Liu Ling: The Alcoholic 刘伶病酒

Liu Ling was an ancient Chinese Daoist poet notorious for his love of alcohol, who, according to legend, asked that he be buried with a gourd of wine after his death.

He is known as one of The Seven Sages of Bamboo Grove.

The following story comes from ‘A New Account of Tales of the World’ (Shi Shuo Xin Yu).

Liu Ling was ill after drinking too much wine, but he still wanted to drink some more, so he asked his wife for it.

After pouring out all the wine and smashing the vessels, his wife pleaded with tears in her eyes, “You're drinking far too much. It's not the way to preserve your life. You'll have to stop drinking."

Ling said, "Fine. But I find it very hard to stop by myself. It can only be done if I pray to the ghosts and spirits and take an oath that I'll stop it. So you may get ready the wine and meat for the sacrifice."

His wife said, "As you said," and setting out wine and meat before the spirits, requested Ling to pray and take his oath.

Ling knelt down and prayed, "Heaven produced Liu Ling, and took 'wine' for his name. At one gulp he will down a gallon - five dipperfuls to ease the hangover. As for this woman's complaint, be careful not to listen."

He then finished off the wine and meat, and soon he was drunk again.

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刘伶是中国古代以爱喝酒而闻名的道家诗人。传说他要求死后以酒陪葬。

他是有名的竹林七贤之一。以下故事来自《世说新语》。

刘伶病酒，渴甚，从妇求酒。

妇捐酒毁器，涕泣谏曰：“君饮太甚，非摄生之道，必宜断之！”

伶曰：“甚善。我不能自禁，唯当祝鬼神自誓断之耳。便可具酒肉。”

妇曰：“敬闻命。”供酒肉于神前，请伶祝誓。

伶跪而祝曰：“天生刘伶，以酒为名，一饮一斛，五斗解酲。妇人之言，慎不可听！”

便引酒进肉，隗然已醉矣。

The Lovelorn Spirit 巨鹿石氏女

The following story is from the book Random Notes on the Living and Nether Worlds by Liu Yiqing (403-444). Liu was famous for his another book entitled ‘A New Account of Tales of the World’ (Shi Shuo Xin Yu).

Pang Ah of Julu was a very handsome man. A daughter of the Shi family in that district saw Pang in her family hall and fell in love with him at the first sight. When later she was seen calling on Pang, his wife became extremely jealous. One day, hearing the girl coming, Pang’s wife instructed the maids tie her up and take her home; but on the way the young lady vanished like smoke. The maids reported this to the girl’s family.

The girl’s father was astounded. ‘My daughter has not left the house,’ he said. ‘How dare you slander us like this?’

But Pang’s father watched his son carefully, and discovered the girl in his study one night. He seized her himself and went to the Shi family.

When the girl’s father saw her, he was surprised. ‘I have just come from a inner room,’ he said. ‘I saw my daughter there working with her mother. How can she be here?’

Ho told his servant to call his daughter out, and the moment the girl appeared the other vanished. The puzzled father told his wife to investigate, and the girl explained, ‘Last year when Pang came to visit at our family hall, I had a chance to peep at him. I have dreamed ever since of going to his home, and had been caught by his wife when I went in.’

‘Well, I have never seen such strange happenings!’ exclaimed her father. When a spirit is deeply involved, it can assume any form it chooses. So what vanished was her spirit after all.

Since then the girl resolved not to marry anyone else. A year later, however, Pang’s wife contracted a strange disease which proved incurable. Then Pang sent gifts to the Shi family and married their daughter.

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一下故事来自刘义庆（403-444）的《幽明录•巨鹿石氏女》。刘义庆以写《世说新语》而出名。

“巨鹿有庞阿者，美容仪。同郡石氏有女，曾内睹阿，心悦之。未几，阿见此女来诣阿，阿妻极妒，闻之，使婢缚之，送还石家，中路遂化为烟气而灭。婢乃直诣石家，说此事。

石氏之父大惊，曰：‘我女都不出门，岂可毁谤如此？’

阿父自是常加意伺察之。居一夜，方值女在斋中，乃自拘执以诣石氏。

石氏父见之，愕眙曰：‘我适从内来，见女与母共作，何得在此？’

即令婢仆于内唤女出，向所缚者，奄然灭焉。父疑有异，故遣其母诘之。女曰：‘昔年庞阿来厅中，曾窃视之。自尔彷佛即梦诣阿，及入户，即为妻所缚。’

石曰：‘天下遂有如此奇事！’夫精神所感，灵神为之冥著。灭者，盖其魂神也。

既而女誓心不嫁。经年，阿妻忽得邪病，医药无征，阿乃授币石氏女为妻。”

Zhang Liang: A Teachable Young Man 张良：孺子可教

Zhang Liang was a distinguished statesman of the early Western Han (207BC -25) period. Zhang was the descendant of a noble family of State of Han during the Warring States Period - his father, grandfather and great-grandfather (a total of five generations) were all royal officials of the state of Han. He later joined Liu Bang in 208 BC to rebel against the rule of Qin and helped him establish the Han Dynasty, after which he soon retired and became a practitioner of Daoism.

Zhang Liang was considered one of the Three Pillars of Liu Bang's victory, along with the Han Xin, the grand-general of Han forces and Xiao He, the first Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty.

Here is a story about him recorded in the ‘Records of the Grant Historian’

One day when he was leisurely walking along a river near a bridge at Xia Pi, an elderly man in homespun approached, suddenly took off his shoe and dropped it under the bridge. He turned to Zhang and said, ‘Young man, go down and fetch it for me.’

Zhang was astonished, thinking of hitting the old man. However, he controlled himself on account of the other’s old age and went down to fetch the shoe. The old man then said, ‘Put it on for me.’ Since Zhang already fetched the shoe, When Zhang complied, the old man proceeded to lee knelt down to put it on. The old man just stretched out his foot for it and then going away with a laugh. Zhang looked at him in amazement.

After going some distance, the old man turned back and said, ‘You can be taught, young man! Meet me here five days from now at dawn.’ Zhang’s curiosity was aroused, and he knelt down and answered, ‘I will.’

Five days later Zhang Liang went back to the place at dawn. However, the old man was there before him. The old man said angrily, ‘Why are coming late for appointment with an old man? Come earlier five days from now.’ With that he left.

This time Zhang Liang got up early, but still the old man beat him to the clock. The old man was angry again, ‘Late again. Why? Come earlier five days from now.’ With that again he left.

This time, Zhang got up in midnight and went to wait at the bridge. The old man came shortly. He said approvingly, ‘That’s right.’ He took out a book and said, ‘Read this book and you will become the teachers of kings. Ten years from now you will make it big. Thirteen years from now you will see me again as the yellow rock at the foot of Mount Gucheng, north of the River Ji.’ Without another word he left and did not appear again.

When the day broke, Zhang examined the book and found that it was The Grand Duke’s Art of War. Prizing the book, he read it again and again.

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张良是西汉（公元前207年到公元25年）名臣。张良是战国时期韩国的贵族后代。他的父亲、祖父及曾祖五代都是韩国朝廷重臣。他后来加入刘邦的队伍，帮他成立汉朝。事成后退休，成为一个道学者。

张良是刘邦成事的‘汉家三杰’之一。另两名是汉军的大将军韩信与汉朝开国宰相萧何。

以下是《史记》记载有关张良的一个故事。

良尝从容步游于下邳圯上，有一老父，衣褐，至良所，直堕其履圯下，顾谓良曰：“孺子，下取履！”

良愕然，欲欧之，为其老，强忍，下取履。父曰：“履我！”良业为取履，因长跪履之。父以足受，笑而去。良殊大惊，随目之。

父去里所，复还，曰：“孺子可教矣。后五日平明，与我会此。”良因怪之，跪曰：“诺。”

五日平明，良往。父已先在，怒曰：“与老人期，后，何也？”去，曰：“后五日早会。”五日鸡鸣，良往。父又先在，复怒曰：“后，何也？” 去，曰：“后五日复早来。”

五日，良夜未半往。有顷，父亦来，喜曰：“当如是。”出一编书，曰：“读此则为王者师矣。后十年兴，十三年孺子见我济北，谷城山下黄石即我矣。”遂去，无他言，不复见。

旦日视其书，乃《太公兵法》也。良因异之，常习诵读之。

Shang People: Offspring of a Black Bird 殷商人的祖先：玄鸟

The Shang Dynasty was, according to traditional sources, the second Chinese dynasty, after the Xia Dynasty.

The decline of the Xia Empire led to the rise of Shang as the leading state in the Empire. The clan totem of Shang was the bird. In the Yen Ben Zhi chapter of The Records of the Grant Historian (Shiji), it is written that the mother of Xie, the founder of Shang was impregnated by a Black Bird:

"Three ladies including Jian Di went to take a bath. They saw that a black bird dropped an egg. Jian Di took and devoured it, became impregnated and gave birth to Xie. Xie grew up, assisted Yu in his work to control the flood with success."

The use of the "black bird", as the father of Xie, relates to the "black bird" as a popular totem of ethnic groups in China. This passage indicates that the founders of Shang were of mixed origin.

The Book of Poems also praised that the sacred bird was sent down from Heaven, and gave birth to the first Shang King. The King thereby justified his authority by proclaiming that he had divine right to rule over his people.

Heaven commissioned the Black Bird,

To descend and give birth to [the father of our] Shang.

[His descendants] dwelt in the land of Yin, and became great.

[Then] long ago God appointed the martial Tang,

To regulate the boundaries throughout the four quarters.

[In those] quarters he appointed the princes,

And grandly possessed the nine regions [of the kingdom].

The first sovereign of Shang,

Received the appointment without any element of instability in it,

And it is [now] held by the descendant of Wu-ding.

The descendant of Wu-ding,

Is a martial king, equal to every emergency.

Ten princes, [who came] with their dragon-emblazoned banners,

Bear the large dishes of millet.

The royal domain of a thousand li,

Is where the people rest;

But there commence the boundaries that reach to the four seas.

From the four seas they come [to out sacrifices];

They come in multitudes; -

Jing has the He for its outer border.

That Yin should have received the appointment [of Heaven] was entirely right;

[Its sovereign] sustains all its dignities.

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据传统资料，商朝是夏朝后的中国的第二个朝代。

夏朝的衰落导致商成为强大的国家。商的族群图腾是鸟。据《史记•殷本纪》记载，商的始祖契的母亲简狄是被玄鸟受孕所生。

“三人行浴，见玄鸟堕其卵，简狄取吞之， 因孕生契。契長而佐禹治水有功。”

以玄鸟为契父，与中国古代族群普遍用玄鸟为图腾有关。上面的记载显示商朝始祖来源混杂。

《诗经•商颂•玄鸟篇》亦赞颂上天把玄鸟送来并生下商王。商王以此来表明上天给他统治的权利。

《诗经•商颂•玄鸟篇》

天命玄鸟，降而生商，宅殷土芒芒。

古帝命武汤，正域彼四方。

方命厥后，奄有九有。

商之先后，受命不殆，在武丁孙子。

武丁孙子，武王靡不胜。

龙旗十乘，大糦是承。

邦畿千里，维民所止，肇域彼四海。

四海来假，来假祁祁。

景员维河，殷受命咸宜，百禄是何。

Meng Jiangnu: The Saddest Cry in the World 孟姜女：天下第一哭

The story of Meng Jiangnu, spread through many regions of China for more than 2,000 years, is perhaps the most popular folktale concerning the Great Wall of China.

The Great Wall of China was built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire during the rule of successive dynasties. The most famous is the wall built between 220 BC and 200 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. It is estimated that between 2 to 3 million people had lost their lives building the Great Wall, and many more died by defending her.

The story of Meng Jiangnu's deep affection for her husband has moved many Chinese people and they call her cry ‘The saddest cry in the world’.

In Chinese, Meng means the eldest, and Jiang apparently refers to a family name. Meng Jiangnu therefore means the Jiang family’s eldest daughter. The most complete version of story was told by Feng Menglong of Ming dynasty in his book ‘Love Tales in History’.

Meng Jiang, lived during the Qin dynasty, was the eldest daughter of a rich family. She was just married to Fan Qiliang. On the third day of her marriage, Fan was taken away to build the Great Wall. Winter came but Fan did not return. Meng made some warm clothes for her husband and decided to take them to him. She came to the construction site and was then told that Fan had died. She was so heartbroken that she stumbled, cried loudly till the earth was shaken.

The Great Wall collapsed and exposed the bones and bodies of many dead men. However, it was impossible to identify Fan’s body. Meng cut her fingers and dripped her blood on the dead one by one until her blood flowed into one. Knowing that this was her husband, she carried the body home. However, she was exhausted upon reaching Tong Guan, which was still far away from her home. She knew that she could not make it home, so she placed the dead body at the foot of a mountain and sat there silently until she died.

The people of Tong Guan were so touched by her chastity that they constructed her sculpture as a memorial to honour her.

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孟姜女的故事在中国很多地区传播超过两千年，可能是有关万里长城的故事中最出名的。

万里长城是为了保卫中国北方领土而从公元前五世纪至十六世纪由各个朝代不断建筑、重建与修理而成的。其中最出名的城墙是在公元前220年至200年间由中国的第一位皇帝秦始皇建造的。据估计，有两百到三百万人为了建造这座长城而丧失生命，还有很多人为了保护它而死亡。

孟姜女对她丈夫的深情的故事深深地感动了人们，而她的哭被称为‘天下第一哭’。

孟是排行老大的意思，姜才是姓氏，所以孟姜女指的是姜家的长女。明代冯梦龙（原刊本署“詹詹外史”）在他的《情史》（全称《情史类略》，又名《情天宝鉴》）中的《孟姜》讲得最完整：

“秦孟姜，富人女也，赘范杞梁。三日，夫赴长城之役，久而不归，为制寒衣送之，至长城，闻知夫已故，乃号顿足，哭声震地。

城崩，寻夫骸骨，多难认，啮指血滴之，入骨不可拭者，知其为夫骨，负之而归。至潼关，筋骨已竭，知不能还家，乃置骸岩下，坐于旁而死。

潼关人重其节义，立像祀之。”

Fan Li: Know the Pattern of Advance and Withdrawal 范蠡：知进退

Fan Li was an advisor in the state of Yue in the Spring and Autumn Period (722-481 BC). In 494 BC, Goujian, the King of Yue State, decided to start a war against the Wu State, Yue’s northern neighbour. Fan Li advised the king not to start the war, but the king did not listen. The Yue State lost the war. Fan Li followed Goujian to the Wu State as hostages. Three years later they came back and he helped Goujian to carry on a reform. At last Yue was able to defeat the state of Wu.

After Goujian became king, Fan Li felt that it was unsuitable for him to stay on as an advisor. He resigned and renamed himself Tao Zhu Gong (Lord Tao Zhu). He became a successful businessman in his later years and was famous as a rich person.

Here is a letter he wrote to his friend Wen Zhong advising him to desert the King as well. Wen Zhong did not listen to Fan’s advice and was finally forced by the King to kill himself.

I have learned that just as there are four seasons in a year, with summer brave and winter bare, there are also vicissitudes in man’s life. When good luck reaches its limit, misfortune is destined to follow. If there is one who knows well when to advance and when to withdraw and in the meanwhile always remains righteous and upright, he should be esteemed as man of virtue and wisdom, shouldn’t he? Humble as I am, I have come to know this regular pattern of advance and withdrawal. When high-flying birds have all flown away, strong bows will be cast; and when cunning hares have all been hunted, fleeing hounds will be cooked as food.

And now let us have a look at the King of Yue – long-necked and beak-mouthed, hawk-eyed and wolf-footed. He is a man with whom you can weather difficult times together but not happiness; with whom you can weather danger together but not live peace together. If you don’t leave him now, he will harm you sooner or later. Isn’t it clear enough?

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范蠡是春秋时代（公元前722年至481年）越国的大臣。公元前494年，越王勾践决定攻打北部的吴国。范蠡规劝越王不要发动战争，可是越王不听。越国战败。范蠡随勾践到吴国为人质。三年后，他们归国，范蠡协助勾践改革。最后，越国把吴国打败。

勾践成为国君后，范蠡觉得不适合继续为大臣。他辞去并改名为陶朱公。晚年他成为一个成功商人，是一个著名的富豪。

这里是他写给他的朋友文种的一封信，劝他离开越王。文种不听范蠡的劝告，结果为越王所逼而自杀。

吾闻天有四时，春生冬伐；人有盛衰，泰终必否。知进退存亡而不失其正，惟贤人乎！蠡虽不才，明知进退。高鸟已散，良弓将藏；狡兔已尽，良犬就烹。

夫越王为人，长颈鸟啄，鹰视狼步。可与共患难，而不可共处乐；可与履危，不可与安。子若不去，将害于子，明矣。

Zodiac Animal: Ox 生肖动物：牛

In Chinese calendar, 2009 is the year of the earth ox. It started on the Chinese New Year, which was on 26 January 2009.

The ox is the second sign of the Chinese zodiac and signifies time for hard work and smart moves from the honest approach; slow and steady wins the race in the end! Earth favours those who are tied to the land, such as wine and fruit, organic foods, and those who do a lot of routine work, deal with practical matters or perform work of a spiritual nature.

Based on the characteristics of both earth and ox, it could be a very good year for those with careers in services business, construction, engineering, health, academic, planning and great for entrepreneurs with a soulful heart.

Generally speaking, people who are born in the years of ox are supposed to be bright, peace-loving, often easy-going and trusting. But, on the other hand, they can also be stubborn, methodical, and fiercely competitive, with, shudder, fierce tempers to boot.

There is a legend about ox as a river god.

During the Warring States Period (476 – 221 BC), Li Bing, the magistrate of Shu (Sichuan), made history by building Dujiangyan, the irrigation infrastructure which is still in use today. It irrigates over 5,300 square kilometers of land in the region.

According to a wide-spread story about him, there was a river god in the region who insisted on marrying two little girls each year. With the interests of the people at heart, Li Bing decided to marry his own daughter to the river god. On the wedding day, Li Bing went to the temple where the marriage was to take place to scold the river god for its harmful deeds. Then both Li Bing and river god disappeared suddenly. After quite a while, people saw two oxen having a ferocious battle on the river bank. Li Bing returned in the anteroom to tell his subordinates the ox to the south with white colour on its waist was him. The subordinates stabbed the ox to the north to death. That was the river god.

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在农历里，2009年是土牛年。土牛年从农历新年，也就是2009年1月26日开始。

牛排在生肖的第二位。牛年表示是勤劳、伶俐而诚实地处事的时刻到了，最后的胜利属于那些缓慢而稳健的人。五行中的土有利于那些从事同土有关的员工，例如从事有关酒与果实、有机食物行业的人，或那些从事事务性工作、实际问题或心灵性质工作的人们。

以牛与土这两种特性来看，牛年有利于那些从事服务业、建筑、工程、健康、学术、策划的人员，也有利于那些有高尚情操的企业家。

一般来说，那些出生于牛年的人，聪明、爱好和平、随意与值得信任。可是，从另一个角度来看，他们可以十分固执、组织化、竞争性很强，容易显露暴躁的脾气。

这里有一个有关牛作为河神的故事。

战国时代（公元前476 – 221），蜀（今四川）郡守李冰以建造都江堰而闻名于历史。都江堰这个灌溉构造系统至今还在使用中，为周围5，300平方公里的土地灌溉。

根据一个广为流传有关李冰的传说，一个河神规定人们每年要奉献两名少女给它为妻。为了百姓的利益，李冰决定把自己的女儿嫁给河神。婚礼当天，李冰到举行婚礼的庙堂，痛骂河神之伤天害理行为。突然间，李冰与河神一起消失。一会儿后，人们看到两只牛在河岸激烈战斗。李冰回到接待室告诉他的手下在南面有白色腰部的牛是他本人。李冰手下于是尽力把北面的牛刺杀死去。那死去的真正是河神。

Cutting Up a Cow 庖丁解牛

A dominant theme in the Chinese aesthetics is the notion of gongfu, which refers to the need to have a long time physical and spiritual training and constant practices to achieve a result that is supposed to come across with perfect and natural ease.
Here is a story told by Zhuangzi about Cook Ding cutting up oxen to illustrate the notion of gongfu:
Cook Ding was cutting up a cow for Duke Wenhui. Every blow of his hand, every heave of his shoulder, every tread of his foot, every thrust of his knee, every sound of the rending flesh, and every note of the movement of the chopper were in perfect harmony - rhythmical like the dance of ‘The Mulberry Grove,’ simultaneous like the chords of the ‘Ching Shou’. (‘The Mulberry Grove’ and ‘Ching Shou’ are two pieces of beautiful antique music.)
‘Ah, admirable,’ said the prince, ‘that your art should become so perfect!’
The cook laid down his chopper and replied: ‘What I love is Dao, which is more advanced than art. When I first began to cut up cows, what I saw was a simply whole cow. When I first began to clean, what I saw was simply a whole mess. After three years' practice, I saw no more cow as whole. At present, I work with my mind, but not with my eyes. The functions of my senses stop; my spirit dominates. Following the natural veins, my chopper slips through the great cavities, slides through the great openings, taking advantage of what is already there. I did not attempt the central veins and their branches, and the connectives between flesh and bone, not to mention the great bones. A good cook changes his chopper once a year, because he cuts. An ordinary cook changes his chopper once a month, because he hacks. Now my copper has been in use for nineteen years; it has cut several thousand cows; yet its edge is as sharp as if it just came from the whetstone. At the joints there are always interstices, and the edge of the chopper is without thickness. If we insert that which is without thickness into an interstice, there is certainly plenty of room for it to move along! Nevertheless, when I come to a complicated joint, and see that there will be some difficulty, I proceed anxiously and with caution. I fix my eyes on it. I move slowly. Then by a very gentle movement of my chopper, the part is quickly separated, and yields like earth crumbling to the ground. Then standing with the chopper in my hand, I look all around, with an air of triumph and satisfaction. Then I wipe my chopper and put it in its sheath.’
‘Excellent,’ said the prince, ‘from the words of this cook, I learned the ways of cultivating life.’
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中国美学中的一个重要的概念是‘功夫’，指需要长时间的体格与精神锻炼，与不间断的练习，而达到的完美与自然天成的结果。

庄子就以《庖丁解牛》来说明功夫的概念。

庖丁为文惠君解牛，手之所触，肩之所倚，足之所履，膝之所踦，砉然向然，奏刀騞然，莫不中音。合于《桑林》之舞，乃中《经首》之会。

文惠君曰：“嘻，善哉！技盖至此乎？”

庖丁释刀对曰：“臣之所好者道也，进乎技矣。始臣之解牛之时，所见无非牛者。三年之后，未尝见全牛也。方今之时，臣以神遇而不以目视，官知止而神欲行。依乎天理，批大郤，导大窾，因其固然，技经肯綮之未尝，而况大軱乎！良庖岁更刀，割也；族庖月更刀，折也。今臣之刀十九年矣，所解数千牛矣，而刀刃若新发于硎。彼节者有间，而刀刃者无厚；以无厚入有间，恢恢乎其于游刃必有余地矣，是以十九年而刀刃若新发于硎。虽然，每至于族，吾见其难为，怵然为戒，视为止，行为迟。动刀甚微，謋然已解，如土委地。提刀而立，为之四顾，为之踌躇满志，善刀而藏之。”

文惠君曰：“善哉，吾闻庖丁之言，得养生焉。”

Chongyang Festival 重阳节

The 9th day of the 9th lunar month is the traditional Chongyang Festival, or Double Ninth Festival. It usually falls in October. This year, the Chongyang Festival was on 26 Oct.

The Chongyang Festival is also a time when chrysanthemum blooms. So enjoying the flourishing chrysanthemum also becomes a key activity on this festival. Also, people will drink chrysanthemum wine. Women used to stick such a flower into their hair or hang its branches on windows or doors to avoid bad luck.

In 1989, the Chinese government declared the Double Ninth Festival as the Seniors' Day. A scholar in the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) described how the Festival is celebrated:

On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, people take wine glasses, teapots and food boxes and go up the mountains. All the mountains in the Xiangshan range are high. In these mountains are Fazang Temple with all a tall pagoda; Xianling Temple and Baoguo Temple, both elevated structures. Monks do not go up the mountains, but common people rent mountain gardens and pavilions or go to the pleasure haunts in the mountains to have fun.

The pastry shops sell cakes sprinkled with dates and chestnuts as thick as stars in a night sky. These cakes are called huagao – flower cakes. Pastry shop owners usually put colourful paper flags on their cakes. The flags are called ‘flower cake flags’. On that day, parents expect their married daughters to return home to eat flower cakes. If the daughter cannot come, the mother will complain, the daughter will be filled with sadness, and the younger sister will weep because she really wants to enjoy this rare chance to see her sister. Thus, this day is also called Daughter’s Day.

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九月九日是传统的重阳节，也叫双九节。通常是在阳历十月。今年的重阳节在十月二十六日。

重阳节正是菊花盛开的时刻。所以欣赏茂盛的菊花是这个节日主要的活动。人们也和菊花酒。妇人常爱把菊花插在头上，或把它的枝叶插在窗口或门上以避恶运。

1989年，中国政府宣布双九节为老人节。明朝 (1368 – 1644) 学者如此记载庆祝重阳节的情景：

明刘侗、于奕正《帝京景物略•春场》：

“九月九日，载酒具、茶炉、食榼，曰登高。香山诸山，高山也；法藏寺，高塔也；显灵宫、报国寺，高阁也，释不登。凭园亭，闯坊曲为娱耳。

面饼种枣栗其面，星星然，曰花糕。糕肆标彩旗，曰花糕旗。父母家必迎女来食花糕，或不得迎，母则垢，女则怨诧，小妹则泣，望其姐姨，亦曰女儿节。”

Smart When Young 小时了了

Kong Rong (Kong Wenju 153 – 208) was a bureaucrat, poet, and minor warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. A well-known story commonly used to educate children even nowadays on the values of courtesy and fraternal love involves the four-year-old Kong Rong giving up the larger pears to his elder and younger brothers. This story is also mentioned in the Three Character Classic, a text used for elementary education since the Song Dynasty.

Kong Rong showed his quick wits since his young age. Here is a story recorded about him in ‘A New Account of Tales of the World’ (Shi Shuo Xin Yu).

Kong Wenju came to Luoyang with his father when he was ten.

At that time Li Yuanli (110-169) enjoyed great prestige in Luoyang as the Attorney-General. Only prominent figures or his close relatives were allowed to visit him.

Wenju approached his gate and said to the door man, ‘I’m a relative of Mr Li.’

After he was allowed in and sat down, Li asked him, ‘How is it that you are my relative?’

Wenju replied, ‘Long ago, my ancestor Confucius called your ancestor Laozi (note: Laozi’s surname is said to be Li) by the title of Master, therefore you and I have a relationship spanning many generations.’

Li and his guests were impressed by his reply. A while later, Chen Wei, an adviser of the Emperor, came and other told him the words of the boy. He uttered, ‘Being smart at a young age doesn’t mean he’ll be somebody when he grows up.’

Wenju answered, ‘I’m sure you must be smart when you were young.’

Chen was choked up.

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孔融(孔文举153-208) 是东汉三国时期的官僚、诗人、小军阀。他四岁时让梨给兄弟的故事至今还是教育儿童礼让与友爱的有名教材。三字经就有提到这个故事。

他从小就显示才智过人。这里是《世说新语》里记录有关他的一个故事。

孔文举年十岁，随父到洛阳。

时李元礼（110-169）有盛名，为司隶校尉。诣门者，皆俊才清称及中表亲戚乃通。

文举至门，谓吏曰：“我是李府君亲。”

既通，前坐。元礼问曰：“君与仆有何亲?”

对曰：“昔先君仲尼与君先人伯阳有师资之尊，是仆与君奕世为通好也。”

元礼及宾客莫不奇之。太中大夫陈韪后至，人以其语语之，韪曰：“小时了了，大未必佳。”文举曰：“想君小时必当了了。”

韪大踧踖。