The Context

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Ten Ceremonial Utensils: Cultural Continuity Jul 24, 2022

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In the recent cultural relics exhibition titled “The Making of Zhongguo – Origins, Developments and Achievements of Chinese Civilization” at China’s Palace Museum, otherwise known as the Forbidden City, in Beijing, there were two sets of bronzes. One is the Bronze Chime Bells of Zheng State (806-375 BCE), usually housed at Henan Museum in Zhengzhou, one of the largest sets of chime bells ever unearthed in China. The other is known as Shangzhou Shigong, or the 10 ceremonial utensils of the Shang and Zhou dynasties (c.16th century-256 BCE) to commemorate Confucius, the celebrated thinker, educator and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BCE).
Today, we discuss how Qing Dynasty emperor Qianlong holds Confucius in high esteem in order to win over men of letters where Han nationality dwell.

Luodian Bronze Mirror: Witness to the Belt and Road Jul 21, 2022

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Luodian bronze mirrors represent the pinnacle of the art of Chinese bronze mirrors. This is largely because of Emperor Taizong’s (599-649 CE) “historiographical thinking” – exemplified by his famous quote about needing a mirror to correct one’s appearance, understand the rise and fall of a state, and distinguish right from wrong.
Today we continue to discuss how the decorated bronze mirrors from the Tang Dynasty bore witness to the ups and downs of the Silk Road.

Luodian Bronze Mirror: A Reflection of History Jul 18, 2022

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Famed Chinese Emperor Taizong, second emperor of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) who laid the foundations of the dynasty, has a meaningful statement about the success of governance, recorded in the Old Book of Tang, a history of the dynasty compiled in 945 after it had fallen. “When one uses a bronze mirror, one can adjust the attire. When one uses history as a mirror, one comprehends the rise and fall of a nation. When one uses a person as a mirror, a remonstrator, one sees the success and missteps.”
Bronze mirrors have a special political, social and cultural implication in the long river of Chinese history. In the first installment of what will be a two-part feature, we discuss how the decorated bronze mirrors from the Tang Dynasty bore witness to the rise and fall of trade and governance.

Liangzhu Culture: Rewriting History Jul 15, 2022

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In the Stone Age, jade represented wealth because of its scarcity and the advanced techniques required to shape it. Among various kinds of recovered jade wares, ritual vessels were the most valuable and symbolized higher social status. Each kind had distinct purposes. Bi (disc), for example, were used in heaven worship rites. Cong (tube), with their taotie motifs, suggest a supreme religious authority. Yue (axe) symbolized military power.

Archaeologists have located nearly 100 new Liangzhu cites in recent years, including villages, cemeteries and altars. Bi, cong and yue jades were excavated in most cemeteries for nobility, but they vary in size and quantity. The M12 tomb at the highest point of the Fanshan site produced around 500 pieces of jade ritual vessels, including bi, cong and yue – representing a person with sovereign, religious and military power. But who occupied the M12 tomb? A clan leader? A high priest? A chief commander?

Most likely, it was a king.

Liangzhu Jade: Dawn of Civilization Jul 13, 2022

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More than 100 priceless relics were displayed at the exhibition “The Making of Zhongguo – Origins, Developments and Achievements of Chinese Civilization” at China’s Palace Museum. Among the treasured objects, two stand out as representative of their kind – jade cong , a tube-like vessel with a square outer section around a circular inner part.
One is the Liangzhu jade cong from the Zhejiang Provincial Museum collection. It was displayed at the center of the hall. The other one, owned by the Palace Museum, also originates from Liangzhu culture. To illustrate their importance, they were displayed together with the He Zun, the oldest ancient bronze vessel bearing the characters for China.
Today we discuss how the jade wares from one of China’s earliest civilizations were discovered and used in rites for heaven and earth worship.

Tea Trade: A Thief’s Fortune Jul 10, 2022

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Demand for trade gave rise to the great geographical exploration and the first wave of globalization. However, disputes and conflicts in cross-border trade soon followed. The tea trade not only played a crucial role in many historic events, it also shaped the development of modern civilization.
Tea trade between China and Britain began in the 17th century. In fact, although the Netherlands and Indonesia remained dominant players, the British had purchased tea from Canton, today’s Guangzhou in south China’s Guangdong Province, as early as 1637. In the 18th century, direct tea trade between China and Britain developed, culminating in the monopoly on Chinese tea by the British East India Company.
Because China was more politically powerful than the European colonies in the Americas, Africa, India and other regions, coupled with the far distances, Europeans had difficulty setting up colonies there. Instead, they established trade relations with the reigning dynasty, the Qing. But as a closed agricultural empire, China did not have a high demand for Western industrial products. Europeans could only trade the gold and silver it plundered from the Americas for porcelain, silk, and tea.

The Ten-Thousand-Mile Tea Road: A Brewing Trade War Jul 08, 2022

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Today we continue to discuss the Ten-Thousand-Mile Tea Road by looking at the competition between Russian and British tea merchants as they vied for supremacy in the China market, how the tea road, after a more than two centuries of prosperity, faded into history, and the modern initiatives that hark back to the cultural exchanges of the past.

The Ten-Thousand-Mile Tea Road: Taking a Leaf from the History Books Jul 06, 2022

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It was a humble leaf that helped connect the Eurasian continent and opened the door to commercial trade and cultural exchanges between civilizations. This is the tale of the Ten-Thousand-Mile Tea Road.
With an entire span of over 13,000 kilometers, the Ten-Thousand-Mile Tea Road stretches all the way from Wuyi Mountain in southeast China’s Fujian Province, via Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia, to Kyakhta in Russia, and then extends further into central Asia and Europe.

As another important trade route connecting ancient China and Europe, after the decline of the Silk Road, the Ten-Thousand-Mile Tea Road exerted its own influence on the world. One example of this is that the pronunciations of the word “tea” in various languages, all derive from ancient Chinese dialects.

Soul Searchers: the Legend of An Ancient Vase Jul 01, 2022

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Less glamorous than jade, gold or silver ware, pottery gets less attention at museum exhibitions. Archaeologists, however, argue that pottery is the most important cultural relic for understanding human prehistory.

Unlike gold or jade, most ceramics are practical and designed for daily use. Pottery thus can offer a well-rounded view of the era it came from.

In the recent Palace Museum exhibition “The Making of Zhongguo– Origins, Developments and Achievements of Chinese Civilization,” a ceramic piece stood out – a painted vase with a human head sculpted at the rim.
While viewing this painted vase, one can feel instantly a distinct human connection that traverses thousands of years. The Yangshao culture’s concepts of death are yet another contribution to humanity’s search for life’s ultimate meaning.

Ancient Bronzeware: In the Name of China Jun 12, 2022

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Today we discuss how the Chinese characters for “China”, Zhongguo, literally meaning Middle Kingdom, appears for the first time more than 3,000 years ago. He Zun, the most eye-catching and prominent example of bronzeware from the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BCE) holds the key to the question.
In 1963, a farmer in the city of Baoji, Shaanxi Province, discovered the vessel at a cliff near his home on a rainy evening. The artifact, about one cubic meter in volume, was sticking out from the soil. Unaware of its value and importance, the farmer used it for storing food. Because the vessel was too heavy and inconvenient to carry, he gave it to another farmer when he moved away. Two years later, the new owner sold it to a waste recycling station after encountering financial difficulties.

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