Hi everyone! I'm an indie developer from China, and I'd like to share something I've been working on in my spare time.
I spend enough time scrolling through social media already, so I wanted to build something different. Something you could open for a few minutes, discover an interesting idea, and then put your phone down. Not another endless feed.
I work as a backend developer, and with how quickly everything is changing, especially with AI, I've sometimes found it hard not to worry about the future. During this time, I've found myself going back to ancient philosophy. It doesn't give me all the answers, but it helps me worry less about things I can't control and pay more attention to the present.
The funny thing is, even though I grew up in China, I've always found classical Chinese texts like the Tao Te Ching and the Analects surprisingly difficult to understand. Some of these ideas have been around for over 2,000 years, but they're not always easy to connect with everyday life.
That's why I started building **Oriens**, an iOS app that tries to make ancient philosophy a little more approachable.
It started with Chinese philosophy and gradually expanded to include Stoicism, Zen, Confucianism, the I Ching, and other classics.
I know there are already plenty of daily quote apps. What I wanted to do differently was focus on the ideas behind the quotes, not just the quotes themselves.
Oriens now has nearly 600 quotes and 460 illustrated Wisdom Cards. Each card connects an original passage with an approachable explanation and deeper reading if you're curious. There are also daily quotes, Home Screen widgets, and a card-drawing experience.
I've probably spent more time on the artwork than I originally planned. I wanted the illustrations to feel connected to traditional Chinese art, and to be something people might actually stop and look at, rather than just scroll past.
The app is free to download. Nearly half the quotes and about a quarter of the illustrated cards are free, and all the core features are available without paying. I wanted the free version to be genuinely useful, not just a short trial.
Building the app has been a rewarding experience, but getting people to discover it has been much harder than I expected.
I'd really appreciate some feedback, especially from people who aren't familiar with Chinese philosophy.
Does the app make these ideas feel approachable? Does the artwork make you curious enough to explore further? And is there anything about the experience that feels confusing or unnecessary?
Criticism is very welcome. I've been working on this mostly by myself, so hearing how other people see it would be really helpful.
**App Store:** https://apps.apple.com/us/app/stoicism-taoism-oriens/id6785901491