Explore Chinese history & culture through stunning hanfu photos, ancient traditions, dynasties & heritage. Learn the stories behind the attire.
Did ancient Chinese nobles really fall into their own toilets? You might imagine that before modern plumbing, people simply dug a hole and squatted. But archaeology tells a much stranger, funnier, and more ingenious story. From a pit that killed a king to a pigsty that saved the planet, and from a jade-and-ruby toilet fit […]
Every day, millions of people queue up for their favorite milk tea—pearls, cheese foam, brown sugar, you name it. But here’s a surprise: your sweet, creamy cup isn’t a modern invention. Long before bubble tea chains took over shopping malls, ancient Chinese were already stirring milk into their tea. They called the frothy bubbles “butterfly […]
Just after the Shang Si (上巳) Festival, a short video featuring Lan Yingying (蓝盈莹) went viral. She played the role Huanbi (浣碧) in the hit drama Empresses in the Palace (甄嬛传). In the clip, she wears a modified Phoenix Dress of the She (畲) ethnic group. Dancing with She girls, she holds a wood knife […]
For most Chinese viewers, the Shang Si Festival (上巳节) feels like a forgotten ghost from history books. Yet two recent period dramas — Flourished Peony (锦绣芳华) starring Yang Zi (杨紫) and Li Xian (李现), and The Princess Royal (度华年) — have unexpectedly revived its most poetic ritual: Qu Shui Liu Shang (曲水流觞), or “floating wine […]
What If Ancient Chinese Had Smartphones? Their WeChat Moments Go Wild! Imagine handing a WiFi router and a smartphone to a poet from the Tang Dynasty (唐朝). Would he post selfies at midnight? Would a Song Dynasty (宋朝) scholar show off his braised pork recipe? And who would start a heated argument in the comment […]
Imagine living without shampoo, hot water, or a hairdryer. How often would you wash your hair? Once a year? Once a decade? Never? Before you picture ancient Chinese people as dirty wanderers, think again. As early as the Qin-Han (秦汉) period, society had already formed a custom: washing hair every three days and bathing every […]
Why does the city of Jinan (济南) ignore its real historical giants and instead embrace Xia Yuhe (夏雨荷), a fictional character from the TV drama My Fair Princess (还珠格格)? Recent tourism campaigns in Jinan have featured cheerleaders dressed in Qing dynasty costumes as Xia Yuhe, plus a giant installation of her at a scenic spot. […]
LEMAIRE’s latest fragrance campaign featured an image that sparked immediate outrage among Chinese netizens in late April. The visual showed a long black braid (the brand claimed it was a woven linen incense accessory) hanging beside a traditional long gown, with a pair of shiny silver scissors positioned right next to the tail of the […]
We slap on toner, serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen every morning. Then we wonder: how did ancient women, with no chemistry labs or factories, achieve that legendary “skin like curdled cream”? They had routines. And some of those routines were more complicated than yours. From rice water to five-day masks, here’s how history’s beauties kept their […]
Imagine coming home after a long day, collapsing onto a soft couch with your legs sprawled out, phone in hand. That glorious “Ge You Slouch (葛优躺)” feels like freedom. But if you tried that pose in ancient China, especially before the Song Dynasty, you might have been labeled a barbarian—or worse, started a diplomatic incident. […]
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