The paper currencies of China are among the most beautiful in the world and they come in denominations of:

• 1 Jiao (10c in China Currency)
• 2 Jiao (20c in China Currency)
• 5 Jiao (50c in China Currency)
• 1 Yuan ($1 in China Currency)
• 2 Yuan ($2 in China Currency)
• 5 Yuan ($5 in China Currency)
• 10 Yuan ($10 in China Currency)
• 20 Yuan ($20 in China Currency)
• 50 Yuan ($50 in China Currency)
• 100 Yuan ($100 in China Currency)

Honestly, my favourite happens to be the “old” paper currencies of China which depicted the different minority races of China (in their traditional costumes) on the front. In today’s post, I am featuring the 3 smallest denomination of China’s “old” paper currency:

This is the “1 Jiao” (10c in China Currency):

This is the “2 Jiao” (20c in China Currency):

This is the “5 Jiao” (50c in China Currency):

These bank notes are very beautiful and definitely a collector’s item. Unfortunately they are slowly being replaced with the “new” paper currencies of China, which no longer depict the very colourful different ethnic minority races of China for the different denominations. Instead, the new currencies of all denominations will only carry the picture of Mao Zedong.

In future posts on the paper currency of China, I will feature the other denominations in BOTH the “old” and “new” bank notes.

ps. article taken with permission from ILuvChina.BlogSpot.Com. the url for the original article can be found here.

* Xia Dynasty (Hsia Dynasty)
“Xia4 Chao2″
Circa 2100 BC - 1600 BC

* Shang Dynasty
“Shang Chao2″
Circa 1600 BC - 1100 BC

* Zhou Dynasty (Chou Dynasty)
“Zhou Chao2″
Circa 1100 BC - 221 BC
- Western Zhou Dynasty : “Xi Zhou” : Circa 1100 BC - 771 BC
- Eastern Zhou Dynasty : “Dong Zhou” : Circa 770 BC - 256 BC
- Spring And Autumn Period : “Chun Qiu” : Circa 770 BC - 476 BC
- Warring States Period : “Zhan4 Guo2″ : Circa 475 BC - 221 BC

* Qin Dynasty (Ch’in Dynasty)
“Qin2 Chao2″
Circa 221 BC - 207 BC

* Han Dynasty
“Han4 Chao2″
Circa 206 BC - 220 AD
- Western Han : “Xi Han4″ : Circa 206 BC - 24 AD
- Eastern Han : “Dong Han4″ : 25 AD - 220 AD

* 3 Kingdoms
“San Guo2″
220 AD - 280 AD
- Wei Kingdom : “Wie4 Guo2″ : 220AD - 265 AD
- Shu (or Shu Han) Kingdom : “Shu3 Guo2″ : 221 AD - 263 AD
- Wu Kingdom : “Wu2 Guo2″ : 222 AD - 280 AD

* Western Jin Dynasty (Western Chin Dynasty)
“Xi Jin4″
265 AD - 316 AD

* Eastern Jin Dynasty (Eastern Chin Dynasty)
“Dong Jin4″
317 AD - 420 AD

* Northern & Southern Dynasties
“Nan2 Bei3 Chao2″
420 AD - 581 AD
Southern Dynasties:
- Song : “Song4″ : 420 AD - 479 AD
- Qi : “Qi2″ : 479 AD - 502 AD
- Liang : “Liang2″ : 502 AD - 557 AD
- Chen : “Chen2″ : 557 AD - 589 AD
Northern Dynasties:
- Northern Wei : “Bei3 Wei4″ : 386 AD - 534 AD
- Eastern Wei : “Dong Wei4″ : 534 AD - 550 AD
- Northern Qi : “Bei3 Qi2″ : 550 AD - 577 AD
- Western Wei : “Xi Wei4″ : 535 AD - 556 AD
- Northern Zhou : “Bei3 Zhou” : 557 AD - 581 AD

* Sui Dynasty
“Sui2 Chao2″
581 AD - 618 AD

* Tang Dynasty (T’ang Dynasty)
“Tang2 Chao2″
618 AD - 907 AD

* 5 Dynasties
“Wu3 Dai4″
907 AD - 960 AD
- Later Liang : “Hou4 Liang2″ : 907 AD - 923 AD
- Later Tang : “Hou4 Tang2″ : 923 AD - 936 AD
- Later Jin : “Hou4 Jin” : 936 AD - 946 AD
- Later Han : “Hou4 Han4″ : 947 AD - 950 AD
- Later Zhou : “Hou4 Zhou” : 951 AD - 960 AD

* Song Dynasty (Sung Dynasty)
“Song Chao2″
960 AD - 1279 AD
- Northern Song : “Bei3 Song4″ : 960 AD - 1127 AD
- Southern Song : “Nan2 Song4″ : 1127 AD - 1279 AD

* Liao Dynasty
“Liao2 Chao2″
916 AD - 1125 AD

* Jin Dynasty (Chin Dynasty)
“Jin Chao2″
1115 AD - 1234 AD

* Yuan Dynasty (Yuan Dynasty)
“Yuan2 Chao2″
1271 AD - 1368 AD

* Ming Dynasty
“Ming2 Chao2″
1368 AD- 1644 AD

* Qing Dynasty (Ch’ing Dynasty)
“Qing Chao2″
1644 AD - 1911 AD

* Republic of China
“Zhong Hua2 Min2 Guo2″
1912 AD - 1949 AD

* People’s Republic of China
“Zhong Hua2 Ren2 Min2 Gong4 He2 Guo2″
Since 1949

The above is only a brief overview on the rulers (dynasties, kingdoms, governments, etc.) of China the last 3000-4000 years. It is in no way comprehensive. More related informations will be added later.

If you happened to notice any error, please do not hesitate to email me or leave behind a comment here. Xie4 Xie4. Thank you

Reference Guide:
The wordings in green colour is the Wade-Giles romanization spelling for the name of the dynasty.
The wordings in red colour is the HanYuPinYin romanization for the name of the dynasty in Chinese.

ps. article taken with permission from ILuvChina.BlogSpot.Com. the url for the original article can be found here.

• “Da4 Xue2″ - The Great Learning;
• “Zhong Yong” - The Doctrine of the Mean;
• “Lun2 Yu3″ - The Analects of Confucius;
• “Meng4 Zi3″ - The Mencius.

And the 5 Classics (”Wu3 Jing”):

• “Shi Jing” - The Book of Songs / Poems;
• “Shang4 Shu” - The Book of History;
• “Li3 Ji4″ - The Book of Rites;
• “Zhou Yi4″ - The Book of Changes (The Yi-Jing / I-Ching);
• “Chun Qiu Zuo3 Zhuan4″ - The Spring & Autumn Annals.

The “SiShu WuJing” are considered among the most important works of literature of “Zhong Guo2″ (the “Middle Kingdom” - China) and the Chinese. For thousands of years, they are compulsory study for scholars sitting for the imperial examinations.

ps. article taken with permission from ILuvChina.BlogSpot.Com. the url for the original article can be found here.

• Bei3 Jing Shi4 (Beijing City) 北京市
• Tian Jin Shi4 (Tianjin City) 天津市
• He2 Bei3 Sheng3 (Hebei Province) 河北省
• Shan Xi Sheng3 (Shanxi Province) 山西省
• Nei4 Meng2 Gu3 Zi4 Zhi4 Qu (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region) 內蒙古自治區
• Liao2 Ning2 Sheng3 (Liaoning Province) 遼寧省
• Ji2 Lin2 Sheng3 (Jilin Province) 吉林省
• Hei Long2 Jiang Sheng3 (Heilongjiang Province) 黑龍江省
• Shang4 Hai3 Shi4 (Shanghai City) 上海市
• Jiang Su Sheng3 (Jiangsu Province) 江蘇省
• Zhe4 Jiang Sheng3 (Zhejiang Province) 浙江省
• An Hui Sheng3 (Anhui Province) 安徽省
• Fu2 Jian4 Sheng3 (Fujian Province) 福建省
• Jiang Xi Sheng3 (Jiangxi Province) 江西省
• Shan Dong Sheng3 (Shandong Province) 山東省
• He2 Nan2 Sheng3 (Henan Province) 河南省
• Hu2 Bei3 Sheng3 (Hubei Province) 湖北省
• Hu2 Nan2 Sheng3 (Hunan Province) 湖南省
• Guang3 Dong Sheng3 (Guangdong Province) 廣東省
• Guang3 Xi Zhuang4 Zu2 Zi4 Zhi4 Qu (Guangxi Autonomous Region) 廣西藏族自治區
• Hai3 Nan2 Sheng3 (Hainan Province) 海南省
• Chong2 Qing4 Shi4 (Chongqing City) 重慶市
• Si4 Chuan Sheng3 (Sichuan Province) 四川省
• Gui4 Zhou Sheng3 (Guizhou Province) 貴州省
• Yun2 Nan2 Sheng3 (Yunnan Province) 雲南省
• Xi Zang4 Zi4 Zhi4 Qu (Tibet Autonomous Region) 西藏自治區
• Shan3 Xi Sheng3 (Shaanxi Province) 陝西省
• Gan Su Sheng3 (Gansu Province) 甘肅省
• Qing Hai3 Sheng3 (Qinghai Province) 青海省
• Ning2 Xia4 Hui2 Zu2 Zi4 Zhi4 Qu (Ningxia Autonomous Region) 寧夏回族自治區
• Xin Jiang Wei2 Wu2 Er3 Zi4 Zhi4 Qu (Xinjiang Autonomous Region) 新疆維吾爾自治區
• Tai2 Wan Sheng3 (Taiwan Province) 台灣省
• Zhong Hua2 Ren2 Min2 Gong4 He2 Guo2 Xiang Gang3 Te4 Bie2 Xing2 Zheng4 Qu (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the PROC) 中華人民共和國香港行政區
• Zhong Hua2 Ren2 Min2 Gong4 He2 Guo2 Ao4 Men2 Te4 Bie2 Xing2 Zheng4 Qu (Macao Special Administrative Region of the PROC) 中華人民共和國澳門行政區

Reference:

* 市 “Shi4″ - City, Municipality
* 省 “Sheng3″ - Province, Provincial Capital
* 區 “Qu” - Area, District, Region;
* 自治區 “Zi4 Zhi4 Qu” - Autonomous Region
* 特別行政區 “Te4 Bie2 Xing2 Zheng4 Qu” - Special Administrative Region

ps. article taken with permission from ILuvChina.BlogSpot.Com. the url for the original article can be found here.

Hehe … sometime back I blogged about what is the “Sun Zi Bing Fa” (Sun Tzu’s Art of War) and who is “Sun Zi” (Sun Tzu).

I have also talked about some well-known writers / scholars / speakers on “SunZiBingFa” (SunTzu’s Art of War), such as Mr. Khoo Kheng-Hor, Dr. Ong Hean-Tatt and Dr. Wee Chou-Hou. And of course, I have also mentioned the Sun Zi Bing Fa (SunTzu’s Art of War) seminars they have conducted all over South-East Asia.

I have received some emails from interested individuals who have indicated that they might not be able to travel to or have the necessary time or financial means to attend any seminars or courses on the“Sun Zi Bing Fa” (Sun Tzu’s Art of War).

Mmph … that’s a good point. Please understand that: it is actually very good and valuable if one could attend any seminars or talks on “Sun-Zi Bing-Fa” (Sun Tzu’s Art of War) in person.
Why?

It is because the experience of actually being there and listening to the teacher / lecturer / speaker extol the 13-chapters of “Sun Zi3 Bing Fa3″ (Sun Tzu’s Art of War) in-person, will definitely help a new student or enthusiast of the great treatise on warfare to have a better grasp or understanding. It gives you a very good idea …. a foundation that you could build on in the future. As simple as that.

Ok, to be able or willing to attend any “Sun Zi Bing Fa” (Sun Tzu’s Art of War) seminars / courses is good, but NOT the only way to begin getting to know the most well-known among the 7 best military classics of ancient China. Of course you could also start by reading some really good books on the “Sun Zi Bing Fa” (SunTzu’s Art of War).

Ok, here are some books I would recommend if you want to start immediately to get to know the “fundamentals” of the 13 chapters of the “Sun Zi Bing Fa” (SunTzu’s Art of War)

• The Art of Strategy: A New Translation of Sun Tzu’s Classic The Art of War by R.L. Wing
• Sun-Tzu: The Art of War (History and Warfare) by Ralph D. Sawyer
• The Complete Art of War (History and Warfare) by Ralph D. Sawyer, Mei-Chun Lee Sawyer.
• The Art of War by Lionel Giles
• Sun-Tzu: The Art of War (Classics of Ancient China) by Roger T. Ames
• The Art of War (UNESCO Collection of Representative Works) by Samuel B. Griffith
• Sun Tzu : The New Translation (The Art of War) by J. H. Huang
• Sunzi Speaks : The Art of War by TSAI CHIH CHUNG, BRIAN BRUYA
• Understanding Sun Tzu On The Art Of War by Robert L. Cantrell, Lionel Giles
• Art of Leadership by Sun Tzu - A New-Millennium Bilingual Edition of Sun Tzu’s Art of War by David H. Li
• Sun Tzu and the Art of Modern Warfare by Mark McNeilly
• Sun Tzu: War and Management : Application to Strategic Management and Thinking by Chow-Hou Wee, Khai-Sheang Lee, Bambang Walujo Hidajat
• The Art of War Plus The Ancient Chinese Revealed by Gary Gagliardi

regards.

ps. article taken with permission from BingFa.BlogSpot.Com. the url for the original article can be found here.

Well, here’s another one of my name seals:

This is a name seal made from the infamous “Peng2 Hu2″ stone. “Peng2 Hu2″ (Lake Peng) is the name of a very famous place in Taiwan. Notice how the natural designs of the stone is so beautiful?

Here’s the seal from another angel:

Should you ever have the chance to go to Taiwan, especially the “Peng Hu” area, remember to get a Chinese name seal done with this very beautiful stone.

This seal was given to me by a very special buddy in Taiwan, YuXian, one day before I left for Singapore. The seal arrived in Keelung Port (where I was based) from Lake Peng, just in time.
Ok, here’s another look of the seal and the beautiful pouch it came in:

regards.

ps. article taken with permission from ILuvChina.BlogSpot.Com. the url for the original article can be found here.

Hehe … “Sun Zi Bing Fa” (or more commonly known in the west as Sun Tzu’s Art of War) is one of the most popularly read and translated book of military strategy of ancient China.

What actually is “Sun Zi3 Bing Fa3″?
“Sun Zi3″ is the respectable term used to address the original author who wrote SZBF and it actually means “Master Sun” or “Great Teacher Sun” just like how Confucius is revered as “Kong3 Zi3″ (”Great Teacher Kong”) instead of his name “Kong3 Zhong Ni2″. So, the real name of “Sun Zi3″ is “Sun Wu3″ (pronounced as “Soon Woo” in English). He was born during the time of the Spring & Autumn Period (”Chun Qiu”) … circa 770-476 BC. At that time, the Middle Kingdom (”Zhong Guo2″), China was separated into 12 states, each with its own ruler. The 12 states were:

1. Wu State (”Wu2 Guo2″)
2. Yue State (”Yue4 Guo2″)
3. Chu State (”Chu3 Guo2″)
4. Song State (”Song4 Guo2″)
5. Lu State (”Lu3 Guo2″)
6. Zheng State (”Zheng4 Guo2″)
7. Zhou State / Chou State (”Zhou Guo2″)
8. Wei State (”Wei4 Guo2″)
9. Jin State (”Jin4 Guo2″)
10. Yan State (”Yan Guo2″)
11. Qi State / Chi State (”Qi2 Guo2″)
12. Qin State / Chin State (”Qin2 Guo2″)

“Sun Wu3″ was a native of the Qi State (”Qi2 Guo2″) but eventually left and settled down in the Wu State (”Wu2 Guo2″) where he was given the chance to present and demonstrate his 13 chapters of war treatise to the Wu King (”Wu2 Wang2″) and eventually helping the later proved the effectiveness of the “Sun Zi Bing Fa” by defeating the other states over and over again in many battles, thus helping establish Wu State as one of the most powerful states during the Spring & Autumn Period (”Chun Qiu”).

“Bing Fa3″ means “Art of War” or “Military Strategy”, or in this case “War Treatise”. So, that’s why “SunZiBingFa” is commonly translated as “Sun Tzu’s Art of War”.

Just by reading and understanding the concepts extolled in the Sun Zi Bing Fa, one can clearly see that “Sun Zi” is definitely one of ancient China’s most brilliant military strategist and in the same league with the very well-known “Zhu Ge3 Liang4″ or “Kong3 Ming2″ of the 3 Kingdoms period (circa 220-280AD).

“Sun Tzu’s Art of War” is more than a book of military strategy. In fact it is also a book of psychology and human relationships. The theories and concepts of “Sun Zi Bing Fa” can be effectively used to enhance our work, business and life in general.

“Know Your Enemy, Know Yourself … One Hundred Battles, One Hundred Victories!” - SunZi (510BC)

In recent years, interests in the “Sun Zi Bing Fa” has greatly increased in Malaysia & Singapore, due to the great efforts by experts to disseminate its theories and concepts through books and seminars. Among the most established and well-known experts of “Sun Tzu’s Art of War” in Malaysia, Singapore and South East Asia in general are: Dr. Wee Chou-Hou (Professor of Business Policy, National University of Singapore), Dr. Ong Hean-Tatt (GUI Management) and Mr. Khoo Kheng-Hor. Sun Zi Bing Fa seminars are conducted in Malaysia and Singapore all year round by these experts (and many more), in both English and Chinese.

Ok, is “Sun1Zi3Bing1Fa3″ all about strategies for war and victories in conflict?

“To Subdue The Enemy Without Fighting Is The Perfect Victory” - SunZi (510BC)

What do you think? Hehe

regards.

ps. The “Sun Zi” or “Sun Tzu” in “Sun Zi3 Bing Fa3″ (Sun Tzu’s Art of War), is pronounced as “Soon Cher (with a silent “c”)” instead of “Sun Zee”.

pss. Apart from “Sun Zi Bing Fa” (Sun Tzu’s Art of War), the other “must-read” ancient chinese classics are:

• Journey To The West (”Xi You2 Ji4″)
• Water Margin (Outlaws of the Marsh) (”Shui3 Hu3 Zhuan4″)
• Romance of the Three Kingdoms (”San Guo2 Yuan3 Yi4″)
• Dreams of the Red Mansion (”Hong2 Lou2 Meng4″)

ps. article taken with permission from BingFa.BlogSpot.Com. the url for the original article can be found here.

• Bei3 Jing Shi4 (Beijing City)
• Tian Jin Shi4 (Tianjin City)
• He2 Bei3 Sheng3 (Hebei Province)
• Shan Xi Shi4 (Shanxi Province)
• Nei4 Meng2 Gu3 Zi4 Zhi4 Qu (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region)
• Liao2 Ning2 Sheng3 (Liaoning Province)
• Ji2 Lin2 Sheng3 (Jilin Province)
• Hei Long2 Jiang Sheng (Heilongjiang Province)
• Shang4 Hai3 Shi4 (Shanghai City)
• Jiang Su Sheng3 (Jiangsu Province)
• Zhe4 Jiang Sheng3 (Zhejiang Province)
• An Hui Sheng3 (Anhui Province)
• Fu2 Jian4 Sheng3 (Fujian Province)
• Jiang Xi Sheng3 (Jiangxi Province)
• Shan Dong Sheng3 (Shandong Province)
• He2 Nan2 Sheng3 (Henan Province)
• Hu2 Bei3 Sheng3 (Hubei Province)
• Hu2 Nan2 Sheng3 (Hunan Province)
• Guang3 Dong Sheng3 (Guangdong Province)
• Guang3 Xi Zhuang4 Zu2 Zi4 Zhi4 Qu (Guangxi Autonomous Region)
• Hai3 Nan2 Sheng3 (Hainan Province)
• Chong2 Qing4 Shi4 (Chongqing City)
• Si4 Chuan Sheng3 (Sichuan Province)
• Gui4 Zhou Sheng3 (Guizhou Province)
• Yun2 Nan2 Sheng3 (Yunnan Province)
• Xi Zang4 Zi4 Zhi4 Qu (Tibet Autonomous Region)
• Shan3 Xi Sheng3 (Shaanxi Province)
• Gan Su Sheng3 (Gansu Province)
• Qing Hai3 Sheng3 (Qinghai Province)
• Ning2 Xia4 Hui2 Zu2 Zi4 Zhi4 Qu (Ningxia Autonomous Region)
• Xin Jiang Wei2 Wu2 Er3 Zi4 Zhi4 Qu (Xinjiang Autonomous Region)
• Tai2 Wan Sheng3 (Taiwan Province)
• Zhong Hua2 Ren2 Min2 Gong4 He2 Guo2 Xiang Gang3 Te4 Bie2 Xing2 Zheng4 Qu (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the PROC)
• Zhong Hua2 Ren2 Min2 Gong4 He2 Guo2 Ao4 Men2 Te4 Bie2 Xing2 Zheng4 Qu (Macao Special Administrative Region of the PROC)

Reference:

• “Shi4″ - City, Municipality
• “Sheng3″ - Province, Provincial Capital
• “Qu” - Area, District, Region;
• “Zi4 Zhi4 Qu” - Autonomous Region
• “Te4 Bie2 Xing2 Zheng4 Qu” - Special Administrative Region

ps. article taken with permission from ILuvChina.BlogSpot.Com. the url for the original article can be found here.

Chinese name seals have been around for a few thousand years. In the past, all Chinese emperors have them. So did the ministers, generals, scholars, etc. Today, most Chinese in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong tend to have at least one … and very often a few.

To the Chinese, a name seal is considered an important piece of stationery, because apart from using them in place or on top of a signature in everyday life, it is also normally affixed on chinese calligraphies, paintings, and other works of art. By itself, a name seal can also be a piece of art of very high value.

A name seal can be made of any one of these materials:
Stone, marble, metal (silver, gold, etc), wood, ivory, etc.

Among the most common name seals are the ones made of stone. Here’s an example:

The above name seal with my Chinese name, was made in China and presented in September 2003 to me as a gift by 2 of my Mandarin Conversation students, Dato and Datin Wan in Kuching.

It is a very beautiful name seal with the carving of an azure dragon on top of it. The wordings on the seal were carved by hand.

Apart from stone, in the recent years, in places like Taiwan and China, most name seals are made of horns (specifically cow horns). This is because horns are cheaper, easily available, easier to carve and more durable. Here’s an example:

This particular name seal was made in Taiwan in 2001, when I was based in the Keelung Port in the north. It was made of cow horn and it was carved with a special tool instead of by hand. The wordings were carved very intricately and even. If I had chosen a white colour horn material instead of this, it would have been more expensive. I was also offered other choices such as the modern plastic name seals that came in all sorts of colours and sizes. Hehe … but I preferred this one

When it comes to affixing the seal, normally a special red rice ink is used. The best method of doing it will be to use both hands so that one can press down with enough strength for an even stamp:

But if you have a very strong arm and you are comfortable affixing the seal using one arm, why not?:

The most important thing is to get an even stamp. So, regardless of how you do it, the end result must be clear. With practise, it is actually quite easy

Btw, for the sake of convenience and because I needed a bigger seal, I have also made a normal rubber stamp chinese name seal:

With this seal, I could just use any normal stamp pad. Hehe … against tradition … but practical hehe

ps. Actually I have a few other name seals back in Johor Bahru. I will try and take some photos and update here later.

So, do you have a name seal? What material is it made of and where did you have it made?

regards.

ps. article taken with permission from ILuvChina.BlogSpot.Com. the url for the original article can be found here.

Hope you enjoy your stay. Xie4 Xie4. Thank You

best regards.