Chinese Gardens Inspired by Beautiful Teachings

In China, the philosophies of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism have dominated imperial and public life for thousands of years. With a focus on a simplistic, moral life, these ideals have also had a great impact on how the Chinese arranged and decorated their gardens. Chinese gardens Taoism, by the ancient Chinese sage Laozi, puts nature ...

Armin Auctor

A Chinese garden.

Ancient Culture: Flower Arranging Across the World

Flower arranging is one of the oldest decorative art forms. And China has a pretty rich history in this field, with the earliest records of arrangements seen around 207 BCE to 220 CE during the Han era. The culture Practitioners of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism played an important role in the development of flower arrangement ...

Raven Montmorency

A flower arrangement including sunflowers.

An American’s Love, and Sorrow, for China

In 1961, a little boy walked into a Boston art museum and fell in love with paintings from China’s Song Dynasty period. That boy is now an eminent expert on China, a Harvard-educated historian who teaches at the University of Pennsylvania and whose career has included posts on high-level U.S. government advisory committees. He has ...

Nspirement Staff

Professor Arthur Waldron.

Arcadio Huang, Chinese Translator for Louis XIV (Part 1)

Arcadio Huang (Huang Jialue) was born in Putian County, Fujian Province, on November 15, 1679. He lost his father at the age of seven and was adopted by the French evangelist Li Feili. Li Feili hired a famous local Confucian scholar to teach him traditional Chinese culture. At the same time, Li Feili taught him ...

Helen London

The Jesuit Jane Fuzong.

What You Should Know About China’s Current Social Culture

When the Communist Party took control of China, they tried to purge most of its social culture, deeming it “backward” and an “impedimen”’ to social progress. This resulted in the destruction of a 5,000-year old continuous tradition. So people traveling to China after watching numerous period movies should keep in mind that the China shown ...

Jenny Low

Three golden Buddhas sitting on golden thrones.

The Power of Filial Piety

According to Confucianism, obedience, respect, and care for one’s parents and the elderly are considered to be the fundamentals of proper behavior. This virtue was known as filial piety in ancient times. Here is a folk story that tells of the incredible wonder that filial piety could bring. A beggar by the name of Guo ...

Nspirement Staff

A cripled man begging in the street.

Meet Ancient China’s Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove

During the 3rd century CE, there lived a group of seven men in China known as the Seven Sages of The Bamboo Grove. They were philosophers, writers, musicians, and scholars who had a distaste for court life. As such, China’s seven sages used to gather around a bamboo grove near the house of their leader Ji ...

Nspirement Staff

Portraits of Ruan Ji and Ji Kang.

When an American Entrepreneur Became a Korean Prince

Entrepreneur Andrew Lee from California got the shock of his life when he became a Korean prince. It turns out that he was nominated as the Crown Prince of Korea. Lee is related to the current nominal emperor of Korea’s Joseon Dynasty, King Yi Seok. The king decided to pass on the crown to Lee ...

Nspirement Staff

Crown Prince Andrew Lee.

A Peek Into Chinese Culture Between 1600 and 221 BC

The Chinese have a grand cultural history spanning thousands of years. The period between 1600 B.C. and 221 B.C., ruled by the Shang and Zhou dynasties, was an important time in China’s history as it provided the foundations of Chinese culture. Chinese culture depicted through the Shang and Zhou dynasties The Shang Dynasty, also known ...

Nspirement Staff

Why Some Cultures Are More Intelligent Than Others

The intelligence of a person is said to be influenced by several factors, like heredity, age, race, childhood nutrition, and so on. However, there is one significant factor that determines the how intelligent an individual is — the culture of the society into which they are born and raised. In this regard, being born in ...

Nspirement Staff