Culture
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“To be, or not to be” – Shakespeare “Erchen” (literally “two-subject officials”) refers to those who served as officials in the previous dynasty and then surrendered to and served in the subsequent dynasty. Because this violates the “way of loyalty and righteousness” in Chinese culture, the term carries a strong moral judgment. Towards the end…
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Gu Hongming (1856–1928) was a renowned scholar, translator, and cultural conservative during the late Qing and early Republican periods. Having received a Western-style education from an early age, he was fluent in several European languages. He translated Confucius classics “The Discourses and Sayings of Confucius”, “Higher Education” and “The Universal Order or Conduct of Life”…
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During the Warring States period, the State of Zhao had two renowned ministers: Lian Po and Lin Xiangru. Lian Po was a brave and skilled general who had achieved many military victories. Lin Xiangru was originally just an ordinary official, but because he successfully brought the He Shi Bi back to Zhao intact (the ‘Return…
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Tian Heng (250BC–202BC) was a member of the former royal house of Qi during the late Qin dynasty. After Chen Sheng and Wu Guang rose in revolt against the Qin, heroes from all quarters responded in succession. The Tian Heng family was also among the anti-Qin forces, and later Tian Heng declared himself King of…
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Feng Yan of Tang Dynasty came from humble origins, he was a man of generous spirit who placed great importance on loyalty and righteousness. On one occasion, whilst standing up for someone who had been wronged, he killed a man; to evade the authorities, he fled to Huazhou, where he went into hiding amongst the…
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In the late Tang dynasty, a tomb robbery took place in a certain place. As the case remained unsolved for a long time, the local authorities came under considerable pressure. Eventually, they apprehended a ‘suspect’ and subjected him to brutal torture to extract a confession. Unable to endure the torment, the ‘suspect’ ultimately confessed under…