Harbin’s Confucius Temple and an embrace of nationalism
Confucius could be controversial for Chinese politicians of the Republican Era. So why, in 1926, did Harbin choose to build a Confucius temple?
James Carter
James Carter is Professor of History and part of the Nealis Program in Asian Studies at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. He is the author of three books on China’s modern history, most recently Champions Day: The End of Old Shanghai.
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Li Gui’s diary: A 19th-century Chinese account of the West
“There 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.”
Luo Jialing, a.k.a. Liza Hardoon, and the height of global Shanghai
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 China’s History looks back to a moment when Shanghai was quintessentially global: the funeral of Luo Jialing.
Norman Bethune’s last surgery
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.
Treason in the early Qing — and the curious consequences
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.
China’s great pirate, Zheng Zhilong, takes on the Dutch
In 1633, Zheng Zhilong, one of the Ming dynasty’s leading admirals, commanded a large pirate fleet. His ships were microcosms of globalism, manned by sailors from Africa to Japan. And in this newly interconnected world, he found himself up against a great foreign power: the Dutch.
The story of China’s first atomic bomb
On October 16, 1964, "Miss Qiu" exploded atop a 102-meter-tall "dressing table" in Xinjiang. And just like that, China became a nuclear-weapon state.
The 1740 Batavia massacre of ethnic Chinese in Java
The Chinese and Dutch in Java (now part of Indonesia) co-existed as long as the sugar economy thrived. But once global prices fell, troubles arose, culminating in a conflict that left more than 10,000 Chinese dead.
Zhoushan: Britain’s forgotten (and first?) colony in China
Britain's *other* Opium War possession.
Jiang Zemin and the PRC’s first orderly transfer of power
Jiang Zemin, who succeeded Deng Xiaoping and was the first PRC leader who was not of the Long March generation, proved to be more formidable than anyone anticipated.