China is considered one of the
cradles of civilization: the first human inhabitants in the region arrived during the
Paleolithic; by the late second millennium BCE, the earliest
dynastic states had emerged in the
Yellow River basin. The eighth to third centuries BCE saw a breakdown in the authority of the
Zhou dynasty, accompanied by the emergence of administrative and military techniques,
literature,
philosophy, and
historiography. In 221 BCE, China was unified under
an emperor for the first time. Appointed non-hereditary officials began ruling counties instead of the aristocracy, ushering in more than two millennia of imperial dynasties including the
Qin,
Han,
Tang,
Yuan,
Ming, and
Qing. With the
invention of gunpowder and
paper, the establishment of the
Silk Road, and the building of the
Great Wall,
Chinese culture—including languages, traditions, architecture, philosophy and technology—flourished and has
heavily influenced both its neighbors and lands further afield. However, China began to cede
parts of the country in the late 19th century to various European powers by a series of
unequal treaties.
St. Michael's Cathedral (
Chinese: 圣弥爱尔大教堂;
pinyin: Shèng Mí'ài'ěr Dàjiàotáng; German: Kathedrale St. Michael), also called the Zhejiang Road Catholic Church (
Chinese: 浙江路天主教堂), is a
Catholic church in
Qingdao (Tsingtao),
Shandong Province, China, and is the seat of the bishop of the
Diocese of Qingdao (Tsingtao). It is located in the oldest part of Qingdao, at 15 Zhejiang Road, on the east side of Zhongshan Road in
Shinan District. Built by
German missionaries, the cathedral stands at the top of a hill in the center of the old German-built part of the city. It is the largest example of
Romanesque Revival architecture in the province, resembling a German cathedral of the 12th century.
St. Michael's Cathedral is the product of a strong German presence in Shandong Province in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the mid-19th century the European powers forcibly opened China to foreign trade. The
Divine Word Missionaries built a church in the
Jiaozhou Bay concession in Shandong in 1902, and in 1934 erected the cathedral, which remained nominally under their administration until 1964. In 1942 it came under the control of the
Japanese Army, returning to Chinese control when the Japanese left Qingdao in 1945. In the early 1950s, all foreign missionaries, including the Bishop of Qingdao, were either imprisoned or expelled from China, and during the
Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) the cathedral was defaced and abandoned. In 1981, it was repaired by the government and reopened for services, and in 1992 it was listed as a Provincial Historic Building by the government of Shandong Province. (Full article...)
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Ming Flag The
Ming dynasty considered
Tibet to be part of the
Western Regions. While the Ming dynasty at its height had some degree of influence in Tibet, the exact nature of their relations is under dispute by modern scholars. Analysis of the relationship is further complicated by modern political conflicts and the application of
Westphalian sovereignty to a time when the concept did not exist. The Historical Status of China's Tibet, a book published by the
People's Republic of China, asserts that the Ming dynasty had unquestioned
sovereignty over Tibet by pointing to the Ming court's issuing of various titles to Tibetan leaders, Tibetans' full acceptance of the titles, and a renewal process for successors of these titles that involved traveling to the Ming capital. Scholars in China also argue that Tibet has been an integral part of China since the 13th century and so it was a part of the Ming Empire. However, most scholars outside China, such as
Turrell V. Wylie,
Melvyn C. Goldstein, and Helmut Hoffman, say that the relationship was one of
suzerainty, Ming titles were only nominal, Tibet remained an independent region outside Ming control, and it
simply paid tribute until the
Jiajing Emperor, who ceased relations with Tibet. Some scholars note that Tibetan leaders during the Ming frequently engaged in
civil war and conducted their own foreign diplomacy with neighboring states such as
Nepal. Some scholars underscore the commercial aspect of the Ming–Tibetan relationship, noting the Ming dynasty's shortage of
horses for warfare and thus the importance of the horse trade with Tibet. Others argue that the significant
religious nature of the relationship of the Ming court with Tibetan
lamas is underrepresented in modern scholarship. (Full article...)
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Nicole Cooke, gold medalist
The women's road race was one of the
cycling events at the
2008 Summer Olympics in
Beijing, China. It took place on 10 August 2008, featuring 66 women from 33 countries. It was the seventh appearance of an Olympic women's road race event and featured a longer course than any of the previous six races. The race was run on the
Urban Road Cycling Course (one of Beijing's nine temporary
venues), which is 102.6 kilometres (63.8 mi) total. Including a second lap around the 23.8 km (14.8 mi) final circuit, the total distance of the women's race was 126.4 km (78.5 mi), less than half the length of the men's race.
Heavy rain during most of the race made conditions difficult for the competitors. A group of five broke away during the final lap and worked together until the final sprint, where
Nicole Cooke won the race. Cooke earned
Great Britain's first medal at these Games and 200th Olympic gold medal overall.
Emma Johansson of
Sweden and
Tatiana Guderzo of
Italy, finishing second and third place with the same time as Cooke, received silver and bronze medals respectively. (Full article...)
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Luo Yixiu (
Chinese: 羅一秀; 20 October 1889 – 11 February 1910), a
Han Chinese woman, was the first wife of the later Chinese
communist revolutionary and political leader
Mao Zedong, to whom she was married from 1908 until her death. Coming from the area around
Shaoshan,
Hunan, in south central China – the same region as Mao – her family were impoverished local landowners.
Most of what is known about their marriage comes from an account Mao gave to the American reporter
Edgar Snow in 1936, which Snow included in his book Red Star Over China. According to Mao, he and Luo Yixiu were the subject of an
arranged marriage organised by their respective fathers,
Mao Yichang and Luo Helou. Luo was eighteen and Mao just fourteen years old at the time of their betrothal. Although Mao took part in the wedding ceremony, he later said that he was unhappy with the marriage, never consummating it and refusing to live with his wife. Socially disgraced, she lived with Mao's parents for two years until she died of
dysentery, while he moved out of the village to continue his studies elsewhere, eventually becoming a founding member of the
Chinese Communist Party. Various biographers have suggested that Mao's experience of this marriage affected his later views, leading him to become a critic of arranged marriage and a vocal
feminist. He married three more times, to
Yang Kaihui,
He Zizhen and
Jiang Qing, the last of whom was better known as Madame Mao. (Full article...)
Brady was born an American citizen in
Tientsin, China, and traveled frequently as a child, spending time in
Los Angeles, California,
British Columbia, and
Austin,
Texas. She studied in the
University of California system, receiving her bachelor's and master's degrees, and her
Ph.D. in 1935. She next became an English instructor at that university's College of Agriculture, and worked as an
assistant professor of languages and literature at Berkeley from 1941 to 1946. The following three years were spent at the University of Pennsylvania, until, at the end of 1949, Brady moved to teach at
Central Oregon Community College; her resignation due to "ill health" was announced a few months later. After being named the 1952–53
Marion Talbot Fellow of the
American Association of University Women and writing two articles, Brady's scholarship ceased for a quarter of a century. In 1979, and posthumously in 1983, her final two articles were published. (Full article...)
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Rioters besieging a bus in
Tianshan, Ürümqi, attacking escaping
Han passengers with sticks.
A series of violent riots over several days broke out on 5 July 2009 in
Ürümqi, the capital city of the
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), in northwestern China. The first day's rioting, which involved at least 1,000
Uyghurs, began as a protest, but escalated into violent attacks that mainly targeted
Han people. According to Chinese
state media, a total of 197 people died, most of whom were Han people or non-Muslim minorities, with 1,721 others injured and many vehicles and buildings destroyed. Many Uyghurs disappeared during wide-scale police sweeps in the days following the riots;
Human Rights Watch (HRW) documented 43 cases and said figures for real
disappearances were likely to be much higher.
Rioting began following the
Shaoguan incident, where false accusations of rape of a Han woman by Uyghur men led to a brawl between ethnic Han and Uyghur factory workers in Shaoguan, resulting in the deaths of two Uyghurs who were both from Xinjiang. The
Chinese government claimed that the riots were planned from abroad by the
World Uyghur Congress (WUC) and its leader
Rebiya Kadeer. Kadeer denies fomenting the violence in her fight for Uyghur
self-determination. (Full article...)
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A map of the Western Han dynasty in 2 AD
Principalities and centrally-administered
commanderies
The Han dynasty was an
imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by
Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived
Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) and a warring
interregnum known as the
Chu–Han contention (206–202 BC), and it was succeeded by the
Three Kingdoms period (220–280 AD). The dynasty was briefly interrupted by the
Xin dynasty (9–23 AD) established by the usurping regent
Wang Mang, and is thus separated into two periods—the
Western Han (202 BC – 9 AD) and the
Eastern Han (25–220 AD). Spanning over four centuries, the Han dynasty is considered a
golden age in Chinese history, and had a permanent impact on Chinese identity in later periods. The majority ethnic group of modern China refer to themselves as the "
Han people" or "Han Chinese". The spoken
Sinitic language and
written Chinese are referred to respectively as the "Han language" and "
Han characters".
In his Dream Pool Essays or Dream Torrent Essays (夢溪筆談; Mengxi Bitan) of 1088, Shen was the first to describe the magnetic needle
compass, which would be used for navigation (first described in Europe by
Alexander Neckam in 1187). Shen discovered the concept of
true north in terms of
magnetic declination towards the
north pole, with experimentation of suspended magnetic needles and "the improved
meridian determined by Shen's [astronomical] measurement of the distance between the
pole star and true north". This was the decisive step in human history to make compasses more useful for navigation, and may have been a concept unknown in Europe
for another four hundred years (evidence of German sundials made circa 1450 show markings similar to
Chinese geomancers' compasses in regard to declination). (Full article...)
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Choe Bu (
Korean: 최부, 1454–1504) was a Korean diarist, historian, politician, and travel writer during the early
Joseon Dynasty. He was most well known for the account of his shipwrecked travels in
China from February to July 1488, during the
Ming dynasty (1368–1644). He was eventually banished from the Joseon court in 1498 and executed in 1504 during
two political purges. However, in 1506 he was
exonerated and given posthumous honors by the Joseon court.
Choe's diary accounts of his travels in China became widely printed during the 16th century in both Korea and
Japan. Modern historians also refer to his written works, since his travel diary provides a unique outsider's perspective on Chinese culture in the 15th century. The attitudes and opinions expressed in his writing represent in part the standpoints and views of the 15th century
Confucian Korean literati, who viewed
Chinese culture as compatible with and similar to
their own. His description of cities, people, customs, cuisines, and maritime commerce along
China's Grand Canal provides insight into the daily life of China and how it differed between
northern and southern China during the 15th century. (Full article...)
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Tintin in Tibet (French: Tintin au Tibet) is the twentieth volume of The Adventures of Tintin, the comics series by Belgian cartoonist
Hergé. It was serialised weekly from September 1958 to November 1959 in Tintin magazine and published as a book in 1960. Hergé considered it his favourite Tintin adventure and an emotional effort, as he created it while suffering from traumatic nightmares and a personal conflict while deciding to leave his wife of three decades for a younger woman. The story tells of the young reporter
Tintin in search of his friend
Chang Chong-Chen, who the authorities claim has died in a plane crash in the
Himalayas. Convinced that Chang has survived and accompanied only by
Snowy,
Captain Haddock and the
Sherpa guide
Tharkey, Tintin crosses the Himalayas to the plateau of
Tibet, along the way encountering the mysterious
Yeti.
Following The Red Sea Sharks (1958) and its large number of characters, Tintin in Tibet differs from other stories in the series in that it features only a few familiar characters and is also Hergé's only adventure not to pit Tintin against an antagonist. Themes in Hergé's story include
extrasensory perception, the mysticism of
Tibetan Buddhism, and friendship. Translated into 32 languages, Tintin in Tibet was widely acclaimed by critics and is generally considered to be Hergé's finest work; it has also been praised by the
Dalai Lama, who awarded it the
Light of Truth Award. The story was a commercial success and was published in book form by
Casterman shortly after its conclusion; the series itself became a defining part of the
Franco-Belgian comics tradition. Tintin in Tibet was adapted for the 1991
Ellipse/
Nelvana animated series The Adventures of Tintin, the 1992–93
BBC Radio 5 dramatisation of the Adventures, the 1996 video game
of the same name, and the 2005–06
Young Vic musical Hergé's Adventures of Tintin; it was also prominently featured in the 2003 documentary Tintin and I and has been the subject of a museum exhibition. (Full article...)
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Beato c. 1866
Felice Beato (c. 1832 – 29 January 1909), also known as Felix Beato, was an
Italian–British photographer. He was one of the first people to take photographs in East Asia and one of the first
war photographers. He is noted for his
genre works, portraits, and views and
panoramas of the architecture and landscapes of Asia and the
Mediterranean region. Beato's travels gave him the opportunity to create images of countries, people, and events that were unfamiliar and remote to most people in Europe and North America. His work provides images of such events as the
Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the
Second Opium War, and represents the first substantial body of
photojournalism. He influenced other photographers, and his influence in Japan, where he taught and worked with numerous other photographers and artists, was particularly deep and lasting. (Full article...)
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A Yuan-era stele in the ruins of the Cross Temple. Another stele (left) and some scattered groundwork (right) are visible in the background.
The Cross Temple (
Chinese: 十字寺;
pinyin: Shízì sì) is a former
place of worship in
Fangshan, Beijing.
Buddhists and early
Chinese Christians used the temple during different periods. Originally built as a Buddhist temple, some scholars hypothesise that it saw Christian use during the
Tang dynasty (618–907). The temple was used by Buddhists during the
Liao dynasty (916–1125) and by Christians during the
Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). It returned to Buddhist use during the
Ming dynasty (1368–1644), before being sold in 1911. It was first recorded in modern scholarship in 1919, damaged during the
Cultural Revolution, and re-established as a national-level protected site in 2006. Some scholars consider it to be the only place of worship of the
Church of the East (also known as Nestorian Christianity) discovered in China.
Today, the site features two ancient steles, as well as groundwork and the bases of several pillars. The steles date to the Liao and Yuan dynasties, but their inscriptions were tampered with during the Ming. During the early 20th century, two stone blocks carved with crosses and other patterns were also discovered at the site, with one of them also bearing an inscription in
Syriac. The blocks are presently on display at the
Nanjing Museum. (Full article...)
The
dynasty's history is divided into two periods: during the Northern Song (北宋; 960–1127), the capital was in the northern city of Bianjing (now
Kaifeng) and the dynasty controlled most of what is now
Eastern China. The
Southern Song (南宋; 1127–1279) comprise the period following the loss of control over the northern half of Song territory to the Jurchen-led
Jin dynasty in the
Jin–Song Wars. At that time, the Song court retreated south of the
Yangtze and established its capital at
Lin'an (now
Hangzhou). Although the Song dynasty had lost control of the traditional Chinese heartlands around the
Yellow River, the Southern Song Empire contained a large population and productive agricultural land, sustaining a robust economy. In 1234, the Jin dynasty was
conquered by the Mongols, who took control of northern China, maintaining uneasy relations with the Southern Song.
Möngke Khan, the fourth
Great Khan of the
Mongol Empire, died in 1259 while besieging the mountain castle
Diaoyucheng in
Chongqing. His younger brother
Kublai Khan was proclaimed the new Great Khan and in 1271 founded the Yuan dynasty. After two decades of sporadic warfare, Kublai Khan's armies
conquered the Song dynasty in 1279 after defeating the Southern Song in the
Battle of Yamen, and reunited China under the Yuan dynasty. (Full article...)
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The empire in 661, when it reached its greatest extent
The
Li family founded the dynasty after taking advantage of a period of Sui decline and precipitating their final collapse, in turn inaugurating a period of progress and stability in the first half of the dynasty's rule. The dynasty was formally interrupted during 690–705 when Empress
Wu Zetian seized the throne, proclaiming the
Wu Zhou dynasty and becoming the only legitimate Chinese
empress regnant. The devastating
An Lushan Rebellion (755–763) shook the nation and led to the decline of central authority in the dynasty's latter half. Like the previous
Sui dynasty, the Tang maintained a civil-service system by recruiting
scholar-officials through
standardized examinations and recommendations to office. The rise of regional military governors known as jiedushi during the 9th century undermined this civil order. The dynasty and central government went into decline by the latter half of the 9th century; agrarian rebellions resulted in mass population loss and displacement, widespread poverty, and further government dysfunction that ultimately ended the dynasty in 907. (Full article...)
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The
Sakyamuni Buddha, by Song painter Zhang Shengwen, c. AD 1181–1186; although
Buddhism was in decline and under attack by
Neo-Confucian critics in the Song era, it nonetheless remained one of the major religious ideologies in China.
Chinese society during the
Song dynasty (AD 960–1279) was marked by political and legal reforms, a philosophical revival of
Confucianism, and the development of cities beyond administrative purposes into centers of trade, industry, and
maritime commerce. The inhabitants of rural areas were mostly farmers, although some were also hunters, fishers, or government employees working in mines or the salt marshes. Conversely, shopkeepers, artisans, city guards, entertainers, laborers, and wealthy merchants lived in the county and provincial centers along with the
Chinese gentry—a small, elite community of educated scholars and
scholar-officials. As landholders and drafted government officials, the gentry considered themselves the leading members of society; gaining their cooperation and employment was essential for the county or provincial bureaucrat overburdened with official duties. In many ways, scholar-officials of the Song period differed from the more aristocratic scholar-officials of the
Tang dynasty (618–907).
Civil service examinations became the primary means of appointment to an official post as competitors vying for official degrees dramatically increased. Frequent disagreements amongst ministers of state on ideological and policy issues led to political strife and the rise of political factions. This undermined the marriage strategies of the professional elite, which broke apart as a social group and gave way to a multitude of families that provided sons for
civil service.
Confucian or
Legalist scholars in ancient China—perhaps as far back as the late
Zhou dynasty (c. 1046–256 BC)—categorized all socioeconomic groups into
four broad and hierarchical occupations (in descending order): the shi (scholars, or gentry), the nong (peasant farmers), the gong (artisans and craftsmen), and the shang (merchants). Wealthy landholders and officials possessed the resources to better prepare their sons for the civil service examinations, yet they were often rivaled in their power and wealth by merchants of the Song period. Merchants frequently colluded commercially and politically with officials, despite the fact that scholar-officials looked down on mercantile vocations as less respectable pursuits than farming or craftsmanship. The military also provided a means for advancement in Song society for those who became officers, even though soldiers were not highly respected members of society. Although certain domestic and familial duties were expected of women in Song society, they nonetheless enjoyed a wide range of social and legal rights in an otherwise
patriarchal society. Women's improved rights to property came gradually with the increasing value of
dowries offered by brides' families. (Full article...)
... that revenge buying after the lifting of a 2020 COVID-19 lockdown helped a
Hermès store set a record for the most shopping at a luxury outlet in China in a single day?
... that the bird subspecies Alcippe dubia genestieri is named after Annet Genestier, a French missionary-botanist in China who also built
Zhongding Catholic Church in 1908?
... that Canadian pentathlon champion J. Howard Crocker introduced volleyball to China?
... that wood type for printing was invented in China, first mass-produced in the United States, and later exported back to China for use by
missionaries?
... that British oceanographer Sonya Legg has studied the
South China Sea, where internal waves can be taller than 200 metres (660 ft)?
... that Russian money, known as qiang tie by locals, was used as legal currency in some regions of China for decades?
More did you know
...that director
Zhang Yuan's 1999 film, Seventeen Years was the first Chinese film allowed to film inside a Chinese prison?
Cantonese or Guangdong cuisine, also known as Yue cuisine (
Chinese: 廣東菜 or 粵菜), is the
cuisine of
Guangdong province of China, particularly the provincial capital
Guangzhou, and the surrounding regions in the
Pearl River Delta including
Hong Kong and
Macau. Strictly speaking, Cantonese cuisine is the cuisine of
Guangzhou or of
Cantonese speakers, but it often includes the cooking styles of all the speakers of
Yue Chinese languages in Guangdong.
The
Teochew cuisine and
Hakka cuisine of Guangdong are considered their own styles. However, scholars may categorize Guangdong cuisine into three major groups based on the region's dialect: Cantonese, Hakka and Chaozhou cuisines. Neighboring
Guangxi's
cuisine is also considered separate despite eastern Guangxi being considered
culturally Cantonese due to the presence of
ethnic Zhuang influences in the rest of the province. (Full article...)
This is a
good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.
Image 1
Yeshe-Ö (
c. 959–1040; spiritual names Jangchub Yeshe-Ö, Byang Chub Ye shes' Od, Lha Bla Ma, Hla Lama Yeshe O, Lalama Yixiwo, also Dharmaraja – 'Noble King') was the first notable
lama-king in
Tibet. Born as Khor-re, he is better known as Lhachen Yeshe-Ö, his spiritual name.
A Northern Song coin (sheng song yuan bao聖宋元寶) The economy of the
Song dynasty (960–1279) has been characterized as the most prosperous in the world at the time. The dynasty moved away from the top-down command economy of the
Tang dynasty (618–907) and made extensive use of market mechanisms as national income grew to be around three times that of 12th century Europe. The dynasty was beset by invasions and border pressure, lost control of North China in 1127, and fell in 1279. Yet the period saw the growth of cities, regional specialization, and a national market. There was sustained growth in population and per capita income, structural change in the economy, and increased technological innovation such as movable print, improved seeds for rice and other commercial crops, gunpowder, water-powered mechanical clocks, the use of coal as an industrial fuel, improved iron and steel production, and more efficient canal locks. China had a steel production of around 100,000 tons plus urban cities with millions of people at the time.
Commerce in global markets increased significantly. Merchants invested in trading vessels and trade which reached ports as far away as East Africa. This period also witnessed the development of the world's first
banknote, or printed paper money (see
Jiaozi,
Guanzi,
Huizi), which circulated on a massive scale. A unified tax system and efficient trade routes by road and canal meant the development of a nationwide market. Regional specialization promoted economic efficiency and increased productivity. Although much of the central government's treasury went to the military, taxes imposed on the rising commercial base refilled the coffers and further encouraged the monetary economy. Reformers and conservatives debated the role of government in the economy. The emperor and his government still took responsibility for the economy, but generally made fewer claims than in earlier dynasties. The government did, however, continue to enforce monopolies on certain manufactured items and market goods to boost revenues and secure resources that were vital to the empire's security, such as tea, salt, and chemical components for
gunpowder. (Full article...)
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The 2010 Asian Games (
Chinese: 2010年亚洲运动会;
pinyin: Èr líng yī líng nián yǎzhōu yùndònghuì), officially known as the XVI Asian Games (
Chinese: 第十六届亚洲运动会;
pinyin: dì shíliù jiè yǎzhōu yùndònghuì) and also known as Guangzhou 2010 (
Chinese: 广州2010;
pinyin: Guǎngzhōu Èr líng yī líng), were a regional
multi-sport event that had taken place from November 12 to 27, 2010 in
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (although several events commenced earlier on November 7, 2010). It was the second time China hosted the Asian Games, with the first one being
Asian Games 1990 in
Beijing.
Guangzhou's three neighboring cities,
Dongguan,
Foshan and
Shanwei co-hosted the Games.
PremierWen Jiabao opened the Games along the
Pearl River in
Haixinsha Island. A total of 53 venues were used to host the events. The design concept of the official logo of the 2010 Asian Games was based on the legend of the Guangzhou's Five Goats, representing the Five Goats as the Asian Games Torch. (Full article...)
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Ruyijun zhuan (如意君傳), translated into English as The Lord of Perfect Satisfaction, is a Chinese
erotic novella written in the
Ming dynasty by an unknown author. Set in the
Tang dynasty, it follows the political career and love life of Empress
Wu Zetian. One of the earliest erotic novels published in China, it was repeatedly banned after its publication. (Full article...)
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Map of the expansion of the Han dynasty in 2nd century BC
The southward expansion of the Han dynasty was a series of Chinese military campaigns and expeditions in what is now modern
Southern China and
Northern Vietnam. Military expansion to the south began under the previous
Qin dynasty and continued during the Han era. Campaigns were dispatched to conquer the
Yue tribes, leading to the annexation of
Minyue by the Han in 135 BC and 111 BC,
Nanyue in 111 BC, and
Dian in 109 BC.
Han Chinese culture took root into the newly conquered territories and the Baiyue and Dian tribes were eventually assimilated or displaced by the Han Empire. Evidence of Han dynasty influences are apparent in artifacts excavated in the Baiyue tombs of modern southern China. This sphere of influence eventually extended to various ancient Southeast Asian kingdoms, where contact led to the spread of Han Chinese culture, trade and political diplomacy. The increased demand for Chinese
silk also led to the establishment of the
Silk Road connecting Europe, the
Near East, and China. (Full article...)
In the 1880s and early 1890s, the Beiyang Fleet conducted a routine of training exercises and cruises abroad, with emphasis placed on visits to
Japan to intimidate the country. The latter resulted in the
Nagasaki Incident in 1886 and contributed to a rise in hostility between the two countries that culminated in the
First Sino-Japanese War in 1894. She saw action at the
Battle of the Yalu River on 17 September, where the Japanese
Combined Fleet sank much of the Beiyang Fleet, though both Zhenyuan and Dingyuan survived despite numerous hits. The survivors then retreated to
Port Arthur for repairs, but after that city was threatened by the Japanese army, fled to
Weihaiwei. While entering the port, Zhenyuan struck an uncharted rock and was badly damaged; she was used as a stationary artillery battery during the
Battle of Weihaiwei in February 1895, but Japanese forces captured the city's fortifications, which forced the Chinese to surrender the fleet. (Full article...)
Sun Yang (
Chinese: 孙杨; Mandarin pronunciation:[swə́n.jǎŋ]; born 1 December 1991) is a Chinese
Olympic and
world-record-holding competitive
swimmer. In 2012, Sun became the first Chinese athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in men's swimming. Sun is the first male swimmer in history to earn Olympic and World Championship gold medals at every
freestyle distance from 200 to 1500 metres. A three-time Olympic gold medalist and eleven-time world champion, he is the most decorated Chinese swimmer in history. In 2017,
NBC Sports described him as "very arguably the greatest freestyle swimmer of all time".
In September 2018, Sun, during his ninth drug test in two weeks, was involved in an incident during an out-of-competition anti-doping testing operation at his home, where a doping control assistant (DCA) could not provide appropriate accreditations, verifying his identity and whether the test was authorized, and had also taken photos of Sun without his permission. After his offer to wait for a properly accredited team was declined, Sun refused to let the testers take his blood sample and a security guard broke open the container to prevent the drug testers from taking away the blood vials. The DCA was later confirmed to be a construction worker according to Chinese state media. Additionally, the DCA acknowledged breaching professional conduct and excitedly taking photos of Sun without his permission during the testing operation and though the DCA didn't testify in person, his written statement was confirmed by several witnesses, including the doping control officer (DCO) who lead the testing operation.
FINA stated that because the conduct of the DCA was unprofessional and the test lacked proper authorization, they concluded that Sun did not commit an anti-doping rule violation for not submitting himself to the test. On 28 February 2020,
Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) delivered its findings, overturning FINA's decision and banning Sun for eight years for tampering with the doping control process. Some analysts opined that the trial was marred by severe translation problems, conflict of interest, bias and an "absence of evidence" around doping activity. CAS also ruled that Sun would not officially lose any of his medals because "doping tests performed on the Athlete shortly before and after the aborted doping control in September 2018 were negative" and that "in the absence of any evidence that the Athlete may have engaged in doping activity since 4 September 2018, including on the occasion of the FINA World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea in July 2019, the results achieved by the Athlete in the period prior to the CAS award being issued should not be disqualified". On 22 June 2021, after the retrial of the case, the CAS upheld the ban but reduced the suspension time to 4 years and three months. (Full article...)
The Esing Bakery incident, also known as the Ah Lum affair, was a
food contamination scandal in the early history of
British Hong Kong. On 15 January 1857, during the
Second Opium War, several hundred European residents were poisoned non-lethally by
arsenic, found in bread produced by a Chinese-owned store, the Esing Bakery. The proprietor of the bakery, Cheong Ah-lum, was accused of plotting the poisoning but was acquitted in a
trial by jury. Nonetheless, Cheong was successfully sued for
damages and was banished from the colony. The true responsibility for the incident and its intention—whether it was an individual act of
terrorism, commercial
sabotage, a
war crime orchestrated by the
Qing government, or purely accidental—both remain a matter of debate.
In Britain, the incident became a political issue during the
1857 general election, helping to mobilise support for the war and the incumbent
Prime Minister,
Lord Palmerston. In Hong Kong, it sowed panic and insecurity among the local colonists, highlighting the precariousness of imperial rule in the colony. The incident contributed to growing tensions between Hong Kong's European and Chinese residents, as well as within the European community itself. The scale and potential consequences of the poisoning make it an unprecedented event in the history of the
British Empire, the colonists believing at the time that its success could have wiped out their community. (Full article...)
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Typhoon June on August 29 at 07:27 UTC
Typhoon June, also known in the Philippines as Typhoon Maring, was the first of two
tropical cyclones to affect the Philippines in a one-week time span in August 1984. June originated from an area of
convection that was first witnessed on August 15 in the
Philippine Sea. Despite initial
wind shear, the area intensified into a tropical storm three days later as it tracked westward. After tracking over Luzon, June entered the
South China Sea on August 30. Despite remaining poorly organized, June re-intensified over land, and it was estimated to have briefly attained typhoon intensity before striking China, just to the east of
Hong Kong, at maximum intensity, although its remnants were last noticed on September 3.
Affecting the country four days before
Typhoon Ike would devastate the Philippines, June brought widespread damage to the nation. Throughout the Philippines, 470,962 people sought shelter. A total of 671 homes were destroyed, with 6,341 others damaged. A total of 121 people were killed, while 17 other individuals were reportedly missing, and 26 other people were wounded. Damage totaled $24.2 million (1984
USD, including $15.24 million in agriculture and $8.82 million in infrastructure). Following June and Ike, several major countries provided cash and other goods. In all, $7.5 million worth of aid was donated to the nation in relief. In addition to effects on the Philippines, 1,500 homes were damaged and 66,000 ha (160,000 acres) of farmland were flooded in the
Guangdong province. (Full article...)
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Chen participated in a boxing match in 2022
Chen Qiushi (born 19 September 1985), also known as Steven Chen, is a Chinese
lawyer,
activist, and
citizen journalist who covered the
2019–20 Hong Kong protests and the
COVID-19 pandemic which included criticism of the government response. He went missing on 6 February 2020 after reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan. The Chinese government reportedly informed Chen's family and friends that he had been detained for the purpose of COVID-19 quarantine. Critics, including media freedom groups, have expressed skepticism about government motives, and have unsuccessfully called on the government to allow outside contact with Chen.
Chen re-emerged in September 2021, but provided no explanation of the circumstances of his disappearance. (Full article...)
The Chongqing model was characterized in part by increased state control and the promotion of a
neo-leftist ideology. It involved a sweeping and sometimes extrajudicial campaign against organized crime, and increased the security and police presence in the city. As a means of addressing declining public morality, Bo launched a "red culture" movement to promote
Maoist-era socialist ethics. On the economic front, he actively courted foreign investment and focused on manufacturing for domestic consumption. The Chongqing model was also characterized by massive public works programs, subsidized housing for the poor, and social policies intended to make it easier for rural citizens to move to the city. (Full article...)
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The Killer (
Chinese: 喋血雙雄) is a 1989
Hong Kong action film directed by
John Woo, and produced by
Tsui Hark. The film stars
Chow Yun-fat,
Danny Lee and
Sally Yeh. Chow plays Ah Jong, a professional assassin for the
Triads who wants to retire, who accidentally damages the eyes of singer Jennie (Yeh) during a shootout and sets out to perform one last hit for her treatment.
After the financial backing from Hark became problematic following the release of Woo's film A Better Tomorrow 2, Woo had to find backing through Chow Yun-fat's and Danny Lee's financing companies. Woo went into filming The Killer with a rough draft whose plot was influenced by the films Le Samouraï, Mean Streets and Narazumono. Woo wanted to make a film about honour, friendship and the relationship of two seemingly opposite people. After finishing filming, Woo referred to The Killer as a tribute to directors
Jean-Pierre Melville and
Martin Scorsese. (Full article...)
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Wu Zuguang (
Chinese: 吴祖光;
pinyin: Wú Zǔguāng;
Wade–Giles: Wu Tsu-kuang; 21 April 1917 – 9 April 2003) was a Chinese playwright, film director and social critic who has been called a "legendary figure in Chinese art and literary circles". He authored more than 40 plays and film scripts, including the patriotic drama City of Phoenix, one of the most influential plays during the
Second Sino-Japanese War, and Return on a Snowy Night, which is generally considered his masterpiece. He directed The Soul of the Nation, Hong Kong's first colour film, based on his own historical drama Song of Righteousness.
He was also well known as an outspoken critic of China's cultural policies, both of the
Kuomintang (KMT) and the
Communist governments, and was repeatedly persecuted as a result. He fled to
Hong Kong in 1945 to avoid being captured by KMT agents, and returned to
Beijing after the foundation of the People's Republic China in 1949. He was denounced as a "rightist" during the
Anti-Rightist Campaign and performed hard labour in the "Great Northern Wilderness" for three years, and was again persecuted during the
Cultural Revolution. His wife, the celebrated
pingju actress
Xin Fengxia, refused to divorce him and became disabled after undergoing beatings and
penal labour. Despite these ordeals, Wu continued to criticize government censorship and to call for political freedom, and was widely admired for his moral conviction. (Full article...)
In its formative years, the NCC became involved in the endeavors of Chinese nationalists. It sided with protesters in the
May Thirtieth Incident and went as far as calling for the re-evaluation of "
unequal treaties" China had with foreign powers. This angered foreign missionaries working in China. The NCC took an increasingly liberal theological stance, leading some foreign missionary organizations like the
China Inland Mission and the
Christian and Missionary Alliance to resign from its ranks. (Full article...)
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Kuan in 2009
Yu-chien Kuan or Guan Yuqian (
Chinese: 关愚谦; 18 February 1931 – 22 November 2018) was a Chinese-born German
sinologist, writer and translator. The son of a high-ranking
Chinese Communist Party official, he was denounced as a "rightist" and persecuted during the
Anti-Rightist Campaign and the
Cultural Revolution. This drove him to escape from China using a Japanese passport stolen from his workplace. He landed in Egypt and spent a year and half in prison for illegal entry, before being admitted to
West Germany in 1969 as a political refugee.
In Germany, he earned a Ph.D. from the
University of Hamburg, became a sinology professor at the university and served as an advisor to politicians including Chancellor
Helmut Schmidt. He published 26 books, including ten co-authored with his wife, Petra Häring-Kuan. He also collaborated with
Wolfgang Kubin to translate the works of
Lu Xun into German. (Full article...)
The following are images from various China-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1Relief of a
fenghuang in Fuxi Temple (Tianshui). They are mythological birds of East Asia that reign over all other birds. (from Chinese culture)
Image 11Official map of the Qing Empire published in 1905 (from History of China)
Image 12Photo showing serving chopsticks (gongkuai) on the far right, personal chopsticks (putongkuai) in the middle, and a spoon. Serving chopsticks are usually more ornate than the personal ones. (from Chinese culture)
Image 32Red lanterns are hung from the trees during the Chinese New Year celebrations in Ditan Park (Temple of Earth) in Beijing. (from Chinese culture)
Image 35Tea caddy, Chinese - Indianapolis Museum of Art (from Chinese culture)
Image 36Gilin with the head and scaly body of a dragon, tail of a lion and cloven hoofs like a deer. Its body enveloped in sacred flames. Detail from Entrance of General Zu Dashou Tomb (Ming Tomb). (from Chinese culture)
National Emblem of the Republic of ChinaTsai Ing-wen
The President of the Republic of China is the head of state of the Republic of China (ROC).
The
Constitution names the president as head of state and commander-in-chief of the
Republic of China Armed Forces (formerly known as the
National Revolutionary Army). The president is responsible for conducting foreign relations, such as concluding treaties, declaring war, and making peace. The president must promulgate all laws and has no right to veto. Other powers of the president include granting amnesty, pardon or clemency, declaring martial law, and conferring honors and decorations.
The current President is
Tsai Ing-wen(pictured), since May 20, 2016. The first woman to be elected to the office, Tsai is the seventh president of the Republic of China under the
1947 Constitution and the second president from the
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
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China is considered one of the
cradles of civilization: the first human inhabitants in the region arrived during the
Paleolithic; by the late second millennium BCE, the earliest
dynastic states had emerged in the
Yellow River basin. The eighth to third centuries BCE saw a breakdown in the authority of the
Zhou dynasty, accompanied by the emergence of administrative and military techniques,
literature,
philosophy, and
historiography. In 221 BCE, China was unified under
an emperor for the first time. Appointed non-hereditary officials began ruling counties instead of the aristocracy, ushering in more than two millennia of imperial dynasties including the
Qin,
Han,
Tang,
Yuan,
Ming, and
Qing. With the
invention of gunpowder and
paper, the establishment of the
Silk Road, and the building of the
Great Wall,
Chinese culture—including languages, traditions, architecture, philosophy and technology—flourished and has
heavily influenced both its neighbors and lands further afield. However, China began to cede
parts of the country in the late 19th century to various European powers by a series of
unequal treaties.
St. Michael's Cathedral (
Chinese: 圣弥爱尔大教堂;
pinyin: Shèng Mí'ài'ěr Dàjiàotáng; German: Kathedrale St. Michael), also called the Zhejiang Road Catholic Church (
Chinese: 浙江路天主教堂), is a
Catholic church in
Qingdao (Tsingtao),
Shandong Province, China, and is the seat of the bishop of the
Diocese of Qingdao (Tsingtao). It is located in the oldest part of Qingdao, at 15 Zhejiang Road, on the east side of Zhongshan Road in
Shinan District. Built by
German missionaries, the cathedral stands at the top of a hill in the center of the old German-built part of the city. It is the largest example of
Romanesque Revival architecture in the province, resembling a German cathedral of the 12th century.
St. Michael's Cathedral is the product of a strong German presence in Shandong Province in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the mid-19th century the European powers forcibly opened China to foreign trade. The
Divine Word Missionaries built a church in the
Jiaozhou Bay concession in Shandong in 1902, and in 1934 erected the cathedral, which remained nominally under their administration until 1964. In 1942 it came under the control of the
Japanese Army, returning to Chinese control when the Japanese left Qingdao in 1945. In the early 1950s, all foreign missionaries, including the Bishop of Qingdao, were either imprisoned or expelled from China, and during the
Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) the cathedral was defaced and abandoned. In 1981, it was repaired by the government and reopened for services, and in 1992 it was listed as a Provincial Historic Building by the government of Shandong Province. (Full article...)
Image 2
Ming Flag The
Ming dynasty considered
Tibet to be part of the
Western Regions. While the Ming dynasty at its height had some degree of influence in Tibet, the exact nature of their relations is under dispute by modern scholars. Analysis of the relationship is further complicated by modern political conflicts and the application of
Westphalian sovereignty to a time when the concept did not exist. The Historical Status of China's Tibet, a book published by the
People's Republic of China, asserts that the Ming dynasty had unquestioned
sovereignty over Tibet by pointing to the Ming court's issuing of various titles to Tibetan leaders, Tibetans' full acceptance of the titles, and a renewal process for successors of these titles that involved traveling to the Ming capital. Scholars in China also argue that Tibet has been an integral part of China since the 13th century and so it was a part of the Ming Empire. However, most scholars outside China, such as
Turrell V. Wylie,
Melvyn C. Goldstein, and Helmut Hoffman, say that the relationship was one of
suzerainty, Ming titles were only nominal, Tibet remained an independent region outside Ming control, and it
simply paid tribute until the
Jiajing Emperor, who ceased relations with Tibet. Some scholars note that Tibetan leaders during the Ming frequently engaged in
civil war and conducted their own foreign diplomacy with neighboring states such as
Nepal. Some scholars underscore the commercial aspect of the Ming–Tibetan relationship, noting the Ming dynasty's shortage of
horses for warfare and thus the importance of the horse trade with Tibet. Others argue that the significant
religious nature of the relationship of the Ming court with Tibetan
lamas is underrepresented in modern scholarship. (Full article...)
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Nicole Cooke, gold medalist
The women's road race was one of the
cycling events at the
2008 Summer Olympics in
Beijing, China. It took place on 10 August 2008, featuring 66 women from 33 countries. It was the seventh appearance of an Olympic women's road race event and featured a longer course than any of the previous six races. The race was run on the
Urban Road Cycling Course (one of Beijing's nine temporary
venues), which is 102.6 kilometres (63.8 mi) total. Including a second lap around the 23.8 km (14.8 mi) final circuit, the total distance of the women's race was 126.4 km (78.5 mi), less than half the length of the men's race.
Heavy rain during most of the race made conditions difficult for the competitors. A group of five broke away during the final lap and worked together until the final sprint, where
Nicole Cooke won the race. Cooke earned
Great Britain's first medal at these Games and 200th Olympic gold medal overall.
Emma Johansson of
Sweden and
Tatiana Guderzo of
Italy, finishing second and third place with the same time as Cooke, received silver and bronze medals respectively. (Full article...)
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Luo Yixiu (
Chinese: 羅一秀; 20 October 1889 – 11 February 1910), a
Han Chinese woman, was the first wife of the later Chinese
communist revolutionary and political leader
Mao Zedong, to whom she was married from 1908 until her death. Coming from the area around
Shaoshan,
Hunan, in south central China – the same region as Mao – her family were impoverished local landowners.
Most of what is known about their marriage comes from an account Mao gave to the American reporter
Edgar Snow in 1936, which Snow included in his book Red Star Over China. According to Mao, he and Luo Yixiu were the subject of an
arranged marriage organised by their respective fathers,
Mao Yichang and Luo Helou. Luo was eighteen and Mao just fourteen years old at the time of their betrothal. Although Mao took part in the wedding ceremony, he later said that he was unhappy with the marriage, never consummating it and refusing to live with his wife. Socially disgraced, she lived with Mao's parents for two years until she died of
dysentery, while he moved out of the village to continue his studies elsewhere, eventually becoming a founding member of the
Chinese Communist Party. Various biographers have suggested that Mao's experience of this marriage affected his later views, leading him to become a critic of arranged marriage and a vocal
feminist. He married three more times, to
Yang Kaihui,
He Zizhen and
Jiang Qing, the last of whom was better known as Madame Mao. (Full article...)
Brady was born an American citizen in
Tientsin, China, and traveled frequently as a child, spending time in
Los Angeles, California,
British Columbia, and
Austin,
Texas. She studied in the
University of California system, receiving her bachelor's and master's degrees, and her
Ph.D. in 1935. She next became an English instructor at that university's College of Agriculture, and worked as an
assistant professor of languages and literature at Berkeley from 1941 to 1946. The following three years were spent at the University of Pennsylvania, until, at the end of 1949, Brady moved to teach at
Central Oregon Community College; her resignation due to "ill health" was announced a few months later. After being named the 1952–53
Marion Talbot Fellow of the
American Association of University Women and writing two articles, Brady's scholarship ceased for a quarter of a century. In 1979, and posthumously in 1983, her final two articles were published. (Full article...)
Image 6
Rioters besieging a bus in
Tianshan, Ürümqi, attacking escaping
Han passengers with sticks.
A series of violent riots over several days broke out on 5 July 2009 in
Ürümqi, the capital city of the
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), in northwestern China. The first day's rioting, which involved at least 1,000
Uyghurs, began as a protest, but escalated into violent attacks that mainly targeted
Han people. According to Chinese
state media, a total of 197 people died, most of whom were Han people or non-Muslim minorities, with 1,721 others injured and many vehicles and buildings destroyed. Many Uyghurs disappeared during wide-scale police sweeps in the days following the riots;
Human Rights Watch (HRW) documented 43 cases and said figures for real
disappearances were likely to be much higher.
Rioting began following the
Shaoguan incident, where false accusations of rape of a Han woman by Uyghur men led to a brawl between ethnic Han and Uyghur factory workers in Shaoguan, resulting in the deaths of two Uyghurs who were both from Xinjiang. The
Chinese government claimed that the riots were planned from abroad by the
World Uyghur Congress (WUC) and its leader
Rebiya Kadeer. Kadeer denies fomenting the violence in her fight for Uyghur
self-determination. (Full article...)
Image 7
A map of the Western Han dynasty in 2 AD
Principalities and centrally-administered
commanderies
The Han dynasty was an
imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by
Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived
Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) and a warring
interregnum known as the
Chu–Han contention (206–202 BC), and it was succeeded by the
Three Kingdoms period (220–280 AD). The dynasty was briefly interrupted by the
Xin dynasty (9–23 AD) established by the usurping regent
Wang Mang, and is thus separated into two periods—the
Western Han (202 BC – 9 AD) and the
Eastern Han (25–220 AD). Spanning over four centuries, the Han dynasty is considered a
golden age in Chinese history, and had a permanent impact on Chinese identity in later periods. The majority ethnic group of modern China refer to themselves as the "
Han people" or "Han Chinese". The spoken
Sinitic language and
written Chinese are referred to respectively as the "Han language" and "
Han characters".
In his Dream Pool Essays or Dream Torrent Essays (夢溪筆談; Mengxi Bitan) of 1088, Shen was the first to describe the magnetic needle
compass, which would be used for navigation (first described in Europe by
Alexander Neckam in 1187). Shen discovered the concept of
true north in terms of
magnetic declination towards the
north pole, with experimentation of suspended magnetic needles and "the improved
meridian determined by Shen's [astronomical] measurement of the distance between the
pole star and true north". This was the decisive step in human history to make compasses more useful for navigation, and may have been a concept unknown in Europe
for another four hundred years (evidence of German sundials made circa 1450 show markings similar to
Chinese geomancers' compasses in regard to declination). (Full article...)
Image 9
Choe Bu (
Korean: 최부, 1454–1504) was a Korean diarist, historian, politician, and travel writer during the early
Joseon Dynasty. He was most well known for the account of his shipwrecked travels in
China from February to July 1488, during the
Ming dynasty (1368–1644). He was eventually banished from the Joseon court in 1498 and executed in 1504 during
two political purges. However, in 1506 he was
exonerated and given posthumous honors by the Joseon court.
Choe's diary accounts of his travels in China became widely printed during the 16th century in both Korea and
Japan. Modern historians also refer to his written works, since his travel diary provides a unique outsider's perspective on Chinese culture in the 15th century. The attitudes and opinions expressed in his writing represent in part the standpoints and views of the 15th century
Confucian Korean literati, who viewed
Chinese culture as compatible with and similar to
their own. His description of cities, people, customs, cuisines, and maritime commerce along
China's Grand Canal provides insight into the daily life of China and how it differed between
northern and southern China during the 15th century. (Full article...)
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Tintin in Tibet (French: Tintin au Tibet) is the twentieth volume of The Adventures of Tintin, the comics series by Belgian cartoonist
Hergé. It was serialised weekly from September 1958 to November 1959 in Tintin magazine and published as a book in 1960. Hergé considered it his favourite Tintin adventure and an emotional effort, as he created it while suffering from traumatic nightmares and a personal conflict while deciding to leave his wife of three decades for a younger woman. The story tells of the young reporter
Tintin in search of his friend
Chang Chong-Chen, who the authorities claim has died in a plane crash in the
Himalayas. Convinced that Chang has survived and accompanied only by
Snowy,
Captain Haddock and the
Sherpa guide
Tharkey, Tintin crosses the Himalayas to the plateau of
Tibet, along the way encountering the mysterious
Yeti.
Following The Red Sea Sharks (1958) and its large number of characters, Tintin in Tibet differs from other stories in the series in that it features only a few familiar characters and is also Hergé's only adventure not to pit Tintin against an antagonist. Themes in Hergé's story include
extrasensory perception, the mysticism of
Tibetan Buddhism, and friendship. Translated into 32 languages, Tintin in Tibet was widely acclaimed by critics and is generally considered to be Hergé's finest work; it has also been praised by the
Dalai Lama, who awarded it the
Light of Truth Award. The story was a commercial success and was published in book form by
Casterman shortly after its conclusion; the series itself became a defining part of the
Franco-Belgian comics tradition. Tintin in Tibet was adapted for the 1991
Ellipse/
Nelvana animated series The Adventures of Tintin, the 1992–93
BBC Radio 5 dramatisation of the Adventures, the 1996 video game
of the same name, and the 2005–06
Young Vic musical Hergé's Adventures of Tintin; it was also prominently featured in the 2003 documentary Tintin and I and has been the subject of a museum exhibition. (Full article...)
Image 11
Beato c. 1866
Felice Beato (c. 1832 – 29 January 1909), also known as Felix Beato, was an
Italian–British photographer. He was one of the first people to take photographs in East Asia and one of the first
war photographers. He is noted for his
genre works, portraits, and views and
panoramas of the architecture and landscapes of Asia and the
Mediterranean region. Beato's travels gave him the opportunity to create images of countries, people, and events that were unfamiliar and remote to most people in Europe and North America. His work provides images of such events as the
Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the
Second Opium War, and represents the first substantial body of
photojournalism. He influenced other photographers, and his influence in Japan, where he taught and worked with numerous other photographers and artists, was particularly deep and lasting. (Full article...)
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A Yuan-era stele in the ruins of the Cross Temple. Another stele (left) and some scattered groundwork (right) are visible in the background.
The Cross Temple (
Chinese: 十字寺;
pinyin: Shízì sì) is a former
place of worship in
Fangshan, Beijing.
Buddhists and early
Chinese Christians used the temple during different periods. Originally built as a Buddhist temple, some scholars hypothesise that it saw Christian use during the
Tang dynasty (618–907). The temple was used by Buddhists during the
Liao dynasty (916–1125) and by Christians during the
Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). It returned to Buddhist use during the
Ming dynasty (1368–1644), before being sold in 1911. It was first recorded in modern scholarship in 1919, damaged during the
Cultural Revolution, and re-established as a national-level protected site in 2006. Some scholars consider it to be the only place of worship of the
Church of the East (also known as Nestorian Christianity) discovered in China.
Today, the site features two ancient steles, as well as groundwork and the bases of several pillars. The steles date to the Liao and Yuan dynasties, but their inscriptions were tampered with during the Ming. During the early 20th century, two stone blocks carved with crosses and other patterns were also discovered at the site, with one of them also bearing an inscription in
Syriac. The blocks are presently on display at the
Nanjing Museum. (Full article...)
The
dynasty's history is divided into two periods: during the Northern Song (北宋; 960–1127), the capital was in the northern city of Bianjing (now
Kaifeng) and the dynasty controlled most of what is now
Eastern China. The
Southern Song (南宋; 1127–1279) comprise the period following the loss of control over the northern half of Song territory to the Jurchen-led
Jin dynasty in the
Jin–Song Wars. At that time, the Song court retreated south of the
Yangtze and established its capital at
Lin'an (now
Hangzhou). Although the Song dynasty had lost control of the traditional Chinese heartlands around the
Yellow River, the Southern Song Empire contained a large population and productive agricultural land, sustaining a robust economy. In 1234, the Jin dynasty was
conquered by the Mongols, who took control of northern China, maintaining uneasy relations with the Southern Song.
Möngke Khan, the fourth
Great Khan of the
Mongol Empire, died in 1259 while besieging the mountain castle
Diaoyucheng in
Chongqing. His younger brother
Kublai Khan was proclaimed the new Great Khan and in 1271 founded the Yuan dynasty. After two decades of sporadic warfare, Kublai Khan's armies
conquered the Song dynasty in 1279 after defeating the Southern Song in the
Battle of Yamen, and reunited China under the Yuan dynasty. (Full article...)
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The empire in 661, when it reached its greatest extent
The
Li family founded the dynasty after taking advantage of a period of Sui decline and precipitating their final collapse, in turn inaugurating a period of progress and stability in the first half of the dynasty's rule. The dynasty was formally interrupted during 690–705 when Empress
Wu Zetian seized the throne, proclaiming the
Wu Zhou dynasty and becoming the only legitimate Chinese
empress regnant. The devastating
An Lushan Rebellion (755–763) shook the nation and led to the decline of central authority in the dynasty's latter half. Like the previous
Sui dynasty, the Tang maintained a civil-service system by recruiting
scholar-officials through
standardized examinations and recommendations to office. The rise of regional military governors known as jiedushi during the 9th century undermined this civil order. The dynasty and central government went into decline by the latter half of the 9th century; agrarian rebellions resulted in mass population loss and displacement, widespread poverty, and further government dysfunction that ultimately ended the dynasty in 907. (Full article...)
Image 15
The
Sakyamuni Buddha, by Song painter Zhang Shengwen, c. AD 1181–1186; although
Buddhism was in decline and under attack by
Neo-Confucian critics in the Song era, it nonetheless remained one of the major religious ideologies in China.
Chinese society during the
Song dynasty (AD 960–1279) was marked by political and legal reforms, a philosophical revival of
Confucianism, and the development of cities beyond administrative purposes into centers of trade, industry, and
maritime commerce. The inhabitants of rural areas were mostly farmers, although some were also hunters, fishers, or government employees working in mines or the salt marshes. Conversely, shopkeepers, artisans, city guards, entertainers, laborers, and wealthy merchants lived in the county and provincial centers along with the
Chinese gentry—a small, elite community of educated scholars and
scholar-officials. As landholders and drafted government officials, the gentry considered themselves the leading members of society; gaining their cooperation and employment was essential for the county or provincial bureaucrat overburdened with official duties. In many ways, scholar-officials of the Song period differed from the more aristocratic scholar-officials of the
Tang dynasty (618–907).
Civil service examinations became the primary means of appointment to an official post as competitors vying for official degrees dramatically increased. Frequent disagreements amongst ministers of state on ideological and policy issues led to political strife and the rise of political factions. This undermined the marriage strategies of the professional elite, which broke apart as a social group and gave way to a multitude of families that provided sons for
civil service.
Confucian or
Legalist scholars in ancient China—perhaps as far back as the late
Zhou dynasty (c. 1046–256 BC)—categorized all socioeconomic groups into
four broad and hierarchical occupations (in descending order): the shi (scholars, or gentry), the nong (peasant farmers), the gong (artisans and craftsmen), and the shang (merchants). Wealthy landholders and officials possessed the resources to better prepare their sons for the civil service examinations, yet they were often rivaled in their power and wealth by merchants of the Song period. Merchants frequently colluded commercially and politically with officials, despite the fact that scholar-officials looked down on mercantile vocations as less respectable pursuits than farming or craftsmanship. The military also provided a means for advancement in Song society for those who became officers, even though soldiers were not highly respected members of society. Although certain domestic and familial duties were expected of women in Song society, they nonetheless enjoyed a wide range of social and legal rights in an otherwise
patriarchal society. Women's improved rights to property came gradually with the increasing value of
dowries offered by brides' families. (Full article...)
... that revenge buying after the lifting of a 2020 COVID-19 lockdown helped a
Hermès store set a record for the most shopping at a luxury outlet in China in a single day?
... that the bird subspecies Alcippe dubia genestieri is named after Annet Genestier, a French missionary-botanist in China who also built
Zhongding Catholic Church in 1908?
... that Canadian pentathlon champion J. Howard Crocker introduced volleyball to China?
... that wood type for printing was invented in China, first mass-produced in the United States, and later exported back to China for use by
missionaries?
... that British oceanographer Sonya Legg has studied the
South China Sea, where internal waves can be taller than 200 metres (660 ft)?
... that Russian money, known as qiang tie by locals, was used as legal currency in some regions of China for decades?
More did you know
...that director
Zhang Yuan's 1999 film, Seventeen Years was the first Chinese film allowed to film inside a Chinese prison?
Cantonese or Guangdong cuisine, also known as Yue cuisine (
Chinese: 廣東菜 or 粵菜), is the
cuisine of
Guangdong province of China, particularly the provincial capital
Guangzhou, and the surrounding regions in the
Pearl River Delta including
Hong Kong and
Macau. Strictly speaking, Cantonese cuisine is the cuisine of
Guangzhou or of
Cantonese speakers, but it often includes the cooking styles of all the speakers of
Yue Chinese languages in Guangdong.
The
Teochew cuisine and
Hakka cuisine of Guangdong are considered their own styles. However, scholars may categorize Guangdong cuisine into three major groups based on the region's dialect: Cantonese, Hakka and Chaozhou cuisines. Neighboring
Guangxi's
cuisine is also considered separate despite eastern Guangxi being considered
culturally Cantonese due to the presence of
ethnic Zhuang influences in the rest of the province. (Full article...)
This is a
good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.
Image 1
Yeshe-Ö (
c. 959–1040; spiritual names Jangchub Yeshe-Ö, Byang Chub Ye shes' Od, Lha Bla Ma, Hla Lama Yeshe O, Lalama Yixiwo, also Dharmaraja – 'Noble King') was the first notable
lama-king in
Tibet. Born as Khor-re, he is better known as Lhachen Yeshe-Ö, his spiritual name.
A Northern Song coin (sheng song yuan bao聖宋元寶) The economy of the
Song dynasty (960–1279) has been characterized as the most prosperous in the world at the time. The dynasty moved away from the top-down command economy of the
Tang dynasty (618–907) and made extensive use of market mechanisms as national income grew to be around three times that of 12th century Europe. The dynasty was beset by invasions and border pressure, lost control of North China in 1127, and fell in 1279. Yet the period saw the growth of cities, regional specialization, and a national market. There was sustained growth in population and per capita income, structural change in the economy, and increased technological innovation such as movable print, improved seeds for rice and other commercial crops, gunpowder, water-powered mechanical clocks, the use of coal as an industrial fuel, improved iron and steel production, and more efficient canal locks. China had a steel production of around 100,000 tons plus urban cities with millions of people at the time.
Commerce in global markets increased significantly. Merchants invested in trading vessels and trade which reached ports as far away as East Africa. This period also witnessed the development of the world's first
banknote, or printed paper money (see
Jiaozi,
Guanzi,
Huizi), which circulated on a massive scale. A unified tax system and efficient trade routes by road and canal meant the development of a nationwide market. Regional specialization promoted economic efficiency and increased productivity. Although much of the central government's treasury went to the military, taxes imposed on the rising commercial base refilled the coffers and further encouraged the monetary economy. Reformers and conservatives debated the role of government in the economy. The emperor and his government still took responsibility for the economy, but generally made fewer claims than in earlier dynasties. The government did, however, continue to enforce monopolies on certain manufactured items and market goods to boost revenues and secure resources that were vital to the empire's security, such as tea, salt, and chemical components for
gunpowder. (Full article...)
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The 2010 Asian Games (
Chinese: 2010年亚洲运动会;
pinyin: Èr líng yī líng nián yǎzhōu yùndònghuì), officially known as the XVI Asian Games (
Chinese: 第十六届亚洲运动会;
pinyin: dì shíliù jiè yǎzhōu yùndònghuì) and also known as Guangzhou 2010 (
Chinese: 广州2010;
pinyin: Guǎngzhōu Èr líng yī líng), were a regional
multi-sport event that had taken place from November 12 to 27, 2010 in
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (although several events commenced earlier on November 7, 2010). It was the second time China hosted the Asian Games, with the first one being
Asian Games 1990 in
Beijing.
Guangzhou's three neighboring cities,
Dongguan,
Foshan and
Shanwei co-hosted the Games.
PremierWen Jiabao opened the Games along the
Pearl River in
Haixinsha Island. A total of 53 venues were used to host the events. The design concept of the official logo of the 2010 Asian Games was based on the legend of the Guangzhou's Five Goats, representing the Five Goats as the Asian Games Torch. (Full article...)
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Ruyijun zhuan (如意君傳), translated into English as The Lord of Perfect Satisfaction, is a Chinese
erotic novella written in the
Ming dynasty by an unknown author. Set in the
Tang dynasty, it follows the political career and love life of Empress
Wu Zetian. One of the earliest erotic novels published in China, it was repeatedly banned after its publication. (Full article...)
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Map of the expansion of the Han dynasty in 2nd century BC
The southward expansion of the Han dynasty was a series of Chinese military campaigns and expeditions in what is now modern
Southern China and
Northern Vietnam. Military expansion to the south began under the previous
Qin dynasty and continued during the Han era. Campaigns were dispatched to conquer the
Yue tribes, leading to the annexation of
Minyue by the Han in 135 BC and 111 BC,
Nanyue in 111 BC, and
Dian in 109 BC.
Han Chinese culture took root into the newly conquered territories and the Baiyue and Dian tribes were eventually assimilated or displaced by the Han Empire. Evidence of Han dynasty influences are apparent in artifacts excavated in the Baiyue tombs of modern southern China. This sphere of influence eventually extended to various ancient Southeast Asian kingdoms, where contact led to the spread of Han Chinese culture, trade and political diplomacy. The increased demand for Chinese
silk also led to the establishment of the
Silk Road connecting Europe, the
Near East, and China. (Full article...)
In the 1880s and early 1890s, the Beiyang Fleet conducted a routine of training exercises and cruises abroad, with emphasis placed on visits to
Japan to intimidate the country. The latter resulted in the
Nagasaki Incident in 1886 and contributed to a rise in hostility between the two countries that culminated in the
First Sino-Japanese War in 1894. She saw action at the
Battle of the Yalu River on 17 September, where the Japanese
Combined Fleet sank much of the Beiyang Fleet, though both Zhenyuan and Dingyuan survived despite numerous hits. The survivors then retreated to
Port Arthur for repairs, but after that city was threatened by the Japanese army, fled to
Weihaiwei. While entering the port, Zhenyuan struck an uncharted rock and was badly damaged; she was used as a stationary artillery battery during the
Battle of Weihaiwei in February 1895, but Japanese forces captured the city's fortifications, which forced the Chinese to surrender the fleet. (Full article...)
Sun Yang (
Chinese: 孙杨; Mandarin pronunciation:[swə́n.jǎŋ]; born 1 December 1991) is a Chinese
Olympic and
world-record-holding competitive
swimmer. In 2012, Sun became the first Chinese athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in men's swimming. Sun is the first male swimmer in history to earn Olympic and World Championship gold medals at every
freestyle distance from 200 to 1500 metres. A three-time Olympic gold medalist and eleven-time world champion, he is the most decorated Chinese swimmer in history. In 2017,
NBC Sports described him as "very arguably the greatest freestyle swimmer of all time".
In September 2018, Sun, during his ninth drug test in two weeks, was involved in an incident during an out-of-competition anti-doping testing operation at his home, where a doping control assistant (DCA) could not provide appropriate accreditations, verifying his identity and whether the test was authorized, and had also taken photos of Sun without his permission. After his offer to wait for a properly accredited team was declined, Sun refused to let the testers take his blood sample and a security guard broke open the container to prevent the drug testers from taking away the blood vials. The DCA was later confirmed to be a construction worker according to Chinese state media. Additionally, the DCA acknowledged breaching professional conduct and excitedly taking photos of Sun without his permission during the testing operation and though the DCA didn't testify in person, his written statement was confirmed by several witnesses, including the doping control officer (DCO) who lead the testing operation.
FINA stated that because the conduct of the DCA was unprofessional and the test lacked proper authorization, they concluded that Sun did not commit an anti-doping rule violation for not submitting himself to the test. On 28 February 2020,
Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) delivered its findings, overturning FINA's decision and banning Sun for eight years for tampering with the doping control process. Some analysts opined that the trial was marred by severe translation problems, conflict of interest, bias and an "absence of evidence" around doping activity. CAS also ruled that Sun would not officially lose any of his medals because "doping tests performed on the Athlete shortly before and after the aborted doping control in September 2018 were negative" and that "in the absence of any evidence that the Athlete may have engaged in doping activity since 4 September 2018, including on the occasion of the FINA World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea in July 2019, the results achieved by the Athlete in the period prior to the CAS award being issued should not be disqualified". On 22 June 2021, after the retrial of the case, the CAS upheld the ban but reduced the suspension time to 4 years and three months. (Full article...)
The Esing Bakery incident, also known as the Ah Lum affair, was a
food contamination scandal in the early history of
British Hong Kong. On 15 January 1857, during the
Second Opium War, several hundred European residents were poisoned non-lethally by
arsenic, found in bread produced by a Chinese-owned store, the Esing Bakery. The proprietor of the bakery, Cheong Ah-lum, was accused of plotting the poisoning but was acquitted in a
trial by jury. Nonetheless, Cheong was successfully sued for
damages and was banished from the colony. The true responsibility for the incident and its intention—whether it was an individual act of
terrorism, commercial
sabotage, a
war crime orchestrated by the
Qing government, or purely accidental—both remain a matter of debate.
In Britain, the incident became a political issue during the
1857 general election, helping to mobilise support for the war and the incumbent
Prime Minister,
Lord Palmerston. In Hong Kong, it sowed panic and insecurity among the local colonists, highlighting the precariousness of imperial rule in the colony. The incident contributed to growing tensions between Hong Kong's European and Chinese residents, as well as within the European community itself. The scale and potential consequences of the poisoning make it an unprecedented event in the history of the
British Empire, the colonists believing at the time that its success could have wiped out their community. (Full article...)
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Typhoon June on August 29 at 07:27 UTC
Typhoon June, also known in the Philippines as Typhoon Maring, was the first of two
tropical cyclones to affect the Philippines in a one-week time span in August 1984. June originated from an area of
convection that was first witnessed on August 15 in the
Philippine Sea. Despite initial
wind shear, the area intensified into a tropical storm three days later as it tracked westward. After tracking over Luzon, June entered the
South China Sea on August 30. Despite remaining poorly organized, June re-intensified over land, and it was estimated to have briefly attained typhoon intensity before striking China, just to the east of
Hong Kong, at maximum intensity, although its remnants were last noticed on September 3.
Affecting the country four days before
Typhoon Ike would devastate the Philippines, June brought widespread damage to the nation. Throughout the Philippines, 470,962 people sought shelter. A total of 671 homes were destroyed, with 6,341 others damaged. A total of 121 people were killed, while 17 other individuals were reportedly missing, and 26 other people were wounded. Damage totaled $24.2 million (1984
USD, including $15.24 million in agriculture and $8.82 million in infrastructure). Following June and Ike, several major countries provided cash and other goods. In all, $7.5 million worth of aid was donated to the nation in relief. In addition to effects on the Philippines, 1,500 homes were damaged and 66,000 ha (160,000 acres) of farmland were flooded in the
Guangdong province. (Full article...)
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Chen participated in a boxing match in 2022
Chen Qiushi (born 19 September 1985), also known as Steven Chen, is a Chinese
lawyer,
activist, and
citizen journalist who covered the
2019–20 Hong Kong protests and the
COVID-19 pandemic which included criticism of the government response. He went missing on 6 February 2020 after reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan. The Chinese government reportedly informed Chen's family and friends that he had been detained for the purpose of COVID-19 quarantine. Critics, including media freedom groups, have expressed skepticism about government motives, and have unsuccessfully called on the government to allow outside contact with Chen.
Chen re-emerged in September 2021, but provided no explanation of the circumstances of his disappearance. (Full article...)
The Chongqing model was characterized in part by increased state control and the promotion of a
neo-leftist ideology. It involved a sweeping and sometimes extrajudicial campaign against organized crime, and increased the security and police presence in the city. As a means of addressing declining public morality, Bo launched a "red culture" movement to promote
Maoist-era socialist ethics. On the economic front, he actively courted foreign investment and focused on manufacturing for domestic consumption. The Chongqing model was also characterized by massive public works programs, subsidized housing for the poor, and social policies intended to make it easier for rural citizens to move to the city. (Full article...)
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The Killer (
Chinese: 喋血雙雄) is a 1989
Hong Kong action film directed by
John Woo, and produced by
Tsui Hark. The film stars
Chow Yun-fat,
Danny Lee and
Sally Yeh. Chow plays Ah Jong, a professional assassin for the
Triads who wants to retire, who accidentally damages the eyes of singer Jennie (Yeh) during a shootout and sets out to perform one last hit for her treatment.
After the financial backing from Hark became problematic following the release of Woo's film A Better Tomorrow 2, Woo had to find backing through Chow Yun-fat's and Danny Lee's financing companies. Woo went into filming The Killer with a rough draft whose plot was influenced by the films Le Samouraï, Mean Streets and Narazumono. Woo wanted to make a film about honour, friendship and the relationship of two seemingly opposite people. After finishing filming, Woo referred to The Killer as a tribute to directors
Jean-Pierre Melville and
Martin Scorsese. (Full article...)
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Wu Zuguang (
Chinese: 吴祖光;
pinyin: Wú Zǔguāng;
Wade–Giles: Wu Tsu-kuang; 21 April 1917 – 9 April 2003) was a Chinese playwright, film director and social critic who has been called a "legendary figure in Chinese art and literary circles". He authored more than 40 plays and film scripts, including the patriotic drama City of Phoenix, one of the most influential plays during the
Second Sino-Japanese War, and Return on a Snowy Night, which is generally considered his masterpiece. He directed The Soul of the Nation, Hong Kong's first colour film, based on his own historical drama Song of Righteousness.
He was also well known as an outspoken critic of China's cultural policies, both of the
Kuomintang (KMT) and the
Communist governments, and was repeatedly persecuted as a result. He fled to
Hong Kong in 1945 to avoid being captured by KMT agents, and returned to
Beijing after the foundation of the People's Republic China in 1949. He was denounced as a "rightist" during the
Anti-Rightist Campaign and performed hard labour in the "Great Northern Wilderness" for three years, and was again persecuted during the
Cultural Revolution. His wife, the celebrated
pingju actress
Xin Fengxia, refused to divorce him and became disabled after undergoing beatings and
penal labour. Despite these ordeals, Wu continued to criticize government censorship and to call for political freedom, and was widely admired for his moral conviction. (Full article...)
In its formative years, the NCC became involved in the endeavors of Chinese nationalists. It sided with protesters in the
May Thirtieth Incident and went as far as calling for the re-evaluation of "
unequal treaties" China had with foreign powers. This angered foreign missionaries working in China. The NCC took an increasingly liberal theological stance, leading some foreign missionary organizations like the
China Inland Mission and the
Christian and Missionary Alliance to resign from its ranks. (Full article...)
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Kuan in 2009
Yu-chien Kuan or Guan Yuqian (
Chinese: 关愚谦; 18 February 1931 – 22 November 2018) was a Chinese-born German
sinologist, writer and translator. The son of a high-ranking
Chinese Communist Party official, he was denounced as a "rightist" and persecuted during the
Anti-Rightist Campaign and the
Cultural Revolution. This drove him to escape from China using a Japanese passport stolen from his workplace. He landed in Egypt and spent a year and half in prison for illegal entry, before being admitted to
West Germany in 1969 as a political refugee.
In Germany, he earned a Ph.D. from the
University of Hamburg, became a sinology professor at the university and served as an advisor to politicians including Chancellor
Helmut Schmidt. He published 26 books, including ten co-authored with his wife, Petra Häring-Kuan. He also collaborated with
Wolfgang Kubin to translate the works of
Lu Xun into German. (Full article...)
The following are images from various China-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1Relief of a
fenghuang in Fuxi Temple (Tianshui). They are mythological birds of East Asia that reign over all other birds. (from Chinese culture)
Image 11Official map of the Qing Empire published in 1905 (from History of China)
Image 12Photo showing serving chopsticks (gongkuai) on the far right, personal chopsticks (putongkuai) in the middle, and a spoon. Serving chopsticks are usually more ornate than the personal ones. (from Chinese culture)
Image 32Red lanterns are hung from the trees during the Chinese New Year celebrations in Ditan Park (Temple of Earth) in Beijing. (from Chinese culture)
Image 35Tea caddy, Chinese - Indianapolis Museum of Art (from Chinese culture)
Image 36Gilin with the head and scaly body of a dragon, tail of a lion and cloven hoofs like a deer. Its body enveloped in sacred flames. Detail from Entrance of General Zu Dashou Tomb (Ming Tomb). (from Chinese culture)
National Emblem of the Republic of ChinaTsai Ing-wen
The President of the Republic of China is the head of state of the Republic of China (ROC).
The
Constitution names the president as head of state and commander-in-chief of the
Republic of China Armed Forces (formerly known as the
National Revolutionary Army). The president is responsible for conducting foreign relations, such as concluding treaties, declaring war, and making peace. The president must promulgate all laws and has no right to veto. Other powers of the president include granting amnesty, pardon or clemency, declaring martial law, and conferring honors and decorations.
The current President is
Tsai Ing-wen(pictured), since May 20, 2016. The first woman to be elected to the office, Tsai is the seventh president of the Republic of China under the
1947 Constitution and the second president from the
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
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