Learn Chinese, understand China
The Lasting Power of Classical Chinese Novels Classical Chinese novels are not just old stories preserved in books; they are living cultural systems that continue …
The World Behind Romance of the Three Kingdoms Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义, Sānguó Yǎnyì) is one of the most influential novels in Chinese …
The World Behind Water Margin Water Margin (水浒传, Shuǐhǔzhuàn) is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature and is traditionally attributed to …
The World of Dream of the Red Chamber Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦, Hónglóumèng) is widely regarded as one of the greatest literary works …
The World Behind Journey to the West One of the most influential stories in Chinese culture is Journey to the West (西游记, Xīyóujì). It was …
Chinese Idioms Chinese idioms (成语, chéngyǔ) are one of the most distinctive and culturally rich parts of the Chinese language. They are usually made up …
Learning Chinese Characters Chinese characters (汉字, hànzì) often appear intimidating at first because they do not function like alphabet-based words. Instead of sounding out letters, …
Long History of Chinese Writing Chinese characters (汉字, hànzì) are among the oldest continuously used writing systems in the world. Unlike many ancient scripts that …
Chinese language (中文, zhōngwén) is often described as “having no alphabet,” which can feel unusual from the perspective of English, Spanish, or other alphabet-based languages. …
Introduction to Mandarin Tones Mandarin Chinese (普通话, pǔtōnghuà) is a tonal language, which means that the pitch or “melody” of a word changes its meaning …
Why Starting With Common Characters Matters When beginning with Chinese characters (汉字, hànzì), one of the most effective strategies is focusing on frequency. A relatively …
Why Chinese Writing Has Two Systems Chinese writing is not a single fixed system. Today, there are two main forms: Simplified Chinese (简体中文, jiǎntǐ zhōngwén) …
Why Chinese Writing Feels Mysterious at First The Chinese writing system often appears mysterious because it does not behave like an alphabet. Instead of letters …
Why Chinese Characters Look So Different at First Chinese writing is built on Chinese characters (汉字, hànzì), and at first glance they can feel completely …
The Idea of “Difficulty” in Language Learning Chinese is often described as one of the hardest languages in the world, especially for speakers of English …
The Idea Behind a Simple Circle The familiar black-and-white circle often seen in art, tattoos, and design is one of the most recognized symbols of …
The Living Influence of Ancient Thought Few philosophical systems in world history have remained as socially active for as long as Confucius and his teachings. …
The Quiet Book That Shaped a Civilization Among all classical Chinese texts, few have had as deep and lasting an influence as the Tao Te …
Life and Death as One Continuous Flow In many philosophical traditions, life and death are treated as opposites—two fixed states separated by a sharp boundary. …
One of the most fascinating stories in Chinese philosophy comes from Zhuangzi, a thinker from the Warring States period. His ideas are central to Daoist …
