Good Characters, Inc. Blog

Chinese names are not always chosen for the meanings of the words themselves. Sometimes they are selected because of the association with an already existing name. Such was the case with the well known Chinese Communist-era writer Ba Jin. Originally Li Yao-tang, the author changed his name to Ba Jin to reflect his political views. Ba is the first syllable in the surname of Mikhail Bakunin and Jin is the last syllable in the name Kropotkin; both these men were famous Russian anarchists. In taking this new name, Ba Jin, who wrote of the evils of life before Communism, identified himself with the Marxist philosophy he espoused.

Before he became Ba Jin, Li Yao-tang had another name also. Chinese men are traditionally given a courtesy name, or zi, when they reach the age of 20. Ba Jin’s zi was Fei Gan. This name was taken from a phrase in Shi Jing, the oldest collection of Chinese poetry and songs. The phrase, Bi Fei Gan Tang, means “shady, sweet pear-tree.”

So the renowned author’s names reflect his political evolution. In his youth the influence was ancient Chinese literature; in later years the influence was foreign Communist writing.

National Zoo’s Baby Panda Named Tai Shan

The National Zoo’s panda is not even a year old, but he is already a father-in-law. His name, Tai Shan, has a number of meanings, and one is the address for one’s wife’s father.

Tai Shan is used to refer to Mount Tai, a mountain in Shandong Province. The prime minister Zhang Shui began the practice of having the new ruler, upon becoming emperor, ascend the mountain to offer sacrifices. When the prime minister’s son-in-law rose politically, others scoffed that the emperor promoted him only because of Zhang Shui’s institution of the ritual on Tai Shan. Thus taishan became a derisive term for father-in-law.

Maybe the zookeepers had something else in mind for the baby panda. Tai Shan is also the transliteration for the name Tarzan.

Tai Shan is also the name of Good Characters’ president Andy Chuang’s home town in Taipei Taiwan.

Links:

• Panda Cub’s Birthday Present: A Name
  “Tai Shan,” Winning Choice of Online Voters, A Symbolic Nod to U.S.-China Friendship. (Washington Post)
• You can track the little cub’s progress on the zoo’s Panda Video Cam (Discovery)
• The Right Address: Father-in-law is Called Taishan (Shanghai Star)