Wanli Yang’s wife from Song Dynasty was more than seventy years old. She always got up very early when it was really cold. She would then go to the kitchen in the backyard right away after she got up. She skillfully lit a fire, boiled water and made a large batch of rice gruel. It
When Fan Zhongyan was little, his father passed away and his mother married again. His last name was changed to his stepfather’s last name, Zhu. At that time, Fan Zhongyan was very young and did not know much about it. Besides, his stepfather was very nice to him. Therefore, he did not know that he
Mo Zi, also named Ju, was the founder of Moist School of thought in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods in China. He advocated harmony and equality between people and opposed invasion and war. Mo Zi wished to save the world from danger and uphold righteousness. He believed that only righteousness could benefit
The first year of the Zhi De period of the Tang Dynasty (756 A.D) was the time when the An Shi Rebellion was in its most rampant state. Su Zong, the emperor, was then taking refugee in the city of Ling Wu. During that time, more than one hundred captives from the rebelling side were
Stories of reincarnation have tickled the imagination of people for centuries. And yet, sometimes the similarities between people born of different eras are almost too uncanny to be explained in any other way. Among the many discussions swirling around on the Internet about Donald Trump, one theory suggests that he is the reincarnation of the
City of Shi Cheng Discovered in 2001 under a man-made lake in Chun’an County, Zhejiang Province in China, at the foot of Wu Shi Mountain (Five Lion Mountain), is a city called Shi Cheng, or Lion City. Submerged in 1959, the city is dated to the Eastern Han Dynasty of A.D. 25–200. The city itself
Li Shimian was an imperial academician in the Ming dynasty. One day, he went to the lantern show on the night of the Lantern Festival and found a gold hairpin while on his way. So he put up a note on his front door the following day to find the owner of the lost property.
In the Eighth Year of Tianshun during the Ming Dynasty (1464 A.D.), a scholar named Peng Jiao traveled from his hometown of Ji Shui to the to the capital city to participate in the imperial civil service examination. His manservant and he stayed at a hotel one night. Someone from a room upstairs poured a
Chen Shi was a county magistrate. One day, a thief hid on top of the rafter in Chen’s house, waiting to steal things from the house after everyone in the house left. Chen Shi saw him. He asked his son to come and instructed him, “Some people do bad deeds. It is not because their
There was a rich man in Changzhou County of what was at that time called Suzhou Province. His name was Long Heng. He was born with a very kind heart and always gave of himself to other people. Long Heng opened a pawnshop and, because of his sense of fairness and justice, his business was
Here’s a look at five writers who in their time faced great hardships and only after death achieved great fame, including Xibo who was made by the king to eat his own son in prison, but whose writings helped overthrow the king after his death, and Sima Qian who decided to accept castration in order
What if money were a herb? Zhang Yue, the author of “Money as a Herb”, was first appointed prime minister during the Kaiyuan era (713–741), which was the early half of the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. Zhang Yue was made prime minister three times and was in officialdom for over 40
Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty (618–907) once asked his imperial historian Chu Suiliang, who kept meticulous records of Taizong’s words and deeds, whether he noted down even things that the emperor said or did that were not good. “I would not dare not to record them,” Chu answered. Chancellor Liu Ji added, “Even if
Leaders of all types—presidents, CEOs, managers, parents—all grapple with the challenge of gaining and maintaining influence. Terrorists employ fear and desperation; politicians do it through endless posturing. Indulgent parents appease their spoiled children with toys and candy. These measures are driven by the desire for immediate gain; they cannot be long-term solutions, and the side
Sima Qian (司馬遷) was born around 145 B.C. during the Han Dynasty (漢朝) (206 B.C.–A.D. 220). He is regarded as China’s first and greatest historiographer for his momentous work, Shi Ji (史記), or Records of the Grand Historian. Sima Qian grew up in a family of historians. His father, Sima Tan, served Emperor Wu of
Recently, a magnificent find by archeologists yielded a structure lost to time, a military stronghold used by Genghis Khan and his army as they conquered the known world. Yet, despite enthusiasm from researchers both in America and abroad, the final resting place of the great conqueror continues to be a mystery. Legend has it, that
Bao Zheng (A.D. 999–1062) was a well-known official and judge in the Northern Song Dynasty. During his service, he fought vigorously against corruption, solved many complicated cases, and punished corrupt governors, abusive relatives of high-ranking officials, and crafty businessmen. Bao won wide respect and popularity from the people in the regions he served. His uprightness,
Fan Zhongyan (A.D. 989–1052) was a prominent Confucian scholar and politician in the Northern Song Dynasty. He was known for the famous saying: “Be the first to care for the nation’s fate and the last to enjoy its comforts.” Fan Zhongyan’s lessons about dedication started early. When Fan was two years old, his father passed
During the early years of the Han Dynasty (漢朝) (206 B.C.–A.D. 220), there was much turmoil on China’s northern border. The frequent incursions by the nomadic Xiongnu people were one of the greatest concerns of the Han emperors. When Emperor Wu of Han ascended the throne in 141 B.C., he abandoned the defensive policies of
There are ancient Chinese legends about the “Four Great Beauties,” women of such beauty that they were able to influence emperors and kings, and change the course of empires. Though little detail is known about them, they are credited with having had a great impact on Chinese history. Wang Zhaojun (王昭君) was one of these
