Yeh-Shen

A Chinese Cinderella story: Yeh-Shen works hard for her stepmother and stepsisters, but they are mean to her. When she loses her shoe at the ball, it leads to her finding happiness and a partner.

About this Episode

A Chinese Cinderella story: Yeh-Shen works hard for her stepmother and stepsisters, but they are mean to her. When she loses her shoe at the ball, it leads to her finding happiness and a partner.

Snoriezzz, a children’s mindful bedtime podcast and part of the GoKidGo universe of shows for kids, is co-created and co-hosted by Academy Award Winning actor Marcia Gay Harden (she/her), and actor and comedian Natalie Peyton (she/her). Building love of self and love of sleep at the same time, the Snory godmothers use affirmations, calming routines, and a beautiful fairy tale to help you make bedtime the peaceful, bonding moment you need!

Snoriezzz Segments:

00:43 MINDFUL TALK

02:35 GROUNDING WITH YOUR SURROUNDINGS

04:32 INTRO GUEST CATHY ANG

04:43 SNORY YEH-SHEN

24:30 CALM YOUR BODY MEDITATION

You can always revisit the affirmations, Snory, or meditations as your little one needs! We’ve provided the timing for each segment above.

Host Snory godmother: Marcia Gay Harden (she/her)

Host Snory godmother: Natalie Peyton (she/her)

Guest Snory godmother: Cathy Ang (she/her)

Segment music composition: Nana Simopoulos (she/her)

Story music composition and foley: Sterling Steffen (he/him)

Editing: Sterling Steffen

Cover art: Eulie Scheel (they/them)

Production Manager: Kyle Dempsey (he/him)

Branding/marketing: Julitta Scheel (she/her)

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Get ready for Connect & Learn! Where you and your adult dive deeper into the Snoriezzz episodes you’ve heard at bedtime or naptime!

Deep Dive
Mindful Affirmations
Play + Learn
Science Tips

“Yeh-Shen” : A Different Cinderella Story

Did you know that almost every culture has a version of the Cinderella story? Our Snory “Yeh-Shen” is the Chinese version of this story, and it is one of the oldest versions we know, dating back almost 2000 years ago! Stories and fairy tales are passed from culture to culture, often by travellers, and they connect us to people around the world. Isn’t it amazing to realize that there are lots of different versions of the same Cinderella story we may know in America? Of course, there are a few differences! Like instead of a fairy godmother, Yeh-Shen has a wise old Sage, and Yeh-Shen doesn’t have a pumpkin to take her to the ball, but she does have jealous stepsisters and a mean old stepmother, and she does lose a shoe and has to find it to marry the King. Can you think of all the ways that Yeh-Shen was similar to the Cinderella story you may know? Great! First, we want to teach you a little bit about China, so you can discover the world Yeh-Shen came from! But we’ll also teach you a bit about modern China as well, and hopefully you will visit one day!

WELCOME TO CHINA! BUT …WHERE IS CHINA ANYWAY?

China is on the opposite side of the earth! It’s so far from America, that it takes almost a whole day to fly there on an airplane!

China is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, and its capital is a city called Beijing, which also has an amazing ancient history! So many wonderful inventions and ideas came from ancient China that influenced the world – like medicine, architecture, kites, decimal math, rice, shipping, the compass, paper making, umbrellas, silk, chess, and gunpowder! But even though there is a lot of ancient history, China is now super modern! China has the biggest population of any other country in the world with 1.3 BILLION people. Whoa! Can you imagine that many friends? It also manufactures a lot of the world’s goods. From toys to Christmas lights to dishware, you can often see a tag that says “made in China” on things you buy. In the last 20 years, China has changed faster than any other country in the world. It’s changing so fast that it’s like pressing fast forward on a movie!

But first…Who was Yeh-Shen?

Yeh-Shen is a smart, beautiful young girl that lived in a small village in China. She is patient, and kind, and doesn’t mind hard work. Like the Cinderella story you may know, Yeh- Shen is also an orphan daughter in her stepmother’s home, and just like in Cinderella, her stepmother is nicer to her own daughter and mean to Yeh-Shen. That’s not fair is it?! But Yeh-Shen has a special golden fish friend that brings her happiness, and has the help of a magical Sage. Just like in the Cinderella story, Yeh-Shen loses her golden slipper, and has to get it back to marry the King.

Something interesting about the Chinese story Yeh-Shen that influenced the Cinderella story we know, is the importance of the slipper being tiny. Why? Because a long time ago in China people thought that small feet were one of the most beautiful things about a girl, and so there was a tradition where girls “bound their feet” to keep them tiny. This tradition of “footbinding” doesn’t happen any more because it is damaging to the feet, but in ancient times it was a special way of wrapping feet to make them very small, and people thought it made them look beautiful. The tiny shoes they wore were called “lotus shoes” because after their feet were bound, they looked like little lotus flowers. Some people think wearing high heels is also a crazy way to look pretty, because it damages the feet and makes it harder to walk. Hmmm. Maybe they have a point!?

There are many ways to feel beautiful or handsome without changing or hurting your body though! What is something you like to do that makes you feel awesome? Maybe brushing your hair? Or wearing your favorite outfit? Or even having good posture!

Chinese Landscape & Climate

There are all kinds of different landscapes in China, like tall mountains, flat plateaus (that’s like a flat top mountain), sandy deserts, and thick forests full of trees!

MOUNTAINS: About ⅓ of China is covered in mountains. And get this, the tallest mountain in the whole world, Mount Everest, is right there on the border between China and Nepal! Remember learning about Mount Everest in The Magic Bed Deep Dive about India?! If you missed it here it is!

China is home to the Rainbow Mountains, which formed from many minerals coming together to make the colors you see here in this picture. Can you believe this is real?! The Rainbow Mountains is one place Snory Godmother Natalie would LOVE to visit!

RIVERS: China is also home to lots and lots of rivers. The two most important ones are called the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. They flow all the way across China from the west to the east, like long water highways! The Yangtze River is super long, stretching over 6,300 kilometers. 6,300 kilometers is a very, very long way! It’s about how far you’d have to go if you wanted to drive all the way across the United States two times! Or if you started walking, it would take you a few months to get that far. Imagine going from one side of your country to the other and then doing it again—that’s how far the Yangtze River in China is!

One fun fact about the Yangtze River is that it is the third-longest river in the world, and it is the longest river to flow entirely in one country. It’s also where Yeh-Shen’s golden fish friend lived!

LAND FEATURES: Yeh-Shen comes from a special part of China where the rice fields look like huge staircases going up into the sky. It’s a place full of amazing views!

And then in another part of China there’s something called the Tibetan Plateau, like a really high table in the sky! It is sometimes called the “Roof of the World.” Now that must be a giant plateau!

China is also surrounded by oceans including the South China Sea and the East China Sea. So of course, China has a big fishing industry!

FORESTS and JUNGLES: We can’t forget to tell you about the forests in China! The forests of China are magical places full of tall trees, colorful flowers, and amazing animals like giant pandas, red pandas, and golden monkeys. Some forests are made of bamboo, where pandas love to eat and play, while others have trees that are thousands of years old! These forests are super important because they keep the air clean and give animals a safe home. We’d love to have an adventure in a bamboo forest of China! Did you know that pandas are Snory Godmother Natalie’s favorite animal?! What is your favorite animal?!

Chinese Culture

DYNASTY’S: There is so much to share about culture in China. For starters, it has been around for a really long time! Way back in 221 BC, which is a couple hundred years before year zero, (what even IS year zero??) they had their very first empire, called the Qin Dynasty. Pronounced “Chin Dynasty!” That’s how China got its name!

When we talk about American history, we often mark it by who was President at the time. Well, China didn’t have Presidents, but they had dynasty’s. A dynasty is like a big family that rules a country for a very long time. The leaders, like kings or emperors, come from the same family, and when one ruler grows old or passes away, another member of the family takes over. It’s like if your family ran a country and passed the job down from parent to child for many years! The last dynasty ended in 1912 when China became a “people’s republic.”

ZODIAC: In China, they have something called the Zodiac. It’s a special way of naming years after animals, like dragons, tigers, and monkeys! This year 2024 is the year of the dragon.

COMMUNITY: One really neat thing about Chinese culture is how they think about community. They believe that being part of a group is more important than just thinking about yourself. It’s like being part of a big family where everyone helps each other out! This belief system may have been influenced by Chinese philosopher, Confucius or Kongfuzi who was a very wise leader. Confucius taught people all about being good and kind to each other, and treating people with respect. Another important thing Confucius taught was the value of learning and being curious! You can always seek to learn and be better. Start by asking a lot of questions!

One thing Confucius said was that “roads were made for journeys, not destinations.” What does that mean to you? To us, it means try to enjoy all parts of a day, not just the end result. Like, if you are making a meal, enjoy the journey: the chopping of the vegetables, the adding of the ingredients, the setting of the table, putting flowers on the table, and serving the meal on nice plates… not just the destination or end result: which is the eating of the meal! Pretty cool huh?!

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

Next, we want to teach you about the Great Wall of China. It’s one of the biggest things people have ever built!

Okay. Picture a lot of different states fighting over land. Well, that’s what was happening in China a little over 2000 years ago! There were a lot of different states in China that were fighting each other over land. The wall was originally built to protect Chinese land in the Southern states where the land was rich, from a group of northern invaders in the northern states where the land was dry and barren. So when there wasn’t enough food, the Northerners would invade the southern land. Of course the people didn’t like that, and so they built a bunch of walls to protect themselves! It started when one of the states, The Chu State decided “hey! I’m going to build a Great Big Wall to protect myself! It turned out to be really good at keeping out enemy invaders, so other states started to build walls around their own states! These walls weren’t all connected until China’s first Emperor, of the Qin Dynasty, decided to connect them and started construction on The Great Wall of China! It was built over many years, and many dynasties, and is actually a bunch of different walls that join together to make The Great Wall.

But how long is this wall? Get ready: it is about 13,171 miles long! Do you know just how long that is? It’s HUMONGOUS! The total Great Wall of China is about the same distance as if you drove around the entire edge of the United States. OR… if you drove across the U.S. five times, from California to New York, back to California, back to New York, back to California, and then back to New York!

Today, the wall is a huge tourist attraction because it’s a symbol of China’s history, strength, and resilience and it is visited by millions of people each year. One fun fact about the Great Wall is that the mortar (the sticky binding stuff used to keep the stone and bricks together) came from sticky rice!! Have you ever built something with your food? How inventive!

Languages in China

In China there are two main languages spoken: Standard Chinese and Mandarin. But there are also many different dialects spoken, like Cantonese. More people speak Mandarin than any other language in the world! People started speaking Mandarin over 1,000 years ago.

The language is made up of beautiful-looking characters, instead of letters. Each character represents a word or an idea. We only have 26 letters in English: A, B, C and so on, but in Mandarin there are 50,000 characters! Wow!

Flowing lines: Many characters use graceful curves and connections between strokes, giving them a dynamic appearance.

Visual symmetry: The characters often have balanced strokes and shapes, creating a pleasing harmony.

The Chinese also use tones, which are like musical notes, to say words. So, saying a word with a different tone can totally change its meaning! It’s like music—your voice can go up, down, stay flat, or even bounce up and down, and that makes the word mean something different.

For example, in Mandarin Chinese, there are four tones:

Flat tone: Your voice stays the same, like holding a note in a song. (Try it! Say “ma” in a calm, steady voice.)
Rising tone: Your voice goes up, like when you’re asking a question. (Let’s Say “ma?” like you’re curious.)
Falling-then-rising tone: Your voice dips down and then goes up, like a little slide. (Now Say “ma…?” like you’re surprised but unsure.)
Falling tone: Your voice goes down, like when you’re giving an order. (And finally Say “ma!” like you’re serious.)

Haha It’s fun to practice because it’s like playing with your voice!

Let’s learn how to say Hello in Mandarin, it’s pronounced “nee-how”:

Chinese Traditions

In China – they have their own New Years Celebrations that happen at a different part of the year than in America. Chinese New Year is also known as Lunar New Year! They celebrate with huge parades and with colorful paper lanterns lighting up the sky!

LEGEND OF SILK!

CONFUCIUS, the philosopher we talked about above, wrote down the story that says that silk was discovered almost 4000 years ago in ancient China. According to the tale, the mythological Chinese Empress Leizu discovered silk by accident when a mulberry silkworm cocoon dropped into her cup of tea. The cocoon got soft because of the hot water, and when Leizu lifted the cocoon from her teacup, the end of the silk thread was loosened, and the cocoon began to unravel into one single long strand of silk. She got the idea to weave this fine thread into a piece of fabric! She told her husband the Yellow Emperor Huangdi about it, and he suggested she study the silkworm. She did, and noticed that they only ate mulberry leaves.

Everyone loved how beautiful the shiny silk fabric was, but the Chinese kept the process of making silk a secret for thousands of years! They had control over silk production until the Silk Road opened at 114 BC.

In truth, history and science have shown us that silk was discovered in China almost 4000 years ago – so while the story above may be a myth, archaeologists have discovered cocoons cut by human knives, and a 3000 year old piece of silk material that had been used to wrap around a child!

The link below shows you how silk worms make silk!

https://lalouettesilk.com/blog/the-history-of-silk/

Chinese people are known for wearing beautiful clothing made of silk.

Below you can see the traditional wedding attire worn by Chinese people – it’s called a Hanfu. Yeh-Shen also wore a Hanfu to the ball and her wedding! Red is the traditional color used during Chinese New Year and other celebrations, including weddings and wedding gowns! It’s considered good luck to wear red!

Chinese Food

Did you know that the fortune cookie came from China? These are little cookies with messages inside or “fortunes.”

Some of the messages you see on fortune cookies make you feel good. Like this one below!

The Chinese are also believed to have created an early version of ice cream thousands of years ago! Long ago, during the Tang Dynasty, (hey that’s when Yeh-Shen was alive!), Chinese chefs made a frozen treat by mixing milk, flour, and camphor (a spice) and then chilling it with snow. Sounds a lot like ice cream to us!

And even before that, people in China enjoyed cooling drinks and desserts made from snow and flavored with fruits or honey. And THAT sounds like a smoothie to us! Marco Polo, an explorer from Italy, is thought to have learned about these frozen treats during his travels to China so he brought the idea back to Europe!

Even though it wasn’t exactly like the ice cream we eat today, China did play a big part in the early history of icy desserts! What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Snory Godmother Marcia and Snory Godmother Natalie love any ice cream with Chocolate and Peanut Butter, and they love making ice cream together!

Chinese Art

Arts & Crafts are a huge part of Chinese culture. Did you know that the Chinese invented calligraphy? That means fancy writing!

Chinese people also invented paper. And with paper they make paper lanterns! Paper lanterns are used all through the year for various decorations and Chinese celebrations.

China’s visual art has been around for thousands of years and includes Chinese traditional paintings which are early versions of calligraphy – remember? That’s the fancy writing?! Unlike most western paintings that used oil on canvases, the Chinese used delicate brushes dipped in ink and then painted on papers and silk! Here’s an example:

Chinese art is full of nature. There are three different scenes depicted in traditional Chinese paintings and they are: landscapes, figures, and birds & flowers.

China is also known for their traditional Chinese dances. One popular troupe that shares these Dances with with world is called Shen Yun. The dancers are super limber!

China has many unique instruments. Have you ever heard of the xun, chimes, xiao, sheng, pipa, guzheng, guqin, erhu, drums, and the bamboo flute? Wow! We have just learned about those too! There are a lot of new instruments in the world to discover!

Castles & Palaces of China

The Imperial Palace in China, also known as the Forbidden City, can be considered an enormous Siheyuan, (remember that word from the Yeh-Shen Episode?!) A Siheyuan is the type of house where Yeh-Shen, her stepmother and stepsister Ling Ling lived! The design of a Siheyuan is a courtyard house with buildings on four sides and a garden/gathering area in the middle!

The Imperial Palace in China is a much bigger version of the Siheyuan where Yeh-Shen lived! That’s because the Imperial Palace was for the families of the Ming and Qing Dynasties! It’s like the Chinese version of a palace. Remember learning about palaces and castles in the Happy Prince Deep Dive?! If you missed it, take a look here!

The Dragon Pavilion Park is another famous “castle”in China. It’s a fun and amazing place in Kaifeng, China, full of history and beauty! It’s a big park with colorful flowers, old buildings, and even a palace where emperors used to hold big ceremonies. The most famous part is the Dragon Pavilion, a tall and impressive structure with shiny dragon decorations that look like they came right out of a story!

The park also has lakes, bridges, and places to explore. Sometimes, there are cool performances, like dragon dances or shows about Chinese history. It’s a magical spot where kids can feel like they’re stepping back in time to the world of ancient China!

China is a HUGE country full of amazing history, cool inventions like paper and ice cream, yummy food, and famous landmarks like the Great Wall of China and panda-filled bamboo forests! We hope you have a chance to visit this exciting place someday!

Now that you’ve learned a little bit about China, join us for our PLAY AND LEARN to make a paper kite, learn how to use chopsticks, and more!

The Magic Bed: Mindful Affirmations

Embrace the Power of Affirmations!

Imagine a world where your child starts and ends each day with positivity and confidence! By weaving affirmations into their daily routines, children can boost their self-esteem, build resilience, and cultivate a growth mindset. These skills empower them to face life’s challenges with courage and optimism.

Bedtime Bliss and Breakfast Boost:

Why not make affirmations a delightful part of your family’s routine? Enjoy these uplifting phrases together before bed, creating a peaceful atmosphere for sweet dreams. Then, share them again at breakfast to set a positive tone for the day ahead.

You can inspire our little ones to shine bright and embrace every opportunity that comes their way! 🌟

Play & Learn

Download Play & Learn PDFs
	China Coloring Pages	Download Now
	Color the China Flag	Download Now
	How to Use Chopsticks	Download Now
	China Landmarks	Download Now
	Fried Rice Recipe	Download Now
	Make a Goldfish Kite	Download Now
	Fortune Cookie Craft	Download Now

Snoriezzz Science Tip

Building Better Habits for a Good Night’s Sleep

Build good sleep habits by making a bedtimeroutine for yourself! That could include taking alavender bath or listening to Snoriezzz as yousnuggle into bed.

You might be wondering “How do I make a bedtimeroutine for myself? Where do I begin? Will it beeasy?” YES! and it will be worth it!

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed or lost, like you don’t even know where to start, and that’s okay. Just try to do one action today, then add new behaviors at your own pace. In time, sticking to your routine will be easy, and it will be the key to helping you get the best sleep!

One great place to start is to commit to going to bed at the same time every night. And then try to wake up at the same time every day – and let your eyes see the sunlight! By going to bed and waking up at the same time, you tune your body’s circadian rhythm and your body will naturally begin to fall asleep and wake up at those times.

Bedtime routines can be more than just your body’s way to wind down from the day. They also provide an opportunity to carve out a little self-care before sleep. Your bedtime routine can be a fun, soothing routine you look forward to! Designed by you, it will be comforting and bring you joy. It’s always best to go to bed feeling content and peaceful. Give yourself some “YOU” time!

We want to hear from you: what’s your bedtime routine? What fun and unique activities do you incorporate into your routine? Share with us on Instagram @snoriezzz, and be sure to add Snoriezzz to your bedtime routine!

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Yeh-Shen

About this Episode

Share with a Friend

Get ready for Connect & Learn! Where you and your adult dive deeper into the Snoriezzz episodes you’ve heard at bedtime or naptime!

“Yeh-Shen” : A Different Cinderella Story

WELCOME TO CHINA! BUT …WHERE IS CHINA ANYWAY?

But first…Who was Yeh-Shen?

Chinese Landscape & Climate

Chinese Culture

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

Languages in China

Chinese Traditions

LEGEND OF SILK!

Chinese Food

Chinese Art

Castles & Palaces of China

Now that you’ve learned a little bit about China, join us for our PLAY AND LEARN to make a paper kite, learn how to use chopsticks, and more!

The Magic Bed: Mindful Affirmations

Play & Learn

Snoriezzz Science Tip

Building Better Habits for a Good Night’s Sleep

Discover More Podcasts

Little Bo Peep

The Selfish Giant

Three Little Pigs

Where can I Listen to Snoriezzz?

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