SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

reality

  • The skill of slaughtering dragons

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    This post covers the dragon slaying skill fable from Zhuangzi ‑ Lie Yukou. Zhu Pingman spends a fortune mastering the fancy art, yet dragons do not exist. It satirizes impressive, but impractical talents and wasted effort chasing imaginary goals.

  • The Man of Zheng Who Buys Shoes [Han Feizi]

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    – by Han Fei (Pre-Qin Period) There was a man from the state of Zheng who wanted to buy shoes. He first measured his own feet, then left the measurement on his seat.

  • The Mural

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    Meng Longtan, a native of Jiangxi Province, and a Juren by the name of Zhu (Note: a Juren was one who pasted the imperial examination at the provincial level) were visiting the capital together.

  • What does the sun look like?

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    A man who was born blind wanted to know what the sun looked like, so he asked others to describe it.

  • The snake or shadow in the cup

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    My grandfather, who was magistrate of the district of Chen, once invited his secretary, Du Xuan, to drink with him during the midsummer festival.

  • Lord Ye’s dragon love: A fearful encounter

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    Lord Ye was famously fond of dragons. He had dragons carved on his walls, dragons painted on his pillars, and dragons engraved on every vessel in his house. Even his robes and curtains bore intricate dragon patterns.