A view from He Mei Mountain
Happy new year everybody! This year is the year of the golden dragon. Expect to see many people giving birth this year in hopes of giving their kids better lives. Happy wishes to all and enjoy the celebrations.
15 Nov
What Got Me Interested In Ancient Chinese
Greetings everyone, I recently got a group of e-mails of what caused me to get interested in Chinese culture. Most of them just asking why am I so interested and what caused my fascination with cultures throughout Asia. I thought I could give you a long answer and go on and on, but I think this video will be much better in explaining it.
26 Sep
Chinese Idioms: Explaining Dui Niu Tan Qin
對牛彈琴
There are many different Chinese idioms out there that people use today in modern Chinese conversation that are not really too well understood by many people who are foreign to the culture. There is an idiom that is used as a saying amongst Chinese people known as dui niu tan qin (對牛彈琴） which translated roughly means, “playing the piano for a cow.” I can understand it, but many people who do not understand the culture or language so well do not. Continue reading
16 Aug
Taiji In Taiwan
Hi everyone,
Today I will be showing a video of a Tai Ji master I found while staying in Taipei. He is very skilled and an excellent teacher. If you’re ever in the Mingde area, you can find him practicing from six to eight in the morning. Enjoy everyone!
28 Jul
A Romantic Chinese Poem
People Hide Their Love
Hi everyone, I will not be the translator of this post. This was a very beautiful romantic piece that shows a man’s longing for the woman he loved more than any other. I hope you all enjoy the poem. The title is called People Hide Their Love and is written by Wu-Ti AKA Wudi. He was an emperor in the Liang Dynasty, and very respected for his scholarly knowledge. In less than 10 years after his death, the dynasty fell. This all took place in the sixth century C.E.
Enjoy
8 Jun
Some Traditional Chinese Fan Dancing
Hi everyone, while I was in Taiwan, one morning I went to Xin Dian in Taipei and saw this wonderful traditional Chinese dancer.
11 May
Classical Chinese: A Quote From Zhuang Zi on Fish And Water
Good day everyone, today I will be translating a quote from the Zhuang Zi. This is a small piece but very fun to attempt to translate. As I mentioned, Zhuang Zi is one of the important fathers of Daoist philosophy. His stories unlike Lao Zi’s are not so poetic but show meaning and purpose in each aspect. Continue reading
14 Mar
Classical Chinese: Quote From Zhuangzi
Hey everybody, I hope all is well and welcome back to the Ancient Chinese Story blog. Today I will be translating a small quote from Zhuangzi. Zhuangzi for those who are unfamiliar with classical Chinese or East Asian philosophy was a live in the Zhou Dynasty and was one of the first Daoist philosophers along with Lao Zi. Many of his quotes can be found in martial art academies throughout the world today. Again, I will be today’s translator. Continue reading
3 Feb
Happy New Year To All The Chinese Story Readers
To All The Ancient Chinese Story Readers: Happy New Year
In honor of the event, here is my pet rabbit. I will have more posts up soon enough and wish all well
19 Nov
Tang Dynasty Poem By Wang Wei: Passing Xiang Qi Temple
Wang Wei’s Passing Xiang Qi Temple
Hey everyone, welcome back to the Ancient Chinese Stories blog. Today I wanted to share a Chan a.k.a. Zen Buddhist poem by the Tang poet Wang Wei. Today’s poem I will not be translating but taking from The Poetry of Zen by Sam Hamill and J.P. Seaton. As much as I would love to try, I prefer to stay away from poetry translations since I am afraid I may destroy the meaning in the process. I only translated one part of the Chinese from Wade-Giles into Ping Yin since that is the style I am more adapted to. Enjoy.
———–
Oblivious, I pass Xiang Qi Temple,
walking on through mountain clouds,
an empty trail through ancient trees.
Deep in the mountains, a bell resounds.
The susurrus river flows among stones.
Sunlight streams through frozen pines.
In this still pool, in falling light,
Zen overcomes the serpents of delusion.
————
From this poem, we can see that he is a fan of Chan Buddhism and believe it to be the best route towards enlightenment.
“The serpents of delusion,” are the outside forces which block enlightenment which in the case of Zen is common thought. You must break away from your senses and logic in order to achieve ultimate understanding.
In the Tang Dynasty, there was a great influence from Chan Buddhism and we see a great amount of Chan works of writing come about from the Tang. Kind of ironic considering they actually said to ignore writings.
Today’s picture is a picture of Guan Yin I took while at a Chinese temple in Malaysia. Till the next post everyone.
