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A Love Letter to Life: Yongzheng and His Porcelain When Civilization Blossomed Like a Flower – Reported by Dr. Jeannie Yi

Austin Tang — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 16:00:09 +0000

Listen to “A Love Letter to Life: Yongzheng and His Porcelain When Civilization Blossomed Like a Flower – Reported by Dr. Jeannie Yi” on Spreaker.

Reported by Dr. Jeannie Yi

The Yongzheng era (1722–1735) was not an age of display, but of restraint. Power turned inward, sharpness softened into gentleness. In only thirteen years, it achieved a rare concentration of political efficiency, economic stability, and cultural refinement. It was a peak moment when civilization chose elegance over dominance.

Politically, governance was streamlined and centralized.

Economically, the treasury was restored, paving the way for the prosperity of the Qianlong era.

Culturally, imperial kilns, enamel painting, and court aesthetics reached an extreme of precision and restraint.

History is clear: only a prosperous civilization can produce great art and technology.

Yongzheng aesthetics were a national project of condensed civilization, completed in just thirteen luminous years.

In New York, I first saw a coral-red famille-rose enamel bowl from the Yongzheng imperial kilns. It was so beautiful it almost took my breath away. This was not beauty “painted” onto porcelain; it was beauty forged in fire, born through extreme heat and mastery.

The bowl felt alive.

Pink and violet held a shy gaze.

Gold carried a quiet inner light.

The petals seemed to breathe, ready to drift away with time.

I asked the collector why it looked so new.

He said: true value lies not only in age, but in craftsmanship, glaze, body, reign mark, and preservation. An old object that appears new is a treasure. For masters, its perfect Yongzheng reign mark alone confirms its imperial origin. It stands as the highest example of the saying:

“For Ming, look to Chenghua; for Qing, look to Yongzheng.”

None of us could afford such a bowl. But love always comes before price.

We may be newly free from poverty, yet we are rich in awe.

This bowl returned me to Dream of the Red Chamber.

Like the Twelve Beauties, it transformed object into life, collectible into destiny.

It reminded me that true beauty is fragile, gentle, and dignified. It knows life will pass, yet still chooses perfection.

This is the soul of Yongzheng enamel:

civilization refined into tenderness.

Red is the color of empire.

Flowers are its heartbeat.

Many look at antiques and see only price, authenticity, and provenance.

I saw life—and the long journey that life took to arrive before me.

⸻

On January 22, at the World Speakers Series in Trump Tower, collector Jeff Ye brought ancient civilization into dialogue with the present.

He said:

“True antiques find their owners. Owners do not find them.”

And:

“Let the object speak for itself.”

From relics to lost imperial kilns, from jade to porcelain, his presentation showed that civilization is not history—it is a living conversation across time.

⸻

What I learned is simple:

First, Yongzheng porcelain was a national aesthetic project. Choosing “flowers” to represent the empire was a choice of compassion, femininity, and quiet strength. It was a civilization expressing power through tenderness.

Second, China’s modern engineering achievements are not sudden miracles. They are the awakening of an ancient engineering civilization gene.

This bowl, born of fire centuries ago, already carried that spirit.

The Middle East uses oil to build the height of cities.

China uses ancient artifacts to preserve the depth of time.

Let cities tell their own stories.

Let wealth find its true source.

Let civilization travel again.

Holding this bowl is like holding a love letter from the Yongzheng era to the world:

A prosperous China,

like standing in a sea of blossoms.

———————————————————————————

Testimonials

Michael Daly shares personal thoughts upon seeing the powerful art.

Jeannie,

This moved me deeply, because I recognized myself in the moment you described standing before that bowl.

I’ve had that same experience—when an object stops being an object and quietly becomes alive. Not because of its price, or its rarity, but because it carries the emotional intelligence of a civilization that once knew how to pause, refine, and listen.

What touched me most is your understanding that Yongzheng beauty is not loud. It doesn’t announce power. It assumes it. In a world that often confuses dominance with strength, this porcelain feels like a reminder that the most confident civilizations express themselves gently.

When you describe the bowl as breathing—its pinks holding back, its gold glowing inward—I felt that. That sense that perfection doesn’t need to prove itself. It simply is. And perhaps that is why it looks new: not because time spared it, but because it was made without anxiety.

The line about love coming before price stayed with me. None of us may ever own such a piece, but ownership isn’t the point. Awe is. To stand before something like that and feel poor in money but rich in reverence—that is a kind of wealth few people ever experience.

Your reflection also made me think differently about modern China. What looks like sudden engineering brilliance isn’t sudden at all. It’s a memory returning. That bowl already knew how to master fire, chemistry, patience, and restraint centuries ago. Today’s achievements feel like the same hand, simply working at a different scale.

And the idea that antiques find their owners—I believe that. Some things arrive not to be possessed, but to remind us who we are and where we come from.

In the end, this didn’t read to me as an essay about porcelain. It felt like a quiet conversation with history. A moment where civilization leaned forward and whispered—not about power, but about care.

A love letter/post, yes. And one I’m grateful you shared.

——————————————————————

So deeply in love, holding them like a precious treasure, kissing them.

Reverend Paul Sladkus All Faiths and Spiritual is Special Advisor to Jeff Ye, Founder of the The Jeff Collection

The post A Love Letter to Life: Yongzheng and His Porcelain When Civilization Blossomed Like a Flower – Reported by Dr. Jeannie Yi appeared first on Good News!.

Thought for the Day…01/03/26

Austin Tang — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 14:29:22 +0000

The post Thought for the Day…01/03/26 appeared first on Good News!.

Peak Humans Podcast with Naeem Mahmood Interviews – Pause The World For Peace, Founder | Paul Sladkus

Austin Tang — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 16:21:27 +0000

Here is the link to the show on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pause-the-world-for-peace-paul-sladkus/id1523759669?i=1000628496208

The post Peak Humans Podcast with Naeem Mahmood Interviews – Pause The World For Peace, Founder | Paul Sladkus appeared first on Good News!.

Peak Mind Foundation hosts a talk with His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama

admin — Fri, 03 Jul 2015 16:59:53 +0000

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, JUNE 24, 2015 ¬ – His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama will give a public talk on wisdom, love, and compassion on the 4th of July. The event will be a celebration of a lifetime devoted to spreading the message of the value of peace, kindness and universal compassion throughout the world.
Oscar winning actor, social activist and UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, Forest Whitaker will introduce His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Grammy ¬nominee Aloe Blacc will pay tribute to the 14th Dalai Lama with a musical performance.“We are honored to host His Holiness the Dalai Lama at this crucial moment in history. With domestic and global challenges calling for newfound cooperation, we look for inspiration from His Holiness the Dalai Lama as a tireless advocate for compassionate action for our shared humanity. ” said Michael Trainer, Founder of the Peak Mind Foundation hosting the event.

“As His Holiness the Dalai Lama says, “Peace in the world depends on peace in the individual. Each of us has to make the attempts to find it,” quoted Kalden Lodoe, event co-chair. He further stated that, “His Holiness believes not only do we inherently possess the potential for compassion, but that the basic nature of human beings is gentleness.”

The event, co-¬created by Kalden Lodoe, Michael Trainer and Andrea Fennewald will be held at Rancho Los Lomas in Southern California. Tickets go on sale today starting at $50.
For interested parties that cannot attend the event, there will be a livestream available globally to tune into in cities around the world via www.dalailama.com starting at 1:30pm PST.

Hello everyone,

In case you are unable to join us tomorrow for the talk by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the event will be available to watch via Live Stream!

Tune in at live.peakmind.org at 1:30 PM Pacific Time to be a part of what is sure to be an inspirational afternoon!

If you are in Southern California and would like to join us live, act fast because there are only a few tickets left!

To learn more or purchase tickets you can visit www.peakmind.org
About Peak Mind Foundation
Peak Mind Foundation creates educational and inspirational content and experiences to support others in reaching their highest possibility. For more information visit www.peakmind.org
Contact
Michael Trainer
michael@peakmind.org
www.peakmind.org

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Spending my #4thofJuly with @Peak_Mind and @DalaiLama to celebrate wisdom, love, and compassion. #HHDL0704

It is an honor to celebrate the @DalaiLama with @Peak_Mind today. Developing a positive vision to create positive action. #HHDL0704 #4thofJuly

We are having an amazing #4thofJuly filled with wisdom, love, and compassion! Thank you @DalaiLama and @Peak_Mind!

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Wishing I could celebrate the @DalaiLama with @Peak_Mind today, but grateful that I
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EVENT INFORMATION
Full Event: 11:00AM – 3:30PM Small bites: 11:30AM – 12:30PM HHDL Speaking: 1:30PM – 3:00PM
Introduction of HHDL Forest Whitaker
Performance by Aloe Blacc

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Greek Peak Mountain Resort

admin — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 18:57:32 +0000

Greek Peak Mountain Resort, central New York’s largest ski resort, was founded in 1958 and has remained at the leading edge of the ski industry with thirty-three trails, six aerial lifts, two surface lifts, beginners’ slope, and terrain parks. The four season resort is located in New York’s scenic Finger Lakes Region, conveniently just minutes from Interstate I-81. Under new ownership, the mountain has received some additions for the 2013-14 season including: a new quad chairlift, Trax Pub and Grill restaurant in the main lodge, new PB 600 groomer with Zaag attachment, new ski and board equipment in the rental shop and state of the art ski & board tuning facility. www.greekpeak.net

Our beautiful “green” hotel, Hope Lake Lodge, features 106 luxury condominium style suites. Arcadia Village, located next to the hotel, offer additional lodging in units that are spacious with all the comforts of home.

Amenities at the resort include three restaurants, a world-class customized spa, fitness center, and a 41,000 square foot indoor water park. The Resort is positioned within 7,000 acres of State protected land that is accessible by all residents and guests for cross country skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, and horseback riding. Additionally, Greek Peak Mountain Resort operates an Adventure Center with a Mountain Coaster and 4 tandem zip lines operating year round and a ten lane winter snow-tubing center.

History

In 1958, New York’s Governor, Averell Harriman, conducted the Opening Day Ceremonies for a new ski area called Greek Peak. The Governor called it a “first class development” and predicted that it would “make a real contribution to skiing in New York State.”

By 1960, two T-Bars had been built and construction began on the A-Frame Lodge. A young Al Kryger (the current President and Chief Executive Officer of Peak Resorts, Inc.) was commissioned to build Central New York’s first chairlift in 1962. Greek Peak recognized the potential for skiing and led the industry in developing the concept of packaging and selling to local schools and colleges. This philosophy, combined with early pioneering in snowmaking and night skiing, brought Greek Peak to the forefront of ski areas in the East.

In the early 1970s, Al Kryger had the foresight to begin planning for the next phase of Greek Peak’s growth. He was instrumental in acquiring land adjacent to the ski area, and a Master Plan for a new recreational community was drawn. Over the years, the development of slope-side condominiums and townhouses has transformed Greek Peak from a ski area into a full-fledged regional destination ski resort.

– See more at: http://greekpeak.net/about/about-us/#sthash.lAk6oPhR.dpuf

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