Mingdi was the posthumous name (shi) of the second emperor of the Dong (Eastern) Han dynasty (ad 25–220), during whose reign (ad 57–75) Buddhism is thought to have been introduced into China. Legend recounts that Mingdi (“Enlightened Emperor”) was visited in a dream by a golden image of the Buddha

China: The struggle for central authority: Under Xianzong (reigned 805–820) the Tang regained a great deal of its power. Xianzong, a tough and ruthless ruler who kept a firm hand on affairs, is notable chiefly for his successful policies toward the provinces. Rebellions in Sichuan (806) and the Yangtze delta (807) were…

Liu Bei was the founder of the Shu-Han dynasty (ad 221–263/264), one of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo) into which China was divided at the end of the Han dynasty (206 bc–ad 220). Although Liu claimed descent from one of the early Han emperors, he grew up in poverty. Distinguishing himself in battle in

xiao, Chinese end-blown bamboo flute noted for its mellow and melancholy tone. Before the Tang dynasty (618–907 ce), the term xiao denoted a multi-tube instrument later known as the paixiao, or panpipe. Any single tube flute was called di. The transverse flute became increasingly popular during the

xiao, in Confucianism, the attitude of obedience, devotion, and care toward one’s parents and elder family members that is the basis of individual moral conduct and social harmony. Xiao consists in putting the needs of parents and family elders over self, spouse, and children, deferring to parents’

Xiao He was an adviser who helped Liu Bang establish the Han dynasty (206 bce–220 ce) of China and served as his chief minister. Xiao was a clerk in the district government of Peixian during the later years of the Qin dynasty (221–207 bce). He early attached himself to Liu Bang, becoming his

Xiao Hinggan Range, mountain range in the northeastern section of Heilongjiang province, northeastern China. The range has a northwest-southeast axis and is located to the southwest of the Amur River (Heilong Jiang). To the west it is connected to the Da Hinggan Range by the Yilehuli Mountains,

Xiao Hong was a Chinese fiction writer known for her novels and stories set in the northeast during the 1930s. In order to avoid an arranged marriage, she left home in 1930 and started to lead a vagrant life. In 1932 she met the writer Xiao Jun; from that time on, she lived with him. She wrote her

Xiao Hong: …1932 she met the writer Xiao Jun; from that time on, she lived with him. She wrote her first short story, “Wang asao de si” (“The Death of Sister Wang”), in 1933.

China: Early Tang (618–626): …the end of the Sui, Xiao Xian had set himself up as emperor of Liang, controlling the central Yangtze region, Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Annam (Vietnam). The Tang army descended the Yangtze from Sichuan with a great fleet and defeated Xiao Xian’s forces in two crucial naval battles. In 621 Xiao…

Xiao Hinggan Range, mountain range in the northeastern section of Heilongjiang province, northeastern China. The range has a northwest-southeast axis and is located to the southwest of the Amur River (Heilong Jiang). To the west it is connected to the Da Hinggan Range by the Yilehuli Mountains,

Wudi was the founder and first emperor (502–549) of the Nan (Southern) Liang dynasty (502–557), which briefly held sway over South China. A great patron of Buddhism, he helped establish that religion in the south of China. Wudi was a relative of the emperor of the Nan Qi dynasty (479–502), one of

Zhang Junxiang: …published play, Xiaocheng gushi (1940; Tale of a Small Town), is a comedy about the psychological conflicts of a woman in love. Wanshi shibiao (1943; “Model Teacher of Myriad Generations”), considered his best play, follows the fortunes of a group of Chinese intellectuals from 1919 to 1937.

Zhang Zhidong was a Chinese classicist and provincial official, one of the foremost reformers of his time. Zhang was born to a family of scholar-officials in Xingyi, Guizhou province, but, in accordance with Chinese custom, he was considered native to Nanpi (in present-day Hebei) province, where

China: Struggle for power: …rare partnership with the ruler Xiaogong and created the best-organized state of their time. Shang Yang first took strong measures to establish the authority of law and royal decree. The law was to be enforced impartially, without regard to status or position. He convinced Xiaogong that the rank of nobility…

Xiaojing, Chinese text consisting of a conversation between Confucius and a disciple of his concerning the idea of filial piety, the reverence for parents. It is sometimes grouped with the Wujing (“Five Classics”) in importance among works of Chinese literature. Xiaojing is thought to have existed

luogu: The xiaoluo (small gong without a boss, beaten with a stick or a thin plate), ling (handbells), and ban (woodblock) are sometimes added. Whatever the ensemble’s composition, the drummer is usually the leader.

Xiaomi, Chinese technology company that manufactures smartphones, lifestyle products, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, as well as offering Internet services. Xiaomi was founded in April 2010 by Chinese entrepreneur Lei Jun, a graduate of Wuhan University and former president of the software

Xiaomi, Chinese technology company that manufactures smartphones, lifestyle products, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, as well as offering Internet services. Xiaomi was founded in April 2010 by Chinese entrepreneur Lei Jun, a graduate of Wuhan University and former president of the software

Xiaomi, Chinese technology company that manufactures smartphones, lifestyle products, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, as well as offering Internet services. Xiaomi was founded in April 2010 by Chinese entrepreneur Lei Jun, a graduate of Wuhan University and former president of the software

Cixi was the consort of the Xianfeng emperor (reigned 1850–61), mother of the Tongzhi emperor (reigned 1861–75), adoptive mother of the Guangxu emperor (reigned 1875–1908), and a towering presence over the Chinese empire for almost half a century. By maintaining authority over the Manchu imperial

Shandong: Drainage: …the Huang He) is the Xiaoqing River, which emerges from a small spring-fed lake in a limestone outcrop zone near Jinan and flows parallel to the Huang He before emptying into Laizhou Bay. The southern hills, in contrast, are drained by several rivers in arable valleys and eventually terminate in…

Mao Dun: …control of the 11-year-old journal Xiaoshuo yuebao (“Short-Story Monthly”). With the support of older writers such as Zhou Zuoren, Shen and his colleagues established the Literary Research Association in the same year. Shen edited Xiaoshuo yuebao until 1923 and revamped it into the most important journal of “new literature” at…

dinosaur: Dinosaur descendants: …first discovered in 1861, and Xiaotingia, which was formally classified in 2011, provide compelling evidence that birds (class Aves) evolved from small theropod dinosaurs. Following the principles of genealogy that are applied to humans as much as to other organisms, organisms are classified at a higher level within the groups…

Archaeopteryx: …fossils of similar age, including Xiaotingia zhengi from the Liaoning deposits in China, have prompted several paleontologists to call for the reclassification of Archaeopteryx as a dinosaur.

Xiaowendi was the posthumous name (shi) of the seventh emperor of the Bei (Northern) Wei dynasty (386–534/535), which dominated much of North China during part of the chaotic 360-year period between the end of the Han dynasty (206 bc–ad 220) and the founding of Sui rule (581–618). Xiaowendi

Shanxi: Relief: …reach their maximum elevation at Mount Xiaowutai (9,455 feet [2,882 metres]), located in Hebei province. The highest peak in the west, Mount Guandi, reaches an elevation of 9,288 feet (2,831 metres), while the northern ranges are crowned by Mount Wutai at 10,033 feet (3,058 metres).

xiaozhuan, in Chinese calligraphy, a standardized and simplified form of the earlier dazhuan script, in which all lines are of even thickness and curves and circles are relatively predominant. Its development during the Qin dynasty (221–206 bc) is traditionally attributed to Li Si, a minister of

China: Relations with the Juchen: The new emperor, Xiaozong (reigned 1163–89), sympathetic to the idealists, appointed several of them to court positions and command posts. Information about a Juchen palace coup and alleged unrest in the Juchen empire, particularly in the parts recently occupied, led to a decision to resume the war. An…

Manchu language: Several thousand people, however, speak Sibo (Pinyin: Xibe), a closely related language found in the Yili region of Xinjiang.

Daoism: The idea of yin and yang: …the first time in the Xice, or “Appended Explanations” (c. 4th century bce), an appendix to the Yijing (Book of Changes): “A succession of yin and yang is called the Dao.” Yin and yang are two complementary, interdependent phases alternating in space and time; they are emblems evoking the harmonious…

Xie He was a Chinese figure painter and critic who is best remembered for collating or inventing the famous “Six Principles” (liufa) of Chinese painting. The “Six Principles” introduce Xie’s Gu Huapin Lu (“Classified Record of Painters of Former Times”), which rates 27 painters in three classes of

Xie Jun is a chess grandmaster who was twice women’s world chess champion, from 1991 to 1996 and again from 1999 to 2001. See the table of women’s world chess champions. At age six Xie began to play Chinese chess, and by age 10 she had become the girls’ champion of Beijing. At the urging of

Xie Lingyun was a prominent Chinese writer of the Six Dynasties era, known chiefly as a nature poet. The scion of an aristocratic house associated with the displaced southern court, Xie was an official under the Eastern Jin and Liu-Song dynasties, but factional intrigues later disrupted his career,

Xie Lingyun was a prominent Chinese writer of the Six Dynasties era, known chiefly as a nature poet. The scion of an aristocratic house associated with the displaced southern court, Xie was an official under the Eastern Jin and Liu-Song dynasties, but factional intrigues later disrupted his career,

Bingxin was a Chinese writer of gentle, melancholy poems, stories, and essays that enjoyed great popularity. Bingxin studied the Chinese classics and began writing traditional Chinese stories as a child, but her conversion to Christianity and her attendance at an American school in Beijing soon

Tian Han: Xie Yaohuan (1961) is thought by some critics to represent Tian’s highest achievement in drama, but by 1964 it was being attacked as a veiled criticism of Communist Party chairman Mao Zedong. Tian was persecuted by the Gang of Four during the Cultural Revolution and…

Xiangkhoang, town, north-central Laos. Xiangkhoang lies just south of the Plain of Jarres and is situated in the Xiangkhoang Plateau. Corn (maize) and rice are raised by valley Lao north of Xiangkhoang and by Lao-Theung (Mon-Khmer) and Tai Neua groups in scattered upland areas to the north and east

Fa Ngum: …on to the conquest of Xieng Khouang and then, in 1353, took Muang Swa, forced the abdication of Souvanna Khamphong, and proclaimed himself king of the expanded kingdom of Lan Xang (“a million elephants”). Small Lao principalities to the north recognized his suzerainty, but he had to fight to gain…

Xigazê, city, south-central Tibet Autonomous Region, western China. Situated on a well-defended height (elevation 12,800 feet [3,900 metres]) overlooking the confluence of two rivers in one of the most fertile valley areas of Tibet, it is the traditional centre of the area known as Tsang or

Innsbruck 1976 Olympic Winter Games, athletic festival held in Innsbruck, Austria, that took place Feb. 4–15, 1976. The Innsbruck Games were the 12th occurrence of the Winter Olympic Games. The 1976 Games were originally awarded to Denver, but, fearing environmental damage and an increase in costs,

Lake Placid 1980 Olympic Winter Games, athletic festival held in Lake Placid, N.Y., U.S., that took place Feb. 13–24, 1980. The Lake Placid Games were the 13th occurrence of the Winter Olympic Games. The 1980 Games marked the second time the small upstate New York town had hosted the Winter

Xi’an, city and capital of Shaanxi sheng (province), north-central China. It is located in the south-central part of the province, at the southern limit of the Loess Plateau. The city site is on a low plain on the south bank of the Wei River. Just to the south the Qin (Tsingling) Mountains rise

Sichuan: Constitutional framework: In 1955 former Xikang province, at the edge of the Plateau of Tibet, was incorporated into Sichuan province, and in 1997 the eastern part of Sichuan, centred on Chongqing, was upgraded to China’s fourth province-level municipality. Sichuan is now divided into 18 prefecture-level municipalities (dijishi) and 3 autonomous…

Chicomecóatl, Aztec goddess of sustenance and, hence, of corn (maize), one of the most ancient and important goddesses in the Valley of Mexico. The number seven in her name is associated with luck and generative power. She was often portrayed as the consort of the corn god, Centéotl. Chicomecóatl

Popol Vuh: …of the 18th century by Francisco Ximénez (Jiménez), parish priest of Chichicastenango in highland Guatemala. He both copied the original K’iche’ text (now lost) and translated it into Spanish. His work is now in the Newberry Library, Chicago.

Xin dynasty, (ad 9–25), short-lived dynasty in China formed by Wang Mang, whose usurpation of power from the ruling Liu family constituted an interim in the Han dynasty succession and resulted in historians splitting the Han into the Xi (Western) Han (206 bc–ad 25) and the Dong (Eastern) Han (ad

Xin River, river, tributary of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) system in northeastern Jiangxi province, eastern China. The Xin has a length of 194 miles (312 km) and drains an area of about 6,500 square miles (16,800 square km). It rises along the northeastern border of the province and flows

Xin Qiji was a Chinese poet and master soldier whose ci (poems written to existing musical patterns) are considered by many critics to be the best of the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). Xin Qiji became a soldier to avenge the dishonourable victory of the Jin over the Song, but he found no chance

Xin Qiji was a Chinese poet and master soldier whose ci (poems written to existing musical patterns) are considered by many critics to be the best of the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). Xin Qiji became a soldier to avenge the dishonourable victory of the Jin over the Song, but he found no chance

Xin River, river, tributary of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) system in northeastern Jiangxi province, eastern China. The Xin has a length of 194 miles (312 km) and drains an area of about 6,500 square miles (16,800 square km). It rises along the northeastern border of the province and flows

New Taipei City, special municipality (chih-hsia shih, or zhizia shi), northern Taiwan. It was created in 2010 when the former T’ai-pei county was administratively reorganized, and it has the status of a county. New Taipei City is bordered by I-lan (Yilan) county to the southeast, T’ao-yüan

Ouyang Xiu: There he wrote the Xin Wudai shi (“New History of the Five Dynasties”), a history of a period of political chaos lasting through almost the entire 10th century. Ouyang’s strong sense of fairness led him to devote separate sections to political outcasts such as martyrs, rebels, and traitors, a…

Xin Qiji was a Chinese poet and master soldier whose ci (poems written to existing musical patterns) are considered by many critics to be the best of the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). Xin Qiji became a soldier to avenge the dishonourable victory of the Jin over the Song, but he found no chance

Chinese architecture: The Qin (221–206 bce) and Han (206 bce–220 ce) dynasties: …burial, so the deceased (Xin Zhui, or Lady Dai, the governor’s wife) was found in a near-perfect state of preservation. Included among the grave goods, which came with a written inventory providing contemporaneous terminology, are the finest caches yet discovered of early Chinese silks (gauzes and damasks, twills and…

Fuchun River: The westerly system is the Xin’an River, which flows from southern Anhui province, where it rises in the Huang Mountains near Shexian. This tributary flows through deep, gorgelike valleys in the rugged, hilly country of the Anhui-Zhejiang border. In the late 1950s a dam and hydroelectric project was started (completed…

Xin’an River Reservoir, large artificial lake near the town of Xin’anjiang, northwestern Zhejiang province, southeastern China. It was created as part of a large hydroelectric project constructed between 1957 and 1977. The project, started with considerable Soviet technical assistance, was not

Four Masters of Anhui, group of Chinese artists who were born and worked in Anhui province in the 17th century (Qing dynasty) and who, being somewhat remote from the traditional centres of Chinese painting, developed rather unusual styles. The “four masters” are generally identified as the

Xin’an River Reservoir, large artificial lake near the town of Xin’anjiang, northwestern Zhejiang province, southeastern China. It was created as part of a large hydroelectric project constructed between 1957 and 1977. The project, started with considerable Soviet technical assistance, was not

Xinca, Mesoamerican Indians of southeastern Guatemala. Xinca territory traditionally extended about 50 miles (80 km) along the Río Los Esclavos in Guatemala and extended to the El Salvador border. The Xinca first encountered Spanish conquistadors in 1523, when Pedro de Alvarado entered Xinca

Xinkan languages, a small family of four languages from southeastern Guatemala: Chiquimulilla Xinka, Guazacapán Xinka, Jumaytepeque Xinka, and Yupiltepeque Xinka. Extinct and poorly attested Jutiapa Xinka may have been a dialect of Yupiltepeque Xinka or possibly an additional distinct language.

Xinkan languages, a small family of four languages from southeastern Guatemala: Chiquimulilla Xinka, Guazacapán Xinka, Jumaytepeque Xinka, and Yupiltepeque Xinka. Extinct and poorly attested Jutiapa Xinka may have been a dialect of Yupiltepeque Xinka or possibly an additional distinct language.

Linzi, former town, central Shandong sheng (province), eastern China. Since 1955 it has been a part of the city of Zibo, becoming a district of that city in 1969. Linzi district is situated on the west bank of the Zi River, a tributary of the Xiaoqing River, some 19 miles (30 km) east of Zhangdian

Hsin-tien, former city (shih, or shi), northern Taiwan. In 2010 it became a city district of the special municipality of New Taipei City when the former T’ai-pei county was reorganized administratively. Hsin-tien lies in the northernmost portion of Taiwan’s western coastal plain on the right bank

Ankang, city in southeastern Shaanxi sheng (province), China. It is situated in the narrow valley of the Han River between the Qin (Tsinling) and Daba mountain ranges and has been an important trade centre since antiquity. Ankang first emerged as an independent administrative centre in the 3rd

Lake Khanka, shallow lake on the boundary between Siberia (Russia) and China. Most of the lakeshore is in the Primorsky territory of the Russian Far East; the northern shore is in Heilongjiang province of northeastern China. Much of the lake is surrounded by swampland. The lake varies in area from

origins of agriculture: Early history: The Xinglongwa culture in Inner Mongolia began sometime just before 8000 bp and had well-developed stone and pottery technology, broomcorn millet, rectangular houses arranged in rows with a ditch surrounding the community, and burials of people and pigs below some house floors. The immediate predecessor of…

Chinese writing: Characteristics: …most common of which is xingsheng, a type of character that combines a semantic element (called a radical) with a phonetic element intended to remind the reader of the word’s pronunciation. The phonetic element is usually a contracted form of another character with the same pronunciation as that of the…

Pu Songling: The Bonds of Matrimony), which realistically portrays an unhappy contemporary marriage, was attributed to him by some scholars.

xingshu, a semicursive Chinese script that developed out of the Han dynasty lishu script at the same time that the standard kaishu script was evolving (1st–3rd century ad). The characters of xingshu are not abbreviated or connected, but strokes within the characters are often run together. The

Xingtai, city, southwestern Hebei sheng (province), China. It is situated in a fertile plain at the foot of the Taihang Mountains, on the upper course of the Ziya River. It became a settlement at an early date. There were several settlements of the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 bce) in the area, and

Edith Wharton: …in numerous collections, among them Xingu and Other Stories (1916), demonstrate her gifts for social satire and comedy, as do the four novelettes collected in Old New York (1924). Her 1915 reporting for Scribner’s Magazine on the Western Front in World War I was collected as Fighting France: From Dunkerque…

Xingu River: In the 1950s Xingu National Park was designated as a preserve for Brazil’s Indians, including the Tchikao, who were threatened by extinction.

Xingu River, river in Mato Grosso and Pará states, Brazil. The river rises on the Planalto (plateau) do Mato Grosso, in the drainage basin framed by the Serra do Roncador and the Serra Formosa mountain ranges. Formed by several headstreams, principally the Curiseu, Batovi, and Romuro rivers, the

Hanzhong, city, southwestern Shaanxi sheng (province), central China. It is situated in a long, narrow, and fertile basin along the Han River, between the Qin (Tsinling) and Micang mountain ranges. To the north one of the few routes across the Qin Mountains joins it to Baoji in Shaanxi, while

Hangzhou, city and capital of Zhejiang sheng (province), China. The city is located in the northern part of the province on the north bank of the Qiantang River estuary at the head of Hangzhou Bay. It has water communications with the interior of Zhejiang to the south, is the southern terminus of

Sun Yat-sen: Early life and influences: …the Revive China Society (Xingzhonghui), which became the forerunner of the secret revolutionary groups Sun later headed. As far as it can be determined, the membership was drawn entirely from natives of Guangdong and from lower social classes, such as clerks, peasants, and artisans.

Lianyungang, city and seaport, northern Jiangsu sheng (province), eastern China. It is situated near the mouth of the Qiangwei River and at the northern end of a network of canals centred on the Yunyan River that is associated with the innumerable salt pans of the coastal districts of northern

Xinhua News Agency, news agency of China, founded in 1931 as the press outlet of the Chinese Communist Party. It was first set up in the Red Army-controlled area in Jiangxi province and in the mid-1930s was moved to Yan’an. The agency is now headquartered in Beijing and has offices around the

Xinhua News Agency, news agency of China, founded in 1931 as the press outlet of the Chinese Communist Party. It was first set up in the Red Army-controlled area in Jiangxi province and in the mid-1930s was moved to Yan’an. The agency is now headquartered in Beijing and has offices around the

Xining, city and capital of Qinghai sheng (province), western interior of China. Located in the eastern part of the province, it is situated in a fertile mountain basin in the valley of the Huang River (Huang Shui), a tributary of the Huang He (Yellow River). The city lies about 60 miles (95 km)

Qinghai: Transportation: …opening in 1959 of the rail line between Xining and Lanzhou to the southeast, connecting the province to the national rail network; the line has been extended to Golmud and other places in the Qaidam Basin, and in 2006 it was extended to Lhasa, Tibet. In addition, the Xining-Lhasa highway…

Qinghai: People: …River (Huang Shui), centred on Xining, which is the main agricultural and industrial centre. A number of cities have grown substantially with development of the province’s mineral and oil and natural gas industries. Since the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet highway and, later, the railway to Tibet, Golmud (Ge’ermu) has become…

Xinjiang, autonomous region of China, occupying the northwestern corner of the country. It is bordered by the Chinese provinces of Qinghai and Gansu to the east, the Tibet Autonomous Region to the south, Afghanistan and the disputed territory of Kashmir to the southwest, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

Xinjiang, autonomous region of China, occupying the northwestern corner of the country. It is bordered by the Chinese provinces of Qinghai and Gansu to the east, the Tibet Autonomous Region to the south, Afghanistan and the disputed territory of Kashmir to the southwest, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

Xinjiang, autonomous region of China, occupying the northwestern corner of the country. It is bordered by the Chinese provinces of Qinghai and Gansu to the east, the Tibet Autonomous Region to the south, Afghanistan and the disputed territory of Kashmir to the southwest, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

Changchun, city and provincial capital of Jilin sheng (province), China. The area around the city was originally the grazing ground of a Mongol banner (army division). In 1796 the Mongol duke requested and was granted permission from the Qing (Manchu) court to open this area to colonization by

Xinkan languages, a small family of four languages from southeastern Guatemala: Chiquimulilla Xinka, Guazacapán Xinka, Jumaytepeque Xinka, and Yupiltepeque Xinka. Extinct and poorly attested Jutiapa Xinka may have been a dialect of Yupiltepeque Xinka or possibly an additional distinct language.

Feng Youlan: …his own philosophical system in Xinlixue (“New Rational Philosophy”), in which he converted certain 12th-century neo-Confucian assertions about the world into formal logical concepts. These he dealt with in a systematic manner that was new to Chinese philosophy, which traditionally had largely used assertion and metaphor. In 1950, soon after…

Chen Duxiu: Role in the intellectual revolution: …Magazine”) in Shanghai, later renamed Xinqingnian (“New Youth”). In its pages he proposed that the youth of China undertake a vast intellectual, literary, and cultural revolution to rejuvenate the nation. Many of the young writers who contributed to the monthly—among them Hu Shi, a liberal promoter of the vernacular literature,…

xinshu, an early Chinese Daoist system aimed at purifying the practitioner’s life force (qi) and enabling him to attain awareness of true reality as encompassed in the Dao. In xinshu the purification of qi meant cleansing the mind and heart of thoughts and emotions; only when an individual had

Ouyang Xiu: …first ordered to write the Xintangshu (“New History of the Tang Dynasty”). In 1057 he was placed in charge of civil service examinations. He favoured those who wrote in the “ancient style” but failed those who employed literary embellishments. For thus imposing his own ideas of literature on the traditional…

Xiong Shili: …he presented in the eight-volume Xinweishilun (“New Doctrine of Consciousness Only”), published in 1944. From 1925 until his retirement, he was professor of philosophy at Peking University.

Xinxiang, city, northern Henan sheng (province), China. It is a transportation centre located at the head of navigation of the Wei River, with access northeast to Tianjin, and at the southern end of a route from Hebei province that runs west to ultimately connect with southern Shanxi and Shaanxi

Lu Jiuyuan: …Learning of the Heart-and-Mind (xinxue), often called the Lu-Wang school, after its two great proponents. It was opposed to the other great (and dominant) school, the Learning of Principle (lixue), often called the Cheng-Zhu school after its leading philosophers, Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi.

Xinyang, city, southern Henan sheng (province), east-central China. It is situated in the far south of the Henan plain, in the basin between the Dabie Mountains (south) and the Huai River (north). It has traditionally been on a cultural divide between the plain and the hilly districts to the south.

Hsin-ying, city district (ch’ü, or qu), T’ai-nan special municipality, southwestern Taiwan. Until late 2010 it was the seat of T’ai-nan county, but when the county was amalgamated administratively with T’ai-nan municipality, it became a city district of the new special municipality. Hsin-ying is

Liang Shiqiu: … and Xu Zhimo, founded the Crescent Moon Society in 1927 and published their ideas in the journal Xinyue (“Crescent Moon”). Liang taught English literature at Peking University (1934–37) and worked on his translation into vernacular Chinese of the complete works of Shakespeare (completed in 1967). He began his prose writing…

Hsin-chu, county (hsien, or xian), northwestern Taiwan. It is bordered by T’ao-yüan (Taoyuan) special municipality to the north, I-lan (Yilan) and Miao-li (Miaoli) counties to the east and south, respectively, and the Taiwan Strait to the west. Hsin-chu city on the coast is the administrative seat.

Xiong Foxi was a Chinese playwright who helped create popular drama intended to entertain and educate the peasantry. Xiong Foxi began writing, directing, and acting in plays as a youth and, while at Yanjing University, helped establish the Minzhong Xijushe (People’s Dramatic Society). After