SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Han Dynasty

  • Throwing Down the Brush for the Sword: Ban Chao [Eastern Han]

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    Juan

    Brief: This article tells Ban Chao’s legendary journey: abandoning scholarship for military service, he led just 36 men to subdue kingdoms in the Western Regions. His bold raids and wise diplomacy revived the Silk Road and secured Han’s frontier. Despite court pressure to withdraw, he stayed and safeguarded Central Asia for decades.

  • The Dream That Brought Buddhism to China [Eastern Han]

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    Juan

    Brief: This article recounts how Emperor Ming’s golden-man dream brought Buddhism to China. Envoys traveled west, returning with scriptures and monks. The White Horse Temple was founded as China’s first Buddhist temple. Though early faith sparked political scandal, Buddhism took root and shaped Chinese culture forever.

  • The Loyal Regent: Huo Guang [Western Han]

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    Juan

    Brief: This article profiles Huo Guang, the loyal regent of Western Han. He guided young Emperor Zhao with wise governance, but faced plots from rivals. The 14-year-old emperor exposed a forged accusation against him. Huo crushed the conspiracy, secured the throne, and maintained peace at the frontiers.

  • The Hero’s Homecoming: Su Wu’s Return [Western Han]

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    Juan

    Brief: This article tells Su Wu’s legendary loyalty. Held captive by the Xiongnu for 19 years, he herded sheep clutching his imperial staff and refused to surrender. Thanks to a clever goose ruse, he finally returned home white-haired. His unbroken faith became an eternal symbol of Han integrity.

  • Reconnecting the West: Zhang Qian’s Final Mission [Western Han]

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    Juan

    Brief: This article tells Zhang Qian’s final mission to the Western Regions. After Han’s victories over the Xiongnu led by Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, Zhang was sent to ally with Wusun and other states. Though Wusun hesitated, his deputies opened ties across Central Asia, laying the foundation for the Silk Road.

  • Liu Bang

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    Ana

    Liu Bang (256 or 247 BCE – 195 BCE), posthumously known as Emperor Gaozu of Han, was the founder of the Western Han dynasty and reigned from 202 to 195 BCE. His courtesy name was Ji, and he was from Pei County (in present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu). He initially served as a minor local official…

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

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    Juan

    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.

  • The Cao Quan Stele [Chinese calligraphy]

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    Juan

    The Cao Quan Stele, formally titled “The Stele of Cao Quan, Magistrate of Heyang in the Han Dynasty,” was erected in 185 CE during the Eastern Han Dynasty by Wang Chang and others to commemorate the achievements and virtues of Cao Quan, who served as the magistrate of Heyang. The inscription on the stele…

  • The Peach Blossom Spring

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    Ana

    — by Tao Yuanming (Jin) During the Taiyuan era of the Jin Dynasty, a fisherman from Wuling made his living by fishing. One day, he sailed along a stream, forgetting how far he had traveled. Suddenly, he came upon a grove of peach trees lining both banks for several hundred paces. There were no…