(马可波罗眼中的中国) 5 min read Marco Polo was born into a family of adventurers. In 1271, at the age of sixteen, he accompanied his father and uncle as they departed Venice for the Mongol court during the Yuan Dynasty (元朝). Risking inhospitable deserts infested with bandits, they traveled through Turkey and Iran and reached the […]
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(中国文学中的楼阁) 6 min read Certain ancient buildings hold profound significance in Chinese literature as enduring symbols of cultural and historical expression. Among the most celebrated are Yueyang Tower (岳阳楼), Yellow Crane Tower (黄鹤楼), and Tengwang Pavilion (滕王阁). Often referred to as the “Three Great Towers” (三大名楼), they inspired some of the most renowned works
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(追寻唐诗的足迹) 6 min read The Tang dynasty (唐朝), spanning the 7th to the 9th centuries, marked the golden age of classical Chinese poetry. Even today, Tang poetry remains widely read and memorized by Chinese speakers around the world. The Tang educated-elite maintained a strong tradition of travel—first to sit for the progressively demanding civil
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(古代诗歌中的江河) 4 min read China possesses one of the world’s most extensive waterway systems, composed of natural rivers, artificial canals, and interconnected channels. From the Pearl River (珠江) in the south to the Yellow River (黄河) in the north, these waterways have long inspired poetry, serving as both physical settings and sources of metaphorical
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(诗经: 中国文学的泉源) 6 min read Widely regarded as the fountainhead of Chinese literature, the Book of Songs, or Shijing (诗经, 11th–6th century BCE), is the earliest extant collection of Chinese poetry. These poems—some explicit and narrative, others metaphorical and elusive—were gathered from different regions. They vividly reflect the daily life, emotions, customs, and aspirations
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(友谊颂歌) 5 min read Friendship is one of the key cardinal relationships emphasized in Confucian ethics. The long-standing tradition among China’s literati of celebrating friendship through poetry reflects the deep value placed on interpersonal bonds. From the Book of Songs (Shijing, 诗经; early 1st millennium BCE) to Tang poetry (Tang shi, 唐诗; 7th–9th centuries
(郑和下西洋的文化遗产) 6 min read Since the first century CE, many regions of South and Southeast Asia have been connected by sea routes known today as the Maritime Silk Road (image below). By the Tang Dynasty (唐朝), between the 7th and 10th centuries, these routes linked seaports such as Guangzhou (广州) in southern China with
Cultural Legacy of Zheng He’s Voyages Read More »
(清末民初的百年奋斗) 10 min read The century following 1840—when Britain launched the First Opium War (鸦片战争)—is often described as China’s Century of Humiliation (百年屈辱). During this period, China endured repeated invasions and plunder: the two Opium Wars (1839–42, 1856–60), the Sino-Japanese War of 1894, the Eight-Nation Alliance’s attack on Beijing in 1900, and the Japanese
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(中国高等教育一个世纪的自强不息) 6 min read The keju (科举), or imperial examination system, was established during the Sui Dynasty (隋朝) in the 6th century to select civil servants. By the Ming and Qing dynasties (明清), from the 14th to the 19th centuries, the entire intellectual class had become deeply engrossed in these examinations. Every two to
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(战火中锻造的西南联大) 7 min read In 1937, China’s Peking University (北京大学), Tsinghua University (清华大学), and Nankai University (南开大学) temporarily merged and relocated—first to Changsha in Hunan Province (湖南长沙) and later to Kunming in Yunnan Province (云南昆明). In Kunming, the institution adopted a new name: the National Southwest Associated University (国立西南联合大学), or Xinan Lianda (西南联大) for
Forged in the Flames of War—the Story of the National Southwest Associated University Read More »
