What is the meaning of the Eight Great Talents

The Eight Great Talents refer to the eight skills in traditional ancient Chinese rituals, namely music, archery, driving, boat-riding, calligraphy, painting, skillful fighting and arithmetic. These eight talents reflect both the pursuit of a highly comprehensive ability and the pursuit of an excellent spiritual quality.

According to historical records, the study of the eight talents began as early as the Han Dynasty, and their education was considered to be a mandatory course for the sons and daughters of nobles. Among these eight talents, music and calligraphy were seen as markers of cultural literacy, arithmetic, technical skills and archery embodied precision and practicality, while boat-guiding and driving were seen as a survival skill.

In modern society, although the eight talents are no longer an important part of education, they still retain many of the characteristics of traditional culture, and are an important way for people to recognize traditional culture and form a national spirit. Moreover, some of the skills in the Eight Talents have been promoted, such as technical combat, driving and archery, and are widely used in athletic competitions and recreation.