Mirror to the past a little slice of home
Updated: 2013-09-13 07:12
(HK Edition)
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Xijing Zaji, a collection of court stories during the Western Han Dynasty (206-25 BC), has an account relating how the founding emperor, Liu Bang, having claimed the throne, installed his father into the palace in the capital city. Liu's father was not happy there. The voluptuous life of banquets, high fashion and entertainment failed to lift his spirits. The emperor could not understand what was wrong. An aide provided the answer. The old man had lived the life of a peasant. His pastimes were crude: cockfighting and cuju, an ancient Chinese ball game, believed by many to be the ancient origin of football. The emperor came up with a plan to build a replica of the old man's native village near the palace. The villagers resettled there and the Emperor's father and mother lived out their days in happiness.
(HK Edition 09/13/2013 page4)