Essays ⁽³⁴⁹⁾

On the weekend, after my midday nap, I walked along the Third Ring Road toward the Renmin University area, then followed South Zhongguancun Avenue to Zizhuyuan (Purple Bamboo Park), passing the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Minzu University of China, and…

In 2020, the wealth of the world's billionaires grew by about 1.9 trillion US dollars, an annual increase of about 20%. Setting aside even a fraction of that sum would be enough to vaccinate every person on Earth against COVID and solve their food and…

Last night, while watching a movie on the movie channel with my wife, she suddenly asked me when we could live like people do in the movies—everyone no longer wearing masks, life back to normal. I told her that, thanks to modern science, it might…

At the very core of biology lies an unknown black hole. To be honest, we do not know why life is the way it is. All complex life on Earth shares a common ancestor, which evolved from simple bacteria and arose only once over the…

After taking a few packets of Mahuang Tang (Ephedra Decoction) and Gegen Tang (Pueraria Decoction) and resting for two days, my cervical spine is basically fully recovered. But I do not intend to crush it again with heavy workload, so starting today I will begin…

Anyone who has spent time in an oncology clinic understands that, in a sense, it is a very depressing place. Perhaps the most telling sign is young residents who constantly tell their colleagues: "I don't want to be an oncologist, because every patient we treat…

Both Fei Xiaotong and Xu Zhuoyun are respected sociologists. Peasant Life in China and From the Soil: The Foundations of Chinese Society are Fei's best-known works, while Xu's may be Watching America, Watching China, and Rivers Without End. I have read both scholars' books and…

At dusk, when the last streak of sunset on my desk has vanished, I stand up and stretch, looking out the window into the distance. Though the sun has set, the evening glow remains; the Western Hills in the distance stand out in clear outline…

The joy of hunting for books can only be understood by those who love it. Yuan Mei once said that a book is never read unless it is borrowed. In my view, for those of us who love book hunting, a book is never bought…

At the opening of his book The Art of Living, Lin Yutang wrote: "The Chinese philosopher is a man who dreams with one eye open, a man who observes life with a blend of love and ironic detachment, a man in whom selfishness and benevolent…