SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

ancient China

  • ‌How do they tell time at night in Journey to the West?‌

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    Juan

    The ‌Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches‌ were a system used in ancient China to mark years, months, days, and hours. In Journey to the West, the universe is divided into 12 cyclical periods, each named after the Earthly Branches. Similarly, ancient Chinese divided the day into 12 segments, also named after these branches. For…

  • [Journey to the West]The South Heavenly Gate

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    Juan

    In ancient China, imperial palaces typically had multiple grand gates. For example, the Forbidden City in Beijing features four major gates facing the cardinal directions—east, south, west, and north. Among them, the Wu Gate (Wumen or Meridian Gate), facing south, served as the main entrance and the largest gate.