Chinese Empire
The Psychology of Strongmen
We are seeing a global rise of strongmen leaders. We take a look at what make strongmen tick and why they gain followers.
Comeback of the Courtyard House
The pandemic, soaring cost of housing and environmental concerns are renewing interest in courtyard houses, albeit on a miniature scale.
Tradition in a Teapot
Unglazed clay Yixing teapots hold within them hundreds of years of tradition and craftsmanship.
Confucius Conundrum
Chinese-sponsored Confucius Institutes have taken an international hit because of broader controversial China policies.
A Classical Chinese Garden
Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Ore., was built by artisans from the garden city of Suzhou, China, to demonstrate the basic elements of Chinese gardens.
Qing Ming Painting Resonates Over Centuries
China's most famous painting captured traditional life, the traces of which have survived into modern times.
Making a Box for a Chinese Painting
We built a wooden box for a treasured hand-painted copy of China's most famous painting - Along the River During the Qingming Festival.
Peace Village
We take a look back at a remote Chinese village that is now a crowded tourist destination.
China’s Stone Scriptures
Thousands of Buddhist scriptures carved in stone and buried for centuries are among China's greatest cultural treasures.
Inside a Chinese Painting
Take a quick break and enjoy spectacular scenery on a boat trip down the Li River near Guilin, China.
Ancient Silk Road Meets High Tech
The International Dunhuang Project digitizes old documents, caves and artifacts to enable global study of Central Asian history.
Tiananmen Square
China's Oct. 1 celebration of 70 years of Communist rule centers on Tiananmen Square, one of the world’s most controversial places.
Islam in China
Muslims in China are a diverse religious and cultural group with a tumultuous history who take various sides in political disputes.
China’s Export Porcelain
Chinese porcelain is durable and branded with its history, so it is used to trace China’s trade and cultural ties with other nations.
The Summer Palace
The Summer Palace, the most famous and heartbreaking of China's glorious imperial gardens, highlights dilemmas in the nation’s past.
Thirty Years Since Tiananmen
Thirty years ago, students staged pro-democracy protests on Tiananmen Square that shook China's Communist government.
China’s Walled Cities
Only scattered remnants survive of the many walled cities that once defined the Chinese empire.
Traces of an Ancient Superpower
Traces of an ancient Chinese superpower remain far away in Japan, the eastern end of the Silk Road.
Chinese Moments Published
Chinese Moments, our photo book on China in the turbulent 1980s and 1990s, has been published as an ebook and paperback.