China is often perceived as a monolith — not just politically, but socially and culturally, too. Nothing could be further from the truth, and The China Project dives deep into its diverse and changing society and culture on a daily basis.
A French sneak attack in 1884 led to a fundamental misunderstanding of Qing technological prowess. It’s time to reexamine the popular — but simplistic, if not outright wrong — idea that China’s military losses to Europe (and, later, Japan) were due to its inability to modernize.
Philip Snow's "The Fall of Hong Kong" is the definitive account of the Japanese invasion and occupation of Hong Kong starting on Christmas Day 1941, all the way through the Imperial Army's departure and the rebuilding of this British colony.
On August 18, 1966, in front of a million supporters at Tiananmen, a symbolic gesture from Mao Zedong made it clear that the Red Guards had his official endorsement to continue enacting, with violence, their rebellion against authority figures.
China is known for its megacities, but 42% of it is wilderness — the barren and primitive, but also pockets of spectacular biodiversity. As the country’s adventurers discover the joy of exploring these places, they are challenging preconceived notions of China’s relationship with nature. They also bring the power to destroy or protect.
The two Southeast Asian nations have ramped up efforts to lure Chinese tourists, but safety concerns remain.
A Chinese wife who was fed up with her lazy husband left garbage at home unattended for days. Her social media posts documenting her story inspired other women to create similar experiments to test their partners.
"And if they fail, and the people of Hong Kong remain to the end powerless to govern their own affairs, vulnerable to anything that may come out of China? Then the British will leave behind them, if not a sense of betrayal, at least a sense of disappointment."
In 1517, Portuguese arrived in China on the first formal diplomatic mission to the country in nearly 200 years. The mission failed — but perhaps for unexpected reasons.
“Being bullied in school is something that can happen to anyone,” Lui shares. “The subjects in my photos are meant to simply be symbolic. The bullies and victims could be you, maybe me, or anyone else.”