Whether in times of war or peace, money is always an essential. This was particularly the case in late Qing China, a period when social and political instability affected not only the Chinese but also foreign settlers and businesspeople in China. At the time, the newspaper was an important source of information. Occurrences around the …
Learning English in the way shown in the featured image above looks bizarre today. However, if you were in 19th-century China this was a common method. In Shanghai, this kind of English was known as Yang Jing Bang English (洋涇濱英語) (i.e., Pidgin English) named after the creek Yang Jing Bang in Shanghai. Interestingly, the dialect …
By the late 19th century, cruising had become a popular vacation choice. Shipping companies that used to rely on cargo shipment shifted to or invested more in building passenger ships instead. Famous cruise liners included White Star Line, Cunard Line, White Star Line, Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O), Australian-Oriental Line, Dollar Steamship Line, …
One of the periods that had long lasting global impact was the Industrial Revolution, occurring between the 18th and early 20th century spearheaded by Britain and spread to Europe and America. The Industrial Revolution brought changes at individual, societal, and global levels that contrasted sharply with the past. These changes included rapid economic growth, groundbreaking …
When asked the reason for the painted eyes on the bow of a junk, a Chinese would likely respond: “No got eye how can see?” Moreover, “no can see, how can walkey?”1 It was a long-established belief that the pair of large eyes would keep the junk vigilant of the evil spirit and thus secure …
47. From sail to steam: “no can see, how can walkey?” Read More »
恭gung1喜hei2發faat3財coi4！That’s what the featured image says – 恭喜發財 a wish for prosperity and wealth. The Chinese New Year is the time of the year when families reunite, friends meet, and good wishes are made. Celebrations for the Chinese New Year begin on the eve of the new year and usually end on the 15th day …
Water covers approximately 70% of the surface of the globe, which means that the lives of a large number of people are in different ways related to the water. Yet, the vastness and depth of the sea are also the source of uncertainties and dangers. As a result, cultures worldwide have rich literature on different …
The Age of Discovery, from the 15th to 17th century, created unprecedented opportunities for people of different cultures to interact. Curiosity, wealth, and domination were the main reasons people risked their lives to explore uncharted waters and territories. European exploration would not have been successful without proper seagoing vessels. Before the 15th century, European sailing …
In 1784, the first merchant ship of the newly established United States of America – Empress of China – set sail from New York to Canton (Guangzhou) of China, the only Chinese port opened for foreign trade at the time. Following the conclusion of the First Opium War (1839-1842), China was forced to open more …
Located at the Pearl River (珠江) (Cantonese: zyu1 gong1, Mandarin: zhujiang) in south China, Canton 廣州 (currently romanized as Guangzhou) has been referred to by different names – 穗 ‘rice’ (Cantonese: seoi6, Mandarin: sui), (五)羊城) ‘City of (the Five) Rams’ (Cantonese: ng5 joeng4 sing4, Mandarin: wu yang cheng) and 花城 ‘City of Flowers’ (Cantonese: faa1 …