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Soul of China

Sacrificing self to save the Republic

Peng Jia Zhen (彭家珍) of Jin Tang (金堂) municipality in Sichuan (四川) province enrolled in the Sichuan Defense Preparation School to specialize in the armed forces and armaments. He joined the Chinese Tong Meng Hui (同盟會), a revolutionary organization against the Manchu Dynasty formed by Sun Yat-sen in Tokyo, Japan. His father wrote him several […]

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Soul of China

Xu Hui Yan: Loyal and steadfast until the end

In 1128 AD, the Jin (晉 1115-1234) army surrounded the city of Jin Ning (晋寧) of Southern Song (1127-1279) ruled by the Han Chinese. It sent Zhe Ke Qin (折可求), one of the generals who had surrendered, to convince Xu Hui Yan (徐徽言), the leader of the city’s defenders, to also surrender. Xu was Zhe’s […]

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Soul of China

A righteous man upholds justice

Between 307 and 314 during the Western Dynasty (265-316 AD), the Central Plains straddling the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River was in turmoil. Liu Min Yuan (劉敏元) and his townmate Guan Ping (管平), who was over 70 years old, fled from Qi (齊, in today’s Shandong province) toward the west. When they reached Xing Yang […]

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Soul of China

Yu Gun: A model son and sibling

Yu Gun (庾衮) was born poor and lived in poverty since childhood. When he grew up, he took to farming to support his parents. From 275 to 280 A.D. (Western Jin Dynasty), an epidemic broke out in Yu’s hometown, killing two of his brothers and leaving an elder brother, Yu Pi (庾毗), in serious condition. […]

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Columns Soul of China

Kong Yong – A true leader

Kong Yong (孔鏞 1427-1486) was appointed governor of Gao Zhou (高州) in Guangdong province in 1465 during the Ming Dynasty. Because of his predecessor’s bad governance, the people of Yao (瑶) ethnic group had no food to eat and turned to banditry. The city gate was closed to keep them from attacking. Upon assuming office, […]

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Soul of China

Bayan muna

In October 1681, Zhao Shen Qiao (趙申喬 1644-1720) was appointed mayor of Shang Qiu (商丘) municipality in Henan province. At the time, Shang Qiu was frequented by calamities. The taxes levied were high that the people unceasingly rebelled. The place was difficult to govern that any official was hesitant and afraid to assume a position […]

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Columns Soul of China

For the greater good

In February 466 AD, during the Southern Dynasties period (420-589), Liu Zi Xun (劉子勛), the king of Jin An (晉安王), declared a rebellion against the emperor, Song Ming Di (宋明帝). He proclaimed himself emperor at Xun Yang (尋陽) in Jiangxi (江西) province and gained support from many prefectures. With only a few prefectures and counties […]

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Soul of China

Gao Yun values integrity and loyalty

In April, 450 AD, Emperor Tai Wu Di (太武帝) of the Wei (魏) state ordered the arrest and execution of the minister of justice, Cui Hao (崔浩). Cui had displeased the emperor when he presided over the writing of Guo Ji (國記), The Record of the State, in which he insisted on the principle of […]

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Soul of China

The noble leader Cui Kai

In 527 AD, the royal court of Northern Wei (北魏 386-534) appointed Cui Kai (崔楷) as the prefectural governor of Yin Zhou (殷州, in today’s Hebei province). Yin Zhou was newly established at the time. Food and weaponry were scarce. Cui Kai requested these items from the court but was not sent provisions. So some people […]

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Soul of China

Li Si, prime minister through the ages

It is really amazing and exciting to uncover that among the eight sculptures of world-famous jurists at the Old Senate Session Hall in Manila was one of Li Si (李斯), famous Chinese legalist and prime minister in the Qin (秦) Dynasty (221-207 BC). The other seven were Pope Leo XIII, the intellectual pope who helped […]