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I. A Universal Enigma: Love Confronting the World Two great works, emerging from distant traditions, raise the same question: why can absolute love never be fulfilled in the world of men? Romeo and Juliet, a play by William Shakespeare (1564–1616). The Dream of the Red Chamber (Honglou Meng), a novel by Cao Xueqin (1710–1765), where the figures of Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu shine. …

Two Adolescent Tragedies: Shakespeare and Cao Xueqin Read More »

8 August: Prosperity, Filial Piety, and Fatherhood

In Chinese, the number 8 is pronounced bā (八), a sound that closely resembles fā (發), meaning “to prosper” or “to become wealthy.” This phonetic resemblance has made the number eight highly auspicious in Chinese culture — repeating bā, bā, bā sounds like fā, fā, fā, invoking good fortune and prosperity.

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