
The Mysteries of the Ming Dynasty
The Ming dynasty was the last dynasty under the Han (漢族) rule in Chinese history. It was a period of turbulent politics and complex power struggle, with a thrilling history that provoked mixed feelings.
Confucius said, “Wise people love water; virtuous people love mountains.” From the ancient’s point of view, water is the source of all living things, and mountains are places to respect. They not only provide rich material wealth, but also bring us spiritual nourishment that feeds our hearts and pleases our eyes.
The Ming dynasty was the last dynasty under the Han (漢族) rule in Chinese history. It was a period of turbulent politics and complex power struggle, with a thrilling history that provoked mixed feelings.
The term “rumour” is generally understood as widely disseminated fake news or false information among the public. In Chinese history, rumours often took the form of gossip, fake news, false information, and prophecy. They had a great influence upon politics, military affairs, and society at crucial moments.
The best profession in ancient China is without a doubt being an emperor. However, the worst profession is also being the emperor, or to be specific, the last emperor of a dynasty. Although there were lucky last emperors who could preserve their lives following abdication, some rare examples being Emperor Xian of Han (漢獻帝) and Emperor Puyi of Qing (清廢帝).
The Hanlin Academy was established in the Tang dynasty (唐代), and a complete system of member selection and job responsibilities was formed as a result. Its scholars enjoyed the highest social status and were an elite group representative of excellence in literature.
In ancient early childhood education, most of its textbooks focused on teaching children Chinese characters as a foundation, and through different content including historical records, poetry and rhyme, family management proverbs, to educate children on self-cultivation, family management, and ways of governing the country.
A tremendous amount of historical materials are left from the long course of Chinese history, many of which are controversial. For example, was the vassal enfeoffment system doomed to chaos? Was Emperor Qinshihuang (秦始皇) an “Emperor of All Ages” or a despotic tyrant?
There is a famous quote from Emperor Taizong of Tang (唐太宗), “With a bronze mirror, one can see whether he is properly attired; with history as a mirror, one can understand the rise and fall of a nation; with men as a mirror, one can see whether he is right or wrong.”
Fan Zhongyan (989-1052) was from Wu County (吳縣, present-day Suzhou City [蘇州] in Jiangsu Province [江蘇省]). Known by his courtesy name Xiwen (希文) and ratified as the Duke of Wenzheng (文正) posthumously, Fan was a politician, writer, military strategist, and educator in the Northern Song dynasty (北宋).
The Chinese nation has formed a profound political tradition in its thousands of years of history. The political development of ancient China experienced several stages, including the origin of Confucian political thought, the concept of Tiandao (天道, the way of heaven), the concept of Jian Tianxia (家天下, the family ruling the state), monarchical centralisation, the formation of bureaucratic system, and the governing philosophy of Huang-Lao Thought (黄老思想).
After the coup at Chenqiao Bridge (陳橋兵變), Zhao Kuangyin (趙匡胤) founded the Song dynasty and became Emperor Taizu (宋太祖). The Song dynasty left in Chinese history 300 splendid years of strong economy, prosperous lives, and advanced scientific and technological development