Legend has it that in the Qing Dynasty an official stopped and sought rest at a small temple. He took out his crystal snuff bottle to take a sniff and found it was empty. He scraped off some of the powder that was stuck on the inside walls of the bottle using a slender, sharp bamboo stick, thus leaving lines on the inside of the bottle.
From the Greek word "ABAX", meaning "calculating board" or "calculating table". Invented by the Chinese, the first record of the abacus was from a sketch of one in a book from the Yuan Dynasty (14th Century). It's Mandarin name is "Suan Pan" which means "caculating plate". It's inventor is unknown, but the abacus is often referred to as the "first computer" because it was used as a mathematic model for early electronic computers.
Check your personality type according to Traditional Chinese Astrology. Find the year you were born within the Chinese lunar calendar. The element that follows the year will tell you which of the five elements (metal, water, wood, fire, or earth) relates to the particular year in which you were born. The Chinese use the sign, the element, and even the time to calculate an astrological/numerical pattern in which they can forecast future events, recall past events and recognize tendencies.
An investigation of almost any culture, tradition, or religion will reveal the use of symbols to convey meaning beyond what is easily communicable in spoken or written language. The phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words" has proven true since time immemorial. In China, one widely recognized group of symbols that holds deep meaning in Chinese philosophy is the "Pa Kua" ("Bagua" in Pinyin) or "Eight Trigrams."
In China, thousands of stories and parables help shape the culture. Here is a sample short story from the 17th century by famous author, Pu Songling.
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