Now and Then


Kaiyuan Temple stands as an icon of Buddhism’s golden era

IT’S hard to measure exactly how many Buddhist temples there are in China, but one thing is for sure, there are many more temples named “Kaiyuan” than any others scattered around the country. One of the ...

July 5, 2020, Sunday


Ming emperor’s redemption art

THE Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) is largely recognized as a period of art restoration. Reflecting the prosperity and harmony of society, themes such as figural narratives, flower-and-bird compositions and ...

June 28, 2020, Sunday


Qingzhou’s mysterious Buddhas

IT might be one of the most exciting archeological finds of 20th century China. More than 400 delicate Buddha statues, carved between the 5th and 6th centuries, had slept underground for almost 2,000 ...

June 21, 2020, Sunday


Mural depicts God of Taishan

Last week’s Now and Then column revealed the splendor of the Daimiao Temple, which is the largest and most well-preserved architectural complex on Taishan Mountain. This time, let’s explore its cultural ...

June 14, 2020, Sunday


Taishan links emperors, gods

NEITHER the highest nor the greatest, Taishan Mountain in Shandong Province still holds a special position among all Chinese mountain ranges. It was a sacred mountain, exclusively for emperors to keep ...

June 7, 2020, Sunday


Artwork reveals Qing diplomacy

A fascinating piece of artwork depicting more than 600 figures on four precious Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) handscrolls, measuring over 60 meters, is a must-see for all lovers of Chinese art. The artwork ...

May 31, 2020, Sunday


Symbol of old China’s education

NOW that the coronavirus outbreak is under control in China and restrictions are being eased, students are returning to school. This is good news for the Confucian Temple and Guozijian (the Imperial Academy) ...

May 24, 2020, Sunday


Tilling and weaving a fabric of life

AGRICULTURE and handcraft industries always played a significant part in the fabric of society, especially in ancient China. Known as the world’s first agricultural popular science painting album, “Gengzhi ...

May 17, 2020, Sunday


Only surviving ‘safe’ held empires’ top secrets

HUANG Shi Cheng, or the Royal Archives Center, served as a safe in ancient China, safeguarding the most confidential materials, such as imperial documents, royal family trees and historical memorabilia, ...

May 10, 2020, Sunday


Leisure life of court concubines

An album of paintings created by Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) artist Chen Mei has opened a window into the leisure life of ancient concubines inside the Forbidden City....

May 3, 2020, Sunday




 

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