Chinese Culture Exchange UK

 All Chinese Culture has a common thread, the Daoist principle of Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang is the ancient Daoist philosophy of opposite but complimentary forces.

Lao Zi in the "Dao de Jing " (which was written down at the start of the first century BC ) makes reference to this, as does the well known ancient Chinese book the "I Ching" (Yi Jing) which gives 64 variations of yin and yang combinations. This book is attributed to Fu Xi who lived in the third millenium BC. Later King Wen, who lived 1150 - 249 BC wrote commentaries as did Confucious who lived 551 - 479 BC. You can see how old the concept of yin and yang really is!

The concept of yin and yang is thought to have originated by looking at the sun shining on a mountain, one side is in the full sun (yang) the other side is in the shade (yin).

The picture below is well known but not everyone understands the meaning:

The dark side is the yin side and the light side is the yang side. Within Yang there must be yin, within yin there must be yang, hence the smaller circles of the opposite colours. Nothing can be totally yin or completely yang. The picture is also showing a state of change, yin starts small and grows so big that it transforms into yang. Yang too is growing until at its maximum it becomes yin, so all things are in a constant state of change.

So this means all things must have balance and contrast. We can say night is complemented by day. Winter balances Summer as hot contrasts with cold. Up and down, male and female, dark and light, we can go on.

 In Calligraphy there are yin strokes and yang strokes. In Tai Chi we can be soft and relaxed outside whilst strong inside. Music too has contrasts within the notes and the melody. So Chinese Culture has this idea or principle connecting all of its different aspects.

 Yin and yang are in all things.

The Dao gives birth to the One:

The One gives birth to the two;

The Two gives birth to the three -

The Three gives birth to every living thing.

All things are held in yin, and carry yang:

And they are held together in the Qi of teeming energy.