The Macroregions of China and the Red Sox/Yankee Rivalry
Connecticut is a state divided by two competing urban centers (and baseball teams) providing a lesson in why researchers need to look beyond state-defined boundaries. [Read More...]
Chinese History
This Week in History: The end of the Qing and how (not) to get thrown out of a pub quiz
It's not easy always being right about history. How the end of the Qing dynasty once got me thrown out of a pub quiz. [Read More...]
Academics?! What, they’re gonna study your study?
Searching for Zou Rong, Finding "The Wire" [Read More...]
I’m a Loser, Baby: The Life and Times of Prince Duan
The Qing court had more narcissistic drug-addled half-wits than Justin Bieber’s mansion, but even with that competition Prince Duan was something special. [Read More...]
Bad History: Modern Marvels – The Great Wall
Downloaded the "Great Wall" episode of Modern Marvels for a class. Wasted $1.99 on a History Channel fail. [Read More...]
The Great Wall of Qi?
Discovery of a wall in Shandong raises the question: just what makes a wall "Great"? [Read More...]
Historical Responsibility: Yasukuni and Mao Zedong
A group of leaders yesterday visited a shrine packed with historical baggage. Was it in Japan or Beijing? [Read More...]
What is Mao Zedong’s Legacy 120 Years Later?
December 26 is the birthday of Mao Zedong, the portly gentleman from Hunan who, for 70% better and 30% ill, led China from 1949 until his death in 1976. [Read More...]
Nanjing
On December 13, 1937, the Japanese Imperial Army stormed the city of Nanjing, setting off a month of looting and killing that still shocks the world. But what is truly being remembered 76 years later? [Read More...]
Mandela and Mao
Nelson Mandela was so many things that the current Chinese government actively fears and loathes. He was a political prisoner, an activist, a party organizer, general rabble rouser, an outspoken champion of the disenfranchised, and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient. If you are Chinese, these are not activities that get you a place on the CCP Christmas card list. [Read More...]
Jesse Appell raps the history of Chinese economic development. No, seriously.
Jesse Appell is a talented guy who has put together the single greatest rap version of Modern Chinese history. Granted, not a lot of competition in this particular category but still very cool. [Read More...]
Granite Studio on the move…
What happens when an apartment deal seems shady? If you've lived in Beijing long enough, your paranoia kicks in and you start to worry. [Read More...]
One from the Archives: The Sicilian Guide to Chinese History
Chris Buckley in the New York Times today described Xi Jinping as being in "Godfather" mode. In that spirit, here is a post from the past looking at Chinese history through the lens of great gangster cinema. [Read More...]
Patriots Day
A bombing is a tragedy always. But hitting Boston on Patriots Day is a blow to who we are. This is a day when everybody is out in the streets enjoying what is usually one of the first semi-warm days of the year. It’s the beginning of spring.
And some asshole or assholes decided to blow it up. [Read More...]
On Sun Yatsen, 1912, and Han Han
Trusting Yuan Shikai to nourish a fragile young republican government was basically akin to dousing a three-year old in A1 Sauce and putting him in the care of a rabid honey badger, but the demise of the first republican experiment might not have been as inevitable as some believe. [Read More...]