Section 1 — From the Zhou Homeland to the Last Campaign of Zhuge Liang Stay a few days in Baoji and you can travel through more than a thousand years of Chinese history without going very far. One day, Elaine and I were following the ancient Zhou world around Qishan. Another rabbit hole nearby takes you to Wuzhangyuan — where Zhuge Liang fought his final campaign in 234 CE. By now you...
Before Zhou Became a Dynasty, It Was Already a People, a Place — and a Story Most first-time travelers to China meet the: Zhou dynasty (周朝, Zhōu Cháo) as a date. 1046 BCE Zhou defeats Shang. New dynasty. Next chapter. 😂 That’s useful for an exam. But travel gives us a better question: Where did the Zhou come from BEFORE they defeated Shang? That question eventually took Dad & Elaine beyond Xi’an…...
You’ve Seen the Terracotta Warriors. Now Take the Train West and Find Out What Came Before. For most first-time international travelers: Xi’an (西安, Xī’ān) is already one of the great stops on a China itinerary. And rightly so. You come for: Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇, Qín Shǐhuáng) and: the Terracotta Warriors (兵马俑, Bīngmǎyǒng). You stand in front of that extraordinary underground army and meet the ruler who completed the conquest of the...
Section 1 — Why China Kept Building Walls Most international travelers meet the Great Wall near Beijing. Elaine and I went farther west, to Yanmenguan in Shanxi — one of China’s great northern mountain passes. Standing there made me ask a much bigger question: why did Chinese states and dynasties keep building walls along the northern frontier for more than two thousand years? Everyone knows: The Great Wall of China — 长城...
Section 1 — From Xi’an to Yuncheng: Another Rabbit Hole Across the Yellow River Travel northeast from Xi’an into Yuncheng and Chinese history does something slightly strange. Instead of asking you to remember another emperor or another battle, it asks a much older question: what makes someone a good ruler — or even a good person? After traveling through Hancheng (韩城), Elaine and I continued into another historically extraordinary part of northern China:...
One Small City. Several Very Different Chinas. Xi’an gives first-time travelers some enormous names. Qin Shi Huang 秦始皇. Terracotta Warriors 兵马俑. Han 汉. Tang 唐. Hancheng is different. It doesn’t hit you with one gigantic headline attraction. Instead, this smaller city northeast of Xi’an quietly opens several doors into completely different layers of Chinese history. Dad & Elaine came because of one man: Sima Qian (司马迁, Sīmǎ Qiān). Then Hancheng started adding...
Just a Few Hours From Beijing, Walk Into One of the Great Bronze Age Capitals of the Ancient World Beijing can easily consume an entire first trip to China. The: Forbidden City. Great Wall. Temple of Heaven. Summer Palace. Ming. Qing. Imperial China everywhere. But Dad has another slightly dangerous suggestion. 😂 TAKE THE TRAIN SOUTH. From Beijing, high-speed rail can bring you to: Anyang (安阳, Ānyáng) in Henan Province (河南省, Hénán...
We stopped overnight in Handan on our way from Beijing toward the UNESCO ruins of ancient Shang at Anyang. We visited Congtai, took our photographs and continued south. Only later did I realize just how badly I had underestimated this city. 😂 This Deep China story begins with a confession. When Elaine and I visited: Handan — 邯郸 (Hándān) we weren’t making a great historical pilgrimage to the ancient State of Zhao....
Section 1 — You Came to Jinan for the Springs. Good Place to Start. Take the: high-speed train (高铁, gāotiě) south from: Beijing (北京, Běijīng) and before long you can be in: Jinan (济南, Jǐnán), capital of: Shandong Province (山东省, Shāndōng Shěng). For a first-time international traveler, Jinan may not have the instant name recognition of: Beijing, Xi’an or: Shanghai. But ask many Chinese travelers what Jinan is famous for and one...
Five Stops, Five Big Questions — A China History Journey Through Jinan, Mount Tai, Qufu, Linzi and Dezhou Section 1 — We Left Beijing Looking for Shandong. Then the Museum Gave Us a Map Through Chinese History. For many first-time international travelers, a China trip begins with: Beijing (北京, Běijīng). And that’s a very good place to begin. The: Forbidden City (故宫, Gùgōng) shows you imperial power. The: Temple of Heaven (天坛,...
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