Yao, who was born inShanghai, started playing for the Sharks as a teenager, and played on their senior team for five years in the CBA, winning a championship in his final year. After negotiating with the CBA and the Sharks to secure his release, Yao was selected by the Rockets as the first overall pick in the2002 NBA draft. He reached theNBA playoffs four times, and the Rockets won the first-round series in the2009 postseason, their first playoff series victory since 1997. In July 2011, Yao announced his retirement from professional basketball because of a series of foot and ankle injuries which forced him to miss 250 games in his last six seasons. In eight seasons with the Rockets, Yao ranks sixth among franchise leaders in total points and total rebounds, and second in total blocks. (Full article...)
Lactarius indigo, commonly known as theindigo milk cap,indigo milky,indigo lactarius,blue lactarius, orblue milk mushroom, is a species ofagaric fungus in the familyRussulaceae.
Thefruit body color ranges from dark blue in fresh specimens to pale blue-gray in older ones. The milk, orlatex, that oozes when the mushroom tissue is cut or broken (a feature common to all members of the genusLactarius) is alsoindigo blue, but slowly turns green upon exposure to air. Thecap has a diameter of 4–15 cm (2–6 in), and thestem is 2–8 cm (3⁄4–3+1⁄8 in) tall and1–2.5 cm (3⁄8–1 in) thick. (Full article...)
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Song dynasty river ship armed with atrebuchet catapult on its top deck, from theWujing Zongyao
TheBattle of Caishi (Chinese:采石之戰) was a major naval engagement of theJin–Song Wars of China that took place on November 26–27, 1161. It ended with a decisive Song victory, aided by their use of gunpowder weapons.
TheHan dynasty was animperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD) established byLiu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-livedQin dynasty (221–206 BC) and a warringinterregnum known as theChu–Han Contention (206–202 BC), and it was succeeded by theThree Kingdoms period (220–280 AD). The dynasty was briefly interrupted by theXin dynasty (9–23 AD) established by the usurping regentWang Mang, and is thus separated into two periods—theWestern Han (202 BC – 9 AD) and theEastern Han (25–220 AD). Spanning over four centuries, the Han dynasty is considered agolden age in Chinese history, and had a permanent impact on Chinese identity in later periods. The majority ethnic group of modern China refer to themselves as the "Han people" or "Han Chinese". Thespoken Chinese andwritten Chinese are referred to respectively as the "Han language" and "Han characters".
Peking opera features four main role types,sheng (gentlemen),dan (women),jing (rough men), andchou (clowns). Performing troupes often have several of each variety, as well as numerous secondary and tertiary performers. With their elaborate and colorful costumes, performers are the only focal points on Peking opera characteristically sparse stage. They use the skills of speech, song, dance and combat in movements that are symbolic and suggestive, rather than realistic. Above all else, the skill of performers is evaluated according to the beauty of their movements. Performers also adhere to a variety of stylistic conventions that help audiences navigate the plot of the production. The layers of meaning within each movement must be expressed in time with music. The music of Peking opera can be divided into thexīpí (西皮) andèrhuáng (二黄) styles. Melodies includearias, fixed-tune melodies andpercussion patterns. The repertoire of Peking opera includes over 1,400 works, which are based onChinese history,folklore and, increasingly, contemporary life. (Full article...)
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Guandimiao (Chinese:关帝庙遗址;pinyin:Guāndìmiào yízhǐ;lit. 'Guandi temple ruins') is a Chinese archaeological site 18 km (11 miles) south of theYellow River inXingyang, Henan. It is the site of a smallLate Shang village that was inhabited from roughly 1250 to 1100 BCE. Located 200 km (120 miles) from the site of theShang dynasty capital atYinxu inAnyang, the site was first studied as a part of excavations undertaken between 2006 and 2008 in preparation for the nearbySouth–North Water Transfer Project. Excavation and study at Guandimiao has significantly broadened scholars' understanding of rural Shang economies and rituals, as well as the layout of rural villages, which had received comparatively little attention compared to urban centers like Yinxu andHuanbei.
Calculations derived from the number of graves andpit-houses at Guandimiao suggest a maximum population of around 100 individuals at the site's peak during the early 12th century BCE. The presence of 23kilns suggests large-scale regional exports of ceramics from the village. Residents usedbone tools, including many that were locally produced, as well as sophisticated arrowheads andhairpins likely imported from Anyang, where facilities produced them en masse. Local ritual practice is evidenced by the presence of locally producedoracle bones used inpyromancy and large sacrificial pits where mainly cattle had been buried, alongside a smaller number of pigs and (rarely) humans. Over 200 graves were found at the site. Apart from an almost complete absence ofgrave goods beyond occasionalcowrie shells and sacrificed dogs, they generally resembleshaft tombs found elsewhere in ancient China. (Full article...)
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TheSakyamuni Buddha, by Song painter Zhang Shengwen, c. AD 1181–1186; althoughBuddhism was in decline and under attack byNeo-Confucian critics in the Song era, it nonetheless remained one of the major religious ideologies in China.
Chinese society during theSong dynasty (AD 960–1279) was marked by political and legal reforms, a philosophical revival ofConfucianism, and the development of cities beyond administrative purposes into centers of trade, industry, andmaritime commerce. The inhabitants of rural areas were mostly farmers, although some were also hunters, fishers, or government employees working in mines or the salt marshes. Conversely, shopkeepers, artisans, city guards, entertainers, laborers, and wealthy merchants lived in the county and provincial centers along with theChinese gentry—a small, elite community of educated scholars andscholar-officials. As landholders and drafted government officials, the gentry considered themselves the leading members of society; gaining their cooperation and employment was essential for the county or provincial bureaucrat overburdened with official duties. In many ways, scholar-officials of the Song period differed from the more aristocratic scholar-officials of theTang dynasty (618–907).Civil service examinations became the primary means of appointment to an official post as competitors vying for official degrees dramatically increased. Frequent disagreements amongst ministers of state on ideological and policy issues led to political strife and the rise of political factions. This undermined the marriage strategies of the professional elite, which broke apart as a social group and gave way to a multitude of families that provided sons forcivil service.
Confucian orLegalist scholars in ancient China—perhaps as far back as the lateZhou dynasty (c. 1046–256 BC)—categorized all socioeconomic groups intofour broad and hierarchical occupations (in descending order): theshi (scholars, or gentry), thenong (peasant farmers), thegong (artisans and craftsmen), and theshang (merchants). Wealthy landholders and officials possessed the resources to better prepare their sons for the civil service examinations, yet they were often rivaled in their power and wealth by merchants of the Song period. Merchants frequently colluded commercially and politically with officials, despite the fact that scholar-officials looked down on mercantile vocations as less respectable pursuits than farming or craftsmanship. The military also provided a means for advancement in Song society for those who became officers, even though soldiers were not highly respected members of society. Although certain domestic and familial duties were expected of women in Song society, they nonetheless enjoyed a wide range of social and legal rights in an otherwisepatriarchal society. Women's improved rights to property came gradually with the increasing value ofdowries offered by brides' families. (Full article...)
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The2001 Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident took place inTiananmen Square in centralBeijing, on the eve ofChinese New Year on 23 January 2001. There is controversy over the incident;Chinese government sources say that five members ofFalun Gong, a religious movement that is banned in mainland China, set themselves on fire in the square. Falun Gong sources disputed the accuracy of these portrayals, and claimed that their teachings explicitly forbid violence orsuicide. Some journalists have claimed that theself-immolations were staged.
According toChinese state media, a group of seven people had travelled to Beijing fromHenan province, and five set themselves on fire on Tiananmen Square. In the Chinese press, the event was used as proof of the dangers of Falun Gong, and was used to legitimise the government's campaign against the group. (Full article...)
Hu lived inNanjing during the transition from theMing dynasty to theQing dynasty. A Ming loyalist, he was offered a position at the rump court of theHongguang Emperor, but declined the post, and never held anything more than minor political office. He did, however, design the Hongguang Emperor's personalseal, and his loyalty to the dynasty was such that he largely retired from society after the emperor's capture and death in 1645. He owned and operated an academic publishing house called the Ten Bamboo Studio, in which he practised variousmulti-colour printing andembossing techniques, and he employed several members of his family in this enterprise. Hu's work at the Ten Bamboo Studio pioneered new techniques in colour printmaking, leading to delicate gradations of colour which were not previously achievable in this art form. (Full article...)
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Acannon (plural eithercannons orcannon) is a large-caliber gun classified as a type ofartillery, which usually launches aprojectile using explosive chemicalpropellant.Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention ofsmokeless powder during the late 19th century. Cannons vary ingauge,effective range,mobility,rate of fire,angle of fire andfirepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees, depending on their intended use on the battlefield. A cannon is a type of heavy artillery weapon. The wordcannon is derived from several languages, in which the original definition can usually be translated astube,cane, orreed.
The earliest known depiction of cannons may have appeared inSong dynasty China as early as the 12th century; however, solid archaeological and documentary evidence of cannons do not appear until the 13th century. In 1288,Yuan dynasty troops are recorded to have usedhand cannons in combat, and the earliest extant cannon bearing a date of production comes from the same period. By the end of the 14th century, cannons were widespread throughoutEurasia. (Full article...)
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The field shortly after the start.
The men's road race, a part of thecycling events at the2008 Summer Olympics, took place on August 9 at theUrban Road Cycling Course inBeijing. It started at 11:00 China Standard Time (UTC+8), and was scheduled to last until 17:30 later that day. The 245.4-kilometre (152.5 mi) course ran north across the heart of the Beijing metropolitan area, passing such landmarks as theTemple of Heaven, theGreat Hall of the People,Tiananmen Square and theBeijing National Stadium. After rolling over relatively flat terrain for 78.8 km (49.0 mi) north of the Beijing city center, the route entered a decisive circuit encompassing seven loops on a 23.8 km (14.8 mi) section up and down theBadaling Pass, including ramps as steep as a 10 percent gradient.
The race was won by the Spanish riderSamuel Sánchez in 6 hours, 23 minutes, 49 seconds, after a six-man breakaway group contested a sprint finish. It was the first medal in the men's individual road race for Spain.Davide Rebellin of Italy andFabian Cancellara of Switzerland, finishing second and third place with the same time as Sánchez, received silver and bronze medals respectively for the event. The hot and humid conditions were in sharp contrast to the heavy rain weathered in thewomen's road race the following day. (Full article...)
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The empire in 661, when it reached its greatest extent
TheLi family founded the dynasty after taking advantage of a period of Sui decline and precipitating their final collapse, in turn inaugurating a period of progress and stability in the first half of the dynasty's rule. The dynasty was formally interrupted during 690–705 when EmpressWu Zetian seized the throne, proclaiming theWu Zhou dynasty and becoming the only legitimate Chineseempress regnant. TheAn Lushan rebellion (755–763) led to devastation and the decline of central authority during the latter half of the dynasty. (Full article...)
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Zhou Tong stroking his beard
Zhou Tong (Chinese:周同 and周侗;pinyin:Zhōu Tóng; died late 1121) was thearchery teacher and second military arts tutor of famousSong dynasty generalYue Fei. Originally a local hero fromHenan, he was hired to continue Yue Fei's military training in archery after the boy had rapidly mastered spearplay under his first teacher. In addition to the future general, Zhou accepted other children as archery pupils. During his tutelage, Zhou taught the children all of his skills and even rewarded Yue with his two favorite bows because he was his best pupil. After Zhou's death, Yue would regularly visit his tomb twice a month and perform unorthodox sacrifices that far surpassed that done for even beloved tutors. Yue later taught what he had learned from Zhou to his soldiers and they were successful in battle.
With the publishing of Yue Fei's 17th folklore biography,The Story of Yue Fei (1684), a new, fictional Zhou Tong emerged, who differed greatly from his historical persona. Not only was he now fromShaanxi, but he was Yue's adopted father, a learned scholar with knowledge of theeighteen weapons of war, and hispersonal name was spelled with a different, yet related, Chinese character. The novel's author portrayed him as an elderly widower and military arts tutor who countedLin Chong andLu Junyi, two of the fictional108 outlaws on which theWater Margin is based, among his former pupils. A laterrepublican erafolktale by notedYangzhou storytellerWang Shaotang not only addsWu Song to this list, but represents Zhou as aknight-errant with supreme swordsmanship. The tale also gives him the nickname "Iron Arm", which he shares with theexecutioner-turned-outlawCai Fu, and makes the outlawLu Zhishen hissworn brother. Because of his association with the outlaws, he is often confused with the similarly named outlawZhou Tong. (Full article...)
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Zeng, 1872
Zeng Laishun (13 September 1826 – 2 June 1895) was a Chineseinterpreter, businessman, and educator. He was among the firstChinese people to study at a foreign college. Born inSingapore to aTeochew father and aMalay mother, he was orphaned as a young child. He was educated by theAmerican Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, a Christian missionary organization, where he converted to Christianity. He was sent to the US in 1843, and in 1846 was admitted toHamilton College, but he did not graduate due to a lack of funds. Zeng subsequently traveled to China.
After several years working as a missionary assistant inGuangzhou, he left with his family to pursue a trading career inShanghai. In 1866, Zeng was hired by the local Fuzhou government as anEnglish language instructor at the newly establishedFuzhou Navy Yard School. Seeking to gain experience with Western practices and institutions, the imperial government began theChinese Educational Mission in 1871, amassing a group of 120 Chinese boys to study in the US. He worked as an interpreter and English tutor for the mission under bureaucratChen Lanbin and Zeng's colleagueYung Wing. He returned to the US in 1872, where he was frequently and erroneously hailed as the "Chinese Commissioner of Education". (Full article...)
The economy of theHan dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) of ancientChina experienced upward and downward movements in itseconomic cycle, periods of economic prosperity and decline. It is normally divided into three periods:Western Han (206 BC – 9 AD), theXin dynasty (9–23 AD), andEastern Han (25–220 AD). The Xin regime, established by the former regentWang Mang, formed a brief interregnum between lengthy periods of Han rule. Following the fall of Wang Mang, the Han capital was moved eastward fromChang'an toLuoyang. In consequence, historians have named the succeeding eras Western Han and Eastern Han respectively.
The Han economy was defined by significantpopulation growth, increasing urbanization, unprecedented growth of industry and trade, and government experimentation withnationalization. Another large component of the government is that it was run by influential families who had the most money. In this era, the levels of minting and circulation ofcoin currency grew significantly, forming the foundation of a stablemonetary system. TheSilk Road facilitated the establishment of trade and tributary exchanges withforeign countries acrossEurasia, many of which were previously unknown to thepeople of ancient China. The imperial capitals of both Western Han (Chang'an) and Eastern Han (Luoyang) were among the largest cities in the world at the time, in both population and area. Here, government workshops manufactured furnishings for thepalaces of theemperor and produced goods for the common people. The government oversaw the construction of roads and bridges, which facilitated official government business and encouraged commercial growth. Under Han rule, industrialists, wholesalers, and merchants—from minor shopkeepers to wealthy businessmen—could engage in a wide range of enterprises and trade in the domestic, public, and even military spheres. (Full article...)
The world's earliest eating establishments recognizable asrestaurants in the modern sense first emerged inSong dynasty China during the 11th and 12th centuries.Street food became an integral aspect of Chinese food culture in the 7th century during theTang dynasty, and the street food culture of much ofSoutheast Asia was established by workers imported from China during the late 19th century. (Full article...)
This is agood article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.
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Laozi, one of the most important gods in Lingbao Daoism TheLingbao School (simplified Chinese:灵宝派;traditional Chinese:靈寶派;pinyin:Líng Bǎo Pài), also known as theSchool of the Sacred Jewel or theSchool of Numinous Treasure, was an importantDaoist school that emerged inChina in between theJin dynasty and theLiu Song dynasty in the early fifth century CE. It lasted for about two hundred years until it was absorbed into theShangqing andZhengyi currents during theTang dynasty. The Lingbao School is a synthesis of religious ideas based on Shangqing texts, the rituals of theCelestial Masters, andBuddhist practices.
The Lingbao School borrowed many concepts fromBuddhism, including the concept ofreincarnation, and also some cosmological elements. Although reincarnation was an important concept in the Lingbao School, the earlier Daoist belief in attaining immortality remained. The school's pantheon is similar to Shangqing and Celestial Master Daoism, with one of its most important gods being thedeified form ofLaozi. Other gods also existed, some of whom were in charge of preparing spirits for reincarnation. Lingbao ritual was initially an individual practice, but later went through a transformation that put more emphasis on collectiverites. The most important scripture in the Lingbao School is known as theFive Talismans (Wufujing), which was compiled byGe Chaofu and based onGe Hong's earlier alchemical works. (Full article...)
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Hu Die in the 1930s
Hu Die (Chinese:胡蝶;Wade–Giles:Hu Tieh; 1907–08 — April 23, 1989), also known by her English nameButterfly Wu, was a popular Chinese actress during the 1920s and 1930s. She was voted China's first "Movie Queen" in 1933, and won the Best Actress Award at the 1960Asian Film Festival for her performance inRear Door. (Full article...)
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Autographed photo, taken in the 1940s
Shangguan Yunzhu (Chinese:上官雲珠;Wade–Giles:Shang-kuan Yün-chu; 2 March 1920 – 23 November 1968) was a Chinese actress active from the 1940s to the 1960s. She was considered one of the most talented and versatile actresses in China, and was named one of the 100 best actors of the 100 years of Chinese cinema in 2005.
BornWei Junluo, she fled to Shanghai when her hometownJiangyin was attacked by the Japanese during theSecond Sino-Japanese War. In Shanghai she became a drama and film actress, and her career took off after the end of the war. She starred in several prominent leftist films such asSpring River Flows East,Crows and Sparrows, andWomen Side by Side. After the Communist victory in mainland China in 1949, her career was set back when her husband was embroiled in the anti-capitalistFive-anti Campaign, but she later portrayed a wide variety of characters in many films. (Full article...)
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Map of Battle of Unsan on the night of 1 – 2 November 1950
US 2nd Infantry Division move through a mountain pass at the south of Wonju
TheFirst and Second Battles of Wonju (French:Bataille de Wonju), also known as theWonju Campaign or theThird Phase Campaign Eastern Sector (Chinese:第三次战役东线;pinyin:Dì Sān Cì Zhàn Yì Dōng Xiàn), was a series of engagements betweenNorth Korean andUnited Nations (UN) forces during theKorean War. The battle took place from December 31, 1950, to January 20, 1951, around the South Korean town ofWonju. In coordination with the Chinesecapture of Seoul on the western front, the North KoreanKorean People's Army (KPA) attempted to capture Wonju in an effort to destabilize the UN defenses along the central and the eastern fronts.
After a joint ChinesePeople's Volunteer Army (PVA) and KPA assault breached the UN defenses atChuncheon on New Year's Eve of 1951, KPAV Corps attacked USX Corps at Wonju while KPAII Corps harassed US X Corps' rear by engaging inguerrilla warfare. In response, US X Corps under the command of Major GeneralEdward Almond managed to cripple the KPA forces at Wonju, and the UN forces later carried out a number of anti-guerrilla operations against the KPA infiltrators. In the aftermath of the battle, the KPA forces on the central and the eastern fronts were decimated, allowing the UN front to be stabilized at the37th parallel. (Full article...)
In its formative years, the NCC became involved in the endeavors of Chinese nationalists. It sided with protesters in theMay Thirtieth Incident and went as far as calling for the re-evaluation of "unequal treaties" China had with foreign powers. This angered foreign missionaries working in China. The NCC took an increasingly liberal theological stance, leading some foreign missionary organizations like theChina Inland Mission and theChristian and Missionary Alliance to resign from its ranks. (Full article...)
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The Hanzhong valley, the location of the Celestial Masters' state. TheWay of the Five Pecks of Rice (Chinese:五斗米道;pinyin:Wǔ Dǒu Mǐ Dào) or theWay of the Celestial Master, commonly abbreviated to simplyThe Celestial Masters, was aChineseTaoist movement founded by the firstCelestial Master,Zhang Daoling, in 142 CE. At its height, the movement controlled Hanning (漢寧), atheocratic state centered in theHanzhong valley, north ofSichuan. In 215 CE, the state was incorporated byCao Cao into what would later be theKingdom of Wei, and the followers of the Celestial Master were dispersed all over China.
The Celestial Masters believed thatqi pervaded everything, and in order to achieveimmortality, the correct balance of qi had to be present within the body. Having a poor quantity of qi in the body would result in illness, and eventually death. Meditation could be used to restore qi to the body, but sex was to be avoided, as it could result in the loss of qi. If there was the correct balance of qi within the body upon death, an adherent could 'feign death' and be reborn. If not, an adherent would be transported to an earthly prison where he would face eternal torment. (Full article...)
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The2019 World Open (also known as the2019 Yushan World Open) was a professionalsnooker tournament that took place between 28 October and 3 November 2019 at the Yushan Sport Centre inYushan, China. This was the 2019 edition of theWorld Open, which was first held in 1982. It was the fifthranking event of the2019–20 season and the third tournament of the season to be held in China. It would also be the last professional snooker tournament held in mainland China for almost four years, due to the impact of theCOVID-19 pandemic. The event featured a prize fund of£772,000 with the winner receiving £150,000.
The economies of all three cities are highly developed and serve as attractive investment locations within China. Many major international companies have factories or branches in the region, includingMicrosoft,Ford Motors,Citigroup, and over 200 other Fortune 500 companies. (Full article...)
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Buddha image with scenes of stories in which he repaid his parents.Mount Baoding Buddhist Sculptures,Dazu, China. Filial piety has been an important aspect ofBuddhist ethics sinceearly Buddhism, and was essential in the apologetics and texts ofChinese Buddhism. In theEarly Buddhist Texts such as theNikāyas andĀgamas, filial piety is prescribed and practiced in three ways: to repay the gratitude toward one's parents; as a good karma ormerit; and as a way to contribute to and sustain the social order. InBuddhist scriptures, narratives are given of theBuddha and hisdisciples practicing filial piety toward their parents, based on the qualities of gratitude and reciprocity. Initially, scholars of Buddhism like Kenneth Ch'en saw Buddhist teachings on filial piety as a distinct feature of Chinese Buddhism. Later scholarship, led by people such asJohn Strong andGregory Schopen, has come to believe that filial piety was part of Buddhist doctrine sinceearly times. Strong and Schopen have providedepigraphical and textual evidence to show that early Buddhist laypeople, monks and nuns often displayed strong devotion to their parents, concluding that filial piety was already an important part of thedevotional life of early Buddhists.
When Buddhism was introduced in China, it had no organized celibacy.Confucianism emphasized filial piety to parents and loyalty to the emperor, and Buddhist monastic life was seen to go against its tenets. In the 3rd–5th century, as criticism of Buddhism increased, Buddhist monastics and lay authors responded by writing about and translating Buddhist doctrines and narratives that supported filiality, comparing them to Confucianism and thereby defending Buddhism and its value in society. TheMouzi Lihuolun referred toConfucian and Daoist classics, as well as historical precedents to respond to critics of Buddhism. TheMouzi stated that while on the surface the Buddhist monk seems to reject and abandon his parents, he is actually aiding his parents as well as himself on the path towards enlightenment.Sun Chuo (c.300–380) further argued that monks were working to ensure the salvation of all people and making their family proud by doing so, andLiu Xie stated that Buddhists practiced filial piety bysharing merit with their departed relatives. Buddhist monks were also criticized for not expressing their respect to the Chinese emperor byprostrating and other devotion, which in Confucianism was associated with the virtue of filial piety.Huiyuan (334–416) responded that although monks did not express such piety, they did pay homage in heart and mind; moreover, their teaching of morality and virtue to the public helped support imperial rule. (Full article...)
The Song is considered a high point ofclassical Chinese innovation in science and technology, an era that featured prominent intellectual figures such asShen Kuo andSu Song and the revolutionary use ofgunpowder weapons. However, it was also a period of political and military turmoil, with opposing and often aggressive political factions formed at court that impeded political, social, and economic progress. The frontier management policies of the ChancellorWang Anshi exacerbated hostile conditions along the Chinese-Vietnamese border. This sparkeda border war with Vietnam'sLý dynasty, which was fought to a mutual draw and concluded with a peace treaty in 1082. To the northwest the Song Empire frequently fought battles with theTangut-ledWestern Xia dynasty, as well as theKhitan-ledLiao dynasty to the north. (Full article...)
Completed in 1916, the Trans-Siberian connects Moscow with Russian Pacific seaports such asVladivostok. From the 1960s until the early 1990s the railway served as the primary land bridge between Asia and Europe, until several factors caused the use of the railway for transcontinental freight to dwindle. One factor is use of a widerrail gauge by the railways of the formerRussian Empire andSoviet Union than most of the rest of Europe and China. (Full article...)
Atyphoon is atropical cyclone that develops between180° and100°E in theNorthern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least 119 km/h (74 mph). This region is referred to as theNorthwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for almost one third of the world's tropical cyclones. For organizational purposes, the northernPacific Ocean is divided into three regions: the eastern (North America to140°W), central (140°W to 180°), and western (180° to 100°E). TheRegional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) for tropical cyclone forecasts is inJapan, with other tropical cyclone warning centres for the northwest Pacific inHawaii (theJoint Typhoon Warning Center), thePhilippines, andHong Kong. Although the RSMC names each system, the main name list itself is coordinated among 18 countries that have territories threatened by typhoons each year.
Within most of the northwestern Pacific, there are no official typhoon seasons as tropical cyclones form throughout the year. Like any tropical cyclone, there are several main requirements for typhoon formation and development. It must be in sufficiently warmsea surface temperatures, atmospheric instability, highhumidity in the lower-to-middle levels of thetroposphere, have enoughCoriolis effect to develop alow pressure centre, a pre-existing low level focus or disturbance, and a low verticalwind shear. Although the majority of storms form between June and November, a few storms may occur between December and May (although tropical cyclone formation is very rare during that time). On average, the northwestern Pacific features the most numerous and intense tropical cyclones globally. Like other basins, they are steered by thesubtropical ridge towards the west or northwest, with some systems recurving near and east ofJapan. The Philippines receive the brunt of the landfalls, withChina and Japan being less often impacted. However, some of the deadliest typhoons in history have struck China. Southern China has the longest record of typhoon impacts for the region, with a thousand-year sample via documents within their archives.Taiwan has received the wettest known typhoon on record for the northwest Pacifictropical cyclone basins. However, Vietnam recognises its typhoon season as lasting from the beginning of June through to the end of November, with an average of four to six typhoons hitting the country annually. (Full article...)
Image 8Photo showing serving chopsticks (gongkuai) on the far right, personal chopsticks (putongkuai) in the middle, and a spoon. Serving chopsticks are usually more ornate than the personal ones. (fromChinese culture)
Image 20Gilin with the head and scaly body of a dragon, tail of a lion and cloven hoofs like a deer. Its body enveloped in sacred flames. Detail from Entrance of General Zu Dashou Tomb (Ming Tomb). (fromChinese culture)
Image 41Relief of afenghuang in Fuxi Temple (Tianshui). They are mythological birds of East Asia that reign over all other birds. (fromChinese culture)
Image 47Red lanterns are hung from the trees during the Chinese New Year celebrations in Ditan Park (Temple of Earth) in Beijing. (fromChinese culture)
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ThePresident of the Republic of China is the head of state of theRepublic of China (ROC).
TheConstitution names the president as head of state and commander-in-chief of theRepublic of China Armed Forces (formerly known as theNational Revolutionary Army). The president is responsible for conducting foreign relations, such as concluding treaties, declaring war, and making peace. The president must promulgate all laws and has no right to veto. Other powers of the president include granting amnesty, pardon or clemency, declaring martial law, and conferring honors and decorations.
The current President isLai Ching-te(pictured), since May 20, 2024. Lai is a Taiwanese politician and former physician, who is currently serving as the eighth president of the Republic of China under the1947 Constitution and the third president from theDemocratic Progressive Party (DPP).
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