Writings

New Post on World of Chinese: Lawyers, Guns, and Money, Part II

December 18, 2015

I started writing a little post for the World of Chinese website on The Opium War. The project has since mutated into a multi-part macro history of drugs and violence on the Chinese coast. I'm having a lot of fun writing it. I hope you enjoy reading it! [Read More...]

New Post on The World of Chinese: “Send Lawyers, Guns, and Money.”

December 10, 2015

I have a new writing gig, I’ll be [Read More...]

Kissing the Smog Monster

December 8, 2015

An FAQ for family, friends, and interested parties on how we cope with Beijing's "Patriotic Mist/Toxic Miasma of Doom" [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...]

The Christmas Convert

November 27, 2015

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...]

Great Mustaches in Modern Chinese History

November 27, 2015

November is a month for mustaches in Beijing and around the world. Who wore the craziest mustaches of modern Chinese history? [Read More...]

From the Archives: The Wire Guide to the 1911 Revolution

November 11, 2015

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...]

The Search for Authenticity in Travel

November 10, 2015

Travelers often seek authenticity as an end in itself without ever wondering just how authentic is their idea of "authenticity"? [Read More...]

NYT 1913: Yuan Shikai expels KMT from Parliament

November 5, 2015

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...]

New areas of the Forbidden City open to visitors

October 27, 2015

This month, as part of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Palace Museum, four new areas of the Forbidden City opened for visitors. [Read More...]

“The Fetishization of Legitimacy”

October 27, 2015

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

October 26, 2015

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

October 16, 2015

Statue in Weihaiwei of the captain of the Chih [Read More...]

Planning on seeing China’s most famous painting? Be prepared to wait.

September 16, 2015

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...]

The Mountain Spirits are Laughing

September 16, 2015

I am barely surviving Shangri La. In fact, at 15,000 feet above sea level it is taking a very specific act of concentration not to lavishly soil myself. [Read More...]

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