Tuesday, May 14, 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.

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...

Taiping Rebellion in 19th Century China

During the middle of the 19th century, China was faced with the destructive capacity and decisiveness of civil war. This conflict became known as...

Foot Binding in China

Foot binding in China was a practice that involved systematically wrapping a woman’s foot in cloth bandages over a period of years, forcing it...

Confucius: Jokes, Quotations and History

Confucius (551B.C.–479B.C.) was a great thinker in ancient China. His philosophies gained prominence in China over other doctrines for 2,000 years from Han Dynasty...

Impact of the Russo-Japanese War

The Russo-Japanese War was a conflict that pitted the Russian Empire against the Japanese Empire between February 10, 1904 to September 5, 1905. The...

China: Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty

The Tang and Song Dynasties of China provide a glimpse into ancient Chinese splendor and reveal Chinese advances in all aspects of human life. The...

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...

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...

Classical China The Shang and Zhou Dynasties

The first known civilisations from earliest Chinese history were the Shang and Zhou dynasties (c.1650-771 BC). Learn about how they came to power. The Shang...

The Five Dynasties

An introduction to the chaotic period of five dynasties and ten principalities throuh which China suffered between 907-960. Was this period really the Dark...