Chinese and Western fantasy often portray very different afterlives. One may emphasise divine judgment, another an elaborate underworld bureaucracy. But as I looked at these worlds, I realised they weren’t simply offering different answers—they were asking different questions. Once you notice that, you begin to see afterlife systems in an entirely new way. Question 1:Continue reading “Chinese vs. Western Fantasy: What Questions Does the Afterlife Ask? “
Category Archives: Inspiration
Remarkable Women in ancient China (29)- Zhang Xiugu
Who is she? The first person in Chinese history to dissect a diseased human body Notable life events: Born in the Northern and Southern Dynasty period and rumoured to be born to a father who is a wandering village doctor Married to a wandering village doctor by the name Tang Ci In 450 AD, aContinue reading “Remarkable Women in ancient China (29)- Zhang Xiugu”
Chinese vs Western Fantasy: A comparison of Elements (3): Ghosts- Moral Punishment vs Administrative Continuity
Ghost stories exist in almost every culture. They appear in different forms, wear different faces, and follow different rules. Yet beneath these differences, ghosts often represent one universal idea: The past is not truly gone. The dead leave behind memories, obligations, regrets, and unfinished relationships. When a ghost appears, it is a sign that somethingContinue reading “Chinese vs Western Fantasy: A comparison of Elements (3): Ghosts- Moral Punishment vs Administrative Continuity”
Remarkable Woman in Ancient China (28)- Empress Dou Miao
Who is she? An Empress in the Eastern Han era, one of the six Empresses who reigned at Court during that era. Notable life events: Born in approximately 149 AD, as the eldest daughter of the general Dou Wu, a descendant of Empress Dou’s brother. Chosen to join the Imperial Harem in 165 AD andContinue reading “Remarkable Woman in Ancient China (28)- Empress Dou Miao”
Chinese vs Western Fantasy: A comparison of Elements (1): Dragons
I am starting a new post series that compares elements of Chinese fantasy versus Western fantasy. For the very first post, I am going to focus on dragons. When we say “dragon”, we are often assuming a shared idea. But that assumption doesn’t really hold once you compare Chinese and Western contexts. Broadly speaking, theContinue reading “Chinese vs Western Fantasy: A comparison of Elements (1): Dragons”
Ideas: Recycling and Autobiography
I think I alluded to this topic of ideas generation before but I didn’t have enough material to actually blog about. But I think now I can start to talk about this in light of my recent experience of letting the WIP that I had been working on for about 10 years go and redevoteContinue reading “Ideas: Recycling and Autobiography “
The Role of Etiquette in Chinese culture (5)- Subtlety
Besides a general cultural preference for subtlety, it plays an important role for etiquette. In particular, it features heavily in communications but also relates to the concept of humility, which is a virtue as deemed by Confucianism. In terms of communications, there are a lot of things left unsaid or implied. Double entendres are aContinue reading “The Role of Etiquette in Chinese culture (5)- Subtlety”
Remarkable Women in Ancient China (27)- Deng Sui
Who is She? An Empress of the Eastern Han dynasty One of the few capable female regents with a positive reputation Notable Life Events Born in 81 AD, grand daughter to Deng Yu, a government official who participated the founding of the Eastern Han dynasty Entered the Imperial Palace in 95 AD, received the titleContinue reading “Remarkable Women in Ancient China (27)- Deng Sui “
The Role of Etiquette in Chinese culture (4)- Number of wives
Chinese society is very hierarchical and one of the aspects that evidences this is the number of wives allowed between different social classes. The lowest class or commoners tend to practice monogamy while the wealthy have a wife and various concubines. And depending on the dynasty, sometimes merchants are considered to be a cheap socialContinue reading “The Role of Etiquette in Chinese culture (4)- Number of wives “
The Role of Etiquette in Chinese culture (3)- Ceremonial Rites
There used to be more ceremonial rites in ancient China but many have grown out of fashion. For example, the coming of age ceremony for the high born where males aged 20 are capped and given a courtesy name while girls’ hair is styled into a bun and given a hairpin at the age ofContinue reading “The Role of Etiquette in Chinese culture (3)- Ceremonial Rites “
