China

The Birth of China's Tragedy

The failings of China's 1911 revolution heralded decades of civil conflict, occupation and suffering for the Chinese people.

China Through a Colonial Lens

Robert Bickers looks at an emerging archive of British photo albums that record both the drama of the 1911 revolution and the surprisingly untroubled daily lives of those who witnessed it.

Senkaku/Diaoyu: Islands of Conflict

The historical roots of the dispute between China and Japan over control of the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands reveal a great deal about the two countries’ current global standing, says Joyman Lee.

China's Age of Fragility

As China reclaims its central role in the world, Robert Bickers appeals to Britons and others in the West to take account of the legacy left by the country’s difficult 19th century.

Chinese History: The Great Leap Backward

Frank Dikötter looks at how historians’ understanding of China has changed in recent years with the gradual opening of party archives that reveal the full horror of the Maoist era.

Fireworks: The Power of Pyrotechnics

Though they originated in China, it was in the capitals of early modern Europe that fireworks flourished. They united art and science in awesome displays of poltical might, as Simon Werrett explains.

The Long March

The traumatic but ultimately victorious march of Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communists ended on 22 October 1935.