Chinese Idiom and Discover Xi'an

The Chinese idiom waiting by a stump for a rabbit. This story cautions against relying on luck when you should be working hard. I don't think this applies so much today but then again maybe it does. The story goes like this. Long time ago there was a farmer who was out one day caring for his crops when he saw a scared rabbit running frantically. The rabbit was not paying attention where it was running and ran right into a tree stump and killed itself. The farmer was so happy he went over to the tree stump and picked up the rabbit and brought him home. That night the farmer's wife cooked a great meal with the plump rabbit. She asked him "Where did you catch the rabbit?" Then he told her how he did it without out even having to lift a finger. She then told him "I will cook a great meal every day if you can bring home a rabbit". So the farmer went to the stump every day waiting for a rabbit. He neglected his crops and they became overgrown with weeds and worthless. There never was another rabbit and the farmer became the laughingstock of the area. The story refers to someone who does not want expend any effort in order to obtain something. Basically a very lazy person. The point of this story is to not depend on luck in order to make it in life. I think this story dates back many hundreds of years ago but it still applies to today. 

Xian is one of the oldest cities in China and is the home of the first Emperor of China. In Xi'an there are many wonderful things to see and do. Xi'an has a city wall which many years ago was used to protect the city against invasion. Being the home of the emperor you know this had to be an incredible wall. The wall measures 15 meters high and almost 15 kilometers around. Xi'an was also home to 13 dynasties including Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, Sui etc. Xi'an is also the oldest city in the world with over one million population it is more than 1200 years old. It is also home to the Terracotta Warriors which is another must see when in Xi'an. UNESCO has identified Xi'an as the "city of world history" that is a nice identification. It is relatively easy to get to Xi'an from Beijing here is a link. http://dujia.qunar.com/p/slist?sight_id=27311&ex_track=auto_5260cf78&tf=sg_tu_1  Tomorrow discovering the cuisine of Xi'an. If you would to be a favorite link or you would like information on teaching jobs or teaching programs in China contact me here tanukichamptranslation@gmail.com