Culture

As an ancient Chinese saying goes, “Gentlemen of ancient times were strict and critical of themselves,but tolerant and forgiving toward others.” The practice of tolerance and forgiveness requires one to be benevolent, wise, and mature at the same time. Chinese history is peppered with great examples of ancient figures who demonstrated incredible tolerance and forgiveness, despite suffering devastating losses at the hands of others.

One of the core Asian values, filial piety has shaped Chinese culture for thousands of years. It is the bonding force of the family unit, and it in turn strengthens the social fabric of society. Since ancient times, filial piety has been considered amongst the most important values in Chinese culture. Children lacking in filial

According to the Oxford dictionary, ‘compassion’ denotes the “sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others”. Vocabulary.com states that “if someone shows kindness, caring, and a willingness to help others, they’re showing compassion”, and “when you have compassion, you’re putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and really feeling for them”. Is Singapore

In ancient China, a marriage ceremony is a solemn and sacred occasion. Michelle Neo, the co-owner of Chinese Wedding Shop, happily shares her knowledge with anyone who steps into her retail stores. “We will try to explain to them all the customs, all the cultures and everything they wish to know even before they buy

Chinese people are called “hua ren” (華人), but do you know that the word “hua” (華) was derived from the beautiful clothing worn by the Han Chinese? Many people assume qipao (cheongsam) to be the quintessence of traditional Chinese dressing, but qipao is actually the traditional clothing of the Manchus, not the Chinese. The Han Chinese – the largest ethnic

You might’ve heard the axiom that ‘honesty is the best policy’, and that it’s important to be truthful in our daily lives. So, what would you do if you found a wallet on the street? Would you keep it, or would you return it to its rightful owner? In July 2016, a Japanese expatriate was

These infuriating brushes with swindlers dampened my trip in Vietnam. With a sceptical mindset, I grew more wary and began to distrust the people around me. Wouldn’t it be great to be living in a society where people are truthful and sincere? Sincerity and trustworthiness are traditional moral virtues revered by several societies and religions.

Sincerity, trustworthiness and honesty among people create peace of mind and promote relationships of trust. These values form the foundation of a sustainable, peaceful and harmonious society, and constitute the basis for a nation’s survival. In this series, Epoch Times delves into the significance of truthfulness. Why Do You Think Truthfulness Is Important? “Some people cheat

Remember an instance when an artwork or music piece touched your heart? Or perhaps it was a movie or dance performance that stirred your soul? As American novelist Thomas Wolfe once said, “Culture is the arts elevated to a set of beliefs.” Expansive and expressive, the arts encompass performing, visual, literary, applied, as well as

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle. – Plato What Do Singaporeans Value? According to a joint survey conducted by aAdvantage Consulting Group and Barrett Values Centre, out of a list of 10 core values, Singaporeans respondents picked ‘compassion’, ‘caring for the elderly’, and ‘caring for the disadvantaged’ as the most

“The smartest kids, they work so hard in all these classes and they don’t have a lot of time along the way to build their emotional or character competencies. Kids who are competent, but don’t have character, are dangerous.” – Houston Kraft, professional speaker, leadership consultant and kindness advocate We are often selective in showing kindness;

Goh Huck Heng (Goh): Landscape painting (shan shui) is regarded as the highest form of Chinese painting. Artists use a variety of brush strokes called Cun (methods for creating wrinkles) to create the textures of mountains and rocks, like Pi Ma Cun* for creating soft and parallel lines and Juan Yun Cun** that creates curved lines mimicking cirrus. There have been

There are many wonderful stories from ancient China about gentlemen who possessed great wisdom and moral virtue. Many of these stories remain relevant today, and can teach us useful lessons on integrity, humility and having the courage to admit and learn from our mistakes. Being Humble and Tolerant Without Showing Off Xu Rong (许容), who

Yue Fei ( 1103-1141 ) was a general and military expert who lived during the Southern Song Dynasty. He was well-known for mounting a successful defence against the Jin (Jurchen) invaders during that time. Regarded as a Chinese hero, Yue Fei has been deeply respected for his loyalty to his country. While leading the northern

Thanks to the famous novel ‘Journey to the West’ (西游记), the names of Tang Seng (唐僧) and his three disciples – Monkey King Sun Wukong (孙悟空), Pigsy Zhu Bajie (猪八戒) and Sha Wujing (沙悟净) – have been made known to many. Can you still recall how Tang Seng and his three disciples encountered dangerous situations