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lotusflowerbreakingthesurface · 8 months ago

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Wu Xie's Birthday Congratulations

On this special day, let's get to know the cutest protagonist in DMBJ, Wu Xie aka Tianzhen aka Xiao San Ye, in a deeper understanding although everyone must already know him (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

One of the best ways to understand what kind of character Wu Xie is by reading the book. I found some interesting meta/analysis about Wu Xie (and PingXie) and I want to share them here. However, everyone has a different perception and understanding of things, so just take it easy, okay? ദ്ദി(ᵔᗜᵔ)

Note: I'm not good at Chinese, feel free to correct me if you find some mistakes.

⚠️ Very long post ⚠️

Uh, I feel bad that this post turned out to be so long, while Xiaoge's birthday is so short, sorry Xiaoge! >.<

First of all, let's refresh our memory about Wu Xie that was going around on Chinese sites and other sites as well.

Wu Xie's Apperance

Source: Baidu

Handsome, with a face like a crown jade, fair skin, gentle and restrained, bookish, and as gentle as jade.

Slender hands: "Unfortunately, although my hands are slender, I have no strength at all." (Daomu Biji: Angry Sea, Hidden Sands Ch. 42 [MereBear's Translation] | Chinese version Ch. 13)

Pretty face: "Tianzhen, your original face is pretty. Why do you need to be the same as your Uncle Three?" (by Pangzi, Daomu Biji Vol. 8 Ch. 25 [MereBear's Translation])

Occasionally wear glasses (NPSS's interview)

As a lotus flower breaking the surface (idiom): "Indeed, our family’s Tianzhen is a fresh and clean refined little master, a surpassingly beautiful young public figure ..." (by Pangzi, Tibetan Sea Flower Ch. 22 [MereBear's Translation] | Chinese version Ch. 22 | The meaning of the idiom is here)

"When I was in college, a girl who seemed to like me once said that my face was very calm and other people wouldn’t feel annoyed looking at it." (Tibetan Sea Flower Ch. 27 [MereBear's Translation])

"He was young with a slender figure, wearing a brown jacket and gloves, and looking very casual." (Sand Sea Ch. 6 [MereBear's Translation])

"From Liang Wan’s point of view, although Wang Meng’s boss was young, there was a weathered and worn look about his brows that were beyond the reach of ordinary people." (Sand Sea Ch. 6 [MereBear's Translation])

The eyelashes are long, and the curve of the neck is more feminine than that of a woman: "Black Glasses said that the curve of my neck was more feminine than that of a woman." (Sand Sea Ch. 180 [MereBear's Translation])

"The only part of your body suitable for fighting is your long eyelashes."(Sand Sea Ch. 178 [MereBear's Translation])

Wu Xie is the ultimate beauty in the world (NPSS's interview)

Chronology of Wu Xie’s Major Events (Weibo)

Wu Xie's Personality (According to NPSS)

Source: MereBear's Translation

In the postscript of Daomu Biji Vol. 8:

Wu Xie is a difficult person to describe. If I have to say it, I want to say: he is actually an ordinary person.

But this doesn’t mean that he isn’t great. It’s because he’s an ordinary person that people admire him so much for all he has experienced.

I think many friends will hate his weakness and hesitation when they first see him, but as the story progresses step by step, more and more people like him. He is a boy as weak as water, but please don’t forget that in harsh winter, the most formless water will become solid ice.

Wu Xie is a person like that. He is simple, a little clever, cowardly, and someone who cherishes his life. He’s sensitive and afraid of hurting people around him and is the least suitable person to experience danger among all those on the team.

But I let him become the protagonist of the story and let him experience the most terrifying journey, which is probably the most special part of the story. When everyone can back down, he just can’t; when everyone can escape, he can’t.

I really want to say sorry to him for pushing this ordinary person into such a complicated puzzle. When I look at his entanglements and troubles, it’s like I see my own entanglements and troubles. For a period of time, I could even deeply feel the despair in his heart for everything he had gone through. At that time, I wanted to know what he would do when faced with such complicated despair.

I didn’t expect him to survive. In the development of the story, everyone could see how an ordinary person struggled to become a person he didn’t want to be. But the thing that made everyone like him was that he maintained his conscience in all the places that could be turning points in his life. Even though he eventually wore a sinister mask, he was still Wu Xie at heart. He could have a lot of petty crimes and petty vices under his belt, as well as a lot of minor moral problems, but when it came to making the biggest choice, he would always be the Wu Xie who wished everyone well.

“I hope all of us can live well along the way, and all of us can see our own ending. We may not live long, please let us live the life we deserve.”

Wu Xie prayed to the sky when Pan Zi was dying, even though he was in a dark cave. He took all the responsibility and blame upon himself, unable to face the meaning of his journey.

This is Wu Xie, the “useless” one in the team and the most useless leader in the Iron Triangle. He needs other people’s protection and help. He has boundless curiosity and desire, but as long as a person is hurt, his own things aren’t important. He’s an ordinary person who wishes you to live no matter how much he hates you. This is because he doesn’t understand killing or the wealth that transcends life, he only understands the value of the word “alive”.

[2023.03.11] Taobao Live

Source: 瓶邪bot (mtl)

Q: We all know that Zhang Qiling has a gift from heaven. Why hasn’t he forgotten his companions ten years later?

A: I think this is a kind of bond. It really is a bond. Of course I can write a tragedy. (Host: Don’t write it then), it is all logical, but when such a strong bond exists, especially Wu Xie must not be an ordinary person, even though he appears as an ordinary person, he made full use of his ordinary qualities and became an ordinary person who was not an ordinary person (laughs). That Zhang Qiling must have gone through a very painful struggle and intense confrontation. He finally did it. In the end, he may have forgotten a lot, leaving only that glimmer of light, and then he remembered it again bit by bit from that glimmer of light. I think this must be Zhang Qiling’s efforts. (Host: So this is actually because he worked hard not to forget them. This is not a lucky or small-probability thing, but a result of his own efforts) Yes, because heaven is ruthless, and humans are sentient.

[2023.03.24] Douyin Live Broadcast

Source: 瓶邪bot (mtl)

Q: "Restart", this book has its entire story line structure of separation, reunion, and restarting. Do you think Wu Xie’s personal mentality has changed between the original novel and "Restart"?

A: In the main story, he is really a bit naive. He may be a little clever and a little bit of a cunning, but his understanding of the world is essentially relatively simple. When it comes to "Reboot/Restart", Wu Xie is actually still innocent. You can see that he is slowly returning to his previous innocent state. One is that Zhang Qiling has returned, and he no longer needs to show his fangs. But behind his innocence is an innocence that is not easy to mess with. He has sealed up his huge energy, but he can take it out again at any time, and some very interesting things will happen, because many people think that he is a very naive and easy-to-deceive person when he is in a very gentle state, when he is really bullied, he will return to the state of Sand Sea.

[2023.03.24] Douyin Live Broadcast

Source: 瓶邪bot (mtl)

Q: I would like to ask, what do you think Wu Xie’s mental state was when he was about to take Zhang Qiling home.

A: I think Wu Xie was not ready when he hit the road. He was ready only after he hit the road. He was slowly, slowly... he was already ready when he arrived at the Bronze Gate. Maybe Zhang Qiling was not ready. Come out, or Zhang Qiling has left. I think it is such a process. When he accepted the worst possibility, he might have calmly enjoyed the moment when Zhang Qiling came out of the bronze door if he had not left. I think he had a lot of distracting thoughts at the beginning.

Q: Actually, he has a certain amount of timidity and nervousness.

A: I think I will have random thoughts, because just in case, after living in this world for a long time, I always feel that there are chances in this world. No matter how small the probability of an event is, if you encounter it once, you will feel that it is very likely to encounter it again.

Wu Xie's Mental Journey (Meta)

Source: MuzzledIdealist

This one is a meta/analysis from Chinese fandom and it's written by MuzzledIdealist on Weibo. They already give consent to repost it as long as the source is indicated. If you are interested, you can see other analysis on their homepage.

Please note that this is an edited MTL, if anyone wants to translate it, you're very welcome to do it :)

⚠️ This meta or analysis is cp-oriented ⚠️

⚠️ This is a repost, not my meta ⚠️

【PingXie】 “When I Know That I Will Never See Him Again”

Written by MuzzledIdealist

"The things he saw were things that he hadn’t been able to come to terms with. But I saw Men You Ping, so did that mean that I wasn’t over everything that had happened during those ten years?" — [Note: Ten Thousand Mountains in the Extreme Night Ch. 63 (MereBear Translation) | Chinese version Ch. 62]

Why he wasn’t over the past?

Let’s analyze Wu Xie’s mental journey over the years:

A major premise is that Men You Ping has always been Wu Xie's greatest source of security.

Wu Xie is too curious, but as a fledgling young man, he lacks experience and force value. If his curiosity is not satisfied and the problem cannot be solved, he will easily fall into anxiety (the book mentions many times that he was anxious when encountering difficulties, so I won’t take screenshots.), and Men You Ping has been providing guidance and protection to Wu Xie, which can be said to have given him a great sense of security in both physical and mental aspects (here I summarized it before. If you are interested, you can take a look at "Sharing Some Cute Details of Men You Ping’s “Double Standard”").

Xu Lei (NPSS) also said in the interview that Zhang Qiling had been protecting Wu Xie and helping him deal with many problems, so when he left, Wu Xie was forced to become like him.

(The screenshot is added in the original post)

Therefore, when Men You Ping was no longer with Wu Xie, his source of security was suddenly taken away.

During the ten years when Xiaoge was away, Wu Xie must have dreamed of Men You Ping countless times during the long agony of waiting and dealing with the enemy. Especially when he encountered difficulties, He prayed, hoped, and imagined that Men You Ping would fall from the sky and appear next to him like it did in the past, because this is a habit he has developed due to Xiaoge's protection.

He has grown up during the period of Tibetan Sea Flower, but he will still frankly tell Pangzi, "I always feel that a place with a Xiaoge will be safer. If he is not here, at least having a statue of him is better than nothing". The fat man said he was superstitious, but that was not the case, because as a top student, Wu Xie had always been accustomed to using scientific knowledge to explain all the strange things he experienced (there are many examples in the book), but for his subconscious dependence on Men You Ping, he had no way to explain it scientifically and rationally.

(The screenshot is added in the original post or take a look on MereBear's translation: Tibetan Sea Flower Ch. 39)

During Sand Sea period, Wu Xie grew up a lot, but when faced with a desperate situation, he still longed for the appearance of the person he wanted to see most for a long time. Even though he was about to cough up pneumoconiosis, even though he knew that the stuffy oil bottle in front of him was just his hallucination. The pain of those ten years also made Wu Xie addicted to smoking because he needed to use cigarettes to relieve his anxiety.

(The screenshot is added in the original post or take a look on MereBear's Translation: Sand Sea 4 Ch. 187)

The title of the chapter in Sand Sea where Wu Xie's throat was cut and he fell off the cliff is the poem "Like red beans inlaid in the ivory dice, my yearning for you is deep in my bones" (the translation comes from here). Why was this poem chosen as the title of this chapter?

Xu Lei once answered this question in a vx (Weixin/WeChat) interview. He said that this was his emotion at the time. Writing in the first person, the author's mood at that time represents the mood of the protagonist at that time, so the meaning of this poem is Wu Xie's mood at that time.

(The screenshot is added in the original post)

The meaning of this poem is: to express the woman's deep yearning for her husband, her longing for her husband and her inseparable love, and she looks forward to her husband's early return. (From Baidu Poetry Analysis)

(The screenshot is added in the original post)

Xu Lei said in a lecture at Fudan University in 2013: "Wu Xie was doing a lot of things with a sense of resentment in Sand Sea, because everyone abandoned him and left him alone there as a widow. The only person he can settle accounts with is Men You Ping, because he is a person who will appear at a fixed place at a fixed time, so Wu Xie must be holding his breath and preparing to ask that person for something back." (This paragraph is dictation + general summary, the original video is more than an hour long. You can search and watch it by yourself.)

(Regarding the widowhood, Xu Lei once explained that Wu Xie changed his name to "Guan Gen 《关根》" in order to maintain his chastity.)

(The screenshot is added in the original post)

Therefore, during the Tibetan Sea Flower period, Wu Xie had just left the sense of security provided by Men You Ping, and would still subconsciously seek his protection when encountering difficulties, even if it was just his statue. During Sand Sea period, he had clearly understood that Men You Ping was no longer by his side, so he had to force himself to become stronger and become like him. But even so, when he was extremely anxious, he still couldn't help but miss Men You Ping, which put him in a state of both longing and resentment.

This is also reflected in the "Ten Years" chapter. In "Ten Years" Wu Xie said, "After so many years, I no longer expected anything from anyone, because these people will eventually leave for various reasons." This is his complaint. He added, “There are some people you just can’t stand up. There is a chance that Men You Ping will appear, and I may die on the road, but after going through so much, I need a relief and an end." This was his thought.

(The screenshot is added in the original post or take a look on MereBear's Translation: Ten Years Later Ch. 20 and Ch. 21)

However, in addition to this feeling of longing and resentment, Wu Xie also has worries, deep worries about whether Men You Ping will live or die in the door, so he wrote in "Ten Years": "In the past ten years, I have had many dreams. I dreamed of him meeting me when I was young. I dreamed about the white bones in front of the bronze door, and dreamed that he had turned into something like Chen Pi Ah Si when we met again. There were many possibilities in ten years, which were enough for me to imagine and accept them one by one."

He has had this kind of nightmare many times in the past ten years, and it has become a knot in his heart that is difficult to untie, so even if Men You Ping is back now, he still feels that he has not completely passed those ten years.

(The screenshot is added in the original post or take a look on MereBear's Translation: Ten Years Later Ch. 36 and Ten Thousand Mountains in the Extreme Night Ch. 63)

But even so, even in those ten years, Wu Xie had thoughts, resentments and worries about Men You Ping, and thought about asking for something from Men You Ping, but he still couldn't bear it. The moment he saw Men You Ping again, he still chose to cover up all these emotions, so he subconsciously pulled down his sleeves to cover the scars on his hands, just as he said during Sand Sea period. When he sees Men You Ping again, he will not tell him all this, he will only tell him that you are just a patient, and you can rest now. So he took Men You Ling and lived in Yucun, the place where there is legendary ginseng that can make people remember for a long time.

(The screenshot is added in the original post or take a look on MereBear's Translation: Ten Years Later Ch. 41 and Sand Sea Ch. 92 | Chinese Version Sand Sea 2 Ch. 53)

It has been analyzed before that the reason why Xiaoge went to Hangzhou to say goodbye to Wu Xie before entering the bronze door and said to him "You are my only connection with this world" is because for the first time he had his own "desire". (This is a long story, see "Psychological Activities of Xiaoge" for details)

If Men You Ping had realized that he had fallen in love with Wu Xie at this time, then when did Wu Xie realize that he had fallen in love with Men You Ping? Probably when he realized that he couldn't lose him, as the saying goes, "How do we measure love, the pain after separation."

(The screenshot is added in the original post)

---

This one is a more in-depth analysis about Wu Xie in Sand Sea by the same writer.

Source: MuzzledIdealist

The sunrise in the desert was also beautiful back then, but Wu Xie had no memory of it. But now that he and his brother are in the world’s second most valuable tomb, he can truly feel the beauty of the sunrise. Because the experience of Sand Sea was not a good memory for Wu Xie. Xu Lei once explained why Wu Xie had seventeen scars on his arms during Sand Sea period. It was because as an originally kind-hearted person, he was forced to do many things that went against his conscience in order to defeat the Wang family, including using others. Therefore, he hurt himself by scratching his arms to relax himself. Xu Lei said that Wu Xie during Sand Sea period had a kind of hatred for him.

Wu Xie has indeed grown up in the past ten years, but this growth comes at a price. Wu Xie gave himself the pen name Guan Gen (Xu Lei explained that it means "keeping his chastity"), and made seventeen cuts on his arm with hatred for himself. When he fell off the cliff, his mood was "Like red beans inlaid in the ivory dice, my yearning for you is deep in my bones" and various injuries that have caused permanent damage to his nose and lungs. From all of this, it can be seen that Xiao Wu suffered from both physical and mental pain during the Sand Sea period, and all of this cannot be summed up by the simple word "Evil Emperor". This seemingly cool title seemed to lightly cover up all the suffering he experienced during that period.

He was repeatedly entangled and pulled between his persistence towards his goal, his hatred for himself, and his extreme longing for Men You Ping. For him, the experience during Sand Sea period was once a painful memory, that's why he subconsciously pulled down his sleeves to cover the scars on his arms when he saw his brother on the day of their ten-year appointment. Maybe he didn't want Men You Ping to know who he was before. But with their tacit understanding, it is impossible for him not to see it, that’s why there was a follow-up story about Xiaoge in "Fishing King Extra" who took Xiao Wu to the Stagnant Water Dragon King Palace to make Xiao Wu suddenly enlightened in order to untie the knot buried in Xiao Wu's heart for the past ten years. Now, the same is true in Yucun Notes when Xiaoge accompanies Xiao Wu to revisit Medog (Motuo). When his lover returns to his side, the greatest source of security returns, and Xiao Wu becomes the "rough jade" again.

"I will exchange my life for ten years of your innocence." Zhang Qiling used his infinite sacrifice to Wu Xie in exchange for a limited benefit (Xu Lei's original words), "Like red beans inlaid in the ivory dice, my yearning for you is deep in my bones" Wu Xie use his ten years to buy Zhang Qiling's freedom for the rest of his life. Some people say that the relationship hurt/comfort is old-fashioned, but I don't think so. The two-way redemption between PingXie and the uniqueness between them is always moving.

---

My thought:

Maybe the word "fall in love" or "lover" the writer uses here is too strong for some people lol, but they did care for each other, no matter what the relationship is, it can't be denied, right? There were some questions that appeared in my head when I read the book, why did Wu Xie do that? Why did he do this? Why did he do all of these things to this extent? Then I understood. Actually, Wu Xie, especially in his early stage, reminds me of my old-self, so I feel like I can sympathize with him somehow. His "innocence" is different from the innocence that most people think, Wu Xie's innocence is the kind of innocence who wished everyone well.

And then, happy birthday, Wu Xie! May you be safe and live a happy life with Xiaoge, Pangzi, and all of your good friends! 🎉🎉🎂(⁠人⁠*⁠´⁠∀⁠｀⁠)⁠｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+ *⁠.⁠✧

#wu xie birthday #daomu biji #dmbj #pingxie #dmbj meta #dmbj analysis #wu xie #meta recs #pingxie only #盗墓笔记 #吴邪 #瓶邪 #瓶邪only #congratulatory post

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tachineko · 1 year ago

Note

any reason why you love kiseki so much?

Thank you for this wonderful question, anon!

Oh, where do I even start? First, I would like to say that I started watching Kiseki because of the author. Lin Pei Yu has become one of my favorites, and it's no surprise that I keep track of what she produces from time to time. She's made me watch and keep track of BL's from start to finish, such as trapped, to we best love, to my tooth your love, and now kiseki: dear to me. She is like the Taiwanese hwang da seul, though her endings are not as polished as HDS.

Kiseki also introduces one of my favorite tropes in romance. the savior and the saved.

But what's interesting is that BZY becomes the savior despite the financial difficulty, and FZR becomes the saved despite being in a higher quality of life position. I love a little unexpected switcheroo when it comes to these types of roles, which is why I was gagging (affectionately) about their sexual placements in the past episode.

Kiseki also reminds me of Trapped for some reason. Maybe it's because Kai Hsu (FZR) and Chris Wu (TY) look like the typical mafia members

-or maybe I'm just drawn by the hate-turned-love relationship effect between Yu Tong (BZY) and Jake Hsu (MSF).

Also, live-watching Trapped back in 2019 with bad subtitles has changed my hunger for BL. I now know that I am more drawn to BL's with amazing chemistry and back-to-front plots like I was when I was watching Trapped, despite the bad fansubbing.

Some of Lin Pei Yu's best troops revolve around scenes that are confrontational within the emotions of both lovers and characters. This is shown in some of her works, where in Trapped, it was TY having a heart-to-heart with MSF about being each other's safe space and not being alone anymore during TY's birthday.

In my tooth, your love, it was JXA clarifying to BL how, despite what BL thinks about his shortcomings, JXA clarifies that he does not mind and that he would rather challenge the hurdles of their relationship and face the effects with him in the long run.

For Kiseki, since currently it's airing, there's still more heart-to-heart conversations between the two. I do love that one scene where FZR explains a little of his sad background as the second-best prodigy son forced to stay in his brother's spotlight while BZY explains his relapse of painful memories around his abusive mom and how, despite everything that has happened to them, they can be each other's safe space from here on out.

Sorry, I just love heart-to-heart scenes. It's the make or break for me in BL's.

Last but not least, I know this is a bit controversial, but you can argue in my DM's about it. I do like that Taiwanese BL's such as Kiseki often go out of the box and just dip their BL's into controversial topics that some people might dislike, such as the student-teacher relationship or the age gap between BZY, who's 17 (legal age in Taiwan), and FZR, who's 24.

(dont mind the self insert of my own gif)

You can kind of see the contrast between people's perspectives and how people have western-oriented views about legal age. It also shows how people are so fixated on age that they ignore the thing that makes it substantial, which is the characters and their goals.

Also the plot has currently had me on chokehold that I was about to buy the untranslated version and open Google and Baidu translate so I know what happens. That's how much I love this series.

#lee.asks #Anonymous #kiseki dear to me #kiseki: dear to me

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liberty-or-death · 2 years ago

Text

Wei Wuxian's Name - The Meaning of Wuxian

C Fans think this is likely the poem behind his name. And after analysing this poem, I think this is also the inspiration behind his character. OMG MXTX YOU’RE A GENIUS 😍.

Before I start, please inform me if you want to use this meta. This analysis is solely mine in every shape and form. There is only 1 Chinese interpretation online and it’s done with Baidu’s MTL. And if I do allow you to use it, PLEASE link it back to me because there’s a very high chance that I will refine this. This is the only translation/meta that I’m particular about so please respect my wishes. 🙏

The term “Wuxian” comes from the Ming Dynasty poem “Living Alone 闲居” by the poet Xiu Ben 徐贲. Sadly, there isn’t much information about the context so I’ve tried to interpret this to the best that I can. There are so many aspects in mdzs/cql that are reflected in his poem.

谢事返丘壑，退耕理田园。

To retire to the hills, to return to farming and prepare the land.

谢事 - To retire and get rid of mundane things, or to die

丘壑 - Hills and ravines. A secluded place in the mountains. A metaphor for somewhere far away.

退耕 - To resign from government service and to return to farming OR to convert land that was used for farming back to other use.

兹心获遂初，稍得洒中悁。

His compassionate heart has attained his wish, and slowly loses itself to anxiety in wine.

兹心 - I think this is related to 慈悲心 which refers to the concept of Compassion in Mahayana Buddhisim. 慈 refers to giving others happiness.

遂初 - This means attained his wish. OR to leave a government post and return to seclusion

悁 - This refers to anger, anxiety and melancholy.

(T/N: 获 and 得 both means to gain, so the poet is emphasising what he has gained)

振策升崇巘，扬舲溯长川。

Whipping the horse (or urging) to ascend the lofty mountain, sailing against the river that never ends

振策 - This term also means to urge or to push someone forward

长川 - It either describes a river OR something that’s never ending.

(T/N: some websites use the word 巘 (mountain), but others use 褵 (a marriage veil). I don’t have enough info, so I’ve gone with the mountain translation.)

惊湍信汨汨，清溜自涓涓。

The water gurgles flows steadily and swiftly, the crystal clear water from the small stream trickled slowly naturally.

(T/N: 汨汨 and 涓涓 are both sounds of the water flowing. 汨汨 refers to gurgling, 涓涓 flows slowly)

新兰艳迟日，密竹曳丛烟。

The new orchid blooms in spring, the dense growth of bamboo gather as they sway like the mist.

迟日 - this could mean late, or spring

烟 - This likely refers to 烟云 (literally translated to mist and cloud), but it also refers to a hermit deep within a faraway mountain.

东馆朝燕坐，西林暮独还。

To meditate in the morning the temple in Chang an, to return from the temple alone at dusk

东馆 - This either refers to the Eastern Temple, or a temple nearby Chang an. The dictionary says it’s 豫中 ‘Yuzhong Temple’ (term was used specifically the Han Dynasty), but I can’t find which temple it is specifically. LOL

西林 - This term does refer to the Xilin temple on Mount Lu. But subsequently it was referred to temples in general. As this a more modern poetry (aka Ming Dynasty), I’ve opted to use ‘temple’ instead.

(T/N: there’s a dawn to dusk imagery in this line, from 朝 (morning) to 暮 (dusk))

朋旧固云旷，山水聊夤缘。

Old friends are resolute and vast as the clouds, and to sit beneath the mountain and rivers to chat about establishing connections.

云 - The imagery of ancient clouds in ancient poetry is uh, not exactly regarded as a good thing. It’s usually related to sadness, or something that’s fickle (ie. a cloud is fickle, it changes shape whenever it wants to, sometimes you see it, and sometimes you don’t.

夤缘 - this means to climb up, establish connections and building relationships)

(T/N: This whole line is interesting and filled with contradictions. 固 refers to something resolute, but 云旷 means vast as the clouds. Of which, clouds symbolise something that’s anything but resolute. And in the second part, 聊 usually refers to a causal chat or even gossip, but 夤缘 refers to using connections to climb higher.)

居喧暂云遣，习静久乃便。

the noise at where I'm at at has stopped for now, dissipating like the wind. And so, the quiet life has persisted for long time.

居 - there are various meanings to this. The most common meaning is to stay/current location so I’ve gone with that

便乃 - this means “hence” or “so”

已幸驻灵药，复能讽瑶编。

It’s already lucky that the magical drug has rooted itself here, and I can memorise the precious books repeatedly

驻 - This is a very interesting word because it’s usually used to mean to garrison or to come to a standstill. It isn’t usually

复 - Repeatedly

讽 - This word usually means to or to mock. But I think it’s used as 讽书 in this case, which is to memorise.

既无羡鱼志，外物非所迁。Even if there isn’t any wishful thinking, the things outside are inhospitable and ever changing

无 - This means no.

羡鱼 - Wishful thinking. This is where Wei Wuxian’s name comes from (MXTX uses 无羡 instead of 羡鱼). This term comes from the idiom “临渊羡鱼，不如退而结网” which literally means, “instead of standing by the water to dream about catching fish, you should go home to make a net to actually catch a fish.” (ie. instead of being envious about another person’s achievements, we should put in the effort) So yes, Wei Wuxian does mean “do not (无) think wishfully and covert over the achievement of others” (羡)

非所 - Inhospitable, where someone cannot live normally

迁 - this means ever changing.

MY ANALYSIS

SO I HAVE SO MUCH FEELS. I believe that MXTX based some parts of Wei Wuxian’s behaviour according to this poem. Allow me to do a line by line analysis.

1st line: “To retire to the hills, to return to farming and prepare the land” - is this why our boy has such a fascination with retiring from his “post” and returning to the simple life? It’s interesting that the terms in this poem repeatedly emphasises on ‘retiring from government.” You could say that wwx’s life, starting from the time that he was a Jiang Clan disciple, and to being a soldier was a form of a post. So the author sets up the stage of what he thinks to “retire” is. And the “hills and the mountains” suggest a secluded far away. IDK about you but it screamed Cloud Recesses to me.

2nd line: “His compassionate heart has attained his wish,” - AGAIN I could scream about this. I feel that Wei Wuxian does embody the concept of “慈悲” in the simple sense of the word. “慈” as in compassionate. He brings joy to people around him and cares for others around him. 悲 as in sadness; he feels the suffering around him and hence he tries to deliver people from it. This is obviously demonstrated when he tries to save the Wen Clan. This line also emphasises that retiring away from all things political is what he wants. And the second part “slowly loses itself to anxiety in wine”, sadly he does this ever so frequently in the novel and almost amplified in CQL.

Line 3 and 4: “Whipping the horse (a metaphor for quickly, almost urgently) to ascend the lofty mountain, sailing against the river that never ends” “The water gurgles flows steadily and swiftly, the crystal clear water from the small stream trickled slowly naturally.” - in Line 3, the first part “ascending the lofty mountain, almost urgently so” reminds me of how he attained his ghost cultivation so quickly over a span of 3 months. And “sailing against the river that never ends” sounds very much like how he was always moving against the criticism of the masses in his first and second life. The lines about the water gurgling and trickling feels that the tide was always against him, be it swiftly or in small trickles.”

Line 5: “The new orchid blooms in spring, the dense growth of bamboo gather as they sway in the mist.” - the imagery of the orchid sounds a shoutout to Jinling. And the dense bamboo dusting in the mist reminds me of the parts where they were in the cold pond. I’m not sure if the CQL directors were equally inspired by this. (I can’t remember if there were bamboos in Cloud Recesses novel wise. 😂😂)

Line 6: “To meditate in the morning the temple in Chang an, to return from the temple alone at dusk” - HMM I don’t have a clear inspiration for this line unfortunately. But it could be a reference to the days spend in Cloud Recesses. The Lan 蓝 was a Buddhism references so it totally fit the bill. (I’ve mentioned it before in Taming Wangxian but if you can’t remember it, well that’s okay, I am to bring it back here eventually)

Line 7: “Old friends are resolute and vast as the clouds, and to sit beneath the mountain and rivers to chat about establishing connections.” - again the comparison of friends with clouds. It does suggest that he has a lot of friends; friends who are as fickle as clouds who aren’t there when the time calls for it. And as for the ones who are “resolute”… well we know who they are. And as for “establishing connections”, this is a common theme in the novel. It actually reminded me of JGY, who was essentially trying to curry favour to promote himself politically.

Line 8-9: “the noise at where I am at has stopped for now, dissipating like the wind. And so, the quiet life has persisted for long time.” “It’s already lucky that the magical drug has rooted itself here, and I can memorise the precious books repeatedly” lmao does the magic drug refer to the incense burner haha 😂😂 the vibe of the last two lines remind me of the end of the novel, whereby the “noise” of society has faded and he’s back to the quiet life. And as for the books that he can read, I’m guessing that’s probably referring to the Lan Family’s library

Line 10: “Even if there isn’t any wishful thinking, the things outside are inhospitable and ever changing” this is WWX and the moral of the story I guess?

(There were about 60 different references and I'm too lazy to link them all lol. They were mostly dictionary links or other poems that used the words in a similar manner. If you want a reference for a particular phrase, please let me know. XD)

In case you missed it, I’ve also analysed Wei Ying previously.

Additional Meta

More MDZS Meta

Meaning of Wei Ying

#mdzs meta #mdzs #wei wuxian #wei ying #cql #cql meta #Xiu Ben #poetry

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steppingonyourshadow · 2 years ago

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Masterpost

This is a placeholder and will gradually grow as I repost more of my videos from twitter. I say gradual because I'm not going to spam your dashes with 100 videos a day.

Music

Uni-era XZ covering Coco Lee

XZ and Peng Chuyue covering Wild Child (studio version)

Xiao Zhan, Peng Chuyue and Zhao Lei sing Never Say Goodbye at X-Nine's final concert

Wu Jiacheng's video for Dancing Shoes (his song about X-Nine)

X-Nine cover Wild Bloom (2016)

X-Nine rehearsing Face Face before their 520 show (2018)

Xiao Zhan and Zhao Lei sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow (X-Nine Channel)

Xiao Zhan, Wu Jiacheng and Chen Zexi cover Jacky Cheung’s 我真的受伤了 (I’ve Really Been Hurt) (X-Nine Channel)

Xiao Zhan singing Teresa Teng's 我只在乎你/I Only Care About You/时の流れに身をまかせ acapella during a stream

X-Nine covering Turbulent Era Superstar

X-Fire/X-Nine's Be A Man supercut

Xiao Zhan covering 潇洒走一回 at GBA Film Gala 2023

Text

Forum and Weibo posts about Uni-era XZ

Excerpts from Esquire April 2023

Livestreams

Early X-Fire livestream with Xiao Zhan and friends

Xiao Zhan joins team Peng Chuyue and Bai Shu

Bai Shu tells a story; Xiao Zhan climbs on him by way of punishment

Xiao Zhan livestream interview with X-Nine on his look

Xiao Zhan livestreams with Xia Zhiguang and fights antis

Xiao Zhan and Gu Jiacheng livestream in Chongqing for Superstar Academy

X-Nine debut anniversary event: Xiao Zhan gives acting advice which segues into flirting

X-Nine debut anniversary event: Xiao Zhan sings to a fan

X-Nine debut anniversary event: Xiao Zhan the game king (in which he admits that he's handsome)

Interviews

Post X-Fire finale red team interview (2016)

Xiao Zhan interviews Xia Zhiguang about their relationship (2016)

Xiao Zhan and Peng Chuyue interview about the group (2017)

Xiao Zhan interview about X-Nine and the Wolf (2018)

Xiao Zhan discusses pretty privilege and his own looks (2018)

Xiao Zhan for Baidu on Shi Ying, dream roles, misconceptions about him and netizens (2023)

Xiao Zhan on what kind of actor he wants to be and how he responds to critique (2023)

X-Fire era Games

X-Fire pocky game

X-Fire paper pass game

X-Fire's white team attempts to make Xiao Zhan laugh

Xiao Zhan vs Gu Jiacheng (physical challenge edition)

Xiao Zhan vs white team (trickery edition)

Zhao Lei tries to make Xiao Zhan laugh; Xiao Zhan tries to make Wu Jiacheng laugh

King's game (includes the infamous Xiao Zhan/Peng Chuyue ear kiss)

Spare change

Acting challenge

Blindfold game with Gu Jiacheng

The body parts game

Balloon shuffle

Water carrying

Dress the female guest competition with Bai Shu

Variety

Blindfold game - hands edition (X-Nine Channel)

Bedsheet game with Peng Chuyue (X-Nine Channel)

Princess carry with Guo Zifan (X-Nine Channel)

Putting on pants hands-free (X-Nine Channel)

Xiao Zhan demonstrates hands-free typing (X-Nine Channel)

Xiao Zhan fits himself into a suitcase with Xia Zhiguang's help (X-Nine Channel)

X-Nine in cosplay answering questions in character (X-Nine Channel)

Who can put on clothes faster with Gu Jiacheng (X-Nine Channel)

Double Sided Exploration interview clips with Xia Zhiguang and Yan Xujia (and cats)

BTS segment for X-Nine Channel with Xiao Zhan and Peng Chuyue pretending to fight about the assistant host spot

Cooking livestream - part 1 | part 2

Pajama party - Xiao Zhan's outfit

Pajama party - Xiao Zhan paints, Peng Chuyue helps

Pajama Party - Xiao Zhan helps Peng Chuyue sew

Pajama Party - Xiao Zhan is unimpressed about his punishment

Kugou Big Show Party - Xiao Zhan wins a game with...math

Kugou Big Show Party - Xiao Zhan and Peng Chuyue do spooky and sweet morning calls

Kugou Big Show Party - Reverse Never Have I Ever with XZ

Compilations

Xiao-meiren explainer

Xiao Zhan and food sharing

Xiao Zhan demanding praise from his X-Nine friends

Xiao Zhan's Youth Channel intros

Xiao Zhan, Peng Chuyue and Gu Jiacheng on selfies

Xiao Zhan, Xuan Lu and Gokuraku Jodo

Xiao Zhan and Peng Chuyue talk about their CP and ship names

What was your first impression of Xiao Zhan?

Xiao Zhan and Shu Qi

X-Nine superlatives, Xiao Zhan edition

X-Nine on vanity (in which XZ almost admits to it and everyone tries to be humble)

Xiao Zhan speaking about the didis going to uni

The rest of the X-Nine boys on the Xiao Zhan they know

Xiao Zhan/X-Nine crumbs from 2019 featuring Peng Chuyue, Guo Zifan and Xia Zhiguang

Curtain calls from every stop of A Dream Like A Dream

Other

Team Xiao-Bai-Yue as Team Rocket

X-Fire's red team move in together

Peng Chuyue attempts to record a vlog, Xiao Zhan and Xia Zhiguang help

Bai Shu, Xiao Zhan and Xia Zhiguang give Peng Chuyue shit

Xiao Zhan moves from white to red team on X-Fire

Behind the scenes from Superstar Academy with Bai Shu (and Xiao Zhan's fake anger)

Xiao Zhan and X-Nine didis at the 520 show in 2018

Xiao Zhan says go the fuck to bed

Xiao Zhan's speech at X-Nine's Hangzhou concert and their birthday surprise for him

X-Nine Meters/bonwe live event at which Xiao Zhan, Peng Chuyue and Xia Zhiguang pick outfits for each other

TV shows/movies

Behind the scenes of Oh! My Emperor with some animal costars and X-Nine buddies

Where Dreams Begin end of show compilation

Beijing TV interview with Beijing aunties about Where Dreams Begin and Xiao Zhan

Xiao Zhan on a key scene in the Longest Promise that he fought for

Behind the scenes of the Longest Promise: Xiao Zhan argues to retain a key scene

Behind the scenes of the Longest Promise: Ren Min and Xiao Zhan discuss a key scene and are very cute

Other people talk about Xiao Zhan

Lin Ruilin (Where Dreams Begin) on Xiao Zhan being easy-going and super online

Ren Min (The Longest Promise) on how Xiao Zhan helped her and what he's like as a costar

Animals

Xiao Zhan works at a cat cafe for a day (Double Sided Exploration)

Xiao Zhan, Peng Chuyue and Ai-Yo the cat

Xiao Zhan brushes a cat while telling a hater off

Xiao Zhan vs Ai-Yo the cat

Xiao Zhan likes cats and cats like Xiao Zhan: the compilation

[Work in progress. Tumblr keeps breaking this page and I can't currently update it.]

#masterpost

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tzeming-janice · 1 year ago

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Case Study on China

The Great Firewall of China

The Chinese government has voiced worries about the internet since 1998, viewing it as a potential source of social and political challenges to the regime's cultural values and ideology (Cawford, 2023). In response, China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) directed the Golden Shield project, which was started in 1998 and finished in 2006 (Open Society Institute, n.d.). This initiative is a regulatory framework accompanied by an extensive system of internet censorship. According to Kerner, the western media has called it "The Great Firewall of China”, implying that it encompasses a set of tools, services, and regulations that the government of the People’s Republic of China uses to prevent access to specific online information by individuals who are physically inside its boundaries.

If you've read this far, you might be wondering how the Great Firewall of China blocks content.

The Great Firewall of China uses various methods to block content. It inspects internet traffic entering and leaving China, blocking entire domains and IP address ranges. Additionally, when a user attempts to search for the blocked keywords and phrases, the Great Firewall will block and redirect the website query in a way that does not let the user access the requested information. Additionally, the firewall also actively scans network connections for potential proxy IPs used to bypass it, such as VPNs or Tor privacy networks (Kerner, n.d.).

Criticism and Concerns of the Great Firewall of China

The Chinese government has come under criticism from numerous human rights organisations for the extensive and invasive state monitoring methods used by the Great Firewall. Critics argued that China has restricted its citizens' freedom of access to information sources by enforcing the Great Firewall's strict censorship (Gisonna, 2023). To illustrate, Google holds less than a 2% market share in China, primarily due to government restrictions, with Baidu being the dominant search engine service (Seth, 2022). In March 2009, the Chinese government also banned access to YouTube after the dissemination of videos regarding security personnel beating protestors in Tibet, a region of China (Zed Biz, 2023).

According to Gisonna (2023), in spite of the Great Firewall facing criticism, numerous technology firms have yielded to the Chinese government's self-censorship guidelines, adapting their products to align with Chinese regulations. For example, Microsoft Corporation has produced an altered version of its web search engine, Bing.

China’s powerful app - WeChat

WeChat was developed by Chinese technology giant Tencent Group and was first introduced in 2011 (Sapra, 2019).

As per Zhang (2018), WeChat has evolved beyond its original purpose as a messaging and social networking app. Tencent has effectively transformed WeChat into a super app, serving as a comprehensive platform where users can seamlessly access a multitude of authorized third-party services. These services range from tasks like ride-hailing, purchasing movie tickets, ordering food delivery, booking hotels, paying bills, and many other functionalities. Long story short, it is nearly impossible to do anything without access to WeChat nowadays (Sapra, 2019).

Tencent (2018) argued that “WeChat aims to embed itself in every moment of the user's daily life, from morning till night, anytime, anywhere.”

Why WeChat fails when expanding abroad?

The majority of features of WeChat were constrained due to the absence of collaboration with local suppliers to offer those services. This is why WeChat is losing its competitive edge and transforming into merely another messaging application (Seppam, 2023).

Simultaneously, as per Medium (2019), WeChat's failure can be attributed to its delayed entry into the foreign market. By the time WeChat ventured into the international market in April 2012, WhatsApp had already surpassed its innovation period, spanning from 2009 to 2011. This indicates that WeChat faced limited growth opportunities to capture the global market.

Social Credit System in China

China's social credit system comprises databases and initiatives designed to monitor and evaluate the reliability of individuals, businesses, government entities, and the judiciary (Lee, 2020). It was formally introduced to the public in 2014 with the unveiling of the Outline for the Construction and Planning of the Social Credit System. In addition to looking at financial history and activity, that similar to credit rating systems in other nations, it also considers things like unethical behaviour and legal infractions (Koty & Huld, 2023).

A credit score may benefit from making good contributions to society through the establishment of social programmes, donations to charitable organisations, or other corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. A high credit score may grant access to discounted public housing or priority medical care. Conversely, engaging in such undesirable behaviour as dishonest or unlawful taxation, misleading customer behaviour, and so forth, may result in a low rating and adverse outcomes including being barred from trains and aeroplanes (Lee, 2020).

Is the social credit system a way to instill good behaviour and provide safety to citizens?

From my point of view, the opinions on this question are diverse. Supporters argue that the Social Credit System could potentially improve overall societal conduct by promoting trust and integrity. They suggest that by rewarding responsible behaviour and penalising misconduct, the system could contribute to a safer and more orderly society.

On the other hand, critics express concerns about privacy violations, the potential for abuse of power, and the impact on individual freedoms. The system involves extensive surveillance and data collection, raising worries about government intervening into citizens' lives. There are fears that the system could be used for social and political control, suppressing dissent, and restricting individual freedoms.

In general, the goal of China's social credit system is to ensure that residents and companies doing business there adhere to local laws and regulations (Velocity Global, 2023). It is important to strive for a balance between the potential benefits of improved societal behaviour and the protection of individual rights.

References:

Crawford, D. (2023, February 3). What is the Great Firewall of China and how does it work. Proton VPN Blog. https://protonvpn.com/blog/great-firewall-china/

Gisonna, N. (2023, September 21). Great Firewall. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Great-Firewall

Kerner, S. M. (n.d.). Great firewall of China. WhatIs.com. https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Great-Firewall-of-China

Koty, A. C. & Huld, A. (2023, March 24). China’s social credit system: What businesses need to know. China Briefing News. https://www.china-briefing.com/news/chinas-social-credit-system-how-it-works/

Lee, A. (2020, August 9). What is China’s social credit system and why is it controversial? South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3096090/what-chinas-social-credit-system-and-why-it-controversial

Medium. (2019, November 19). Identify and explore why “WeChat” failed internationally. https://medium.com/@uncigolini/identify-and-explore-why-wechat-failed-internationally-605cff5043d9

Sapra, B. (2019, December 21). This Chinese super-app is Apple’s biggest threat in China and could be a blueprint for Facebook’s future. Here’s what it’s like to use WeChat, which helps a billion users order food and hail rides. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-superapp-wechat-best-feature-walkthrough-2019-12

Seppam, M. (2023, April 5). How China’s Super-App WeChat Failed in USA and Europe. Why do other successful local apps fail when expanding abroad? https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-chinas-super-app-wechat-failed-usa-europe-why-do-other-seppam/

Seth, S. (2022, December 31). Baidu vs. Google: What's the Difference. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/051215/baidu-vs-google-how-are-they-different.asp#:~:text=Google%20has%20a%20strong%2C%20dominant,government%20has%20restricted%20its%20use.

Velocity Global. (2023, October 6). The Chinese Social Credit System: What to know as a business owner. https://velocityglobal.com/resources/blog/chinese-social-credit-system/

Zhang, M. (2018, March 26). China’s WeChat: The Power of the Super App. Medium. https://medium.com/@miaozhenzhang666/chinas-wechat-the-power-of-the-super-app-dc144657625e

#mda20009 #week 11 #blog #social media #china #wechat #social credit

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fwoopersongs · 2 years ago

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I posted 35 times in 2022

31 posts created (89%)

4 posts reblogged (11%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@ao3feed-lyb

@fallinlangya

@fwoopersongs

@hardwareabstractionlayer

I tagged 35 of my posts in 2022

#poems - 10 posts

#commentary - 9 posts

#poetry - 4 posts

#周深 - 3 posts

#琅琊榜 - 2 posts

#苏轼 - 2 posts

#aaaaaaaa - 2 posts

#李白 - 2 posts

#九月七日饮 - 2 posts

#诗经 - 2 posts

Longest Tag: 112 characters

#it was already pretty painful at his children and the implication that the daughter was given up for his people?

My Top Posts in 2022:

八月十五日夜玩月 - Frolic ‘neath the moon on Mid-Autumn’s night

by 刘禹锡 (Liu Yuxi, 772 - 842)

天将今夜月一遍洗寰瀛 tiān jiāng jīnyè yuè yī biàn xǐ huányíng Heaven takes tonight’s moon and gives the world, land and sea, a thorough cleansing.

暑退九霄净秋澄万景清 shǔ tuì jiǔxiāo jìng, qiū chéng wàn jǐng qīng Summer retreats, leaving the ninth sphere pure and the Autumn crisp, every view refreshing.

星辰让光彩风露发晶英 xīngchén ràng guāngcǎi, fēnglù fā jīngyīng The stars bow aside for that vibrant light; the breeze and the dew, they sparkle and shine.

能变人间世翛然是玉京 néng biàn rénjiān shì, xiāo rán shì yù jīng In the world of man, change is only right, but beyond such bounds is the Celestial Capital divine.

............................................................................................................

No notes this week, just poetry appreciation!

An observation: This is probably going to look like gibberish to anyone who doesn’t use hanyu pinyin…

Level (-): The first and second hanyu pinyin tones Oblique (\): The third and fourth hanyu pinyin tones

An interesting pattern is that the first lines often close with words of oblique tones and ending lines have level ones. Corresponding to that is a slightly more active movement in the description and flow of the first line while the ending lines have a more sedate pace.

So the first thing to grab me by the shoulders to shake was how lively and ALIVE this whole poem feels! And I was like... but WHY? It wasn't until copying this poem out for the first time that I realized...

天将 heaven (Does Thing)

一遍洗 it also Washes

暑退 summer Retreats

星辰让 the stars Let

能变 the mortal world Can Change

They've all been anthropomorphized in my brain because they are Doing things. Heaven, Summer, the stars and the world are actively engaged in activity! It’s not just these actions - but also things like Summer yielding to Autumn, crisp and fresh Autumn who brings its characteristics into this world. And because of nature's cycles, the world suddenly feels like it's brimming with life.

How do you explain the brightness a moon? Liu Yuxi tells us that the stars have seen its brilliance and stepped aside to let moonlight take the center. Stars in poetry have a tendency to get described as brilliant and shining, see: 星汉灿烂, and the word 让 is of 谦让 (modestly decline), to let, to yield. With the way that it is used here, I have a mental image of someone delighted at another’s brilliance, bowing, and stepping aside. It's such a playful turn of phrasing.

And yet how bright is the moon? So bright that it generously lends some to the wind, the dew, so that they too sparkle with light - even seeming like the light comes from within themselves. After holding their breath whilst Autumn glides in in all its refreshing tranquility, everyone is partying hard under the Mid-Autumn moonlight - what fun!

Which then makes me think of 玩月, and the word frolic came so naturally I just had to use it. Baidu tells me that 玩月, which parses as Playing with the Moon (uncapitalized words are silent) is the same as 赏月 which is Admiring/Appreciation of the Moon. So, why use 玩 instead of 赏? Maybe because it lends the ambience a lively, natural and merry vibe. 赏月 activities as reported by a song dynasty writer are thus: 中秋节前，诸店皆卖新酒，贵家结饰台榭，民家争占酒楼玩月，笙歌远闻千里，嬉戏连坐至晓 (DeepL comes to the lazy translator’s rescue: Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, all the shops sell new wine, the noble families decorate their stalls and pavilions, and the people's families compete to occupy the restaurants to play with the moon; the music and songs are heard for thousands of miles, and the games are played until dawn.) so, frolic fits quite well.

Can I also just say how the whole opening of 天将今夜月一遍洗寰瀛 is so so so epic but at the same time, is indescribably homely and filled with so much warmth that it drives me INSANE. Like you're cleaning house, EXCEPT this house is the entire world. Everything is awash with gentle light, a tender cleansing. IM AAAAAAAAAA T___T what I would give to be able to write like that. (What I would give to shake the writer and tell him this to his face.)

But, by the way, why are we dousing the world in moonlight-water and scrubbing it? HOW are we doing that? Is light and water the same thing???? How’s your physics grade, huh classmate @Liu Yuxi… does your mother know? Well our dude may not have passed physics - he never went for a single class - but he sure aced literature! 月光如水, he knows that the moonlight is smooth, bright and pure like slow running water.

What else stands out?

The last line!

Oh, how it also drives me insane but in another direction...

So OK, the mutable mortal world versus the celestial capital - the world of the celestials (i.e. the moon) which is without inhibitions. So... where's the link???? Until i realised, my dear, you have just been SHOWN the beauty of this changing world. The seasons change, the weather does as well and the people play their games. Everything in this world CAN CHANGE. But up above the moon like a celestial palace of jade exists beyond. Transcendent. There are no rules that bind it. It exists beyond change.

So basically very awe-inspiring vibes. Though, doesn’t it also make you feel safe? In the midst of the chaos in this world, be it good or bad, look up at the moon and let its light-hearted serenity calm you. Always watch for and wonder at the beauty of this world, and remember to have fun in it!

Happy mooncake festival, friends!

26 notes - Posted September 16, 2022

九月七日饮 - seventh day of the ninth month, drinking

by 王良臣 (Wang Liangchen, Ming Dynasty)

a poem that made me smile today; for @merelhyn

Since passing the imperial exams in 1493, he served in the Hongzhi (1488-1505) ) and Zhengde (1506-1521) Emperor’s courts. In the first year of Zhengde (1506), the imperial historian Lu Kun led a crowd to impeach Liu Jin and the other eunuchs, and was arrested and imprisoned for disobeying the Emperor’s word via imperial edict. Wang Liangchen submitted a memorial in an attempt to save him, and was sent to prison for the same reason. After Liu Jin was killed, he was appointed as the deputy of the travelling inspector of the provincial governments for Shandong.

紫霞零落带孤禽 zǐxiá língluò dài gū qín The purple sky bathed in light scatteredly, brings solitary birds;

平楚苍苍秋意深 píngchǔ cāngcāng qiū yì shēn the vast forest canopy emanates a sense of Autumn deep.

月过初三半梳玉 yuè guò chū sān bàn shū yù The moon past the month’s third day is a half comb of jade,

菊迎重九满篱金 jú yíng chóngjiǔ mǎn lí jīn chrysanthemums welcome the Double Ninth with a golden hedge.

天怜病骨商量暖 tiān lián bìng gǔ shāngliáng nuǎn The Heavens, gentle to the ailing, conferred and brought warmth;

云促归程计会阴 yún cù guīchéng jì huìyīn the clouds urged embarking on a return with cunning dreams of home.

风雁飞来更潇洒 fēng yàn fēi lái gèng xiāosǎ The swan-geese flying here are much more joyfully free,

一枝芦雪印波心 yī zhī lúxuě yìn bō xīn one blade of snow-reed engraved, in a heart that ripples (a lake, a stream).

Sunset purple and birds

Deep Autumn

See the full post

29 notes - Posted September 28, 2022

道别 - Saying Goodbye

by unknown

我对蝉说：他日再见，要待来年。 wǒ duì chán shuō: tā rì zài jiàn, yào dài lái nián I said to the cicada: For the day we see each other again to come, wait for next year.

蝉对我说：他日重逢，要等来生。 chán duì wǒ shuō: tā rì chóng féng, yào děng lái shēng The cicada said to me: For the day we meet again to come, wait for my next lifetime.

35 notes - Posted March 27, 2022

a Wen Ning in the wild

That’s right another MDZS translation challenge!

This time, the passage was proposed by @laozuyiling and hosted by @dragongirlg-fics on twitter. (Thank you for keeping this fun series of challenges going!!! :D)

Here’s my attempt referencing from zhenhunxiaoshuo’s 魔道祖师, Chapter 10.

他的脸苍白清秀，甚至还有些忧郁的俊逸。但因为眼里没有瞳仁，只有一片死白，再加上从脖子爬上面颊的数道黑色裂纹，使这忧郁变成了骇人的阴郁。长袍的衣摆和袖口破碎褴褛，露出和脸惨白成一个颜色的手腕，扣着漆黑的铁环和铁链，脚踝也是。那叮叮当当的声响就是他曳动铁链时发出的。一旦静止，一切又都归于死寂。

His features were fair, his complexion, ashen - more, there was a touch of melancholic ethereality about him. However, because of those eyes that had neither irises nor pupils, only a deathly white surface, and the numerous jagged streaks of black that crawled like cracks from neck to cheek, that melancholic air was transformed into ominous brooding. The sleeves and bottom edge of his robes were in tatters, exposing wrists and ankles just as ashen white as his complexion, around which black iron manacles were clasped. That echoing clinking, clanking sound from before was caused by his chains as he moved. Once he stilled, all returned once more to dead silence.

My complaints while doing this xD

43 notes - Posted January 22, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

化身孤岛的鲸 - the whale that transformed into a lonely island

youtube

I am a blue whale that transformed into a deserted island with the most enormous silhouette. Fish and shrimp swim by me, and the flying birds stop by on my back.

I’ve passed by too many of such beautiful, wondrous sights, paradises like Eden; but the ocean, too calm, too quiet, holds untold stories with no one to hear them.

I love the Mediterranean’s clear sky after rain, love the Siberian snowscape, love the eagle soaring high and lofty up above, love the algae blooms below my belly. I’d been loving them with all my heart, until that day:

Your clothes were old and tattered, but your melodious singing was warm and gentle, accompanying me in this aimless drifting from place to place. My back was like a barren hillside, but you smiled and shook your head, claiming it was your entire world.

You wave at the sun and ask after the seagulls, accompanying me in loving the sky and land, roaming everywhere, joyful and free. It’s just a pity though, that in the end you never could lie upon my chest admiring the night sky, boundless and eternal, putting the stars in our eyes.

I am a blue whale that transformed into a deserted island with the most enormous silhouette. Fish and shrimp swim by me, and the flying birds stop by on my back.

I am by nature too cold, too distant; I once had feelings for her up there in the sky, but the clouds were too far, too light, whirling and churning, then parting to each their own destiny.

I have never entered into a world prosperous and flourishing, never heard the sound of crowds bustling, never seen too many living things, never felt scorching, searing feelings. And so, I never noticed out in the middle of the big ocean, how quiet and still it could be.

You wave at the sun and ask after the seagulls, accompanying me in loving the sky and land, roaming everywhere, joyful and free. It is a pity though, that in the end you never could lie upon my chest admiring the night sky, boundless and eternal, putting the stars in our eyes.

The tips of your fingers, lightly, gently, ran over all of my ugly wounds from the battering of the wind and waves. In your eyes there is Spring and Autumn, superior to all I had ever seen and loved, even those mountains and valleys, and meandering rivers.

I had once thought that my shoulders were so sturdy and broad, enough to lift that crystal palace at the bottom of the sea. And yet after you got here, they seem so very slight and thin.

I want to give you a shoreline where you can run free, so you can be like a Queen.

I was introduced to this song via the 2021 Produce Camp performance of it by this lovely group early last year, and it hasn’t left my looped favourites playlist since. My love for it is A LOT and difficult to explain. And I don’t think I can do a notes post for this one because it already makes me cry just listening to this - it’s a very emotional one ok!!!! and I am an INFP xD - I don’t want to use up a box of tissues just teasing out the whys.

THE LONELINESS - THE COMPANIONSHIP // 我有着太冷太清的天性!!!!! ;__;

Anyway, the lyrics are very straightforward, so I’ll leave them out here un-annotated for you to feel and vibe with. Maybe come share your thoughts and favourite lines if you feel up to that!

我是只化身孤岛的蓝鲸有着最巨大的身影鱼虾在身侧穿行也有飞鸟在背上停

我路过太多太美的奇景如同伊甸般的仙境而大海太平太静多少故事无人倾听

我爱地中海的天晴爱西伯利亚的雪景爱万丈高空的鹰爱肚皮下的藻荇我在尽心尽力地多情直到那一天

你的衣衫破旧而歌声却温柔陪我漫无目的的四处漂流我的背脊如荒丘而你却微笑摆首把它当成整个宇宙

你与太阳挥手也同海鸥问候陪我爱天爱地的四处风流只是遗憾你终究无法躺在我胸口欣赏夜空最辽阔的不朽把星子放入眸

我是只化身孤岛的蓝鲸有着最巨大的身影鱼虾在身侧穿行也有飞鸟在背上停

我有着太冷太清的天性对天上的她动过情而云朵太远太轻辗转之后各安天命

我未入过繁华之境未听过喧嚣的声音未见过太多生灵未有过滚烫心情所以也未觉大洋正中有多么安静

你的衣衫破旧而歌声却温柔陪我漫无目的地四处漂流我的背脊如荒丘而你却微笑摆首把它当成整个宇宙

你与太阳挥手也同海鸥问候陪我爱天爱地的四处风流只是遗憾你终究无法躺在我胸口欣赏夜空最辽阔的不朽把星子放入眸

你的指尖轻柔抚摸过我所有风浪冲撞出的丑陋疮口你眼中有春与秋胜过我见过爱过的一切山川与河流

曾以为我肩头是那么的宽厚足够撑起海底那座琼楼而在你到来之后它显得如此清瘦我想给你能奔跑的岸头让你如同王后

46 notes - Posted January 17, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #xD this is so cute!!!!!!#Youtube

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certifiedslytherin · 2 years ago

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China: Their own bubble.

How does Internet Censorship work in China and What is Social Credit System that is being implemented in the country?

Can you imagine if we are not able to access our global social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter?

These social media platforms have allowed us to express our thoughts and views and spread information, whether right or wrong, without the need for approval from authorities and being controlled by the government.

However, in China, it is the norm.

According to statistics, China has the highest number of internet users in the world compared to other countries, with a total of 1.5 billion users, thrice the number of users in the United States, which are only around 100 million users (Thomala, 2022).

source: (Thomala, 2022) https://www.statista.com/statistics/265140/number-of-internet-users-in-china/

Even though they have access to the internet, their government has restricted (blocked) them from accessing Instagram, Google, YouTube, or even WhatsApp due to Internet censorship.

The censorship is to combat potentially disruptive consequences of Western cultural globalization (Miller, 2020). In the case of VPNs, only the ones approved by the government can be used, and the ones that are not approved are banned. However, VPN access will expose our data, making it more unsecure for everyone to use (How to use a VPN for China? is it legal? 2022).

In that case, China has its own social media developed to replace the platforms we use. For instance, WhatsApp is replaced with 'WeChat' and 'Baidu' similar to Google. These platforms are approved by the Chinese Government and are strictly monitored by the officials (DeGennaro & DeGennaro, 2020).

The Great Firewall of China, also known as "China's Golden Shield," is a system of internet censorship. It was first initiated in 1998 and began to operate in 2008 (Chandel et al., 2019).

Image Source: https://www.china-briefing.com/news/chinas-great-firewall-implications-businesses/

This censorship started to get stricter when hundreds of people were killed in the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, when students fought for free speech and a free press in China. The information on the massacre is not available on the Chinese Internet because the Chinese Government is seeking to conceal it because they want people to avoid remembering their wrongdoings (Gilbert, 2019).

Basically this censorship made the people in China to not being able to spread their words freely without having to go through surveillance and filtration by the governemnt. Thus making it difficult to raise awareness in what is happening in their country to the people outside of China. As the title of this blog says "their own bubble". They are only able to share and receive opinion from their own people.

It is not easy to pass the firewall, although many attempts has been done.

Oh, K-pop is banned in China too! Most of us will not survive in that country-

Social Credit System

Figure below shows an example of 'Social Credit System' using AI.

Source: (Campbell, 2019) on https://time.com/collection/davos-2019/5502592/china-social-credit-score

Well, it gets more complicated here.

China has a social credit system being implemented. According to Liang (2018), China's intention of implementing the social credit system is to "compute a credit score for every individual and organizational actor based on previous and continuing social and economic activity, and these credit ratings will govern whether an actor can get advantages of sanctions." Big Data and Artificial Intelligence is used widely in the process.

The credit scores are divided into two, good and bad. The examples of good actions are donating blood and involving in charities, while bad actions are stealing and cheating. Obtaining good social credit points will be given tax breaks or even cheaper public transportation fares, while the bad social credit points will be penalized and restricted from traveling (Velocityglobal, 2022).

According to Liang (2018), "the data collected are used and organized by the government to monitor and administer China's political, social, and commercial dominions." Behaviors are monitored to remain "trustworthy" through positive actions with this implementation of social credit.

Figure above shows how the social credit system works in China.

Image Source: https://twitter.com/merics_eu/status/898220464090341377

What about privacy?

It is something that invades someone's privacy. The Government has every data of ours organized. Alongside, we are under surveillance for EACH and every hour of the day. With one wrongdoing from an individual in the society, the person will probably go through some hardship to clear out that bad social credit(s).

The question is, will we survive such a controlled movement being implemented on us in Malaysia?

Probably not. Malaysians are highly vocal and our movements are compelling. Therefore, this topic is eye-opening, and we should be grateful that we are privileged enough to have freedom and peace. Although China's movements seems culture shock on our side, they're probably used to it by now as they cannot really voice out openly even if they are suffering.

References

Chandel, S., Jingji, Z., Yunnan, Y., Jingyao, S. and Zhipeng, Z., 2019, October. The golden shield project of china: A decade later—an in-depth study of the great firewall. In 2019 International Conference on Cyber-Enabled Distributed Computing and Knowledge Discovery (CyberC) (pp. 111-119). IEEE.

DeGennaro, T. and DeGennaro, T. (2020) The 10 most popular social media sites in China (2019), Dragon Social. Available at: https://www.dragonsocial.net/blog/social-media-in-china/ (Accessed: December 1, 2022).

Gilbert, D. (2019) How China is wiping memories of Tiananmen Square off the internet, VICE. Available at: https://www.vice.com/en/article/7xge3b/chinese-dissidents-are-running-out-of-ways-to-remember-tiananmen-square (Accessed: December 1, 2022).

How to use a VPN for China? is it legal? (2022) NordVPN. Available at: https://nordvpn.com/blog/vpn-for-china/#:~:text=Officially%2C%20the%20Chinese%20government%20has,and%20corporations%20rather%20than%20individuals. (Accessed: December 1, 2022).

Miller, J.S., 2020. China‘s Censorship and Cultural Power--Necessarily at Odds?.

Thomala, L.L. (2022) Internet users by country 2022, Statista. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/262966/number-of-internet-users-in-selected-countries/ (Accessed: December 1, 2022).

Velocityglobal (2022) The Chinese Social Credit System: What to know as a business owner, Velocity Global. Available at: https://velocityglobal.com/blog/chinese-social-credit-system/ (Accessed: December 1, 2022).

#week11 #casestudyonchina #digitalcommunities #mda20009 #week 11 #topicoftheweek #Global social media: China

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102773906 · 1 year ago

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Week 11 Global Social Media "China": How Does China's Firewall Influence Online Communication, Information Flow, and Global Connectivity?

As an avid traveller, travelling has always been an exciting affair that has always been more or less hassle free. It was only when I visited China for the first time that I was stressed out. In China, most social media platforms are blocked because of The Great Firewall. In order to bypass it, a good VPN was needed. Before flying off, I had to buy a good VPN that could last the entire duration of the trip which set me back a few hundred bucks. Other than that once we arrived in China, I had to make sure that I did not accidentally log out of my VPN account if not there was no way of logging back in, and I would be cut of from my family and friends back home and most importantly cut off from the rest of the world. Can you imagine the stress I had to go through just to access the internet? At that point in time I was thinking, “Wow, The Great Firewall might be as great as they say.”

China is a singular entity in the wide digital realm where information transcends all boundaries thanks to its strong Great Firewall. The Golden Shield Project, as this technical infrastructure is officially called, has come to represent internet governance in China. In this blog article, we explore the complex network that is the Great Firewall and its far-reaching effects on global connection, information flow, and online communication (Dreamer, 2020).

Impact on Online Communication

In the digital era, open discussion and debate are essential components of communication. On the other hand, the internet communication environment is very different inside the Great Firewall. Popular international platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Google are no longer available; in their stead are local equivalents like WeChat, Baidu, and Weibo (Kiely, 2023). People's platforms of choice as well as the material they may access and distribute are impacted by this segmentation.

Instant messaging platforms are also part of the censoring machinery, which has an impact on how people privately express themselves. Government-designated sensitive keywords are tracked, which may result in material banning or even user monitoring. Because of the chilling impact this surveillance has on free expression, users are forced to self-censor their opinions in order to avoid possible consequences (Chen, 2022).

Based on personal experience, when I visited China even texting my cousin who was traveling with me was risky business. So what happened was, my cousin was resting in the hotel because she was feeling under the weather, while I was out shopping. I remember she was using a Winnie The Pooh pajamas when I left the hotel, so I jokingly told her to change because it was a sensitive topic in China regarding their president. I immediately realised my mistake and deleted the text but I still could not rest easy fearing that the police might show up at the hotel at any time.

Information Flow and Media Landscape

China's information environment is significantly impacted by the Great Firewall. Websites, social media accounts, and news sources from other countries are frequently restricted or prohibited. Public opinion and perception are shaped by this control over the flow of information, which results in a well curated digital environment that supports the narrative of the government. On a domestic level, the firewall helps control information that can be seen as politically sensitive or a possible danger to social order. Content pertaining to human rights concerns, political opposition, and events deemed problematic by the government are all filtered in this way. As a result, some issues are either completely removed from public conversation or kept sanitised in the digital sphere (Lu et al., 2022).

Looking Ahead & Navigating the Future of the Great Firewall

The Great Firewall's future continues to be a topic of discussion and conjecture as technology develops and the globe grows more linked. Will China maintain its strict control over the digital environment or will it gradually open up to the international internet? The future course of global connectedness, information flow, and online communication will surely be influenced by the responses to these concerns (Edward, 2023). Another question is, would I still be interested in visiting China again with all these hassles and limitation? Yes, yes I would but not anytime soon.

China's Great Firewall is more than just a technical impediment; it represents the complex relationship between national security interests, political control, and the rapidly changing digital landscape. We learn more about the challenges of navigating a digital world when state censorship limits the free flow of information. We do this by examining its effects on online communication, information flow, and global connection. We get a peek of the wider ramifications for the internet's future as a global, linked environment by comprehending these processes.

References

Chen, L.Y. (2022) Wechat is China’s beloved surveillance tool, Bloomberg.com. Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-07-12/wechat-is-china-s-beloved-surveillance-tool#xj4y7vzkg (Accessed: 27 November 2023).

Dreamer, S. (2020) The impact of the ‘great firewall’: China’s online censorship system, Medium. Available at: https://moderngazelle.medium.com/the-impact-of-the-great-firewall-china-s-online-censorship-system-41da711fc393 (Accessed: 27 November 2023).

Edward, D. (2023) The ‘great firewall’ grows: China toughens censorship in wake of protests, ITV News. Available at: https://www.itv.com/news/2023-01-23/the-great-firewall-grows-china-toughens-censorship-in-wake-of-protests (Accessed: 27 November 2023).

Kiely, T. (2023) The 8 top Chinese social media apps, Sites & Platforms 2023, Meltwater. Available at: https://www.meltwater.com/en/blog/top-chinese-social-media-apps-sites (Accessed: 27 November 2023).

Lu, Y., Schaefer, J. and Pan, J. (2022) How information flows from the world to China - sage journals, SageJournals. Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/19401612221117470 (Accessed: 27 November 2023).

#mda20009 #week 11 #china #firewall #freedom of speech

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