Blog Tag - History

Portrait of a Beijinger: extraordinary stories from ordinary Beijingers
Submitted on Aug 22, 2017
Stories are all around us, waiting to be told. The next time you are crossing a busy street or taking a stuffy subway, imagine the concentration of...
Beijing Summer History Reads That Won't Leave You Napping
Submitted on Jul 13, 2017
Riddle me this: after three proud years in Beijing, your beloved mommy and daddy come to visit. You are marching down the streets with your chin up,...
R Old China Hand: Joerg Wuttke, President of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China
Submitted on Jun 29, 2017
As Joerg Wuttke recently prepared to end his term as President of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, and head back to his hometown in...
R History on a String: How Chinese Kite Flying, and Kite Watching, is so Much More than a Hobby
Submitted on Apr 30, 2017
Beijing may have a reputation for filthy, dreary grey skies, but by spring things are different. At least’s that’s the case on clear blue, mild,...
Slow Boats and Caravans: Great Explorers in Chinese History
Submitted on Apr 19, 2017
China was never closed to the world. The myth of Chinese civilization huddled behind the Great Wall, isolated and insular, is as much a product of...
Beijing Officials Admit Artifacts Stolen from Famous Ming Tomb... One Year Later
Submitted on Apr 07, 2017
Artifacts from the city's famous Ming tombs have been missing for up to a year's time without being acknowledged by local authorities, causing...
In Search of Buried Treasure at the Ming Tombs
Submitted on Mar 25, 2017
Following our recent visit to the Summer Palaces, my family and I decided to round out our tour of Beijing’s imperial heritage, with a trip to the...
Jane Su: Wisconsin Native Discusses What Moving to China in 1957 Was Like
Submitted on Feb 21, 2017
Jane Su, a Wisconsin-native, made the move to China long before it was cool. Su first came to Beijing in 1957, after marrying a Chinese heart surgeon...
Why Do We Call it Spring Festival?: The Origins Behind the Name
Submitted on Jan 27, 2017
Has there ever been a blander name for a holiday than “Spring Festival”? What the hell does it even mean? It’s held in the middle of winter. In North...
Temple Fairs: The History Behind Spring Festival's Most Crowded Tradition
Submitted on Jan 22, 2017
Lunar New Year in Beijing: Dumplings, bad TV, a heady mix of alcohol and cheap explosives, and, of course, temple fairs. Depending on the last temple...
Don't Be a Fool, Eat Your Gruel: The Story Behind Eating Porridge for Laba Festival
Submitted on Jan 04, 2017
Some people will do anything for a free meal, even if that means waiting in line outside in Beijing in the middle of January for nothing more than a...
2016 Visitors to Beijing Palace Museum Topped 16 Million, An Average of 40,000 Every Day
Submitted on Jan 03, 2017
The Forbidden City is known for its overwhelming crowds during peak periods. Last year, visitors to Beijing’s famous Palace Museum topped 16 million...
Capital Histories: How Beijing Came to Be China's Capital
Submitted on Dec 29, 2016
While Beijingers claim a history dating back to 1045 BC, it would be more accurate to say that the past 3,000 years have seen a number of cities rise...
Over 75 Percent of Historic Residences in Beijing Fail Preservation Standards
Submitted on Dec 15, 2016
Over 75 percent of historic residences in Beijing fail to meet preservation standards, the Global Times reported this week. Global Times cited a...
Over 1,000 Ancient Tombs Discovered at Construction Site in Tongzhou
Submitted on Dec 11, 2016
Construction workers building Beijing’s future have instead stumbled onto a bit of the city’s past. Over 1,000 ancient tombs have been unearthed by...