A door god portrait is a Chinese decoration placed on each side of the entrance to the house. It is believed to prevent the evil from entering. The custom first began in the Tang Dynasty. Tang Taizong (599-649) once had trouble fall asleep at night because of a ghost harassing him. Two of his most […]
Kang Xi (1654-1722) was the 2nd emperor of the Qing Dynasty. His personal name was Xuanye. He was one of China’s most capable rulers. During his reign, he laid the foundation for a long period of political stability and prosperity. Under his reign, the Treaty of Nerchinsk was signed with Russia, parts of Outer Mongolia […]
Chinese characters that represent numbers also have their own special meanings. One (yi, “一”) The Chinese people believe that “one” (“一”) represents the beginning of everything. The famous ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi once said that, in the beginning of the universe, “’dao’ created one”. “One” here refers to the chaotic state that existed before anything […]
The ancient Chinese incorporated their observations and awareness of nature into the shapes of Chinese characters. Learn Chinese: 月(yue: “the moon”) The shape of this character is just like the meniscus. There is an ancient Chinese story named “Chang’e Flies to the Moon”. Chang’e is the wife of Houyi. She consumed the medicine of immortality […]
In the character “首”, the upper part depicts the hair, while the lower part depicts a pair of eyes. This is the character “目”. The oracle bone script of this character resembles an eye. Today, each of the characters in “眼睛” (yǎn jin?, “eye”) contain the radical “目”. The Chinese people believe that we must […]
Study Chinese with Keats School: 衣yī The character “衣” is a pictographic character. It looks like an ancient garment. The top part is a collar; the bottom depicts the front of a Chinese jacket; and the two strokes on either side depict the shirt’s sleeves. In ancient China, “衣” meant the upper outer garment. In […]
Zu Chongzhi (429-500), whose courtesy name was Wenyuan, was a famous mathematician and astronomer in the Song and Qi of the Sounthern Dynasty. He didn’t take for granted the established theories of previous scholars and was skeptical to their specious academic conclusions. He insisted to put forward new theories by precise measurements and prudent calculations. […]
Over the past few years, it has become more and more common for women in the service industries, such as, restaurant hostess, grocery store clerks and waitress to tell their customers, “Don’t call me Miss”. In China, during the 1950s and 1970s, those workers were mostly called “comrade—同志tóng zhì”, which implied everyone had the same […]
The Kirgiz has a very religious festival—Nuoruz Festival, which is as lively as the Spring Festival of the Han people. During the festival, every family manages to prepare meals as sumptuous as their economic condition allows, and treats their friends and relatives to a celebration. On the dinner table, the most indispensable is the food […]
Sima Qian (145BC-90 BC) was born in Longmen, near present-day Hancheng in Shaanxi Province. His father was a historian in the court of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Sima Qian inherited his father’s position and carried out his father’s unfulfilled ambition to record all known history up to that time. In 99 BC, Sima […]