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Seventeen years on the streets, living and working with the people of China, Jeff
For donations, print books, ebooks, audiobooks and Jeff’s libraries, please see at the bottom of this post.
Text only.
My introduction
It’s all here in a downloadable 2-page summary to post on your refrigerator, bulletin board, notebook or bedside!
Noble Attributes of Chinese Civilization
Noble Attributes of Chinese Civilization
A Radio Sinoland Cultural Cheat Sheet, two printable pages to earn your Chinese Studies Degree!
By: Jeff J. Brown
With Mandarin and Pinyin for language learners…
Confucius (孔子 = Kǒngzǐ, born 551BC). Means Kong Family Scion.
He gave us Confucism.
仁义礼智信 (rén yì lǐ zhì xìn) =
Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom, Trustworthiness.
Generation Z version: Family, Friends, Fraternity, Unity.
Laozi (老子 = Lǎozǐ, born 604BC). Means Old Child.
He gave us Daoism.
温良恭俭让 (wēn liáng gōng jiǎn ràng) =
Gentleness, Kindness, Respect, Frugality, Humility.
Generation Z version: Cool, Calm, Collected, Chillaxed.
Mencius (孟子= Mèngzǐ, born 371BC). Means Meng Family Scion.
He expounded on Confucism.
忠孝廉耻勇 (zhōng xiào liánchǐ yǒng) =
Loyalty, Filial Piety, Integrity, Shame, Courage.
Generation Z version: Honor, Hope, Humble, Helpful.
Buddha (佛陀 = Fótuó, born 480BC). Means The Awakened One.
He gave us Buddhism.
佛陀的三盖: 贪欲、嗔恨、无明 (Fótuó de sān gài: tān yù, chēn hèn, wú míng) =
Buddha’s Three Hinderances: Desire, Anger and Ignorance.
Generation Z version: Rest, Relaxation, Respite, Repose.
Zhuangzi (庄子 = Zhuāngzǐ, born 369BC). Means Zhuang Family Scion.
He expounded on Daoism.
无限的本质，空无的存在，寂静的静止，心灵的交流 (wúxiàn de běnzhí, kōng wú dì cúnzài, jìjìng de jìngzhǐ, xīnlíng de jiāoliú) =
Infinite Essence, Empty Existence, Silent Stillness, Sharing Minds.
Generation Z version: Zen, baby, Zen.
Mao Zedong (毛泽东 = Máo Zédōng, born 1893). Mao is a common family name. Zedong means Eastern Luster/Beneficence.
He expounded on Marxism-Leninism-Stalinism + the above Five Great Philosophies, giving us Chinese Communism-Socialism.
合作、集体、协作、团结: 为人民服务! (hézuò, jítǐ, xiézuò, tuánjié: WÉI RÉNMÍN FÚWÙ!) =
Cooperation, Collective, Collaboration, Cohesion:
SERVE THE PEOPLE!
Generation Z version: There is no “I” in “Team”!
All six of these great philosopher-teachers espouse two fundamental concepts, The Golden Rule and Vital Precept/Jade Laws.
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The Golden Rule = 金科 (Jīnkē), which is:
己所不欲，勿施于人 (jǐsuǒ bùyù, wùshī yúrén) =
What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.
Very important observation: the Chinese version is in the negative, making it epistemologically very different than the Western version. Not the same thing. The prior is passive, elliptical and uber-Daoist, the latter is active, linear and invasive.
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The Vital Precept/Jade Laws = 玉律 (Yùlǜ).
Entire books are written about the Vital Precept/Jade Laws, so I will go Gen Z on you to sum it up in one sentence:
DO THE RIGHT THING!
In fact, these two concepts are almost always mentioned together:
金科玉律 (Jīnkē Yùlǜ)
Further reading about Chinese Civilization
Series by boots-on-the-ground China Writer travelers reporting on real China and real Chinese people!
Stay caught up with Amir&Jeff’s Amazing Adventure, journeying through the wilds of inner China, where foreigners don’t go! Short videos, captioned photos, articles, critical commentary.
State of the Chinese Union 2025: based on five months recently journeying across the country’s backwoods + 17 years living there. Speech given to Samui Real, Thailand, 13 August 2025
ADVENTURES IN ASIA WITH LADYB, FASHU, LAOLAO AND GONGGONG Series (focused on Taiwan Province and the rest of Asia)
Jeff’s many articles about Taiwan Province
Evelyne&Jeff’s Excellent China Adventure Series. Months spent traveling the back roads of China. Short videos with transcripts, captioned photos, articles and critical commentary. The REAL Chinese people you do not know!
Frans Vandenbosch: Final reflections on an extraordinary voyage
https://yellowlion.org/asia-trip-2025-part-11/
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Support, donations and contributions for my work here, any amount, one time or monthly,
A to Z support. Thank you in advance, Jeff
Checks or cash: mail to: Jeff J. Brown, 7 rue du Général de Gaulle, Équeurdreville 50120, France
Donorbox: www.donorbox.com, find China Rising Radio Sinoland
Euro bank wires: 44 Days Publishing, Bank: TransferWise, IBAN: BE70 9672 2959 5225
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Do yourself, your friends, family and colleagues a favor, to make sure all of you are Sino-smart:
Google ebooks (Epub) and audiobooks:
44 Days Backpacking in China: The Middle Kingdom in the 21st Century, with the United States, Europe and the Fate of the World in Its Looking Glass https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=YBKHEAAAQBAJ
https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details?id=AQAAAECCkQXRlM
China Rising: Capitalist Roads, Socialist Destinations https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=YNmLEAAAQBAJ
https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details?id=AQAAAECCfHo86M
BIG Red Book on China: Chinese History, Culture and Revolution
https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=6Wl4EAAAQBAJ
https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details?id=AQAAAECCfHo86M
Amazon print and ebooks (Kindle):
44 Days Backpacking in China: The Middle Kingdom in the 21st Century, with the United States, Europe and the Fate of the World in Its Looking Glass
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1484939999/
China Rising: Capitalist Roads, Socialist Destinations
https://www.amazon.com/China-Rising-Capitalist-Socialist-Destinations/dp/0996487042
BIG Red Book on China: Chinese History, Culture and Revolution
https://www.amazon.com/BIG-Red-Book-China/dp/1673322719/
Author page:
https://www.amazon.com/Mr.-Jeff-J.-Brown/e/B00TX0TDDI
Praise for The China Trilogy:
Jeff J. Brown’s libraries and catalogues A-Z: 1,000s of hours of research, writing, editing and podcasting.
Why and How China works: With a Mirror to Our Own History
JEFF J. BROWN, Editor, China Rising, and Senior Editor & China Correspondent, Dispatch from Beijing, The Greanville Post
Jeff J. Brown is a geopolitical analyst, journalist, lecturer and the author of The China Trilogy. It consists of 44 Days Backpacking in China – The Middle Kingdom in the 21st Century, with the United States, Europe and the Fate of the World in Its Looking Glass (2013); Punto Press released China Rising – Capitalist Roads, Socialist Destinations (2016); and BIG Red Book on China (2020). As well, he published a textbook, Doctor WriteRead’s Treasure Trove to Great English (2015). Jeff is a Senior Editor & China Correspondent for The Greanville Post, where he keeps a column, Dispatch from Beijing and is a Global Opinion Leader at 21st Century. He also writes a column for The Saker, called the Moscow-Beijing Express. Jeff writes, interviews and podcasts on his own program, China Rising Radio Sinoland, which is also available on YouTube, Stitcher Radio, iTunes, Ivoox and RUvid. Guests have included Ramsey Clark, James Bradley, Moti Nissani, Godfree Roberts, Hiroyuki Hamada, The Saker and many others. [/su_spoiler]
Jeff can be reached at China Rising, [email protected], Facebook, Twitter, Wechat (+86-19806711824/Mr_Professor_Brown, and Line/Telegram/Whatsapp: +33-612458821.
Read it in your language • Lealo en su idioma • Lisez-le dans votre langue • Lies es in deniner Sprache • Прочитайте это на вашем языке • 用你的语言阅读
[google-translator]
Wechat group: search the phone number +8619806711824 or my ID, Mr_Professor_Brown, friend request and ask Jeff to join the China Rising Radio Sinoland Wechat group. He will add you as a member, so you can join in the ongoing discussion.
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