Category: Chinese History

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TRAVEL: Jimingyi, a walled town near Beijing that we bet you’ve never heard of!

Just thirty minutes away from Beijing by high-speed railway, Huailai (怀来) is a small town halfway between the capital and Zhangjiakou. The local government is promoting the numerous vineyards in the area, but there is also a still-hidden gem to be discovered: Jimingyi (鸡鸣驿), a walled former post station. Its name means ‘rooster’s crow post station’ and its main claim to fame is that Emperor Guangxu and his aunt Cixi sheltered there for a night as they fled the Eight Nation Alliance during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. It makes a nice day out from Beijing, especially if you want to see an ancient town that hasn’t become a tourist trap. 

Read on to find out more!

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The Peony: A love-hate relationship in ancient China

During the Dutch tulipomania in the early 1600s, just before the flower market crash, the bulb of an unusual variety of tulip was sold for the cost of a mansion. What made it so valuable was its streaked crimson white pattern, which it was later discovered was caused by a virus.

The unhappy ending of the obsession with an abnormality, even a beautiful one, was predicted several hundred years earlier in an essay ‘Account of the Tree Peonies of Luoyang’ by a major literary figure of the Northern Song, Ouyang Xiu (欧阳修, 1007-1072). The danger Ouyang was warning against was peonies. What was wrong with the flower? Read on to find out! 

By Ilina Tatiana (edited by Nic Doering)

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The Dog in Traditional Chinese Paintings

It might be the Year of the Rabbit but at Cultural Keys we’ve been inspired by our two recent rescue dogs, Teddy and Mr. Percy, to look in more detail at the dog in Chinese history, art and legend. Each month we’ll look at a different aspect of the dog in traditional Chinese culture as well as introduce you to a few special pups who need your help!

This week we’ll look at some paintings of dogs that were created over the last 2000 or so years.

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