(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 […]
Classical Gardens of Suzhou and Lingnan Read More »
(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 »
(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 »
(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 »
(通行南北的面条) 6 min read Food plays an outsized role in Chinese culture, and among different Chinese foods, noodles may be the most loved. The type of noodle consumed in China differs from region to region. People in wheat growing areas prefer wheat noodles, while those in rice growing areas favor rice noodles. Moreover, different
Chinese Noodles, from North to South Read More »
(通行南北的饺子) Reading Time: 4 minutes Every Saturday, I join a group of friends in a decades-old ritual—a dim-sum lunch that includes a plethora of small Cantonese dishes of dumplings, buns, meat balls, pastries, crepe rolls, and fritters. Dim sum (点心) is literally “touch the heart”, but this lunch—reminiscent of our years in Hong Kong where
Chinese Dumplings，from North to South Read More »
(“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 »
(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
Secrets of Sanxingdui Read More »
(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
The Forgotten Liangzhu Read More »
