8 Cardinal Virtues in People’s Lives

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 ...

Billy Shyu

A statue of Conficius.

How Feng Shui Was Used by China’s Emperors

Chinese feng shui is very popular nowadays. So what is feng shui? At its core is a system that promotes harmony between humans and their environment. Essentially though, it is the study of geography. People living in a place with good feng shui are likely to be blessed with long and healthy lives and growing ...

Jessica Kneipp

Zen stones on a log with water reflected in background.

History of Traditional Chinese Hair Accessories

Women in various cultures and countries adhere to certain habits and norms as far as clothing and hairstyle are concerned. Traditionally in China, people wore clothes and accessories to reflect their positions in society, and women adhered to customs for hairstyles and the wearing of Chinese hair accessories. However, over the ages, these styles developed ...

Emma Lu

Chinese woman dressed in traditional Han fu clothing with an elaborate golden headdress.

5 Ancient Chinese Philosophers and Why They Are Important

Although much of Chinese philosophy began in the Warring States period, Chinese philosophers have existed for several thousand years. Some can be found in the I Ching (the Book of Changes), an ancient compendium of divination, which dates back to at least 672 B.C. It was during the Warring States era that the major philosophical schools of China — ...

Jessica Kneipp

Statues of great ancient political philosophers and thinkers of China.

French Museum Cancels Genghis Khan Exhibition After Chinese Interference

A museum in France recently decided not to go ahead with an exhibition of Mongol leader Genghis Khan. The Château des ducs de Bretagne history museum in the western city of Nantes said it was putting the exhibit about the 13th-century leader on hold for over three years. The Chinese government apparently interfered and asked ...

Nspirement Staff

Château des ducs de Bretagne.

The Traditional Virtue of Filial Piety Is Well Preserved in Taiwan

Well goes an old saying: “Of all virtues, filial piety is the first (百善孝為先).”  It is the traditional virtue of respecting and caring for one’s parents and ancestors.  The Chinese character for filial piety The Chinese character 孝 xiao is made up of two parts. The upper part is the character 老 (lao), which denotes ...

Billy Shyu

A painting showing filial piety.

Education in Ancient China: The ‘Three Character Classic’

The Three Character Classic is one of the key traditional texts from Chinese culture that is believed to have been written sometime in the 13th century. The text, with the traditional name San Zi Jing, is also known as the Trimetric Classic. The text focuses on imparting Confucian teaching to children. The ‘Three Character Classic’ ...

Emma Lu

A bamboo spout with water pouring out.

What a Traditional Chinese Lifestyle Looks Like

The communist takeover of China ended centuries of traditional Chinese lifestyle, bringing about new thoughts and social systems in the country. As a result, modern Chinese society is more a reflection of communist values than traditional values. So what would a traditional Chinese lifestyle look like? The traditional Chinese family The one important thing that ...

Nspirement Staff

A Chinese girl wearing traditional clothing and carrying a fan.