(云冈石窟) 5 min read After meeting my good friend and travel companion at Beijing Railway Station, we set off for Datong in Shanxi Province (山西大同). There, we were awed by the Yungang Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its breathtaking grandeur. Carved into a sandstone cliff in the 5th century by the […]
Time Travel in Yungang Grottoes Read More »
(中文字如何形成) 4 min read Chinese characters are logograms: each character is a standalone symbol that represents meaning, rather than being written with letters of an alphabet. Korean and Japanese also use logographic writing systems, whereas the majority of the world’s languages are based on alphabetic systems. Although Chinese characters are often thought to depict
How Chinese Characters are Created Read More »
(二十四节气的步伐) 4 min read Ancient Chinese societies divided the annual solar cycle into 24 time segments, known as “solar terms” (节气), by correlating the sun’s movement with seasonal changes. Passed down from generation to generation, the solar terms have played a significant role in shaping traditional farming practices, food choices, wellness routines, and social
The 24 Solar Terms—Rhythms of the Seasons Read More »
(中国的节日) 5 min read Festivals, deeply embedded in Chinese traditions, are key parts of Chinese culture. They are not only markers of the seasons to be celebrated, but also powerful expressions of cultural identity, values, and social cohesion. They provide occasions for social interactions, family gatherings, and the transmission of cultural knowledge to the
(龙的传说) 4 min read Long (龙, dragon) is rich in symbolism. It is not a single animal but a composite cosmic creature—with the horns of a deer, the body of a snake, the scales of a carp, and the claws of an eagle. It flies without wings, controls the weather, commands the seas, and
The Legend of Dragon Read More »
(非凡的民间英雄—包拯) 4 min read Chinese history is rich in epoch-making figures such as Confucius (孔夫子), the First Emperor of Qin (秦始皇), Emperor Gaozu of Han (汉高祖), and Kublai Khan (忽必烈). Yet few of them have been enshrined as folk heroes. By contrast, a handful of comparatively humble figures—Bao Zheng (包拯), Mulan (木兰), Zhuge Liang
Bao Zheng—Icon of Justice Read More »
(木兰—享誉全球的文化偶像) 5 min read Sigh after sigh Mulan sadly sighs, (唧唧复唧唧) Facing the door while she weaves. (木兰当户织) Not a hint of the loom-shuttle’s sound, (不闻机杼声) Only the daughter’s sighs. (唯闻女叹息) Ask the daughter who’s in her heart, (问女何所思) Who’s on her mind? (问女何所忆) “No one is in daughter’s heart, (女亦无所思) No one is
Mulan—A Worldwide Cultural Icon Read More »
(孙悟空何许“人”也？) 5 min read In 629 CE, during the Tang dynasty (唐朝), Xuanzang (玄奘), a Buddhist monk, set out from the Tang capital of Chang’an (长安)—present-day Xi’an (西安)—on a pilgrimage to India. His journey followed routes long used by merchants trading with the Western Regions (西域), along what are now collectively known as the
Who is Sun Wukong? Read More »
(佛教艺术的宝库—敦煌) 5 min read From the 4th to the 14th centuries CE, the city of Dunhuang (敦煌), in northwest China, stood at a critical junction on the ancient Silk Road—a network of trade routes connecting China with Central and West Asia. To the east, the Silk Road led more than 1,500 kilometers to China’s
Dunhuang—the Crown Jewel of Buddhist Art Read More »
(年画的魅力) 3 min read One of the traditional practices for celebrating the Chinese New Year is decorating one’s home with New Year woodblock prints known as nianhua (年画). Blending folk art, popular belief, and cultural symbolism, nianhua has remained popular for more than a millennium and continues to be appreciated today. Symbolic motifs
The Charm of New Year Woodblock Paintings Read More »
