For more than 30 years, Zhu Yanjun had been a migrant worker in different cities like many other people from rural areas, but what made him different was his strong passion for reading poetry and books.Zhu made the headlines when he was runner-up in the annual Chinese Poetry Competition hosted by Ch...

On Painting BambooEvergreen - as the Sun God wills-Art exalts its upright tilt.Deem not its lone leaves pale-Over time they never wilt.The valiant military commander Guan Yu (d. AD 220) is a household name in China. He was also considered a painter of bamboo, though evidence of his artistic activity...

Hi everyone today we are going to look at another classic Chinese Tang Dynasty poem, this time by poet 王維 Wáng Wéi (701 - 761 AD). Wang Wei was a Chinese government official during the Tang Dynasty, he was also a devout Buddhist, so he was sometimes referred to as 詩佛 Shī fó the Poetry Buddha...

The Joy of an EncounterAuthor: Li Yu (937—978)Pink petals of spring blossoms in the forest keep falling.Too quickly they fly passing.Alas, they cannot prevail through the morning rain andevening winds of this chilly spring.The tears of rouge look drunk while accompanying one another.When will they...

In his poem Asking, Vietnamese writer Huu Thinh wrote, "I ask earth: How does earth live with earth?/We honor each other./I ask water: How does water live with water?/We fill each other up./I ask the grass: How does grass live with grass?/We weave into one another creating horizons./I ask man:...

Song of the CatapultWe cut bamboo,To make arrow and bow!We run and run, clouds of dust behind,Shooting arrows to hunt!This song, from a book compiled during the 1st century AD, is dated to the reign of the legendary ancient Chinese ruler Huang Di (“Yellow Emperor”). Written simply, the song has fo...

In this episode we learn the classic Chinese Tang Dynasty poem "Thinking on a Quiet Night." The poem was written by Li Bai, one of China's most prolific poets....

Spring in the South of the Yangtze RiverAuthor: Du Mu (803—852)Golden orioles sing for thousands of miles where red flowers dot greenery;A village surrounded by mountains and a river displays the waving flag of a winery.Four hundred eighty temples built during the previous dynasties still stand;Man...