Chinese Culture, Featured

A Story of Healing and Tradition: The Master Craftsman Xianyi Chan

Since he was young, Taiwanese craftsman Xianyi Chan has always been fascinated with wood and woodwork. Together with his brother, from a young age, they started making wood hair clips and hairpins for money. But people asked him: “You are selling us hairpins, but before we put them on, we have to comb our hair. ...

Nathan Machoka

A wood comb.

Ip Man: The Greatest Martial Arts Master of His Generation

Ip Man, whose real name was Ip Kai-man (葉繼問), was born in Foshan, Guangdong Province, in 1892. He was the second child of a prominent scholarly family in Foshan who believed in traditional educational values.  Foshan has always been a haven for flourishing martial arts. Famous martial arts masters of the Southern schools, such as ...

Helen London

ip-man

Lu Zongdao and Meng Xin: Stories of Unwavering Honesty in Ancient China

During the time when Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty was still the crown prince, Lu Zongdao played a crucial role as his tutor. Despite his esteemed position, Lu Zongdao faced the challenge of poverty, notably lacking in suitable wine vessels at home. This limitation led him to a humble yet creative solution: Whenever friends ...

Mikel Davis

AI-generated illustration of a Chinese scholar sitting in a garden studying an open book.

Lin Xiangru: Master of Diplomacy in the Warring States Era

The Spring and Autumn and the Warring States Period (770–221 B.C.) was a golden age in ancient Chinese history. Not only did it produce many schools of thought that had a profound impact on future generations, but it also produced many outstanding military figures. Among them, there was Lin Xiangru, a famous statesman and diplomat ...

Mikel Davis

AI-generated image showing a Chinese minister carrying a precious piece of jade to present it to the ruler at court.

Pipa Master Tang Yingzeng’s Tale

In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Tang Yingzeng, who was from Pizhou, was exceptionally skilled at playing the pipa, a traditional Chinese lute, so people called him Tang Pipa. Because his family was poor, he couldn’t afford to get married, leaving him and his mother to rely solely on each other. Tang was ...

Mikel Davis

Painting from the Tang Dynasty era of a flying heavenly maiden with a pipa.

Cao Cao’s Leadership Principles: Trust and Integrity in the Three Kingdoms Era

In the ancient Shuowen Dictionary, trust is defined as a blend of sincerity and reliability, emphasizing the importance of keeping one’s word. This concept was deeply valued in ancient China, with many proverbs highlighting the significance of integrity in personal and professional relationships. Cao Cao, the ruler of the Wei state during the Three Kingdoms ...

Mikel Davis

A statue of Cao Cao at Weiwudi Square.

The Legend of the Liquor Well: Lessons for People

During the Ming Dynasty, there was a legend of liquor well in Tonglu County, Zhejiang Province. According to the records of Fan Garden, a Taoist traveler came here. He drank heavily in a bar and left immediately after finishing. He seldom thanked the bar owner, and the owner did not ask him to pay for ...

Nspirement Staff

A well.

Sun Simiao Waited 50 Years for Li Shimin

In traditional Chinese culture, Buddhism emphasizes predestined relationships among people: between husbands and wives, relatives and friends, and rulers and ministers. The encounter between Sun Simiao and Emperor Taizong of Tang, born Li Shimin, was also predestined. Sun Simiao was a Chinese physician and writer of the Sui and Tang dynasties. He was titled China’s “King of Medicine” for ...

Nspirement Staff

Emperor Taizong.

Timeless Virtues: The Honesty and Frugality of Prime Minister Sima Guang

Sima Guang (1019-1086), a prime minister of the Northern Song Dynasty, also known by his courtesy name Junshi, was a native of Sushui Township in Xia County (present-day Shanxi Xia County), Shaanxi Province. He was a renowned historian. When Sima Guang was born, his father, Sima Chi, served as the Guangshan County magistrate in Guangzhou. ...

Mikel Davis

Statue of Sima Guang.