ANCIENT HISTORY

Carved in Stone: Why Did Ancient Chinese Etch Messages into Rock?

Exploring the ancient Chinese obsession with carving messages and poems on rocks and walls

ANCIENT HISTORY

Ancient Snitches: How China’s Emperors Encouraged Informants

From Wu Zetian to Emperor Yongzheng, China’s imperial rulers were obsessed with people conspiring against the throne and came up with various systems to encourage informers

HISTORY

China’s Long Road to Abolishing Slavery

Legal, social, and cultural barriers to ending China’s forced labor tradition

HISTORICAL FIGURES

Shadow Games: The Cunning Art of Espionage in Ancient China

From turning the tides of battle to preventing conflict altogether, spies were an integral part of warfare in ancient China—sometimes unwittingly

HISTORY

Dice, Dominoes, and Deadly Games of Chance: Gambling in Ancient China

Discover how ancient Chinese gambled...sometimes with history-altering effects

ANCIENT HISTORY

Squawking Through History: Parrots in Chinese Literature and Verse

From “Prime Minister Parrot” to the “Green-Coated Messenger,” parrots have been feisty feathered friends for centuries in Chinese literature

ANCIENT HISTORY

How Prophecies Were Key to Maintaining Power in Ancient China

How rulers and would-be rulers used and manipulated prophetic texts

ANCIENT HISTORY

How Ancient Chinese Got Their Hair Cut

Hair was almost sacred to some ancient Chinese, and hairdressers eventually cashed in

ANCIENT HISTORY

Ancient China’s Favorite Poisons

Tales of treachery behind four toxins from Chinese history

ANCIENT HISTORY

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