Located near the village of Shiyan Beicun in Zhejiang province, China, lies the Longyou caves – an extensive, magnificent and rare ancient underground world considered in China as ‘the ninth wonder of the ancient world.’ The Longyou grottoes, which are thought to date back at least 2,000 years, represent one of the largest underground excavations
Under the reign of Emperor Wu (武) of Han, the Han Dynasty (漢朝) (206 B.C.–A.D. 220) saw a vast territorial expansion as well as a strong and centralized government. Although the nomadic Xiongnu were a constant threat from the north, with the help of many capable generals, Emperor Wu abandoned the defensive stance of previous
The Moon Festival, also called the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, is one of the major traditional holidays celebrated by Chinese people. It is always on the 15th day of the 8th month each year according to the Chinese lunar calendar. This year, it falls on October 1. The festival was first introduced as an official
A Poet’s Moon Mid-Autumn day has always been a time for Chinese poets to express their deeper feeling and thoughts, as the moon is a particularly favored subject. Through these poetic reflections, we can almost read their thoughts and feel their emotions. The poets were often wanderers, far from home. They longed for home and
Zhongqiu Jie (中秋節), also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, is an important occasion for family members to get together to admire the full and bright harvest moon and to enjoy eating mooncakes. While the festival is most often associated with the legend of Chang E, since ancient times, the mid-autumn moon has also been a
On Oct 1, Chinese people around the world will celebrate the Zhongqiu Jie (中秋節), also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival. It always falls on the 15th day of the 8th month in the lunar calendar. It is an important occasion for family members to get together to admire the full and bright harvest moon and
On Oct. 1, Chinese people around the world will celebrate the Zhongqiu Jie (中秋節), also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival. It always falls on the 15th day of the 8th month in the lunar calendar. It is an important occasion for family members to get together to admire the full and bright harvest moon and
According to a record in the book “Shi Ji” (史記), Records of the Grand Historian, there was an exceptional doctor named Bian Que (扁鵲) who lived 2,500 years ago, in about the same period as Confucius during the Spring and Autumn Period (around 552–479 B.C.). Born as Qin Yueren (秦越人), his incredible skills in medicine
Zhuang Zi (369–286 B.C.), or Chuang Tse, never served as a prominent government official during his lifetime. However, for a short period of time, he was a minor official in his hometown. He was once offered the position of prime minister by the king of one state, but he refused it. Zhuang Zi compared trading
Amid the once-tranquil village of Sanxingdui, in a quiet part of Sichuan province in China, a remarkable discovery took place which immediately attracted international attention and has since rewritten the history of Chinese civilization. Two giant sacrificial pits were unearthed containing thousands of gold, bronze, jade, ivory and pottery artifacts that were so unusual and
Liu Bang (劉邦) was the first emperor of the Han Dynasty (漢朝) (206 B.C.–A.D. 220). His success in taking the throne is largely attributed to the great abilities of his subordinates. Xiao He (蕭何) was one of the subordinates that Liu Bang trusted the most. Because of his sound advice, his foresightedness, and his devotion
Sun Bin (316 B.C.) was considered by many scholars as one of the most distinguished military strategists after Sun Zi (also known as Sun Tsu, the author of The Art of War), though it is still uncertain as to whether he was a direct descendant of Sun Zi. His first name, Bin, became associated with
Sun Zi, also known as Sun Wu or Sun Tzu, was a high-ranking military general in Chinese history who is known for being one of the greatest military strategists of all time. Sun Zi’s real name was Sun Wu and he was born 535 B.C. Originally, he was a noble of the Kingdom of Qi
Shi Kuang, 師曠, (572–532 B.C.) was a blind music master in the Jin Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 B.C.). He was exceptional at playing the zheng (also known as gu zheng), a seven-string, Chinese musical instrument of the zither family. It was said that his virtuoso performances could make eating horses stop to
You wouldn’t think that a strategy game would be created to improve moral character, but according to Chinese legends, that is how Weiqi, more commonly known to the West by its Japanese name Go, came to be. There are many tales about the origin of Go. One version says the board game was originally used
During the last several hundred years of the Zhou Dynasty (周朝), people’s selfish desires increased along with the development of society. The ancient great virtues and the virtuous rule of emperors in the Xia Dynasty (夏朝), Shang Dynasty (商朝), and early Zhou Dynasty were replaced by individuals seeking personal interest. As a result, relationships among
Lao Zi, heralded by a purple aura, appeared on a water buffalo. To enable people to return to their true nature, Lao Zi disseminated the Dao during a chaotic period in the Zhou Dynasty. (Zona Yeh/Epoch Times) Lao Zi (老子) is venerated as a saint and a great philosopher in China. He is regarded as
King Wu faithfully followed his ancestors’ teachings. The ancients advised rulers to be diligent and upright, to revere Heaven, love the people, and to reject idleness and extravagance. They warned that the affairs of a ruler will be thwarted if his selfish desires overcome moral principles. (Jessica Chang/Epoch Times) King Wu of Zhou (周武王) was
According to FIFA, the earliest form of soccer was a Chinese invention. Dating back some 2,400 years, the ancient Chinese game of Cuju shares key similarities with the modern sport—no hands or arms are allowed and goals are scored by kicking a ball through two posts. And like contemporary soccer, Cuju enjoyed massive popularity on
Jiang Ziya, the Zhou Kingdom’s military adviser, helped to establish China’s longest-lasting dynasty. (Zona Yeh/The Epoch Times) Jiang Ziya (姜子牙) (1152 B.C.) was the good adviser of King Wen of the Zhou Kingdom (周文王). At the age of 32, Jiang Ziya went to live on a mountain to cultivate the Dao, improving himself by studying
