Questions tagged [china]
Generally refers to the country referred to as the People's Republic of China, a country in E Asia. With a surface area of 3,691,502 sq. mi. (9,560,990 sq. km). The current Capital is Beijing.
311
questions
2
votes
0answers
217 views
Did the Soviet Union or China participate in the light bulb cartel? If not, in what ways did they differ and how long did their bulbs last?
The Phoebus cartel was a well known scheme to fix the standard lifespan of incandescent lightbulbs that arose at the beginning of the 20th century.
See Spectrum.ieee.org.
Although not implemented for ...
45
votes
2answers
6k views
How do ancient Chinese "mirrors" such as these in the National Museum function?
In the National Museum of China we find "mirrors" from various Chinese dynasties:
A photo I took of "mirrors" at the National Museum of China in Beijing
Notably, these mirrors ...
2
votes
1answer
117 views
What engineers chose the locations and oversaw runway construction for the airfields that the Flying Tigers used?
The section of NPR's The Flying Tigers: How a group of Americans ended up fighting for China in WW II includes the following:
Burma was central to keeping China supplied
The AVG's base was in Kunming ...
5
votes
1answer
162 views
What were Lord Macartney's original words about Chinese under the Qianlong Emperor's brutal regime in 18th century?
This is a follow-up question of Where can I find modern account of Macartney Embassy to China (1792–1794)?
After Lord Macartney returned from his mission to the Qianlong Emperor, he made a poignant ...
2
votes
0answers
96 views
Where can I find modern account of Macartney Embassy to China (1792–1794)?
Macartney Embassy was the first British diplomatic mission to China. It was such an important but little-known event. I read quite some Chinese materials but not many English materials. The wiki ...
5
votes
1answer
169 views
How was the term "Mandate of Heaven" used during the rise and fall of Chinese dynasties?
The Mandate of Heaven (Chinese: 天命; pinyin: Tiānmìng; Wade–Giles: T'ien-ming; lit. 'Heaven's will') is a Chinese political philosophy that was used in ancient and imperial China to justify the rule of ...
25
votes
1answer
5k views
When and how did the Han ethnic group become by far the biggest ethnic group in China?
China is a very ethnic homogenous country, one ethnic group, the Han make up 92 % of China's population.
Huaxia refers to a confederation of tribes—living along the Yellow
River—who were the ...
3
votes
1answer
136 views
What in Confucianism reduced the importance of the clan structure and made these societies more secular?
Looking at the Inglehart–Welzel cultural map of the world we note that the west in general, and protestant countries in particular, are individualistic and secular, and that these are the values most ...
3
votes
2answers
354 views
Why didn't the eunuch faction improve stability in Imperial China?
A lot of the instability in hereditary monarchies occurred when the ruler was mentally deficient, reclusive, or otherwise unwilling or incapable of governing.
On the hand, the powerful eunuchs in ...
15
votes
1answer
2k views
Why did China decide to support Poland in 1956, but not Hungary?
In 1956, the fate of the Eastern Block was pretty uncertain: The Khrushchev Thaw was causing the satellite countries to rethink their place in the world, as de-Stalinization was bringing the promise ...
1
vote
0answers
124 views
Why were Chinese and Soviet five year plans shorter than five years? [closed]
In the Chinese and Soviet systems of economic planning, they famously used "five year plans". However, most if not all of these plans apparently lasted shorter than five years. For example, ...
17
votes
5answers
738 views
Why wasn't awareness of Australia more widespread in pre-colonial Asia?
It has been rather well-established that (some) Asians were in contact with Australia before European colonialism, possibly even centuries before. Yet the awareness of Australia didn't seem to spread ...
24
votes
4answers
5k views
Why was the US so pro-China and so anti-Japan before WW2?
There is little doubt that the US embargoes on Japan pushed an already aggressive Japan towards Pearl Harbor. Japanese Navy doctrine had already been contemplating a conflict with the US and this ...
asked Aug 26 '21 at 4:51
Italian Philosophers 4 Monica
6,5502 gold badges22 silver badges46 bronze badges
6
votes
3answers
282 views
Why didn’t the USSR and CCP reinstate ties after Mao’s death?
With Hua Guofeng and especially Deng Xiapoing’s rise to power, why wasn’t there a thaw and rapprochement in their ties, as the main divide was the rift in ideology between the USSR and Mao’s Stalinist ...
1
vote
1answer
284 views
On what basis did Mao denounce Confucianism?
I have had three view points already about the organization named Revolutionary Rebel Liaison Station to Annihilate the Kong Family Business and Establish the Absolute Authority of Mao Zedong Thought ...
1
vote
3answers
271 views
Why didn't Chiang mention technological self-reliance?
In China's Destiny & Chinese Economic Theory, Chiang Kai-Shek wrote that:
The two most important ways to understand and utilize man's nature are: First, to preserve the inherited ethics of the ...
2
votes
0answers
91 views
What size was the most widely distributed version of Mao Zedong's "Little Red Book"?
Quotations From Chairman Mao, known in the West as "the Little Red Book", was printed in China in several different sizes, of which the most popular was a small size that according to many ...
-1
votes
1answer
80 views
Was there and if so what was a northern silk road route from Khazaria to China?
From the reading I had done in various sources through the years, I understood that possible silk road routes from Khazaria to China were:
Northern: Atil - Tashkent - Dunhuang - Chang'an
Central: ...
9
votes
1answer
541 views
Why wasn't Mao purged after the failure of the Great Leap Forward?
In 1958, Mao Zedong launched the Great Leap Forward, an attempt to forcibly collectivise Chinese agriculture and industrialise the country within just a few years. This involved the use of ...
10
votes
1answer
762 views
Did drawbacks of egalitarianism or mismanagement cause the rural famine in the Great Leap Forward?
In China "大锅饭" (communal dining in English) implies egalitarianism and slack of people, which is the premise of the statement that the famine is partly due to the laziness of the people. As ...
-2
votes
1answer
120 views
What are some inventions from the Chinese Han Dynasty? [closed]
I am researching about the Chinese Han Dynasty, and I was looking at some inventions they made. I have a list of them right now that include the kite, endless chain for irrigation, the iron plow, ...
8
votes
2answers
2k views
What are the flags in this Yellow Peril Cartoon from Italy?
Can somebody help me to identify the different flags in this Italian Cartoon from 1900?
3
votes
2answers
381 views
Had the Chinese leadership considered the famine in Soviet Union in 1930s before starting the Great Leap Forward?
It was strange that the collectivization in the Soviet Union led to the Soviet famine of 1932-33 and the history repeated itself in 1959-61 in China.
So far as I know the Soviet Union helped the ...
-1
votes
1answer
130 views
Why did Mao use political mobilization to prevent inefficiency and slack? [closed]
China just followed the Soviet Union model and inevitably encountered the same problems that socialist countries all suffered in the 1950s and 1960s. That is the lack of incentives of people and the ...
1
vote
0answers
172 views
Why did China not become a democracy to cure involution? [closed]
I am new to politics-related questions, then please be kind if I am not asking a good question here(from your perspective). To get rid of being caught and involved in trouble I cannot not post this ...
0
votes
1answer
200 views
Why did United States choose conflict with Japan over China? [closed]
Why did United States choose conflict with Japan over China ?
Especially from 1937 (2nd Sino-Japan war) compared with 1894 (1st Sino-Japan war which basically were an conflict about influence and ...
2
votes
0answers
183 views
Why was the Tea Horse Route through Tibet less prevalent than the Silk Road route through Tarim Basin, for contact between China and India?
The two major travellers to India, Faxian and Xuanzang visited India from the circuitous western route, while the third one Yijing travelled by sea. Xuanzang described hardships in his journey, and ...
1
vote
0answers
114 views
How should a Westerner visualise Chinese civilisation under the various dynasties? [closed]
I have a decent knowledge of European history (if I say so myself!) but, like many Englishmen, my grasp of Chinese history is very poor, and, over the past few months, I've taken some modest steps ...
6
votes
1answer
117 views
How did Taiwan participate in the International Geophysical Year of 1957-58?
Wikipedia's International Geophysical Year begins:
The International Geophysical Year (IGY; French: Année géophysique internationale) was an international scientific project that lasted from 1 July ...
0
votes
0answers
99 views
Were Korea and Tibet's relationship with Qing China similar?
Korea (Joseon) and Tibet both paid tribute to the Qing Empire, while maintaining internal autonomy. However, Chinese Nationalists were happy to support the independence of Korea, but not that of Tibet....
8
votes
0answers
188 views
Did China repay Soviet grain aid?
The Sino-Soviet rift/split is a complicated issue. But there can be little doubt that it was complete by mid 1963, when the «Polemics on the General Line» were released by the Chinese Communist Party.
...
2
votes
1answer
233 views
Why did the USSR support the PRC entry into the UN?
In 1971, the USSR (and satellites) voted in favor of UN Resolution 2758, which recognized the People's Republic of China (PRC) as "the only legitimate representative of China to the United ...
1
vote
2answers
270 views
What incentives were there for Soviet and Chinese politicians to try climb to the top when there was so much history of deposing their own? [closed]
USSR had 1936-1938 Great Purge, 1941 Red Army purges, Leningrad affair. Beria was executed. Nikita Khrushchev, Zhukov, Podgorny were ousted.
In China, Hua Goufeng was ousted, Zhao Ziyang house ...
8
votes
1answer
1k views
How did China deal with the Black Death during the second plague pandemic?
As far as I know, Europeans quarantined people. Sometimes neighbors sent food, and some people checked and marked houses infected by the Black Death. Sometimes corpses were burned in a mass pit, and ...
3
votes
2answers
195 views
Why did the Spanish government award a decoration to Chiang Kai-Shek?
In 1936 the republican government granted Chiang the Order of Isabella the Catholic.1 Why did they do that?
The Wikipedia article on Chiang is where I got this from.
1
vote
1answer
48 views
Were the commentaries and subcommentaries part of the Tang Code?
Are the commentaries and subcommentaries in Wallace Johnson's translation of the Tang Code (Princeton University Press) written by Wallace Johnson or are they part of the original text of the Code?
1
vote
1answer
212 views
Where was Mao Zedong during the Japanese surrender in Zhijiang (芷江) at the end of WWII in 1945?
Timeline for context:
9 August, 1945: atomic bomb on Nagasaki.
15 August: the Japanese announced their acceptance of the unconditional surrender (Potsdam Proclamation).
21-23 August: the Japanese ...
3
votes
0answers
215 views
Which ranks of concubine resided in the gong and yuan respectively?
Background/ TLDR
Having at long last gained access to this source by a certain Mr. Woo and with the support of the answers to my previous question I can finally gather some statistics on successions ...
14
votes
2answers
3k views
Where can I find the original "On the New Rules for Destroying Countries" (1901) by Liang Qichao?
From a Crash Course World History video:
In China, Liang Qichao came up with a different source of reform, the Strong State, after the failure of the Boxer Rebellion in 1901, he wrote his awesomely ...
4
votes
1answer
240 views
What have been the major milestones in the creation of state literacy policies?
There have been times as literacy was not obligatory. So, many people were not able to read/write in their mother tongue, but it was just normal.
Today, most people are literate, and this is a result ...
8
votes
0answers
174 views
What were the political beliefs of Sir Robert Hotung regarding socialism and communism?
Sir Robert Hotung Bosman, KBE JP (1862 – 1956) was a Hong Kong businessman and philanthropist in British Hong Kong known as "the grand old man of Hong Kong". He has a colorful history, being the ...
4
votes
0answers
89 views
Did any Western consulates remain open or re-open after WWII in the same buildings in which they had resided in Wuhan, Hebei, China?
The recent CNN article From one-time Chinese capital to coronavirus epicenter, Wuhan has a long history that the West had forgotten
Two generations ago, this city of 11 million people, on the ...
3
votes
0answers
98 views
Was there some deliberate significance to the number of divisions in the proposed post-WW2 joint communist-nationalist Chinese army being 108?
https://www.britannica.com/event/Chinese-Civil-War
(Search "108".)
It's a sacred number in the Dharmic religions, was the number of outlaws in The Water Margin, and (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
5
votes
2answers
182 views
Did any Chinese revolutionaries being helped by the Japanese get suspicious of Japan's intentions?
From the way things went, it seems to me that Japan played Chinese nationalists into breaking up the Qing empire, in order to expand Japanese power in the region.
Were any Chinese revolutionaries ...
0
votes
0answers
113 views
How did Chinese triads with the slogan "oppose the Qing, restore the Ming" adapt ideologically to the fall of the Qing and the rise of republicanism?
Clearly triads didn't disappear, but how did they react to this part of their raison raison d'être slipping away?
Edit: I went through the first five links searching this on google and couldn't find ...
0
votes
1answer
85 views
There are two restaurants (one in Saigon, one in Hong Kong) called "全記". Where does that name come from and what does it mean? [closed]
Name seen at 0:07
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kyqE2Nq3pc
Second restaurant comes up with a google search for "全記".
Have no idea how to proceed from here.
0
votes
2answers
254 views
Was there intermixing between Brits and Hong Kongers during Britain's control of the territory?
When Britain took control of Hong Kong at the end of the First Opium War did British Europeans stay and intermix (intermix=make new humans)?
1
vote
1answer
216 views
How could I determine the value of a a 1921 Yuan Shikai Chinese silver dollar? [closed]
I have a 1921 Yuan Shikai Chinese silver dollar. What is the history of this coin, and how could I determine the worth/value of my coin?
2
votes
0answers
102 views
Was it against protocol for the Emperor to pray inside the Forbidden City?
Background
An oft reproduced narrative about the Empress Dowager Cixi asserts that she held the Guangxu Emperor captive within the Forbidden City. Lately, I heard a version that disputes all of this ...
3
votes
0answers
278 views
How do we know that this decree was written by Cixi?
In another, extremely helpful answer we found the handwritten text underlying many claims about Empress Dowager Cixi’s illiteracy (see aforementioned answer for example of such claim). But how do we ...