
A Giant Mandala in the Heart of Tibet
A Giant Mandala in the Heart of Tibet The Palkor of Gyantze is one of Tibet’s great marvels and a unique jewel of universal architecture and art. Its shape, scale, and iconography defy comparison with any other construction. Amidst some of the highest mountains of...

Tales of the faithful dog: China, Mongolia, the West
In Chinese culture there are many historical and folkloric stories that extolled dogs, placing the animal friend above the other human beings. This was due to the dogs fidelity to their master, one of the most appreciated virtues in Chinese society. In legends,...
Ethnic groups

Sexual aspects of Gu venom
Gu illness resulted from a contamination by gu poison, which a recent analyst has characterized as “an alien evil spirit which entered [the] body and developed into worms or some similar animal that gnawed away at the intestines or genitalia.” This poison was thought...

Linghu Zhuan’s Skepticism Leads Him to the Underworld
Linghu Zhuan’s Skepticism Leads Him to the Underworld Linghu Zhuan was a man of great integrity who did not believe in gods or spirits. Whenever someone spoke of ghostly transformations or divine retribution in the afterlife, he refuted their words with compelling...
Chinese culture

A Humble Proposal for Rethinking Historical Periodization: To Go Beyond Dynasties in Chinese History
A Humble Proposal for Rethinking Historical Periodization: To Go Beyond Dynasties in Chinese History Historical narratives are never neutral. The way we divide time reflects not only the facts we choose to remember, but also the frameworks we use to interpret them. In...

Chinese characters -person
A sample of the first three pages of the English translation of my book on Chinese characters 人 rén – person, human being • adult • each. This is a pictogram of a person standing, with legs separated. Person > kind of person > every > other. It is one of the...
We are working to republish all the old post in this new format, but due to the vast amount of post published in the last years, it is possible that old and new design posts will coexist during some months.
INDEX OF ETHNIC GROUPS PAGES
General –Achang – Bai – Baima – Baoan – Bulang – Buyang – Buyi – Chashan – Dai – Daur – Deang – Deng – Dong – Dongxiang – Dulong – Ersu – Ewenki – Gejia – Gelao – Hani – Hezhe – Jingpo – Jino – Kucong – Lahu – Lhoba – Li – Lisu – Manchu – Maonan – Miao – Mongols – Moso – Mulao – Namzi – Naxi – Nu – Oroqen – Pumi – Qiang – Sani – She – Shui – Talu – Tibetan – Tu – Tujia – Uygur – Wa – Xibe – Yao – Yi – Yugur– Zhuang