Chinese History & Mythology

120.Interesting Chinese Culture——Why Did Xi Take President Donald Trump to These Three Places in Beijing?

The hidden meaning behind President Donald Trump’s China visit: the Great Hall of the People, the Temple of Heaven, and Zhongnanhai. In mid-May 2026, U.S. President Trump set foot on Chinese soil. As one of the most powerful figures in the world, the schedule of his visit to China carried a strong sense of careful design. During this three-day visit, Xi Jinping took him to three places: the Great Hall of the People, the Temple of Heaven, and Zhongnanhai. These three places represent three different layers of China: the way modern Chinese politics operates, the deepest cosmology of Chinese civilization, and a tradition of state governance that has continued for thousands of years. Behind these places, what kind of civilizational history is hidden, stretching across several millennia? Why would a foreign head of state, after arriving in Beijing, be arranged to enter three completely different places?

119.Romance of the Three Kingdoms-6

When Yuan Shao heard that Yan Liang had been killed, he flew into a rage and ordered Liu Bei executed. But Liu Bei calmly replied, “Since we were separated in Xuzhou, I have not known whether Yunchang was alive or dead. Based on one report alone, how can we be certain the man who killed Yan Liang was truly Guan Yu?” Yuan Shao was already hesitant by nature, and after hearing this, he felt the argument made sense, so he spared Liu Bei.

118.Romance of the Three Kingdoms-5

breaking point of the entire plan? In this episode, we continue the story. Dong Cheng and the others asked Ma Teng, “Who is this person you mentioned?” Ma Teng replied, “Liu Bei, the governor of Yuzhou, is now in Xudu. Why not bring him in?” Dong Cheng hesitated. “Although Liu Bei is an imperial relative, he is now under Cao Cao. He may not be willing to take such a risk.”

117.Why Do Chinese People Love Using Idioms?

In our main historical storyline, we are now in the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Romance of the Three Kingdoms can be called a “super-rich mine” of Chinese idioms. There are more than three hundred idioms and historical references connected to it alone. Even today, behind everyday Chinese conversation, you can still see the shadow of Three Kingdoms stories. So today, let’s talk about Chinese idioms. In Chinese, there is a very special language phenomenon: four characters, or even a shorter phrase, can hold a story, a judgment, a personality, a war, or even a whole set of life experience. When foreigners first start learning Chinese, they often find this very strange.

116.Romance of the Three Kingdoms-4

Yuan Shu’s chief clerk, Yang Dajiang, proposed a plan. He believed Liu Bei should be attacked first, but Lü Bu had to be stabilized. He said, “Liu Bei is in Xiaopei. The city is small and his troops are weak, easy to defeat. But Lü Bu holds Xu Province. If he comes to help Liu Bei, it will cause trouble. Better to send him the grain we promised before to keep him satisfied, then move troops against Liu Bei. Once Liu Bei is gone, we can deal with Lü Bu afterward. Xu Province will fall sooner or later.” Yuan Shu was delighted. He immediately sent Han Yin with two hundred thousand hu of grain to Lü Bu, along with a secret letter. Lü Bu received the grain and was very pleased, treating Han Yin generously.