Tag: Kultur

Umbrella

As early as 3500 years ago, umbrella had emerged in China. Regarding the invention of umbrella, there are many folk legends, among which the most widely spread one is the story about Luban inventing umbrella. According to the records of “Jade Chips”, umbrella was invented by Luban’s wife out of care and concern about her hardworking husband. As the folklore tells, daily meals delivered by Luban’s Wife Yun were often spoilt by downpours. So Luban built pavilions along the road. Later on, as inspired by children using lotus leaves for rain shelter, he invented the first umbrella by making a flexible framework covered by a cloth.

Continue Reading →

Best countries for expatriates in 2013: China or USA

If you're sick of your home country and are yearning for a change, you might want to consider settling in Asia for the next chapter of your life.如果你厌倦了在本国的生活,想来个改变,你可能会考虑移居亚洲,展开生活的新篇章。
A new study by HSBC ranks several Asian nations among the best countries for expatriates in 2013. The annual Expat Explorer Survey analyzes the findings from 7,000 expats to rank their new homes according to criteria including economics, experience, and raising children.根据英国汇丰银行最新发布的2013年度“移居者探索调查”报告显示,亚洲多个国家和地区被列入全球最佳侨居地排行榜。该报告调查了全球7000名移居者,根据经济、经历和养育子女三大因素对这些国家进行排名。
When considering all three categories, China comes out on top with high scores in economics and experience. Despite faring poorly in the field of raising children, expats in China report high salaries and better quality of life than in their home countries.将三大因素综合考虑之后,中国凭借更高的“经济收入”得分和“经历”得分而位居榜首。不过中国在“子女养育”方面得分较低,但受访者表示,与生活在本国相比,移居中国后薪水更丰厚、生活质量更高。
Switzerland tops all nations in terms of economics, though it remains unranked overall due to insufficient data in the raising children category.瑞士“经济”单项中排名第一,但因为子女养育方面数据不全,瑞士未能进入总排名榜单。
When it comes to experience, however, Thailand outpaces the field, thanks to top scores for healthy diet, working environment, social life, local shops and markets, and local culture. Like Switzerland, however, Thailand also could not be ranked overall because of its lack of data on raising children.在“经历”排名中,泰国列第一。泰国在健康饮食、工作休假、社交生活、购物及市场、当地文化等方面得分相对较高。和瑞士一样,泰国因为缺少在养育子女方面的数据而未能进入总排名榜单。
In that category, Germany reigns supreme, with high scores in child education, quality of childcare, and child health and wellbeing. Deutschland also received high scores in economics, helping the nation to place second overall among all three criteria.在“子女养育”方面,德国一枝独秀,在儿童教育、托儿质量和儿童健康等方面得分最高。另外,德国在经济方面的得分也很高,帮助其在总排名中得到了第二的佳绩。
The United States ranked 12th overall, hampered by poor scores in both economics and experience. It did, however, place first in local work culture, as well as in several subcategories for raising children.受到经济和经历两项因素的不良评分,美国在总榜单中仅排在第12位。但是,美国在企业文化和养育子女中的一些子项目中仍然排名第一。
Furthermore, despite ranking 23rd in economics, the U.S. maintains its reputation as a "land of opportunity" among expats. According to the survey, 80% of respondents say they would not leave the country given the choice, citing opportunities for home ownership, access to luxuries like better cars, and the security of pensions and savings for later in life as their main reasons for staying put.尽管美国在经济一项中仅排在23位,对于移居者来说,美国仍然不愧于其“机遇之国”的美誉。该报告表示,八成移居者不愿意离开美国,因为那里有更好的机会,可以买房、买车,晚年生活的退休保障也更好。

Continue Reading →

Lanzhou Univeristy 兰州大学

********************************************************* Lanzhou University(兰州大学:Lánzhōu Dàxué) is one of the key universities under Ministry of Education China, founded in 1909 and located in Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu Province. Currently, Lanzhou University has 23 schools: School of Chinese Language and Literature, School of Journalism and Communication, School of History and Culture, School of Economics, School of Management, School of Philosophy and Sociology, School of Foreign Languages and Literature, School of Law, School of Politics and Administration, School of Arts, School of Education, School of Mathematics and Statistics, School of Information Science and Engineering, School of Physical Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Life Science, School of Resources and Environment, School of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, School of Atmospheric Science, School of Continuing Education, School of Network Education, School of Higher Vocational Education, School of International Cultural Exchange.

There are 6 National Bases for the Training of Researching and Teaching personnel for Fundamental Disciplines. The University operates an additional 35 institutes along with 1 national key Laboratory of the Applied Organic and 3 key laboratories of Arid and Grassland Ecology, West China Environment, Magnetism and Magnetic Materials of the Ministry of Education, a key laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystem of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Continue Reading →

History of Education in China(2)中国教育的历史(2)

The common people should follow the traditions and rules which made by gentlemen. In ancient Chinese culture, there was no need for the common people to know why. For common people, studying Confucianism and be a gentleman had been the most efficient way for them advancing into upper class. During Han dynasty, the first civil service exam was set up. Confucianism, with no surprise, was one of the key subjects to study for the civil service exam. Provincial schools were established countrywide and the Confucianism tradition of education was spread all over China. "To enrich your family, there is no need to buy good land: Books hold a thousand measures of grain. For an easy life, there is no need to build mansion(大厦dàshà): In books are found houses of gold. When you go out, do not be upset if no one follows you: In books there will be a crowd of horses and carriages. If you wish to marry, don’t be upset if you don't have a go-between: In books there are girls with faces like jade. A young man who wishes to be somebody will devote his time to the Classics. He will face the window and read." There were people who spend their entire lifetime studying on Confucianism in order to get respected, not only for themselves, but also for the pride of their family lines.普通人需要遵从君子们制定的传统与规则。在中国古代,普通人没有必要知道这是为什么。对于普通人而言,学习儒家思想是向上层前进的最有效方式。在汉代,第一场公职人员考试出现了。儒家思想毫无疑问地成为公务员考试的关键课程。省级学习在全国范围内得到了确立,儒家教育传统被传播到全国各地。“富家不用买良田,书中自有千钟粟。安居不用架高楼,书中自有黄金屋。出门莫恨无人随,书中车马多如簇。娶妻莫恨无良媒,书中自有颜如玉。男儿欲遂平生志,五经勤向窗前读。”有些人倾尽毕生的时间学习儒家思想,为的就是获得尊重,这不仅仅是为他们自己,也是为了光耀门楣。

Continue Reading →

South Gate of China—-Sanya 三亚

************************************************** Sanya(三亚:Sānyà) is situated on the southernmost tip of Hainan Province, lying between 1809′ and 1837′ latitude giving it the tropical monsoon climate of this region. Covering an area of 1919.58 square kilometers (about 741 square miles) with 209.1 kilometers (about 130 miles) long coastline, Sanya has many natural advantages. Possessing a number of excellent harbors, Sanya is an important port for import and export of trade with foreign countries. Therefore, Sanya is also named the 'South Gate of China' to stress its importance while it plays a vital role in the life of the southern part of China in areas of the economy and politics to transportation.

Continue Reading →

Zizhi tongjian 资治通鉴 “Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government”

The Zizhi tongjian 资治通鉴 "Comprehensive mirror to aid in government" is one of the most important traditional histories of China. In respect of influence it is only second to the first universal history of China, the Shiji 史记, or even surpasses the latter. The Zizhi tongjian was written by the Northern Song period 北宋 (960-1126) writer and politician Sima Guang 司马光. The Zizhi tongjian consists of 294 juan "scrolls" plus 30 juan of register (mulu 目录) and a text-critical apparatus (kaoyi 考异) of 30 juan. It covers the time period between the reign of King Weilie 周威烈王 (r. 425-402 BCE) of the Eastern Zhou dynasty 东周 (770-221 BCE) and the reign of Emperor Shizong 后周世宗 (r. 954-959) of the Later Zhou 后周 (951-960), or the years 403 BCE to 959 CE.

Continue Reading →

Milan Ancient City in China

The famous Milan Ancient City(米兰古城Mǐlán gǔchéng) is 40 km east of Ruoqiang Couty Town, formed with Tibet Old Castle and the relics of the ancient architectures in the period of Wei Jin Dynasty scattered in the surrounding areas, in addition with the facilities of farmland development during garrison and water conservancy in Han Dynasty and Yixun City relics. According to history books, this land belonged to Yixun City of Loulan State of West Region in West Han period. In the second year of Han Zhao Di Yuanfeng (77 BC), Weituyan, king of Shanshan (ancient Loulan State) asked Han Government to send troops here to develop wasteland and farm for grains. A Sima and 40 soldiers then were dispatched to garrison in Yixun for farming. In Tang Dynasty, this land was occupied by Tibet, and the old castle was a military fortress built by Tibet.

Continue Reading →

Nongzheng quanshu 农政全书 “Whole Book on Agricultural Activities”

The Nongzheng quanshu 农政全书 "Whole book on agricultural activities" is an agricultural encyclopaedia compiled by the lateMing period 明 (1368-1644) scholar Xu Guangqi 徐光启 (1562-1633), courtesy name Xu Zixian 徐子先, style Xuanhu 玄扈. He came from Shanghai 上海 and earned his jinshi degree with the age of 36 sui. In 1604 he participated a second time in the metropolitan examination and in 1632, as an elderly man, was appointed Minister of Rites (libu shangshu 礼部尚书) and Grand Academician (daxueshi 大学士) of the East Pavilion 东阁. A year later he was transferred to the post of Grand Academician of the Hall of Literary Profundity 文渊阁 but he died soon thereafter. His posthumous title is Duke Wending 徐文定公. Xu Guangqi is very famous for his cooperation with the Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci (Chinese name Li Madou 利玛窦) together with whom he translated European treatises in astronomy, mathametics and mechanics, like Euclid's "Elements" (original Greek title Stoichéia, in Chinese as Jihe yuanben 几何原本). He also compiled a treatise about the amelioration of the Chinese calendar, the Chongzhen lishu 崇祯历书. Xu Guangqi was also very interested in firearms because of their usefulness in the campaigns against the Jurchens (that were soon to become the Manchus).

Continue Reading →

Qimin yaoshu 齐民要术 “Important Methods to Condition the People’s [Living]”

The Qimin yaoshu 齐民要术 "Important methods to condition the people's [living]" is one of the oldest agronomical treatise of China. It was written by Jia Sixie 贾思勰, a scholar of the short Eastern Wei period 东魏 (534-550). He came from Yidu 益都, modern Shandong, and was governor (taishou 太守) of the commandery of Gaoyang 高阳. He had the opportunity to observe the farming activities in the regions of Jingxing 井陉, Huguan 壸关 and Shangdang 上党 (all in modern Shanxi and Shaanxi) and was himself a breeder of sheep.

Continue Reading →