The Liyun chapter of the Book of Rites describes the age of the Great Way: da dao zhi xing ye, tianxia wei gong, xuan xian yu neng, jiang xin xiu mu. “When the Great Way prevailed, the world was shared by all. The worthy and the able were chosen. Trust was upheld and harmony cultivated.”
Only Reading Stands High
The Poems of the Child Prodigy, a primer traditionally credited to the Song scholar Wang Zhu, contains these lines: “The Son of Heaven values heroes. Writing is what he teaches all of you. All other callings are low. Only reading stands high.”
Another of its lines is zhao wei tianshe lang, mu deng tianzi tang. “In the morning a farm boy, in the evening in the hall of the Son of Heaven.” One account says that tutors compiled the book from Wang Zhu’s short poems.
Fan Jin Passes the Exam
In Wu Jingzi’s novel The Scholars, Fan Jin has failed the examinations for decades. When at last he passes the provincial exam, he loses his mind with joy. His father-in-law, the butcher Hu, who has always mocked him, is talked into slapping him back to his senses.
Now the butcher calls him xianxu laoye, “my worthy son-in-law, sir,” and says he is the Star of Literature come down to earth. The local gentry send silver and a house.
My Dad Is Li Gang
On the evening of October 16, 2010, a 22-year-old student, Li Qiming, drove a car into two female students on the campus of Hebei University in Baoding. One died, and the other was injured. When he was stopped, he said: “Sue me if you dare. My dad is Li Gang.” His father was a deputy director of a public security bureau in Baoding.
On January 30, 2011, a court sentenced Li Qiming to six years in prison. Wo ba shi Li Gang became a sarcastic catchphrase.
Masters, Not Buildings
On December 3, 1931, Mei Yiqi gave his inaugural speech as president of Tsinghua University. One sentence from it is still quoted: suowei daxue zhe, fei wei you dalou zhi wei ye, you dashi zhi wei ye. “What is called a university is so called not because it has great buildings, but because it has great masters.”
Excel in Study, Then Serve
In the Analects, the disciple Zixia says: shi er you ze xue, xue er you ze shi. “One who serves in office and has strength to spare should study. One who studies and has strength to spare should serve in office.” (Analects 19.13)
The National Civil Service Exam
On November 30, 2025, candidates sat the national civil service exam for 2026. Xinhua reported that 3.718 million people had passed the employers’ qualification review. The government planned to hire 38,100. That made about 98 qualified applicants for each place.
Virtue and Art
德才兼备 Having both virtue and ability. The 2019 regulations on appointing Party and government leaders name the principle decai jianbei, yi de wei xian: both virtue and ability, with virtue first.
德艺双馨 Virtue and art both fragrant. Said mostly of artists, whose character and art both have a good name. A dictionary example: “Mei Lanfang was truly an artist of both virtue and art.”
Filial and Incorrupt
In 134 BC, on the advice of Dong Zhongshu, Emperor Wu of Han ordered each commandery and kingdom to recommend one filial man and one incorrupt man every year. The recommendation soon became known as ju xiaolian, recommending the filial and incorrupt. Xiaolian means filial toward one’s elders, incorrupt and upright. It became the most important yearly route into office under the Han.
The Gaokao Returns
On August 6, 1977, at a forum on science and education that he chaired, Deng Xiaoping decided to restore the national university entrance exam, the gaokao. It had been closed for eleven years. The exam was to be restored that same year, with voluntary registration, a unified exam and admission on merit.
In the winter of 1977, about 5.7 million candidates of all ages sat the exam. They came from villages, factories and the army.