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

“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

120th Anniversary of Yale-China: Mao Zedong and Yale-China

AURELIA DOCHNAL explores Mao Zedong’s relationship with Yale-China in the 1900s. In his 1903 search for a base in China, one of Yale-China’s founders, Lawrence Thurston, heard from a local missionary that “Hunan people would be as influential as any people in the Empire.” Beyond influencing the eventual decision for Yale-China to settle in Changsha, the crowded but ambitious capital of Hunan, this observation seems … Continue reading 120th Anniversary of Yale-China: Mao Zedong and Yale-China

120th Anniversary of Yale-China: Pioneering Equal Partnership in Medicine

AURELIA DOCHNAL chronicles medical partnerships pioneered by the Yale-China Association, as part of a feature series on the organization. Two figures in the history of the Yale-China Association, Dr. Edward Hume M.D. and Dr. Yan Fuqing M.D., exemplify the organization’s long-time spirit of equal Chinese-American partnership. These two medical doctors, both Yale-educated, worked together to establish a modern medical practice in Changsha, the first of … Continue reading 120th Anniversary of Yale-China: Pioneering Equal Partnership in Medicine

120th Anniversary of Yale-China: The Beginnings

AURELIA DOCHNAL chronicles the beginnings of the Yale-China Association, as part of a feature series on the organization. Twelve decades ago, on February 10th, 1901, in the building now known as the Yale Visitor Center, a group of young Yale alumni founded what is today the Yale-China Association. Originally the Yale Mission  (soon changed to “Yale-in-China”), the founders and their supporters, which included then-University President … Continue reading 120th Anniversary of Yale-China: The Beginnings

The Cultural Evolution: Tracing Confucius in Modern China

AURELIA DOCHNAL traces the evolution of Confucius’ significance as a cultural icon from imperial China to the present day. Well-known, well-studied Master Kong is an emblem of the millennia-old Chinese intellectual tradition. With over 1,000 Confucius Institutes internationally and Confucian classics dominating state and Party curricula in China, 2,500-year-old Confucius is alive and well both in China and abroad. His axioms are popular throughout East … Continue reading The Cultural Evolution: Tracing Confucius in Modern China