From Mortuary Art to Living Rooms: The Unexpected Origins of Popular Décor Modern interior design often prides itself on innovation, […]
A Beauty’s Fate in the Chaos of War The Three Kingdoms period (220-280 CE) was an era of legendary warriors […]
The Noble Wolves of the Steppe The Ashina clan, whose name in Turkic meant “noble wolf” or carried connotations of […]
A Maritime Empire’s Southernmost Outpost When discussing the territorial reach of China’s imperial dynasties, many envision the vast land conquests […]
The Origins of Name Cards in Ancient China Long before the invention of modern business cards or holiday greetings, ancient […]
From Survival to Savory: The Origins of Guangxi’s Insect Cuisine Nestled in China’s southern frontier, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region boasts […]
The Mysterious Origins of a Future Strategist The early life of Han Xin, one of China’s most celebrated military tacticians, […]
The Mysterious Origins of a Monkey Companion The journey of Sun Wukong from obscurity to becoming one of Chinese literature’s […]
A Scholar’s Paradise in Twilight In the twelfth month of 1632, as bitter winds swept across Hangzhou’s West Lake, a […]
A Restless Spirit in the Tang Dynasty’s Golden Era In the pantheon of Tang Dynasty poetry, Wang Zhihuan (688–742) occupies […]
The Aristocrat and the Clerk: A Tale of Two Patrons In the rich tapestry of Water Margin (水浒传), China’s classic […]
A House Divided: The Fragile State of the Southern Ming In the spring of 1645, as Qing forces advanced southward […]
Introduction: A Forgotten Empire’s Dark Royal Secrets The 1988 film Dunhuang, adapted from Japanese author Yasushi Inoue’s novel, captivated audiences […]
A Prince’s Rise and Fall in the Shadow of Power In the early 1970s, archaeologists excavating the Qianling Mausoleum complex […]
A Promising Prince in the Early Ming Dynasty Born in 1377 as the seventeenth son of Ming Dynasty founder Emperor […]
The Waning Power of the Zhou Dynasty The Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BCE) marked a significant transition in ancient […]
From Ancient Fields to Modern Tables: The Origins of Soy and Dairy Cultures The story of human civilization can be […]
The Ancient Origins of China’s Fermented Cuisine The culinary appreciation of pungent, fermented foods in China stretches back over two […]
From Divine Beasts to Bureaucratic Underlings: The Origins of Dragon Kings The recent global fascination with Chinese mythology, sparked by […]
Introduction: The Perilous Game of Thrones in Qing China The year 1722 marked a pivotal moment in Qing dynasty history […]
From Dinner Tables to Poetry Books: The Curious Case of Forgotten Foods When we leaf through the ancient Book of […]
The Aristocratic Origins of “Wanku” The term “wanku” (纨绔) originally referred to an item of clothing that symbolized elite status […]
