(关羽) 5 min read Guan Yu (关羽, 160–220 CE), a general of the late Eastern Han dynasty (东汉) and the Three Kingdoms period (c. 180–280 CE), was so lionized in the centuries after his death that he was eventually deified. He is still depicted in folklore and traditional drama as an icon of bravery […]
Chinese Folk Heroes: Guan Yu—Man or God Read More »
(以史为鉴的司马光) 6 min read More than a thousand years after Sima Qian (司马迁) completed the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji, 史记) in 91 BCE, an equally groundbreaking work of historiography was produced during the Song Dynasty (宋朝). In 1084 CE, Sima Guang (司马光, 1019–1086; opening image), a towering figure among scholar-officials (士大夫) of
Sima Guang’s “History as Mirror” Read More »
(中国古代对社会公义的看法) 5 min read Social justice lay at the heart of governance in ancient China. It was seen as essential to preserving the state, preventing rebellion, and upholding a ruler’s legitimacy. The goal was not equality in the modern sense, but harmony and stability within a hierarchical order. Rather than “justice” defined by individual
Social Justice in Ancient China Read More »
(中国历史上的文化融合) 6 min read China has been shaped by a complex process of ethnic integration characterized by periods of conquest, assimilation, and cultural exchange with neighboring groups. These processes broke down barriers and compelled different peoples to coexist, producing profound and lasting syntheses. This history has been interspersed with cycles of unity, fragmentation, collapse,
Cultural Integration in Chinese History Read More »
(中国的佛教) 4 min read The introduction of Buddhism to China is shrouded in mystery. The Book of Later Han (后汉书), compiled in the 5th century, records that Emperor Ming of Han (汉明帝) dreamed of a “golden man” in 64 CE, prompting him to send envoys westward in search of this figure. In 68 CE,
How Buddhism Became Chinese Read More »
(贯穿南北的京杭大运河) 6 min read In the late Spring and Autumn Period (春秋时代), between the 8th and 6th centuries BCE, when China was divided into numerous competing states, King Fuchai of Wu (吴王夫差) made a monumental contribution to China’s long-term nation-building. Beginning in 486 BCE, Fuchai ordered the construction of a canal linking Wu’s capital
The Grand Canal—Connecting China’s North and South Read More »
(蔡伦造纸) 4 min read The biography of Cai Lun (蔡伦) in the Records of the Later Han Dynasty (后汉书), compiled in the 5th century, states: “In ancient times, writing was generally done on bamboo strips or on pieces of silk, which were called paper. But silk was expensive and bamboo was heavy, making both
Cailun, the Inventor of Paper Read More »
(古代科举制的深远影响) 4 min read Joseph Needham (李約瑟), a British historian of science and editor of the renowned series History of Science and Technology in China (中国科学技术史), posed a famous question: “Between the first century BC and the fifteenth century AD, Chinese civilization was much more efficient than occidental culture in applying human knowledge to
Modern Impacts of the Ancient Keju System Read More »
(印刷术的发明) 5 min read The invention of printing, probably by the 8th century, had a profound impact on the spread of knowledge, literacy, and culture in ancient China. It democratized access to knowledge by making books more affordable and widely available, which in turn fueled the emergence of a large intellectual class and the
The Invention of Printing Read More »
(敦煌遗书中的秘密) 4 min read Twenty kilometers from the town of Dunhuang (敦煌)—a major crossroads on the ancient Silk Road—lie hundreds of Buddhist cave temples carved into cliffs bordering an endless expanse of sand dunes. Collectively known as the Mogao Caves (莫高窟), this complex represents one of the world’s greatest repositories of Buddhist art and
The Forgotten Secrets of the Dunhuang Read More »
