The “Butterfly Lovers” (Liangzhu) was originally composed in 1959 by Chen Gang and He Zhanhao as a violin concerto. It became world famous as it…
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Ukiyo-e, Pictures of the Floating World—Part 3
Unlike a Western painting masterpiece, one can find many different prints of a famous Ukiyo-e woodblock print. There is the first edition and later editions.…
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Ukiyo-e, Pictures of the Floating World—Part 2
It is important to know that a woodblock print is not the sole effort of the artist, Hiroshige or Hokusai, whose name appears on it.…
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Ukiyo-e, Pictures of the Floating World—Part 1
Popular during the Edo period (1615–1868), Ukiyo-e is a term for the beautiful Japanese art of woodblock prints of nature, landscapes, and people. Ukiyo-e literally…
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Tibet (1900 to 1959)
Dorje Yudon Yuthok’s House of the Turquoise Roof (published in 1990) is a fascinating account of life in upper-class Lhasa before the Chinese occupation of…
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The Butterfly Lovers
The Butterfly Lovers is the name given to a famous tale of the tragic love of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. According to the book…
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Shanxi tour and sworn brotherhood—Part 13
In my recent tour, I was pleasantly surprised when two fellow tour members told me they are sworn brothers and sisters. I thought this didn’t…
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The Chinese Civil War 1946-1950—Part 1
Decisive Encounters by Odd Arne Westad, published in 2003, is the only English book on the entire span of the Chinese Civil War, from post-WWII…
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Handbook of Early China
The Oxford Handbook of Early China is the most recent survey (2020 HC, 2025 paperback) for those needing a detailed focus on early Chinese civilisation.…
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The Return of Religion After Mao—Part 1
This book by Ian Johnson, published in 2017, Mao thought religions were full of superstition. This has given rise to the belief that religions had…
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