Glittering Glaze Everywhere
Almost all ancient buildings in Beijing have glazed tiles and glazed exterior
decorations. A viewer atop Jingshan Hill in downtown Beijing can see a vast expanse of
glittering glazed tiles of a golden-yellow color that covers the palaces of the Forbidden
City.Temples in the vicinity have tiles of different colors, blue for the Temple of Heaven
Tiantan, yellow for the Temple of Earth Ditan, red for the Temple of the Sun Ritan, and
white for the Temple of the Moon Yuetan. Atop the roofs of palaces and temples are glazed
decorations in the shape of animals. Glaze , a semi-transparent colored mineral, is also
blown into various works of art. A master craftsman once blew a string of glaze grapes
which have such perfect shapes and color transition as to make many a viewer mistake them
for genuine. The art of blowing glaze articles dates back to the Yuan Dynasty 1271-1368,
when many imperial kilns were built so satisfy the demand. More kilns were constructed in
later dynasties. Today, Beijing produces more than 50 kinds of glaze articles. Big
varieties decorated posh hotels and office buildings, while small objects are sold as
souvenirs.
Center of Chinese Arts and Handicrafts
Beijing produces other handicraft articles such as jade carving, carved
ivory objects, bone ornaments and filigreed products that aren't found elsewhere in China.
As capital of the nation, the city also serves as the national display and sales center
for the country's best arts and handicrafts. Inside the China Arts and Handicrafts Gallery
at Fuxingmen are displayed the nation's best handicraft articles, which are regarded as
national treasures. An art lover can spend hours inside for a glimpse of the most
expensive objects in China. Except with special permission, the exhibits are not for sale.
To buy Chinese handicraft articles, the best place to visit is the White Peacock Art World
and Beijing Curio City which stocked with products from all parts of China.
