(画里的秘密) 3 min read The painting Night Revelry of Han Xizai (韩熙载夜宴图) is set in the waning years of the Southern Tang dynasty (937–975), a time of political instability and impending crisis. It was commissioned by Li Yu (李煜, 937–978), ruler of the Southern Tang, who considered appointing Han Xizai (韩熙载) chancellor after ascending […]
The Painting with a Secret Plot Read More »
(魏晋墓砖画的生活写照) 4 min read In the vast desert 20 kilometers northeast of the city of Jiayuguan (嘉峪关)—which shares its name with the western terminus of the Great Wall—lies a complex of more than 1,400 underground tombs decorated with painted bricks from the Wei and Jin Dynasties (魏晋), dating from the 3rd to the 5th
A Window into the Daily Life in the Wei-Jin Period Read More »
(永乐宫传世之宝) 4 min read Construction of the Yongle Palace (永乐宫), a Daoist temple (道观), started in 1247 during the early Yuan Dynasty to worship Lü Dongbin (吕洞宾, born 796), one of Daosim’s Eight Immortals (八仙). The construction, including the creation of the murals inside the temple, took a total of 110 years and the
Timeless Treasures of the Yongle Palace Read More »
(中西合璧的香港美食) 5 min read Hong Kong—a British colony between 1842 and 1997—has retained its international image since it was handed back to China. Given the city’s multicultural influence, it is no surprise that some of its foods, even dishes that seem indigenous, are actually a fusion between east and west. At the center of
Post Template Ver 2 Read More »
(中国的 “美食之都”: 顺德, 潮州, 澳门) 5 min read Among UNESCO’s global list of Cities of Gastronomy, six are located in China. Of these, Shunde, Chaozhou, and Macau (顺德, 潮州, 澳门) are in Guangdong Province (广东省), while Yangzhou and Huai’an (淮安) are in Jiangsu Province (江苏省), and Chengdu (成都) is in Sichuan Province (四川省). This first
China’s Cities of Gastronomy (1): Shunde, Chaozhou, and Macau Read More »
(中西合璧的香港美食) 5 min read Hong Kong—a British colony between 1842 and 1997—has retained its international image since it was handed back to China. Given the city’s multicultural influence, it is no surprise that some of its foods, even dishes that seem indigenous, are actually a fusion between east and west. At the center of
East Meets West in Hong Kong Read More »
(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
Ancient Cave Temples of China Read More »
(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 »
