Dad and Elaine had already traveled through parts of China’s Greater Bay Area before Dad really understood what it was. 😂 First: Hong Kong (香港) → Shenzhen (深圳, Shēnzhèn). Then: Hong Kong → Macau (澳門). Then: Macau → Hong Kong across the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge (港珠澳大橋). And somewhere during that last journey… Dad nearly followed the route toward Zhuhai (珠海, Zhūhǎi) instead of Hong Kong. Elaine caught him. 😂 At the time,...
Shenzhen (深圳, Shēnzhèn) has been sitting inside Dad’s head for a long time. Long before Dad and Elaine crossed over from Hong Kong for our recent half-day Shenzhen adventure… Dad had already been trying to understand this city. And, more importantly, Dad had already brought Elaine here to understand it too. 🐇 Because if you only look at Shenzhen today, you see the result: Skyscrapers. Metro lines. Technology. Shopping malls. Bookstores. Coffee...
Dad doesn’t want you to finish our Zhou journey thinking: “Great. Now I know more about 1046 BCE.” 😂 That’s not the objective. The real test comes when you: TRAVEL IN CHINA. Watch a family eating together. Notice grandparents with grandchildren. Walk through an ancestral hall. Listen to parents discussing education. Notice how people address elders, teachers, hosts and guests. Listen when people talk about: family relationships education order responsibility and: good...
Dad couldn’t get past one number: 800 YEARS. The Zhou dynasty (周朝, Zhōucháo) traditionally lasted from roughly: 1046–256 BCE. Compare: Qin dynasty (秦朝, Qíncháo)→ 15 years Han dynasty (汉朝, Hàncháo)→ about 400 years, with an interruption Tang dynasty (唐朝, Tángcháo)→ almost 300 years Then: ZHOU — ALMOST 800. 😳 How? Dad & Elaine found some clues while traveling through the Zhou world around Baoji (宝鸡, Bǎojī), Qishan (岐山, Qíshān) and Zhouyuan (周原,...
We came to Linfen (临汾, Línfén) following a question: What was China like before Qin (秦, Qín)? That question had already taken Dad and Elaine more than 4,000 years back at Taosi (陶寺, Táosì). But in Linfen (临汾, Línfén), another name kept appearing: Yao (尧, Yáo). So we went to the place where Linfen has remembered him for generations: Yao Temple (尧庙, Yáomiào). But before we explain who Yao was… come inside...
Dad & Elaine Went to Zhougong Temple (周公庙, Zhōugōng Miào) — And Found a 3,000-Year Conversation About How to Govern Dad had already met plenty of: kings, emperors, generals, and: conquerors while traveling around China. Then in: Qishan (岐山, Qíshān) in Shaanxi Province (陕西省, Shǎnxī Shěng)… Dad & Elaine went looking for a man who wasn’t actually the king. 😂 His name was: Duke of Zhou (周公, Zhōugōng). And the deeper Dad...
From Yandi Mausoleum (炎帝陵) in Baoji to 炎黄子孙 — and the strange Chinese story where defeating your rival doesn’t necessarily erase him Dad and Elaine had come to Baoji (宝鸡, Bǎojī) in Shaanxi Province (陕西省, Shǎnxī) expecting to learn about one legendary ancestor. His name was: Yandi (炎帝, Yándì) the Yan Emperor. Simple enough. 😂 🎥 First — Where Are Dad & Elaine? Before we walk in, Dad gives you the coat...
Just a Few Hours From Beijing, Anyang Takes You More Than 3,000 Years Back Beijing gives a first-time traveler an enormous amount of Chinese history. The: Forbidden City. Great Wall. Temple of Heaven. Summer Palace. Ming. Qing. Imperial China everywhere. So why would Dad tell you to get on another train? 😂 Because a few hours south of Beijing sits: Anyang (安阳, Ānyáng) in Henan Province (河南省, Hénán Shěng). And Anyang can...
Section 1 — Before Zhou Won, King Wen Was a Prisoner of Shang Dad & Elaine had just encountered the world of the: Shang dynasty (商朝, Shāng Cháo) at: Yinxu (殷墟, Yīnxū) near Anyang (安阳, Ānyáng) in Henan Province (河南省, Hénán Shěng). There, Shang felt powerful. Royal tombs. Bronzes. Palace and temple remains. Oracle bones carrying the questions and names of Shang kings. 🔥 Then we went to another historical site near...
What This Story Shows At Yinxu (殷墟, Yīnxū) in Anyang, Dad & Elaine stood in front of writing more than 3,000 years old. Some of those ancient marks looked strangely familiar. A sun. A mountain. A person. And that started a much bigger rabbit: How did humans go from making simple marks to creating a writing system capable of carrying Chinese civilization across thousands of years? This story begins with marks scratched...
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