213 articles
Chinese lacquerware (ζΌε¨) is a 7,000-year craft tradition where artisans build up 30+ thin layers of tree-sap lacquer, often carved or inlaid. Here is the history, the techniques, and how to start collecting.
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Weiqi, known in the West as Go, is a 4,000-year-old Chinese strategy game where two players surround territory on a 19x19 grid. Here is how it works, why it matters, and what AlphaGo changed.
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Joss paper (ηΊΈι±) is the tradition of burning paper money and spirit goods for ancestors in Chinese culture. Here is where it came from, how it works, and how visitors can participate respectfully.
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Long before mechanical clocks, China had water clocks (ζΌε£Ά) that ran day and night. Han dynasty engineers refined them into precision instruments, and Su Song's Song-dynasty astronomical clock tower was a medieval marvel.
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The Hani rice terraces of Honghe in Yunnan are a 1,300-year-old agricultural landscape organized through forest, village, terraces, and water.
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The guqin is a seven-string Chinese zither shaped by Confucian learning, private practice, and stories such as Bo Ya and Ziqi, recognized by UNESCO in 2003.
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Nuo Opera is a 3,000-year-old Chinese ritual theater tradition performed in masks, originally designed to exorcise evil spirits and appease the gods. Discover its six regional schools, the extraordinary masks themselves, and its relationship to Japanese Noh theater.
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Discover jian zhan, the legendary Song dynasty black-glaze tea bowl from Jianyang, Fujian. Learn about the three famous glaze patterns, the modern kiln revival, and how to brew tea in one today.
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Hongcun is a 900-year-old Huizhou village in Anhui province, famous for its ox-shaped water system, stunning Ming and Qing architecture, and its role as the backdrop for Oscar-winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. A UNESCO World Heritage site that feels frozen in time.
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Chinese penjing is the thousand-year-old art of growing miniature trees and landscapes in containers. Discover the four major schools, the philosophy behind the shapes, and how to start your own penjing collection.
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