“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...]
Articles
“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...]
“Six Hacks for Visiting the Forbidden City,” The Beijinger
I probably visit the Forbidden City five to six times a month either doing research or leading educational groups and I've shared a few of my favorite Forbidden City hacks for a post on The Beijinger website. [Read More...]
“The Life and Times of Edmund Trelawney Backhouse,” The Beijinger
I've long been fascinated with Edmund "The Hermit of Peking" Backhouse. It's time the famous Sinologist received a little love as one of the original hutong hipsters. [Read More...]
Interview: “Telling the story of the waterways,” Radio Beijing AM774
The final part of my conversation with Bruce Connolly of Radio Beijing AM774 on the renovation of the Jade River and the canal system of Beijing. [Read More...]
Interview: “Restored Jade River tells some of the early history of Beijing,” Radio Beijing AM774
The second part of my conversation with Bruce Connolly of Radio Beijing AM774 on the renovation of the Jade River and the canal system of Beijing. [Read More...]
Interview: “Walking the recently restored Jade River,” Radio Beijing AM774
The first part of my conversation with Bruce Connolly of Radio Beijing AM774 on the renovation of the Jade River and the canal system of Beijing. [Read More...]
“Settling Siberia: Nerchinsk, 1689,” The World of Chinese
Five languages, two empires, and the treaty that defined the Russian-Manchurian border. [Read More...]
“A Stroll Along Beijing’s Restored Canal System and the Ongoing Plan to Revive its Ancient Waterways,” The Beijinger
A project to reconstruct a section of an ancient canal system that once flowed through the heart of Beijing is finally nearing completion. [Read More...]
“Bad Driving in Beijing: Poor Planning, or Lack of Enforcement?” The Beijinger
who among us has not at some point engaged in an act of micro-aggression (some righteous, others less so) in the name of traffic safety? [Read More...]
“Anyone seen the Son of Heaven?” World of Chinese Magazine
How do you lose an emperor? I mean, it’s not like you would confuse the Son of Heaven with somebody’s wayward schnauzer. [Read More...]
“Beijing Emperor and Qing Dynasty Scammer Faces Prison Time in Shenzhen,” The Beijinger
It is a twist on an old scam: A gullible patsy loses a small fortune helping a former monarch recover his royal funds. But what happens when the deposed ruler claims to be the Beijing born and raised Qianlong Emperor who last ruled China in the 18th century? [Read More...]
“How to Barbecue Relatives and Win Friends,” World of Chinese Magazine
Turns out scorched earth tactics are bad for identifying dead kings [Read More...]
“China’s Made up Maritime Holiday,” Here! Dongguan Magazine
In 1492, Columbus may have sailed the Ocean Blue, but compared to Zheng He, he was a Christopher-Comes-Lately in a tiny toy boat. [Read More...]
“The Rise and Fall of the Shit King of Beijing,” World of Chinese Magazine
New article for World of Chinese Magazine on the meteoric rise and steep fall of Shi Chuanxiang, the shit king of Beijing. [Read More...]