Mao the scholar
Most people are under the impression that Mao is a coarse and illiterate leader, perhaps because of his round and big Hunan facial features. That…
Reincarnation and Salvation—Part 1: Reformation
The Dalai Lama, according to Tibetan Buddhist belief, can influence or choose his next rebirth. It is believed he can consciously choose the circumstances, location,…
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Reflections on Rebirth at Datai Langkawi
Datai and Tibetan Buddhism, Reincarnation, and the Dalai Lama Datai at Langkawi is a paradise for nature lovers. On the grounds, one can see the…
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The Golden Urn – Part 3
Professor Max Oidtmann wrote his book after he discovered two copybooks originally kept by the Qing ambans stationed in Lhasa between 1875 and 1900. Amban…
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The Golden Urn – Part 2
In this deeply researched book by Max Oidtmann, a German professor of Chinese history, we learn that the Golden Urn was used by the Qing…
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Tianjin Cosmopolis – Part 1
The Siege of Tianjin was part of a wider assault on foreigners in northern China, including the more famous Siege of the Legations in Peking…
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After Empire – Part 1
“The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide.” Thus begin the famous opening lines of The Three Kingdoms, by Luo Guan Zhong, summarizing…
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Kashmir in the aftermath of Partition – Part 1
The issue of Kashmir and its attendant bloodshed, like Palestine, will not be resolved soon. Kashmir is a bloody legacy of the British. In his…
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The Liao-Shen campaign of 1948—Part 1
Manchuria was where Chiang Kai-shek lost China to Mao. Thereafter, Mao swept south below the Yangtze to destroy the Nationalist armies south of the river.…
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The Babas—Part 2
Their origins Victor Purcell’s The Chinese in Malaya, published in 1948, did not say that the Babas and Nyonyas were from a mixed Chinese-Malay parentage.…
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The Babas—Part 1
Their origins The origins of the Babas are obscure and contentious, according to Felix Chia, author of The Babas. He says the first-generation Babas are…
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