Archive January 27, 2020

The Art of War, Sun Tzu, Sun Wu

By inCulture

The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise attributed to Sun Tzu ,a high-ranking military general, strategist and tactician, and it was believed to have been compiled during the late Spring and Autumn period.The text is composed of 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare. It is commonly known to be the definitive work on military strategy and tactics of its time. It has been the most famous and influential of China’s Seven Military Classics, and for the last two thousand years it remained the most important military treatise in Asia, where even the common people knew it by name. It has had an influence on Eastern and Western military thinking, business tactics, legal strategy, and beyond.

Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu was a Chinese author of The Art of War, an immensely influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy. He is also one of the earliest realists in international relations theory.

The name Sun Tzu (“Master Sun”) is an honorific title bestowed upon Sun Wu, the author’s name. The character Wu, meaning “military”, is the same as the character in Wushu, or martial art.

Warrior and philosopher Sun Wu is very popular worldwide and many famous military officials and politicians have referenced him. The principals and ideas presented in the Art of War have been used in almost any aspect of the modern world – business, politics, sports, and diplomacy. Millenniums old Sun Tzu quotes on friends, friendship, enemy, war and victory provide practical tips for everyday success in the modern world.

Summary

In thirteen concise chapters of the Art of War, general Sun Tzu defines a sophisticated science in a deliberative manner, starting with a key assertion: “War is a vital matter of state.”

  1. Laying plans

Detail assessment and planning explores the five fundamental factors (the Way, seasons, terrain, leadership and management) and seven elements that determine the outcomes of military engagements. By thinking, assessing and comparing these points, a commander can calculate his chances of victory. Habitual deviation from these calculations will ensure failure via improper action. The text stresses that war is a very grave matter for the state and must not be commenced without due consideration.

  1. Waging war

Waging war explains how to understand the economy of warfare and how success requires winning decisive engagements quickly. This section advises that successful military campaigns require limiting the cost of competition and conflict.

  1. Attack by stratagem

Strategic attack defines the source of strength as unity, not size, and discusses the five factors that are needed to succeed in any war. In order of importance, these critical factors are: attack, strategy, alliances, army and cities.

  1. Tactical dispositions

Disposition of the army explains the importance of defending existing positions until a commander is capable of advancing from those positions in safety. It teaches commanders the importance of recognizing strategic opportunities, and teaches not to create opportunities for the enemy.

  1. Energy

Forces explains the use of creativity and timing in building an army’s momentum.

  1. Weak points & strong

Weaknesses and Strengths explains how an army’s opportunities come from the openings in the environment caused by the relative weakness of the enemy in a given area.

  1. Maneuvering

Military maneuvers explains the dangers of direct conflict and how to win those confrontations when they are forced upon the commander.

  1. Variation in tactics

Variations and adaptability focuses on the need for flexibility in an army’s responses. It explains how to respond to shifting circumstances successfully.

  1. The army on the march

Movement and development of troops describes the different situations in which an army finds itself as it moves through new enemy territories, and how to respond to these situations. Much of this section focuses on evaluating the intentions of others.

  1. Terrain

Situational positioning looks at the three general areas of resistance (distance, dangers and barriers) and the six types of ground positions that arise from them. Each of these six field positions offer certain advantages and disadvantages.

  1. The nine situations

Nine terrains describes the nine common situations (or stages) in a campaign, from scattering to deadly, and the specific focus that a commander will need in order to successfully navigate them.

  1. The attack by fire

Attacking with fire explains the general use of weapons and the specific use of the environment as a weapon. This section examines the five targets for attack, the five types of environmental attack and the appropriate responses to such attacks.

  1. The use of spies

Intelligence and espionage focuses on the importance of developing good information sources, and specifies the five types of intelligence sources and how to best manage each of them.

The Analects of Confucius, Thoughts of Confucius

By inChina History, Culture

The Analects of Confucius is famed as the collection of the words and deeds of Confucius and has greatly influenced the culture of China and neighboring nations as the most cherished scripture of Confucianism. According to most traditional accounts, Confucius never wrote down his teachings. They were passed down verbally and later put in writing, and not necessarily in a very systematic way. The Analects is widely regarded as the most dependable record of his various sayings and conversations.

Confucius

Confucius is recognized as China’s first and greatest teacher, and his ideas have been the fertile soil in which the Chinese cultural tradition has flourished.

Confucius (551-479 BCE) was born in the ancient state of Lu into an era of unrelenting, escalating violence as seven of the strongest states in the pro to-Chinese world warred for supremacy. The landscape was not only fierce politically but also intellectually. Although Confucius enjoyed great popularity as a teacher, and many of his students found their way into political office, he personally had little influence in Lu. And so he began to travel from state to state as an itinerant philosopher to persuade political leaders that his teachings were a formula for social and political success. Eventually, his philosophies came to dictate the standard of behavior for all of society–including the emperor himself.

Contributions

The thoughts of Confucius has been the bedrock of Chinese main culture, and has brought influence to people’s mind and behavior even today. It is an important window to grasp Chinese culture to have a good understanding of Confucius.

He maintains the idea that everyone has the right to be educated, and that education should be offered to all classes. While spreading the spirit of being insatiable in learning and tireless in teaching, he strives for educating students in accordance with their aptitude by adopting an elicitation method of teaching.

As the founder of Confucianism, he contributed greatly to the development and success of traditional Chinese culture. He established benevolence and rites as the core of his theory. Benevolence is an ethical system as well as a moral realm, the core of which is the advocacy of love for humans.

Thoughts of Confucius

In the Analects, Confucius presents himself as a “transmitter who invented nothing”. He put the greatest emphasis on the importance of study, and it is the Chinese character for study (or learning) that opens the text. In this respect, he is seen by Chinese people as the Greatest Master. Far from trying to build a systematic theory of life and society or establish a formalism of rites, he wanted his disciples to think deeply for themselves and relentlessly study the outside world, mostly through the old scriptures and by relating the moral problems of the present to past political events (like the Annals) or past expressions of feelings by common people and reflective members of the elite (preserved in the poems of the Book of Odes).

In times of division, chaos, and endless wars between feudal states, he wanted to restore the Mandate of Heaven “天命” that could unify the “world” and bestow peace and prosperity on the people. Because his vision of personal and social perfections was framed as a revival of the ordered society of earlier times. Confucius is often considered a great proponent of conservatism. But a closer look at what he proposes often shows that he used (and perhaps twisted) past institutions and rites to push a new political agenda of his own: a revival of a unified royal state, whose rulers would succeed to power on the basis of their moral merit, not their parentage；these would be rulers devoted to their people, reaching for personal and social perfection.

Such a ruler would spread his own virtues to the people instead of imposing proper behavior with laws and rules. One of the deepest teachings of Confucius may have been the superiority of personal exemplification over explicit rules of behavior. Because his moral teachings emphasise self-cultivation, emulation of moral exemplars, and the attainment of skilled judgment rather than knowledge of rule, Confucius’s ethics may be considered a type of virtue ethics. His teachings rarely rely on reasoned argument, and ethical ideals and methods are conveyed more indirectly， through allusions, innuendo, and even tautology. This is why his teachings need to be examined and put into proper context in order to be understood.

Yang Guifei, One of the Four Beauties in Ancient China

By inChina History

Yang Gui Fei is one of the most beautiful ladies of ancient China, but she got the most unfortunate compare to those three.Yang Gui Fei was named Yang Yuhuan, she was a daughter of a nobleman in the little village.When her was 16 years old, her father sent her into the palace to be a wife of the emperor’s son.

After she got into the palace, her beautiful appearance was well-known. After the Emperor Tang Xuanzong heard, he went to his son’s palace to see this girl; once Xuangzong saw Yang Yuhuan, he suddenly fell in love with her and accommodated her into his palace. In that time Xuanzong was 56 years old and Yang was 22 years old.Yang was not only beautiful but also very clever,and she learned fast and talented in music and dancing.She was said to have”a face that would make all flowers feel shameful”.

Eventually,the emperor began to neglect state affairs. She adopted An Lushan as her son and helped her brother win power at court. The power struggle eventually over controlled by the central government. Therefore,the emperor fled the capital before the rebels occupied.The loyal soldiers were angry and blamed Yang Yuhuan and her brother for the rebellion.Finally,the emperor was forced to order their execution to kill her.

Because Yang guifei gets heavy favour, her brother gives a high official, even distant brother Yang zhao, be a market well scoundrels originally, because of good plan, xuanzong and Yang’s sisters gamble, make Yang zhao calculate gamble account, give a name to the country zhong, the body holds the branch doctor in wait for more than 10 posts, control a government. Xuanzong visited huaqing pool and took five families of the Yang family as his retinue. Along the way dropped jewelry everywhere, glittering, its luxury is unparalleled. The Yang family, married two princesses, two infanta, xuanzong also close for the Yang family royal and che shujia temple tablet.

 

 

Xi Shi, One of the Four Beauties in Ancient China

By inChina History

Xi Shi was said to have lived during the end of Spring and Autumn Period in Zhuji(诸暨),the capital of the ancient State of Yue.She was said to be “so beautiful as to make swimming fish sink”.There also goes a saying ”Beauty lies in the lover’s eyes”In chiese,we can say Xi Shi lies in the lover’s eyes.

King Goujian of Yue was once imprisoned after a defeat in a war by King Fuchai of Wu.The state of Yue later became a tribulatory to Wu.Secretly planning his revenge,Goujian’s minister Wen Zhong suggested training beautiful women and offering them to Fuchai as a tribute.His other minister,Fan Li,found Xi Shi and Zheng Dan,and gifted them to Fuchai.

One day when she went to a stream to wash clothes and the fish in the water saw her and fell down from the surface of the water after being astonished by her beauty. This is the legend, but the fact is Xi Shi was sent to the State of Wu to seduce the ruler for her own state. Finally, the ruler of the State of Wu was defeated by the State of Yue.

Bewitched by the beauty of Xi Shi,Fuchai forgot all about his state affairs, on their instigation,and killed his best advisor,the great general Wu Zixu.In 473 BC Goujian launched his strike and put the Wu army to full rout.King Fuchai lamented that he should have listened to Wu Zixu,and then committed suicide.

There is another well-known figure of unknown origin,probably fictional and parodical,named Dong Shi (东施).The “Dong” in her name means “east” contrasting to Xi Shi’s “Xi”,which means “west”.Apart from her name,she is said to be the exact opposite of Xi Shi in being extremely ugly and,in modern depictions,fat.This in turn has created the saying “Dong Shi imitates a frown”,meaning to attempt imitating another work only to show up one’s own weaknesses.

Weaponry of Stone Age, the Earliest Weapons in China

By inChina History

In the Stone Age, conflicts between rival clans used sharp tools for production and hunting. Thus, the development of basic weapons has begun. The first weapons used were probably bows or spears, as they were easy to use in hunting. In archaeological research, a tomb was found with its skeleton pierced by an arrow, illustrating the shift from tools to weapons.

At that time, the stone axe was a very popular tool and one of the earliest weapons. Over thousands of years of evolution, it became thinner, sharper and harder, culminating in a tomahawk or throwing axe. It is not only a popular weapon, but also a status symbol. A jade tomahawk found in the tomb of a nobleman proves that in the early days of the era, artisans were already making ritual weapons — carved on its upper horn — an immortal mounted tiger, with birds at its lower.

The Stone Age is so named because it was a time of technological development and all tools were made of stone. With the progress of The Times and society, the development level of stone tools has been improved. Therefore, according to the shape and complexity of these tools, the Stone Age was divided into three phases — paleolithic, mesolithic and neolithic.

People of the Stone Age were able to make textiles and pottery, and developed agriculture and animal husbandry, which allowed them to continue to live in one place.

Paleolithic refers to the stage of human cultural development marked by the use of chipped stone tools. This period is a long time from 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago before the present era. It is generally divided into early, middle and late, roughly equivalent to the existence of three human species – homo habilis, homo erectus, early homo sapiens and late homo sapiens.

During this period, people made simple tools, mainly for hunting and gathering. Stone weapons are made of different stones. For example, basalt and sandstone are made into abrasives. Flint and flint are used as sharp weapons or tools. Bones, wood, antlers, and shells were also widely used as tools or weapons. Clay is made into pottery.

The Peking man found in zhoukoudian, Beijing, is just such a neolithic man. They use stone weapons and sticks to hunt wild animals, live mainly in caves and gather fruit for their stomachs. People knew how to use fire, as can be seen from the ashes, charred bones and marks left on the stones. Except for Peking man, lantian man, yuanmou man and upper cave man all lived in this period.

Weaponry of Iron Age, Iron Cannon, Iron Armour and Warships

By inChina History

Although in the western zhou dynasty (11th century bc-771 BC), weapons made of natural siderite, the earliest known iron wares in the world, were made. With improved craftsmanship, iron weapons became ubiquitous in the late warring states period, extending into the qin dynasty (221bc-206bc) and the han dynasty (206bc-220bc). However, because iron weapons have little external processing, they are corroded when unearthed, making them more difficult to study and providing less insight than Bronze Age iron weapons, which were protected by a thin oxide layer.

Cannons, or stone cannons, appeared in the late eastern han dynasty (25-220) and flourished during The Three Kingdoms period (220-280). When the enemy came, the garrison would put cannons on the gate. Turning to the lever, it threw the big stone parabolic over the wall and defeated the invaders. This is still reflected in Chinese chess – pieces representing cannons still follow the rule of attacking another piece only if there is a third in the middle.

With the rise of cavalry in the western han dynasty, there appeared a kind of rectangular shield that soldiers could hold with one hand. During the song dynasty (960-1279), it was tied to the left forearm of the cavalry and became round. Until the southern and northern dynasties (386-589), the long hexagon prevailed, with the shield facing vertically inward like a leaf. In battle, it can be held by hand or propped up on the ground with a stick.

During the western han dynasty, iron armor replaced leather armor and evolved into fine scales and plates. Scale armor displays a high level of technical know-how, with a set consisting of more than 2200 components. During The Three Kingdoms period, chainmail became popular to protect people from arrows. By the Ming dynasty, chainmail was gradually changing from heavy to light, but it could still withstand the blows of spears.

With the development of iron armour, not only soldiers but also horses were wearing iron armour. As a result, the halberd, used chiefly for stings and hooks, lost its place on the battlefield. The spear evolved into a spear, used only by cavalry and capable of penetrating.

The han dynasty was a critical period for the development of Chinese warships, large and small. The OARS of the western han and the rudders of the eastern han were brilliant achievements. Scull, a precursor to the modern propeller, improved efficiency by changing the way it jerks from side to side, front to back. The steering wheel provided the oar with the flexibility of its route, paving the way for European exploration. During the jin dynasty (265-420), large – scale warships stood out. It is recorded that there was a ship at that time. It had a large hull, 180 meters long, and could hold more than 2,000 people. At the top was a fixed wooden city, and the horse could gallop through four gates. During the sui dynasty (581-618), a very large ship more than 30 meters high was built, which could hold 800 people. Before the southern song dynasty, almost all armies used warships. Examples recorded are the 110 m tower, skirting board and wheel paddle.

Wang Zhaojun, One of the Four Beauties in Ancient China

By inChina History

Wang Zhaojun was said to be “so beautiful as to make flying geese fall”. Wang Zhaojun is perhaps the best known of China’s “political brides”. she entered the imperial harem during the reign of Emperor Yuan of Western Han (48-33 BC). The emperor chose companions from his vast harem of maidens by looking at their portraits. As a result of this practice, it had become the custom for palace ladies to offer large bribes to court artists to ensure that they painted a flattering likeness. Wang Zhaojun, however, was confident in her natural beauty and refused to pay money to court painter. As a result, she seemed to be the ugliest of all the palace ladies from her portrait, and thus never received the emperor’s favour.

When the Xiongnu chieftain came to ChangAn, he told Emperor Yuan: “I wish to take a Han beauty as my empress”. To cement relations with this barbarous nation, Emperor Yuan agreed to the request. However,the emperor was unwilling to pick out a real beauty,and ordered to select an ordinary woman in the harem for the chieftain. When the unflattering portrait of Wang Zhaojun was sent to the emperor, he merely glanced at it and nodded his approval.

Her life became the story of “Zhaojun Departs the Frontier” (昭君出塞). Peace was maintained for over 60 years between China and the Xiongnu. However, China eventually lost touch with her and her descendants.

Since the 3rd century the story of Zhaojun had been elaborated upon and she had been touted as a tragic heroine. The Communist government of the People’s Republic of China uses her as a symbol of the integration of Han Chinese and ethnic minorities of China. Zhaojun Tomb still exists today in Inner Mongolia.

Dragon Boat Races, the Most Typical Tradition of Chinese Dragon Boat Festival

By inOthers

Dragon boat racing is one of the most typical traditions of the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Activities are widely held in the south and northeast of China, where rivers and lakes are densely distributed. The festival has a history of more than 2,000 years, dating back to the boat race held during the warring states period (475-221 BC) to save the ancient Chinese poet qu yuan. Today, it has become a popular water sport around the world, gradually spreading to southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia.

The traditional dragon boat, long and narrow, is a water craft made of teak with paddles on both sides. About 20-30 yards long and 1-2 yards wide, the prow and stern are decorated with dragon heads and tails. The body of the ship is carved or painted with traditional auspicious patterns, such as waves, clouds or animals, in bright colors such as red, blue, green, black and gold. In addition to decorations, there were pennants and drums to guide the rowers. Ships vary in design and size from region to region. Nowadays, dragon-boat racing has become a worldwide water race. The shape, materials and decorations of dragon-boat racing have changed greatly.

In the history of more than 2,000 years, the dragon boat race has gone through three stages: ceremony, commemoration and competition.

The dragon is a fictional animal that has all the advantages of other animals. The ancient Chinese regarded themselves as the descendants of the dragon and regarded the dragon as a totem. Therefore, people build boats in the image of dragons and hold competitions. It is usually used for totem worship or other festive occasions, such as sowing and harvesting seasons.

Around 278 BC, qu yuan, the great patriotic statesman of the state of chu, saw his country destroyed and committed suicide by drowning himself in a river with stones. People raced to row boats to retrieve his body, and performances became a fixture of the Dragon Boat Festival.

Around the 1970s, the competition became a competitive water sport with worldwide fame and was introduced to international sporting events.

Diao Chan, One of the Four Beauties in Ancient China

By inChina History

Diao Chan, One of the Four Beauties in Ancient China

Diao Chan (c. third century, Three Kingdoms period), said to have “a face that would make the full moon hide behind the clouds”.Diao Chan is a singer of Wang Yun in the Eastern Han Dynasty,and she has beautiful appearance.When Eastern Han Dynasty manipulated by the traitor Dong Zhuo, she pray to God for helping her master Wang Yun. Wang Yun secretly promised Diao Chan to Lv Bu,but then to Dong Zhuo.Lv Bu was very young and handsome at that time,andDong Zhuo was an old hand at trickery and deception person. In order to win over Lv Bu, Dong Zhuo recognized Lv Bu as a son.However,they are all lecherous. Since then, Diao Chan began to drive a wedge between Lv Bu and Dong Zhuo.

Lv Bu was very angry since Dong Zhuo married Diao Chao. One day, Lv Bu entered into Dong Zhuo’s house secretly and invited Diao Chan to meet. Diao Chan cry to Lv Bu for what Dong Zhuo did. When Dong Zhuo returned home and caught Lv Bu,he was very angry and grabbed spear to kill Lv Bu.Fortunately, Lv Bu escaped from death.Since then,there was suspicion and even downright hatred between them.After that,Wang Yun sucessfully persuaded Lv Bu to kill Dong Zhuo.

It should be noted that no historical accounts mention a person named Diao Chan. Moreover, “Diao” is not a common Chinese last name.
In “romance of The Three Kingdoms”, sable cicada is due to ten often wait on the chaos, refuge out of the palace, for the king permitted to take as a singer. The sable cicada sees the eastern han dynasty is manipulated by the treacherous courtier dong zhuo, in the month under the incense pray to heaven, wish to worry for the master. It happened to be seen by wang yun. Then, wang yun accepts sable cicada for adoptive daughter, set a chain of beautiful person plan, the relation that separates dong zhuo and foster son lv bu. Wang yun first betrogged diao chan to lu bu secretly, and then offered her to dong zhuo to be his concubine. Sable cicada married dong zhuo after lv bu ambiguous affection, deal between father and son two people.

In the 19th “cao cao fought in heavy combat in xiapis city, and lu bu died in the white gate tower”, lu bu was besieged by cao cao’s army, but diao cicada refused to break out of the siege by her husband alone, saying that they would “live together if they live together, and if they die, they will stay together until they die”. Lv bu was deeply moved and gave up Chen gong’s clever plan. He only made merry with sable cicada every day, ignoring the war at the front. He was finally captured and killed.

Da Tuoluo, Top-Spinning, a Popular Street Game for Children

By inOthers

This game of basically whipping the top has a long history in almost all different populations, especially children. In 1926, a top was dug up to prove that the game existed 4,000 years ago! The whip is used to rotate the top and can be pottery, stone, wood or bamboo. Although the tops worn by children are small and often brightly colored, the tops worn during the games are quite different. The official racing coat usually weighs about 0.45 kg and the whip is at least 2 meters long. As you can guess, it’s hard to deal with them.

Gyro was once a popular street game for children around the world. The whip rope is wound around the top, which is placed on a smooth surface, perhaps even ice. The whip was pulled back to make the top spin. It keeps spinning, gaining momentum with the help of the whip. In China, this simple pastime has evolved into a competitive sport. The rules of competition differ in many ways. In one of the games, commonly known as “gyrobattle,” two players collide their gyros, causing the opponent’s to fall — and the player who keeps spinning wins. One variation is to spin the top over an obstacle, a feat that requires great skill and concentration; Also, the player with the longest spin is the winner.

The top half of the shape is round and sharp below. It used to be made of wood, but now it is made of plastic or iron. When playing with the rope around, pull the rope, so that the upright rotation. Or by the spring of a spring. Traditional ancient gyro is roughly made of wood or iron inverted cone, play is split with a whip. A gyroscope that has been launched by a modern launcher. Of course, there are also some “hand twist tops” that are very popular. The top is a familiar toy for teenagers. All over the world. China is the home of gyro. Stone gyros have been excavated from neolithic sites in xia county, Shanxi Province, China. Visible, gyro in our country at least four, five thousand years of history.

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