A Legendary Philosopher Lǎo Zǐ (circa 580-470 BC)
Lao Zi’s surname was Li and his given name was Er. Lao Zi is an honorific title. It is widely acknowledged that Lao Zi is one of the most revered philosophers in Chinese history. There are numerous legends about his birth, career, teaching and philosophical ideas.
According to one popular legend, Lao Zi was conceived when his mother saw a star falling into her lap and he stayed in the womb for 80 years. When he was born, he was already a grown man with a gray beard and long earlobes, a symbol of good fortune and longevity.
He once kept the royal court archives for Zhou Dynasty (circa 11th century-256 BC). But he later resigned and went westward to propagate his ideas and philosophy.
One day while riding an ox he approached the Hangu Pass and was stopped by Yinxi, a sentinel who manned the pass. As a faithful follower of Lao Zi’s philosophy, the officer immediately recognized the great master.But, in order to ask Lao Zi to teach him something of his philosophy, the officer demanded the old man produce an official permit to leave the country.Lao Zi had no document, so he agreed to write a 5,000-word essay about his philosophy in exchange for passage to the West. That essay turned out to be the famous Daodejing (also “Tao Te Ching”), or the “Book of Virtue.”
Today scholars worldwide are still debating whether the book was actually written by Lao Zi or compiled by his students and disciples.
However, they all agree that the book reflects Lao Zi’s thinking.In the book, Lao Zi used the concept of Dao (Tao) to explain all changes in the universe. Dao, which has also been translated as “Way” or “Great Integrity,” is deemed the mysterious source or ideal of all existences.
Lao Tzu’s “Tao Te Ching” is a classic of Chinese philosophy. The best way to deeply understand this work is to come to China and attend a full-time Chinese course. As the best country to learn Chinese, China not only offers high-quality language courses but also allows you to experience traditional cultural activities such as Chinese Festivals firsthand.
Related Articles
The Romance of the Western Chamber
A Complete Guide to the Jingmai Tea Mountain
Best Mandarin Chinese Program for Kids
Which Chinese Language Program
is right for you?
OVER 7000+ STUDENTS
HAVE STUDIED AT KEATS
The teachers at Keats know how to read the students and how to help students learn Chinese language easily. They know the level of the students. I am a slow learner, but they managed to adapt to my learning. They made the class very fun, very exciting. I am pleased that not only I got to learn the culture and the language, but I also got to make amazing friends, really unbelievable, Chinese friends and European friends, American friends, from all over the world.
I have 2 teachers, and I do 4 hours a day. So I have got Dong Laoshi and Jin Laoshi. Both of them are very good. They made the experience very nice to me. They are willing to help you whenever, so if you ever have a question here, the teachers are always there to help you whether it is visas, whether it is getting around the city. Everyone wants to talk to you.
I come to Kunming because I think the environment in Kunming is better and I heard that Keats School is better. I like the small group Chinese class because my classmates study hard and our teachers are very good. I like the teaching method of Keats because I like the activities at Keats. I think Yunnan is a particularly beautiful Chinese province.
I took the one-on-one Intensive Chinese class for 6 hours a day. The classes are very interesting. The teachers are caring and the content the teacher teaches me is suitable for my level. It is an easy way to learn Mandarin. I have a lot of time practicing Chinese in class. The food is great here. I have improved my Chinese through this program at Keats.
Last year I started studying Chinese at University. The reason that I came here is that currently, I’m preparing for the HSK 5 test. Also, I heard that this is one of the best schools to study Mandarin in China. After I came here I realized that Kunming is a pretty cool city to live in and with regards to the teachers’ teaching methods, I think they’re very professional. And I think the language environment is good so now I’m ready to take the HSK 5.
The visa application was really straightforward, because Keats School helps us a lot with that. Keats has a big emphasis on conversational practice, so we learn a lot of vocabulary and daily life plans which is very convenient for us to go around town and speak with Chinese people which is the whole point of learning Chinese in China.
Before I came to Keats School, I had no confidence in my Chinese proficiency. I did not have the confidence to speak Mandarin Chinese and chat with Chinese people. However, after 4 months of study at Keats, I become more and more confident in speaking Chinese now. Studying Chinese in China at Keats School has been the best decision I have ever made. There are many games in the class, and my teacher’s teaching methods are also very interesting. My experience at Keats School has changed my view of China and Chinese people.
At Keats, I have a lot of opportunities to practice what I have learned. I really like this school, because I can learn Chinese in one-on-one style, so I think this is the best immersion program in China and my teacher is the best teacher. I feel that without my teacher, my Chinese will definitely not improve so much. I’m very happy because, at Keats, I have improved my Chinese significantly.