History
Ancient capitals, dynasties, monuments, and the stories behind them.
Tianning Pagoda: Changzhou's Tall New Landmark Beside an Old Temple
A guide to Tianning Temple and its 13-story modern pagoda, where Tang-dynasty memory and contemporary Changzhou meet in the city center.
Yancheng Ruins: Reading Changzhou's Spring and Autumn City in the Land
Walk the moats and earthen walls of Chunqiu Yancheng, one of Changzhou's most important archaeological landscapes from the Spring and Autumn period.
Guardians of the Afterlife: Decoding the Terracotta Warriors
Looking beyond the massive crowds of Pit 1 into the profound logistics of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum, exploring the individual expressions and archaeological mysteries of the clay soldiers.
Borrowed Ridges: The Timeless Landscape Design of Jichang Garden
An exploration of Wuxi's premier Ming Dynasty garden, examining how its builders used the 'borrowed scenery' technique to bring the surrounding hills inside.
The Bronze Colossus: Scaling the Heights of Lingshan Grand Buddha
A journey to the Mashan Peninsula to climb the steps of the 88-meter bronze Buddha and explore the gilded halls of the Lingshan Palace.
Midnight Bells: The Poetic Resonance of Hanshan Temple
A visit to Hanshan Temple, exploring the Tang dynasty poetry of Zhang Ji, the ringing of its great bronze bell, and the industrial pulse of the nearby Grand Canal.
The Politics of Stone: Decoding the Humble Administrator’s Garden
An analysis of Suzhou's largest classical garden, revealing how a disgraced Ming dynasty official used layout, water, and stone to criticize the imperial court.
Water and Wall: Navigating the Double Bastions of Panmen Gate
Explore the ancient water-and-land gate of Panmen, where stone walls and canal locks formed a double-fortress system protecting old Suzhou.
The Quiet Emperor: The Glass Floors of Han Yangling
A journey to the underground glass museum of Yangling, where miniature clay soldiers, animals, and servants reveal a completely different imperial ideology of the Han dynasty compared to the fierce Qin.
Jade and Tombstone: The Secret Kingdom of the Nanyue King
A descent into the 2,000-year-old sandstone tomb of King Zhao Mo, revealing a burial shroud of jade and early evidence of Guangzhou's maritime trade.
Shade and Shophouses: Walking the Colonial Paths of Shamian Island
A walking exploration of Shamian Island's banyan-shaded avenues, documenting the preserved Anglo-French architecture and the island's legacy as an isolated trade enclave.
The Forty-Year Leap: Mapping Shenzhen's Special Economic Zone History
An exploration of Shenzhen's transformation from a farming county to a global technology hub through museum archives, historic border checkpoints, and the relics of the 1980s economic boom.
Fortresses of the Mud: The Hakka Walled Houses of Shenzhen
An exploration of Shenzhen's defensive Hakka walled houses, tracing the architectural details of Crane Lake Fort and Gankeng Hakka Town.
Iron and Mud: The War Relics of Dagu Fort
Walk the earthen ramparts of the Dagu Fortifications in Binhai, where rusted cannons and coastal mud flats mark the gateway of the Opium Wars.
Eaves of the Empire: Walking the Concessions of Wudadao
A walking tour through the quiet, tree-lined streets of Wudadao, exploring Tianjin's diverse colonial architecture and the historic Minyuan Stadium.
Buddhas of the Sandstone Cliff: The Dazu Rock Carvings Day Trip
A journey to the Song and Tang dynasty sandstone grottoes of Baodingshan in Dazu, detailing transit, history, and carvings.
Subterranean Shelters: Tracing Chongqing’s Wartime Redoubt
An exploration of Chongqing's historical Fangkongdong—the wartime sandstone air-raid shelters repurposed today as hot pot joints, markets, and gas stations.
Echoes of the Red Walls: Navigating the Silent Courtyards of the Forbidden City
Discover the cosmic architecture and dynastic politics of China's imperial heart, escaping the tourist corridors to explore the quiet western chambers and halls.
Silent Echoes of the Son of Heaven: The Sacred Geometry of the Temple of Heaven
Unveil the blue-glazed tiles and imperial ritual architecture of the Temple of Heaven, exploring the cosmos-mapping layouts of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Stone and Shadow: Deciphering the Art Deco Façades of the Bund
An architectural exploration of the Bund's stone facades, tracing the rise of Art Deco banks, the toll of the Custom House bell, and the grand copper-clad lobby of the Peace Hotel.
A Sanctuary in Hongkou: The Story of the Shanghai Ghetto
A journey through the narrow lanes of Hongkou to the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, exploring how a working-class Chinese neighborhood became an unlikely haven for thousands fleeing Nazi Europe.
The First City: The Neolithic Jades of Liangzhu
Venturing 5,000 years into China's past through the massive hydraulic engineering and intricate jade carvings of the Liangzhu ruins.
Pagodas and Snakes: The Mythological Map of West Lake
An exploration of how legend and literature built West Lake, from the tragic spirits of Leifeng Pagoda to the rain-soaked stones of the Broken Bridge.
The Straw Cottage of a Wandering Sage: Inside Du Fu's Chengdu Sanctuary
How a humble thatched cottage in the Sichuan bamboo groves became a sanctuary for China's greatest poet and the soul of Chengdu's literary identity.
The Sun Bird and the Bronze Masks: Unearthing Jinsha's Lost Kingdom
How a chance construction discovery in 2001 revealed a spectacular, 3000-year-old mysterious civilization that reshaped China's ancient history.