The category of "masters and philosophers" (zibu 子部) is the third of the four traditional categories (sibu 四部) into which Chinese literature was divided. The writings assembled in this category are quite heterogenous. Some are philosophical, others scientific, and a third part is a loose aggregation of descriptive notes. The term zi 子 is therefore not very easy to translate. The "masters and philosophers" were, during the Han period汉 (206 BCE-220 CE), divided into Confucians (rujia 儒家), Mohists (mojia墨家), sophists (mingjia 名家), legalists (fajia 法家), Yin-Yang thinkers(yinyangjia 阴阳家), theoreticians of the Five Progresses (wuxingjia 五行家),Daoists (daojia 道家), coalition advisors (zonghengjia 纵横家), miscellaneous thinkers (zajia 杂家), agriculturalists (nongjia 农家) and novelists orstorytellers (xiaoshuojia 小说家). Military theoreticians (bingjia 兵家) were in the beginning seen as a different group. With the growing amount of books written, the categories of astronomy and astrology (tianwen 天文),mathematics and calendar (lishu 历数), as well as medical treatises (yifang医方) had to be incorporated into the literary categories. Technical skills were from the Tang period 唐 (618-907) on also part of the masters category. Later on, Buddhism was not any more a foreign religion, but Chinese monks started compiling Chinese treatises on Buddhism. At the same time the corpus of religious Daoist writings grew abundantly. The writings of the two religions had therefore also to be considered. Under the dominance of Confucian scholars, the two were always put at the end of the masters category and included only the most important writings. Thecollectaneum Siku quanshu 四库全书 includes 2,984 books in this category.
Category: Chinese Culture
Family Reunion of Shanghai City
As I had departed from Germany in March, my father and brother Andi (18years old) wanted to visit me in China(中国Zhōngguó). As there are no direct flights to Guilin(桂林Guìlín) we decided to have our reunion in Shanghai(上海Shànghǎi). My brother and I met on Thursday in Pudong Airport. I had been waiting for this day for so long and was happy to see him for real.
Huazhong University of Science and Technology 华中科技大学
****************************************************** Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) （华中科技大学：Huázhōnɡ Kējì Dàxué）is located in Wuhan（武汉：Wǔhàn）, the capital city of Hubei Province, in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River（扬子江：Yánɡzǐjiānɡ）. The campus of HUST is beautifully nestled at the foot of Yujia hill and beside the East Lake with green grass scattered all round in 500 hectares of land. It is a key comprehensive university under the direct leadership of the Ministry of Education of P. R. China. The current Minister of Education Prof Zhou Ji, who graduated from this University, is the former president of the University.
The University ranks at the top of China's leading universities in comprehensive strength. It has 36 academic schools and departments covering eleven disciplines: philosophy, economics, law, education, literature, history, agriculture, science, engineering, medicine and management. The University offers a variety of programs, including 75 undergraduate programs, 200 Master programs, 139 doctoral programs and 22 post-doctoral research centers. It has 15 national key disciplines. A number of other leading research centers are located here; 4 National Engineering Research Centers, 4 National Leading Laboratories, 2 National Specialized Laboratories. The University has more than 13, 000 faculty members, of whom over 4, 000 are full time teachers, 16 are academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & the Chinese Academy of Engineering, over 900 are professors. The number of resident students is over 50, 000, of whom more than 17, 000 are graduate students.
Song Ci: to the tune “Magnolia flowers”晏几道：木兰花
晏几道：木兰花Yan Jidao: to the tune "Magnolia flowers" II
秋千院落重帘暮，彩笔闲来题绣户。Double curtains fall in the swing yard at dusk, and color brushes cease to work in her boudoir.
墙头丹杏雨余花，门外绿杨风后絮。Inside the walls, the rain has left over some red apricot flowers, outside the door, the poplar fluffs fly after the wind.
朝云信断知何处？应作襄王春梦去。If faith in dawn clouds (a girl named Xiaoyun) is lost, where to go? I have to make me free from king Xiangwang's springtime dream.
紫骝认得旧游踪，嘶过画桥东畔路。Purple Steed, you know the old paths; neighing you cross a painted bridge on the way across the eastern banks.
Family Reunion in Shanghai of China
On Sunday morning we were picked up at 9am by our local tour guide Nancy for the day trip to Suzhou(苏州Sūzhōu) City. Suzhou is a famed silk production centre and a celebrated retreat brimming with gardens and canals(a canal is a long, narrow stretch of water that has been made for boats to travel along or to bring water to a particular area). The drive by car took us 2 hours. First of all we visited Humble Administrator’s Garden(拙政园Zhuōzhèng Yuán), a garden dating back to the 1500s. The architecture of this place was stunning. The creator of this garden had made use of pavilions, water and plants to become a unity.
Renmin University of China 中国人民大学
****************************************************** Renmin University of China (RUC, also known as the People's University of China)（中国人民大学：Zhōnɡɡuó Rénmín Dàxué） is a key university
Historiographical category 四库全书 shibu 史部
The historiographic category (shibu 史部) is the second of the four categories (sibu 四部) in the traditional system of the Chinese literary categories established during the Southern Dynasties period 南朝 (420~589). In the collectaneum Siku quanshu 四库全书 the category is divided into 15 sub-categories, including various types of proper histories (official biographic-thematic style zhengshi 正史, annalist style biannian 编年, theme-related histories jishi benmo 纪事本末, alternative histories bieshi别史, miscellaneous histories zashi 杂史, extracts shichao 史钞, regional histories zaiji 载记), collections of edicts and memorials (zhaoling zouyi 诏令奏议, shiling 时令), biographies of eminent persons (zhuanji 传记), administrative and descriptive geography (dili 地理), state offices (zhiguan职官) and regulations on such, regulations for all aspects of statecraft (zhengshu 政书), historical critique (shiping 史评), as well as the category of bibliographies (mulu 目录), often based on palace libraries.
Xi’an in China
Last week I spontaneously(spontaneous acts are not planned or arranged, but are done because someone suddenly wants to do them) decided to make a trip to the Xi’an(西安Xī’ān) City. On Friday night my flight took off and it lasted about 100minutes until I arrived at Xi’an airport. I took the airport express bus, which directly takes off in front of the exit. It costs 25RMB per person and transports you into the city center (to Melody Hotel next to the Bell Tower). After checking in I had a good sleep and got up the next morning.
Shanghai’s visa-free policy
Tourists admire the skyline in Shanghai, which allows foreigners to visit for up to 72 hours without a visa. Since the new policy was implemented in January, some 8,300 foreign transit passengers have made use of the policy, according to the city's border inspection department.
Song Ci: “Magnolia flowers” I晏几道：木兰花1
晏几道：木兰花Yan Jidao (1040-1112): to the tune "Magnolia flowers" I
东风又作无情计，艳粉娇红吹满地。Once again the eastwind makes heartless plots, rouge and powder blown down and covering the ground.
碧楼帘影不遮愁，还似去年今日意。The curtain of the green balcony is not able to cover my sadness, just like the year before.
谁知错管春残事，到处登临曾费泪。Who knows what damage such wrong pipes do to spring; climbing every hill, I once shed useless tears.
此时金盏直须深，看尽落花能几醉。In such times we cannot but fill the golden cups, stare at the falling flowers and make us drunk.
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