Zeng Guofan said: “A prosperous family consists of harmony, filial piety, diligence, and thrift.” Therefore a harmonious family prospers. Zeng Guofan (26 November 1811–12 March 1872) rose through the government ranks, his family prospered, and he held military power. Guofan was a notable strategist, a skilled administrator, and held himself to the values of nobility ...
老馬識途 means “An old horse knows the way” (老 old, lǎo; 馬 horse, mǎ; 識 know, shí; 途 way, tú). It is an expression for an old hand, one who knows the ropes and can lead you out of problems — one of the many popular Chinese idioms. It is based on a story from the Spring and Autumn ...
The Chinese calendar is also known as the Yin or Xia calendar, or the lunar calendar. Its origins supposedly go back to the year 2100 B.C. to the Xia Dynasty and, according to legend, to Emperor Huang Di. The Chinese Communist Party declared the Chinese calendar as belonging to “The Four Olds” in 1949, and denounced ...
Since ancient times, proper etiquette has been an important part of Chinese culture. Etiquette was considered especially important while dining, and ancient people viewed how one used chopsticks as a reflection of their upbringing and their parents. If you held or used chopsticks in a sloppy, careless, or rough manner, it was taken very seriously, ...
This story is about a girl named Meng Jiangnu (孟姜女) and her beloved Fan Xiliang. Their love story is one of China’s four great folktales called Meng Jiangnu Weeps or Meng Jiangnu Bringing Down the Great Wall With Her Tears (孟姜女哭长城). A childless couple with the family name Meng, lived right next to another childless ...
Chinese Valentine’s Day is celebrated on the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar. Amid the celebration, some recall the folktale that inspired this day — the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. The folktale behind a Chinese tradition The tale of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl can be traced to Chinese ...
Historical records, such as mural paintings and brick carvings discovered in a Han Dynasty tomb in Chengdu, Szechuan Province, show that the origins of Chinese pole acrobatics date back more than 2,000 years. This type of acrobatics was developed mostly in the Qin and Han dynasties (221 B.C.-A.D. 230) The way European and American circuses developed in the past was by picking up novelty acts, ...
An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words, but that has a separate meaning of its own. Chinese idioms stand out as shining pearls in the treasure of the Chinese language. They are concise, vivid, and expressive accumulations of historical facts and rich ethnic cultures. The formation of ...
Chinese names can be puzzling for those not familiar with the Chinese language and culture. In the Chinese language and culture, it’s common practice to start from big to small. For example, addresses will start from the country and move down to the house number, and names always start with the surname first. Therefore, someone ...
The 8 Cardinal Virtues refer to 忠 (zhōng), 孝 (xiào), 仁 (rén), 愛 (ài), 信 (xìn), 義 (yì), 和 (hé), and 平 (píng), which are the criteria that Confucius left for people to follow. They are regarded by the Chinese as the moral foundations of society. Failing to behave according to these moral standards, you would not ...
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