Chinese History & Mythology

In recent years, a term has become increasingly common on Chinese social media: “cutting ties with relatives.” It refers to young people deliberately distancing themselves from their extended families. They do not want to go home for Chinese New Year, deal with relatives pressuring them to marry or have children, or take part in family group chats. Some remain silent in these chats for long periods and only show up when someone sends a digital red envelope. The numbers behind this trend are stark.

In Search of the Supernatural, is a 4th-century Chinese compilation of legends, short stories, and hearsay concerning Chinese gods, ghosts, and other supernatural phenomena in the zhiguai and chuanqi styles. Although the authorship of the book is not made explicit in the text, it is believed to have been written and compiled by Gan Bao, a historian at the court of Emperor Yuan of the Jin dynasty around AD 350. It was reissued in numerous editions, including in 1593. The book usually consists of 464 stories.

In Search of the Supernatural, is a 4th-century Chinese compilation of legends, short stories, and hearsay concerning Chinese gods, ghosts, and other supernatural phenomena in the zhiguai and chuanqi styles. Although the authorship of the book is not made explicit in the text, it is believed to have been written and compiled by Gan Bao, a historian at the court of Emperor Yuan of the Jin dynasty around AD 350. It was reissued in numerous editions, including in 1593. The book usually consists of 464 stories.

Why can a rough, low-budget animated film become a viral sensation and fill theaters across China? Beginning with the unexpected popularity of Niu Lai, this episode traces the ancient roots of China’s “so-bad-it’s-good” entertainment—from pre-Qin court jesters and Han dynasty street performances to Tang storytelling, Song entertainment districts, Ming and Qing folk opera, and today’s memes, livestreams, and scrolling comments. Behind these seemingly “tacky” cultural hits lies a long tradition of grassroots creativity, anti-elitist humor, collective participation, and the powerful vitality of ordinary people.

In Search of the Supernatural, is a 4th-century Chinese compilation of legends, short stories, and hearsay concerning Chinese gods, ghosts, and other supernatural phenomena in the zhiguai and chuanqi styles. Although the authorship of the book is not made explicit in the text, it is believed to have been written and compiled by Gan Bao, a historian at the court of Emperor Yuan of the Jin dynasty around AD 350. It was reissued in numerous editions, including in 1593. The book usually consists of 464 stories.

In Search of the Supernatural, is a 4th-century Chinese compilation of legends, short stories, and hearsay concerning Chinese gods, ghosts, and other supernatural phenomena in the zhiguai and chuanqi styles. Although the authorship of the book is not made explicit in the text, it is believed to have been written and compiled by Gan Bao, a historian at the court of Emperor Yuan of the Jin dynasty around AD 350. It was reissued in numerous editions, including in 1593. The book usually consists of 464 stories.

A typhoon formed deep over the Pacific Ocean and traveled more than 6,000 kilometers across the sea. After making landfall, its winds gradually weakened, but the moisture it carried continued moving deep into China. Zhejiang, Shanghai, Hubei, Henan, and Beijing were hit by heavy rainfall one after another. In some places, just a few hours brought as much rain as would normally fall over a much longer period. Roads turned into rivers, vehicles became trapped, water levels rose, and the risks of flash floods and landslides increased. When weather like this happens today, people turn to satellite images and examine the typhoon’s path, ocean temperatures, wind shear, monsoon moisture, and urban drainage systems. But if a storm of the same scale had struck two thousand years ago, how would people have explained what was happening before their eyes?

What period came after the Three Kingdoms? After the Three Kingdoms, the next period in Chinese history was the Western and Eastern Jin dynasties.

 A woman, a woman who had never gone onto the battlefield and had never taken part in any political decision, had her name used like a match to ignite the fuse of an entire war. This detail is extremely thought-provoking. It reveals a deep logic that runs through the entire Three Kingdoms narrative, and even through all of classical Chinese literature: in war epics written by men, women’s bodies, beauty, and marriages are always bargaining chips in power struggles, tools for political mobilization, and scapegoats for historical failure.

When we open the vast historical scroll of China, or walk through those ancient temples across Asia, surrounded by curling incense smoke, one very unique cultural phenomenon immediately catches our eye. The Chinese system of gods is completely different from the monotheistic systems found in many other civilizations around the world. Here, there is no one and only creator who excludes all other gods, and there is no abstract deity standing high above, completely separated from human emotions. The Chinese world of gods and immortals is more like a huge, well-organized cosmic government, full of human warmth. In this system, the gods have clear duties. They have emotions similar to human beings, such as joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. Some even have detailed life stories and records of promotion. Many figures who truly existed in history were placed on the altar by ordinary people after their deaths because of their outstanding contributions or noble character, and they received worship and incense for generations.

In the story of the Three Kingdoms, the most fascinating parts were never really the flashing blades and clashing weapons on the battlefield. They were the conversations inside military tents, the calculations hidden in letters, and the tests carried out over wine at banquets. In Chinese popular culture, there is a saying: young people should try not to read Water Margin, because that book mainly tells stories of fighting. Water Margin is full of violence, rebellion against the court, brotherhood, revenge, and personal justice. Young people who read it may easily imitate the behavior of those heroes, using violence or brotherly loyalty to solve problems, and may even end up breaking the law. So why do people also say, “Old people should not read Romance of the Three Kingdoms”?

When we peeled back the labels, we found that both of them were far more complex than those simple names. In today’s episode, we are going to change our perspective. We will not talk about the lords, but about the fighters. We will not talk about the people playing the game of chess, but about the pieces charging across the board — the famous military generals in the story of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

In China, there is a very important exam. It can even be said that this exam determines the fate of ninety percent of Chinese people. Why can one exam stir up such enormous social energy?

 A lower-class man who started out selling straw sandals had no money, no territory, and no powerful background. Why was he able to make outstanding men like Guan Yu and Zhang Fei follow him with total loyalty for their entire lives? Why was he able to make a heaven-sent talent like Zhuge Liang devote himself completely until death? Why was he able to make Tao Qian hand over the entire Xuzhou to him? Why was he able to take Yizhou from Liu Zhang, almost by deception, and still make the people of Yizhou feel that he was their savior?

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he is often written as a “treacherous hero”: suspicious, ruthless, skilled in political tricks, and always standing opposite Liu Bei’s image of “benevolence and righteousness.” For many Chinese audiences, when they hear the name  from childhood, what appears in their minds is often not simply a politician or a military strategist, but a complicated, dangerous, intelligent, and even somewhat frightening figure.

How many of you have ever imagined that life in ancient China was probably nothing but darkness after sunset? That the moment the sun went down, everyone immediately went to bed, and the entire country fell into silence. Part of that impression is true, but much more of it is filled with unexpected energy and detail. The nighttime schedule, entertainment, street sounds, lights, and shadows of ancient people actually form a very vivid history of society, economy, and culture. We can follow the timeline, starting from the oldest farming traditions, moving all the way to the flourishing urban life of the Song Dynasty, and then returning to the quieter world of the Ming and Qing dynasties, to take a complete look at what nightlife in ancient China was really like.

Now, in Chengdu, the Later Lord Liu Shan heard that Deng Ai had already captured Mianzhu, and that Zhuge Zhan and his son had both died in battle. He immediately turned pale with shock and hurriedly gathered all the civil and military officials to discuss what to do. Close attendants from the palace came again to report, “Outside the city, the common people are carrying the old and leading the young, crying loudly enough to shake the sky, and fleeing for their lives one after another. The situation is extremely urgent!” When the Later Lord heard this, he completely lost his senses.

In the tenth month of winter, in the fifth year of Jingyao in Shu Han, Great General Jiang Wei ordered men to repair the plank roads through the night, organize military grain and weapons, and transfer boats from the water routes in Hanzhong. After everything was ready, he submitted a memorial to the Later Lord, saying, “I have gone on campaign many times. Although I have not yet achieved great merit, I have already shaken the morale of the Wei army. Now the troops have been maintained for a long time. If they do not fight, they will grow idle, and if they grow idle, they will easily fall ill. Besides, the officers and soldiers have long been eager to try. They are willing to give their lives for the state and build merit. If I do not win, I am willing to accept death.”

In the first month of the second year of Zhengyuan in Wei, Guanqiu Jian, Commander of Yangzhou and General Who Guards the East, heard that Sima Shi had removed and established emperors on his own authority. He was extremely angry. His eldest son, Guanqiu Dian, advised him, “Father, you hold a high regional office. Now Sima Shi controls power alone and has deposed the ruler. The state is as dangerous as a pile of eggs. How can you simply guard yourself in peace?”

There is an old Chinese saying: “A tall tree catches the wind.” In other words, the more successful and visible you become, the more likely you are to attract trouble. Perhaps it was this successful commercial collaboration that brought this previously unremarkable milk tea brand to the attention of the global luxury company Louis Vuitton. So what exactly happened?

Now, when Sima Yi heard that Cao Shuang had taken his trusted followers, the imperial guards, and the Wei ruler Cao Fang out of the city to pay respects at Emperor Ming’s tomb and go hunting along the way, he was overjoyed.

The moment you step outside, it feels like walking into an oven. For us modern people, the first thing we do when we get home is turn on the air conditioner, collapse onto the sofa, and say, “Air conditioning is keeping me alive.” But while feeling that cold air, a very interesting question suddenly came to my mind: in ancient China, when there was no electricity and no compressor at all, how did people survive those blazing hot summers that often lasted for months?

Now, when Jiang Wei saw Wei Yan rush into the tent and knock out Kongming’s life lamp, he was furious and drew his sword to kill him. Kongming quickly stopped him and said, “This is because my fate has reached its end. It is not Wenchang’s fault.” Only then did Jiang Wei put away his sword.

When the generals heard that Kongming would not pursue the Wei soldiers, they all entered the tent and reported, “The Wei soldiers have been trapped by the heavy rain and cannot even set up camp properly. Now that they are withdrawing, this is the perfect chance to pursue them. Chancellor, why do you not pursue?”

Do you know when China’s Ghost Festival is? And do you know what customs it has, and how it developed over history?

In the autumn, in the ninth month of the sixth year of Jianxing in Shu Han, the Wei Commander Cao Xiu was badly defeated at Shiting by Lu Xun, the Grand Commander of Eastern Wu. Warhorses, vehicles, weapons, grain, and supplies were almost all captured by the Wu army. After this defeat, Cao Xiu was terrified and deeply troubled. After returning to Luoyang, a poisonous swelling grew on his back, and in the end, he died of illness. The Wei ruler Cao Rui ordered that he be buried with generous honors.

After Cao Zhen and Guo Huai were defeated, they were in the camp discussing how to drive back the enemy. Guo Huai said to Cao Zhen, “The various tribes of Western Qiang have been sending tribute every year since the time when Cao Cao was still alive, and Emperor Wen also treated them generously. Now we can hold the dangerous passes and send people through small paths into Qiang territory to ask for help. We can promise them gold and silver, and also promise to form a marriage alliance. If the Qiang people are willing to raise troops and attack the Shu army from behind, while we send troops from the front, then with attacks from both sides, we will surely win a great victory.”

Next month, on Wednesday the 19th, it will be Chinese Valentine’s Day. Did you know that? Every year, on the seventh day of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar, many Chinese people celebrate a festival called Double Seventh Festival, the Double Seven Festival.

After Kongming pacified the Southern Barbarians, he led the army back to Shu. Meng Huo brought the cave lords, chiefs, and tribal leaders, large and small, to come forward one after another, bow in thanks, and see him off.

That day, Kongming personally rode in his small carriage and brought several hundred cavalry ahead to scout the road. As they moved forward, they suddenly came upon a large river called the Xi’er River. The water did not flow very fast, but the river was wide, and there were no boats or rafts. For the moment, the troops and horses could not cross.

Right now, people all over the world are watching the World Cup at the same time. Billions of viewers are sitting in front of their screens. Once the whistle of the World Cup blows, the whole world seems to fall into the same rhythm for a while. Some people stay up late to watch the matches. Some study formations. Some are only waiting for the penalty shootout. And some watch the smooth teamwork of the strongest teams while quietly wondering when their own national team will finally let them prove their love without raising their blood pressure. Today, we are going to talk about the traces of soccer in Chinese history.

After Lu Xun of Eastern Wu defeated the Shu army at Xiaoting and Yiling, and then successfully forced back the Wei troops, Sun Quan trusted him even more. He appointed Lu Xun as General Who Supports the State, granted him the title Marquis of Jiangling, and also made him Governor of Jingzhou. From then on, almost all real military power in Eastern Wu fell into Lu Xun’s hands.

After the sacrifices were finished, Ma Liang advised, “Now all the enemies have been executed, and the revenge can be considered complete. Eastern Wu has sent Cheng Bing here. They are willing to return Jingzhou, send Lady Sun back, renew the alliance, and attack Wei together. They are still waiting for Your Majesty’s decision.”

After Liu Bei became emperor, he immediately prepared to raise troops for an eastern campaign against Eastern Wu, to avenge Guan Yu. Zhao Yun stepped forward and advised him, “The true traitors to the state are Cao Ren and Cao Pi, not Sun Quan.

Black-and-white, fluffy fur, and a vegetarian. Almost everyone would immediately think of the  panda. As China’s national-treasure-level animal, it is not an exaggeration to say that in any country, if a zoo has a panda, it can almost guarantee a steady flow of ticket sales. 

When Mi Fang heard that Jingzhou had already fallen, he did not know what to do. Suddenly, someone reported that Fu Shiren, the defender of Gong’an, had arrived. Mi Fang quickly invited him into the city and asked what had happened. Fu Shiren said, “It is not that I am disloyal. The situation was truly desperate, and there was simply no way to defend it. I have already surrendered to Eastern Wu. General, you should surrender early as well.”

Seeing that Huang Zhong was determined to go, Kongming said, “Since you insist on taking this campaign, I will send Fa Zheng with you. Discuss every matter with him before making a decision. I will also arrange reinforcements behind you.” Huang Zhong agreed and set out with Fa Zheng and his troops. Afterward, Kongming said to Liu Bei, “If the old general had not been stirred by this challenge, he might not have achieved much even if he went. Now that he has committed himself, we must secretly support him.” He summoned Zhao Yun and ordered him to take a hidden mountain route with a force of elite troops.

Every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, people across China hold dragon boat races, eat zongzi, and follow many other interesting customs. To understand it, we need to start with where it came from. In fact, the Dragon Boat Festival was not connected to one famous person from the very beginning.

Sun Quan could not stop thinking about Jingzhou. Zhang Zhao offered a plan and said, “The person Liu Bei relies on most now is Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang’s elder brother, Zhuge Jin, serves in Eastern Wu. First, we can place Zhuge Jin’s family under guard. Then send Zhuge Jin to Western Chuan to meet Zhuge Liang and force him to persuade Liu Bei to return Jingzhou. Just tell Zhuge Liang that if Jingzhou is not returned, Zhuge Jin’s family will not be safe. Zhuge Liang values family loyalty and will surely agree.”

Pang Tong and Fa Zheng continued urging Liu Bei to kill Liu Zhang during the banquet. In their view, Western Shu could then be taken with little effort. But Liu Bei firmly refused. “I have only just arrived in Shu,” he said. “I have not yet earned the people's trust or established my reputation. Such a thing must never be done.” No matter how many times they tried to persuade him, Liu Bei would not agree.

These days, we are so surrounded by ads that we are almost numb to them. You unlock your phone and the first thing you see is a notification. You open a webpage and a pop-up jumps right into the middle of the screen. You scroll through short videos and suddenly one cuts in with, “Friends, you have to buy this.” Even when you just want to sit quietly and listen to some music, before the intro is even over, you can get hit with ads for shampoo, insurance, and during election season, even ninety-second campaign ads. Basically, whatever ads a website wants to throw at you, it just keeps cycling them in front of you. So it is very easy to feel that all of this belongs to the modern commercial world, as if advertising could only exist after factories, assembly lines, neon city lights, television, and the internet came along.

Zhou Yu had been defeated by the three forces of Guan Yu, Huang Zhong, and Wei Yan, which Zhuge Liang had arranged in advance, and Eastern Wu’s navy had also suffered considerable losses. Huang Gai and Han Dang quickly helped Zhou Yu back onto a boat. From a distance, Zhou Yu saw Liu Bei and Lady Sun standing on the mountaintop, watching the battle. Shame and anger surged through him. His arrow wound had not yet healed, and now, with rage attacking his heart, the old injury burst open on the spot. He fainted at once. After the generals revived him, they could only escort him back to Chaisang. Zhuge Liang ordered everyone not to pursue, then returned to Jingzhou with Liu Bei to celebrate and reward the soldiers who had made contributions.

Just as Kongming was about to execute Guan Yun Chang according to military law, Liu Bei quickly stepped forward and pleaded for mercy. He said, “Back when the three of us swore brotherhood in the Peach Garden, we vowed to live and die together. Although Yun Chang has violated military law, I truly cannot bear to break the oath we made in those days. I ask that you record his offense for now and spare his life, so that he may atone for it through future service.” After hearing this, Kongming finally agreed to spare Guan Yu.

 If time could move backward and we turned the clock back to the nineteen eighty, what kind of China would you see?

Now, back to Lu Su. Following Zhou Yu’s orders, he went to visit Kongming on his small boat. The moment Lu Su sat down, Kongming smiled and said, “I was just about to congratulate the Commander.”

Now, when Guan Yu released the waters from upstream, Zhang Fei charged out from downstream and cut straight into Cao Ren’s defeated army. The two sides clashed in fierce battle, and Zhang Fei soon ran into Xu Chu. He immediately lowered his spear and attacked. Xu Chu did not dare stay and fight for long, and quickly forced his way out and fled.

Today, we are going to talk about a steaming hot topic: morning markets and night markets in China. I believe many of you may have this habit. You open YouTube and watch videos about Chinese food. In the past two years, as China’s morning market and night market culture has become more visible, more and more creators on YouTube have started filming videos in different Chinese cities, walking through morning markets and night markets and recording what they see. Most of these videos do not have English explanations. They simply record Chinese street food, crowded streets full of people moving around, and the sounds of vendors calling out to customers. At this moment, many people may ask, “Where is this?” In fact, almost every city in China has a few streets like this. In the morning, people gather on these streets for a certain period of time, and then the crowds slowly disappear. When night falls, the same kind of street life appears again.

Liu Bei successfully recovered Fancheng and comforted the people. The county magistrate Liu Mi held a banquet to welcome him. During the banquet, Liu Bei saw a young man standing nearby. His bearing was impressive, so Liu Bei asked about him. Liu Mi answered, “This is my nephew Kou Feng. He was originally the son of the Kou family of Luohou. His parents died early, so he has been raised here with me.” Liu Bei admired his manner and wanted to take him as an adopted son.

Inside the prison, Tian Feng had already expected his death. He told the prison guards, “Yuan Shao appears broad-minded on the outside, but inwardly he is jealous and suspicious. If he had won, perhaps he might have spared me. But now that he has lost, his shame has turned into anger. He will surely kill me to vent his hatred.”

The hidden meaning behind President Donald Trump’s China visit: the Great Hall of the People, the Temple of Heaven, and Zhongnanhai. In mid-May 2026, U.S. President Trump set foot on Chinese soil. As one of the most powerful figures in the world, the schedule of his visit to China carried a strong sense of careful design. During this three-day visit, Xi Jinping took him to three places: the Great Hall of the People, the Temple of Heaven, and Zhongnanhai. These three places represent three different layers of China: the way modern Chinese politics operates, the deepest cosmology of Chinese civilization, and a tradition of state governance that has continued for thousands of years. Behind these places, what kind of civilizational history is hidden, stretching across several millennia? Why would a foreign head of state, after arriving in Beijing, be arranged to enter three completely different places?