Yuan Dynasty History
Non-Chinese Mongols ruled China and ushered in many changes and reforms during their short-lived Yuan Dynasty.
The Yuan Dynasty was one of China’s shortest-lived dynasties....
The Revolt of An Lushan
History sometimes seems to be an inevitable process - but it was not. There were many occasions when a major change could have happened...
Chinese Cricket Fighting
How cricket fighting has entertained Chinese for many centuries - and how to tell whether your cricket will be a champion.
No self-respecting Chinese mandarin...
The Impact of the Steppe Peoples
From the Cimmerians to the Manchus, the nomadic horse riders from the Asian Steppes have swooped down on the sedentary peoples of Europe and...
The 1911 Revolution and the Last Emperor of China
After nearly a century of foreign intervention, nationalist forces seized control of China from the Emperor and the Qing Dynasty.
After years of foreign intervention...
Chinese Yin Yang Philosophy: Confucius, Lao Tzu and Bruce Lee
“Happiness is to be found by misery's side. Misery lurks beneath happiness. Who knows what either will come to in the end?” said ancient...
Chinese Furniture from the Ming and the Qing Dynasties
The later years of the Ming dynasty were a period of rising affluence among the elites of China following the austerity of earlier years....
Yuan – The Mongol Dynasty, 1279-1368
The reign of the Mongols over China was disastrous for the Chinese people. They finally threw out their oppressors – how did this come...
The Moon Festival and Its Moon Cakes
The Moon Festival is celebrated across Eastern Asia, though the most well-known celebration, at least in the Western world, seems to be that of...
The Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai
The Fairmont Peace Hotel was the brainchild of Sir Victor Sassoon, Anglo-Jewish real estate tycoon and visionary. Work on the Cathay Hotel (its original...