Mottled Bamboo
Encyclopedia
Mottled bamboo
(Phyllostachys bambusoides f. lacrima-deae) is also known in Chinese as Xiangfei bamboo. It is yielded in Hunan
, Henan
, Jianxi and Zhejiang
, China
, especially the Jiuyi Mountains
. The bamboo's brown trunk is mottled with varying shades of purpura
-like spots.
Legend has it that when King Shun died suddenly during a trip to Cangwu, the tears of his two concubines Ehuang (娥皇) and Nüying (女英) dropped onto surrounding bamboo and stained it forever. Mottled bamboo is known for being a decorative plant. The Chinese name of Xiangfei zhu (湘妃竹) originates from the legend. Xiang (湘) refers to the Xiang River
, where the story supposedly took place, fei (妃) means "concubine" and zhu (竹) means "bamboo", thus the "bamboo of the concubines by the Xiang River".
The term "mottled bamboo" is also used to describe online discussion board moderators in Mainland China
, because when the word for moderator (版主) is entered using the keyboard in Pinyin
, the word for mottled bamboo (斑竹) appears as the first option, as they sound very similar. Hence, mottled bamboo gradually became another way of calling a moderator.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
(Phyllostachys bambusoides f. lacrima-deae) is also known in Chinese as Xiangfei bamboo. It is yielded in Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
, Jianxi and Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, especially the Jiuyi Mountains
Jiuyi Mountains
The Jiuyi Mountains are a mountain range of China in Hunan province on the border with Guangdong....
. The bamboo's brown trunk is mottled with varying shades of purpura
Purpura
Purpura is the appearance of red or purple discolorations on the skin that do not blanch on applying pressure. They are caused by bleeding underneath the skin...
-like spots.
Legend has it that when King Shun died suddenly during a trip to Cangwu, the tears of his two concubines Ehuang (娥皇) and Nüying (女英) dropped onto surrounding bamboo and stained it forever. Mottled bamboo is known for being a decorative plant. The Chinese name of Xiangfei zhu (湘妃竹) originates from the legend. Xiang (湘) refers to the Xiang River
Xiang River
The Xiang River , in older transliterations as the Siang River or Hsiang River, is a river in southern China...
, where the story supposedly took place, fei (妃) means "concubine" and zhu (竹) means "bamboo", thus the "bamboo of the concubines by the Xiang River".
The term "mottled bamboo" is also used to describe online discussion board moderators in Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
, because when the word for moderator (版主) is entered using the keyboard in Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
, the word for mottled bamboo (斑竹) appears as the first option, as they sound very similar. Hence, mottled bamboo gradually became another way of calling a moderator.