(苏州及岭南林园) 4 min read Classical Chinese garden design seeks to “recreate natural landscapes in miniature” (咫尺之内再造乾坤) by using four key elements—rocks, water, plants, and architecture—reflecting the profound importance of natural beauty in Chinese culture. Classical gardens are found primarily in southern China, especially in the historically rich regions of the Yangtze River Delta, particularly […]
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(大同的佛教艺术与建筑) 4 min read Because of its long history, the city of Datong (大同), in Shanxi Province (山西省), is rich in remarkable historical sites. The city was formally established as Pingcheng (平城) during the Han Dynasty (c. 200 BCE) as a frontier outpost to defend against northern nomadic tribes. After the fall of the
Buddhist Art and Architectures of Datong 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 »
(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, horses, camels, and spices to China and
Flavors From the 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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(被遗忘了的良渚) 5 min read Over half a dozen Neolithic cultures once dotted the vast expanse of what is now China, particularly along its two great river systems—the Yangtze (长江) and the Yellow (黄河) Rivers. The ruins of Liangzhu (良渚) were first identified in the 1930s, when jade artifacts were unearthed during road construction. In
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(中国历史起源地—殷墟) 4 min read As a latecomer, China’s Bronze Age began around 2000 BCE, when the Xia (夏) people learned to mine and smelt copper and tin to produce bronze tools and weapons along the Yellow River (黄河) valley in northern China. By that time, civilizations in Egypt, Greece, and Mesopotamia were already well
Yinxu—Where Chinese History Began Read More »
(在二里头探索中华文明的起源) 5 min read The Erlitou Site Museum of the Xia Capital (二里头夏都遗址博物馆) was the highlight of my visit to Luoyang (洛阳). Erlitou rose to prominence in 1959, when archaeologists unearthed artifacts dating back nearly 4,000 years—traces of what may be China’s earliest dynasty. Originally a Neolithic settlement from the 4th millennium BCE, it
Exploring the Origin of Chinese Civilization in Erlitou Read More »
