China, Traditions

An Interesting History of Incense Burning in China

In China, incense holds a special religious significance. Whether it be at Buddhist temples or during ancestral veneration ceremonies, this is always lit. Some of the methods of its preparation also have similarities with the preparation of medications developed in traditional Chinese medicine. History of Chinese incense During the time of the Han Dynasty (206 ...

Emma Lu

Burning incense sticks in China.

The Love of a Parent

The loss of a parent, particularly a mother, is always a life-changing event, despite one’s age and beliefs. My mother passed away at the end of 2018 — she had just turned 90. In my head, I can still see her, hear her voice, and most of all, at times revive our time together as ...

Laura Cozzolino

A mother holding her child in the air.

Elderly Man Spends 13 Years to Create a Dragon Topiary

Older people typically spend their days in the comfort of their homes, resting and relaxing as they pass their time. But John Brooker, who is over 75, decided that he would do something artistic and spent almost 13 years transforming a hedge into a dragon topiary. The dragon topiary “My wife is the gardener, I ...

Armin Auctor

An old man shaping his dragon topiary.

Are Blind People Immune to Schizophrenia?

For a long time, scientists have noted something curious about schizophrenia — there are almost no blind schizophrenics. The latest research now suggests that blindness does indeed protect a person from this psychological condition. Blindness and schizophrenia Researchers looked at data from about 467,945 kids born between 1980 and 2001 in Western Australia. Almost 1,870 ...

Armin Auctor

A blind man walking with a cane.

Keep Key Parts of the Body Warm to Fight the Winter Cold

When it gets cold, what is the best thing to do to avoid catching a winter chill? There are four major parts of the body you must always keep warm in fighting against the winter cold, and when they are warm, the whole body becomes warm. When the temperatures are low, you must use warm ...

Helen London

A winter landscape.

A Simple Health Primer Based on Yin and Yang Principles

The concept of yin and yang pertains to the existence of two dual forces in life. Yin and yang symbolize dark and light, cold and hot, and passive and active. Two natural energies working with each other, yet contradicting in essence. Our world is composed of this duality — the changing of day into night, ...

Emma Lu

The Tao's yin-yang.

A Kitchen Library in Melbourne That Wants to Change How You Cook

Last November, the city of Carlton, one of Melbourne’s suburbs, saw the inauguration of the Carlton Kitchen Library. The idea is novel — people apply for membership at the kitchen library and borrow utensils and appliances for a few weeks. The people behind the kitchen library aim to improve the way people use their kitchen ...

Raven Montmorency

A kitchen mixer.

The Black Death: Punishment From God

The Black Death, also known as the Great Plague or the Bubonic Plague, was a pandemic that raged across the Medieval World in the 14th and 15th centuries. It quickly spread, killing at least 75 million people. It reached its peak of havoc between 1347 and 1351. Some historians estimate that as many as 200 ...

Michael Segarty

A plague doctor.

A Brilliant Army Strategy: Outwitting 150,000 Enemies Using a Lute

When it comes to defeating 150,000 soldiers, you might think that a large force made up of at least an equal number of soldiers would be required. But a Chinese General named Zhuge Liang (181 to 234) took care of this task with a musical instrument — a lute. The lute strategy Liang lived during ...

Max Lu

A Chinese lute.

COVID-19 Update: Infections Mount as Director of Wuhan Hospital Dies

What we know China reported 1,751 new COVID-19 cases and 138 more deaths in its daily update on the outbreak on February 19, bringing the death toll in Mainland China to 2,006 with 74,187 confirmed cases. The overwhelming majority have been in Hubei Province. Singapore Airlines temporarily ceased some service on major flight routes around ...

Max Lu

Chinese doctors treating a COVID-19 patient.