For well over a century, beer has been an important part of the identity of Qingdao, China. But the history of the cityโs namesake Tsingtao brewery, with its roots in European colonialism, does not follow a straight line from 1904 till now.
The Donglin scholars of the 17th century were willing to die for their uncompromising virtue and morals. And die they did โ until their movement outlived their killer.
"The answer is obvious," Wei Jingsheng wrote in a lengthy essay posted to the Democracy Wall just west of Tiananmen Square. "The Chinese people should not have followed the path they did."
The film "The Battle at Lake Changjin" depicts a great Chinese victory against an American aggressor. But the real battle was anything but glorious, fought in freezing temperatures with wildly high casualties on both sides. The legacy of the battle was nothing less than the recasting of international relations in the 20th century.
Confucius could be controversial for Chinese politicians of the Republican Era. So why, in 1926, did Harbin choose to build a Confucius temple?
โThere are a number of brothels as well, whose guests are greeted with smiles of welcome, some even soliciting their customers right out on the street.โ
Shanghai is unlike any other Chinese city, with strands of Japan, Britain, America, and a dozen other places woven into its fabric. This Week in Chinaโs History looks back to a moment when Shanghai was quintessentially global: the funeral of Luo Jialing.
Norman Bethune was a polarizing figure during his lifetime, but for his medical contributions to China between 1937 and 1939, he was bestowed hero status. For decades afterwards, it's likely no other foreigner enjoyed such a universally positive image.
We look back to a case of treason during the early Qing that gives insights into the importance of history and the nature of autocratic power.