China Questions and Answers
China
What weaknesses led to the collapse of the Qing dynasty?
There were at least two main weaknesses that led to the collapse of the Qing (or Ch'ing) Dynasty (1644-1912). The government was incompetent and corrupt and its military was too weak. ...
China
What does scapulimancy mean and how widespread was its use in ancient China?
Scapulimancy means divination by means of a scapula, or shoulder blade of a sacrificed animal or human being. There are actually two types of scapulimancy. The first, technically called...
China
What does the term "period of disunion" refer to in Chinese history?
The end of the Han dynasty was marked by the separation of the large families of that dynasty. The families took advantage of the weakened state of the government and started to establish their own...
China
What made communism appealing in China under Mao's leadership?
Chinese Communist Party's appeal in China was based on the history of anti-imperialist struggle, Chinese nationalism and the idea of "New Democracy". It is no doubt that China was under a foreign...
China
Was China a self-contained or externally influenced civilization?
Is this meant as an "is" or a "was?" If we are talking about the present day, China is clearly influenced from the outside. The very fact that China was communist shows outside...
China
What percentage of Hong Kong's population is tech-savvy?
Hong Kong has a young and technologically sophisticated population that is highly "technology savvy." One reason Hong Kong is of such interest is that 2007 marked the first decade after...
China
How is contemporary China portrayed in Ye Sang's China Candid, and is life there positive or negative?
The author Ye Sang makes it quite clear in his groundbreaking book that there is no one single perspective on contemporary China is applicable or definable. He interviewed thirty-six people from...
China
What are recent conflicts involving China?
Depending upon how one defines “recent,” there is no shortage of conflicts involving China. Beginning with the Japanese occupation of Manchuria during the 1930s, and ending with Japan’s...