在佛诞日游览法门寺:
2009-05-02
2009-04-27
Genesis of Chinese Numbers
In the history, there are some different sayings about the genesis of Chinese numbers.
Modern scholar Guo Moruo thought that ancient people used fingers to indicate numbers and thus Chinese numbers gradually came into being. Chinese numbers are pictographs: one (), two (), three (), four (), five () ……
Similar to numbers in other languages, Chinese numbers were originated from primitive counting activities of the Han nationality. In ancient China, people also used conches, knots of chord, bamboo, wood and so on as counting tools. Numbers written inJiaguwen(scripts on tortoise shells and animal bones) show chord knotting in primitive counting.
The Chinese numbers of from one to ten, hundred (), thousand (), ten thousand () were evolved from the above-mentionedJiaguwen. With increase of knowledge and development of thinking of ancient people, the number of Chinese numbers kept increasing such as 100 million (), mega- () and so on.
Arabic numerals were induced into China in about the 13th century but it was not until the early 20thcentury that they were widely adopted in people's cultural life.
Modern scholar Guo Moruo thought that ancient people used fingers to indicate numbers and thus Chinese numbers gradually came into being. Chinese numbers are pictographs: one (), two (), three (), four (), five () ……
Similar to numbers in other languages, Chinese numbers were originated from primitive counting activities of the Han nationality. In ancient China, people also used conches, knots of chord, bamboo, wood and so on as counting tools. Numbers written inJiaguwen(scripts on tortoise shells and animal bones) show chord knotting in primitive counting.
The Chinese numbers of from one to ten, hundred (), thousand (), ten thousand () were evolved from the above-mentionedJiaguwen. With increase of knowledge and development of thinking of ancient people, the number of Chinese numbers kept increasing such as 100 million (), mega- () and so on.
Arabic numerals were induced into China in about the 13th century but it was not until the early 20thcentury that they were widely adopted in people's cultural life.
2009-04-26
Tai Ji Quan

Tai Ji Quan is a major division of Chinese martial art. Literally, Tai Ji Quan means "supreme ultimate fist"; Tai means "supreme", Ji means "ultimate", and Quan means "fist."
Tai Ji Quan has its philosophical roots in Taoism and is considered an internal martial art, utilizing internal energy, or Qi, and following the simple principle of "subduing the vigorous by the soft". Taoism is the oldest philosophy in China which is represented by the famous symbol of Yin and Yang which expresses the continuous flow of Qi in a circular motion that generates two opposite forces, plus and minus, which interact and balance each other to bring existence to the physical and metaphysical world.
Tai Ji Quan has its philosophical roots in Taoism and is considered an internal martial art, utilizing internal energy, or Qi, and following the simple principle of "subduing the vigorous by the soft". Taoism is the oldest philosophy in China which is represented by the famous symbol of Yin and Yang which expresses the continuous flow of Qi in a circular motion that generates two opposite forces, plus and minus, which interact and balance each other to bring existence to the physical and metaphysical world.
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