ANCIENT HISTORY

Mockery, Sarcasm, and Roasting in Ancient China

Ancient scholars and ministers used all forms of scathing rhetoric to refute, persuade, and influence—sometimes to disastrous ends

ANCIENT HISTORY

Elixirs of Power: Chinese Emperors’ Quest for Immortality

How the pursuit of eternal life shaped politics, culture, and fate in ancient China

ANCIENT HISTORY

Clothed in Jade and Gold: The Ancient Dream of Immortality

Long believed to be a myth, Chinese jade burial suits symbolized ancient nobles’ pursuit of eternal life

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