Old Wisdom, New Insights China Plus

Same podcast, same high quality of content!
This season, we'll bring to you cool Chinese sayings, thought-provoking old wisdom and sharp new insights!
A new voice will join the show and explain the sentences in Chinese word by word, so that you'll know how to use them.

What makes an influencer truly influential? Different people might have different answers. But one thing is for sure - if someone's article can turn a place into a popular tourist destination for some one thousand years, the writer is definitely a real KOL. In this episode, let's meet Fan Zhongyan, a top KOL from the Northern Song Dynasty!

One of Fan Zhongyan's most famous sayings is "先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐, which means "to be the first to bear the world's hardship, and the last to enjoy its comforts." As someone who was not only able to write it but also live by it throughout his entire life, Fan Zhongyan was an exceptional person ever since he was young. Listen to the show for more fascinating stories of Fan Zhongyan.

What is your understanding of inner peace? In Chinese, there is a saying "不以物喜, 不以己悲," which means "not to be affected emotionally by the material world, and not to be overly gladdened or saddened by personal gains or losses." Check out this episode to learn more about this ideal state of mind!

What would a rustling and beautiful bamboo forest remind you of? Adorable pandas? Or the Oscar-winning martial arts epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? For many Chinese people, bamboo plants remind them of the perfect Confucian gentlemen and of course China's top bamboo painting artist - Zheng Banqiao. Discover this incredible soul with his stories now!

In this episode, Zheng Banqiao's story continues. On top of being a great artist, the man was also a diligent official, the kind that would use his own money to help the people. Speaking of the people, why would the rustling sound of bamboo plants remind him of the wellbeing of the people? Listen to this episode to find out.