely strong and capable of bearing heavy loads. Used to support stone steles, symbolizing enduring achievements.
Bi’an (狴犴): Tiger-shaped with dragon-like authority, fond of litigation and keen in judgment. Carved on prison gates and government offices, representing justice and the rule of law.
Fuxi (负屃): Slender-bodied like a dragon, fond of literature and elegance. Often coiled along the sides of steles, enhancing the artistry of the inscriptions.
Chiwen (螭吻, also called Chiwei 鸱尾): With a dragon’s head and a fish’s tail, fond of swallowing and suppressing fire. Perched on both ends of roof ridges, used to prevent fires and ward off disasters.
Unfortunately, the eighth son was not collected.
Price: $8
Printed in 2006
Price: $22
Printed in 2013/2014
Price: $20
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese Dream has been an important guiding idea and governing philosophy put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping. It was formally articulated on November 29, 2012, and refers to the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This dream is the greatest aspiration of the Chinese nation in modern times, embodying the overall interests of the nation and the Chinese people.
The core goals of the Chinese Dream are the “Two Centenary Goals”: to gradually and ultimately achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation by the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
National Prosperity and Strength: This includes economic strength, scientific and technological strength, cultural vitality, and military strength. It means promoting sustained and healthy economic development, enhancing scientific and technological innovation, cultivating and carrying forward the fine traditional culture of the Chinese nation, and strengthening national defense capabilities.
National Rejuvenation: This includes national unity, self-confidence, and a sense of pride. It means promoting communication and integration among all ethnic groups, strengthening the inheritance and development of ethnic cultures, enhancing national cohesion and solidarity, and advancing shared prosperity and development for all ethnic groups.
People’s Well-being: This includes material prosperity, spiritual fulfillment, and ecological balance. It means promoting coordinated development in economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological fields, improving people’s living standards and quality of life, and fostering all-round human development.
The path to realizing the Chinese Dream lies in adhering to the leadership of the Communist Party of China, following the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, upholding the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, promoting the national spirit, and pooling the strength of the Chinese people.
In summary, the Chinese Dream is the dream of the Chinese nation as well as the dream of every Chinese person. It profoundly captures the central theme of China’s modern development and portrays the history of the Chinese nation’s unceasing vitality, continuous exploration, and relentless struggle since modern times.
Print in 2014
Price: $20
Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, and Chou are the core role-type classifications in Chinese Peking Opera. Simply put, they are categories of characters used to distinguish different figures on stage.
Specifically:
Sheng: Male roles, such as laosheng (elderly men), xiaosheng (young men), and wusheng (martial male roles).
Dan: Female roles, such as qingyi (virtuous women), huadan (lively young women), and wudan (martial female roles).
Jing: Also known as “painted-face” roles, usually portraying male characters with strong, distinctive personalities, such as Judge Bao and Cao Cao, who are famous historical figures.
Mo: Now mostly incorporated into the Sheng category, mainly portraying middle-aged and elderly male characters.
Chou: Comic or villainous roles, marked by a patch of white makeup on the bridge of the nose.
These five role types together encompass virtually all character types in Peking Opera. They jointly construct a complete operatic world, giving performances both structure and charm, and ensuring the integrity and richness of Peking Opera’s performance style and artistic expression. They form the foundation that has enabled this national art to be passed down for centuries.
