Announcement
CHINESE FLORAL ARRANGEMENT

Saturday, December 5, 11 a.m.
Montana Branch Library
1704 Montana Avenue
LA, CA
310-829-7081

Come learn the basics of classic Chinese floral arrangement with the only certified master of the art in the U.S., Rosa Zee. Becoming a master requires 7 years of study and 5 levels of examinations. Currently a volunteer with the Huntington Library’s Chinese Garden Project, Master Zee will be here to give a 1-hour talk with a slide presentation, and do live displays of several arrangements.

Floral exam

This video clip was one of the final examinations that all the students who want to be certified. This arrangement was what we call ten perfection. That means there were five woody plants and five herbaceous plants insert in a grid (sa) which was pre-arranged at the opening of the vase. The students will complete within 110 minutes.

Graduation Ceremony of 2009

Learning Chinese floral arranging is a long process in Taiwan, normally, it took seven years to complete, if one has not wasted any time to study. Currently, there are more than ten thousand members in Taiwan. Fifteen hundred members are certified professor-ship over the last 29 years.

June 14, 2009 was the graduation ceremony, on that day there are sixty students graduated and received the plaques of completion. All the graduates were encouraged to participant the ceremony and along with floral exhibitions to show their final accomplishment.

A plague, a certification and a pair of high quality scissor were displayed in the hall way. They symbolized the highest honest that a professional floral artist should deserved. In the afternoon, families members and friends were enjoyed a performance done by graduates and professional performers.

Activities in LA, California - May, 2009

We were so fortunately to have seven Chinese Florists from the Chinese Floral Arts foundation in Taipei, Taiwan to visit Los Angeles, California in late April. They stayed ten days and arrived the evening of April 29, the group was led by Master Li Shu Li and members were Julia Wang, Tina Lee, Lily Tseng, Virginia Chiao, Wen-Li Lin and Chin Er Tseng. This time they were invited by the Huntington Library for three days lecture and classes. However, they also were invited by various organizations to share their talents with all the new and old friends. The activities as follow:

4/30 - LA 18 Television Program interviewed by Juliette Zhuo
5/2 - Five large displays at Macys' of Lake Ave. in Pasadena along with Lalique glass sculptures
- 25 pieces of glamours and exotic traditional Chinese flower arrangements exhibited at the Banta Hall of the Botanical Center of the Huntington Library
5/3 - Flower Talk and Tea Ceremony at the Jasmine Cafe in San Marino
5/4 - Introduction of the Chinese Floral Arrangements at TBWTV
5/5 - Lecture at the Pacific Asia Museum
5/6 - 5/8 Lecture and two hands on classes at the Huntington Library
5/6 - 5/10 15 pieces floral arrangements displayed at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana

This was the third time the Chinese Floral Arts have been introduced to the Southern California within the last four years. In 2005, Master Li had two lectures and classes offered at the Huntington. In 2008, 16 Chinese Florists decorated the Chinese Garden of the Huntington Library with 35 large arrangements when it was opened in February. We are certain we will see more of such beautiful displays in the near future.

Rejuvenation

In the early 1980s, however, the Chinese floral arranging was rejuvenated largely through the efforts of the Women's Garden and Art Club of the Republic of China in Taiwan who initiated an exhibit "The Art of Classical Chinese Flower Arranging" (1984) at the National Museum of History in Taipei. Such exhibits, since organized annually, refocused public attention on this long standing expression of Chinese culture, and led to the establishment of such supportive organizations as the consortium Chinese Floral Arts Foundation.

Floral practice declined

With the host of political and military up-heavals in early 20th-century China, traditional fower arranging was relegated to a minor concern and declined to near extinction. Meanwhile, Japanese flower enthusiasts adopted the form, adapting and developing magnificent arrangement techniques that , by the first quarter of the 20th century, overshadowed the earlier Chinese styles both on the personal level and in special societies.

Traditional Chinese Flower Arranging

The art of Chinese flower arranging originated 1500 years ago. Flower arrangements were used for festivals and as religious offering, place decorations, and expressions of scholarly appreciation. Eventually the art form grew to be so popular that a special day was set aside each year in mid-February as the "Birthday of Flowers" and became the nation's second most celebrated annual holiday.

Flower arranging reached the peak of its popularity in the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.) for by then it was no longer the privilege of the upper class, as it had been during the Tang Dynasty (617-907 A.D.), but was embraced as well by the common people. It subsequently became accepted as one of four essential crafts (along with burning incense, making tea, and appreciating painting) that all cultured people were expected to learn. At the time of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.) it became fully professionalized, complete with text books, trained teachers. During this era, too, the form changed towards a preference for potted plants that could be made into living compositions.