(北京中轴线的历史痕迹) 4 min read Just inside the north side of Beijing’s former city wall stand the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower (opening image), both built in 1272 during the Yuan dynasty (元朝). Together, the two towers offer panoramic views of central Beijing. Looking directly south from the Drum Tower, the line of sight […]
Beijing’s Central Axis Read More »
(中国古代佛窟) 4 min read According to a national survey, China has 2,155 cave-temple sites, most of which are Buddhist, though some are Daoist. Buddhist cave art constitutes a major component of traditional Chinese sculpture and painting. The construction of these cave temples was not driven primarily by artistic self-expression, but by karma—the Buddhist belief
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(长治久安的西安) 5 min read Chang’an (长安, meaning “lasting peace”), today’s Xi’an (西安), has a glorious past as the capital of several ancient Chinese dynasties. The region’s fertile soil and proximity to the Wei River (渭河)—the largest tributary of the Yellow River (黄河)—enabled it to sustain a large population for several millennia. The area
Xi’an—the City of Lasting Peace Read More »
(清代的御花园) 5 min read Qing-dynasty (清朝, 1644–1912) imperial gardens—such as the Mountain Resort in Chengde (避暑山庄), Yuanmingyuan (圆明园), and Yiheyuan (颐和园, also known as the Summer Palace)—are culturally significant because they represent microcosms of the Qing Empire. They showcase Chinese aesthetic traditions while embodying the interaction of nature, human design, and geopolitics. Although each
Imperial Gardens of the Qing Dynasty Read More »
(传统住宅的建筑风格) 5 min read Shaped by China’s vast geography, varied climate, ethnic diversity, and long-standing cultural traditions, traditional Chinese homes exhibit remarkable architectural diversity. Six representative styles are highlighted below. From north to south, they are the siheyuan (四合院), yaodong (窑洞), Anhui style (徽派), Hakka tulou (客家土楼), Cantonese style (粤派), and qilou (骑楼) homes.
Architectural Styles of Traditional Homes Read More »
丝路行旅—从西安至敦煌) 7 min read The ancient Silk Road was not a single road, but a network of trade routes connecting China with Central Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and Europe. Our Silk Road journey traced the Chinese section of this network, traveling westward from Xi’an (西安) through Lanzhou (兰州), Jiayuguan (嘉峪关), Dunhuang (敦煌), Ürümqi (乌鲁木齐), and
Modern Travelers on the Ancient Silk Road (1): From Xi’an to Dunhuang Read More »
(中国的节日) Reading Time: 6 minutes Festivals, deeply embedded in Chinese history and traditions, are key parts of Chinese culture. They are not only markers of the seasons to be celebrated, but also powerful expressions of cultural identity, values, and social cohesion. They provide occasions for social interactions, family gatherings, and the transmission of cultural knowledge to
(“道” 的启示) 5 min read Daoism (道家), together with Confucianism (儒家), is one of China’s two major indigenous philosophical traditions. This article focuses on Daoism as a philosophy rather than as a religious movement. The term Daoism derives from the Daodejing (道德经), the foundational text of Daoist thought. Traditionally, this work of roughly 5,000
Enlightenment from the Dao Read More »
(丝路上的美食) Reading Time: 5 minutes The ancient Silk Road—a network of routes that connected China to the Central Asia and finally Europe—started from Chang’an (长安), the modern-day Xi’an (西安). Through the Silk Road, merchants in camel and horse caravans from the west and south brought their musical instruments, rugs, ceramics, lacquer-wares, and spices to China and
Flavors of the Chinese Silk Road Read More »
(三星堆的秘密) 6 min read About 70 kilometers north of Chengdu (成都), one of China’s largest metropolises, lie the ruins of Sanxingdui (三星堆). This Bronze Age culture (c. 1700–1150 BCE) flourished in what is now Sichuan Province (四川) for several centuries before mysteriously disappearing around the mid-12th century BCE. Excavations over the past 50
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