CHINESE CHARACTERS

游: Learn the Chinese Character for Journeys and Adventures

​The character 游 is for travel, imagination, and going with the flow

ANCIENT HISTORY

Carved in Stone: Why Did Ancient Chinese Etch Messages into Rock?

Exploring the ancient Chinese obsession with carving messages and poems on rocks and walls

ANCIENT HISTORY

Curious Court Etiquette From Ancient China

An audience with the Son of Heaven could be a minefield of ritual, ceremony, and etiquette for China’s court officials

HISTORY

China, Not Italy, Probably Invented Ice Cream

From exclusive luxury for royalty to the pride of the People’s Republic, ice cream in China has a long and sweet history

ANCIENT HISTORY

How Did Ancient Chinese Avoid Sunburn?

From veiled scholar hats to canopied backpacks, China’s obsession with sun protection is not a recent one

HISTORY

Dice, Dominoes, and Deadly Games of Chance: Gambling in Ancient China

Discover how ancient Chinese gambled...sometimes with history-altering effects

ANCIENT HISTORY

How Did Ancient Chinese Wash Their Clothes?

With no washing machines or chemical detergents available, ancient Chinese had to get innovative to keep their clothes clean

ANCIENT HISTORY

The Bizarre and Dangerous World of Ancient Chinese Weight Loss

From a weight-loss dance to diets of cacti and musk, ancient Chinese had a variety of ways to keep themselves slim

ANCIENT HISTORY

How Ancient Chinese Scholars Celebrated Graduation

In the Tang dynasty, scholars celebrated the end of exams with food, bribes, and cosying up to officials

ARTS

Anti-War Poetry in Ancient China

Four ancient Chinese poets on human suffering amid turbulence and war