Every country's history has its own character. Mongolia's, for instance, is a history of war: its people once galloped across the land, looking up at the sky and speaking of world conquest. The young history of the United States is a story of westward expansion. Generation after generation, a century of determination to expand its territory was finally rewarded by the favor of Lady Luck. Africa as a whole seems to have a history of invasion. She is like the girl next door, newly grown and unmatched in her beauty, admired by all. But the pack of wolves was too vicious, violating her again and again. Afterward, the wolves wrote in their books that she liked to be submissive. As for Korea, its history is legend: people can make it up as they please. After all, having fun is what matters. You know what I mean by "hehe."
What defines Chinese history? War, feudalism, the Han people, or a vast and mighty nation? In my view, those are all just surface appearances. Its essence is culture. Of course, every country has its own culture, but only China's is deeply rooted in its history. Culture is an abstract concept. To put it more specifically, what is Chinese culture? It is the Yi, or yin and yang. The Yi runs through the entirety of Chinese history. It was the Son of Heaven in the Spring and Autumn period, when ritual and music fell into ruin, yet no one could abandon it. It was the Tui Bei Tu of the prosperous Tang dynasty, revealing heaven's secrets and leaving countless fools to worry needlessly. It was the eunuch faction of the Ming dynasty, a tangled web of influence that even the Embroidered Uniform Guard's sabers could not sever. Without the Yi, it is impossible to understand Chinese history...
