Xian Yan Xian Yu - (Three)

Author: Zhao Jie
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: Humans always exist historically—drawing knowledge and experience from history, building their own life wisdom with history, and then using this wisdom to teach their children, guiding them to face the challenges of their future lives. The tree of human wisdom grows ever more lush across generations of minds. Our Chinese nation has a 5,000-year history of civilization, which means that the tree of our nation's life wisdom has been nurtured by countless minds over 5,000 years. How could it not be lush and magnificent! The term "virtuous" refers to those with talent and good character, as well as being a description of beauty and goodness. Thus, the name of this series, Xian Yan Xian Yu (Virtuous Words, Virtuous Language), implies that it gathers the finest fruits—the talented and virtuous sages and scholars from our nation's 5,000-year history of wisdom cultivation—and presents their good, instructive, or edifying words and phrases to children. In this way, those who read this series are as if they are facing the wise sages and scholars of history, listening to them tell stories that enlighten the mind and inspire people to do good and avoid evil.
As a father and a historian, I am deeply moved by the compilers' dedication to translating these historical stories, which I have read in texts and even whispered to my own children, into such engaging fables. The stories are accompanied by thought-provoking insights and often humorous illustrations, all of which are truly heartwarming. May every child be able to draw life wisdom from these "virtuous words and language."