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Chinese History

New History Walks and Talks for October

September 26, 2016

The library intern who would lead a nation? The scholar who built the capital of the Mongolian Khans? The exam candidate who lost his mind and nearly toppled an empire? The prince who tried to save a city? These are a few of the characters featured in two new walking tours and a new talk offered by The Hutong and The Granite Studio this Oc [Read More...]

A daughter is married, a mother remembers

September 25, 2016

This past summer, I (YJ) was a bridesmaid at my friend's wedding in England. Her parents were so happy and they told me the story of their own wedding day, in far humbler circumstances, in the years just after the Cultural Revolution. [Read More...]

Requiem for a Noodle Joint

July 19, 2016

In Beijing’s fast evolving food and beverage industry, the lifespan of a restaurant — a short-lived beast in any environment — makes the medfly look like Methuselah. [Read More...]

On the Rocks

July 11, 2016

Should the tribunal rules against the PRC — as it is expected to — and if the Chinese government chooses to use the tribunal’s ruling to, for example, wipe the ass of the nearest stray dog — as they will almost certainly want to do — the repercussions will ripple far past the rocks and reefs of the South China Sea. [Read More...]

From the Archives: Mao and the Marriage Counselor

June 8, 2016

Still one of my favorite posts, a little something from the archives on the Anti-Rightist Movement of 1956-1958. Also known as the 100 Flowers Movement, this era set the stage for the Great Leap Forward and foreshadowed the chaos of the Cultural Revolution. [Read More...]

Beijing’s Roadways: Beyond Thunderdome

May 31, 2016

I've seen drivers plow through crowded hutong, barrel down bicycle lanes, and park on sidewalks. I rarely ride my bike anymore, it's too dangerous and I feel for the guys who make a living riding around town delivering food and packages. [Read More...]

Sun Yat-sen: The Love Doctor

December 7, 2015

Excerpts from the letters of George "Morrison of Peking" Morrison. The revolutionary Sun Yat-sen is in the midst of mid-life crisis and the head of the YMCA, and family friend to Sun's intended paramour, reaches out to the famous journalist. [Read More...]
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