Calligraphy as an Art Form
The written Chinese language is based on an ancient art. The characters have evolved over centuries, from pictographs on oracle bones to todays's computer...
Shanghai in the 1930s
In the 1930s Shanghai was the stuff of legend. It was a thriving commercial center, but also known for every kind of vice. The...
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...
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...
Exploring the Yungang Caves
The Northern Wei Dynasty and Their Supercalifragilistic Cave Projects
The Yungang Caves are located in Shanxi Province, China, about 16 km (or 10 miles) west...
Chin – China’s Third Dynasty
An introduction to the Chin Dynasty, China’s third, which was ruled by Shih Huang-ti, the first emperor of China from 221-206 BCE.
The Chou Dynasty...
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...
Shang – The First Dynasty of China
Analysing the nature of the magic and sexual freedom of China's first recognised dynasty.
The Shang Dynasty (1765-1123 BCE) is recognised as being the first...
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...
Zhang Qian, the Chinese Marco Polo
Over one thousand years before Marco Polo the Han emissary Zhang Qian traveled west to present day Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, opening routes later called...