Editing Bamboo (section)

==In culture==
{{Infobox Chinese
| pic = Bamboo (Chinese characters).svg
| piccap = "Bamboo" in ancient [[seal script]] (top) and [[regular script]] (bottom) Chinese characters
| picupright = 0.25
| c = 竹
| p = zhú
| w = chu<sup>2</sup>
| mi = {{IPAc-cmn|zh|u|2}}
| wuu = tzoq
| j = zuk1
| ci = {{IPAc-yue|z|uk|1}}
| y = jūk
| tl = tik
| kanji = 竹
| romaji = take
| hangul = 대나무
| rr = daenamu
| chunom = 椥
| qn = tre
}}
Several Asian cultures, including that of the [[Andaman Islands]], believe humanity emerged from a bamboo stem.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

=== China ===
[[File:Hsü Wei 001.jpg|thumb|''Bamboo'', by [[Xu Wei]], [[Ming Dynasty]].]]
Bamboo's long life makes it a Chinese symbol of uprightness and an Indian symbol of friendship. The rarity of its [[bamboo blossom|blossoming]] has led to the flowers' being regarded as a sign of impending famine. This may be due to rats feeding upon the profusion of flowers, then multiplying and destroying a large part of the local food supply. The most recent flowering began in May 2006 (see [[Mautam]]). Various bamboo species bloom in this manner about every 28–60 years.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/docrep/x5390e/x5390e05.htm |author=M. A. Huberman |title=Bamboo silviculture |at=(gregarious flowering species table) |journal=Unasylva |date=1959 |volume=13 |issue=1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060629042246/http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=%2Fdocrep%2Fx5390e%2Fx5390e05.htm |archive-date=29 June 2006}}</ref>

In [[Culture of China|Chinese culture]], the bamboo, [[Prunus mume|plum]] blossom, [[orchid]], and [[chrysanthemum]] (often known as ''méilánzhújú'' {{lang|zh-hant|梅蘭竹菊}} in Chinese) are collectively referred to as the [[Four Gentlemen]]. These four plants also represent the four seasons and, in [[Confucianism|Confucian]] ideology, four aspects of the ''[[junzi]]'' ("prince" or "noble one"). The [[pine]] (''sōng'' {{lang|zh-hant|松}}), the bamboo (''zhú'' {{lang|zh-hant|竹}}), and the plum blossom (''méi'' {{lang|zh-hant|梅}}) are also admired for their perseverance under harsh conditions, and are together known as the "[[Three Friends of Winter]]" (''suìhán sānyǒu'' {{Lang|zh-hant|歲寒三友}}) in Chinese culture.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

==== Attributions of character ====
[[File:Freer 022.jpg|thumb|left|A cylindrical bamboo brush holder or holder of poems on scrolls, created by Zhang Xihuang in the 17th century, late Ming or early Qing Dynasty – in the [[Chinese calligraphy|calligraphy]] of Zhang's style, the poem ''Returning to My Farm in the Field'' by the fourth-century poet [[Tao Yuanming]] is incised on the holder.]]
[[File:S03 03 02 016 image 63.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Photo of carved Chinese bamboo wall vase. 1918. Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection.]]
Bamboo, one of the "[[Four Gentlemen]]" (bamboo, orchid, plum blossom and chrysanthemum), plays such an important role in traditional Chinese culture that it is even regarded as a behavior model of the gentleman. As bamboo has features such as uprightness, tenacity, and modesty, people endow bamboo with integrity, elegance, and plainness, though it is not physically strong. Countless poems praising bamboo written by ancient Chinese poets are actually metaphorically about people who exhibited these characteristics. An ancient poet, [[Bai Juyi]] (772–846), thought that to be a gentleman, a man does not need to be physically strong, but he must be mentally strong, upright, and perseverant. Just as a bamboo is hollow-hearted, he should open his heart to accept anything of benefit and never have arrogance or prejudice.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

Bamboo is not only a symbol of a gentleman, but also plays an important role in Buddhism, which was introduced into China in the first century. As canons of Buddhism forbids cruelty to animals, flesh and egg were not allowed in the diet. The tender bamboo shoot (''sǔn'' {{lang|zh-hant|筍}} in Chinese) thus became a nutritious alternative. Preparation methods developed over thousands of years have come to be incorporated into Asian cuisines, especially for monks. A Buddhist monk, Zan Ning, wrote a manual of the bamboo shoot called ''Sǔn Pǔ'' ({{lang|zh-hant|筍譜}}) offering descriptions and recipes for many kinds of bamboo shoots.<ref>Laws, B. 2010. Bamboo. ''Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History''. New York:Firefly Books (U.S) Inc.</ref> Bamboo shoot has always been a traditional dish on the Chinese dinner table, especially in southern China.
In ancient times, those who could afford a big house with a yard would plant bamboo in their garden.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

==== Mythology ====
In a Chinese legend, the [[Emperor Yao]] gave two of his daughters to the future [[Emperor Shun]] as a test for his potential to rule. Shun passed the test of being able to run his household with the two emperor's daughters as wives, and thus Yao made Shun his successor, bypassing his unworthy son. After Shun's death, the tears of his two bereaved wives fell upon the bamboos growing there explains the origin of [[spotted bamboo]]. The two women later became goddesses [[Xiangshuishen]] after drowning themselves in the [[Xiang River]].{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

=== Japan ===
[[File:SANY0032 (3158073374).jpg|thumb|upright|''Bamboo [[kadomatsu]]'' made for [[Japanese New Year]]]]

Bamboo is a symbol of prosperity in Japan, and are used to make [[Japanese New Year|New Year's]] decorations called ''[[kadomatsu]]''. Bamboo forests sometimes surround [[Jinja (Shinto)|Shinto shrines]] and Buddhist temples as part of a sacred barrier against [[evil]]. In the [[Japanese folktales|folktale]] ''[[Tale of the Bamboo Cutter]]'' (''Taketori Monogatari''), princess Kaguya emerges from a shining bamboo section.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7Y8MAQAAMAAJ&q=princess+Kaguya+emerges+from+a+shining+bamboo+section |title=Japan Quarterly |date=1986 |publisher=Asahi Shinbun |pages=269 |language=en}}</ref>

In Japan, the Chinese "Three Friends of Winter" (''kansai sanyū'') concept is traditionally used as a ranking system, where pine ({{lang|ja|松}} ''matsu'') is the first rank, bamboo ({{lang|ja|竹}} ''take'') is the second rank, and plum ({{lang|ja|梅}} ''ume'') is the third rank. This system is used in many traditional arts like with [[sushi]] sets, embroidering kimono or tiers of accommodations at traditional ''[[ryokan (inn)|ryōkan]]'' taverns.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

Bamboo is known to be a strong material and able to withstand extreme heat. It is the only plant known to have survived the [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|atomic bombings of Hiroshima]] in 1945.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bioproducts |first=Bamboo |date=2020-11-30 |title=10 Things You Didn't Know About Bamboo |url=https://www.bamboobioproducts.com/post/10-things-you-didn-t-know-about-bamboo |access-date=2024-12-18 |website=Bamboo Bioproducts |language=en}}</ref>

=== Malaysia ===
In [[Malaysia]], a similar story includes a man who dreams of a beautiful woman while sleeping under a bamboo plant; he wakes up and breaks the bamboo stem, discovering the woman inside.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

=== Philippines ===
In [[Philippine mythology]], one of the more famous [[creation account]]s tells of the first man ''Malakás'' ("Strong") and the first woman ''Maganda'' ("Beautiful") each emerging from one half of a split bamboo stem on an island formed after the battle between Sky and Ocean.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

=== Vietnam ===
[[File:Cây nêu 2.jpg|thumb|[[Cây nêu]] - A Vietnamese New Year tree made from bamboo]]

==== Attributions of character ====
Bamboo plays an important part of the [[culture of Vietnam]]. Bamboo symbolizes the spirit of [[Vovinam]] (a Vietnamese martial arts): ''cương nhu phối triển'' (coordination between [[hard and soft (martial arts)]]). Bamboo also symbolizes the Vietnamese hometown and Vietnamese soul: the gentlemanlike, straightforwardness, hard working, optimism, unity, and adaptability. A Vietnamese proverb says, "Tre già, măng mọc" (When the bamboo is old, the bamboo sprouts appear), the meaning being Vietnam will never be annihilated; if the previous generation dies, the children take their place. Therefore, the Vietnamese nation and Vietnamese values will be maintained and developed eternally. Traditional Vietnamese villages are surrounded by thick bamboo hedges (''lũy tre'').{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

During [[Ngô Đình Diệm]]'s presidency, bamboo was the national symbol of [[South Vietnam]], it was featured on the national coat of arms, presidential standard, and South Vietnamese đồng coins at the time.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

==== Mythology ====
A bamboo cane is also the weapon of [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] legendary hero, [[Thánh Gióng]], who had grown up immediately and magically since the age of three because of his wish to liberate his land from [[Shang dynasty|Ân]] invaders. The ancient Vietnamese legend ''Cây tre trăm đốt'' ([[The Hundred-knot Bamboo Tree]]) tells of a poor, young farmer who fell in love with his landlord's beautiful daughter. The farmer asked the landlord for his daughter's hand in marriage, but the proud landlord would not allow her to be bound in marriage to a poor farmer. The landlord decided to foil the marriage with an impossible deal; the farmer must bring him a "bamboo tree of 100 [[plant stems|nodes]]". But [[Gautama Buddha]] (''Bụt'') appeared to the farmer and told him that such a tree could be made from 100 nodes from several different trees. ''Bụt'' gave to him four magic words to attach the many nodes of bamboo: ''Khắc nhập, khắc xuất'', which means "joined together immediately, fell apart immediately". The triumphant farmer returned to the landlord and demanded his daughter. Curious to see such a long bamboo, the landlord was magically joined to the bamboo when he touched it, as the young farmer said the first two magic words. The story ends with the happy marriage of the farmer and the landlord's daughter after the landlord agreed to the marriage and asked to be separated from the bamboo.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

=== Africa ===

==== Tanzania ====
Tanzania possesses a large diversity of bamboo species.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-03-30 |title=Bamboo: Africa's untapped potential |url=https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/april-2016/bamboo-africa%E2%80%99s-untapped-potential |access-date=2023-08-29 |website=Africa Renewal |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Masisi 100009"/>

==== Bozo ====
The [[Bozo people|Bozo]] ethnic group of [[West Africa]] take their name from the [[Bambara language|Bambara]] phrase ''bo-so'', which means "bamboo house".

=== Saint Lucia ===
Bamboo is also the national plant of [[St. Lucia]].

=== Hawaiian ===
[[Hawaiian Islands|Hawaiian]] bamboo ''('ohe)'' is a ''kinolau'' or body form of the [[Polynesian mythology|Polynesian]] creator god [[Kāne]].
<!--Expansion needed:
;'''According to [[Maranao people|maranaw]]'''
* Buntong or Bentong (e.i Palaw ah Bentong that means Mountain of Bamboos)
* Tringen ''Tring''
-->

===North America===
[[Arundinaria]] bamboos, known as giant cane or river cane, are a central part of the material cultures of Southeastern Native American nations, so much so that they have been called "the plastic of the Southeastern Indians."<ref>{{cite web |title=RIVER CANE Cultural Workhorse and Ecological Powerhouse |url=https://www.conservationgateway.org/ConservationPractices/FireLandscapes/FireLearningNetwork/NetworkProducts/Documents/SBR-RivercaneWebinar-Slides-Cozzo.pdf |website=conservationgateway.org |publisher=Revitalization of Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources}}</ref> Among the [[Cherokee]], river cane has been used to make waterproof baskets, mats, fishing poles, flutes, blowguns, arrows, and to build houses, among other uses; the seed and young shoots are also edible.<ref>{{cite web |title=River Cane – Cultural Workhorse and Ecological Powerhouse |url=https://www.conservationgateway.org/ConservationPractices/FireLandscapes/FireLearningNetwork/NetworkProducts/Documents/SBR-RivercaneWebinar-Slides-Cozzo.pdf |website=conservationgateway.org |publisher=Revitalization of Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=River Cane |url=https://www.cherokee.org/media/jkwow40z/rivercane.pdf |website=cherokee.org |publisher=Cherokee Nation}}</ref> Traditional Cherokee double-woven baskets, crafted from river cane that has been split and dyed in various colors, are sometimes considered among the finest in the world. Since the North American bamboos are now rare, with 98% of their original extent eliminated, the Cherokee have initiated an effort to restore it.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Andrea L. Rogers |title=Wildlife Stewardship on Tribal Lands |date=2023 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |editor1-last=Hoagland |editor1-first=Serra J. |editor-link=Serra Hoagland |location=Baltimore |pages=309–311 |chapter=28 |editor2-last=Albert |editor2-first=Steven}}</ref>