Art Of War, Sun Tzu

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The Art of War is noted for its realistic assessment of the political constraints of warfare. It is part drill book, part tactical survey, and part political treatise. Its advice has been followed for centuries and it continues to be consulted by modern Chinese leaders. In recent years it has been promoted as a tool in business schools in Japan and the United States.

The Athour: Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu means Master Sun. His first name is Wu.

Skilled and experienced in warfare matters during a time of unprecedented political turmoil, Sun Tzu presented his treatise to King Ho-lu of the Wu state. The sovereign was impressed. When asked whether its principles can be applied to anyone, Sun Tzu replied, "Yes." As proof of his competency and to confirm the principles' effectiveness, he successfully transformed 180 court women into trained soldiers in just one session.

With Sun Tzu as general, King Ho-lu captured the capital city of Ying to defeat the powerful Ch'u state in 506 BC. They then headed north and subdued Ch'i and Chin. Not surprisingly, Sun Tzu's name quickly spread throughout the land and among the feudal lords.

How he later lived or died is unknown. However, the Yueh Chueh Shu declared "ten miles outside the city gate of Wu Hsieh, there is a large tomb of the great strategist Sun Tzu." By the Han dynasty, his reputation as a wise and respected military leader was well-known. Considering the countless texts lost or destroyed throughout China's history, the remarkable survival and relevancy of Sun Tzu's The Art of War to this very day attest to its immeasurable value.

Art of War

What's It About

The Art of War is said to have been penned by Sun Tzu and was originally called the Sun Tzu Ping Fa (Pinyin: Sunzi Bingfa), or simply the Sun Tzu. It presents a complete philosophy for managing conflicts and winning clear victories. Contrary to popular perceptions, it contains not only the writing of the original author, but also commentary and clarifications from later military philosophers, such as Li Ch'uan and Tu Mu. It is widely accepted as a masterpiece on strategy and has been referenced by generals and theorists throughout history.

The book was not only popular among military theorists, but also among political leaders and business management. The book addresses strategy in a broad fashion, despite the title and popular perceptions, touching upon statecraft and general overarching plans. Theories of battle are essential in times of war, but the text also advocates diplomacy and cultivating relationships with other nations as essential to the health of the state.

Influence and Importance

Sun Tzu's Art of War has been deeply influential. It is said the first emperor of a unified China, Qin Shihuang, thought the book invaluable in ending the Age of Warring States. Japan was introduced to Sun Tzu's work in AD 760, quickly becoming popular among her generals. It is considered an important influence on the unification of Japan. Mastery of its teachings was considered a mark of respect among the samurai and several influential samurai both exhorted and exemplified its teachings, such as Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu.

In recent times, Napoleon is said to have studied Sun Tzu's military writings and used them to successfully wage war against the rest of Europe. Napoleon's disregard for some of the central principles, such as attentiveness to temporal conditions, is largely credited for his eventual defeat in Russia. Admiral Togo, who led Japan's forces to victory against Russia in the Russo-Japanese War, was a famous disciple of the Art of War's teachings.

Mao Zedong partially credited his defeat of Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalists in 1949 to the Art of War. It strongly influenced Mao's writings about guerrilla warfare, which further influenced communist insurgencies throughout the world. A further example of its explicit modern influence is its use by General Norman Schwartzkopf during Desert Storm, where the general put to practice Sun Tzu's principles of deception, speed, and attacking the enemy's weakness.

A modern interpretation of Sun Tzu and his importance throughout Chinese history is critical in understanding China's push to become a superpower in the 21st century. Hundreds of modern Chinese scholars explicitly rely on historical strategic lessons and the Art of War in developing their theories. They perceive a direct relationship between their modern struggles and those of China in Sun Tzu's time. There is a great perceived value in the teachings of Sun Tzu, and other traditional Chinese writers, and they are used regularly in developing the strategies of the Chinese state and its leaders.

Related text

During the early 1970s, scholars uncovered a large collection of ancient texts written in amazingly preserved bamboo books. Among them was the Art of War and Sun Bin's Military Methods. Although Military Methods was noted by Han Dynasty bibliographies as extant and written by a descendent of Sun Tzu, it had since been lost. The finding of Sun Bin's work was considered an extremely important find, due to a variety of factors including Sun Bin's relationship to Sun Tzu and the work's illustration of military thought in late Chinese antiquity. The discovery as a whole expanded the total known Chinese military works by hundreds, though Sun Bin's text is the only known additional surviving text from the ancient period.

Popular Art of War Quotes

Here are a few of the more popular quotes from the Art of War:

Goh Chok Tong, the Prime Minister of Singapore, recently quoted Sun Tzu when speaking about terrorism: "If we are to win the war against terrorism, we must, as Sun Tzu in "The Art of War" says, "Understand the enemy." And we must, all of us, Muslims and non-Muslims, Americans, Europeans, Arabs, and Asians, unite against it. But we must create the conditions that will make this essential unity possible.

• "When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move."

• "In conflict, straightforward actions generally lead to engagement, surprising actions generally lead to victory."

• "Thus those skilled in war subdue the enemy's army without battle ... . They conquer by strategy."

• "Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be in peril. When you are ignorant of the enemy, but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril."

• "In war, numbers alone confer no advantage."

• "A sovereign of high character and intelligence must be able to know the right man, should place the responsibility on him, and expect results."

• "If an enemy has alliances, the problem is grave and the enemy's position strong; if he has no alliances, the problem is minor and the enemy's position weak."

Art Of War, Sun Tzu Highlights

Art Of War, Sun Tzu Highlights Related

Art Of War, Sun Tzu

As a metaphor goes the Art of War is the Swiss army knife of military theory - pop out a different tool for any situation. Folded into this small package are compact views on resourcefulness, momentum, cunning, the profit motive, flexibility, integrity, secrecy, speed, positioning, surprise, deception, manipulation, responsibility, and practicality.

Art Of War, Sun Tzu FAQ & Travelers's Tips

1. What are some original forms of art that are unique to China?
2. China has its own operas? What are they?
3. Why are there so many Dragons on Chinese arts?
4. What's the popular arts among Chinese people?
5. Where are the best places to go to experience authentic Chinese art?
6. What's Chinese art usually about?
7. Why so much make-up on Chinese performers' faces?
8. What is the best form that can express Chinese arts?
9. What should I notice when I go to appreciate Chinese arts?
10. Where can I buy souvenirs about Chinese arts?

1. What are some original forms of art that are unique to China?

   China is a country with a long long history. During its development, all kinds of arts were created by the diligent Chinese people. Although nowadays, there are other countries that try to imitate Chinese art, the roots are still in China, and the best Chinese art works in the world can only be found in China.

   • Papercut Technique and form of cutting and pricking pictures and designs in paper by hand. The tools employed in papercutting were simply a pair of sharp scissors, razor-edged, quill-shaped knives or penknives with a hone and oil for sharpening, and good-quality paper. For pin-pricking, steel needles of different sizes were fixed to short wooden handles or mounted on a roulette wheel. The paper was worked from the back as well as the front for various effects. Handcut and pricked papers were largely outmoded by machine production in the mid-19th century.

   • Chinese Opera Chinese Opera is a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China. There are numerous regional branches of opera with its original root starting in the dynastic periods. The Beijing opera is one of the most famous Chinese Opera. As early as the Three Kingdoms period, Canjun opera was one of the first form of opera available. Though in general, the more organized form of Chinese opera began in the Tang Dynasty with Emperor Xuanzong (712C755), who founded the "Pear Garden", the first known opera troupe in China. The troupe mostly performed for the emperors' personal pleasure. To this day operatic professionals are still referred to as "Disciples of the Pear Garden". In the Yuan Dynasty (1279C1368), forms like the Zaju, which acts based on rhyming schemes plus the innovation of having specialized roles like "Dan", "Sheng", "Hua" and "Chou" were introduced into the opera. Although actors in theatrical performances of the Song Dynasty (960C1279) strictly adhered to speaking in Classical Chinese onstage, it was during the Yuan Dynasty that actors speaking in the vernacular tongue gained precedent on stage.

     The dominant form of the Ming and early Qing dynasties was Kunqu, which came from the Wu cultural area. It later evolved into a longer form of play called chuanqi, which became one of the 5 melody that made up Sichuan opera. Chinese operas continue to exist in 368 different forms now, the best known of which is Beijing opera, which assumed its present form in the mid-19th century and was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty (1644C1911).

   • Chinese Painting is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. Earliest paintings were ornamental, not representational; they consisted of pattern or designs, not pictures. Stone Age pottery was painted with spiral, zigzags, dots, or animals. It was only during the Warring States Period (403-221 B.C.) that artists began to represent the world around them.

     Painting in the traditional style is today known in Chinese as guo hua meaning 'national' or 'native painting', in opposition to Western styles of art which became popular in China in the 20th century. Traditional painting involves essentially the same techniques as calligraphy and is done with a brush dipped in black or colored ink; oils are not used. As with calligraphy, the most popular materials on which paintings are made of paper and silk. The finished work is then mounted on scrolls, which can be hung or rolled up. Traditional painting also is done in albums and on walls, lacquerwork, and other media.

     Chinese Variety Art It is the name giving to the collection of performances that include a wide range of acrobatic, balancing acts and other spectacles performed by a troupe fashioned in traditional Chinese-style attire. The art originated in China and is still performed today.




2. China has its own operas? What are they?

   There are about 30 kinds of Chinese operas: 4 in the North, 13 in the South and another 13 that belongs to other areas here and there. The most famous operas in China are Beijing opera, Qinqiang opera, Kunqu opera, Pingju opera, etc.




3. Why are there so many Dragons on Chinese arts?

   Dragons are commonly symbols of good luck/health in some parts of Asia, and are also sometimes worshipped. Asian dragons are considered as mythical rulers of weather, specifically rain and water, and are usually depicted as the guardians of flaming pearls.

   In China, as well as in Japan and Korea, the Azure Dragon is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellation, representing spring (season), the element of Wood and the east. A Yellow dragon with five claws on each foot, on the other hand, symbolize imperial authority in China, and indirectly the Chinese people as well. Chinese people often use the term "Descendants of the Dragon" as a sign of ethnic identity.




4. What's the popular arts among Chinese people?

   Due to the long history, some Chinese arts were descended yet some didn't get the chance to live long. Ancient Chinese arts that are still popular today, we'd say, it's the papercut and Chinese opera.

   Papercut is playing an important part in festivals, especially the Spring festival. People use papercuts as decorations in the room in order to add more festival atmosphere to the house. Papercut is also collected by many Chinese pepercut lovers who would spend a good among of money on those papercuts. The patterns that are usually used in papercut are now used in many place: patterns on appliance, patterns on buildings, etc.

   During Spring festival, there is always an evening show that's only about Chinese opera, indicating the importance of Chinese opera today. There are schools that teach kid to learn how to perform Chinese opera, and some people live their live on performing Chinese operas.




5. Where are the best places to go to experience authentic Chinese art?

   Chinese art actually has been soaked into people's common lives. All kinds of forms of art can be seen along the streets, on the bus, in the subway, anytime, anywhere. But there are indeed some best places for you to appreciate the best Chinese art.

   • The Gallery of China The Gallery of China started in the 1970's it wasn't until 1996 that the gallery proper was formed. It's located in the city center area. It has many functions such as exhibition, collection, research, public education and international communication. From time to time, interesting art exhibition takes place in the Gallery of China. Just a few months ago, the Dunhuang art show was held inside the gallery. Thousands of visitors came to see the exhibition. All kinds of Dunhuang wall paintings brought visitors to the real Dunhuang
   
   
   • National Theater for the Performing Arts The National Centre for the Performing Arts is a dynamic new icon to the arts in the heart of old Beijing. The Centre's ultra-modern architecture is in sharp contrast to its neighbours, the Great Hall of the People, Tian'anmen Square and the ancient Forbidden City.The National Centre for the Performing Arts is far more than a spectacular and futuristic building.




6. What's Chinese art usually about?

   Chinese arts usually all have auspicious meanings. Take papercut for example, papercuts usually are vivid pictures of Chinese phrases with good and optimistic meaning. That's why people like to put up papercuts on the windows or walls to bring auspicious atmosphere to the house.

   Chinese arts are usually about common people's life. A very precious piece of art might be just about an old man in the street where nobody known about him, or about a general life style that everyone shares.




7. Why so much make-up on Chinese performers' faces?

   As you have noticed, there is much make up on performers' faces when they are performing Chinese operas. Why? That's because the themes of the shows they play are usually about ancient Chinese stories. And different colors of make-up symbolize different historical characters. For example, Caocao, one of the central figures during the Three Kingdoms Period, was a cunning character, so the role of him needs white facial make-up to express the duplicity of him. Guanyu, was a general under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. He was a nice person and made a lot of contribution to him country, therefore, the role of Guanyu needs the color red to show his courage, strength and loyalty.




8. What is the best form that can express Chinese arts?

   All kinds of forms express Chinese arts well. Yet, there is a unique form of Chinese arts that no other country has, which is Chinese Calligraphy. For thousands of years of development, Chinese calligraphy has now many forms. Some look decent with delicate handwriting, while some look messy but express the open character of the writers. Brush pen, the unique tool for Chinese traditional writings, also has various kinds. Some are thin while some are thick, which show different styles of calligraphy.




9. What should I notice when I go to appreciate Chinese arts?

   If you go to a gallery, please do not take photos of the art works. Flash lights is very bad for the preservation of the works. Sometimes, drinks are not allowed inside a gallery, so please make sure you have enough liquid in you before entering the gallery.

   If you go to see a show, please keep quiet during the show. Do not applaud until the end of performances. There are also some special requirements: for instance, if you want to see the Tang dynasty dance and music show, we suggest that you dress as you would for any formal occasion, like the Opera in Beijing, and the welcome and farewell dinners during the Yangtze Cruise. Jackets and ties for gentlemen and a formal dress or gown for ladies are recommended.




10. Where can I buy souvenirs about Chinese arts?

    If you want to buy some souvenirs for you friends, please tell your guides, they will do their best to fulfill your requirements. Your guides will introduce you some large painting shops with the high quality. You can have a pleasant and rewarding shopping experience.

    Also, there are usually souvenirs inside the gallery of theater where you can buy gifts for friends and family, but the price might be a little bit high.