As I read through a translation of the Book of Changes without any commentaries (not even the Ten Wings),

I'm really creeped out about demands to sacrifice captives from other states. Human sacrifices?!!!! Asking this seriously if this is really what the text is talking about.

In addition the texts also often includes in the opening description for many hexagram about making a sacrifice as an offering. I'd assume this means something like killing a goat or a cow or some other animals at an altar to a god after making a reading?

So I ask as someone who does engage in I Ching with modern tools (like apps and beginner's boxed kits , etc), were the human sacrifices and animal offerings as described in barebones translations without commentaries (esp without 10 Wings and other early additions), actually done in the past? So were early Chinese dynasties killing animals and even human beings every time they were doing forecasts using the I Ching method?

Were these sacrifices (if they were done as the I Ching translation I'm reading describes) gifts given to gods and goddesses from Chinese religions and mythology such as Guanyin?

https://smarthistory.org/eight-baekje-tiles-with-various-designs/

The designs are obviously beautiful and at the very least inspired by Chinese art. From what I understand, these were found at a site corresponding to the final capital of the Baekje kingdom at Sabi (538-660 AD).

I’m primarily concerned about the phoenix tile and its entire design.

What I’m asking specifically, is if the phoenix tile design, complete with the phoenix inside a circular border and the corner connectors, is if this specific design found only in Baekje?

Can this or a similar depiction of this design of the phoenix be found elsewhere in Korea, China, Japan or anywhere else?

Thank you!

From what I've seen, it seems like our of all the major civilization in pre-industrial history, China seemed to be very atheistic when it comes to governance. Is this true?

Other civilizations seemed to highly politicize religion, with priests and such in very high positions of powers. However, it seems rare for China to do this. Of course they had the Three Teachings, but they seemed to be not as likely to be used to justify political decisions. What do you think?

I often see on the internet people stating how bad the British were with the opium trade and how the Chinese wanted them to stop because so many people became addicted.

I was talking to my father, he said part of this is to fit a narrative because the Chinese government at the time did not care since they were already actively involved in the opium trade themselves and probably would have continued anyway had all the money gone to themselves (to an extent?).

How true is this?

Edit: I don't know why I'm being downvoted I just want to learn.

I'm writing a paper and need to compare and contrast slavery in the Abbasid Caliphate to slavery during the Tang Dynasty and I haven't been able to find more than one academic source in English that kind of works for this and it either doesn't specify dates or mostly refers to slavery under the Tang during the 600s (Daily Life in Traditional China: the Tang dynasty by Charles D. Benn).

Does anyone here know if should be trying a different type of library database search other than "slavery tang china" or of any academic books that mention slavery during the Tang Dynasty?

I grew up in the UK, a lot of my friends have many stories of their grandparents or great-grandparents participating in the world wars with many being around today still.

I'm from Hong Kong originally and have family from GZ but I don't seem to know anyone who was a soldier or was actively involved with the wars in China from around that period. Perhaps there have been some mentions but there are no details and perhaps I've not really asked but in the UK you don't really need to before the topic seems to come up at some point. It's not unusual for there to be photos, war memorabilia, or records of some sort.

Can someone explain why this might be the case?

Here I use the most rigorous definition of "Chinese civilization" that the Chinese civilization must be both "civilization of China" and "civilization of Chinese (people)". And I choose to define the start of the Chinese civilization as the foundation of the (Western) Zhou Dynasty, since Zhou Dynasty was the first regime to self-claim both Zhong-guo and Hua-Xia, and I discard any regime founded by non-ethnic-Chinese people even if they self-claimed China or Chinese, such as Yuan and Qing.

Chinese Civilization:

Western Zhou to Southern Song: 1046BC - 1279 AD = 2325 years

Ming (including Southern Ming): 1368 - 1662 = 294 years

ROC to now: 1912 - 2024 = 112 years

So the result is: 2325 + 294 + 112 = 2731 years with 2325 years of continuous civilization.

As a comparison:

Kemet (ancient Egypt) Civilization：

If we don't count the highly Egyptized Kushite Empire, i.e., the 25th Dynasty of Egypt, as part of the Kemet civilization:

1st to 14th dynasty and 16th to 24th dynasty: 3150BC -720BC = 2430 years

26th dynasty: 653BC - 525BC = 128 years

28th dynasty to 30th dynasty: 404BC - 343BC = 61 years

So the result is: 2430 + 128 + 61 = 2619 years with 2430 years of continuous civilization.

If we count the 25th dynasty:

1st to 14th dynasty and 16th to 26th dynasty: 3150BC - 525BC = 2625 years

28th dynasty to 30th dynasty: 404BC - 343BC = 61 years

So the result is: 2625 + 61 = 2686 years with 2625 years of continuous civilization.

Roman civilization:

If we don't count the modern Greece as the continuity of the Roman civilization:

founding of Rome-city to Angelos dynasty: 753BC - 1204 AD = 1957 years

Palaiologos dynasty: 1261 - 1453 = 192 years

So the result is: 1957 + 192 = 2149 years with 1957 years of continuous civilization.

If we count the modern Greece as the continuation of the Roman civilization since modern Greeks still more-or-less self-identified with Romans:

foundation of Rome-city to Angelos dynasty: 753BC - 1204 AD = 1957 years

Palaiologos dynasty: 1261 - 1453 = 192 years

Greek War of Independence to now: 1821 - 2024 = 203 years

So the result is: 1957 + 192 + 203 = 2352 years with 1957 years of continuous civilization.

So I really don't understand why some Chinese people like to claim the mysterious saying of "Five Thousand Years' Continuous Civilization", since their civilization is already long enough, possibly the longest, even in the most rigorous sense.

And do you think of the theory that China could have had a quasi-French revolution in the future if Ming officials didn't suppress the bourgeois class?

I heard about this mythologie story form china i was wondering how its viewed and if its a well known story i am writing about it for a history class and would like some input form people whom might grew up with it or know way more about it at this moment i am just starting the paper. just curious.

atm i only know the basics

In ancient China criminals were often punished by removing body parts. Does this mean that that everyone who lost a body part was seen as a criminal by the public?

I obviously know that dramas take liberties to distort history, but I would like to know where the rumor that Empress Xiaoshengxian (Consort Xi) was not Qianlong's biological mother came from. Did this come from some book, some foreign report, some minister? Is this rumor only found in Mandarin? On Western websites — in English — I find no reports about Lady Niuhuru being an adoptive mother. Please enlighten me. I found it curious that the two media I consumed about Qianlong adapted this story about adoptive mother and yet I haven't found sources about it.

In Chinese education, to what extent are states that aren't considered legitimate Chinese dynasties but existed within the border of modern-day China taught?

For example: Tibetan empire, Dian kingdom, Uyghur Khaganate, Khotan kingdom, Dali kingdom, etc.?

Any one who begins reading on the barebones of the Boxer Rebellion will quickly be horrified as they discover more and more of the atrocities committed by the 8 Nations alliance. From the decimation of uninvolved villages who have nothing to do with the Boxers along the way as German armies march to Peking to the brutal torture and execution of surrendering Boxers and innocent victims who are suspected of supporting the rebellion or the Qing dynasty by Russian soldiers and mass rapes so widespread that not only gets treated with laughter like its a game by France's troops but a high ranking French general even dismisses them instead actually praising the "gallantry of French soldiers" for committing the sexual assaults and so much more........

Its so common for laymen just getting into the 101 of this historical event to start making comments in online forums, chatrooms, and Youtube videos of the shock that European armies were doing Rape of Nanking kind of human rights violations. To the point esp once they start reading how the Imperial Japanese divisions involved in this war were along with the Americans easily the most behaved soldiers and were actually so horrified by what the Europeans were doing that citizens of Japan took actions to stop them such as a Japanese lieutenant ordering his grunts to aim their rifles at German soldiers with threats that they will be shot if they don't leave Chinese women alone and that Chinese people in Peking and other cities that got turned into warzones actually fled to Japanese units as they seeked their protection.

And with this you'll often see Netizens in these historical discussions often make a comment asking about why Rape of Nanking and other Japanese warcrimes that will take place in China 40 years later are still so remembered today and receiving continual criticism in international politics and attention on the news despite the fact it will soon be the 100th anniversary of World War 2 while the horrors of the Boxer Rebellion is practically forgotten by everyone today except for history buffs and students of Sinology.

However as I read more deeper into the war and more so into the entirety of the Qing dynasty and I saw this comment on a blog.

You are making massive errors in this post

the majority of northern China was NOT affected by the foreigners. Only the Hebei province (Beijing and Tianjin) and Manchuria were. The rest of northern China including Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Henan and Shandong were NOT occupied by the Eight Nation Alliance. The “Southeast pact” by the governor generals staying out of the war included Shandong which was governed by northern General Yuan Shikai.

“Mutual Protection of Southeast China” was just a name, it included the north as well, and even northern provinces like Shanxi, Shaangxi, Henan and Gansu whose governors didn’t sign the pact were not invaded. Only Manchuria and Zhili (Hebei),, the Beijing Tianjin area were ocucpied.

The majority of Beijing was also inhabited by Bannermen, Manchu Bannermen and Mongol bannermen. That’s the reason why the inner city of Beijing was called the “tartar city”. Over 50% of the Manchu banner population of the Qing dynasty was stationed in Beijing and surrounding areas of Zhili (Hebei) and Manchus disproportionally suffered from the rapes and massacres.

Also the southeastern mutual protection governors like Yuan shikai and Zhang Zhidong and Li Hongzhang warned the alliance that they would go to war against the foreigners if the alliance invaded any part of China beyond Zhili. None of them cared about Manchu bannermen enough to plunge the whole country into war.

So I'm wondering esp as how I read throughout the entire run of the Qing Dynasty of how hated the Manchus were, was the reason why nobody outside the Sinologist community and Chinese history specialist (including most people in China today) seems to know about the crimes against humanity of the Boxer Rebellion is simply because almost all of the vile acts was focused predominantly against Manchus? And to further enhance this argument, much of the brutality was pretty much isolated to the Hebei region esp at the capital (then called) Peking and some of the nearest cities that were immediately closeby such as Tianjin is also another reason why the European savagery wise so forgotten today unlike the Rape of Nanking and other vile acts done by Imperial Japan in World War 2 which was more widespread across China and impacted a lot of other ethnic groups?

After all you never see demands against European countries today to do reparation to China for the harms done in 1899-1901 in contrast to how Imperial Japan's crimes are still very sensitive stuff given so much to attention to and Japan's refusal to halfheartedly give a public sincere apology is such hot stuff all the way to today.

So the fact the hated Qing Manchu ruling elites were the injured party and much of the barbarism by the 8 Nations being isolated to the capital province pretty much explains why no one cares today what took place in the 2 years of the rebellion?

I've been reading Chinese Martial Arts: From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century by Peter A. Lorge. In it, he states:

Although charioteering and wrestling were also regular parts of the Zhou performance events, archery was used to rank the participants for court posts.

The book goes on to explain some more information about archery contest, and later discusses wrestling. But there isn't any information on what charioteering events were like. Were they races like in Roman times? Were they moving archery contests? (Chinese chariots would consist of a driver, archer, and halberd-man). Something else completely?

I just finished song of the last kingdom(song of silver flame-like night and dark star burning ash falls white), I have iron widow and descendant of the crane but I'm wondering if there are more novels that I should read!

My friend recently told me that apparently Manchu mothers used to fellate their infant sons and this wasn’t seen as sexual as opposed to kissing.

This seems like such a ridiculous claim, but somehow Wikipedia approves of this and has multiple sources that supposedly back this up. Furthermore Wikipedia claims that “there are reports” that some Chinese mothers used to and still continue to do this.

I don’t want to dig through those sources the article’s writers cite to see what evidence they have for this, but if somehow any of you have heard of this claim before I’d love to see if any of you can debunk this.

I’m completely biased against it, this is frankly outrageously Orientalist to me and I’m going to have a very difficult time accepting that this is true.

Seriously, what the actual fuck?

A Chinese Sci-Fi show depicted fictional wooden horse litters

reference image:

https://i.imgur.com/U4PzHJZ.png

• Were wooden horses just like these used in China?
• For what purpose?
• Is there any special significance for them?

These struck me as having a somewhat comedic connotation in the show but couldn't tell if that was on purpose or had a more serious historical precedent.

Just looking for some more information on these wooden horse litters.

I'm looking for more chinese fiction novels to read cuz I just finished Song of the Last Kingdom, and I'm reading Iron Widow rn. Any suggestions? I'm also gonna read descendant of the crane and kingdom of three by joan he.

Just wondering if anybody has any recommendations for Chinese fiction novels!

Just found this at the museum with no details description. Anyone know what this is for? Is it some kind of religion that worship phallus?

Im just starting to study more about chinese history and wanted some kinda of other media to kickstart in a more simple way: i dont have much money to buy the books, since they are hella expensive in my country and i hate reading online. like many people, i studied a lot of three kingdoms, starting by the games then going to read articles and i have to yet read the Romance itself; there is some game, movie or similar about the Spring and Autumn period?

I understand the British museum is one of them, wonder if anyone has museums they would recommend. Even in Hong Kong or Taiwan

Do you think Goguryeo/Gaogouli belongs to Chinese history, or Korean history? Or both? Is it possibly for both countries to resolve this debate?