Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Chinese History

China is one of the oldest civilizations on this earth. This is, after all, the country that gave us Peking Man, who lived three-quarters of a million years ago. More realistically, the Chinese figure their civilization dates back just 5,000 years.

The Chinese base their history through the ages on dynasties, and generally consider the Xia Dynasty (2000 – 1200 BC) to be the first dynasty. The last dynasty was the Qing Dynasty which ended in 1911 when the youngster Pu Yi abdicated as the last emperor of China.

In decades past, China was considered a Third World country. No more. In the 21st century, it is emerging as a Super Power. To understand how China got to the point it is today, it is important to understand its past.

Exploring the Yungang Caves

The Northern Wei Dynasty and Their Supercalifragilistic Cave Projects The Yungang Caves are located in Shanxi Province, China, about 16 km (or 10 miles) west...

Tai Chi Chuan: Kung Fu of Taoist and I Ching Philosophies

Tai Chi Chuan is a martial arts system based on ancient Chinese Taoist and I Ching philosophies. In Chinese language, Tai Chi literally means...

Causes of the First Sino-Japanese War

Between August 1894 and April 1895, China and Japan were engaged in a war over the future of the Korean peninsula in a conflict...

Mongol Warriors and the Composite Bow

Genghis Khan began the Mongol invasions but it was the powerful composite bow which carried their civilization out of the steppe. The Mongol tribes of...

Calligraphy as an Art Form

The written Chinese language is based on an ancient art. The characters have evolved over centuries, from pictographs on oracle bones to todays's computer...

The Art of War: Sun Tzu Created History

Sun Tzu (about 543B.C.–470B.C.) was an ancient Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher who is the author of the Art of War. He lived...

Chin – China’s Third Dynasty

An introduction to the Chin Dynasty, China’s third, which was ruled by Shih Huang-ti, the first emperor of China from 221-206 BCE. The Chou Dynasty...

The Humiliation of the 19th Century Chinese Qing Empire

The first British visitors to Shanghai in 1832, some East India Company officers, demanded the Chinese lift restrictions on Sino-European trade. In 1839, British gunboats...

Sir Victor Sassoon, Builder of 1930s Shanghai

A millionaire with a vision, Sir Victor Sasoon built modern Shanghai. His buildings modernized the city. When he left in 1948, the great metropolis...

Tea Horse Road

Whilst there are many intersections and somewhat of a delta of outlets at the ends, the traditional tea horse road has two routes. They...