adversity, chinese culture, chinese history, disasters, divine intervention, emperor taizong, historical anecdotes, locust infestation, ming dynasty, plague, resilience, sacrifice, tang dynasty, tradition, vows, wisdom

Learning From History: How the Ancient Chinese Responded to Plagues and Disasters

The recent pandemic is, without a doubt, one of the greatest catastrophes we have experienced in our lifetimes. Yet, in the long annals of Chinese history, numerous accounts exist of plagues and other calamities of similar scale. These instances from antiquity provide us with invaluable insights into how emperors and common folk alike managed to ...

Mikel Davis

Ancient Chinese observing a globe mechanism.

Vows Made to God and Not Fulfilled Put End to Wealthy Businessman

In the Song Dynasty, there was a wealthy businessman, Yang Fushang, who was engaged in maritime trade. While sailing, and whenever there were strong winds and huge waves, he would seek protection from God and made vows to repay after he reached the shore safely. He had been shuttling the sea safely and made a lot ...

Michael Segarty

A ship in a storm at sea.