• The Night Raid on Dingxiang: Sun Tzu’s wisdom through the legendary campaign of General Li Jing

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    Sun Wu said in his book The Art of War: March where the enemy cannot rush to defend; advance where he least expects you.To travel a thousand li without fatigue, move through unguarded lands.

  • Mǐ Mǐ Zhī Yīn (靡靡之音)

    Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 靡靡之音Pinyin: mǐ mǐ zhī yīnLiteral Meaning: Weak and dispiriting tunesFigurative Meaning: Soft, decadent and demoralizing music that indulges sensual pleasures and weakens people’s will. Cultural Background This idiom first appeared in the Warring States period, in the chapter ‘Ten Faults’ of Han Fei’s work Hanfeizi as to be specified below.…

  • Art of War Chapter – 6.2

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    March where the enemy cannot rush to defend; advance where he least expects you.To travel a thousand li without fatigue, move through unguarded lands.To conquer every target you attack, strike places the enemy fails to defend.To hold an impregnable defense, guard positions the enemy will not assault.

  • Art of War Chapter – 6.1

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    Sun Tzu stresses seizing battlefield initiative: arrive early to stay rested. Skilled generals manipulate foes via lures and threats, exhausting, starving or unsettling the enemy instead of being controlled by them.

  • Chinese Character 家 (jiā)

    The Basics The Visual Structure This character is made of two clear parts: Put them together: a pig under a roof.At first glance, that might seem odd – why would a pig define “home”? But think like an ancient farmer: in early agricultural societies, pigs were the most valuable domestic animals. They provided meat,…

  • Chinese Character 国 (guó)

    The Basics The Visual Structure (How it’s built) To understand this character, you need to look at its two parts: Put them together: A “jade” (玉) inside a “border/wall” (囗).The visual logic is: “A precious treasure within a protected boundary.” It implies that a country is a sacred, valuable space that must be guarded…