The Two-Han Period 206 BCE–220 CE (about 400 years)

the Western or Former Han (206 B.C.–9 A.D.) 西汉 /前汉

The Western Han capital, Chang'an in present-day Shaanxi Province—a monumental urban center laid out on a north-south axis with palaces, residential areas, and two bustling market areas—was one of the two largest cities in the ancient world (Rome being the other). (49)

the Eastern or Later Han (25–220 A.D.) 东汉 /后汉

City of Luoyang

Two-capital system

Big Five DynastiesOver 250 years

国祚【 guózuò 】blessing; the throne.

Destiny of a nation

Han-206 BCE – 220 CE

Tang-618–907 Song-960 and 1279 Ming-1368 to 1644 Qing-1644 to 1912

楚漢相爭 206 BC–202 BCChu–Han Contention (Ebrey 49)

刘邦【 liúbāng 】 the first emperor of Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220)

Liu Bang’s reign: 202 BC-195 BC A minor official under the

Qin rule, Liu Bang was escorting some convicts or prisoners assigned to Mount Li to build the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang. Overnight, some prisoners escaped. Liu assembled his remaining prisoners, telling them he would free them if they followed him…Then he became a rebel against the Qin Rule.

The Tragedy of Xiang Yu"Hegemon-King of Western

Chu" Xiang Yu boasted

400,000 troops The tragedy of Xiang Yu

lies in that as someone whose talents are to be used or utilized by others, Xiang Yu accidently sits on the hot seat to employ others…

Wang Liqun 王立群 Chinese professor at

Henan University

Banquet at Hongmen (206 BCE)Read The Basic Annals of Xiang Yu online

After his victory in the Battle of Julu which wiped out the main Qin army (207 BC), Xiang Yu prepared for an invasion on Guanzhong 关中 , the heartland of China. In the winter of 207 BC, the last (3rd) Qin ruler Ziying 子婴 (on the throne for 46 days) surrendered to Liu Bang's army in Xianyang 咸阳 . When Xiang Yu arrived at Hangu Pass, the eastern gateway to Guanzhong, he saw that the pass was occupied by Liu Bang's troops, a sign that Guanzhong was already under Liu's control.

Liu's left general Cao Wushang 曹无伤 sent a messenger to see Xiang Yu, reporting that Liu Bang would become King of Guanzhong, with Ziying appointed as Liu's Prime Minister. (CR8_80-86)

What makes Xiang Yu?What breaks Xiang Yu?

Mao Kun 茅坤 in the Ming dynasty remarks, while the Battle of Julu (207 BCE) marks the most glorious moment in Xiang Yu’s life; it actually became the most glorious chapter for the Governor of Pei (Jiangxu province).

The agreement between Xiang Yu and Liu Bang being that whoever conquered Xianyang 咸阳 , capital of Qin, first will be the king…

破釜沉舟【 pòfǔchénzhōu 】 break the cauldrons and sink the boats (after crossing)

《孙子兵法· “九地》： 焚舟 破釜，若驱群羊而往，驱而

”来，莫知所之。

The Art of War 11.39: He burns his boats

and breaks his cooking pots; like a shepherd driving a flock of sheep, he drives his men this way and that, and none knows wither he is going.

Page 52-53

After crossing River Zhang, Xiang Yu asked his soldiers to break all their cooking pots and burn all their boats, with each carrying only three days’ rations/food, thus leaving his troops with no options but fight to death;

As a result, the Chu army wiped the main Qin army (207 BCE).

項莊舞劍意在沛公 CR8-83【 xiàngzhuāngwǔjiànyìzàipèigōng】

Xiang Zhuang performed the sword dance as a cover-up for his attempt on Liu Bang's life - act with a hidden motive.

The Banquet at Hongmen 鸿门宴 Refers to a dinner party that harbors evil

designs or malicious intentions Role of Fan Zeng:

Hongmen Banquet (206 BCE)

垓下之战【 gāixià zhīzhàn】The Battle of Gaixia in 202 BCE

“Oriental Waterloo” at Gaixia, He County, Anhui Province

四面楚歌 : four sides, Chu songs

【 sìmiànchǔgē 】be besieged on all sides; be utterly isolated.

霸王别姬【 bàwángbiéjī 】Farewell to My Concubine

Lady Yu joined her voice with his. Tears streamed down his face…

Song of Gaixia 《垓下歌》

My strength plucked up the hills,My might shadowed the world;

But the times were against me,And Dapple runs no more;

When Dapple runs no more,What then can I do?

Ah, Yu, my Yu,What will your fate be?

力拔山兮氣蓋世 , 時不利兮騅不逝。 騅不逝兮可奈何！ 虞兮虞兮奈若何！

四面楚歌【 sìmiànchǔgē 】 be besieged on all sides; be utterly isolated

In 202 BC, Han armies led by Liu Bang, Han Xin and Peng Yue attacked Western Chu from three sides and trapped Xiang Yu's army, which was low on supplies, in the Battle of Gaixia. Liu ordered his troops to sing folk songs from the Chu region, to create a false impression that Xiang's native land of Chu had been conquered by the Han forces. The morale of the Chu army plummeted and many of Xiang's troops deserted in despair. Xiang sank into a state of depression and he sang the famous Song of Gaixia. His beloved concubine Consort Yu (虞姬 ) committed suicide. The next morning, Xiang Yu led about 800 of his best cavalry troops on a desperate attempt to break out of the siege, with 5,000 enemy troops hot on pursuit.

Potential Problems Embedded in Liu Bang’s Rule

The western half was ruled by Liu through a system of local administration, with officials appointed by the emperor

In the eastern half, power was held by military strongmen who had followed Liu Bang in his earlier years;

Over time, those strongmen began to manifest separatist behavior, as in Zhou’s time.

Between 180 to 141 BCE, the emperors wendi and jingdi took measures to curtail the power of those eastern strongmen

The White-Horse Confederation In the ancient times an oath

was taken by spreading the blood of a white horse on one’s lips.

See Shiji v. 9 on “The Basic Annals of the Empress Lu”

Later, with the help of his wife, Liu Bang got rid of those founding generals one by one to strengthen his rule.

Han Xin’s story stood out as a classical example

It is a deal Liu Bang cut with his (7) founding generals. Liu Bang made them take an oath that only Lius can be kings.

In return, Liu Bang enfeoffed them with titles equivalent to a duke in a state.

In nature, Liu Bang actually adopted the Western Zhou’s system of enfeoffment.

Usurpation of the Empress Lǚ In 180 BCE, the family of the

empress, named Lǚ, gained great power at court and almost usurped the throne before being suppressed.

The empress actually ruled for about 15 years.

美人心计【měirén xīnjì 】Beauty's calculation; scheming; planning, cunning.

No. 1 TV series at http://tv.sohu.com/hotteleplay/

In His Old Age, Liu Bang Changed his Mind

The Crown Prince Liu Ying

The empress asked help from Zhang Liang,

Zhang Liang pointed out only the four famous hermits at Mt. Shang

商山四皓 can dramatically change

the situation. They did.

Ruyi 如意 , son of Liu Bang’s favorite concubine Qi Ji 戚姬

Four Hermits at Mount Shang

博士【 bóshì 】 doctor; court ‘acade’mician (in feudal China).

These hermits were court academicians under the Qin rule (total 70 “PhDs”)

Tang Bing, Cui Guang, Wu Shi and Zhou Shu Emperor Wu of Han established 五经博士【 wǔjīngbóshì】 court ‘acade’mician (in feudal China, comparable to PhDs) on the Five Classics (5-14)

人彘【 rénzhì 】<formal> pig; swine.

In 195 BCE, after Liu Bang died, the empress had Qi Ji’s four limbs cut off, her eyes gouged, and her ears burned;

She also made Qi Ji dumb/mute by some drugs. Left in a toilet, Qi Ji was moaning and groaning like a pig…

The young emperor Liu Ying could not stand his mother’s cruelty. He quit ruling.

The Han Synthesis 50Emperor Wu of Han

141 BC - 87 BC (54 years 20 days)

the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty, ruled from 141 BC to 87 BC.

The Han Synthesis pioneered a model that later dynasties followed till 1911.

Emperor Wu of Han (Ebrey 49-50)Liu Che 汉武帝 (r. 141 BC to 87 BC)

(54 years 20 days)

Emperor Wu is best remembered for the vast terri’torial expansion that occurred under his reign, as well as the strong and centralized Confucian state he organized. He is cited in Chinese history as the greatest emperor of the Han dynasty and one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history. Emperor Wu's effective rule transformed his dynasty that parallels Rome.

Headache about Xiongnu Dongfang Shuo 东方朔 (154-93 BCE) From time to time, 单于【 chányú 】 chief of the

Xiongnu in ancient China, demanded the Han give him a wife.

The court was divided in between pacifists and militants. The emperor had not idea how to handle the case.

Dongfang Shuo plotted a scheme that silenced those who advocated interracial marriages.

The Siege of Baideng白登之围

In 200, Liu Bang led 300,000 troops to attack Xiongnu.

单于【 chányú 】 chief of the Xiongnu in ancient China

Chanyu Mao Dun faked a retreat, thus leading Liu Bang to Baideng where 400,000 cavalryman formed a siege for 7 days and 7 nights

Liu Bang’s Waterloo

The siege was only relieved after seven days when the Han royal court, under Chen Ping's ( 陳平 ) suggestion, sent spies to bribe Modu's wife.

The Policy of Interracial Marriagea political marriage

和亲【 héqīn 】 (of some feudal dynasties) attempt to cement relations with rulers of minority nationalities in the border areas by marrying daughters of the Han imperial family to them.

Those poor princesses, being unable to stand a rough life style, died quickly

Dongfang Shuo’s Quick wits While entertaining himself in Shanglin park 上林苑 (138 BCE) , Emperor Wu Di of the Han Dynasty pointed at a tree and asked

Dongfang Shuo, "What is that called?" "It's called Goodness." replied Dongfang Shuo carelessly. Wu Di had it

written down. Several years later, playing in the garden again, Wu Di saw the tree and

turned to Dongfang Shuo to ask its name. "it's named Jusuo (Overlooking all)." said Dongfang Shuo again carelessly.

Wu Di's expression changed, "You have been cheating me over the years. How can the same tree have different names?"

Dongfang Shuo defended himself with fervor and assurance "A horse is called horse only when it grows up; it is a foal when young; chicken is the name for a chick when it becomes older; and a cow is called a calf when born. So it is with human beings: They are called infants when born and old men when aged. The tree was Goodness several years ago and is now Overlooking-All. All the objects in the universe change. Don't you think that is the truth?"

Satisfied with Dongfang Shuo's reply, Wu Di laughed heartily. "

Zhang Qian 张骞 & the Silk Road200 BCE - 114 BCE

The Silk Road (61)Lifespan of a silkworm

San Xue 三学 —三学 The Three Branches of Learning refer

to Confucianism, Taoism (Daoism) & Buddhism.

Mostly, Chinese history has reflected the dynamics between Confucianism & Taoism (Daoism).

See Buddhism in a separate file Buddhism in Chinese History by Arthur F. Wright

The Han Synthesis (pluot/Plumcot)The Architect (Ebrey 50)

Dong Zhongshu 董仲舒 (179–104 BC) was a

Han Dynasty scholar who is traditionally associated with the promotion of Confucianism as the official ideology of the Chinese imperial state.

The victory of Confucianism

“Correlative Cosmology”The Son of Heaven

The philosopher Dong Zhongshu developed a theory of correlative cosmology 天人感应

to explain how natural phenomena were omens of political changes.

Dong Zhongshu shrewdly placed the son of heaven under heaven, not above heaven, thus Calf-roping a leash on one’s ambition;

Read the Han Synthesis online

Luxuriant Gems of the Spring and Autumn Annals 〖春秋繁露〗

Three-Way ThoughtWeaved Together

Confucianism: a social contract with its five-folds human relationships which is featured with hierarchy and reci’procity; rule by benevolence; yet there is no guarantee that everybody will become a Confucius’ ideal gentleman, therefore idealistic at its best, naïve at its worst;

Nevertheless, Confucianism provides a sense of moral guidance and restraint on the ruler who could be overthrown based on Mencius’ interpretation of the Mandate of Heaven;

Daoism/Taoism provided a larger framework for understanding the nature of the world in which men lived; It is a rule by the natural way;

Legalism: rule by law; effective in administration yet seems too harsh;

Confucianism vs. Taoism Confucianism is rooted in

the human world, focusing on the order of a family-based on thisness--society;

Family is seen as a microcosm of how relationships linking people together;

The assumption is a well behaved son is not likely to become a rebel against an authority;

Taoism implies that there is something much larger than a human world

Taoism challenges us to reevaluate our position within the entire universe;

Fan Kuan’s Paintinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Travelers_Among_Mountai

ns_and_Streams.png

Travelers amid Mountains and Streams (谿山行旅 ; ink and slight color on silk; dimensions of 6¾ ft by 2½ ft. National Palace Museum, Taipei

Becoming One with Nature

Fan Kuan 范寬 (fl. 990–1020) was a Chinese landscape painter of the Song Dynasty (960–1279).

Travelers amid Mountains and Streams, a large hanging scroll, is Fan Kuan's best known work. Fan based the painting on the Taoist principle of becoming one with nature. When looking at the painting, the viewer realizes how small he/she is compared to the big picture of nature. The painting focuses on the big picture of nature and the world as a whole instead of the individual.

historian Patricia Ebreyon the painting

[the]...foreground, presented at eye level, is executed in crisp, well-defined brush strokes. Jutting boulders, tough scrub trees, a mule train on the road, and a temple in the forest on the cliff are all vividly depicted. There is a suitable break between the foreground and the towering central peak behind, which is treated as if it were a backdrop, suspended and fitted into a slot behind the foreground. There are human figures in this scene, but it is easy to imagine them overpowered by the magnitude and mystery of their surroundings.

The (Natural) Way —无为而治 Govern by doing

nothing that is against nature; or govern by non-interference.

This Wuwei should be translated as with no wrong actions. (In the movie of Kong Fu Panda, the master’s name is called Wuwei, alluding to the essence of Daoism.)

It implies there is a natural way to do things instead of fighting it.

Appositional vs. OppositionalComplementary vs. Competitive

A central theme of the Daodejing is that correlatives are the expressions of the movement of dao, the way

Correlatives in Chinese philosophy are not opposites, mutually excluding each other; they represent the ebb and flow of the forces of reality: yin/yang, male/female; excess/defect; leading/following; active/passive.—

In other words, opposites are not oppositional; instead, they are complementary to each other.

Both…And--holistic

As opposed to the Western way of thinking (Aristotelian categories and genre studies-- In Poetics, Aristotle proposes to treat poetry in itself and of its various kinds, noting the essential quality of each.) that treats a thing in itself and of itself has philosophical implications in many ways.

(Western dualism tends to be binary and oppositional)

Either…Or

Holistic vs. AnalyticalInter-connectedness

The Dao’s holistic worldview has prescribed the philosophical underpinning of the Chinese medicine, martial arts, and many other things.

Sourcebook 28 The key word is

complementary as opposed to competitive

The analytical mode tends to take things apart, treating each in an isolated manner;

Daoism in Medical Practice The traditional Chinese

medicine in contrast deals with something in a more comprehensive way.

It pays more attention to the interrelationships among symptoms.

Some of my students who have been studying Chinese medicine have concluded that learning Chinese and Chinese culture has changed their way of thinking to a great degree.

Chinese medicine works better in maintaining lives

Western medicine, for instance, is quite effective in dealing with individual symptoms; but it could have severe side effects.

—头痛医头，脚痛医脚treat headache when the head aches or treat a foot only when it hurts.

The western medicine is quite effective in saving lives

knowledge is partial

For the Taoists, knowledge is partial. We can never know things in their entirety (sounds like Kant). We can never know everything about any particular subject or situation.

So our knowledge, the basis for our actions, is always limited.

When we act on the basis of partial knowledge, there will be consequences, intended or unintended.

“Let the saw do the work.”

“Let the saw do the work.” Little James took it too literally when his father told him let the saw do the work. He threw the saw onto the ground and declared, “OK, let the saw do the work.”

A little tugboat vs. a huge ocean liner—What is so revealing about the little tugboat towing a big ocean liner out of the harbor?

Martial Arts

—四两拨千斤 Four ounces can brush off a thousand pounds/jin.

太极拳【 tàijíquán 】 taijiquan, a kind of traditional Chinese shadow boxing;

Why was Taiji selected at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games 2008?

The soft touch in Daoism is most representative of the way.

Water, the softest element, represents wisdom, resourcefulness

The Construction of the Sunken Garden Victorial BC, Canada

Daoism/Taoism at work As Mr. Butchart exhausted the limestone in the

quarry near their house, his enterprising wife, Jennie, conceived an un’precedented plan for refurbishing the bleak pit.

From farmland nearby she requisitioned tons of top soil, had it brought to Tod Inlet by horse and cart, and used it to line the floor of the abandoned quarry.

Little by little, under Jennie Butchart's supervision, the abandoned quarry blossomed into the spectacular Sunken Garden.

Transformation with Ease

Sublime vs. Beautiful Contrast the breathtaking

sunken garden with the delicate Japanese garden. Then you will suddenly understand what it means to be mathematically sublime as defined by I’mmanuel

Kant (22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804).

Observations on the Feeling of the Beautiful and Sublime (Beobachtungen über das Gefühl des Schönen und Erhabenen) is a 1764 book by Immanuel Kant.

The first complete translation into English was published in 1799. The second was published in 1960 by the University of California Press.

What is Daoism/Taoism?

Daoism is featured with relativity in perspectives—Sourcebook 29;

It is marked with skepticism--Sourcebook 30;

Correlatives are not oppositional but appositionial;

Self and other are part of the package. Read CR5_Zhuangzi online

Zhuang ZiCo-Founder of Taoism/Daoism

369 BC-286 BC (aged 83) an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BCE during the Warring States Period, a period corresponding to the philosophical summit of Chinese thought — the Hundred Schools of Thought. His name is sometimes spelled Chuang Tsu, Chuang Tzu, Zhuang Tze, Chouang-Dsi, Chuang Tse, Chuangtze or – in English – Master Chuang.

Inner Chapters

The Zhuangzi has become renowned for a series of original insights into human nature and the nature of the cosmos and many of these are found in the ‘Inner chapters.’

These insights are communicated in a variety of literary styles: didactic narratives, poetry, and very short prose essays. (Cook Ding’s knife—Sourcebook 30)

Sima Qian 司馬遷 & Shi ji(ca. 145 or 135 BC–86 BC)

Records of the Grand Historian a Prefect of the Grand Scribes

(太史令 ) of the Han Dynasty. He is regarded as the father of Chinese historiography because of his highly praised work, Records of the Grand Historian/Scribes ( 史記 or 史记 )

In 110BC, Sima Tan fell ill and could not attend the imperial sacrificial ceremony. Thinking he was about to die, he summoned his son to carry on the family tradition and to complete the work he had begun.

The Range of his Work (Ebrey 55)

Upon his father's death, Sima Qian inherited his office and took on an ambitious project started by his father - production of the first full history of China, the Shiji (historical records).

Shiji, or Records of the Grand Historian, covers the period from the five sages of prehistoric times, through the Xia, Shang, Zhou, and Qin dynasties to the Han Dynasty of Sima Qian's own time.

The Layout of ShijiRecords of the Grand Historian

There are five sections:

The Basic Annals Chronological Tables Treatises He’reditary Houses Memoirs/Biographies Example: “The Basic

Annals of Xiang Yu” (CR8 online)

本紀 表 書 世家 列傳

Castration In 99 BC, Sima Qian became embroiled in the Li Ling Affair: Li

Ling ( 李陵 ) and Li Guangli (李廣利 ), two military officers who led a campaign against the Xiongnu in the north were defeated and taken captive. Emperor Han Wudi attributed the defeat to Li Ling, and all the officials in the government condemned Li Ling for the defeat.

Sima was the only person to defend Li Ling, who had never been his friend but whom he respected. Emperor Han Wudi interpreted Sima’s defence of Li Ling as an attack on his brother-in-law, who had also fought against the Xiongnu without much success, and sentenced Sima to death.

At that time, execution could be commuted either by money or castration. Since Sima did not have enough money to atone his "crime", he chose the latter and was then thrown into prison, where he endured three years.

The Debate on Salt and IronMonopolies 《盐铁论》 (Ebrey 49-50)

Wudi adopted Sang Hongyang’s proposal and had liquor, salt and iron controlled by the government.

Emperor Zhao of Han (94 BC–74 BC) called for the famous debate in 81 BCE;

Huan Kuan 桓宽compiled a book;

Consult the source book 360 to 362

An Invisible Hand in The Wealth of Nation 富国论

by Adam Smith first published in 1776. It is an

account of economics at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, as well as a rhetorical piece written for the generally educated individual of the 18th century - advocating a free market economy as more productive and more beneficial to society. The book is often considered to have laid the basic groundwork for modern economic theory.

Wang Mang’s Usurpation (Ebrey 51)reign: 9 - 23

(Killed by Lülin Force 绿林军 )

After Emperor Ai died childless, the throne was passed to his cousin Emperor Ping—then a child of nine years old. Wang Mang was appointed regent.Later, Emperor Ping started to show dissatisfaction;In 6 AD, Wang Mang had Emperor Ping poisoned.

The Green Forest Rebellion &Red Eyebrow Uprising

绿林好汉 【 lùlínhǎohàn 】 Chinese Robin Hoods heroes of the

greenwood; forest outlaws; a band of bandits entrenched in a mountain stronghold; brigands.

Chimei (赤眉 ) refers, as an umbrella term, to one of the two major agrarian rebellion movements against Wang Mang's Xin (New) Dynasty, initially active in the modern Shandong and northern Jiangsu region, that eventually led to Wang Mang's downfall by draining his resources…

Liu Xiu, Emperor Guangwu of HanThe Eastern Han Dynasty

Emperor Guangwu (13 January 5 BC – 29 March 57), born Liu Xiu, was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty, restorer of the dynasty in AD 25 and thus founder of the Later Han or Eastern Han (the restored Han Dynasty). He ruled over parts of China at first, and through suppression and conquest of regional warlords, the whole of China was consolidated by the time of his death in 57.

The Battle of KunyangJune–July in 23 AD 昆阳之战

Liu Xiu would be instrumental in the key victory that sealed Wang Mang's fate. Wang, aware that Emperor Gengshi was becoming a major threat, sent his cousin Wang Yi (王邑 ) and his chancellor Wang Xun (王尋 ) with what he considered to be overwhelming force, some 430,000 men, intending to crush the newly constituted Han regime.

Battle of KunyangSiege besieged

About 8,000 soldiers stationed in Kunyang, County Ye, Henan Province;

Wang Mang laid a siege; Liu Xiu sneaked out and persuaded others:

United we stand; divided, we fall. Liu Xiu summoned about 10,000 to rescue

Kunyang; Wang Mang’s army got exhausted from the

siege; Liu Xiu counter-cornered Wang Mang’s troops

Liu Xiu Took City of Luoyang Whole without shedding one drop of blood

In 25 AD, Liu Xiu took an oath by the Yellow River, promising no revenge;

Zhu Wei 朱鮪 and his troops guarding the city surrendered without any fight;

For the next century and half, the empire was both stable and prosperous

Read The Art of War Definition of the most intelligent battle

Map of China with her neighbors

The Second Unified DynastyWestern Han Achievements

The boundaries established by the Qin and maintained by the Han have more or less defined the nation of China up to the present day.

Have the Xiongnu (The Huns) under control; Unified in political system, language and cultural

practice; The Han Synthesis: weaving together

Confucianism, Daoism and Legalism Han Fu in poetry writing, see CR9_Han Fu Best Translation: David R. Knechtges

东汉【 dōnghàn 】 the Eastern Han or the Latter Han (25-220).

Xiongnu driven westward to Europe; Cai Lun 蔡伦 (ca. 50 AD – 121) improved

papermaking (writing used to be inscriptions on bronze objects/stones, writings on bamboo slips竹简 )

Ban Gu—(32-92 AD) (Ebrey 57): Han Shu or History of the Former Han, pioneered history writing in 断代史【 duàndàishǐ 】 division of history into periods.

AchievementsEastern Han

Scientific sage: Zhang Heng 张衡 , a polymath, a person of great learning in several fields of study; a renaissance man-- Houfeng Seismograph (132 AD), an instrument for measuring and recording the vibrations of earthquakes.

Houfeng Seismograph 候风地动仪 132 AD

According to the Book of Later Han后汉书 (compiled by Fan Ye in the 5th century), his bronze urn-shaped device, with a swinging pendulum inside, was able to detect the direction of an earthquake hundreds of miles/kilometers away.

Xu Shen许慎ca. 58 CE – ca. 147 CE

Linguistic sage: Shuōwén Jiězì 《说文解字》 (100 AD)说【 shuō 】 talk; explain; 解【 jiě 】 explain, interpret;文【 wén 】 writing字【 zì 】 word; character; First Chinese dictionary, containing 9353

characters organized by (540) radicals (Latin Radix for Root), semantic meaning

Six Categories of Chinese Characters or Sinograms

Xu Shen, 100 AD whose etymological dictionary Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字 / 说文解字 ) divides the script into six categories, the liùshū ( 六書 / 六书 )

1. Pictographic 象形 2. Self-explanatory or Simple

ideograms 指事 (expressing an abstract idea

in an iconic form) 3. Associative Compounds/

Ideogrammatic compounds 會意/logical association 4. Pictophonetic 形聲 (90%) 5. Mutually Explanatory or

synonymous characters 轉注 Phonetic Loans/ characters adopted

to represent homophones 假借

Medical Science

Medical sage: Zhang Zhongjing 张仲景treatise on Typhoid fever & other miscellaneous diseases/

Hua Tuo 华佗 , the first to use anesthetic full-scale or the whole body; later hired by Cao Cao during the Three Kingdoms Period

起死回生【 qǐsǐhuíshēng 】 (of a doctor's skill) bring the dying back to life; snatch a patient from the jaws of death.