Category Archives: Featured
What the perfect MS Windows is like?
Windows 7 has just been released in the market, and it has got a lot of media attention. Still it is just an upgrade of the previous Windows and another step forward on the familiar design track of Microsoft. As time goes by, this will not work very well on this Internet age. Here I offer some advice to MS on how to make a better OS in this Internet age. Read more »
Is Chinese difficult to learn?
Some Oxford-educated English man claims in his blog that China should use an alphabetical writing system, and China’s failing to do so in history partly resulted in the high level of illiteracy. He goes like this： [China failed to invent stuff] Like an alphabet. Really, how hard is that? The Koreans managed to transform their [...]
What is a Fenqing?
Fenqing is a Chinese word which literally means “angry youth”. This word has many translations in English such as cynical youth, young nationalists, hysterical youth and angry young men. I personally like to call them mob youth or ignorant angry youth. It is impossible to understand China without knowing what Fenqing is and what role [...]
The Rise of the Civil Society in the Wake of the Sichuan Earthquake
It has been more than a week since the deadly earthquake struck Sichuan Province. Among the debris, the enormous suffering and the heavy loss of lives, there rises the hope of an emerging civil society. Strong government and a weak society was a prominent feature in Chinese history. China was an agricultural society, and every [...]
Successful Earthquake Predictions in China
CAN AN EARTHQUAKE BE PREDICTED? Can. Period. “Earthquake prediction, though challenging, is not impossible, at least for some earthquakes” — American Geological Institute (AGI) WHAT IS A VALID PREDICTION FOR AN EARTHQUAKE? According to Wikipedia, a meaningful earthquake prediction must have all the following elements: Specific area; Specific magnitude or magnitude range; Specific time window; [...]
The Kang Bed in Northern Chinese Villages
1. What is it? The Kang bed is a sleeping platform widely seen in the villages of Northern China. It is a rectangular construction built on the ground of the room, and is usually located by a window. As its other name—Fire Kang—suggests, it is mainly a heated bed, which is indispensable in the rural [...]
The Top Five Culture Shocks You are Likely to Encounter in China
The five culture shocks listed here are not meant to a slur on my fellow countryman, although regrettably, China does need to improve in some of the areas listed below. Please keep two things in mind when reading this article: China is fast modernizing and many things will eventually get better; do not let these [...]
Confucianism Summed up in Three Hundred Words
This is a very concise summary of Confucius and his thoughts. This is not meant to be comprehensive, but the core ideas of Confucianism are presented here. 1. Who is Confucius? A spiritual leader and teacher born 2500 years ago, Confucius is recognized as a culturally symbolic figure of Chinese thinking. He was the founder [...]