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The Winter Clothing Festival
Halloween is gaining a foothold in China, with malls and grocery stores cashing in on the American holiday. Zombies took over Happy Valley amusement park in Beijing, bloody pictures have flooded the...
View ArticleDivide and Conquer
Chinese history is rich in tales of military geniuses. As the saying states: fight a battle of wits, not of limbs (斗智不斗力, dòu zhì bú dòu lì). The language too is laden with martial terms. The Chinese...
View ArticleLong Road to Abolition
In 1906, as the Qing Empire (1616 – 1911) entered its final years, Zhou Fu, the Viceroy of Nanjing, wrote a memorial advocating for the abolition of slavery. Zhou died before the throne could act, two...
View ArticleThe Many Talents of House Guests
What would you think if you were offered a pretty decent job because you can bark like a dog? Today, OK, that would probably be a bit weird, but it wasn’t a daydream for desperate job-seekers in the...
View ArticleFlash that Bling
Tuhao is a pretty common word in modern China, referring to the vulgar nouveau riche who like to show off their wealth but have poor taste. They’re excellent fodder for tabloid headlines. One day a...
View ArticleFriends With (few) Benefits
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is President-Elect Donald Trump’s choice for U.S. Ambassador to China. In the wake of the announcement, there has been a lot of commentary on how Xi Jinping has a special...
View ArticleWho-nan? A Guide to Province Names
If there is one quality a good administrator of an empire ought to have, it’s knowing where everything is. In early history, the tribes that were the forerunners to the Chinese civilization called...
View Article5 of China’s Worst “Last Emperors”
What does it take to end an empire? At what point do incompetence and corruption reach a critical mass in which the center cannot hold and the walls come crumbling down? As an American voter, I’ve been...
View ArticleCut Off: The Final Days of General Ming Rui
The spring rains of 1768 have come to Burma. Pouring sheets of water mean thick mud at every turn, movement is impossible, but it doesn’t matter: The Manchu General Ming Rui has nowhere left to go. A...
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Duck Tales
As one of the most representative dishes of Beijing, the internationally renowned Peking Duck has a long history that dates back to the imperial era. Roast duck has been prepared in China since the...
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