Language & Writing

213 articles

The Book of Poetry

The Book of Poetry is the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry, dating from the Western Zhou to the Spring and Autumn periods.

Tea Ceremony

Tea Ceremony is a cultural practice focused on the appreciation of tea aesthetics and its philosophical significance.

The Forbidden City, Beijing

The Forbidden City, also known as the Palace Museum, is a vast imperial palace complex in the heart of Beijing that served as the home of Chinese emperors for nearly 500 years.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

A classic Chinese historical novel depicting the political and military struggles during the Three Kingdoms period.

Southern and Northern Dynasties

The Southern and Northern Dynasties period (420-589 CE) was a time of political division in China when the south and north existed as separate political entities.

Huagu Opera

Huagu Opera is a traditional Chinese theatrical form with multiple regional variations, particularly prominent in Hunan Province.

Legalism

Legalism was an influential school of Chinese philosophy during the pre-Qin period that emphasized law, state power, and administrative methods.

Qin Shi Huang

The first emperor of unified China who ended the Warring States period and established the Qin Dynasty.

Chu Ci

Chu Ci is the earliest anthology of romantic poetry in Chinese literature, compiled by Liu Xiang during the Western Han Dynasty.

Lu Jiuyuan

Lu Jiuyuan (1139-1193) was a prominent Chinese philosopher and educator who founded the School of the Mind (Xinxue) during the Southern Song Dynasty.

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is the most important traditional holiday in China, marking the beginning of a new lunar year.

Song Dynasty

The Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE) was a period of Chinese history marked by economic prosperity, cultural flourishing, and significant technological advancements.

Zhuangzi

Zhuangzi was an ancient Chinese philosopher who lived during the Warring States period and is considered one of the foundational thinkers of Taoist philosophy.

Simplified Chinese Characters

The evolution and implementation of simplified Chinese characters across East Asia.

Qin Dynasty

The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BCE, known for its unification of China and short but impactful rule.

Lin Zexu

Lin Zexu was a prominent Chinese official of the Qing Dynasty known for his anti-opium stance and leadership in the First Opium War.

Standard Chinese (Putonghua)

Standard Chinese, known as Putonghua, is the official language of China based on Beijing dialect with Northern dialects as its foundation.

Oracle Bone Inscriptions

Oracle Bone Inscriptions are the earliest known systematic Chinese writing, dating from the Shang Dynasty.

Cheongsam

The cheongsam is a body-hugging Chinese dress for women that originated in the 1920s and has become an iconic representation of Chinese fashion.

Li Bai

Li Bai was a renowned Chinese poet of the Tang Dynasty, celebrated for his romantic style and free-spirited nature.