Ju-nan i-shih is a reminiscence on the events at the refuge Chin capital of Emperor Ai-tsung (r. 1224-1234) at Ts’ai-chou, Honan, during the Mongol siege of July 1233 to February 1234, when it capitulated.
Prolegomena to the Ju-nan i-shih: A Memoir on the Last Chin Court Under the Mongol Siege of 1234
September 23, 2012 By
Asian Origins of Cinderella: The Zhuang Storyteller of Guangxi
September 14, 2012 By
The acceptance and understanding of the Asian origins of the “Cinderella” story should replace the widely held belief that the story is fundamentally Western or universal. The Zhuang, an ethnic group at the intersection of China and Vietnam, combined ideas from their own traditions and experiences with motifs from Hindu and Buddhist narratives circulating in their area during the Tang Dynasty, and should be credited with creating this subversive, virginal, talented, and compassionate heroine.
Ending an Era: The Huang Chao Rebellion of the Late Tang, 874-884
August 26, 2012 By
Huang Chao was a rebel leader during the late Tang dynasty; he and his followers successfully marauded through China from 875 until his death in 884 C.E. During that time, he conquered and sacked many important cities of the empire, such as Guangzhou and the capital city, Chang’an.
How did Persian and Other Western Medical Knowledge Move East, and Chinese West? A Look at the Role of Rashīd al-Dīn and Others
July 17, 2012 By
This paper looks specifically in this larger context at one key aspect of the western knowledge arriving in China, Islamic medicine, which included major Ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Syrian Christian as well as Persian and even Indian components, making it truly international, and speculates as to how it got there.
Near-Death Folklore in Medieval China and Japan : A Comparative Analysis
June 17, 2012 By
Medieval Chinese and Japanese literature provides numerous examples of near-death experiences, episodes in which the narrator claims to have gained personal images of the after life.
Ending an era : the Huang Chao Rebellion of the late Tang, 874-884
May 7, 2012 By
Huang Chao was a rebel leader during the late Tang dynasty; he and his followers successfully marauded through China from 875 until his death in 884 C.E. During that time, he conquered and sacked many important cities of the empire, such as Guangzhou and the capital city, Chang’an.
Marco Polo really did go to China, new study finds
May 1, 2012 By
A thorough new study of Chinese sources by University of Tübingen Sinologist Hans Ulrich Vogel dispels claims that Venice’s most famous traveler never truly went as far as China.
A note on the origins of syphilis
March 26, 2012 By
The name syphilis came into common usage. It came from a Latin epic poem Syphilis, sive Morbvs Gallicvs, written by Girolamo Fracastoro or Hieronymus Fracastorius(1483–1553). In his work De contagione et contagiosis morbis, he discussed the nature and the spread of infectious diseases, foretelling the germ theory of disease.
Ancient Afro-Asia Links: New Evidence from a Maritime Perspective
February 13, 2012 By
Historical records have shown that the East African coast was connected to ancient global trade networks. These early overseas contacts are evidenced by references to trading voyages in the early 1st millennium AD and in the 11th to 14th century AD.
Sacred Kingship among the Peoples of the Steppes
February 8, 2012 By
eurThe vast belt of the Steppes, located between the Hungarian plains and the Great Wall of China,
runs along the southern edge of the Eurasian arboreal zone. Starting in the 1st millenium B.C. this region has been inhabited by Iranian, Hunnish, Turkish and Mongol mounted nomads who, at various times, unified a large portion of the Steppes into a single empire.
Early Chinese Tattoo
February 6, 2012 By
The aim of this paper is twofold. First, I hope to provide a brief introduction to the various modes of tattoo as represented in several types of early Chinese texts.
The Social Status and Thought of Merchants in Ming China, 1368-1644: A Foray in Clarifying the Social Effects of the Commercialization of Ming China
January 23, 2012 By
The application of some recent research by other scholars of Ming China and my readings of some sources dating from the period, I hope, will add nuances to our understanding of Ming commerce and society and furthermore contribute to a detailed approach to the non-Eurocentric writing of a comparative history of development in the early modern world.
Elites and their children : a study in the historical anthropology of medieval China, 500-1000 AD
January 23, 2012 By
The only information we have about children in medieval China comes from male adults with an elite and literary social background.
The Planetary Portent of 1524 in China and Europe
December 19, 2011 By
Events of 1524 in China and Europe in response to the planetary phenomenon offer insights into the divergent Chinese and Western responses to such “millennial” events.
Conqueror: A Novel of Kublai Khan, by Conn Iggulden
November 21, 2011 By
An epic tale of a great and heroic mind; his action-packed rule; and how in conquering one-fifth of the world’s inhabited land, he changed the course of history forever.
The contribution of early medieval China (AD 220-589) to the travel culture of landscape appreciation
November 2, 2011 By
Tourism has a long history that in the Western culture dates back to ancient Rome and Greece. In imperial China, tourism has a tradition independent of Europe, and is defined in the present study as “the travel culture of landscape appreciation”.
Shipwreck from Mongol Invasion fleet discovered off Japan
October 26, 2011 By
Archaeologists from the University of the Ryukyus in Japan have discovered large parts of a Mongolian/Chinese ship that was likely part of the Mongol invasion fleet that tried to invade the island in 1281. The find is the first intact wreck related to invasion attempts of Japan by the Mongolian ruler, Kublai Khan. Led by […]
A Multidisciplinary Investigation of Medieval Flamethrowers: A Case Study
August 25, 2011 By
Was it Translated: Turkish Diplomatic Correspondence to China in Medieval Times
August 15, 2011 By
The focus of our inquiry is whether the two state letters presented to Sui China in 584 and 607 were translated into Chinese, or composed in Chinese.
Understanding Chinese Business Behaviour: A study and interpretation of the Three Kingdoms novel
August 14, 2011 By
Understanding Chinese Business Behaviour: A study and interpretation of the Three Kingdoms novel By Taïeb Hafsi and Li Yan Cahier de recherche, No.7 (2007) Abstract: The behaviour of Chinese business has been studied by a variety of Strategic management scholars (see in particular Hafsi and Tian, 2005; Peng, 2006; Peng and Heat, 1996). Most of […]
A 9th Century AD Arab or Indian Shipwreck in Indonesia: First Evidence for Direct Trade with China
June 6, 2011 By
A 9th Century AD Arab or Indian Shipwreck in Indonesia: First Evidence for Direct Trade with China By Michael Flecker World Archaeology, Volume 32:3 (2001) Abstract: A well-perserved ninth-century AD shipwreck was excavated in 1998-9 off the Indonesian island of Belitung between Sumatra and Borneo. The principle features of the wreck include planks joined by […]
The Baltic Sea and the Sea of Japan: History of Cooperation
May 24, 2011 By
The Baltic Sea and the Sea of Japan: History of Cooperation By Yulia Lamasheva The journal of the study of modern society and culture, No.33 (2005) Introduction: From far away, the Baltic region looks perhaps as a rather homogeneous area. The Baltic Sea is situated in Europe, all bordering States are maritime States. However, in […]
Difficult decisions by women from the Tang dynasty
May 8, 2011 By
Difficult decisions by women from the Tang dynasty By Annika Pissin Paper given at the V Congresso della Società Italiana delle Storiche, Naples (2010) Introduction: Adult women during the Tang dynasty were, before all, mothers. To be a mother, especially the mother of legitimate sons, was the most important role for women throughout Chinese history. […]
The Lanterns of Chuko Liang
February 24, 2011 By
The Lanterns of Chuko Liang By P. H. Hase Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch, vol.28 (1988) Introduction: The Mongol armies which invaded Eastern Europe in the thirteenth century used hot air balloons shaped like dragons and held on long lines for signalling purposes. The invention of this method of signalling may […]
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