Historians often refer to the period from the Qin Dynasty（221-207 BC）to the end of the Qing Dynasty（1644-1911）as imperial China.Though the...
qingquang
After further political consolidation，seven prominent states remained by the end of the 5th century BC，and the period in which these...
In the 8th century BC，power became decentralized during the Spring and Autumn Period（770-476BC），named after the influential Spring and Autumn Annals.In...
By the end of the 2nd millennium BC，the Zhou Dynasty（1046-256BC）began to emerge in the Yellow River Valley，overrunning the Shang.The Zhou...
Sima Qian's account dates the founding of the Xia Dynasty to 4，000 years ago，but this date has not been confirmed.Some...
China was inhabited，possibly more than a millon years ago，by Homo erectus. The excavations at Yuanmou and later Lantian show early...
Since ancient times，the Chinese people have used sharing food as an important means of social interaction.In modern terminology，food can be...
The Chinese style of eating，in which everyone gathers around a table to eat out of common serving dishes，is an embodiment...
The shape of food often carries symbolic significance. Mooncakes and yuanciao (sweet dumplingsmade withe glutinous rice flour dumplings) are round,...
The ancient Chinese people believed that even numbers were lucky and odd numbers were unlucky. However, many traditional holidays are...
The Daoist philosopher Laozi，who lived during the Spring and Autumn Period（770-476 BC），said，"One should govern a large country as one would...
Making sacrifices to the deities was an official function of government in ancient China, and thereforea central element of the...
According to Zhou Li（Rites of the Zhou），food service for the Zhou court was handled by a staff of over 2300...
In ancient China，it was customary for clans to hold banquets for the purpose of discussing family affairs.As early as the...
Ritual was a central element of ancient Chinese culture.By the time of the Zhou Dynasty（1046-256BC），ritual had developed into an institutionalized...
The principle of he（harmony）is central to Chinese holistic philosophy.Harmony signifies accord，balance，and moderation.It is foundation of the health and vitality of...
Ancient China's holistic philosophers created a unified model of the universe that incorporates all aspects of existence, both material and...
Detail of Han Xizai Yeyan(The Night Revels of Han Xizai), by Gu Hongzhong(dates of birth and death unknown); Five Dynasties...
（1）Food and rank In the animal kingdom，the distribution of food is based on rank.It naturally follows that there is a...
（1）Waste not，want not As the art of cooking evolved over the ages，the Chinese ancestors boldly experimented with available foodstuffs in...