Myriads of Changes

With each new advancement in technology, the world changes. The idiom, which follows, is a good description of this development. Now you'll read about the story behind the idiom.

Today, I bring you an idiom, which means “Endless Change”. In Chinese it reads “Qian Bian Wan Hua”. Here's the story behind it. In the Western Zhou Dynasty in ancient China, there was a skilled craftsman called Yan Shi. Once, he met the King of the realm. The King asked him what skills he had. The craftsman answered, “I can make everything your majesty asks me to make. In fact, I have already made something special. If you are interested to see it, please come and visit me.” The King didn't accept the invitation immediately, but promised to take a look later.

However, the next day, the craftsman Yan Shi brought his inventions to the King's palace. When he saw Yan Shi, the King asked, “What are those toys with you?” He was told that they were puppets, and the craftsman proceeded to show the King how wonderful his inventions were. When Yan Shi handled the heads of the toys, they began to sing. When he handled their hands, they started to dance. All of his puppets could sing and dance and move in various ways.

After the performance, Yan Shi explained how it was that his puppets were able to move. They were made of leather, wood, paint and glue, and had all the organs a real man had. After the display, the King praised Yan Shi's skill as a craftsman.

Later, people drew the idiom “Qian Bian Wan Hua” meaning “Endless Change” from the story of Yan Shi and his puppets. The idiom can equally be used to describe life, which changes and develops all the time.