A Soldier's Sacrifice: The Cost of War

It was a tranquil night during World War II. Jim, a soldier, joined a team to save people during the war. He had just lost his daughter—it was her birthday; he should have celebrated it with her in a shelter—but his daughter was hit by a bullet on her chest through her heart. There was no miracle; he saw his daughter's blood flow out, falling down to the ground.  Jim could not help but participate in the action to save people with his eyes blurred by tears; he didn't want anyone to suffer from the pain of losing their beloveds. The team had no time to think, only to act and do their best. They worked for hours—though exhausted, they couldn't stop.  During the only small break, one of Jim's fellows showed a picture of his son. "I had a daughter the same age as your son," said Jim sorrowfully in tears, "It was her birthday, but she died. And I can't celebrate for her anymore." The man comforted him. The alarm went off all of a sudden. Their enemies...

Life is a Stone Ashore

Life is a stone ashore, Though waves flow ashore, Washing, hitting the stone, It’s hard, safe and sound, Life is tougher than we can imagine, From childhood to teenage time, How often you thought life ended! Yet, you are there, safe and sound, Life is not that easy to end, Like a stone, winds blow, waves wash, It’s there, safe and sound. My manuscript

​福建长乐厚福：火出圈的“游神天花板”与代代相传的乡愁

​在福建，老辈人传下来的规矩和故事，到现在还把十里八乡甚至漂洋过海的人紧紧连在一起。现在网上一提游神，大家都说：“福州游神看长乐，长乐游神看厚福。”厚福游神不仅是长乐区的非物质文化遗产，更被大伙儿亲切地称为“游神界的天花板”。今天咱们就聊聊厚福游神的来历，看看这老传统是怎么在今天焕发新活力的。 ​一、老辈人嘴里的传说：九使公落户厚福 ​厚福村供奉的主神叫“英烈王”，老百姓平时习惯叫他“九使公”。关于他的来历，当地一直流传着一段充满人情味的神话： ​哥哥斗蟒神： 传说在唐代，福清有一条修成了气候的蟒神，掳走了一个叫刘三娘的姑娘。三娘的哥哥为了救妹妹，苦学法术二十年，终于杀回蟒洞，除了妖患。 ​顺水漂来的九使公： 那时妹妹已经有了子嗣。哥哥心软，留下了最后三个孩子。到了明朝崇祯年间，发了一场大水，排行第九的“九使”神像顺着洪水，一路漂到了长乐厚福村。村民见这神像几度顺水漂走又自己回转，觉得是神明有意留下，便建了“英武庙”恭敬地供奉起来。 ​护佑一方： 到了清朝初年，海盗频频来犯，相传九使公显灵保境安民，护住了整个村子。后来厚福的进士把这事儿上奏朝廷，皇帝便御封他为“英烈王”。这个除暴安良、护佑一方的故事，也就世世代代传了下来。 ​ 二、看懂厚福游神的门道 ​厚福游神之所以能这么热闹、这么出圈，主要有这几个实打实的看点： ​看日子和阵仗： 每年正月初十和正月二十六，是厚福游神的大日子。全村老少出动，300多尊神将齐聚，游神队伍能拉出4公里长。大半夜都不停歇，要在十几个自然村里巡游一整圈，家家户户摆上供桌、燃放烟花迎神，那叫一个万人空巷、锣鼓喧天。 ​看“塔骨神将”： 游神队伍里那些两三米高、走起路来双臂还会自然甩动、威风凛凛的神仙，在当地叫“塔骨”。它是用竹子、木头扎成空心的骨架，外面穿上华丽的神袍，里面由身强力壮的小伙子顶着走。这可是个力气活，也是个技术活。 ​看“世子天团”： 队伍里那些面容俊秀、意气风发的“世子”们（比如赵世子、张世子、华光大世子等），现在可是网上的“顶流”。他们不仅造型精美，更寄托了老百姓对美好生活的向往，吸引了全国各地甚至海外的年轻人专门跑来一睹风采。 ​ 三、跨越重洋的乡愁与传承 ​厚福不仅是一个古老的村落，更是著名的侨乡。早年间，很多长乐人为了生计，漂洋过海去海外打拼。游神，就成了这根扯不断的风筝线。 ​每年正月初十，许许多多的海外华侨会放下...

千年汉字，独领风骚

 字里乾坤大，墨中天地宽。—— 题记   字如星辰布于天，墨如江河流不尽。笔下乾坤生万象，纸上日月映古今。经过了千年历史的积淀，汉字不仅是一种文字，更是一种文化符号，是中华文明千年历史的见证者。 传说仓颉根据日月形状、鸟兽足印创造了文字，而使 “ 天雨粟，鬼夜哭。 ” 汉字普遍被认为是能够符合人们对书法的想象的，汉字的书法在隶变以后，尤其是魏晋以后得到了极大发展，比如说被称为天下第一行书的《兰亭集序》和第二行书的《祭侄文稿》。《祭侄文稿》上面有着多处涂改，到最后也是潦草凌乱，但它所承载的情感也因此更能真诚地表露出来，它承载的历史价值也是毋庸置疑的，这也是它为什么能够被称为天下第二行书。汉字不单单是文字，它还是绝佳的情感与历史的载体。有多少文人骚客的笔墨是中华大地上各个王朝历史兴衰的见证者，又有多少是中华文明兴衰的见证者呢？ 《道德经》开篇即云： “ 道可道，非常道。 ” “ 道 ” 在中华文化中有着举足轻重的地位，甲骨文中的 “ 道 ” 像是人走在道路上的一种形象，当时的中华文明处在比较早期的阶段， “ 道 ” 字更强调物理上的意义，随着时间的发展 “ 道 ” 字的形象抽象化了，其内涵也更加丰富，有了事物运行规律的意思，同时 “ 道 ” 的字形变得规整，逐渐形成了现代 “ 道 ” 字的形态。 “ 道 ” 是古人对世界的思考，承载着古人的情感与愿望，是中华文明从原始到成熟发展的一面镜子。 老子把 “ 道 ” 定义成了宇宙本源，道家学派认为 “ 道 ” 是无形无相却又影响万物运行的，最初的状态是 “ 无 ” ，但它生成了 “ 有 ” ，进而演化成万物，它是有和无的统一；儒家学派虽不以 “ 道 ” 为核心却借用 “ 道 ” 来阐述和强调自然规律和道德准则，比如说 “ 仁、义、礼、智、信 ” ；佛教来到中国后，与道家和儒家思想相互融合，形成了诸如中道、菩提道这样的概念。随着释道儒三教合一， “ 道 ” 的内涵愈发丰富，不仅仅是哲学上的思辨，更是生活中的智慧，顺应自然、追求和谐、修养品德等等思想辐射到了中国乃至更广大世界人们的日常生活之中，到今天 “ 道 ” 的精神内涵仍然留存着，为东亚文化圈的人们提供精神的滋养。 现代汉字有着多种变体，使用不同变体的人能够轻易读懂对方使用的文字，甚至能够从汉字猜出一种完全不同语言 —— 日语中一些语段的意思...

Houfu, Fujian: The Ultimate "Parade of the Gods" and a Century-Old Nostalgia

​In Fujian, traditions and tales passed down by ancestors still tightly bind neighboring villages and even those who have crossed the oceans. When talking about Youshen (the Parade of the Gods) online today, there's a popular saying: "For Youshen in Fuzhou, look to Changle; for Youshen in Changle, look to Houfu." Not only is the Houfu Youshen an intangible cultural heritage of the Changle district, but it is also affectionately known by the public as the "ceiling" (the absolute pinnacle) of all Youshen parades. Today, let's talk about the origins of the Houfu Youshen and see how this old tradition is finding new life today. ​ I. The Legend from the Elders: Jiushi Gong Settles in Houfu ​The main deity worshipped in Houfu Village is called "Yinglie Wang" (King of Heroic Valor), but locals usually call him "Jiushi Gong" (Duke of the Ninth). Regarding his origins, a deeply human myth has always been told locally: ​ A Brother's Battle...

The Universe in a Brushstroke: The Eternal Soul of Hanzi

“Within a character, the universe unfolds; within the ink, the world expands.” — Epigraph In the Chinese tradition, characters are like stars scattered across the sky, and ink flows like an endless river. Every stroke gives birth to a myriad of forms, and every sheet of paper reflects the passing of ages. After thousands of years of evolution, Hanzi (Chinese characters) has become more than a writing system; it is a cultural totem—a silent witness to the rise and fall of a civilization. The Power of the Written Word Legend tells of Cangjie , the four-eyed official who created the first characters by observing the tracks of birds and the shapes of the stars. It is said that when he succeeded, "the heavens rained grain and ghosts wailed in the night," marking the moment humanity unlocked the secrets of the universe. In the hands of masters, these characters transcend data and become art. Take, for example, the two greatest masterpieces of Chinese calligraphy: The Preface to th...