
How Prophecies Were Key to Maintaining Power in Ancient China
How rulers and would-be rulers used and manipulated prophetic texts

How Ancient Chinese Got Their Hair Cut
Hair was almost sacred to some ancient Chinese, and hairdressers eventually cashed in

The Child Role Models of Chinese History
Child prodigies and model kids from ancient China for Children’s Day

Ancient China’s Favorite Poisons
Tales of treachery behind four toxins from Chinese history

How a Daoist Movement Emerged Out of Han Dynasty Chaos
As the Han empire crumbled and the Yellow Turban Rebellion sought to overthrow imperial rule, the “Way of the Five Pecks of Rice” quietly planted the roots of a durable Daoist movement

Ancient Poems About Laborers’ Plight
On International Workers’ Day, we take a look at how ancient poets wrote about labor and the working classes

How Did Ancient Chinese Mourn the Deceased?
On Qingming Festival, here’s a look at some ancient Chinese mourning rituals, from costume and diet, to mourning periods and wedding bans

The Russian Refugees Who Made a Home in Qing China
How a priest from today’s Ukraine and a band of Siberian refugees built a Russian Orthodox mission in the heart of the Qing Empire

How Ancient Chinese Seniors Spent Their Retirement
Retirement from working wasn’t always bliss for ancient Chinese officials
