I thought for a moment that photo was of my town! It's amazing how much the colonial bit of Qingdao looks like the island of Gulangyu, a colonial bit of Xiamen.
These global convergences of people are amazing, aren't they? Painful to think how much they were driven by colonial conquest; but still, the thought of a translator born in Mexico mediating an ancient Chinese text between English and German just gets all of my globalist nerves tingling. I wonder if the day will ever come when people can just look with joy on the idea of humans moving from one place to another.
Maybe the Germans brought building materials for the East Coast over on the same shipment! Stopped at Qingdao then headed south! People have always looked with joy at humans moving around - travel literature is full of it and nowadays Substack is too. It's so important to bring joy of the world around us into our lives. But it's also important to recall the lessons of history so we dont do it again. Sadly the last year has proven humans not so good at acting on those lessons.
Thank you!!! Great learning about Cary and the Jungs’ involvement in this.
What an interesting grave stone Wilhelm had… I’m very fortunate to be able to read Wilhelm in German and his use of language and the way he presents the Yi is just incredible. I would really like to recommend you this book he wrote, Die Seele Chinas, where he writes about his time in China and how he came about translating the Yi, and he just offers so many insights. I’ve never read anything that bore more respect towards the Chinese culture, he doesn’t have an agenda (in spite of his job description). He really is a brilliant observer… would love your thoughts on that!
I didn’t find the other book in the link in your comment though, but I think I know which one you mean, is it the one by Miki Shima?
I loved writing this. I really spent so much time trying to find Wilhelm's house! I only discovered in writing the article that Cary Baynes was a woman! In terms of the English edition, it's to Baynes that we owe the translation. I'm sure if the translation had been a man we'd know much more about them. Ive looked for Die Seele China but it seems to be only available in German. Do you have thoughts about the difference in German and the English version? I did manage to find a free download of his book about folktalkes at project Gutenburg https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/29939
Hi Debbie, Thanks for this great post. Are you familiar with Bradford Hatcher's translation? It is completely annotated with historical and linguistic references, but also perhaps the most accessible translation, without being too simplistic and 'sanitised'. I think you can still buy a hard copy, but the whole thing is available to download as a (HUGE) pdf from www.hermetica.info.
Yes, and Bradford Hatcher's location of the Changes in the Zhou kingdom is great, as is his translations of words without patriarchal overlays. Eg 君子 as "the noble young one" rather than "the superior "man" ". However as a book to consult, I prefer Ritsema and Karcher's version which lists a number of possible interpretations of each word. Hatcher also makes the common and sad mistake of completely ignoring Cary Baynes. Somewhere he has "Legge, Wilhelm, and "( can't remember the other male translator he referenced) as translators into ENGLISH. Someone of his calibre shouldn't make such a stupid mistake. - Wilhelm translated into German, obviously. I don't consider it any excuse the generation he lived in - Cary Baynes has been historically ignored for her contribution because she was a woman. thankfully this is being rectified now. In the introduction to Geoffrey Redmond's translation due respect is given to Cary Baynes as the first woman to translate the Yi.
The purpose of this article was really not to talk about different translations though, it was to honour Richard Wilhelm. That's why I linked to a page which lists and assesses various translation.
It's such a complicated, deep and rich area. the fact that people still discuss its meaning, argue over translations, and indeed still use it as a divination tool lays great honour to the original creators of the Yi Jing. Thanks for stopping by Cesca and thanks for the link!🙏
"The generation he lived in" is definitely not an excuse -- I knew Bradford well, and I don't think he would have slighted her because she was a woman; he probably didn't even know she was a woman. His focus was on the original Chinese texts. But I'm very glad she is now being given the credit she deserves.
I certainly did not mean to disparage the great work and contribution that Bradford made towards Yi Jing studies. Yes, he probably didnt know she was a woman and that's my point - I didn't realise either until I was researching for this article! Point being that patriarchal cultures disappear women's work - that's what I meant by the times he was living in - everyone ignored Baynes and focused on Wilhelm. But in other ways, Bradford honoured the original with great respect. How wonderful that you knew him!
Thank you for sharing your beautiful writing, Debbie! I learned a lot from you. I went to Qingdao in 2008 with friends. Just remember the fascinating “red houses” - and its historical traces on every piece of the brick. And of course, Qingdao beer, yellow croaker, and Lao Shan green tea. Sweet memories!
thank you Jade 🙏😊 I really loved living in Qingdao. Lots of special memories, and of course Shandong people are so friendly! Laoshan is an extraordinary place too, of course. I'm sure much has changed since i was there, but then, much still the same. Beautiful Qingdao is easily one of the best places to live in China, just sooo cold in winter!
I only went there during the summer. I didn’t know that their winter was cold. Yes, Shan dong people are so generous and kind. Many of my best friends are from Shan dong. Haha!
Not surprised to hear you have besties from Shandong. Shandong people really are so kind and generous! Yes freezing in winter - the apartment we bought was very large and had no central heating. It faced the Yellow Sea so cold breezes from the ocean. But so beautiful, so worth it! Must go back one day!!
Wow! You bought a house there! Amazing! I thought they had heaters built in the house in the north part of China. Or some are using the solar panel to heat up everything in the house.
I thought for a moment that photo was of my town! It's amazing how much the colonial bit of Qingdao looks like the island of Gulangyu, a colonial bit of Xiamen.
These global convergences of people are amazing, aren't they? Painful to think how much they were driven by colonial conquest; but still, the thought of a translator born in Mexico mediating an ancient Chinese text between English and German just gets all of my globalist nerves tingling. I wonder if the day will ever come when people can just look with joy on the idea of humans moving from one place to another.
Maybe the Germans brought building materials for the East Coast over on the same shipment! Stopped at Qingdao then headed south! People have always looked with joy at humans moving around - travel literature is full of it and nowadays Substack is too. It's so important to bring joy of the world around us into our lives. But it's also important to recall the lessons of history so we dont do it again. Sadly the last year has proven humans not so good at acting on those lessons.
I love Gulangyu! But yes, it's painful to think of the colonial history.
Thank you!!! Great learning about Cary and the Jungs’ involvement in this.
What an interesting grave stone Wilhelm had… I’m very fortunate to be able to read Wilhelm in German and his use of language and the way he presents the Yi is just incredible. I would really like to recommend you this book he wrote, Die Seele Chinas, where he writes about his time in China and how he came about translating the Yi, and he just offers so many insights. I’ve never read anything that bore more respect towards the Chinese culture, he doesn’t have an agenda (in spite of his job description). He really is a brilliant observer… would love your thoughts on that!
I didn’t find the other book in the link in your comment though, but I think I know which one you mean, is it the one by Miki Shima?
PS, no , by Yang Li.
I loved writing this. I really spent so much time trying to find Wilhelm's house! I only discovered in writing the article that Cary Baynes was a woman! In terms of the English edition, it's to Baynes that we owe the translation. I'm sure if the translation had been a man we'd know much more about them. Ive looked for Die Seele China but it seems to be only available in German. Do you have thoughts about the difference in German and the English version? I did manage to find a free download of his book about folktalkes at project Gutenburg https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/29939
That's a great bit of history, thank you Debbie! 🙏 I didn't much further in Qingdao than the Beer Festival. 🙂 Another lifetime ago.
hope you bought your beer in plastic bags like the locals!!
😂😂😂we did not, maybe that was too early?
nah you just gotta go where the locals go. certainly not at the beer festival!😂
Really interesting read, thank you. I have always wanted to delve further into the Yi but have not yet found the time. Hopefully one day.
Hi Debbie, Thanks for this great post. Are you familiar with Bradford Hatcher's translation? It is completely annotated with historical and linguistic references, but also perhaps the most accessible translation, without being too simplistic and 'sanitised'. I think you can still buy a hard copy, but the whole thing is available to download as a (HUGE) pdf from www.hermetica.info.
Yes, and Bradford Hatcher's location of the Changes in the Zhou kingdom is great, as is his translations of words without patriarchal overlays. Eg 君子 as "the noble young one" rather than "the superior "man" ". However as a book to consult, I prefer Ritsema and Karcher's version which lists a number of possible interpretations of each word. Hatcher also makes the common and sad mistake of completely ignoring Cary Baynes. Somewhere he has "Legge, Wilhelm, and "( can't remember the other male translator he referenced) as translators into ENGLISH. Someone of his calibre shouldn't make such a stupid mistake. - Wilhelm translated into German, obviously. I don't consider it any excuse the generation he lived in - Cary Baynes has been historically ignored for her contribution because she was a woman. thankfully this is being rectified now. In the introduction to Geoffrey Redmond's translation due respect is given to Cary Baynes as the first woman to translate the Yi.
The purpose of this article was really not to talk about different translations though, it was to honour Richard Wilhelm. That's why I linked to a page which lists and assesses various translation.
It's such a complicated, deep and rich area. the fact that people still discuss its meaning, argue over translations, and indeed still use it as a divination tool lays great honour to the original creators of the Yi Jing. Thanks for stopping by Cesca and thanks for the link!🙏
"The generation he lived in" is definitely not an excuse -- I knew Bradford well, and I don't think he would have slighted her because she was a woman; he probably didn't even know she was a woman. His focus was on the original Chinese texts. But I'm very glad she is now being given the credit she deserves.
I certainly did not mean to disparage the great work and contribution that Bradford made towards Yi Jing studies. Yes, he probably didnt know she was a woman and that's my point - I didn't realise either until I was researching for this article! Point being that patriarchal cultures disappear women's work - that's what I meant by the times he was living in - everyone ignored Baynes and focused on Wilhelm. But in other ways, Bradford honoured the original with great respect. How wonderful that you knew him!
Thank you for sharing your beautiful writing, Debbie! I learned a lot from you. I went to Qingdao in 2008 with friends. Just remember the fascinating “red houses” - and its historical traces on every piece of the brick. And of course, Qingdao beer, yellow croaker, and Lao Shan green tea. Sweet memories!
thank you Jade 🙏😊 I really loved living in Qingdao. Lots of special memories, and of course Shandong people are so friendly! Laoshan is an extraordinary place too, of course. I'm sure much has changed since i was there, but then, much still the same. Beautiful Qingdao is easily one of the best places to live in China, just sooo cold in winter!
I only went there during the summer. I didn’t know that their winter was cold. Yes, Shan dong people are so generous and kind. Many of my best friends are from Shan dong. Haha!
Not surprised to hear you have besties from Shandong. Shandong people really are so kind and generous! Yes freezing in winter - the apartment we bought was very large and had no central heating. It faced the Yellow Sea so cold breezes from the ocean. But so beautiful, so worth it! Must go back one day!!
Wow! You bought a house there! Amazing! I thought they had heaters built in the house in the north part of China. Or some are using the solar panel to heat up everything in the house.