Chinese Art

The Top Ten Most Important Ancient Documents Lost to History

Either due to conquest or simply the ravages of time, these founding papers of civilizations around the world will remain mysteries forever

In the late Bronze Age, ca. 500-450 BCE, bells were made in sets that rang different notes according to size.

A Rare Collection of Bronze Age Chinese Bells Tells a Story of Ancient Innovation

These rarely played ancient bells are newly analyzed with their acoustics remastered and digitized for a new exhibition at the Sackler Gallery

Zhang Zeduan, "Along the River During the Qingming Festival"

This Taiwanese Museum Just Digitized Its Massive Collection of Chinese Art

70,000 images are available for download via the National Palace Museum's website

An oracle bone description

Museum Offers $15,000 Per Character to Decipher Oracle Bone Script

The inscriptions offer detailed information about the Shang Dynasty, but researchers need help to read them

A painting depicting a tribute giraffe and a handler sent to China in the 15th century.

The Peculiar Story of Giraffes in 1400s China

During China's short-lived golden age of exploration, two giraffes came to the imperial court

Chinese Tomb Murals Paint Colorful Picture of 1000-Year-Old Fashions

Racks of vibrant clothing and tables laden with fineries are depicted on the walls of the Liao Dynasty tomb

On the canal in Tongli.

Explore China's Ancient Water Towns

The Venice of the East sits just 30 minutes by train from Shanghai

The bronze mirror found in the tomb of the Marquis of Haihun.

Oldest-Known Image of Confucius Found in Tomb of Disgraced Emperor

A hand-painted mirror, decorated with a painting of the philosopher, was discovered in the tomb of short-lived ruler Liu He

How a Chinese Empress Built the Largest Palace in the World

Seeking to consolidate her grip on the Chinese throne, Empress Wu Zetian embarked on an audacious project: expanding the imperial palace

The 2017 Harbin Ice and Snow World began trial operations December 21, which has attracted tens of thousands of tourists to take pictures here.

This Ice Festival in China Is a Rainbow-Colored Dream

How Disney's 1942 Film Bambi Came to Be Influenced by the Lush Landscapes of the Sung Dynasty

Chinese-American Artist Tyrus Wong's Brush With Destiny

An Inca skull from the Cuzco region of Peru, showing four healed trepanations. The new review focuses on the practice in ancient China.

Drilling Deep: How Ancient Chinese Surgeons Opened Skulls and Minds

A new review finds evidence that the Chinese performed trepanation more than 3,500 years ago

Dish with copper-red glaze, and a Xuande mark in cobalt oxide on the base, China, Jiangxi province, Jingdezhen Ming Dynasty, Xuande reign (1426-1435)

What a Mark Rothko Painting Has in Common With a Ming Dynasty Dish

This one vibrant color, rich in symbolism, unites two works across five centuries

Did the Greeks Help Sculpt China's Terra Cotta Warriors?

New analysis and DNA evidence suggests the 8,000 life-sized figures in emperor Qin Shi Huang's necropolis owe their inspiration to the Greeks

A lantern at the Washington State Chinese Lantern Festival.

Photos: Giant Chinese Lantern Sculptures Light Up Spokane

This month brings a world of colorful light to Washington

Silkworm cocoons

Feeding Silkworms Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene Makes Super-Tough Silk

A diet rich in graphene or carbon nanotubes causes the creatures to produce a fiber twice as strong as normal silk

Why Dead Rulers of the Han Dynasty Were Plugged With Jade

During the days of China's Han dynasty, when a ruler died his corpse was carefully packed with jade "plugs"

Wu Zetian's Bold Move at the Spectacular Longmen Grottoes

The Longmen Grottoes remain one of the most sacred places in China

Four Explosive Advancements for Future Fireworks

From color to sound, the next-gen fireworks are sure to wow

“We know of only five scrolls of this heroic size by the artist Wen Zhengming [1470-1559] and this is the only known example with a personal poem,” says curator Stephen D. Allee.

When the Painting Is Also Poetry

A sublime new show honors the Chinese tradition of the ‘Three Perfections’—poetry, painting and calligraphy

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