The China Beat

A brave new blog: The China Beat, which in its own words "examines media coverage of China, providing context and criticism from China scholars and writers." The first couple of posts show what they're up to: "Five Good Short Books on China," "After the Avalanche," (on the Taiwan elections), and "Anniversaries: The Rise and Fall of Wang Mang" (a controversial figure who usurped the throne 2,000 years ago.)

There you have it: history, items snatched from the headlines, and advice on what to read. What's not to like?

Spring Festival on The River (Qingming Shanghe Tu)

Based on a presumed Song Dynasty original by Zhang Zeduan (1085-1145), this scroll painting depicts life in the Song dynasty capital, near present day Kaifeng. The scroll is roughly a foot high. The scroll has become a popular symbol of the sophistication of urban life in traditional China, demonstrating China's high level of development, attested to by Marco Polo slightly later. We see in exquisite detail -- depending on the version -- the sweep from the quiet, prosperous countryside, through the outskirts of the city (including an open air opera), bustling city life, and finally a glimpse of the imperial palace.

Although the original is now lost, we have a number of later copies, or perhaps "repaintings." The Manchu Qianlong Emperor (ruled 1736-1796) had his court painters make authoritative copies, apparently to demonstrate his benevolence, culture, and the prosperity of his realm.

Images from various versions of the scroll have been issued on postage stamps, calendars, and souvenier ash trays.

There are at least three scrollable versions available on the net:

1) A colorful, almost garish version: http://www.ibiblio.org/ulysses/gec/painting/qingming/full.htm\

2) An older copy, which has useful subsections on various topics such as transportation, shops and commerce, individuals and groups, etc.:
http://www.huangshantour.com/english/river.htm

3) One of seven versions held at the Palace Museum in Taibei, which has excellent detail but is slightly awkward to scroll. Click on the picture to enlarge, then move through using the hand tool:
http://www.npm.gov.tw/en/collection/selections_02.htm?docno=90&catno=15&pageno=5

Pigs, Shit, and Chinese History, Or Happy Year of the Pig!

I have a piece on pigs in Chinese history on the blog "Frog in a Well." It also has a few words on the Year of the pig.

Frog in a Well - The China History Group Blog