Today, we’re reading the first chapter of a beloved 1958 children’s novel by 张天翼 (Zhāng Tiānyì), “The Secret of the Magic Gourd”.
Author: Kendra
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Dialogue: 买新衬衫 – Buying a new shirt
In this dialogue, Li Ming (李明) heads to the store to purchase a new outfit, and gets help from the shopkeeper choosing the perfect one.
In this passage, we get to read a retelling of one of China’s most beloved myths.
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Essay: 我的科学课 – My Science Class
In this short passage, we learn some middle school science terminology.
This is the first part of the first chapter of the modern literary sensation, I Deliver Parcels in Beijing by Hu Anyan, an autobiographical book about life as a gig worker in China’s platform economy.
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Dialogue: 小熊在哪里 – Where is my little bear?
In this dialogue, Xiao Ming (小明) asks his mom for help finding his stuffed animal.
In ancient China, where men held all the power, one remarkable woman didn’t just break the glass ceiling – she shattered it completely and crowned herself emperor. Get ready to meet Wu Zetian, the ultimate power player of Chinese history.
This Chinese fable tells the tale of an impatient farmer who learned the hard way that some things just can’t be rushed.
In our story today, Wang Ming is on his way to Tiananmen Square, but gets lost with no internet on his phone. He has to ask for help from nice folks along the way.
This very famous story of star-crossed lovers is the tale behind the Chinese Qixi Festival, sometimes called Chinese Valentine’s Day. In this story, a young mortal man ends up married to a goddess, but is prevented from being with her due to the machinations of heaven.
This idiom, “破釜沉舟”, literally translates to “smashing the pots and sinking the boats.” It’s used to describe going all-in on a goal with your whole heart and mind, leaving yourself no path for retreat.
In Chinese, the idiom “买椟还珠” is used to describe a situation when someone gets distracted by frivolities that don’t matter, and overlooks something truly valuable. The phrase literally translates to “Buying the box but returning the pearl” – and that’s what’s today’s illustrative story is about, a man who gets so distracted by fancy packaging that he misses the real treasure inside.
This lesson was generated based on a biography of kung fu legend Bruce Lee (李小龙) – I asked the AI to simplify his biography into language that an HSK 1-2 reader could understand. The result is an extremely pared down paragraph about his life, using the simplest possible words.
This story embodies old-school Asian views on filial piety (孝顺), or the virtue of honoring one’s parents. The story focuses on the protagonist Boyu (伯俞), who maintains deep love and respect for his mother, though she physically abuses him on the regular.
In this cute little story, the wind and the sun compete with each other to see whose powers are greater. This is a good article for understanding the use of the character 比, because the character is used in multiple ways in this story.
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Dialogue: 我想学游泳 – I want to learn to swim
In this quick dialogue, a little girl asks her dad for swimming lessons.
Ever met someone who thinks their tiny bubble is the entire universe? Well, meet a little frog who’s absolutely convinced that his cramped old well is the grandest place imaginable – until a wise sea turtle stops by to burst his bubble with some mind-blowing truths about the real world.
At the 2026 Two Sessions, China’s largest annual legislative meeting, pharma exec Wu Xiangjun makes policy suggestions on how to keep China’s overall consumption numbers up, even as the population ages.
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Joke: 医生和病人 – The Doctor and the Patient
In this short joke, a doctor has to decipher his patient’s bizarre symptoms.
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Essay: 我的小猫睡觉 – My Little Cat Sleeps
For a cat, sleeping is a full-time job. In this short essay, a kid describes his cat’s very busy schedule of doing absolutely nothing.