Driven to edge of their lives, 纪经灶 Ji Jingzao and his younger brother decided to leave 泉州 Quanzhou, in the province of 福建 Fujian. Their sea route to 南洋 Nanyang would take them down the South China Sea, passing the Straits of Johor, the Straits of Melaka and up to the Andaman Sea. They would stop at Hoi An in Vietnam, Singapore before hitting Penang. 纪经灶 Ji Jingzao disembarked in Penang while his brother proceeded to 普吉 Phuket in 泰国 Thailand.
The character 美 is an 会意 associative compound. An 会意字 associative compound character is formed by combining two or more existing characters or components, where each part suggests meaning.
The character 美 means beautiful.
It combines:
羊 (yáng), meaning "sheep"
大 (dà), meaning "big" or "great"
In ancient Chinese culture, sheep were considered valuable. The idea of a "big sheep" could have conveyed something desirable and/or beautiful. Over time, the combination of these components came to represent the concept of beauty.
-- to get to where you left off
The Chinese Character 汉子：园
he 茶马古道 Ancient Tea Horse Road Welcomes the Modern Traveller, !
