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Huawei’s series of AI models, Pan Gu Large Models, was named after this mythological figure. A long, long time ago, the sky and the earth were not yet separated. The universe was like a giant egg, filled with primordial chaos — dark, silent, and without any form of life. Inside this “egg” slept a giant named Pan…
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Ba Zi (八字), also known as the Four Pillars of Destiny, originates from ancient China, is believed to largely determine one’s fate. It is a method that uses the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches to accurately record the year, month, day, and hour. It consists of eight characters: the Year Stem and Branch, the Month…
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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…
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Fan Li was a minister of the State of Yue during the Spring and Autumn period. He helped King Goujian of Yue defeat the State of Wu (described in the idiom story “Sleeping on Brushwood and Tasting Gall”). Later, he retired from politics and went into business, changed his name to Tao Zhu Gong and…
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There was a prime minister during the Song Dynasty named Lü Mengzheng. He came from a very humble background but eventually rose to the position. On his first day attending court, civil and military officials stood in two lines as Lü Mengzheng led the way toward the emperor. Someone in the line pointed at him…
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During the Warring States period, there was a very clever and eloquent man in the State of Qi named Chunyu Kun. Once, the King of Qi sent him as an envoy to present a very precious swan (called “hu” in ancient times) to the King of Chu as a gesture of goodwill. Chunyu Kun set…