There is an ancient Chinese saying, “春雨贵如油，the spring rain is as precious as oil,” but why and how is the rain in spring is so important? What interesting customs take place during the solar term “Rain Water”?

Whether humans are born with an innately good or evil nature is still an ongoing debate after thousands of years of discussions. Today, we’ll travel back to ancient China, and find out how some of China’s most renowned philosophers answered this question!

In almost every culture, there exist myths regarding floods. In China, the story of Yu the Great has been told for centuries and has inspired generations of Chinese people to better manage water and find ways to coexist with Mother Nature. Check out this episode of A Thousand Whys and get a feel for how one flood myth has been teaching Chinese people to keep floods at bay.

As one of the most common elements of daily life, water is one of the root metaphors in Chinese culture and wisdom. What is the Chinese “way of water”? How does the way we perceive water affect our self-identity?

February 4th sees the arrival of the first of this year’s traditional Chinese solar terms, named Lichun, usually translated into English as the “Beginning of Spring.” In ancient times, this particular day was seen as the prelude to a whole host of seasonal activities to welcome the coming spring. Tune into today’s episode to hear more about how the Chinese celebrate Lichun!

During the Chinese New Year, known as Spring Festival in the country, one of the most popular greetings is 恭喜发财，which translates as ‘Wishing you Prosperity and Wealth’. How did this greeting come about? Who is the Chinese God of Wealth? When do Chinese people welcome this propitious God? What stories are told about this deity? Why do Chinese people give red envelopes during the Spring Festival? This episode brings you all the things you need to know about wealth and the Chinese New Year.

With New Year celebrations worldwide done and dusted, attention is now turning to the Chinese New Year, saying goodbye to the year of the roaring tiger and to welcome the year of the tender rabbit. How is the rabbit represented in traditional Chinese culture? Is there a story behind this particular Chinese zodiac sign? Hop over to check out this new edition of A Thousand Whys!

The ancient Chinese bathing culture dates back to 3,000 years ago. For ancient Chinese, taking a bath was not just a personal hygiene issue, it was also considered an art and a lifestyle. So how did people bathe in ancient China? What can you expect in today’s commercial bathing houses in China? Explore this episode for more.

Qipao, or the Cheongsam, is widely regarded as the dress that best brings out the charm of Chinese women. This type of traditional tight-fitting garment has transformed from a gender equality statement to everyday clothing, and now to a fashionable expression of Chinese elegance in the past century. How did Qipao come into being and what stories are behind its cultural connotation? Tune into today's episode and find out!

How come holidays originated from bathing in ancient China? How did the ancient Chinese distinguish between workdays and non-work days? Which dynasty had the longest holiday? Who is the workaholic in Chinese history? In this episode, we will tell you something interesting about holidays in Chinese history.