ANCIENT HISTORY

How China’s Imperial Treasures Became a Public Exhibit

Arson, thieving eunuchs, military invasion: the Forbidden City’s journey from imperial palace to public museum was anything but smooth

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
TRAVEL

Where Empires Meet: Lüshun’s Complex Colonial Legacies

Lüshun’s history of colonial entanglement attracts visitors looking for stunning photo backdrops, but its story is difficult to tell

ANCIENT HISTORY

On Thin Ice: When Dutch Traders Challenged the Qing Empire for Skating Glory

Historian Tonio Andrade recalls a mostly forgotten moment of 18th century Chinese diplomacy and winter sports history

ANCIENT HISTORY

Ancient China’s Love Affair With Ice Sports

Centuries before the Beijing Winter Olympics, Chinese enjoyed a variety of winter sports on ice

ANCIENT HISTORY

Nailed It: Why Long Fingernails Were All the Rage in Ancient China

The symbolism of long nails and nail guards, from Confucius to Empress Cixi

TRAVEL

The Family Mansion at the Heart of Yunnan’s Modern History

How the Zhu clan became one of the richest and most powerful families in all Yunnan from their business base in Jianshui

HISTORY

How China Adopted Western Punctuation

The story of how Chinese punctuation evolved from the Han dynasty to today

ANCIENT HISTORY

The Best (and Worst) Jokes of the Qing Dynasty

A joke book compiled by the "Master of Games" showcases Chinese humor from centuries ago

FEMINISM

China’s ‘Self-Comb Women’ Never Smashed the Patriarchy. So What?

Some anti-marriage activists are trying to lay claim to the self-comb legacy. They’re missing these women’s real significance.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
ANCIENT HISTORY

The Challenges of Adoption in Imperial China

The importance of male heirs made for complex negotiations of ritual, law, and lineage for those wishing to adopt