Handan:thehometownofidiomandallusions

　　CishanCultureanearlyNeolithiccultureintheYellowRiverofChina,occupiedfromabout6500-5000BC.ThesiteislocatedonanalluvialterracenearthemoderntownofCishaninWu'anCounty,HebeiProvince,andhasevidenceofbarley,rice,andmilletfarmingaswellasdomesticatedpigs,dogs,andchickens.Cishanrepresentsoneoftheoldestsitesintheworldtohaveevidencefordomesticateddogsandpigs.Themilletwasrecoveredfrom80hoards,someofwhichweretwometersinheight.TheCishanCulturalRemainsSite,occupyingalandareaofnear140,000squaremeters,hasbeenlistedasthenationkeyculturalrelicpreservationorganbytheStateCouncil.Theseculturalrelicsprovedthat,asearlyasinmorethan7300yearsago,theancientsalreadyresidedinhalfburrow-likehouse,primarilyhasbeensettlingdownthelifebytheprimitive.

　　TheHandanDreamoneoftheliterarymasterpieceswrittenbyChinesedramatistTangXianzuintheMingDynasty(1368-1644),isadaptedfromShenJiji'sromancestoryATalewithinthePillow.Andwhat’smore,theidiomLivinginafool'sparadisederivedfromthisstory.ItwasaboutascholarwhowenttothecapitalforthecivilexamandwasenlightenedbyanImmortal.LuSheng,theprotagonist,isadown-and-outscholarwhomeetswithLuDongbin,animmortalonamissiontoconvertamanintotheworldoftheeverliving,atasmallinninthecityofHandan.UponhearingLuSheng'scomplaintabouthiswretchedlife,LvDongbinlendshimaporcelainpillowtosleepon.Inhisdream,LuShengexperience50yearsofvicissitudesoflifeasahighofficial,onlytowakeuptothestarkrealitythattheyellowmillettheinnkeeperhasbeencookingforhimisnotyetdone.Thedramacapturestheseamysideofofficialdominthefeudalsociety.

　　Thereareover500ChineseidiomsandallusionsarederivedfromHandan,includingthefollowingtypicalones:RidingandshootinginHu'sgarbs胡服骑射),Livinginafool'sparadise,ReturningthejadeintacttothestateofZhao(完璧归赵),Carryingrodtoaskforpunishment(负荆请罪),Imitatinganotherwithoutsuccessandlosingwhatusedtobeone'sownability(邯郸学步),Volunteeringone’sservice(máosuìzìjiàn毛遂自荐),Relievingthebesiegedbybesiegingthebaseofthebesiegers(围魏救赵),Noonepicksupandpocketsanythinglostontheroad(路不拾遗),Embracingawomanonhisbreast,onehasnoindecentfeeling(坐怀不乱),Worthacoupleoftownstogether(价值连城),Whenthesnipeandtheclamgrapple,itisthefishermanwhostandstobenefit(鹬蚌相争,渔翁得利),Burningone'sownwaytoretreatandbeingdeterminedtofighttotheend(破釜沉舟),TheproverbialLordYewhoclaimedtobefondofdragonswasinfactmortallyafraidofthem(叶公好龙).

　　TaiChiisdefinitelypartofthelifeinHandan.EarlymorningwalksarerewardedwithhighqualityYang-styleTaiChi(杨式太极)beingperformedallovertheplace.EachmorningononeofHandan'smainsquares,largegroupsofTaiChipractitionersgathertostudywithavarietyofteachers,andthequalityisreallygood.TheoriginalhomeoftheYangFamilyisactuallyjustoutsideHandannearawalledvillagecalledGuangfu(广府),whichisanhour'sbusridefromHandan.Ithasthepotentialtobequiteanicearea.Theyaredoingitupatthemoment,anditwillobviouslybeatouristattractioninthefuture.