Chinese wisdom opens new paths in life across cultures

At the height of summer, with the arrival of Major Heat, the final solar term of the season, American Emma Chen follows an ancient Chinese way of staying cool: drinking unfermented Pu'er tea.

For the volunteer guide at Hangzhou's Liangzhu Museum in East China, this is more than a seasonal habit. Through her years of experience in China, she has learned to follow the rhythm of the 24 solar terms, choosing seasonal foods and teas in the process, and has gained a better understanding of the Chinese belief in living in harmony with nature.

The solar terms people have followed for thousands of years constitute an organizing principle and rule for agrarian societies, Chen said. In the Liangzhu period 5,000 years ago, people lived in an agrarian civilization and they required a solar system to better manage their rice cultivation.

Fluent in Chinese, Chen studied Asian Studies as an undergraduate in the United States before settling in China. Now in her fifth year as a guide at Liangzhu Museum, Chen has immersed herself in the archaeology of China's Neolithic cultures, helping visitors discover the wisdom of the Liangzhu civilization through stories of its sophisticated social structure, farming practices and exquisite jade artifacts.

The Liangzhu ruins have been recognized as a testimony to the existence of Chinese civilization at least 5,000 years ago. They have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Intrigued by the exquisite lacquerware inlaid with jade and a wooden well that has withstood the passage of time, she finds herself drawn ever deeper into China's ancient past. "When I look at the lacquerware, I see the evolution of craftsmanship over thousands of years," she said.

"Although no written records of the Liangzhu people have been found, archaeology, together with later historical texts, allows us to gradually piece together their way of life and better understand the cultural legacy they left behind," she added.

Since 2024, she has pursued a master's degree in museum studies at Zhejiang University, joining a community of more than 6,700 international students from over 160 countries and regions. She also helped translate "Liangliang's World," a five-volume series of English-language picture books on Liangzhu culture, published by Dixie W Publishing Corporation in the United States.

"What attracts me most is the opportunity to share the fascinating stories behind the long Chinese history with more people, while presenting them in a professional and detailed way," she said.