It's a collection of a mere five thousand Chinese characters, much less than what you would find in any daily newspaper. But the idea the "Dao" set forth in it is considered one of the most noble concepts in the minds of many Chinese people. For 2,000 years, the Daodejing by Laozi has influenced numerous philosophers, statesmen and entrepreneurs throughout the world.
Being the most widely translated Chinese classic, the book is considered by many to be among the great achievements of human civilization. So what are the basic principles of the Daodejing and is it gaining a new found popularity? Ni hao, you're listening to People In the Know, your window into the world around you, online at www.crienglish.com here on China Radio International. In this edition of the show, we will talk about Laozi and his Daodejing amid the ongoing International Forum on Taoism, which was launched yesterday evening in Xi'an. So let's get started. 
Three Spanish taoist arrived at the forum to join the discussion.
(Music) First, to give us some ideas behind Taoism and its influence on today's China, we're joined by Kristofer Schipper, a renowned Taoist who is now teaching in Fuzhou University here in China. (Dialogue with Schipper) We're going to take a quick break. When we come back, we'll continue our spiritual pilgrimage through Taoism by heading to Hong Kong, which together with Xi'an, is co-hosting the International Forum on the Daodejing until this Friday. (Promo) Ni hao, you're listening to People In the Know, your window into the world around you, online at www.crienglish.com here on China Radio International. I'm Paul James in Xi'an. In this edition of our show, we're talking about the teachings of Lao Zi in his world famous work called the Daodejing. For more interpretations of Taoism, we're now joined from Hong Kong by Dr. Liu Xiaogan, Professor and Graduate Division Head of Department of Philosophy with the Chinese University of Hong Kong. (Dialogue with Liu) |
