A detail from “Hanshan and Shide” (known in Japan as Kanzan and Jittoku) by the Japanese painter Hashimoto Gahō (1835–1908). H…[详细]

This character usually refers to the water surrounding continents and islands. It is also used as an adjective, meaning a large amount of somethin…[详细]

The port of Canton trading with foreign merchants in the middle of the Qing Dynasty Photo: William Daniel/NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM Opening up …[详细]

This character usually refers to a book, a document or a letter. As a verb, shu means to write. 临池学书 池水尽墨 lín chí xu&…[详细]

The “Lanting Xu” (“Preface to the Poems Collected from the Orchid Pavilion”) by Wang Xizhi (303–361). The work is c…[详细]

This character usually refers to a child between the stages of birth and puberty. 牧童遥指杏花村 mù tóng yáo zhǐ x&igrav…[详细]

A mahoraga in the collection of the Shenzhen Wangye Museum Photo: FILE Toys can be good company for a child. From the past to the present, …[详细]

This character usually refers to palaces or the womb. It also indicates empresses and imperial concubines in ancient times. 满城春色宫墙柳 m…[详细]

“A Portrait of the Qianlong Emperor” by the court painter Giuseppe Castiglione Photo: FILE It is hard to miss the contributions of …[详细]