Burn the Zither, Boil the Crane
Burn the Zither, Boil the Crane Burn the zither and boil the crane - This traditional Chinese expression is used to describe the disregard for, or the destruction of, fine culture and good taste. In old China, music was one of the essential subjects a cultivated gentleman should study, along with philosophy, poetry, calligraphy and board games. In particular, playing zither well was viewed as an indication of the artistic mastery. The crane, for its part, was significant in Chinese iconography, which stood for high-mindedness, nonchalance, and freedom from worldly concerns. Burning zithers and boiling cranes are thus acts of cultural annihilation, either resultant from ignorance or an active rejection of the arts.
The Chinese characters contained in this phrase well illustrate the pictographic (picture-like) origin of the Chinese writing system. Look closely at the characters below - burn, zither, boil, crane. Can you make out the parts of the words that suggest fire, strings, pot on fire, and bird?
