Take a look at the background characters in Aunt Wu’s village.
The elaborate hairstyles the women are wearing are from several eras in Chinese history, mainly Tang dynasty and Han dynasty.
This website is really cool, they have recreated the hairstyles we see on ancient paintings and statues on real people. Recognize some of the atla character’s hairdos? XD
Image source: One
Aunt Wu’ divination method is based on the Oracle Bones, on the Jia Gu
Oracle bones 甲骨 are pieces of bone normally from ox scapula or turtle plastron (underside) which were used for divination chiefly during the late Shang Dynasty 1600 BCE–1046 BCE.
The bones were first inscribed with divination in oracle bone script (Chinese: 甲骨文; pinyin: jiǎgǔwén) by using a bronze pin, and then heated until crack lines appeared in which the divinations were read.
Aunt Wu’s name:
There are two possible puns for her name. The first one, Wu - 巫 meaning witch or shaman, is, given her occupation, rather obvious.
The second one, a reference to Emperor Wu Ding - 武丁 from the Shang Dynasty, who not only practiced divination via oracle bones, but also via dream divination:
In the third year of his reign he had vivid dreams about the way to rule his kingdom.
The screen in Aunt Wu’s waiting room has calligraphy in Grass Script on it. Grass Script is a highly stylized version of calligraphy and while extremely beautiful also extremely hard to read. I cannot read it.
草书; sometimes translated as Grass script (see Names below) is a style of Chinese calligraphy. Cursive script is faster to write than other styles, but difficult to read for those unfamiliar with it. It functions primarily as a kind of shorthand script or calligraphic style. People who can read standard or printed forms of Chinese may not be able to comprehend this script at all.
Follow this link to more examples of Chinese calligraphy, all of them which we see at one point or another in the show.
The man the Gaang meets before entering Aunt Wu’s village is wearing a framed:
Jin are caps of civilian usage. Jin with the use of frames can also be called Ze (幘), and are deemed more formal than the unframed ones.
This means he is not a government official, i.e. he is not the village leader.
Besides Gan Jin meaning ‘clean’ and Z(h)ang meaning 'dirty’ there is another pun/reference hidden in this episode:
Jin Wei - Wei Jin
Jin and Wei are both countries from the Warring States era.
By about 550 there were only four major powers: Qin (west), Jin (west-center), Qi (east) and Chu (south). Most of the remaining small states were between Jin and Qi.
- circa 450-350 BC: Affairs are dominated by the three fragments of Jin, especially Wei.
- circa 350-250 BC: the main period of conflict. The states ruined each other in increasingly violent conflicts, leaving only Qin.
- circa 250-221 BC: Qin conquers all the other states, founding the Qin Dynasty.
- In more detail: 453: Jin (center) splits into Zhao,Wei and Han; 383: Zhao vs. Wei; The states were seriously defeated in the following years: 340: Wei (center); 284: Qi (east); 278: Chu (south); 260: Zhao (north-center). 256: Zhou kingship abolished; 230-221: Qin conquers all the other states.
The hat Katara made for Aang is a reference to “The Journey to the West” 西遊記.
Aang and The monk Xuánzàng (玄奘)do have a lot in common:
Xuánzàng is just called Tripitaka in many English versions of the story. He set off for Dahila kingdom 天竺国 (an appellation for India in Ancient China) to retrieve original Buddhist scriptures for China. Although he is helpless in defending himself, the bodhisattva Guānyīn helps by finding him powerful disciples who aid and protect him on his journey. Along the way, they help the local inhabitants by defeating various monsters and demons who try to obtain immortality by eating Xuánzàng’s flesh.
The parallels, I think, are obvious. Aang, while not helpless, does refuse to kill. But for that time he drowned a whole fleet :P He ‘collects powerful disciples’ along the way, starting with Katara and Sokka, Toph and in the end Zuko. And while I do not think that Ozai wanted to roast and eat him, the fighting of monsters, be it human, spirit or animal, does happen frequently.
The Bending Arts: Airbending
Airbending is based on Ba Gua Zhang
Bāguàzhǎng is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school, the other two being Taijiquan and Xingyiquan. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice (or neijia gong). Bāguà zhǎng literally means “eight trigram palm,” referring to the trigrams of the Yijing (I Ching), one of the canons of Taoism.[1]
Look, it’s the creators talking:
The Bending Arts: Firebending
Firebending is based on Shaolin Gong Fu
Those who practice Shaolinquan leap about with strength and force; people not proficient at this kind of training soon lose their breath and are exhausted. Taijiquan is unlike this. Strive for quiescence of body, mind and intention.[4]
Of the multitude styles of kung fu and wushu, only some are actually related to Shaolin. Aside from a few very well known systems, such as Xiao Hong Quan, the Da Hong Quan, Yin Shou Gun, Damo Sword, etc.,[citation needed], after the loss of records during the 20th Century Cultural Revolution it would be almost impossible for a particular style to conclusively establish a connection to the Temple.
I find the last sentence interesting, since both, Fire Nation Firebending and Gongfu have lost their connection to their source.
Look, it’s the actual creators talking:
Firenbending is based on Chinese martial arts i.e. another point tipping the scale against the Fire Nation being Japan.
The Bending Arts: Earthbending
Earthbending is based on:
Hung Ga 洪家, Hung Kuen 洪拳, or Hung Ga Kuen 洪家拳 is a southern Chinese martial art associated with the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hung, who was a master of Hung Ga.
The hallmarks of the Wong Fei-Hung lineage of Hung Ga are deep low stances, notably its “sei ping ma”[1] horse stance, and strong hand techniques, notably the bridge hand[2] and the versatile tiger claw.[3]
Compare:
and
And here’s the creators talking:
The Bending Arts: Waterbending
Waterbending is based on: 太极拳 Tai Chi Chuan
Literally “Supreme Ultimate Fist”, often shortened to T'ai chi or Tai chi in the West, is a type of internal Chinese martial art practiced for both its defense training and its health benefits. Some of t'ai chi ch'uan’s training forms are especially known for being practiced at what most people categorize as slow movement.
Compare Sifu Amin Wu’s movements:
and
Katara and Pakku fighting:
And look, here’s the creators talking:
