• Seeing Yuan the Second off to Anxi [Tang Poems]

    — Wang Wei No dust is raised on the road wet with morning rain; The willows by the hotel look so fresh and green. I invite you to drink a cup of wine again; West of the Sunny Pass no more friends will be seen.

  • Seeing Li off to Zizhou [Tang Poems]

    — Wang Wei The trees in your valley scrape the sky, You’ll hear in your hills cuckoo’s cry. If it rained at night in your mountain, You’d see your tree tips hung like fountain. Your women weave to make a suit; You’d try to solve people’s dispute. The sage before you opened schools; Like…

  • Zhu Bajie’s Hidden Virtues [Journey to the West]

    In Journey to the West, Zhu Bajie is often portrayed as a comic figure – gluttonous, lazy, and lustful. Yet a closer reading of the original text reveals many overlooked virtues. Far from being merely a foil, he is a reliable companion whose contributions are vital to the journey’s success.

  • At Parting [Tang Poems]

    — Wang Wei Dismounted, I drink with you And ask what you’ve in view. “I can’t do what I will; So I’ll do what I will; I’ll ask you no more, friend, Let clouds drift without end!”

  • Farewell to Xin Jian at Lotus Tower [Tang Poems]

    — Wang Changling A cold rain dissolved in East Stream invades the night; At dawn you’ll leave the lonely Southern hills in haze. If my friends in the North should ask if I’m all right, Tell them I’m free from blame as ice in crystal vase.

  • Breaking Pots and Sinking Boats: Xiang Yu’s Gamble at Julu [Western Han]

    The Race to the Qin Heartland After the death of Xiang Liang, King Huai II of Chu faced a critical decision. With the Qin dynasty still formidable – and the rebel cause reeling from recent defeats – he sought to strike at its core. Gathering his generals, he declared:”Whoever first enters Guanzhong (the Qin…