Archives - Page 3 of 21 - Jottings from the Granite Studio

“Maosoleum to Close for Repairs, Will Reopen in September,” The Beijinger

February 27, 2017

If you’re looking to visit the pickled remains of China’s former Chairman, best get to Tiananmen Square before Wednesday. The Maosoleum, officially known as the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, will be closed for extended repairs and renovations beginning March 1, 2017. [Read More...]

“Cut Off: The Final Days of General Ming Rui,” The World of Chinese

January 31, 2017

The sad tale of General Ming Rui, who fought and died in a forgotten war between China and Myanmar [Read More...]

“A Teacher’s Advice to His Students for Staying Safe During Spring Festival,” The Beijinger

January 28, 2017

How to stay safe during the Spring Festival, a holiday generally celebrated with copious amounts of alcohol and explosives. [Read More...]

“Why Do We Call it Spring Festival?: The Origins Behind the Name,” The Beijinger

January 26, 2017

For thousands of years it was simply called the New Year, at least according to the lunar-solar calendar. So what changed? [Read More...]

“Five of China’s Worst ‘Last Emperors’,” The World of Chinese

January 20, 2017

In China, the “bad last emperor” is a bit of cliché. The hackneyed revolutions of the dynastic cycle eventually turn from the heroic founder to the dunderheaded descendant who undoes all the founder’s good work. [Read More...]

“Stanford Closes Beijing Study Abroad Program, Enrollments Down at Other Beijing-Based Centers,” The Beijinger

January 20, 2017

News that Stanford University will shutter its undergraduate overseas studies program in Beijing has focused attention on the future of the city as a destination for US students studying abroa [Read More...]

“Temple Fairs: A Beijing Spring Festival Survival Guide,” The Beijinger

January 19, 2017

The first question everyone must ask themselves before going to a temple fair is, of course, WHY? Yes, they are excellent ways to get in touch with one of the few Beijing traditions which managed to survive the 20th century. [Read More...]

“It’s Official: The Era of the Cheap Ride-Hailing App Fare is Dead,” The Beijinger

January 18, 2017

New regulations, announced last year and put into effect in December, as well as the consolidation of rivals Didi Chuxing and Uber, have imperiled this brief golden age of automotive convenience and threaten to force us back into the vaguely hostile and geographically-challenged embrace of the official taxi fleet. [Read More...]

“China Revises University Entrance Exams to Get the Emoji Generation to Read More Classics,” The Beijinger

January 14, 2017

The Beijing News reports that the Cao Xueqin novel was one of several works included in the new edition of the Gaokao "Examination Study Guide" published by the Beijing Education Examinations Authority this week. [Read More...]

“The Great Chinese Tea Theft,” Here! Dongguan

January 10, 2017

Imagine Indiana Jones, but if Indy had been a gardener, rather than an eminent archaeologist. Meet Robert Fortune, the man the British East India Company hired to steal tea from China. [Read More...]

“Don’t Be a Fool, Eat Your Gruel: The Story Behind Eating Porridge for Laba Festival, Jan 5,” The Beijinger

January 4, 2017

Some people will do anything for a free meal, even if that means waiting in line outside in Beijing in the middle of January for nothing more than a bowl of thin 粥 zhōu, or porridge. And yet tomorrow thousands of Beijingers will line up at temples throughout the city to do just that in honor of the Festival of Laba. [Read More...]

“Capital Histories: How Beijing became the capital of China,” The Beijinger

December 30, 2016

How did Beijing become the capital of China? My short-form history of Beijing for the Nov/Dec issue of The Beijinger. [Read More...]

Chinese History FAQs: “What was Mao’s Deal?”

December 27, 2016

Probably the most commonly asked question in my classes is “What was Mao’s deal?” It’s a tough question to answer, even for folks from China. Approach ten people in a Beijing park, and ask them about Mao, best be prepared to get ten wildly different answers. [Read More...]

“Blinged-Out Mobile Not the First Telephone Controversy at the Forbidden City,” The Beijinger

December 24, 2016

The recent flap over the Palace Museum's promotion of a bling-out luxury mobile phone was not the first time that a phone has caused a stir at the Forbidden City. The story of a phone, an emperor, and his love of prank calls. [Read More...]

“Friends With (few) Benefits,” The World of Chinese

December 21, 2016

If you’re a Chinese businessman or official and you call David or James an “Old Friend,” you might as well pack up whatever it is you’re selling because they’re not buying it. It’s an old strategy, one that has been perfected over the years. But there was a time when the “old friend” routine was still a work in progress. [Read More...]