The Original Building of The Forbidden City in 1420
It was the Yongle Emperor (1403-24) who moved the capital from Nanjing ‘the southern capital’ to Beiping and renamed it Beijing meaning ‘the northern...
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 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,...
Chou – China’s Second Dynasty
The Chou Dynasty (1123-221 BCE) succeeded the Shang Dynasty as the Age of Reason succeeded the Age of Magic. Chou Emperors were characterised by...
The Ninja: Formulation of an Assassin
An investigation into the origins of the ancient ninja give clues to how and why this highly trained assassin came to be.
The ninja figures...
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...
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....
Pu Yi – The Last Emperor of China
While on her deathbed the Empress Dowager Cixi chose the infant boy Pu Yi to be China's next emperor. In December 1908 he ascended...
White Russians in Shanghai
After the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 thousands of ant-Communist Russians were stateless and homeless. They all flocked to Shanghai, China and a new life.
There...
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...