Literature
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Duke of Zhou was the younger brother of King Wu of Zhou dynasty and the uncle of King Cheng of Zhou. After King Wu’s death, the young King Cheng ascended the throne, and the Duke of Zhou acted as regent. This aroused suspicion among his older brothers, Guan Shu and Cai Shu, who spread rumours…
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Madame Huarui (?—976AD) , originally named Xu (or Fei), was a consort of Meng Chang, the ruler of the Later Shu Kingdom during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. She was beautiful and talented, especially known for her poetry. Meng Chang was an incompetent ruler who indulged in pleasure and ignored Madame Huarui’s advice to…
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Someone painted a picture and asked the renowned poet-monk Master Cangxue (1588–1656AD) to inscribe it. Upon seeing the painting, Master Cangxue immediately picked up his brush and wrote this poem: “There is no one under the pine tree; only a game of Go, left unfinished, lies there. Mountain pine cones fall, scattering across the board.…
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Su Dongpo (1037-1101AD) was a renowned writer, calligrapher, and painter of the Northern Song Dynasty, he also served as Minister of War among other official positions. Whilst serving in Guazhou, north of the Yangtze River, Su Dongpo formed a deep friendship with the eminent monk, Zen master Fo Yin of Jinshan Temple, situated on the…
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The words 高山流水 (High Mountains and Flowing Water) and 知音 (Kindred Spirit) derive from this anecdote. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Yu Boya, a high-ranking official of the State of Jin, was on a diplomatic mission to the State of Chu when, whilst travelling by boat, he passed the mouth of the Han River…