-
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…
-
During the Spring and Autumn period, a severe famine struck the State of Qi. A wealthy man named Qian Ao placed some food by the roadside to give to the starving people. One day, a famished man came shuffling along, covering his face with his sleeve and dragging his feet. Seeing this, Qian Ao held…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…