Snow-swathed Bambooby Zhu YuanzhangBent down by the snow, still not so lowTo be muddied touching the ground.The sun shall emerge at dawn the morrowUnveiling a grove still level with cloud.Zhu Yuanzhang (1328-1398), founder of the Ming Dynasty, was born into a destitute peasant family in what is now...

Li ChaoquanThe English philosopher and statesman Francis Bacon (1561-1626) once said: “Without friends, the world is but a wilderness.”Small wonder that Chinese, like nearly all other languages in the world, have sayings describing bosom buddies and true friendship.One of the most widely quoted ex...

Bamboo in Danxia Templeby Ma TianlaiGrass in the human world knows no fall here,Colorless flowers bloom in the realm of desire there.Ma Tianlai (1172-1232) worked as a compiler in the Historiography Institute during the Zhenyou reign (1213-1217) of Emperor Xuanzong of the Jin Dynasty. “Grass... kno...

A poem recital and music event was held at the Chinese Culture Experience Center of the School of Chinese Studies at Xi'an International Studies University on June 24.Over 50 international children and students from more than 10 countries, such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Turkiye, Bosnia...

New Bambooby Yang WanliEast wind, mender of broken mountainsOver the night add fresh stalks of jade.Fearing early spring's chill, fine robes half worn,Till stretched to heights, into dragons transform.Yang Wanli (1127-1206), an upright official known for daring to defy he powers that be, and a p...

Gehuaren has made a name for herself on social media for setting up a street stall, offering to write instant poems for pedestrians.[Photo provided to China Daily]Open mainstream Chinese social media and you might get the impression that poetry is making a comeback among the country's youn...

Temple Rock Luotianby Yue FeiI hike to Yellow Dragon cave, bamboo cane in hand.The old tiger's lair empty but for the cubs' tracks.Concealed deep in clouds the rock is hardly seen.Only pine and bamboo left trembling in west winds.The great national hero Yue Fei (1103-1142) fought the invadin...

A painting commissioned by Emperor Qianlong, based on Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) painter Ma Hezhi's previous interpretation of the poem July (picture digitally enhanced for clarity). It starts with two stargazers in the far right corner, continues with some farming scene, before ending wi...