FOOD

How a Tiny Flower Becomes the Scent of Autumn in China

From drinks and desserts to tourist sites, sweet osmanthus has been an autumn favorite for Chinese people for over 2,000 years

ARTS

How Ancient Chinese Poets Celebrated Qingming Festival

Four ancient Chinese poems on Qingming Festival show that the day was always about more than just tomb sweeping

BOOKS

Out of the Cloud Chamber: How to Help Chinese Poetry Go West?

Meet the new wave of scholars and translators making the untranslatable relatable

ANCIENT HISTORY

Ancient Poems About Laborers’ Plight

On International Workers’ Day, we take a look at how ancient poets wrote about labor and the working classes

TRADITIONAL CULTURE

Birds and Their Meanings in China

Magpies for happiness, cuckoos for sorrow, and cranes for longevity—learn the symbolism of birds in China

ARTS

Anti-War Poetry in Ancient China

Four ancient Chinese poets on human suffering amid turbulence and war

TRADITIONAL CULTURE

Chinese Trees and Their Meanings

Symbolism of eight common trees in Chinese culture

ARTS

How Ancient Chinese Poets Celebrated the Lantern Festival

Five ancient poems that celebrate the first full moon of a new Lunar New Year

ARTS

How the Lunar New Year Was Celebrated in Ancient Chinese Poetry

How seven ancient poets wrote about celebrating the Lunar New Year

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
BOOKS

Poet’s Peak

How verses by an obscure Tang hermit inspired an American countercultural movement