Art and Culture

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  • Painting: Harmony

    In a garden surrounded by bamboo trees,an artificial mountain and marble hand rail. In the beautiful weather, there are three beautiful ladies, one is playing a Chinese flute, one is playing a pipe, the other is playing a harp. Beautiful scenery combined with lovely weather makes the music even more harmonious and moving. The ensemble means musical instruments playing together, it also implies harmonious happiness.
  • Painting: Children Carrying a Lotus Flower

    It is known that lotus flowers grow out of the mud yet remain pure and unpolluted. They are called the 'true gentlemen of flowers'. Poems about lotus flowers started to appear in China three or four thousand years ago. Legend has it that the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss is filled with lotus flowers whose majestic beauty cannot be described in words. Here we can see a group of children playfully carrying a large lotus flower.
  • Stories from Ancient China: On the Way to the Imperial Examination

    When he heard the story about how the servant came by the gold bracelet, Peng Jiao wanted to return to the tavern immediately to return it. His servant was very perplexed and said: "If we go back we will miss the imperial examination." Peng Jiao said: "This bracelet must belong to a woman. If she loses it, her parents will suspect she has given it to someone. And the intense interrogation that could follow might cost a life."
  • Little-Known Stories from History: Lao Zi, Confucius, and Shakyamuni

    Even though he was getting very old, Confucius's thoughts were the most brilliant in the last nine years of his life. During that time, Confucius devoted himself to teaching students and writing books. As a philosophical system, Confucianism was established in those last nine years.
  • Correcting One's Mistakes With Courage and Improving Oneself Without Delay

    History is like a mirror, and the end result depends on one's ability to accept criticism. We should understand the principle of "To err is human, but people respect those who are able to admit fault and are willing to change." We should not be afraid of making mistakes. The key is knowing what do to when we make mistakes. Some people are afraid of hearing unpleasant words. Once they hear something that hits a nerve, they become angry, and they even want to bully others and retaliate. This kind of behavior will not only hurt others but will eventually hurt themselves. We should keep a proper attitude and do what is right, while continuously upgrading our level of thinking. Then there is nothing that can stop us from progressing forward.
  • Little-Known Stories from History: Lao Zi, Confucius, and Shakyamuni

    During the more than two thousand five hundred years that have passed since the Spring and Autumn era, except for the Buddha School, nothing has influenced Chinese culture more profoundly than Confucianism and the teachings taught in the Tao School. Therefore, the founders of the three schools, Shakyamuni, Confucius and Lao Zi, have long been respected and worshipped by succeeding generations.
  • A Look at the Great Chinese Physician Li Shizhen

    However, Li Shizhen thought the categories were too complicated; the names were not properly assigned or documented, since sometimes one herb was classified as two separate types or two herbs were mixed up with one. Seeing this predicament Li Shizhen devoted thirty-years of effort and finished the Bencao Gangmu (The Great Compendium of Herbs) after three revisions and consultation with more than 800 books.
  • Painting: Unwavering Spirit

    A reporter from The Wall Street Journal. In the article, he wrote, "The day before Chen Zixiu died, her captors again demanded that she renounce her faith in Falun Dafa. Barely conscious after repeated jolts from a cattle prod, the 58-year-old stubbornly shook her head. Enraged, the local officials ordered Ms. Chen to run barefoot in the snow, said cellmates and other prisoners who witnessed the incident."
  • Han Xin: The Most Famous General of Ancient China's Han Dynasty

    Han Xin quickly stopped him: "Speak no more. Han's Lord treats me with great kindness and favour. He gave me his personal carriage to use and his own clothes to wear. He gave me food to eat. Our forefathers had said: 'When you ride another person's carriage, you will share his worry; when you wear his clothes, you should also share his worry; and when you take his food, you should do your best for him.' How can I see only my own self-interest and forget righteousness?"
  • Poem: China, How You Hide

    China, how you hidebehind your wallsshowing another faceleaving little to traceand truth most of all.China, how you hidebehind your smileswith no tears fallingwhen the 'party' callingand the world still beguiled.
  • Stories from Ancient China: Two Artists

    Master Zhang said, "You have won the five-year contest. Your paintings are invaluable and cannot be bought with money, whereas my paintings can. Your paintings can bring changes to countless people but my paintings are nothing but a part of rich people's decorations. I think that I deserve to lose and you have allowed me understand the true value of art. Let me learn from you! Let's work together and create more beauty for the world!"
  • Stories from Ancient China: Fill Your Heart with Compassion

    One year, after the rainy season, this physician told his servants to put his collection of medical books in the courtyard to dry. He paced back and forth like a peacock displaying himself. When Li Zhishen happened to see it, he got such an impulse that he loosened his clothing and lay next to the book racks. The physician saw that Li had his chest and belly exposed to the sun and asked, "Hey, what are you doing here?"
  • Stories from Ancient China: Repaying a Favor

    The young man said, "That is because you want to attack our state. All the fishermen are here. Our king said, "Anyone who can make the Wu soldiers go home will receive a great reward! I hope that you, the great general of Wu, will remember my late father who saved your life once. If you do not attack the State of Zheng, I can go back to ask for my reward."
  • Ancient Cultivation Stories: Wei Boyang Tests his Disciples

    The other two disciples said, "We have made the dan because we want to live a long life. Since taking the dan will kill us, we can skip that and continue to live for a few more decades." Therefore, the two of them went down the mountain and started to prepare the funeral arrangements.
  • Stories from Ancient China: The Old Master's Advice

    The young disciple was quite capable and continued to enlarge the temple. He thought that after the temple was completed, he would follow the old master's instructions and save more poor people. After the temple was finished and looked quite presentable, he thought, "Perhaps, I should wait for the temple to get bigger and better before I help those poor people."