Juan

  • The Simple Room Inscription

    My humble abode is not defined by its height, but by the virtue of its inhabitant. Likewise, a body of water need not be deep to be inhabited by a dragon. This is a humble dwelling, yet my character is fragrant. Moss creeps up the steps, turning them a lush green, while the color…

  • Learning to Defeat Ten Thousand [Western Han]

    Brief: This article introduces Xiang Yu’s early ambition to “defeat ten thousand men” and his bold remark to replace Qin Shi Huang. It covers Qin’s frontier projects, the emperor’s death, and the secret coup by Zhao Gao, Li Si, and Huhai. Their tyranny soon ignited rebellions that ended the Qin Dynasty.

  • An Unexpected Teacher on the Bridge: Zhang Liang and the Yellow-Stone Elder [Western Han]

    Brief: This article tells Zhang Liang’s legendary encounter with the Yellow‑Stone Elder. After a failed assassination on Qin Shi Huang, Zhang met the old man on a bridge, who tested his patience and rewarded him with Taigong’s Art of War. This wisdom shaped him into a key strategist for the Han Dynasty.

  • Journal of the Drunken Old Man’s Pavilion

    The district of Chu is entirely surrounded by hills. Among the peaks in the southwest, the forests and valleys are especially beautiful. The one that appears lush, deep, and elegant is Mount Langya. After walking six or seven miles along the mountain path, one gradually hears the gurgling sound of water flowing out between…

  • Journal of the Small Stone Pond

    West from the small hill for one hundred and twenty steps, beyond the bamboo grove, I heard the sound of water, like the tinkling of jade pendants, which gladdened my heart. I cut through the bamboo to make a path, and descending, I saw a small pond, the water exceptionally clear and cold. The…

  • The Cold Food Poem Scroll [Chinese calligraphy]

    Su Shi (1037–1101 CE), also known by his courtesy name Su Dongpo, was a towering literary figure, statesman, painter, and calligrapher of the Northern Song Dynasty, and one of the “Four Masters of the Song.” His calligraphy is celebrated for its naturalness, emotional depth, and bold individuality.

  • Pavilion of Pine Breeze [Chinese calligraphy]

    Huang Tingjian (1045–1105 CE) was a leading poet, calligrapher, and scholar of the Northern Song Dynasty, and one of the “Four Masters of the Song.” He developed a highly distinctive calligraphic style known for its rhythmic tension, angular brushstrokes, and dynamic composition.

  • The Autobiographical Preface by Huai Su [Chinese calligraphy]

    Huai Su (737–799 CE) was a Buddhist monk and one of the most celebrated cursive script (caoshu) calligraphers of the Tang Dynasty. Known for his wild, dynamic, and highly expressive brushwork, he is often paired with Zhang Xu as one of the “Two Sages of Cursive Script.”

  • Preface to the Sacred Teachings [Chinese calligraphy]

    Chu Suiliang (596–658 CE) was a prominent statesman and calligrapher of the early Tang Dynasty, celebrated for his elegant, refined, and rhythmically fluid style of regular script (kaishu). His masterpiece, the Yanta Shengjiao Xu (Preface to the Sacred Teachings at the Wild Goose Pagoda), was inscribed on stone in 653 CE at the request…