See China

Launched in 1904, the Eastern Miscellany (东方杂志) is an encyclopedic witness to, and active player in the history of China in the first half of the 20th century. Now going online at http://em.refbook.com.cn, it provides full access to 30,000 articles, 12,000 pictures and 14,000 advertisements in original copies. A true treasurehouse for historically minded people to explore!

March 5th is birthday of the morally impeccable Premier Zhou Enlai (1898-1976) as well as the day when Chairman Mao wrote 向雷锋同志学习 （Learn from Comrade Lei Feng）for the altruistic soldier Lei Feng (1940-1962). As three generations of Chinese are influenced by these two role models in morality, how is the idea of “virtue” changed throughout Chinese society over history?

When we think of Chinese history, most often we think of the great monuments that we see in cities like Beijing and Xi’an: palaces, statues, temples and other relics. These are spectacular, but China is now discovering its maritime history, much of which lies underwater. Just last week, China announced it would work with the [...]

Evan Osnos from New Yorker, who’s running a regular “Letter from China” with quite a good sense of humor, has recommended three other China buffs who have went far enough into China’s most hide-away museums and produced the book Odyssey China: Museums.

Designer Wu Jingwen (吴靖雯) recalled her experience with the paintings of twelve Qing Beauties (美人图) and found their correlation with Piet Mondrian, anecdotic composition and grid system. This is a brief excerpt translation of her essay published on the monthly journal Forbidden City.

Li Qingzhao (李清照, 1084─1155) is the most famous woman ci poet of ancient China. Her delicate sensibility, virtuoso mastering of the rhythm and image of Chinese language and heart-wrenching love story makes her an icon for generations of poem-lovers. A crater on Venus is named after her.

Tradition has it that in ancient China there was a monster named “Nian” (or “year”) with long tentacles on its head that was extremely ferocious. “Year” generally lived deep down on the ocean floor, climbing to the shore only on the Lunar New Year to devour livestock and people.