Yuanqi refers to qi in its original state, with yuan (元) denoting the beginning or the initial point. Yuanqi can neither be defined by shape nor be attributed to yin or yang. It existed prior to the emergence of heaven, earth, and all the things in between. After experiencing certain changes, it was separated into the qi of yin and yang, or that of…
The Jiangxi School of Poetry was the first school of poetry and prose with a formal name in Chinese literary history. It took as its core tenets the notions of “turning a crude poem or essay into a literary gem” and “squeezing new life out of an old sponge,” as proposed by Huang Tingjian (1045-1105), a Southern Song Dynasty poet from Jiangxi Pro…
A person’s creative impulse is triggered by one or more externalities, and after conceptualization and artistic treatment, this results in a work of art. Such externalities include both natural sights and scenes from life which can be directly sensed. Ancient Chinese believed that creation resulted from externalities which evoked a desire to create…