Our weekly cultural post
[Author: Gianni Hu] Among the Four Great Classical Novels of China (中国四大名著), Outlaws of the Marsh (水浒传, Shuǐhǔ Zhuàn), authored by Shi Nai’an during the Ming dynasty, stands as a towering achievement in Chinese literature. This epic tale, rich with adventure and drama, narrates the lives of a group of Read more…
[Authors: Yazhi Hu] 三国演义 (The romance of The Three Kingdoms) is a famous historical novel in China, written by Luo Guangzhong in the fourteenth century. Based on the history, this literary work describes the war between Wei, Shu and Wu from the second half of the second century to the Read more…
[Author: Jessica Zheng] Journey to the West is the first chapter-based novel in Chinese literature to embody elements of romanticism, featuring themes of gods, demons, and mythical adventures. It spans 100 chapters and is regarded as one of China’s Four Great Classical Novels (四大名著). Completed in the mid-16th century during Read more…
[Author: Matilde Spanò] Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦, Hóng lóu mèng), is one of the 18th century China’s most celebrated classical novels written by Cao Xueqin, and considered as one of the “Four Great Classical Novels” of Chinese literature. The novel is a masterpiece not only because of its Read more…
[Author: Luois Yu-Garambois] Fan Zhendong is a 27-year-old (born 1997) professional Chinese table tennis player. He is currently ranked 2nd in the world, having already led the ITTF World Rankings in previous years. His nickname in Chinese is ‘Xiao Pang’ (or ‘Little Fatty’). Coming into the 2024 Paris Olympics, Fan Read more…
[Author: Ni Jianhao] As the US presidential election gradually closes in, and at the time of publishing may have already concluded, we explore the consequences of a US presidential race that has already captured the world’s attention. Will a return of Trump to the White House further destabilize the already Read more…
Authors: Basile Theaud, Christine Yu The “Great Sichuan earthquake”, also known as “Wenchuan earthquake”, happened on 12th May 2008 in the #Sichuan province. The #magnitude of the earthquake was 8.0 and over 69,000 people lost their lives, the deadliest #earthquake in China since 1976 (242,000 dead) and the strongest since Read more…
Author: Lucy Dong Bian Lian 变脸 (‘Face Changing’) is an ancient Chinese dramatic art originated in the 1930s. It is typical of the more general Sichuan opera which, instead, dates back to 1700. Bian Lian is a romantic method to reveal the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters in Read more…
Author: Yao Tong The earliest documented evidence of Chinese culture has existed since around 2070 BC and, with it, a rich history of music has developed. Here are some of the most unique Chinese musical instruments. Guzheng | 古筝 The Guzheng, also known as the Chinese zither, is a plucked Read more…
Authors: Silvia Gramegna, Federico Alessandro Musso Confucianism is an ancient Chinese philosophy, religion, and secular morality, it is a way of life that follows Confucius’s teachings dating back to the V century BCE. Given the humanistic focus of Confucianism, emphasis is put on the role of the family and social Read more…