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Actually, the average Japanese is unclear, and many have mixed responses to this question. Here is one popular version: Legend has it that Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇), who lived from 259 to 210 B.C., yearned for immortality and sent someone to the East to look for the elixir of life. That person was Xu Fu

Justice Bao is often portrayed as a dark-skinned Chinese man, but did he really have a ‘black’ face, according to legend? Before we discuss his skin tone, for the uninformed, let us find out how he became so popular, at least to local people here. In 1974, Taiwan’s Chinese Television System Inc. (华视) produced a

By Liu Ru To many modern Chinese, Confucianism is considered obsolete – a relic of the past that holds little relevance today. Yet few know that Japan’s modern capitalist economy was founded on the teachings of Confucianism. The father of Japan’s capitalist economy is Shibusawa Eiichi (1840 – 1931), a Japanese industrialist who spent much

The story of the brilliant and multi-talented Fan Li is a remarkable one, and one that is rarely found in ancient Chinese history. Fan Li, who lived during the tumultuous Spring and Autumn Period, initially served as a talented strategist and minister to King Goujian of Yue (越王勾践). After helping King Goujian rebuild his kingdom,

We live in an age that touts “survival of the fittest” – only those who are defensive and will fight for their own interests can thrive in our impersonal, urbanised societies. Yet in 2013, University of Pennsylvania biologists Alexander Stewart and Joshua Plotkin discovered that this mindset is unsustainable for society. By applying the Prisoner’s

The late Spring and Autumn Period of the Zhou Dynasty was marked by turbulence and a degradation of moral values. Unlike the virtuous rule of their predecessors, the rulers of the various states were motivated by personal self-interest and selfish desires. Relationships broke down, and the states fought amongst each other. It was during this

By Vibrant Dot Staff Ancient China witnessed many talented and upright historic figures, who brought great changes to their time and became role models in Chinese culture. But many of them would not have achieved this without the upbringing they received from their mothers. These mothers were more than loving caregivers, but were also their

The Eight Immortals are a group of legendary Taoist deities in Chinese mythology, and the last to join the pantheon was Cao Guojiu. Traditionally regarded as the Chinese deity of acting and theatre, Cao began his life as a mortal in the royal family. He was the younger brother of Empress Cao, the wife of

By Vibrant Dot Staff There is an ancient Chinese saying, “Continuously dripping water eventually penetrates a large stone.” In other words, we shouldn’t dismiss actions or efforts that appear small and insignificant, because they can have great effects over time. Great deeds are achieved by many small but continuous efforts. Likewise, grand plans can be

When I first met my husband – a Canadian – eight years ago, we had never been in a relationship before (nor were we looking for one). But serendipity brought him 13,000 kilometres across the Pacific Ocean to a small tropical island that he had never set foot on before, and fate landed us in

By Vibrant Dot Staff Many of us have heard of the Chinese martial art Taiji Quan (太极拳), or more colloquially known as Taiji or Tai Chi (太极). But few of us know about its founder Zhang Sanfeng (张三丰). A legendary Taoist in Chinese history, the elusive Zhang was said to have attained the Tao and

China’s 5,000-year-old history is enriched with thousands of stories, many illustrative of the values and virtues inherent to authentic traditional Chinese culture. One of these virtues is kindness and generosity, which the ancient Chinese regarded as most important. Jealousy, in contrast, was considered a reprehensible trait. Jealousy not only harms others but also harms oneself,

As an ancient Chinese saying goes, “Gentlemen of ancient times were strict and critical of themselves,but tolerant and forgiving toward others.” The practice of tolerance and forgiveness requires one to be benevolent, wise, and mature at the same time. Chinese history is peppered with great examples of ancient figures who demonstrated incredible tolerance and forgiveness, despite suffering devastating losses at the hands of others.