Essays ⁽³⁴⁹⁾

In July, streetsides across Beijing are full of pagoda-tree (Huaihua) blossoms. When the wind blows, the blossoms fall like rain. Pedestrians walking along avenues lined with Chinese scholar trees end up with blossoms on their hair and clothing. Pagoda-tree blossoms carry a faint, delicate fragrance;…

When my gaokao results came out in 1998, I went to the school and happened to see Mr. Song, my physics teacher, saying excitedly to other teachers in front of the administrative building: "How can an examination system like this select genuine talent? How should…

Lately I have been beset by all sorts of worldly errands—the college entrance exam, the car-accident lawsuit, the household-registration transfer. Each one alone is enough to keep me busy for a while; taken together, they have kept even someone like me, who ordinarily ignores worldly…

After the college entrance exam (gaokao) ended, I devoted some energy to preparing for the first lawsuit of my life—a claim for compensation after a car accident. The court hearing is set for July 2nd; I hope it is also the only lawsuit of my…

After dinner I often take walks on the nearby university campuses. Near my home, besides the National Library, are Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Renmin University of China, China Youth University of Political Studies, Minzu University of China, Capital Normal University, Beijing…

In my 26th year in Beijing, I finally developed a complete sense of belonging to this city and no longer want to return to my hometown. From now on Beijing is my home, while Huanggang, Hubei, is my native place. In 1998, carrying a worn…

Spring always makes people a bit happier. As temperatures rise and ice and snow melt, the rivers ripple again, branches slowly turn green, and my mood improves day by day. Though looking back still brings moments of inner pain, in these bright spring days those…

Happiness is not only physical health; sometimes a poor memory is, in itself, a kind of happiness. — Albert Schweitzer On Saturday I cycled out to my vegetable plot, dug and turned the soil to prepare for spring sowing, and stopped by Zhongwu Park to…

Cultivate stillness within movement; hold an empty heart as if it held nothing. — Ren Jiyu Gradually recovering from a series of physical and psychological traumas, I spent a while in a state of self-doubt: every time a thought arose, I would immediately ask myself,…

Recently I have finally readjusted myself to my earlier state, and my child at university is gradually entering their own life path. I have lived through all the storms this life has to offer. The deepest pains—birth, aging, illness, death, and parting from loved ones—have…