On November 15th, Bitcoin traded at USD97,800, down 21% from its October zenith. We heard the same screams that Bitcoin is only a mirage. But at the same time, Bitcoin believers continue to hold onto their safe haven to hedge against future uncertainty.

Let’s turn to I Ching (the Book of Changes), using its ancient wisdom to facilitate our understanding of Bitcoin and its place in our society. Welcome to Decoding Change, a live discussion series designed to explore contemporary questions through timeless frameworks provided by I Ching.

I always believe that the ultimate goal of learning Chinese is to get access to the treasure of Chinese texts that range back to thousands of years ago. The next best thing is to learn some introductory lessons that teach these texts.

This time, I am happy to announce that a mini-series of I Ching wisdom is just finished.

If you ask any Chinese people to name a day for them to customarily go hiking in the mountains, they will probably answer that it is the ninth day of the ninth month in the lunar calendar.

That day is Chong Yang Jie (重阳节), the Double Nine Festival. This year, it is Oct 29, 2025.

Welcome to our annual reminder of this wonderful festival, a time to be with family and nature!

The answer to this question might be “yes” to both. One thing is certain: we are standing at the threshold of an AI-driven age. The more deeply we can understand this transition, and the more perspectives we can bring to analyse it, the better prepared we will be.

We are therefore thrilled to introduce a new angle: using the ancient wisdom of the I Ching to facilitate our understanding. Welcome to Decoding Change, a live discussion series designed to explore contemporary questions through timeless frameworks provided by I Ching. In our inaugural session, we turn our focus to AI.

My latest e-course: The Freedom: 3 Lessons from Confucius on Wealth, Career, and Pursuit of Excellence, is just launched. Drawn from The Analects, this e-course uses ancient wisdom to help people re-think wealth, career paths and ethical coexistence.

All my e-courses, right now there are three of them, are available for HKD29.9. And barter is accepted!

This year’s Zhong Qiu Jie (中秋节), Mid-Autumn festival, is just around the corner, Oct 6th to be precise, and it is a time for Chinese learners around the world to take a break in their regular study routines and to enjoy some of the festivities. 

This is our annual reminder to all Chinese language learners that learning Chinese is also about gaining insights into Chinese cultural practices and about participating in the cultural activities. And you don’t have to be in China to enjoy Mid-Autumn festival.

Learning Chinese is more than learning how to bargain in a market or order food in a restaurant. Although it is a lot of fun using Chinese in real life situation, I believe the pinnacle of learning Chinese is to get access to the wealth of thousands years of Chinese texts which contain so much wisdom.

Our world today is in need of Chinese wisdom.

Did you watch it on television?

On September 3, 2025, a military parade was held in Beijing's Tiananmen Square to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, specifically marking China's victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. 

September 12th, 2025 is Qian Xuantong (钱玄同)’s 138th birthday. 

In 1923, when he was 36 years old, he proposed to simplify Chinese characters, which was the first step to his ultimate goal of making Chinese into a phonetic writing system. He wanted to abolish the Chinese characters.

This is our annual tribute to this failed hero.

August 8-12, 2025 welcomed 60+ humanoid robots to Beijing for the first World Robot Conference.

Of course, these robots were there for humans to see what robots could achieve. And there were lots of people came! Over 20,000 attendees from 20+ countries came. Besides humanoid robots, there were also smart manufacturing, AI, and etc on display.

A recent story in SCMP is very interesting, which says that over half of the world’s top 100 AI talent are Chinese, with many working in china.

This is significant. It underscores a reality that China is no longer broadly lagging behind the U.S. in science and technology. China now leads in AI research output, scientific publications, and critical technologies like 5G, EVs, and drones. 

Harvard University, long revered as a beacon of academic excellence and a training ground for leaders who tackle real-world challenges, has had some serious problems.

The most recent backlash was caused by a Chinese student Yurong “Luanna” Jiang’s 2025 commencement speech. This incident reminded me of former president Claudine Gay’s 2023 congressional hearing. 

These cases raise questions.

Labubu, the mischievous, toothy elf from “The Monsters” series, has taken the collectible toy world by storm, a remarkable feat for a Chinese company Pop Mart. 

Created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, this plush and vinyl figure, with its “ugly-cute” charm, has become a cultural sensation, driven by blind box collectibles and celebrity endorsements from stars like Blackpink’s Lisa. 

When I read Michael Crichton’s The Terminal Man (1972) decades ago, I thought it was fascinating, just like other Crichton’s books. Little did I know that the technology could be advancing so quickly. It is literally already here! 

That makes a great topic for Join the Discussion.

The evolving US-China tariff war, now at a fever pitch. Recent news tells that Trump’s strategy is to rally allies against China.

It would be interesting to see who will side with the US, how credible Trump’s promises are, and what a new globalization without the US might look like.