| | the four elements: earth, water, fire, and wind (Buddhism) / the four freedoms: speaking out freely, airing views fully, holding great debates, and writing big-character posters, 大鳴大放|大鸣大放, 大辯論|大辩论, 大字報|大字报 (PRC) | |
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| | Diaochan (-192), one of the four legendary beauties 四大美女, in fiction a famous beauty at the break-up of Han dynasty, given as concubine to usurping warlord Dong Zhuo 董卓 to ensure his overthrow by fighting hero Lü Bu 呂布|吕布 | |
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| | Xishi (c. 450 BC), famous Chinese beauty, foremost of the four legendary beauties 四大美女, given by King Gou Jian 勾踐|勾践 of Yue as concubine to King of Wu as part of a successful plan to destroy Wu | |
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| | Chu Suiliang (596-659), one of Four Great Calligraphers of early Tang 唐初四大家 | |
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| | Wang Zhaojun (52-19 BC), famous beauty at the court of Han emperor Yuan 漢元帝|汉元帝, one of the four legendary beauties 四大美女 | |
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| | Ma Zhiyuan (c. 1250-1321), Yuan dynasty dramatist in the 雜劇|杂剧 tradition of musical comedy, one of the Four Great Yuan Dramatists 元曲四大家 | |
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| | lit. the four elements are vanity (idiom) / this world is an illusion | |
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| | Bai Pu (1226-1306), Yuan dynasty dramatist in the 雜劇|杂剧 tradition of musical comedy, one of the Four Great Yuan dramatists 元曲四大家 | |
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| | the four legendary beauties of ancient China, namely: Xishi 西施, Wang Zhaojun 王昭君, Diaochan 貂蟬|貂蝉 and Yang Yuhuan 楊玉環|杨玉环 | |
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| | Wen Zhengming (1470-1559), Ming painter, one of Four great southern talents of the Ming 江南四大才子 | |
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| | Yu Shinan (558-638), politician of Sui and early Tang periods, poet and calligrapher, one of Four Great Calligraphers of early Tang 唐初四大家 | |
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| | Tan Fuying (1906-1977), Beijing opera star, one of the Four great beards 四大鬚生|四大须生 | |
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| | Xu Zhenqing (1479-1511), Ming writer, one of Four great southern talents of the Ming 江南四大才子 | |
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| | Gu Kaizhi or Ku K'aichih (346-407), famous painter of Eastern Jin dynasty, one of the Four Great Painters of the Six Dynasties 六朝四大家 | |
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| | Guan Hanqing (c. 1235-c. 1300), Yuan dynasty dramatist in the 雜劇|杂剧 tradition of musical comedy, one of the Four Great Yuan dramatists 元曲四大家 | |
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| | Zhu Zhishan (1460-1526), Ming calligrapher and poet, one of Four great southern talents of the Ming 江南四大才子 | |
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| | Tang Bohu or Tang Yin 唐寅 (1470-1523), Ming painter and poet, one of Four great southern talents of the Ming 江南四大才子 | |
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| | Ouyang Xun (557-641), one of Four Great Calligraphers of early Tang 唐初四大家 | |
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| | Tang Bohu 唐伯虎 or Tang Yin (1470-1523), Ming painter and poet, one of Four great southern talents of the Ming 江南四大才子 | |
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| | the Four Classic Novels of Chinese literature, namely: A Dream of Red Mansions 紅樓夢|红楼梦, Romance of Three Kingdoms 三國演義|三国演义, Water Margin 水滸傳|水浒传, Journey to the West 西遊記|西游记 | |
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| | the four heavenly kings (Sanskrit vajra) / the four guardians or warrior attendants of Buddha | |
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| | Zhang Sengyou (active c. 490-540), one of the Four Great Painters of the Six Dynasties 六朝四大家 | |
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| | Four great compilations of Northern Song dynasty, namely: Extensive records of the Taiping era (978) 太平廣記|太平广记, Imperial readings of the Taiping era 太平御覽|太平御览, Prime tortoise of the record bureau 冊府元龜|册府元龟, Finest blossoms in the garden of literature 文苑英華|文苑英华 | |
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| | Four Great Calligraphers of early Tang / refers to Yu Shinan 虞世南, Ouyang Xun 歐陽詢|欧阳询, Chu Suiliang 褚遂良 and Xue Ji 薛稷 | |
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| | Four Sacred Mountains of Buddhism, namely: Mt Wutai 五臺山|五台山 in Shanxi, Mt Emei 峨眉山 in Sichuan, Mt Jiuhua 九華山|九华山 in Anhui, Mt Potala 普陀山 in Zhejiang | |
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| | the four great Chinese inventions: paper, printing, magnetic compass and gunpowder | |
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| | four great basin depressions of China, namely: Tarim 塔里木盆地 in south Xinjiang, Jungar 準葛爾盆地|准葛尔盆地 and Tsaidam or Qaidam 柴達木盆地|柴达木盆地 in north Xinjiang Sichuan 四川盆地 | |
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| | the four great caves, namely: Longmen Grottoes 龍門石窟|龙门石窟 at Luoyang, Henan, Yungang Caves 雲岡石窟|云冈石窟 at Datong, Shanxi, Mogao Caves 莫高窟 at Dunhuang, Gansu, and Mt Maiji Caves 麥積山石窟|麦积山石窟 at Tianshui, Gansu | |
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| | Xi Xiaobo (1910-1977), Beijing opera star, one of the Four great beards 四大鬚生|四大须生 | |
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| | Four great compilations of Northern Song dynasty, namely: Extensive records of the Taiping era (978) 太平廣記|太平广记, Imperial readings of the Taiping era 太平御覽|太平御览, Prime tortoise of the record bureau 冊府元龜|册府元龟, Finest blossoms in the garden of literature 文苑英華|文苑英华 | |
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| | Cao Buxing or Ts'ao Pu-hsing (active c. 210-250), famous semilegendary painter, one of the Four Great Painters of the Six Dynasties 六朝四大家 | |
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| | Yang Baosen (1909-1958), Beijing opera star, one of the Four great beards 四大鬚生|四大须生 | |
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| | Four great southern talents of the Ming, namely: Tang Bohu 唐伯虎, Zhu Zhishan 祝枝山, Wen Zhengming 文徵明|文征明 and Xu Zhenqing 徐禎卿|徐祯卿 | |
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| | Xue Ji (649-713), one of Four Great Calligraphers of early Tang 唐初四大家 | |
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| | Zheng Guangzu, Yuan dynasty dramatist in the 雜劇|杂剧 tradition of musical comedy, one of the Four Great Yuan dramatists 元曲四大家 | |
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| | Lu Tanwei (active c. 450-490), one of the Four Great Painters of the Six Dynasties 六朝四大家 | |
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| | Ma Lianliang (1901-1966), Beijing opera star, one of the Four great beards 四大鬚生|四大须生 | |
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