The reference shelf

History

Key events and dynasties that shaped modern China — timelines, facts, and references.

Compare China destinations · Chinese phrases for travelers · All article titles

Source-backed reading and learning guides

Chinese menu vocabulary and vegetarian ordering questions

Guides

75 guides · Page 1 of 7

White Horse Temple: A Luoyang Buddhist Site

White Horse Temple: A Luoyang Buddhist Site

White Horse Temple, or Baima Temple, is in Luoyang, Henan.

Belt and Road: Reading a Dated Policy Document

Belt and Road: Reading a Dated Policy Document

The Belt and Road Initiative was proposed in 2013; a 2023 white paper provides an official account of its approach.

Buddhism in China: Transmission Rather Than One Origin Story

Buddhism in China: Transmission Rather Than One Origin Story

Buddhism’s arrival and development in China should be understood as a process of transmission and interpretation.

Chengde Mountain Resort and Its Outlying Temples

Chengde Mountain Resort and Its Outlying Temples

Chengde's Qing imperial resort combines palace buildings, gardens and surrounding temples within a landscape of lakes and hills.

The Compass: Navigation and an Uncertain Starting Date

The Compass: Navigation and an Uncertain Starting Date

The history of the compass should distinguish magnetic direction-finding from its use in sea navigation.

Confucius: Sources, Interpretation and Traditional Dates

Confucius: Sources, Interpretation and Traditional Dates

Confucius is traditionally dated to 551–479 BCE; accounts of his thought require attention to their sources.

Dazu Rock Carvings: Religious and Everyday Subjects

Dazu Rock Carvings: Religious and Everyday Subjects

Dazu's rock carvings include religious and secular subjects, offering evidence of Chinese life from the ninth to thirteenth centuries.

China’s Digital Economy: Define the Measure Before Comparing

China’s Digital Economy: Define the Measure Before Comparing

China’s National Bureau of Statistics reports that core digital-economy industries contributed 10.5% of GDP in 2024.

Du Fu: A Tang Poet in a Museum Reference

Du Fu: A Tang Poet in a Museum Reference

Du Fu, dated 712–770 in the Palace Museum’s reference, was a Tang poet.

Dujiangyan: Irrigation and Flood Management

Dujiangyan: Irrigation and Flood Management

Dujiangyan regulates and distributes Minjiang water to the Chengdu plains; its history includes repeated adaptation across dynasties.

The Forbidden City: Ming and Qing Palace History

The Forbidden City: Ming and Qing Palace History

The Forbidden City in Beijing was built between 1406 and 1420 and forms part of a World Heritage property with the imperial palace in Shenyang.

China's Grand Canal: A Waterway Built Across Dynasties

China's Grand Canal: A Waterway Built Across Dynasties

The Grand Canal developed from separate waterways into an imperial transport network linking northern China with Zhejiang.