Book of Han

  • Lie Yukou

    Lie Yukou was a representative figure of Daoism in the early Warring States period. He is also known as Yu Kou, Yu Kou, or Liezi. Traditionally believed to be from the state of Zheng (in present-day Zhengzhou, Henan) during the Warring States era, he advocated the principles of emptiness, stillness, and non-action (wu wei),…

  • Wang Bo

    Wang Bo (649 or 650–676) was a renowned literary figure of the Tang dynasty. His courtesy name was Zi’an, and he was from Longmen, Jiangzhou (present-day Hejin, Shanxi). At the age of nine, after reading Yan Shigu‘s annotated version of the Book of Han, he composed a ten-volume critique titled Zhi Xia (“Pointing Out…

  • The River God’s bride [Warring States]

    This article recounts the legendary confrontation between Ximen Bao, a magistrate of the Wei state during the Warring States period, and a cruel local cult. It details how corrupt officials and a witch exploited the people’s fear of the River Zhang, demanding a “River God’s bride” annually to prevent floods. Ximen Bao exposed the…