「山中有一種獸，形狀如羊一般，有九條尾巴、四隻耳朵，眼睛長在背上……有一個羽民國，該國的人身上長滿羽毛。還有一個國家，名叫卵民國，國人都會生卵。」 這些描述，看似天方夜譚，不可思義，卻實實在在出現在一部重要古籍——《山海經》之內。這書包羅之廣，內容之奇詭，歷代書籍罕能匹敵，堪稱百科全書式的「天下奇書」。
Among ancient silk textiles, jin (brocade) represents a fabric made with the highest level of technology then known. First produced in Nanjing in the Six Dynasties nearly 1,600 years ago, Yunjin (literally “cloud brocade”) is so named for its cloud-like splendor of the fabrics. It epitomizes the ancient art of brocade, and is ranked first of the four famous brocades of ancient China.
Past Leaders
Chinese opera is renowned not just for its exquisite language and melodious music, but also for its vivid depiction of historical stories with complex and captivating plots. Due to its great popularity among the people, Chinese opera has been widely spread and deeply ingrained in their hearts.
Language and Literature
China boasts a rich and long history, encompassing countless influential figures and significant events. China is renowned as a leading nation in the field of historiography possessing a wealth of historical classics spanning various dynasties.
Past Leaders
The Yuan dynasty refers to the period when China was ruled by the Mongol Empire. As nomadic tribes, the Mongol rulers were free-spirited and embracing, contributing to the free development of diverse cultures. During its expansion, the empire embraced cultures of various ethnic groups, making the Yuan dynasty a state with splendid culture.
Past Leaders
The character of knight-errant (Xia, 俠) can be found in many classic Chinese works, such as Han Feizi (《韓非子》), Water Margin (《水滸傳》), The Three Heroes and Five Gallants (《三俠五義》), and martial arts novels from Louis Cha Leung-yung. A knight-errant was someone who held others by force or this kind of forcible behaviour.
Past Leaders
The Ming philosopher Li Zhi (李贄, 1527-1602) once praised Emperor Qinshihuang (255-210 BCE) as the “Emperor of All Ages” and held even greater admiration for Zhu Yuanzhang (1328-98), whom he hailed as the “Emperor Through the Ages”. What contributions did he make to earn him such high praise from the prideful scholar like Li?
Economic &
Technological
Achievements
Taxes have been the main source of government revenue since ancient times. In the tax and corvée system of ancient China, Fu (賦, later called Hufu, 戶賦) was imposed on fields or households in the form of textiles, currency, or horses to meet the military expenditure.
Past Leaders
The Yuan dynasty was founded by the nomadic Mongols who adopted many Han (漢) customs after taking the Central Plains. Chinese culture was long dominated by Confucianism. Many Khans, from Genghis Khan to Emperor Renzong (仁宗) of Yuan, learned about Han culture through translation.
Past Leaders
China witnessed frequent battles on its land during the thousands of years of history. Some battles stood out for their significance at that time. We are presenting to you the 13 famous ones on this “Splendid Chinese Culture” website.
Past Leaders
Wang Anshi (1021- 86), whose courtesy name as Jiefu (介甫) and pseudonym as Banshan (半山), was born in Linchuan (臨川), Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province. Titled as Jingguogong (荊國公), this famous politician and writer during the Song dynasty (宋朝) had some controversial political achievements handed down from more than nine centuries ago.
Past Leaders
The Spring and Autumn Period featured several vassals fighting for hegemony. After King Ping of Zhou (周平王) moved the Western Zhou dynasty’s (西周) capital eastward to Luoyi (洛邑, present-day Luoyang [洛陽]), the power of the dynasty gradually weakened, causing vassals to scramble for territories.
Language and Literature
For a long time, people’s understanding of the Three Kingdoms period mainly come from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms (《三國演義》). However, nowadays, not many people spend much time reading the novel. Instead, their knowledge of the Three Kingdoms history comes from video games and TV series. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is well-written with compelling stories that it is easy for readers to mistake it for historical fact.
Past Leaders