Culture
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Stories from Ancient China: A Man Takes the Time to Rescue a Damsel in Distress on His Way and Places First on the Imperial Examination
2005-08-18
As they were about to cross the bridge, they suddenly heard a little girl crying for help from the forest on the other side of the river. Qian Weicheng halted his horse right away and said to Li Jianzhong, “Brother, we must hurry to her rescue!” Then he whipped the horse and crossed the bridge to rescue the little girl. But Li Jianzhong said coldly, “You may stay if you want to rescue the child. I must hurry to the capital city for the exam.” Then he rode off towards the capital city. -
Forging People's Temperament Through Music
2005-08-17The ancient Chinese people paid special attention to the effect of music in forging people's character. They promoted the concept that the major benefit of music is education, not to stimulate the people's sensory organs. The ancient people saw "temperament forging" and "education through music" as music's primary function. In Yue Ji (Note on Music), the author said, "The old kings made ritual music to help people restrain and control their extreme desires." -
Cao Bin's Kindness Changes His Fate - A Story from Ancient China About the Universal Law of Cause and Effect
2005-08-03Later, Cao was ordered to conquer southern China, which inevitably would involve mass killing. He said he was in poor health, and pretended to not be able to take the assignment. When his fellow generals came to visit, Cao said, "My illness cannot be cured by medicine. If you can all promise to me, with sincerity, that in the war to conquer southern China you will not kill one innocent person, then my illness will be cured." The generals burned incense and pledged to heaven that they would not kill the innocent. -
Stories from Ancient China: The Origin of the Snack 'You Tiao'
2005-07-27“You Tiao” is Chinese for fritters of twisted dough. “You” means “fried.” “Tiao” means “strips.” It is a Chinese speciality usually served with soy bean milk at breakfast. The legend has it that it was invented by two people in Ling’an, the capital city of the Southern Song Dynasty and that the original name of “You Liao” was “Fried Kuai.” -
Lessons from Chinese Idioms: “The Ability to Revive the Dead”
2005-07-26Zhang Xuansu was a government official in the Jing Prefecture during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Great Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.) Emperor Taizong once summoned him to the royal court and asked him about his philosophy on government administration. Zhang Xuansu told Emperor Taizong, “Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty (the previous dynasty) insisted on overseeing everything. He did not trust the court subjects. He relied on his own wisdom to run the entire country. That was the tragic flaw that led the Sui Dynasty to its end! -
Lessons from Chinese Idioms: “Humbled by the Vast Ocean”
2005-07-24According to a Chinese legend, in an autumn, the heavy rainfalls made all the rivers in China surge. A lot of rivers raced into the Yellow River. The Yellow River became all the wider, larger and more powerful. The God of the Yellow River became very pleased and arrogant, thinking he must be reigning over the largest body of water under heaven. As he travelled down the Yellow River, he arrived at the North China Sea. He looked to the east and could not see the eastern edge of the North Sea. He became humbled before the North China Sea and sighed. “I was too arrogant,” he said. “I thought I was larger than everything else. Now I have seen your vastness. I realised I had been ignorant. I wouldn’t have even realised it had I not travelled here.” -
Lessons from Chinese Idioms: “Irrigating the Neighbouring State’s Melon Fields”
2005-06-23The magistrate of the border county in the Chu State became jealous and irritated when he saw the disparity between the two states’ melons. Influenced by the magistrate, people in his county became jealous and angry with the people of the Liang State. One night they sneaked into the Liang State’s melon fields and ruined some of their melons. The next day when the Liang people found out about the mayhem, they reported to the master of arms and expressed their wish to retaliate. -
Anecdotes about Emperor Taizong of the Great Tang Dynasty and His Prime Minister Wei Zheng
2005-06-22
Emperor Taizong of the Great Tang Dynasty and his Prime Minister Wei Zheng were the most famous and admirable pair of monarch and adviser. Wei Zheng was known for his honest feedback and constructive criticisms of Emperor Taizong, as the readers will find in many history books. Therefore, I won’t repeat them here. Instead, I will tell some of the most interesting anecdotes about them. -
Historic Tales from China about Honestly Disclosing Information about Properties for Sale
2005-06-19When the buyer came to sign the sales contract, Lu Yuanfang told him, “This is a wonderful house. The only drawback is that there is no underground water source to make a well.” The buyer immediately changed his mind and decided not to buy the house. After the prospective buyer left, Lu’s sons and nephews complained to him. Lu replied, “I don’t understand you at all. How could you conceal the flaw of the house and deceive the man for money?” -
Sickness Cannot Invade a Righteous Man
2005-06-17When the elderly folks learnt the story, they were very impressed with Yu Yan’s moral character. They said, “This child’s morality goes above and beyond. It is true indeed that the most difficulty situations reveal a man’s true nature. He is truly admirable.” The village folks learnt something important from Yu Yan’s story: Illness can never invade a righteous man. -
Stories from History: Emperor Tai Zong of the Tang Dynasty, a Monarch of Great Virtue
2005-06-15Emperor Tai Zong also told his imperial subjects, “Many people believe that the emperor is fearless because he is above everyone, but I don’t believe so. I fear god’s judgement. I fear my subjects will emulate my bad speech and behaviour so I have to be cautious at all times. I also fear that I might violate the mandate of heaven [1] and the expectations of my people.” -
Ancient Chinese Tales about Valuing Virtue above Material Gain
2005-06-09Ni Shan attended the qualification examination for government officials repeatedly but he was never able to pass it. Some people laughed at him. “You give charity to the poor people almost every day. Why does a virtuous man like you repeatedly fail the examination? Perhaps God is blind after all?” Ni Shan was not discouraged by the scornful remarks. He kept on giving money to poor people as usual. -
Xiong Zhiyi Altruistically Passed the Opportunity of Attending the Imperial Exam to A Man in Need
2005-06-06Xiong Zhiyi was a man from the Great Tang Dynasty in China. On his way to Chang’an, the Imperial City, to take the Imperial Examination for Government Officials, he was stuck in a hotel in Tongguan for over a month because of the incessant rains. One day he heard a man sighing in the adjacent hotel room. He knocked on the man’s door to inquire after him. -
Qiniandian - Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
2005-06-03
On the east side of the front gate in the southern part of the city, there is the largest and most famous temple in Beijing, the Temple of Heaven, where emperors came to pray to heaven for good harvests on the 15th day of the first lunar month every year. Qiniandian is the main building in this temple. In Chinese culture, the name of the building means Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. -
Exploring Tang Dynasty Poetry: “My Villa at Mount Zhongnan” by Wang Wei
2005-06-02Wang Wei loved mountains and forests. He often took lengthy strolls in the woods alone to experience the feeling of being an integral part of the nature. It must have been a very beautiful and profound feeling, but Wang Wei found it hard to share it with others who were not in the same realm. This must be why Wang Wei wrote, “I savor the pleasant feelings with no one.” What he was truly saying is: “If only I could share this wonderful feeling with someone!”
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