Buy a Custom Friends Chinese or Japanese Calligraphy Wall Scroll

This is the simplest way to express the idea of friends or friendship in Chinese. It can mean friend, companion, or pal in Japanese. In Korean, it can mean friend, companion, or associate.

This single characters is open to interpretation, so it can mean different things to different people (not necessarily a bad thing, as you can decide what it means to you). If you want a more concisely-defined word, you should probably pick one of our multi-character friendship-related words.

See Also...  Best Friends | Friendly | Friendship

This is the most common way to say "friend" in Japanese.

See Also...  Best Friends | Friendly | Friendship

This one way to say best friend in Chinese.

The first character can mean "honest" or "most sincere". The second character means "friend" or "friends" (plural forms work differently in Chinese).

See Also...  Friendship | Soulmates

This means a sworn friend or ally. If you stand on the same side of an issue with someone, and perhaps fight for the same cause together, this is the term you would use to describe such a partner.

There may not be a personal relationship, as this term is also used to describe whole countries that make a coalition, or fight against a common enemy.

This would be most appropriate if you are a high-level military officer, giving this wall scroll to an officer of another country as you join forces together, and go to war.

This one way to say best friend in Chinese.

The first character can mean "most", "extreme" or "best".
The second character means "friend" or "friends" (plural forms work differently in China).

Can also be translated as "close friend" or "most intimate friend".

See Also...  Friendship | Soulmates

Depending on context, this word can mean Christian or "friend of the same religion". While technically it could be any religion, this is used mostly within the Christian faith. You can also translate this as "Christian friend" and in some cases "Church member".

This an alternate way to say best friend in Chinese.

The first character can mean "most", "extreme" or "best". The second character means "making friends" or "building friendship". There's sort of a suggestion with the second character that fate caused you to intersect in life and become friends (that character can mean intersection in some context).

This can also mean "most intimate friend", "very good friend of long standing", or "closest friend".

See Also...  Friendship | Soulmates

This is the Japanese way to say "best friend".

The first character can mean "relative" or sometimes "parents". The second character means "friend". Think about the close relationship that Japanese people have with their parents and relatives, and this starts to mean "close friends".

Some Japanese-English dictionaries also translate this as "bosom friend", "old friend", "intimate friend", "buddy", "crony" or "chum".

Note that in Chinese, this has the meaning of "relatives and friends". It's a good meaning in Chinese, but it's not quite the same as "best friends".

The first two characters mean eternal, eternity, perpetuity, forever, immortality, and permanence.

The third character is a possessive article which sort of makes this selection mean "Love, of the eternal kind".

The last character is "friend" or "Friendship".

This is exactly what the title suggests. This means friends that are eternal or a friendship that will last forever - you will remain the best of friends as long as you live.

The first two characters mean forever, eternal, eternity, perpetuity, immortality, and/or permanence.

The middle character links the words (it's a possessive article).

The last two characters represent friendship, or simply "friends".

Can also be defined as companionship or fellowship. This word is common in Chinese and Korean Hanja but seldom used in Japanese anymore.

See Also...  Partnership | Friendliness

Can also be translated as "camaraderie" or "fellowship". But this character combination is only used commonly in Japanese Kanji and Korean Hanja.

It was tough to find the best way to say "soul mates" in Chinese. We settled on this old way to say "A couple selected by heaven".

The first two characters together mean "natural" or "innate". Separated, they mean "heaven" and "born". The last two characters mean "couple". So this can be translated as "A couple that is together by nature", or "A couple brought together by heaven's decree", with a slight stretch, you could say "A couple born together from heaven".

It's a struggle to find the best way to describe this idea in English, but trust me, it is pretty cool and it is a great way to say "soulmates".

If you're in a happy relationship or marriage and think you have found your soul mate, this would be a wonderful wall scroll to hang in your home.

This is the literal translation of "Soul Mates".

This is kind of the western way to express "soul mates", but translated into Chinese, Japanese Kanji,and old Korean Hanja.
The first two characters mean "soul" or "spirit".
The second two characters mean "mate", "companion" or "partner".

Although not the most common title, these characters have good meaning and will be received well in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. It's a universal title!

This is title means "Spiritual Soul Mates". The first two characters mean "spiritual" or "soul". The second two characters mean "mates", "companions" or "partners".

This is more about the spiritual connection between partners rather than a "fate-brought-us-together" kind of soul mates.

Both halves of this title have meaning in Japanese, but I've not yet confirmed that this is a commonly-used title in Japan.

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This is a Japanese-only title for soulmates.

The first half means "of the soul" or "spiritual".

The second half means "eminent mates" or "eminent partners".

This is a Buddhist concept that simply stated is "appreciation of truth by meditation".

It's a deep subject, but my understanding is that you can find truth through meditation, and once you've found truth, you can learn to appreciate it more through further meditation. This title is not commonly used outside of the Buddhist community (your Asian friends may or may not understand it). The literal translation would be something like "the mind seal", I've seen this term translated this way from Japanese Buddhist poetry. But apparently, the seal that is stamped deep in your mind is the truth. You just have to meditate to find it.

Soothill defines it this way: Mental impression, intuitive certainty; the mind is the Buddha-mind in all, which can seal or assure the truth; the term indicates the intuitive method of the Chan (Zen) school, which was independent of the spoken or written word.

Reference:Soothill-Hodous Dictionary of Chinese Buddhism

See Also...  Zen

It's a little strange, but this would be the character which means "best" or "extreme" in Chinese and Korean. The problem is, this is seldom used alone. It's mostly used in combination with other characters to make words like "best friend", "best food", and "best love".

We do not recommend this character for a wall scroll. It's better if you find a more specific term that fits your circumstances.

Note: This can be pronounced in Japanese, and has similar meaning, but it is rarely if ever used in modern Japanese.

This can mean the best love or most sincere love of your life. This could be a romantic love such as the love you have for your spouse or a boyfriend / girlfriend. It can also apply to the extreme love you have for your children or a parent, and maybe a really good friend.

See Also...  I Love You

This Japanese word means the best love or most sincere love of your life. This could be a romantic love such as the love you have for your spouse or a boyfriend / girlfriend. It can also apply to the extreme love you have for your children or a parent, and maybe a really good friend.

This means cat or pussy. A common name for feline friends in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

There is a more complex alternate form of this cat character. If you want this form, please click on the character at the right, instead of the button above.

This can mean to choose life instead of death (or suicide) or to choose to live life to the fullest.

I think of it as the key phrase used by Renton (Ewan McGregor) in the movie Trainspotting. While Chinese people will not think of Trainspotting when they see this phrase, for me, it will always be what comes near the end of this colorful rant:

Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players, and electrical tin can openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol and dental insurance. Choose fixed-interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose a three piece suite on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked-up brats you have spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose life.

Commitment is caring deeply about something or someone. It is deciding carefully what you want to do, and then giving it 100%, holding nothing back. You give your all to a friendship, a task, or something you believe in. You finish what you start. You keep your promises.

In Chinese, this word directly means to undertake something or to make a promise to do something.

Within the idea of commitment, this word also means to make a big effort, or undertaking a great task. Outside of the commitment idea, this particular word can also mean approval, acceptance, consent, assent, acquiescence, or agreement depending on context (especially in Japanese and Korean). Therefore this word is probably best if your audience is Chinese.

See Also...  Partnership | Hard Work | Dedication

Compassion is caring and understanding someone is hurt or troubled (even if you don't know them). It is wanting to help, even if all you can do is listen and say kind words. You forgive mistakes. You are a friend when someone needs a friend.

These same two characters contain this meaning of compassion and sympathy in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, which makes this word universal.

See Also...  Love | Caring | Kindness

This Chinese/Japanese word can also be defined as "amity", "friendly", and "outgoing".

See Also...  Friendship

This is the real basis for the way we spell geisha. However, there are many more ways to refer to a woman that fills the role that westerners think of when they hear the word geisha.

In Japanese, these characters literally mean "artful person". But in English it might be better translated as "a person (woman) highly trained/accomplished in the arts".

However, my Japanese dictionary says "a singing and dancing girl".

Many will argue as to whether "geisha" = "prostitute" or not. My Japanese friends seem to have the opinion that a geisha is so highly trained in the art playing musical instruments and dancing that the fact she might also be a prostitute is secondary to her performance on stage.

This is a "Japanese only" term, they use a slightly different first character to express "geisha" in Chinese. Since this is a Japanese term, I have not included the Chinese version.

Generosity is giving and sharing. You share freely, not with the idea of receiving something in return. You find ways to give others happiness, and give just for the joy of giving. Generosity is one of the best ways to show love and friendship.

This word can also be translated as charitable, magnanimity, liberality or in some context broad-mindedness.

Note: There is a tiny deviation in the first character when written in Japanese. If you choose our Japanese master calligrapher, the little dot on the lower right of the first character will be omitted. With or without the dot, this can be read in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean.

See Also...  Benevolence | Altruism | Charity

This is often translated as "kind act from above", as in "The Grace of God". This doesn't necessarily have to come from God. It could be a favor paid to you, or help that you received (or gave). Of course, you can decide for yourself whether the grace or favor given to you by a friend is actually a gift from God.

Other possible translations of this character:
Favor / favour, acts of kindness, merits, beneficial Influence, kindness, indebtedness, obligation, and benevolent influence.

This both means and sounds like "Islam" in Mandarin Chinese.

The first three characters sound like the word "Islam", and the last character means "religion" or "teaching". It's the more general term for "Islam" in China. The highest concentration of Muslims in China is Xinjiang (the vast region in northwest China that was known as East Turkistan Republic until 1949 and is sometimes called Chinese Turkistan, Uyghuristan or Uyghur Stan). Here you will find Uygurs, Kazakhs, and Kyrgyz and others that are descendants of Turkmen (possibly mixed with Persians and Arabs). Many of their ancestors were traders who traveled the silk road to buy and sell spices, silk, and exchange other goods from the Orient and Middle East.

I spent some time in Xinjiang and got to know this community. They are strong people who can endure much. They are friendly and love to have a good time. I was a stranger, but I was treated by villagers (near China's border with Afghanistan) as if I was a good friend.
But I have heard that it's best not to cross them, as in this land, the law is the blade, and everything is "eye for an eye". The Chinese government has little control in Xinjiang with almost no police officers except in the capital of Urumqi (so it's a 60-hour roundtrip train ride to seek the aid of law enforcement in most cases).

While few seem to be devout, there are at least small mosques in every village. And you will never see a man or woman outside without a head covering.

It should be noted that these people are all citizens of China but they are officially of the Caucasian race. A visit to Xinjiang will change your idea what it means to be Chinese.

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This is the translation of John 14:18 into Chinese.

This translation comes from the Chinese Union Bible which comes from a revised version of the King James. This Chinese Bible was originally translated and printed in 1919 (several revisions since then).

Because of the origin being the KJV, I'll say that in English, this would be, "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.".

In basic English, this would be, "I will not let you be without a friend: I am coming to you."

Depending on which English translation you like, here are the full English language version of Joshua 24:15

What your
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Joshua 24:15 (KJV) And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Joshua 24:15 (NIV) But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.

The characters shown here just dwell on the last line of the verse, "...as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

We used the only official Christian Chinese Bible that I know of so that the translation would be as accurate and standard as possible. Any Chinese Christian worth their salt will easily be able to identify this verse from the Chinese words on this scroll.

I think it is a bit like having a secret code on your wall that quietly expresses to whom your are faithful.

A great gift for your devout Christian or Jewish friend if they happen to be fond of Asian art.

Or perhaps a wonderful "conversation starter" for your own home.

Note: If you are curious, the last three characters represent they way "LORD" is used in most English Bibles. In Chinese, this is actually the phonetic name in Mandarin Chinese for "Jehovah".

This is about doing the right thing or making the right decision, not because it's easy, but because it's ethically and morally correct.
No matter the outcome or result, one does not lose face if tempering proper justice.

This character can also be defined as righteousness, justice, morality, honor, or "right conduct". In more a more expanded definition, it can mean loyalty to friends, loyalty to the public good, or patriotism. This idea of loyalty and friendship comes from the fact that you will treat those you are loyal to with morality and justice.

This is also one of the five tenets of Confucius doctrine.

There's also an alternate version of this character sometimes seen in Bushido or Korean Taekwondo tenets. It's just the addition of a radical on the left side of the character. If you want this version, click on the image to the right instead of the button above.

This is also a virtue of the Samurai Warrior
See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here

See Also...  Judgement | Impartial | Confucius Tenets

These two characters create a word in Chinese and Japanese that means something like benevolence with magnanimity or kindness with a forgiving nature.

If this describes you, then you are the type of person that I would like to call my friend.

This may not be the most common word in daily use, but it's old enough that it transcended cultures from China to Japan in the 5th century when Japan lacked a written language, and absorbed Chinese characters and words into their language.
Note: This is not commonly-used in Korean.

Kindness is showing you care, doing some good to make life better for others. Be thoughtful about people's needs. Show love and compassion to someone who is sad or needs your help. When you are tempted to be cruel, to criticize or tease, decide to be kind instead.

This Chinese / Japanese / Korean word can also mean affectionate, cordial, warmly, or close (emotionally).

See Also...  Love | Caring | Benevolence

This is a very universal character. It means love in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, old Korean Hanja, and old Vietnamese.

This is one of the most recognized Asian symbols in the west, and is often seen on tee-shirts, coffee mugs, tattoos, and more.

This character can also be defined as affection, to be fond of, to like, or to be keen on. It often refers to romantic love, and is found in phrases like, "I love you". But in Chinese, one can say, "I love that movie" using this character as well.

It's very common for couples to say "I love you" in Chinese. However, in Japanese, "love" is not a term used very often. In fact, a person is more likely to say "I like you" rather than "I love you" in Japanese. So this word is well-known, but seldom spoken.

More about this character:

This may be hard to imagine as a westerner, but the strokes at the top of this love character symbolize family & marriage.

The symbol in the middle is a little easier to identify. It is the character for "heart" (it can also mean "mind" or "soul"). I guess you can say that no matter if you are from the East or the West, you must put your heart into your love.

The strokes at the bottom create a modified character that means "friend" or "friendship".

I suppose you could say that the full meaning of this love character is to love your family, spouse, and friends with all of your heart, since all three elements exist in this character.

See Also...  I Love You | Caring | Benevolence | Friendliness | Double Happiness Happy Marriage Wall Scroll

This means to love and honor. This is more or less the kind of thing you'd find in marriage vows.

The first character suggests emotions, passion, heart, humanity, sympathy, and feelings.

In this context, the second character means to honor your lover's wishes, and treat them justly and righteously (fairly). That second character can also be translated as "obligation", as in the obligation a husband and wife have to love each other even through difficult times.

In the context outside of a couple's relationship, this word can mean "comradeship".

Japanese may see this more as "humanity and justice" than "love and honor". It's probably best if your target is Chinese.

This is the short and sweet form, there is also a longer poetic form (you can find it here: Love and Honor if it's not on the page you are currently viewing).

See Also...  Love And Honor

Loyalty is staying true to someone. It is standing up for something you believe in without wavering. It is being faithful to your family, country, school, friends or ideals, when the going gets tough as well as when things are good. With loyalty, you build relationships that last forever.

Notes:
1. This written form of loyalty is universal in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

2. There is also a Japanese version that is part of the Bushido Code which may be more desirable depending on whether your intended audience is Japanese or Chinese.

3. This version of loyalty is sometimes translated as devotion, sincerity, fidelity, or allegiance.

See Also...  Honor | Trust | Integrity | Sincerity

This is another form of loyalty or devotion.

In Chinese, this is more specifically about being loyal and devoted to your friends.

In Japanese, this is more often used to mean loyalty to your country or nation.

Except for the slight difference noted above between Japanese and Chinese, this word is understood universally in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. It can also be used to describe devotion or fidelity.

It should be noted that this Kanji combination is being used less and less in modern Japan (this is a better choice if your audience is Chinese, though any Japanese person will clearly understand it).

This simply means "mother and daughter" kind of as a unit, or as if mother and daughter are a whole together.

This is an unusual selection for a calligraphy wall scroll, and can be read many different ways. Your native Asian friends might wonder what you are trying to say. They might even read it as meaning "a mother and daughter without a dad".

This entry was added to our database for a customer's special request. It has the same meaning in Chinese Characters and Korean Hanja.

See Also...  Mother And Son

The first character means "eternal" or "forever", the second means "not" (together they mean "never"). The last two characters mean "give up" or "abandon". Altogether, you can translate this phrase as "never give up" or "never abandon".

Depending on how you want to read this, it is also a statement that you will never abandon your hopes, dreams, family or friends.

See Also...  Undaunted | No Fear | Hope

Long ago in what is now China, there were many kingdoms throughout the land. This time period is known as "The Warring States Period" by historians because these kingdoms often did not get along with each other.

Some time around 279 B.C. the Kingdom of Chu was a large, but not particularly powerful kingdom. Part of the reason it lacked power was the fact that the King was surrounded by "yes men" who told him only what he wanted to hear. Many of the King\’s court officials were corrupt and incompetent which did not help the situation.

The King was not blameless himself, as he started spending much of his time being entertained by his many concubines.

One of the King\’s ministers, Zhuang Xin, saw problems on the horizon for the Kingdom, and warned the King, "Your Majesty, you are surrounded by people who tell you what you want to hear. They tell you things to make you happy, and cause you to ignore important state affairs. If this is allowed to continue, the Kingdom of Chu will surely perish, and fall into ruins".

This enraged the King who scolded Zhuang Xin for insulting the country and accused him of trying to create resentment among the people. Zhuang Xin explained, "I dare not curse the Kingdom of Chu, but I feel that we face great danger in the future because of the current situation". The King was simply not impressed with Zhuang Xin\’s words.
Seeing the King\’s displeasure with him and the King\’s fondness for his court of corrupt officials, Zhuang Xin asked permission of the King that he may take leave of the Kingdom of Chu, and travel to the State of Zhao to live. The King agreed, and Zhuang Xin left the Kingdom of Chu, perhaps forever.

Five months later, troops from the neighboring Kingdom of Qin invaded Chu, taking a huge tract of land. The King of Chu went into exile, and it appeared that soon, the Kingdom of Chu would no longer exist.

The King of Chu remembered the words of Zhuang Xin, and sent some of his men to find him. Immediately, Zhuang Xin returned to meet the King. The first question asked by the King was, "What can I do now?"

Zhuang Xin told the King this story:

A shepherd woke one morning to find a sheep missing. Looking at the pen saw a hole in the fence where a wolf had come through to steal one of his sheep. His friends told him that he had best fix the hole at once. But the Shepherd thought since the sheep is already gone, there is no use fixing the hole.
The next morning, another sheep was missing. And the Shepherd realized that he must mend the fence at once. Zhuang Xin then went on to make suggestions about what could be done to reclaim the land lost to the Kingdom of Qin, and reclaim the former glory and integrity in the Kingdom of Chu.

The Chinese idiom shown above came from this reply from Zhuang Xin to the King of Chu almost 2,300 years ago.
It translates roughly into English as...
"Even if you have lost some sheep, it\’s never too late to mend the fence".

This phrase is often used in modern China when suggesting in a hopeful way that someone change their ways, or fix something in their life. It might be used to suggest fixing a marriage, quit smoking, or getting back on track after taking an unfortunate path in life among other things one might fix in their life.

I suppose in the same way that we might say, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life" in our western cultures to suggest that you can always start anew.

Note: This does have Korean pronunciation, but is not a well-known phrase in Korean (only Koreans familiar with ancient Chinese history would know it). Best if your audience is Chinese.

This is a complete sentence that means literally "Brave People Have No Fear" or "A Brave Person Has No Fear" (plural or singular is not implied). We translated "No Fear" into the two variations that you will find on our website. Then we checked Chinese Google and found that others had translated "No Fear" in the exact same ways. Pick the one you like best. A great gift for your fearless friend.

See Also...  Fear No Man

My Australian friends always say "No worries mate". It's caught on with me, though I drop the "mate" part since it confuses my fellow Americans.

If you would like to express the idea of "no worries" this is the best and most natural way to say it in Chinese.

The characters you see to the left can be translated as "put your mind at rest" or "to be at ease". You could literally translate "no worries" but it doesn't "flow" like this simple Chinese version.

For your info, the first character means to release, to free, to let go, to relax, or to rest. The second character means your heart or your mind.

Note that in Japanese and Korean, this holds the similar meaning of "peace of mind", but can also mean absentmindedness or carelessness depending on context.

There are several ways to translate this ancient proverb. Translated literally and directly it says, "Open roll has/yields benefit".

To understand that, you must know a few things...

First, Chinese characters and language have deeper meanings that often are not spoken, but are understood - especially with ancient text like this. Example: It's understood that the "benefit" referred to in this proverb is to the mind of the reader. Just the last character expresses that whole idea.

Second, Chinese proverbs are supposed to make you think, and leave a bit of mystery to figure out.

Third, for this proverb, it should be noted that roll = book. When this proverb came about (close to two thousand years ago) books were really rolls of bamboo slips strung together. The first bound books like the ones we use today did not come about until some thousand years after this proverb when they invented paper in China.

This is a great gift for a bookworm who loves to read and increase their knowledge. Or for any friend that is or wants to be well-read.

This means "one who stands out from his/her peers", "stand out from the crowd", or "standing out from others". It can also mean, "leaving your peers behind".

A great way to tell yourself that you are outstanding (or give it to a friend that you want to encourage to excel).

This is the kind of partnership in which a good marriage is founded. This Chinese word could also be translated as mates or companionship. This word can also be used as a noun to refer to a partner or companion.

This does not have to include a marriage, but at least refers to a partnership with a deep relationship or bond.

Note that this is not the same as a business partner. Different words are used for various types business partnerships (post your request on our Asian calligraphy forum if you need something in that regard).

See Also...  Friendship

The simplest form of peace and harmony.

This can also be translated as the peaceful ideas of gentle, mild, kind, and calm. With the more harmonious context, it can be translated as union, together with, on good terms with, or on friendly terms.

Most people would just translate this character as peace and/or harmony. This is a very popular character in Asian cultures - you can even call it the "peace symbol" of Asia. In fact, this peace and harmony character was seen repeatedly during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing (a major theme of the games).

In old Chinese poems and literature, you might see this used as a kind of "and". As in two things summed together. As much as you could say, "the sun and moon", you could say "the sun in harmony with the moon".

See Also...  Inner Peace | Patience | Simplicity

A great way to tell your Chinese friends about your lifestyle, while keeping your Anglo friends in the dark.

Kind of a huge bold sign to say "I'm Gay" without anybody knowing.

These characters literally mean "same sex feeling" or "same sex affection" in Chinese.

A great way to tell your Japanese friends about your lifestyle, while keeping your Anglo friends in the dark.

Kind of a huge bold sign to say "I'm Gay" without anybody knowing.

These Kanji characters literally mean "same sex love". This phrase would also be understood in Chinese but this combination would act to really emphasize the "love" component to a native Chinese person.

You just need the male character in front of the word for homosexual in Chinese to create this word.

It's a much nicer way to say "Gay Male" than English words like Fag, Fairy, Sissy, Puff, Poof, Poofster, Swish or Pansy. Although I suppose it could be used as a substitute for Nancy Boy or Queen (for which last time I checked, my gay friends said were OK in the right context).

For those of you who think China is a restrictive society - there are at least two gay discos in Beijing, the capital of China. It's at least somewhat socially acceptable to be a gay male in China. However, lesbians seem to be shunned a bit.

I think the Chinese government has realized that the 60% male population means not everybody is going to find a wife (every gay male couple that exists means two more women in the population are available for the straight guys), and the fact that it is biologically impossible for men to give birth, may be seen as helping to decrease the over-population in China.

This is the Chinese name for the Tibet autonomous region. It is a vast area in southwest China for which the Chinese government has little control (except in the capital of Llasa). During your travels in Tibet (outside of Llasa) you will find it's rough country full of ruthless bandits and honorable and upright Living Buddhas. There are about 2000 Living Buddhas in Tibet, and at least 10 times more bandits ready to ambush you on the road or trail.

On the eastern frontier of Tibet, you will find the place designated to be Shangri-la. It's a friendly village of Tibetans and is the gateway to greater Tibet.

See Also...  China | Nepal | Asia

This is often translated as, "True victory is victory over oneself".

However, literally, Kanji by Kanji, it means, "True victory [is] my/self victory".

My Japanese friends rate this very highly for a wall scroll.

See Also...  Know Thy Enemy Know Thyself

This is comes from an old story from some time before 476 BC. About a man named Qi Huangyang, who was commissioned by the king to select the best person for a certain job in the Imperial Court.

Qi Huangyang selected his enemy for the job. The king was very confused by the selection, but Qi Huangyang explained that he was asked to find the best person for the job, not necessarily someone that he personally liked or had a friendship with.

Later, Confucius commented on how unselfish and impartial Qi Huangyang was by saying "Da Gong Wu Si" which if you look it up in a Chinese dictionary, is generally translated as "Unselfish" or "Just and Fair".

If you translate each character, you'd have something like,

"Big/Deep Justice Without Self".

Direct translations like this leave out a lot of what the Chinese characters really say. Use your imagination, and suddenly you realize that "without self" means "without thinking about yourself in the decision" - together, these two words mean "unselfish". The first two characters serve to really drive the point home that we are talking about a concept that is similar to "blind justice".

One of my Chinese-English dictionaries translates this simply as "just and fair". So that is the short and simple version.

Note: This can be pronounced in Korean, but it's not a commonly-used term.

See Also...  Selflessness | Work Unselfishly For The Common Good | Altruism

This is the character for dog, canine or hound in Chinese.

If you were born in the year of the dog, you . . .


Are strong-willed
Loyal to your friends and mate.
Never compromise when you think you are right.

Note: Can be pronounced, and means dog in Japanese, but feels like a very old word (see our other dog if you need a Japanese dog).

See also our Chinese Zodiac page.