Is learning mandarin in shanghai so difficult? It already become a widely-held belief among foreigners that Chinese is really a different language with theirs, and learning mandarin in shanghai is a boring and unattractive job, requires much efforts and hardworking. Perhaps that’s why few westerners could determine to learn it. But do you know there are so many interesting idioms and stories in its long long history? In Mandarin Garden, learning mandarin in shanghai is not so hard as you imagined. Here is one of them: Zhuangzi and the Happy Fish.
There was a philosopher in ancient China called Zhuangzi. One day he went out to enjoy the afternoon with his friend huishi, who was the prime minister of wei kingdom. When they crossed the haoshui river, Zhuangzi looked at the fish and said: look at these fish, how happy they are.” Huishi asked:“you are not fish , how do you know they are happy?”Zhuangzi answered:“you are not me , how do you know I don’t know fish are happy?”Huishi said :“I m not you and I don’t know you , you are not fish so you don’t know the fish.”Zhuangzi said :“lets go back to what we just talked about , you asked me how did I know these fish were happy , that means you already admitted that. And I knew it here, on the bridge of haoshui river!”
So you wanna know more about the Chinese idiom? MandarinGarden could help you with your Chinese learning. We have 4 free Chinese culture activities every month and you could come with families and colleagues and make new friends here.

Chinese Idiom: bìng rù gāo huāng
In the period of chunqiu (chūn qiū,770-476 BC),king jin of the jin state got seriously ill. A famous doctor in qin state was invited to come to see him. While the doctor hadn’t arrived yet, the king had a dream, he dreamed two kids whispered beside him：“I m afraid the doctor would hurt us.”the other one answered:“its ok , we could hide between the gao and mang. Then he could do nothing.” After a while, the doctor came and was invited to the king’s bedroom. After examined the king, the doctor said :“The disease is between the gao and mang, where there is no medicine could reach. I m afraid it is incurable.”
The idiom indicates a hopeless condition.
Isn’t that interesting? You could find more interesting stories about Chinese idioms in MandarinGarden. We have 4 free Chinese culture activities every month. You could come with families and colleagues and know more interesting idioms here.
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Chinese idiom : dongshixiaopin
Chinese Learning is such a hard work to achieve for westerners, but there are so many interesting Chinese idioms and stories could help your Chinese learning. Here is one:
It was recorded that in chunqiu period(chūn qiū 春秋时期,770-476 BC), there was a beauty called xishi in Yue kingdom, she was so pretty that even every action was elegant. Therefore, many girls copied her clothing and movements. Someday xishi got a heart attrack . she frowned when went out to wash clothes , with another hand clutching her chest. But in others, she looked more beautiful . There was a neighbour , the ugly dongshi who envied xishi and copied her movements, also frowned and doubled over , clutching her chest. But this made her more ugly.
Later, this idiom came to be used to indicate improper imitation that produces the reverse effect.
Isn’t that interesting? You could find more interesting stories about Chinese idioms in MandarinGarden. We have 4 free Chinese culture activities every month. You could come with families and colleagues and know more interesting idioms here.
[www.mandaringarden.org]

Warmly welcome to join in Family Day
Mandarin Garden Exhibiton Booth 3A on 19th and 20th October.

We provide fantastic events and valuable premium package and elegant ceramic pens gifts for you!
Be sure not to miss it! We would show you exciting activities such as Chinese traditional fan-painting, Chinese knot and paper-cut here. Call to sign up and get the information. Only the first to come could get the equisite gifts!
Welcome to dial free hotline:400-600-2922 or 0086-021-52589885
Working time: 9am-9pm, Mon-Sun
Shanghai Headquarters:
Floor 3th The New Chinese Building No.1358 West Yanan Road,Shanghai
Shanghai Pudong Center:Floor 1th,Unit B,Phoenix-Mansion No.18 Huangyang Road,Shanghai
Tel: 0086-021-50189130/0086-021-50189131

Chinese idioms: fujingqingzui
Feel Chinese learning is a rather boring work? But there are so many interesting Chinese idioms and stories in history, and these stories are helpful to your Chinese learning. Here is one: bring a birch and ask for a flogging; to offer a humble apology.
In the Warring States Period (zhàn guó 战国, 475-221 BC),Lian po and Lin xiangru both serve in the State of Zhao. Rendered outstanding service, Lin xiangru was just promoted above Lian Po. Lian Po was unhappy and claimed he would humiliated Lin when they met. Putting the nation's interest first，Lin Xiangru intended not meeting Lian in many places to avoid conflict. Later when Lian realized his mistake, he was so ashamed that he went to Lin’s house with brambles on his naked back and asking for punishment.
This idiom indicates acknowledging one’s mistake and offering a sincere apology.
[www.mandaringarden.org]

Chinese idiomtanding in the snow before Cheng Yi's gate.
Chengyi was a very famous philosopher and educator during the North Song dynasty. On a heavy snowy day, Yangshi and Youzuo, chengyi’s students, went to visit their teacher. But chengyi was sleeping at that time, they didn’t want to wake their teacher up and just waited outside for a long time. When chengyi finally woke up , the snow out side the room was already very thick . Since then , this idiom was used to describe that someone respect his teacher.
Isn’t that interesting? You could find more interesting stories about Chinese idioms in MandarinGarden. We have 4 free Chinese culture activities every month. You could come with families and colleagues and know more interesting idioms here.
[www.mandaringarden.org]

Warmly welcome to join in Family Day
Mandarin Garden Exhibiton Booth 3A on 19th and 20th October.

We provide fantastic events and valuable premium package and elegant ceramic pens gifts for you!
Be sure not to miss it! We would show you exciting activities such as Chinese traditional fan-painting, Chinese knot and paper-cut here. Call to sign up and get the information. Only the first to come could get the equisite gifts!
Welcome to dial free hotline:400-600-2922 or 0086-021-52589885
Working time: 9am-9pm, Mon-Sun
Shanghai Headquarters:
Floor 3th The New Chinese Building No.1358 West Yanan Road,Shanghai
Shanghai Pudong Center:Floor 1th,Unit B,Phoenix-Mansion No.18 Huangyang Road,Shanghai
Tel: 0086-021-50189130/0086-021-50189131

Warmly welcome to join in Family Day
Mandarin Garden Exhibiton Booth 3A on 19th and 20th October.

We provide fantastic events and valuable premium package and elegant ceramic pens gifts for you!
Be sure not to miss it! We would show you exciting activities such as Chinese traditional fan-painting, Chinese knot and paper-cut here. Call to sign up and get the information. Only the first to come could get the equisite gifts!
Welcome to dial free hotline:400-600-2922 or 0086-021-52589885
Working time: 9am-9pm, Mon-Sun
Shanghai Headquarters:
Floor 3th The New Chinese Building No.1358 West Yanan Road,Shanghai
Shanghai Pudong Center:Floor 1th,Unit B,Phoenix-Mansion No.18 Huangyang Road,Shanghai
Tel: 0086-021-50189130/0086-021-50189131

Free paper-cutting culture course
Chinese Paper Cutting or Jianzhi (剪纸) is the first type of papercutting design, since paper was invented by Cai Lun in the Eastern Han Dynasty in China. The art form later spread to other parts of the world with different regions adopting their own cultural styles. Because the cut outs are also used to decorate doors and windows, they are sometimes referred to "chuāng huā" (窗花), meaning Window Flower.
MandarinGarden provide the free paper-cut lesson for you and your friends. Besides this, we also have other free interesting culture courses such as weiqi, zither and Chinese knot regularly updated in this website, Just call and appoint the courses you are interested.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
3：00PM----4:00PM October 23, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road,Shanghai

Free Chinese Zither course here.
Zither is a very popular ancient Chinese instrument and there are many famous interesting pieces through Chinese history. You could have a junior zither course here, in MandarinGarden, and we have other free interesting courses such as weiqi, calligraphy and Chinese knot regularly updated in this website, we provide many kinds of Chinese culture activities and courses for you and your friends. Just call and appoint the courses you are interested.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
7：30PM----9:00PM October 21, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road,Shanghai

Free Calligraphy course here.
In ancient China, calligraphy was not only an art deeply ingrained in Chinese scholars during thousands of years, but also a good way for Self-cultivation and in this lesson you could get to know the basic art of it .
MandarinGarden provide free culture lessons for you. Besides the calligraphy, we also have other free interesting culture courses such as weiqi, zither and Chinese knot regularly updated in this website, Just call and appoint the courses you are interested.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
3：00PM----4:00PM October 27, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road,Shanghai

Zither is a very popular ancient Chinese instrument which could easily show the interesting of Chinese music. There are many famous interesting pieces through Chinese history. You could have a junior zither course in MandarinGarden, learn simple pieces of zither art. Besides this, we also have other free culture courses such as weiqi, calligraphy and Chinese knot, which would be regularly updated in this website. In our school there are many kinds of Chinese culture activities and courses for you and for your friends. Just call and appoint the courses you are interested.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
1：00PM----3:00PM October 26, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road,Shanghai

As a special art of Chinese culture, calligraphy has developed for thousands of years. And painting, also use the same tool bursh, a very special Chinese pen which we have used through our history. Calligraphy and painting are connected in Chinese art. They both express the interest what we call qiyun, shows the inherent of the artist. Though they are both not easy to learn, the love of calligraphy and painting is deeply ingrained in Chinese scholars, and has been handed down to the present day. MandarinGarden provide a free course for you to get to know about the special arts. And besides this, we also have other free interesting culture courses such as weiqi, zither and Chinese knot regularly updated in this website, Just call and appoint the courses you are interested.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
3：45PM----4：30PM October 30, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road,Shanghai

Chinese painting is very special and easier than the calligraphy. In shuimo section of this art, the lobster which drew by Qibaishi is very famous in China. So many people learned to draw it and it has become a special section of this part. MandarinGarden provide a free course for you to get to know about these interesting arts. And besides this, we also have other free interesting culture courses such as weiqi, zither and Chinese knot which would be regularly updated in this website, Just call and appoint the courses you are interested.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
3：45PM----4：30PM October 30, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road,Shanghai

Zither is a very popular ancient Chinese instrument which could strongly show the interest of Chinese music. You could see zither in many places such as teahouse, hotels and scenic spots. It had already become a symbol of Chinese tradition. If you learned zither before, you could have a intermediate and advanced zither course here, in MandarinGarden. Besides zither, we also have other free culture courses such as weiqi, calligraphy and Chinese knot, which would be regularly updated in this website. Just call and appoint the courses you are interested.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
7：30PM----8：30PM October 31, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road,Shanghai.

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In Chinese traditional art, calligraphy and painting are connected. They both express the interest what we call qiyun, which shows the inherent of artist. In this landscape ink painting section, the painter use the ink and the drawing is just black and white, but if you could concentrate yourself and have enough artistic accomplishment, its not hard to draw a good painting with basic skills. Wanna have a try and learn it? MandarinGarden provide a free painting course for you to get to know about this interesting art. Besides this, we also have other free interesting culture courses such as weiqi, zither and Chinese knot which would be regularly updated in this website, Just call and appoint the courses you are interested.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
7：30PM----9:00PM November 1, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road,Shanghai

There are so many foreigners students come from all over the world in MandarinGarden. If you are ready to learn mandarin, or wanna find some language partner to practice, you could come to our school to attend the language exchange. In this activity you could meet people with different culture backgrounds and communicate your experience in China.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
3：45PM----4:30PM November 7, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road, Shanghai

Weiqi, a traditional Chinese game originated in 6th century BC, ancient China, is one of the four traditional arts. It was played with black and white pieces on a board of 361 crosses, perhaps one of the most complicated games in China and also in the world. We provide free course for you to learn it. Besides this, we also have other free culture courses such as zither, calligraphy and Chinese knot regularly updated in our school website. Just call and appoint the course you are interested.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
3：45PM----4:30PM November 8, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road, Shanghai

Weiqi, a game played with black and white pieces on a board of 361 crosses，originated in 6th century BC, ancient China, one of the four traditional arts. Its perhaps one of the most complicated games in China and also in the world. We provide free courses for you to learn it. Besides this, we also have other free culture courses such as zither, calligraphy and Chinese knot regularly updated in our school website. Just call and appoint the courses you are interested.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
3：45PM----4:30PM November 15, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road, Shanghai

Chinese Calligraphy and painting are connected arts of the four traditional arts, you could often see both of them in a piece of art. Calligraphy is much more difficult than the painting. Last year when I finished learning how to paint the plum flower, I started to practice the calligraphy to write on my painting, and till now I m still practicing. Chinese art are difficult but they are so amazing that it worth your whole life to learn and practice. They are good for you to concentrate and cultivate yourself and so improve your life style. You could have a free course to get to know these amazing arts. And besides calligraphy and painting, we also provide other free courses such as weiqi, zither and tea ceremony regularly updated in our school website, Just call and appoint the courses you are interested.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
3：45PM----4：30PM November 20, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road,Shanghai

Weiqi, a game played with black and white pieces on a board of 361 crosses，originated in 6th century BC, ancient China, one of the four traditional arts. Its perhaps one of the most complicated games in China and also in the world. We provide free courses for you to learn it. Besides this, we also have other free culture courses such as zither, calligraphy and Chinese knot regularly updated in our school website. Just call and appoint the courses you are interested.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
3：45PM----4:30PM November 22, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road, Shanghai

Zither is a traditional Chinese instrument. It’s loud and could fully describe the interest of Chinese music. You could see it in many places such as teahouse, hotels and scenic spots. It already became a symbol of Chinese tradition. If you learned how to play it before, you could have an intermediate and advanced course here, in our school. Besides this, we also have other free culture courses such as weiqi, calligraphy, and Chinese painting, which would be regularly updated in our school website. Just call and appoint the course if you are interested.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
7：30PM----9：00PM November 28 , 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road,Shanghai.

Zither is such a popular instrument in China that it already become a symbol of Chinese culture. If you have never learned zither before, you could have a junior course in MandarinGarden to know about it and try simple pieces. It’s not so hard as it seems to，though it has 21 strings to play on.
Besides zither, we also have other free culture courses for you such as weiqi, calligraphy and tea ceremony, which would be regularly updated in our school website. Just call and appoint the course you are interested.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
7：30PM----9:00PM November 18, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road,Shanghai

China is known as the “country of ceremonies”，as we all know that China is a hierarchical society and in ancient China , people of different class have different ritual when they meet in their daily life. In this course you could get to know about the ancient ceremonies of China and many interesting stories. Besides this, we also have other free culture courses such as zither, calligraphy and Chinese painting regularly updated in our school website. Just call and appoint the courses you are interested.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
7：30PM----9:00PM November 23, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road, Shanghai

This world is getting crazy, if you want to build your own inner world, not just chasing luxuries which can’t make you really happy. Don’t move with the world too fast, everyone need their inner world to enjoy life, not consuming your power. That’s just waste of time, not life. Make life slowly and look into yourself. That’s where you really are. And you could be really strong when you connect yourself, the source of power. The ancient arts could help you with that and that’s why they have been popular for thousands of years I suppose. There are different kinds of courses in MandarinGarden such as calligraphy, weiqi and also some folk-customs help you to understand the Chinese culture. These courses would be regularly updated in our school website. Just come and learn things your heart really needs. Call us and appoint the courses you like.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
7：30PM----9:00PM tea craft course, November 19, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road,Shanghai

Everything are changing and you can’t seize, what you could control is only yourself. Find it, love it and only in this way you could live your own, believe me if you make it, there would be only joy in your life and you wouldn’t be easily affected by the outside world. Pleasure, anger, sorrow, joy，what changes from outside or by others cannot harm you anymore. Only a child could do this, actually what you are is just a child and what you do is just to enjoy yourself. And only when this happen, could people around you enjoy themselves too. Believe me, there is no other way out. Thus the flow of energy would be perfect, even everything you need would come automatically. Just like what Laozi said 2000 years before, “含德之厚，比于赤子。攫鸟不搏，猛兽不据，骨弱筋柔而握固。未知牝牡之合而峻作，精之至也。终日号而不哑，和之至也。”You could learn to find these truth by yourself through culture courses of MandarinGarden. In our school, you could learn things about the confucian culture like zither, weiqi, calligraphy and painting and some folk-custom course would also help you to understand Chinese.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
7：30PM----9:00PM junior zither course, November 18, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road,Shanghai

The 18th chapter of 《老子》:“大道废，有仁义；智慧出，有大伪；六亲不和，有孝慈；国家昏乱，有忠臣。” What the confucian advocate kindheartedness and justice would happen when the “Tao” collapse in mankind’s world and no one could lead people reach this realm. Hypocritice would come into being when intelligence become popular in mankinds. Good and bad are just two sides of this dissociated world. Don’t get stubborn to this and also your desires. That would just lengthen your time in this endless game. Many already get graduated and end this game. We are born in this world just to recognize what we are. The planet is a hot school, its just like senior high school. Haha. Everything is just experience, baby, you are just a baby, belongs to the oneness. These games are just let us recognize the oneness again. Only in dissociation could you recognize oneness and this is the creation of life. You could learn to find these truth by yourself through culture courses of MandarinGarden. In our school, you could learn things about the confucian culture like zither, weiqi, calligraphy and painting and some folk-custom course would also help you to understand Chinese.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
7：30PM----9:00PM tea ceremony course November 18, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road,Shanghai

In the 11th chapter of Laozi, “有之以为利，无之以为用。” means the intangible places offer the real use, the tangible things just offer us convenience。Just like the universe, if there is no intangible places, it’s impossible for us to live in. the planet is tangible things and it offers convenience for us to live. Just like the wheels Laozi mentioned in this chapter. If its not easy to understand, you could imagine the space stations in movies.
This is April from MandarinGarden. I learned ancient poems, guqin, calligraphy, majored in history and i like ancient philosophy like taolism, laozi , zhuangzi and buddism. Now I teach Chinese in MandarinGarden and if you want to learn mandarin or have any questions about Chinese culture or just want to find someone to chat about art, just contact me online. Wish everyone of you good luck in shanghai ! 恭喜发财！
My qq: 465484561@qq.com.
Email: april@mandaringarden.org
Skype: ubfd88

This world is getting crazy, if you want to build your own inner world, not just chasing luxuries which can’t make you really happy. Don’t move with the world too fast, everyone need their inner world to enjoy life, not consuming your power. That’s just waste of time, not life. Make life slowly and look into yourself. That’s where you really are. And you could be really strong when you connect yourself, the source of power. The ancient arts could help you with that and that’s why they have been popular for thousands of years I suppose. There are different kinds of courses in MandarinGarden such as calligraphy, weiqi and also some folk-customs help you to understand the Chinese culture. These courses would be regularly updated in our school website. Just come and learn things your heart really needs. Call us and appoint the courses you like.
[www.mandaringarden.org]
7：30PM----9:00PM weiqi course November 22, 2013
Please call： 0086-021- 52589881 or 0086-400 600 2922
Floor 3th No.1358 West Yanan Road,Shanghai