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
Kunming’s scenery is very beautiful. It is the best place to study Chinese in China. My favorite learning method at Keats School is one-on-one because it is suitable for everyone. My teacher is very good, very caring, and lovely. My life when learning Chinese in Kunming is very good and the weather is very good. The air is very good. It is good for the elderly’s body.
My first semester that I studied at another school, and the pressure there was pretty high, the classroom hour was long, and the homework was pretty tedious. Since I came to Keats, I found I have a lot more opportunities to speak in the classroom. My classmates all are fluent and love speaking and participating in the class. We have great classroom dynamic.
About studying Chinese here, I think the living condition is very convenient because the dorm is very close to the classroom. Our teachers really enjoy teaching Chinese. They are also very passionate. Compared with other cities in China, Kunming has really good weather.
We use a lot of games to learn grammar and new words. We have really good teachers, really patient. She helps us a lot. Our class is really nice and we have people from all over the world, different countries. We often discuss topics in Chinese in our class. I live in the dorm of Keats. It is very convenient. I don’t have to spend time traveling. You can just focus on learning Chinese.
My teachers are all excellent. They trained the teachers so professionally. I feel like I learn very quickly with my teacher. They are very serious about their students and I know every teacher is like this. I would highly recommend that you come to Keats if you are looking for the best Chinese school in China.
I have been to Keats School to learn Chinese for 4 times now. The reason for coming back to this school is pretty much that the teachers I did work with were very good Chinese teachers. I make it a 5-year plan or even a 10-year plan to come back to this school. All the teachers have methods of looking at what your skills are. They are aware of at what level you are. I think it is worth for everyone.
In the one-to-one intensive Chinese course, you can choose the learning method you like. The small group Chinese class in China at Keats follows the HSK textbook. Teachers often collect feedback from the students, teachers listen to our requirements and opinions. I felt that my oral level is better than before .
I decided to learn Chinese in Kunming because I like smaller cities and I like the climate here. We had four hours a day study here and my dear teacher taught me very much and never lost her patience with me. It was a really wonderful experience to be here and I recommend Keats school and the teachers here to everyone who likes to learn Chinese in China.