Tag Archives: Confucius
Qufu (曲阜) – Confucius Temple (孔庙) Posted by sasha on Aug 18, 2012
Qufu is the hometown of one of China’s most famous historical figures – Confucius. The legendary poet, teacher, philosopher, and politician grew up here, and his influence is clear everywhere you look. Explore the temple that bears his name in this video. 曲阜 – qū fù Qufu 曲阜东站 – qū fù dōng zhàn Qufu…
Two Year Anniversary Posted by sasha on Jul 17, 2012
These days Chinese is my 2nd language, but back in high school I was a Latin scholar. Of course, there are only a few Latin phrases that I remember to this day, one of which being “tempus fugit,” or “time flies” in English. This phrase is a little longer and more complicated in Chinese – 时间过得真快…
Confucius Say Posted by sasha on May 2, 2012
Philosopher, teacher, politician, and much more, Confucius (孔子 – kǒng zǐ) is one of the most revered people in China’s long history. Born Kong Qiu (孔丘 – kǒng qiū) in 551 BC in the city of Qufu (曲阜 – qū fù), he came to be known simple as “Master Kong.” His thoughts were eventually developed…
Chinese Love – Part One Posted by sasha on Oct 7, 2011
Throughout my time living in China, one question has managed to come up multiple times from friends and family back at home – “Is there a Chinese word for love?” While it is certainly true that Chinese people express the most complicated human emotion in different ways than Westerners, that doesn’t mean there is no…
Wǔ Shù (武术） Posted by Stephen on Sep 26, 2011
Kung fu is a modern day phenomenon that is more of a culture than the actual practice of Chinese martial arts. Wushu or 武术 (wǔ shù) on the other hand, is a broader term that refers to the many schools (門, mén), families (家, jiā) and sects (派, pài) of Chinese fighting. Much like 功夫, 武术 translates…
Chinese Instruments: gǔqín (古琴) Posted by Stephen on Sep 8, 2011
“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” –Confucius Stillness of mind in seven strings. Harmony and heartbreak dance like fingers over a fretboard. That is the gǔqín or 古琴, in a nutshell. This string-plucked, Chinese musical instrument of the zither family is similar to a western harp, and is famous for its hallmark vibrato…
Confucius Says… pt. 1: Analects (子曰) Posted by Stephen on Jun 22, 2011
Confucius or 孔子 (Kǒng Zǐ) is China’s most famous philosopher, poet and scholar who lived from 551 BC – 479 BC, best known for his writings and musings on Chinese society and everyday life. His impact on Chinese culture has been so profound that some 2,500 years later his teachings are still well known and…