History is people
Updated: 2016-10-19 08:03
By Mei Jia(China Daily)
|
||||||||
Zhu Liangzhi, professor at Peking University. |
"The classical teachings and beliefs are not dead and cold for Chinese-they're running in Chinese veins and are helping them innovate, make progress and share their wisdom with the world," Ye says.
He and Zhu were deeply moved by the typical Chinese optimism that Sichuan people showed facing the disaster and miseries of the devastating Wenchuan earthquake in 2008.
So they discarded the notion of "talking about every aspect" in their book, and picked four aspects: wisdom and beliefs, creativity and exchanges, art and aesthetics and folk customs.
The book contains a chapter titled "Eternal Smile of Buddha". It mentions sculptures at the Maijishan Grottoes, in Gansu province, created in the first half of the 6th century.
"The main statue has not only a smile on his face but a smile seeming to spread all over his body," the authors write.
"In fact the smiling Buddha was created during one of the most traumatic periods in Chinese history, with endless wars and loss of life," says Zhu.
He adds the smile gave ancient people faith in life and shows typical Chinese wisdom: Since one can't choose to avoid disasters, one can choose how to face them.
Along the same lines, Ye says when they tell about the 12th-century scroll painting Qingming Shanghe Tu (Along the River During the Qingming Festival), they didn't put it in the arts section, but under folk culture.
- Flying club offers bird's-eye view of Pyongyang
- Greeks rally against labor reforms
- New poll shows Clinton's double-digit lead over Trump
- Iraqi forces fighting all out to free Mosul from IS
- Iraqi forces begin major offensive to retake Mosul from IS group
- Thai PM reassures on smooth succession; coronation after king's funeral
- World in photos: Oct 10 - 16
- Fairing fragments of Shenzhou XI found in Shaanxi
- Feast for the eyes: Photo Beijing 2016
- China's Shenzhou spaceship: A proud family
- Journeys toward prosperity
- Female investors rise to top of venture capital companies
- Peng Shuai claims title of women's singles at WTA Tianjin Open
- Birthday celebration held for panda cubs at Toronto Zoo
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Anti-graft campaign targets poverty relief |
Cherry blossom signal arrival of spring |
In pictures: Destroying fake and shoddy products |
China's southernmost city to plant 500,000 trees |
Cavers make rare finds in Guangxi expedition |
Cutting hair for Longtaitou Festival |
Today's Top News
'Zero Hunger Run' held in Rome
Trump outlines anti-terror plan, proposing extreme vetting for immigrants
Phelps puts spotlight on cupping
US launches airstrikes against IS targets in Libya's Sirte
Ministry slams US-Korean THAAD deployment
Two police officers shot at protest in Dallas
Abe's blame game reveals his policies failing to get results
Ending wildlife trafficking must be policy priority in Asia
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |