Seeking truth from facts, a lasting wisdom

SHIJIAZHUANG－The expression shishi qiushi, meaning "seeking truth from facts", has been enshrined as one of the basic norms set for members of the Communist Party of China.

The idiom has its roots in traditional Chinese culture, and it was originally used to describe the rigorous approach of ancient Chinese scholars, who paid great attention to acquiring solid facts in order to arrive at the correct understanding or conclusion of a subject or problem.

The phrase appeared in the Chinese classic Hanshu, or the Book of Han, which covers the history of China during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24).

In this book, historian Ban Gu authored the biography of Liu De, son of Emperor Jing, underlining that the prince collected a lot of books on the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) for reference in the study of the history.

" (Liu) learned ancient history well and sought truth from facts," Ban wrote, commenting on Liu's academic approach.

In a nutshell, the idiom calls for adhering to a practical, realistic and truthful approach while exploring things.

Today, the adage is one of the CPC's core ideas for developing socialism with Chinese characteristics.