Great Mustaches in Modern Chinese History
November is a month for mustaches in Beijing and around the world. Who wore the craziest mustaches of modern Chinese history? [Read More...]
Chinese History
From the Archives: The Wire Guide to the 1911 Revolution
Since November 12, 2015 is the 149th anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat-sen, it seemed like a good moment to drag this one out of the archives. [Read More...]
NYT 1913: Yuan Shikai expels KMT from Parliament
A strong Chinese leader takes a bold stance against constitutionalism and Western-style democratic institutions and the foreign community…high fives him for it? [Read More...]
“The Fetishization of Legitimacy”
In an article on censorship in the PRC published in the LA Times, historian Tim Brook argues China fetishizes signs of legitimacy, it's a fun phrase and worth considering. [Read More...]
Plenums, Plans, Centenary Goals, and the Chinese Dream
What do the centenary goals in this week's plenum session and the 13th Five-Year Plan tell us about the China Dream? [Read More...]
A man, his dog, and the sinking of the Beiyang Fleet
Statue in Weihaiwei of the captain of the Chih [Read More...]
The short reign of Zhu Changluo
On August 28, 1620, Zhu Changluo took power as the Taichang Emperor. Less than a month later, he was dead, apparently having pooped himself to death. [Read More...]
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences throwing shade at The New Qing History
Why did the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences launch an attack on Qing historians Mark Elliott, James Millward, and Pamela Crossley? It seems they had the temerity to challenge long-cherished tropes of Qing history, and that Just! Won't! Do! [Read More...]
Confucian Confusion
Last week, China named Cuban strongman Fidel Castro the latest recipient of the Confucius Peace Prize, but the Peace Prize isn’t China’s only wholesale commandeering of her most famous sage, known for his philosophy of ethics and morals. [Read More...]
Censoring History
When an American historian tries to translate his latest book into Chinese, wacky hilarity ensues. . [Read More...]
And All My Words Come Back to Me…
As police move to take control of Queensway and city workers with power tools are dismantling the barricades, it's worth remembering that the PRC government was not always so threatened by unrest in Hong Kong. When it was Britain’s ox that was getting gored, China actually encouraged it. [Read More...]
Kennedy’s Aggression is Meeting with Growing Revulsion: 1962 Poster
What can a 1962 Xinhua poster tell us about Sino-US Relations during the Cold War? Guest post by author Scott D. Seligman. [Read More...]
Happy Learn from Lei Feng Day!
Just because Lei Feng's diary is about as real as a herd of purple unicorns doesn't take anything away from the central message: It's nice to be nice...and always follow the Chairman! [Read More...]
On cultural hybridity, ambassadors, and other low hanging fruit
Chinese media called Amb. Locke a "banana," but Chinese history is filled with those who transcended "identity" http://wp.me/pgK30-1CF [Read More...]
Fatal Firing: The Tragic Story of China’s First Battleship
The Dingyuan, flagship of the Beiyang Fleet, was as impressive a ship as sailed in the Western Pacific but she suffered from one catastrophic design flaw. [Read More...]