Shen Yun Collections Blogs

Nongyu and Xiao Shi: A Marriage of Immortals

The Tale of Meng Guang—One of the Four Ugly-but-Virtuous Ladies in Chinese History

Evan Mantyk, Contributing Editor The Chinese language is full of fascinating idioms with a rich history. One such idiom is “lifting a tray to the e...

Mo Mu: The Yellow Emperor’s Virtuous If Not Beautiful Concubine

In Chinese history, there are the Four Great Beauties, but there are also the Four Great Ugly Women, among whom is Lady Mo, the second concubine of...

The Legend of the Scholar and the Dragon Princess

An ancient legend tells of a dragon princess and a scholar who need each other in spite of circumstances in life that at first keep them apart.

Finding the Peach Blossom Beauty

Ancient Chinese history records tell of a mysterious and unusual romance that seemed to be arranged by Heaven.

Spiritual Guidance within a Gourd

After traveling into the world in his gourd, a Daoist decides to never return to the human world and fakes his own death. But can he succeed in his...

The Gourd Sage Helps the World

This Daoist legend tells how a medicine man was able to jump into his gourd and enter another world. A local official sees this, which leads to an ...

The History and Legends of the Gourd

The gourd holds a special and wide-ranging significance in Chinese civilization, from joyful weddings to musical instruments to life-saving medicin...

Cover Image: "Early Spring in the Yao Garden" by Qing Dynasty artist Dong Gao, from the collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei

The Unwavering Spirit of Plum Blossoms

Enduring the cold winter weather, plum blossoms have come to symbolize resilience, nobility, and an unwavering spirit in traditional Chinese cultur...

Silkworm: A Gift from the Stars

Silk plays a significant role in Chinese civilization, but where did the silkworms who make it come from? One ancient legend traces the silkworm al...

Silk: A Gift from Heaven

The natural fiber silk is surrounded in enchanting stories and rich culture in its country of origin, China. It’s a heritage that is also connected...

Outer Appearance Reflects Inner Beauty

A wealthy landlord lived during the Ming Dynasty. Because he was very kind and often helped others, the local people called him Kind Lord Zhang. Wh...

The Six Arts of Confucian Scholars

If you attended a 2022 Shen Yun performance, you may well remember this scene from The Men’s Classical Chinese Dance—a group of well dressed young ...