An essential Chinese character related to the ancient arts of stealth is dié 諜, which combines the radical for ‘words’ or ‘speech’ on the left side and a component on the right resembling the foliage of a tree. This unique composition has led to theories that the character may have originally referred to someone concealed within a tree, covertly listening or observing others – a fitting representation of stealth and secrecy.
In the ancient text Zuo Zhuan 左傳, dié 諜 serves as both a noun, meaning ‘spy,’ and a verb, meaning ‘to spy upon.’ It also refers to scouts conducting reconnaissance, subtly observing the enemy without being detected.
One of the earliest documented uses of dié 諜 appears in an account from 700 B.C.:
*The forces of Luo 羅, intending to attack, sent Bo Jia 伯嘉 to spy on them. He circled the encampment three times, counting them…1
羅人欲伐之，使伯嘉諜之，三巡數之.
Bo Jia 伯嘉, moving stealthily among the Chǔ 楚 forces, gathered critical intelligence on their numbers. Such information was indispensable for evaluating battlefield strategies in alignment with Sun Tzu’s principles of warfare.
Another key passage from Zuo Zhuan 左傳 emphasizes the role of careful observation in such stealth tactics:
The scout (dié 諜) observed birds around the Chǔ 楚 encampment…2
諜告曰：「楚幕有烏。」乃止
The presence – or absence – of birds became a classic method of detection used by hidden scouts throughout Chinese military history. In this case, the birds’ avoidance of the camp signified that it was abandoned. This method was so effective that it was later adopted by the Japanese ninja, drawing a fascinating link between the two traditions. The spy would then proceed to investigate why the camp was empty – whether it was a trap or a genuine retreat.
- Zuo Quiming 左丘明, Zuo Zhuan 左傳, Duke Huán 桓 – 12th year, China, 300 BC
- Zuo Quiming 左丘明, Zuo Zhuan 左傳, Duke Zhuāng 莊 – 28th year, China, 300 BC
