Who are Kaixin? -

KAIXIN

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China News, Culture, History

"High Quality & Highly Trusted"

That is the China Kaixin wants to bring you, "... images of vibrant colour. Warm smiles of welcome; rich architecture; children bubbling with excitement."

There are many photos, please be patient if it takes a while to download

有许多照片，请耐心等待下载页面

Today's News

Current Affairs

"See China through Xiaosui's eyes"

(See More Photographs by Yi Hang)

Graeme has been using ChinesePod since 2007

"I highly recommend ChinesePod, I haven't found any Online teaching programme that comes close."

Hard Work Can Turn An Iron Rod Into A Needle

铁杵成针

tiě chǔ chéng zhēn

Li Bai (李白) was one of the greatest poets in China's Tang Dynasty, which is often considered China's ‘golden age’ of poetry. Approximately 1,100 poems attributed to him remain today, including thirty-four in the popular anthology, 'Three Hundred Tang Poems'.

Legend has it that Li Bai was originally the God in charge of poetry in Heaven, but he offended the Heavenly Emperor and thus was exiled to Earth where he became a son of a rich merchant.

Brilliant and talented as he was, little Li Bai disliked studying and often skipped class to play. One day, when he was fishing by a river, he saw a white-haired old woman grinding an iron rod on a big stone.

Out of curiosity Li Bai came up and asked: "What are you doing, Ayi? "

"I'm grinding this iron rod," the old women said kindly, but did not stop her work.

"Why are you doing that?" Li Bai asked.

"I want to make a sewing needle," was the reply.

"What?!" exclaimed Li Bai, surprised, "You want to grind such a thick rod into a tiny needle? It is impossible!"

"Anything is possible, as long as you stick to it." The old woman looked at Li Bai, her eyes shining with intelligence, "I know it may take me decades to make a needle from this rod, but it doesn't matter. As long as I persevere in grinding, I will definitely make a needle. Remember there is nothing you cannot achieve as long as you stick to it."

Li Bai was deeply moved by the old woman's words. He went back to his school and from then on he studied diligently and became a great poet and scholar.

Later, Li Bai travelled to Tai Mountain (Tai Shan), where he visited the temple of Bi Xia Yuan Jun (a goddess in Chinese myth). He found the statue of the goddess looked very familiar. That night he dreamed that he saw the old woman again. She introduced herself as Bi Xia Yuan Jun and told Li Bai that many years ago she saw him neglect his studies, so she turned into an old woman and taught him a lesson.

The saying Hard Work Can Turn An Iron Rod Into A Needle, tiě chǔ chéng zhēn, refers to being extremely talented but realising that it requires hard work and dedication to fully develop that talent.

Li Bai: 'Drinking Alone by Moonlight'

Chinese Parable & Fables

China in Pictures - 'See' the real China

Navigation

Kaixin General - Bibs & Bobs

Set in Zanzibar in 1910, it is the story of two people from different worlds falling in love. Susan immerses herself in Zanzibar. Asim falls in love with this woman from the nation that killed his wife. Susan is a spy. Asim is the chief advisor to the Sultan of Zanzibar. Germany and France are holding secret negotiations to form a Pan European alliance, which would isolate Britain and destroy her power. Susan and Asim are caught up in all this and their love is finally dashed on the cold, hard reality of international high politics.

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Kaixin Competitions

The Lion Awakes - ARCHIVES

Create Your Own Website

Google SEO - Search Engine Optimisation

Career, Employment, Jobs, Work in China

XiaosuiBlue Pty Ltd - China Consultancy

IELTS

Graeme Mills and Xiaosui

Kaixin lets you see China through Chinese ‘eyes’, to ‘see’ the China that Xiaosui, her family and her friends ‘see’.

Kaixin tries to find the colour coming back : unevenly but insistently.

KAIXIN

开心

China News, Culture, History

"High Quality & Highly Trusted"

A major barrier to communication between China and the ‘west’ is the ability to read each other’s writing.

Chinese Script and Written English being so completely different.

A website devoted to gaining a better understanding of China based primarily on written English and/or Chinese lacks breadth.

The focus of Kaixin includes

Pictures, Audio Podcasts, Video Documentaries

Kaixin wants to bring you a China that is full of "Images of vibrant colour. Warm smiles of welcome; rich architecture; children bubbling with excitement."

After all, a picture is worth a 1,000 words.

Friday

Aug012008

Kaixin was created by Xiaosui and Graeme

Xiaosui B. Fin lived in China for over 40 years before moving to Australia in 2008. She speaks Mandarin, Cantonese and English fluently. She was a teacher for 10 years before setting up her own specialist school. Xiaosui brings her lifelong experience of China and her unique experiences growing up in China. First, during the Cultural Revolution and then as the dragon stirred to take its place in the world. She also brings a love of teaching, a love of history & culture and an indepth knowledge of how business works in China. She has an extensive network of friends in China.

Graeme Mills B.A. (Maj English & History) LLB has found a new passion in life, China. Graeme brings an ability to write, a love of history, a keen interest in current affairs.

Together, Xiaosui and Graeme bring an Eastern and Western perspective to that great topic, China.

Ask Xiaosui about China, Send her an Email

Explore Kaixin

The Cultural Revolution through my eyes

Growing up in China

My Father's Wisdom

'jiang gu shi'

讲故事

Storyteller

Xiaosui's Home Cooking

A Selection of Chinese Classical Music available on YouTube

China and Tibet - Xi Zang 西藏

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that," Dalai Lama

Women in China

Chinese Movies

Chinese Poetry

Contemporary China in Photographs

A Series of Documentaries

China's History

Kaixin's Daily OpEd

Insights into China's

Society & Culture

GREEN CHINA

China Real Estate

Yuan Revaluation & Internationalisation

Chinese Art

艺术

Chinese Zodiac

Jewellry

China's Top 10 Leisure Spots

(See More Photographs by Yi Hang)

Yi Hang's

Award winning photographs

China's Top 10 Leisure Spots

Suzhou, Jiangsu province

Qinhuangdao, Hebei province

Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region

Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), Anhui province

Yantai, Shandong province

Chengdu, Sichuan province

Lijiang, Yunnan province

Sanya, Hainan province

Qingdao, Shandong province

Hangzhou, Zhejiang province

Beijing's Hutongs

The Hutong, an old-style city alley or lane, is one of the most distinctive features and must-see attractions in Beijing. There are thousands of hutongs in the city, many of which were built during the Yuan (1206-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. We list the most famous hutongs that all travelers to the capital city shouldn't miss in order to get a better experience of the unique culture of ancient Beijing.

List of Beijing's Hutongs