At Legal Crossroads: Tang Law and Foreigners in Seventh-Century Turfan

AURELIA DOCHNAL considers the conception of foreigners in Tang dynasty China. (Image: Tang-era statue of a foreigner. Wikimedia Commons) The Tang dynasty is commonly known to have been a Chinese golden age, a period of vast wealth, cultural richness, and cosmopolitan cultural exchange in Chinese history. Foreigners visited the empire, shared their religious traditions and traded their goods, lending the Tang great prestige and influence … Continue reading At Legal Crossroads: Tang Law and Foreigners in Seventh-Century Turfan

brown woven textile

Discourses on Salt and Iron

by Tyler J. Hayward Introduction to the Text             Huan Kuan’s (first century BCE) Discourses on Salt and Iron (鹽鐵論Yantie Lun) documents a series of debates held during the Shiyuan era (86-81 BCE) between the Lord Grand Secretary Sang Hongyang and the Ruist literati.[i] These debates, while initially focused on the usefulness of government monopolies in the salt, iron, and alcohol industries, open up into … Continue reading Discourses on Salt and Iron

green trees on mountain covered with fog

Rainfall in the Midst of Autumn

秋夜雨中 崔致远 (857-900) 秋风唯苦吟,举世少知音。 窗前三更雨,灯前万里心 Rainfall in the Midst of Autumn Choe Chiwon (857-900) Translated by Jonathan Chan in the autumn wind i chant alone. no one on earth knows my voice. before my windows it rains throughout the night. sitting before a lamp, my heart takes a thousand leaps. Choe Chi-won 崔致遠 (857-c. 920) was a Korean philosopher and poet of the late medieval … Continue reading Rainfall in the Midst of Autumn

Flying Tigers: U.S. and China

MATT KIRSCHNER reflects on Chinese-American relations from a historical and personal perspective. Liu Zhengde was seven years old when Japanese soldiers invaded his home in Wuhan, China in 1938. Leaving their belongings behind, Zhengde and his family fled Wuhan for Chongqing—the provisional wartime capital of China. Zhengde’s father worked to support his three children, wife, sister, brother, sister-in-law, mother, and aunt. Together they lived in … Continue reading Flying Tigers: U.S. and China

selective focus photography of pregnant woman holding bundle of leaves

An Analysis of US & Chinese Attitudes to Abortion

FIKAYO AKEREDOLU discusses the differences in US and Chinese cultural attitudes towards abortion. Almost two years into the spread of COVID-19, it is clear that the pandemic has disrupted global health systems. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation reports that the fallout from the pandemic has potentially setback international health efforts, especially when sexual and reproductive health is considered. For women and child-bearing people worldwide, … Continue reading An Analysis of US & Chinese Attitudes to Abortion

Introducing SupChina, Now Freely Available for Yale Affiliates

We are happy to announce that SupChina, a New York-based, China-focused news, information, and business services platform is now available free of charge for Yale affiliates. Yale affiliates can sign up for access here using their Yale e-mail address. China Hands hopes our readers make use of this great resource for China news reporting. Continue reading Introducing SupChina, Now Freely Available for Yale Affiliates

“Xiao Wu”: The Cacophony of Alienation

AURELIA DOCHNAL reviews Xiao Wu (1997), Jia Zhangke’s first feature film. As the camera aimlessly ambles around a dilapidated city, disjointed layers of popular tunes hang in the air. A karaoke bar; a locally-made stereo, one of the best on the market, blasts in the street; a lighter hums an electric rendition of “Für Elise.” The music in Jia Zhangke’s first feature film, Xiao Wu … Continue reading “Xiao Wu”: The Cacophony of Alienation