Wang Zhi: A torch-bearer on Actualizing Early Chinese capitalism 汪直﹕中國早期資本主義萌芽實踐的一名把手

*Translation to come*

“海盜”這兩個字對你留有甚麼印象﹖
是電影裡的那種放任﹐自由而風趣﹐不過骯髒的可以的加勒比海盜麼﹖還是現在坐著快艇﹐一手把住整箱美金﹐另一手抬著火箭榴彈發射器的運油船劫匪﹖無論甚麼年代﹐“海盜”都像是一個為了金錢和個人生存自由的惡性存在。試問下地中海人“海雷丁”這名字﹐多曾令全歐洲的人民聞其名而色變。
而在東方﹐歷史上的海盜莫過於“倭寇”集團。雖然自從中國元代已有﹐不過最深刻的莫過於明代的歷史故事﹐尤其是戚繼光與“戚家軍”如何逐逐大破“日本仔”﹐成為後世(尤其是抗日時期) 的佳話。
不過﹐亦有學家指出﹐這些倭寇﹐雖蓋名為“倭”﹐實為大明帝國於江南沿岸的百姓﹗其中﹐更出過一個傳奇人物﹐從白手起家﹐直至到走私軍火﹐擁有和明朝和日本諸大名皆恐懼的私家艦隊﹐甚至占領日本平戶對開的島嶼自稱王﹗這個人的名字﹐就是－－汪直。

Some content changes, new blog established

Hello all;

In the short coming future, personal works such as calligraphy and poems will be moved to my new personal blog, located on http://SnowingApril29th.wordpress.com. (The link is also available on the Blogroll on the side) Please be sure to pass by every once in a while and enjoy my novel!

Bringing the Library Home has a new meaning: The driving force behind net writers who bite

Yah, what doesn’t nowadays?

It all began with a casual browse on the www.chineseguqin.com forums to see if anything is new, and upon a little link surfing, I have stumbled a seemingly harmless and typical Sinology forum: http://bbs.gxsd.com.cn. However, discussion is fairly quiet and mostly consist of thanks from people who upload ENTIRE COMPLETE SCANS of EVERY KIND OF BOOK about China you can possibly think of – with a little digging, I am now downloading the ENTIRE Daoist Canon, the EXTENDED Daoist Canon, and the REVISED Daoist Canon, along with a slew of books by authors in the 19th to 20th century commenting on Daoism, 21 hours of Daoist music, and several videos of related lectures.

Not to mention, for free!

No guqin gathering in February!

Hangzhou's 8 views: Duanqiao Chanxue

In light of the frequent gatherings (almost once every half-month instead of one), as well the instability of the weather and upcoming school schedule, there will be no guqin gathering until the beginning of March!

For those who are interested in listening to guqin music more around Toronto, please be sure to check out UTChinese Magazine’s New Year Concert on Saturday, Feb.7﹐ 2009! It will be held in the MacLeod Auditorium of the Medical Sciences Building, and doors open at 7PM! Tickets are $10 for regular and $20 for VIP seats, available from the UTChinese Booth in Robarts Library, 2nd Floor.

However, we are planning a different event – if you are interested in matching Chinese couplets (對聯), we are running an impromptu challenge – all who are interested in joining this challenge (one person gives the top couplet, you respond to it, and write a new one) can email me to join in. The address can be found under the Guqin section.

On a personal note, I was recently hit with the Norfolk virus and I had great pains lasting through it, even on four types of medication. Please mind your personal hygiene and cleanliness at all times!