The Twilight of the Qing Dynasty: A Meeting of Two Worlds The late 19th century witnessed extraordinary encounters between China’s […]
The Grand Invitation to the Imperial Court In the twilight years of the Qing Dynasty, as Western influence increasingly penetrated […]
The Ancient Foundations of a Capital City Beijing’s story begins in the mists of antiquity, its origins tracing back to […]
The Perilous Passage Upstream In the spring of an unrecorded year, a group of Western travelers embarked on an extraordinary […]
The Journey Begins: Shanghai to Nanjing On the evening of March 29, passengers boarded a steamship operated by the Butterfield […]
The Gateway to a Changing China As our steamer approached Shanghai from the Wusong estuary, the first sight that greeted […]
An Unexpected Encounter on the China-Bound Ship In the late 19th century, as steamships connected continents, a fascinating cultural exchange […]
The Divine Mandate and Bureaucratic Realities The Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) operated under a political philosophy where the emperor, styled as […]
The Ancient Foundations of Chinese Thought Chinese literature and culture developed along profoundly different lines from Western traditions, rooted in […]
The Linguistic Labyrinth of China For centuries, the Chinese language has fascinated and confounded foreign observers with its unique characteristics. […]
The Origins of Heaven Worship in Chinese Civilization The concept of Heaven (Tian) as a supreme, impersonal force governing human […]
The Dawn of Guangxu’s Rule In 1889, a significant transition occurred in China’s imperial court as the Guangxu Emperor formally […]
The Mythic Foundations of Chinese Culture Long before the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty in 1122 BCE, China’s early history […]
The Traveler’s Odyssey: From Burma to Weihaiwei The journey back to northern China from Burma was leisurely, stretching over two […]
Gateway to the Irrawaddy: Bhamo’s Transformation For centuries, the remote outpost of Bhamo existed beyond the imagination of most Western […]
The Perilous Passage: Choosing a Route Through Yunnan’s Monsoon Lands The journey began with an unexpected obstacle in Dali Prefecture […]
A Crucible of Diversity: The Land That Shaped Nations The rugged landscapes of Southwest China have long served as both […]
From Lijiang to Dali: A Traveler’s Crossroads in Yunnan The journey from Lijiang to Dali in the late imperial period […]
A Perilous Journey Through Yunnan’s Wild Frontier The farewell at Yongning Prefecture carried both gratitude and apprehension. My three Han […]
Introduction: The Hidden Land of Yellow Lamas Nestled in the rugged mountains where Sichuan meets Yunnan and Tibet, the mysterious […]
The Frontier Crossing at Yalong River In the late 19th century, crossing the turbulent Yalong River marked a significant cultural […]
Crossing the Threshold Into Tibetan Lands The journey began on April 15th when I departed from Dajianlu (modern-day Kangding), the […]
