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...
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...
The Dream of Red Mansions
Cao Xueqin's epic novel The Dream of Red Mansions is the greatest and most influential work of literature in the history of China.
Cao Xueqin’s...
The Terracotta Army – Shihuangdi’s Amazing Legacy
The creation of the Terracotta Army, one of the most astonishing tourist attractions in the world, is examined and assessed.
In 1974, farmers were digging...
Southwards Chinese Expansion
It is commonly said that China has made no attempt to exapnd its territory for many centuries - commonly said but incorrect. The Qing...
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 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 Jurchen
The Jurchen (also known as the Jin) were the semi-nomadic people who had taken over the north of China. In 946, the Khitan people...
Drinking in the Tang Dynasty
Perhaps one of the most evocative images of Tang Dynasty China is that of the wine-drinking party, conducted by the light of moon and...
The Castrated in the Tang Dynasty
Many cultures have made use of castration to provide young men who would in one way or another be trusted to run the household...