BASIC INFORMATION
NAME: Yirui Gao
E-MAIL: Yirui6789@163.com
HOMETOWN: Laizhou, a “hometown of longevity” in Shandong, China
HOBBIES: Reading, traveling, hiking, making handicrafts, spending time with my elders and walking my dog
MAJOR: Industrial design
POST-GRADUATION PLAN: Working for the elderly care industry
THE LIFE I LOVE
My animal friends
I live, climb mountains, and travel
WORKS AND INTERESTS
My traditional handicraft works and design works
Favorite books: The Scripture of Ethics. (And books on Chinese philosophy, psychology, sociology and traditional Chinese medical science)
MY THOUGHTS
I’m delighted to meet you who live on the other side of the world. It’s our fate to gather in this global studio, and I hope we can get to know each other and become friends.
In the past year, I have been closely monitoring issues related to the elderly. I hope that through communication, we can understand different cultures and ideas, seek common ground while reserving differences, learn from each other, and help each other. I hope we can create something interesting together.
Thank you ~
Hello Yirui, nice to meet you! I also love animals and traveling, so it’s great to know we have that in common. I think your handcrafted works are beautiful, and your favorite book sounds interesting.Since I love psychology and philosophy, I’d love to hear more about it later and learn why it’s your favorite.
I look forward to working with you and connecting while learning more about Chinese culture.
Hello Defne, thank you for your reply and liking! I am glad that we have so much in common, and I am also glad that you are willing to study the Tao Te Ching（The Scripture of Ethics）. It is one of the greatest classics in Chinese history, known as the “head of the classics” and the “source of Chinese culture”.
The Tao Te Ching focuses on the philosophical significance of “morality” and discusses self-cultivation, governance of the country, management of soldiers, and ways of maintaining health. The meaning of the text is profound and inclusive. The author of this book, Laozi, was born during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The harsh turbulence and changes made Laozi witness the suffering of the people. As an official stationed in Xizang in the Zhou Dynasty, Laozi traced their origin and essence and wrote the Tao Te Ching based on his profound knowledge, life experience and lessons learned from the rise and fall of the dynasty and the safety and wealth of the people.
The core concepts of this book include the invariance of natural laws (referred to as “Dao” in the book, which means the existence of truth, just like the earth and water droplets are round, allowing us to find a unified truth among different things), the relativity of beauty and ugliness, good and evil (this is a concept of relativity, just like the duality of things, making us dialectically view problems), the principle of Dao’s inaction (“inaction” is not doing nothing, but not doing things that should not be done, in accordance with natural laws, avoiding excessive intervention and coercion), the philosophy of sages governing by inaction and leading by example (believing that if people can treat the world as they treat themselves, they can entrust the responsibility of governing the world to them), and the principle of improving One’s own moral cultivation, etc.
I like it first and foremost because I prefer reading classics and things that can withstand the test of time. The Tao Te Ching is highly readable among numerous classics, and a person can read it from their teens to old age. As readers’ identities, emotions, and cultivation change, they can read frequently and gain new insights with each reading. It originates from the laws of all things in nature, is easy to understand, contains profound philosophy, hits the essence directly, and has the broad inclusiveness of “the first of ten thousand classics”. It is an important component of the root of Chinese culture.
Whenever I feel uneasy and think that my life is going wrong, I always like to read it to calm my heart. I call it the voice of a prophet, and these words give me a long-lasting and stable sense of security, reminding me of the truths I am willing to believe in. I am fortunate to have been born in this civilized country, where people have inherited a long culture that allows me to find such a book about the basic natural order in the noisy voices and various chaotic “doctrines” of modern society to guide me on the way. I really enjoy the sense of order that the philosophy in this book gives me.
If you are interested in Chinese philosophy, you must read it, and I am also happy to discuss issues related to psychology and philosophy with you.
Wow, this is very detailed reply Yirui! How do you know all of this? Erik
Dear Erik, I have come to realize the significance of this book and related culture to me because I am very fond of the philosophy behind this knowledge. Through the practice of these philosophies, the energy it has brought me has been tremendous. So, I have learned about relevant information from all channels, including but not limited to this book itself, other books that have formed the ancient Chinese philosophical context with it, information explained by modern people on the internet, and most importantly, what I have experienced in reality.
When a person is truly interested and likes something, they will search for its shadow in everything and find ways to get closer to their ideal. For example, if someone loves design very much, every piece of information they come into contact with will be transformed into their thinking about design, and gradually, they will know what design they want to do.
Can you ask Fuyan to help you to set up your profile picture?
thank you, Erik
Sorry Erik, Fuyuan helped me check, but there is a slight issue with my system. I will try my best to find other ways to upload my avatar, but I don’t know how much hope there is.
You mentioned that your city is the “hometown of longevity”—I’m curious, why do you think it’s called that? And oh my goodness, the rabbits and dogs in your profile are unbelievably adorable! What are their names? I absolutely love rabbits too; people even say my smile reminds them of rabbits, so there is another reason for me to feel really connected to them. 😀 It’s clear you enjoy nature trips—what’s been your favorite place to visit so far? Your handmade crafts look so detailed and carefully crafted! I especially loved the one that looks like a yellow cat—it’s amazing! Even though we’re far apart, I’m really excited to get to know you better!
Hello Nevra, I’m glad you’re interested in my content. My hometown Laizhou has mountains and rivers, as well as a bay called “Laizhou Bay”. The natural environment is superior, and people have healthy eating habits and a good attitude towards life. Therefore, our proportion of long-lived elderly people is relatively high compared to other regions, and we have received special honor from the National Geriatric Society.
My rabbit is called Strawberry not only because I like strawberries, but also because Strawberry is called “gao li ge” in our local dialect, which makes its surname look the same as mine hahaha. My dog’s name is Tangdou (our family really likes to add our surname to pet names because we treat them as family), which means small candy because my family thinks it brings us sweetness like candy. The same goes for rabbits and strawberries. Your friends say you look like a rabbit, and I can imagine how cute you are. I really like you. Considering that one day you may try to raise it, be sure to give it a suitable living area and be careful not to let it dig holes and defecate everywhere.
When it comes to natural travel, my favorite place currently is Chengdu, Sichuan, which is the hometown of Chinese giant pandas. I love the climate, culture, and living atmosphere there, especially the hotpot there. I enjoy eating Sichuan chili peppers.
Regarding the embroidered cloth puppet “Yellow Cat”, it is a traditional Chinese toy “cloth tiger”. People believe that tigers are the king of all beasts, so they give it auspicious meanings to deter evil, such as praying to avoid disasters and diseases.
I’m glad you’re curious about my life, and I’m happy to share them with you.