History, Arts & Traditions
Can a tree become a shiny box?
Traditional lacquer is built from tree sap and patient layers, not a quick coat of paint.
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History, Arts & Traditions
How many people make one bowl?
At the Hutian Ancient Kiln site, UNESCO identifies bluish-white porcelain production from the tenth to the thirteenth century. The surviving production…
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Everyday China
The fish pond behind a piece of silk
In Huzhou, mulberry trees, silkworms and fish ponds are connected by leaves, nutrients, water and carefully timed work.
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Places & Regions
Why do shops hold up the pavement?
Guangzhou's covered arcade streets give a shopfront and a walking route the same roof.
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Places & Regions
Where is the ground floor in Chongqing?
Steep terrain can make a city's idea of “street level” more complicated than a map suggests.
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History, Arts & Traditions
Was this imperial resort really a holiday?
Chengde's Mountain Resort was a place to stay, but also a place to rule.
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Places & Regions
Why are there streams in the streets?
In Lijiang, water runs through the old town's layout rather than disappearing under it.
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History, Arts & Traditions
What was hidden in the Library Cave?
One sealed chamber near Dunhuang held books and pictures that crossed languages and centuries.
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Places & Regions
Why place a giant Buddha by three rivers?
The Leshan Giant Buddha makes more sense when you look at the cliff and rivers around it.
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History, Arts & Traditions
Can a cliff tell several stories?
The Dazu carvings are not one giant picture with one simple meaning.
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History, Arts & Traditions
What do the statues at Longmen tell us?
A cliff full of Buddhist images is also a record of many different people making decisions over centuries.
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Chinese food
Why is a teahouse more than a café?
In Chengdu, the history of the teahouse is also a history of people meeting, talking and hearing news.
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