ARTS

Anti-War Poetry in Ancient China

Four ancient Chinese poets on human suffering amid turbulence and war

HISTORICAL FIGURES

Qianlong Emperor: The Worst Poet in Chinese History?

The longest-lived ruler of the Qing dynasty wrote 43,000 poems in his lifetime, most of them bad

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

HISTORY

Gay Emperors in Chinese History

Five love stories about ancient monarchs and their male confidantes

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
ANCIENT HISTORY

Astronomy Domine

When civilizations collide over the stars, there is nothing left to do but declare battle…to the death!

TV, ANCIENT HISTORY

Hair Razing

Two recent dramas offer new explanations to why the wife of Emperor Qianlong cut her hair—and got herself banished from court

ANCIENT HISTORY

Four Faithful Chinese Emperors

Emperors that broke the stereotype of being serial philanderers

ANCIENT HISTORY

Court Confidential

China’s emperors were no strangers to the curse of bad data—and built their own secret system to avoid it

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
HISTORY, SOCIETY

The Unforbidden

After years of neglect, the Forbidden City’s Palace Museum is finally being opened up and dragged into the 21st century

HISTORY

The Missing Seal

It was the most priceless artifact in ancient China—then it disappeared