“A Tale of Two Brothers,” The World of Chinese
The emperor called two brothers into his chambers. Only one would be named heir to the empire. [Read More...]
October 2016
“Modern Structures to be Demolished, New Areas Opened to the Public at the Forbidden City,” The Beijinger
Updates on the removal of modern structures and the opening of new areas to the public at The Forbidden City. My latest post for The Beijinger. [Read More...]
“The Blast that Nearly Destroyed Beijing,” The World of Chinese
In 1626, the Wanggognchang Armory in Beijing suddenly exploded. The blast wiped out half the city, killed 20,000 people, and entered the annals of history as a story weird enough to be worthy of its own X-File. [Read More...]
“Preserved Architecture, Sustainable Crowds, and Manageable Traffic: The Story of What Beijing Could Have Been,” The Beijinger
My column on Liang Sicheng for the September/October issue of The Beijinger. [Read More...]
“Reading Hillbilly Elegy in Beijing,” Los Angeles Review of Books China Blog
A review essay for the Los Angeles Review of Books on the similarities between the historical experience of the rural white working poor in the United States and a new generation of migrant workers in China's cities. [Read More...]
From the Archives: Why Hua Guofeng Matters…No. Seriously.
Originally published in 2008 on the occasion of the death of Hua Guofeng, 1921-2008. October 7, 2016 is the 40th anniversary of Hua's ascension to power following the death of Chairman Mao. [Read More...]