A tram in Shanghai during the 1920s. Early Days Of Shanghai Tram Once upon a time, there was a popular nursery song in Shanghai: There is an old uncle aged eighty plus eight, who took Tram Route 8 to Eight Immortals Bridge, bought eight bowls of Eight Treasures rice, which cost him eight yuans plus eighty-eight fens. 有个老伯伯年纪八十八，乘了八路电车到八仙桥，买了八碗八宝饭，一共用脱八块八角八。 Old uncle […]
» Read more
Ancient Shanghai city wall near the Bund, 1850. COMMENTS FROM MINDS soxfan1957 Would have loved to walk around this. All Things Chinese Shanghai city walls are no longer there, demolished about 100 years ago. Eric I am constantly amazed at how the people in ancient time, Roman Collisium as an example, can stand for thousands of years while we in […]
» Read more
Ma Haifang (马海方) is a Chinese artist born and grew up in Beijing’s outskirts. Below are some of his works illustrating the lives of the ordinary rural and city folks in Beijing in the last century. A summer afternoon in an old Beijing village. COMMENTS FROM MINDS soxfan1957 Aaaah! The old fashion back scratcher. One of the best inventions ever. […]
» Read more
Chinese Wedding Photos in the 1900s It was a time when China was still under Manchu’s rule and the traditional Chinese culture, including costumes, were forcibly replaced by Manchu style. By then taking a wedding photo was not an essential part of the wedding process. A wedding photo of a court official and his wife Chinese Wedding Photos in the 1910s […]
» Read more
Ancient water town Qiandeng (千灯) is located in Suzhou’s Kunshan, where Kunqu, the mother of all Chinese operas, was originated. The waterfront of most Chinese towns are traditionally allocated as public space. In Qiandeng, an eleborated pavilion is also erected in the form of a boat, which can be used for Kungqu opera performance. The main shopping street of Qiandeng […]
» Read more
China in the 1950s: Typical Chinese factory workers’ home in big cities. COMMENTS FROM MINDS Eric Nice table All Things Chinese That is called Eight Immortals’ Table. Eric I knew I liked it, now I know why. China in the 1960s: Typical Chinese factory workers’ home in big cities. COMMENTS FROM TWITTER ρнιℓιρ мαк Without that picture and fake windows, […]
» Read more
The Climbers is a 2019 Chinese blockbuster adventure film based on the real-life events happened in the mid last century. The film is produced by Shanghai Film Group Corp, starring Wu Jing, the guy who played a pivotal role in securing the success of China’s first sci-fi movie The Wandering Earth. An awesome and hellish looking Mount Everest Mount Everest is […]
» Read more
Shanghai in 1955, an ordinary docker’s home. Shanghai in 1956, factory workers practising dragon dance. Shanghai in 1956, two ladies in makeup and Shanghai-style fashion gown. Shanghai in 1956, mothers and their kids looking themselves in distorting mirrors at The Great World, the biggest indoor entertainment venue in China. Shanghai in 1958, a shop selling table lamp & hanging lantern […]
» Read more
A Hong Kong funeral in the early 20th century British Hong Kong police and onlookers The funeral band, with the loud and howling suona horns being the central musical instruments. In a typical traditional Chinese funeral, Buddhist monks and/or Taoists played a vital role in assisting the deceased to choose the best available new form of existence. Funeral floats with prominent figures […]
» Read more
Hong Kong, a Chinese port city initially part of Guangdong Province, was lent to Britain as its colony by a non-Chinese regime (Manchus’ Qing Dynasty) for 99 years. After more than a century, the city eventually returned to China in 1997. 1894, a Hong Kong street after a plague. Over 2,000 people died and one-third of residents fled Hong Kong. […]
» Read more
In 114 BC, Chinese Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty decided to send Zhang Qian as his envoy to the foreign states on a diplomatic mission. Zhang Qian and his royal entourage and military guards began their journey from the capital city Chang’an (Xi’an), travelling through today’s Gansu, Xinjiang provinces, via Afghanistan, Iran, Russa, Greek to Rome in today’s Italy, […]
» Read more
Oracle Turtle Scripts This is Oracle Turtle Script, the early Chinese written language carved on a turtle shell during Shang Dynasty (1600 BC – 1046 BC) – an era ruled by merchants with a social system chiefly based on written business contacts. This script used to be considered as the earliest form of Chinese characters by archaeologists. But the evidence […]
» Read more