“Over 75 Percent of Historic Residences in Beijing Fail Preservation Standards,” The Beijinger
A recent study found less than 25% of historic residences in Beijing met official preservation standards. [Read More...]
Culture
Eulogy for a Beijing Turtle
We always thought Yertle was indestructible. The Keith Richards of Turtles. Sadly, he proved to be mortal. [Read More...]
Book Review: Fred Barton and the Warlords’ Horses of China
John Ross reviews the real life adventure of Montana cowboy Fred Barton, who led the world’s longest horse drive from Siberia through Manchuria and Mongolia into China. [Read More...]
Book Review: The Mercenary Mandarin
In a guest post, John Ross reviews David Leffman’s new book, The Mercenary Mandarin: How a British adventurer became a general in Qing-dynasty China now available from Blacksmith Books. [Read More...]
In Memory of David Bowie: The China Girl Running Diary
In Memory of David Bowie, a running diary of the 1983 Orientalist classic "China Girl." [Read More...]
“Out of Autocracy, Off the Shelves”
It is an unfortunate axiom of publishing in China that the best way for your book to gain international attention is to have the Chinese government make it unavailable to domestic readers. Such is the fate of Out of Imperial Autocracy (Zouchu dizhi), the latest book by the eminent public intellectual and economic historian Qin Hui, published earlier this year. [Read More...]
Kissing the Smog Monster
An FAQ for family, friends, and interested parties on how we cope with Beijing's "Patriotic Mist/Toxic Miasma of Doom" [Read More...]
The Christmas Convert
My wife is a serious professional, with a high pressure job. She is one of the brightest and most rational people I've ever met, well known for her dry and ironic sense of humor. But something about Christmas just brings out the whimsy. [Read More...]
Planning on seeing China’s most famous painting? Be prepared to wait.
One of China's most famous paintings is on display at the Forbidden City this month. It's an incredible opportunity to see one of the world's greatest art treasures, just be prepared to share that experience with a lot of other people. [Read More...]
Large Mammals Crossing: Jogging in Beijing
I'm a large mammal in a country of mostly smaller mammals. But this summer I have resolved to lose weight and get healthy...even if it kills me. [Read More...]
Advice to New Wai: Things I wish I learned 13 years ago about life in China
Let’s face it: It’s not easy to live [Read More...]
Kind of Online in the PRC: The New Normal?
For anybody who still thinks China is a great business environment or that China has a bright future as a research hub, intellectual incubator, or simply a good place for their next office or factory, I would strongly suggest spending 30 minutes trying to do a few routine tasks that involve using the Internet. [Read More...]
From the Ruins of Empire…arise the nation-state
Empires want to be respected. Nation-states need to be loved. It's a simple formula, and one that I share with author and historian of empire Pankaj Mishra. [Read More...]
Beware of Dog!
For whatever reason, a shocking number of people are terrified, actually overcome with fear by....Snickers. [Read More...]
Book Review: The Incarnations by Susan Barker
How many lifetimes does it take for two souls to truly bond? Susan Barker’s remarkable book The Incarnations is a time-bending fantasy with an unknown (and possible unreliable) narrator sweeping us down the rabbit hole of history. [Read More...]