Chinese History & Mythology

Xun Linfu ordered Xi Yong to hunt down the bandits. But Yangshe Zhi made a bold prediction. He said Xi Yong would not die a natural death. Xun Linfu asked him why. Yangshe Zhi replied, “There is an old saying among the Zhou people. If you can see the fish clearly in deep water, it is not a good sign. If you can guess what others hide in secret, it will bring trouble. No matter how clever Xi Yong i...

Zhong Sui and Shu Sun De Chen arrived in the State of Qi. On the surface, they congratulated Duke Hui of Qi on his accession. At the same time, they thanked Qi for sending representatives to attend the funeral of Duke Wen of Lu. As the banquet began, Duke Hui of Qi casually asked, “Why is the new ruler of Lu named ‘Evil’? There are so many good names. Why choose such an unlucky one?”

I don’t know if you’ve recently seen the news about China’s Spring Festival Gala and those robots. You probably came across that clip on your phone this year, right? A group of robots, moving in perfect unison on stage, flipping, spinning staffs, even coordinating with an eight- or nine-year-old child to perform Liuhe Quan. To be honest, when I first saw that scene, the first thought that popped i...

During the mourning period of Duke Xiang of Jin, the marshal Xian Zhen had already learned of Qin’s secret plan to strike Zheng. He entered the court and asked for permission to fight. He spoke plainly. “The Duke of Qin ignored the advice of Jian Shu and Bai Li Xi. He marched a thousand miles to launch a surprise attack. He thinks Jin is weak because we are in mourning. If we do not strike now, th...

Zhao Cui carried Duke Wen of Jin’s secret order and rode by carriage to see Wei Chou. At that time, Wei Chou’s chest wound was very serious. He lay in bed and first asked, “How many people have come?” The attendants replied, “Only Marshal Zhao, with a single carriage.” Wei Chou gave a cold smile. “He has come to see whether I am alive or dead, so they can deal with me under military law.”

After executing Lü Sheng and Xi Rui in Wangcheng, Duke Wen once again bowed in thanks to Duke Mu of Qin. He then formally requested to bring Huai Ying back to Jin with the full honor of personally escorting his wife. Duke Mu hesitated. He said, “My daughter was once married to Zi Yu. I fear that bringing her as your principal wife might dishonor your ancestral temple. Let her serve as a consort in...

Have you ever wondered why Chinese people often say that China has five thousand years of civilization? Where does that number really come from? Five thousand years ago, most parts of the world were still in very early stages of development. Five thousand years is an almost unimaginable stretch of time. If we count back five thousand years from today, the ancient Egyptians were building pyramids,...

Prince Chong’er blamed Hu Yan for designing the plan and tricking him into leaving Qi. He grabbed Wei Chou’s long halberd and thrust it at Hu Yan. Hu Yan quickly jumped down from the carriage to avoid the strike. Chong’er also jumped down, raised the halberd, and chased after him. Zhao Cui, Jiu Ji, Hu Shegu, and Jie Zitui all got down as well and tried to persuade him.

I wonder if any of you have ever tried a Chinese dish called Hot Pot. In recent years, Hot Pot has become one of the most beloved foods among young people. It is popular not only in China, but also widely enjoyed by friends in many other countries. Chinese cuisine offers countless choices, encompassing sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty flavors in endless variations. Yet among all these possibi...

Taking advantage of the moment when Yong Wu led troops out of the city. Gao Hu hid brave warriors inside the city tower and sent someone to invite Shu Diao to discuss state affairs. Shu Diao suspected nothing, Full of arrogance, he arrived as usual,.Gao Hu prepared a banquet and waited for him in the tower. After three cups of wine. Gao Hu said, “Now the ruler of Song has gathered the other states...

Someone heard this and told yi ya, yi ya then went to bao shuya’s home and said, “guan zhong became the chancellor of qi because you recommended him, today our lord visited him while he was ill, yet he said you are not fit to hold the chancellorship, and instead he recommended xi peng, i really cannot accept this for you,”

After Duke Xian of Jin swallowed up the states of Guo and Yu, the court officials all came to offer congratulations. Only Li Ji felt unhappy in her heart. She had hoped to send Crown Prince Shensheng to lead the campaign against Guo, but instead Li Ke took his place and succeeded in one stroke. For the moment, she could find no chance to charge Shensheng with a crime.

Is it true that Chinese people can take fifteen days off for the Spring Festival? It sounds a bit exaggerated, almost like a joke. But if you’ve been following our earlier episodes on Chinese culture, especially the one where we talked about the Spring Festival, you might remember this detail. Today, we’re going to pick up right where that story ends and talk about the very first festival after th...

At the Kuiqiu alliance meeting. Zhougong Kong was also present. Meanwhile, the new ruler of Song, Duke Xiang of Song, had just suffered a death in the family, yet he still came to the meeting in mourning clothes. This showed both his respect for ritual and his respect for Qi. Guan Zhong judged that Duke Xiang of Song was the best choice. So Duke Huan publicly took Duke Xiang’s hand and solemnly en...

The Qixi Festival , also known as the Qiqiao Festival is a Chinese festival celebrating the annual meeting of Zhinü and Niulang in Chinese mythology. The festival is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month on the Chinese lunisolar calendar.

Qi, Song, and Cao camped at Niebei and did not move. They stayed there for two full months. During that time, the Di forces kept attacking Xing day and night. Xing could not hold out. In the end, it was crushed. The people of Xing fled in panic and ran to the Qi camp to beg for help. Among them, one man collapsed to the ground crying. It was the ruler of Xing, Shuyan.

At the critical moment, the main Qi army arrived. The Qi general Prince Chengfu charged bravely, defeated Sùmai, and rescued Hu’er Ban. Hu’er Ban led the remaining Rong troops back to Duke Huan, his face filled with shame. Duke Huan encouraged him, saying.“Victory and defeat are the common fortunes of war. Do not take it to heart.” He also bestowed a fine horse upon him, moving Hu’er Ban to tears...

If you ask a Chinese person, “What is the most important festival of the year?” Most people will answer without hesitation: the Spring Festival. For Chinese people, the Spring Festival has never been just a holiday. It is more like a time ritual that has lasted for thousands of years, a collective dialogue between humans and nature, between family and society.

In the first month of the first year of King Xi of Zhou. Duke Huan of Qi held court. After the ministers finished their audience, Duke Huan asked Guan Zhong. “By following Zhongfu’s guidance, our state has risen quickly. Now our troops are strong, our grain is abundant, and the people understand ritual and justice. I want to build alliances and bring peace to the four directions. What do you think...

On the Lu side Duke Zhuang finally understood what it meant to ignore good advice. With Qi troops right at the border he chose to give in. Prince Jiu was killed. Shao Hu would rather die than accept shame, so he died on the spot for his lord. But Guan Yiwu chose to stay alive.

So when a Chinese person gets excited and tells you, look, that is a dragon pattern, it stands for good luck and strength. You might freeze for a second. Wait, a dragon？ That fire breathing giant？ It's means a good luck ？

Afterward Shi Bo privately said to Duke Zhuang that from Guan Yiwu’s expression he did not look like someone who would die on the road. He was a rare talent under heaven. If he survived he would surely help Qi grow strong and once Qi became strong Lu would inevitably be threatened. Shi Bo suggested thinking in reverse. Lu could request Qi to spare Guan Yiwu’s life. If Guan Yiwu did not die he woul...

This Guan Yiwu, whose courtesy name was Zhong, was very tall and strongly built. He looked powerful and full of masculine presence. He had read many books, knew a great deal, and had broad experience. Other people believed he had real ability, that he could handle major affairs, find ways to save a state, and also find ways to make it stronger.

Content Disclaimer This episode includes discussion of discrimination strictly within historical and cultural contexts and is presented solely for academic, educational, and analytical purposes. Nothing in this episode is intended to express or represent political positions, contemporary viewpoints, or value advocacy, nor does it endorse, justify, or promote discrimination, hatred, violence, or ha...

What kind of person was he  . To put it plainly, he was indulgent, lustful, and had no respect for boundaries  . On the outside he wore the robes of a ruler, but inside he did not treat ritual and moral rules as real limits at all  . Wangji entered the palace of Qi, and within just a few months she heard a piece of news that shattered her heart  . She heard that Duke Xiang of Qi had long been doin...