Thursday, May 2, 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.

Gaozu: The First Emperor of the Tang Dynasty

Emperor Gaozu established the Tang Dynasty in 618 and ruled for eight years before being ousted by his ambitious second son. Gaozu (or Kao Tzu)...

The Chinese Red Army’s Heroic Battle that Never Happened

The crossing of the Dadu River by the Red Army in 1935 during the 6,000-mile Long March was a seminal myth for Chinese communists,...

Historical Portrait of the Muslim Chinese

The Hui are one of the most important and peculiar of China's minorities because of their unique place inside China's socio-historical space. Unlike some other...

What Was the Boxer Rebellion?

In the era between 1898 and 1901, the nation of China found itself entrenched in an internal conflict with conservative elements of the population...

Sui – China’s Fifth Dynasty

The Sui Dynasty reunified China and helped to rebuild the country, paving the way for the glory of the Tang Dynasty. The short-lived Sui Dynasty...

Confucius, Rites and Human Nature

Confucius is a great thinker in ancient China. He created the golden rules of Chinese philosophy and was committed to bringing the social and...

The Dalai Lamas

In the fourteenth century, the concept of reincarnation began to become important in Tibetan Buddhism. In Tibet, as in other countries where Buddhism has...

Early Medieval China and the Makings of Chinese Civilisation

China's history 'between the empires', the Han and Tang dynasties, was a formative period for Chinese culture civilisation. The dearth of close studies of the...

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...

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...