r/ChineseHistory • u/LarsPiano • 8h ago
r/ChineseHistory • u/EnclavedMicrostate • Aug 15 '25
Comprehensive Rules Update
Hello all,
The subreddit gained quite a bit of new traffic near the end of last year, and it became painfully apparent that our hitherto mix of laissez-faire oversight and arbitrary interventions was not sufficient to deal with that. I then proceeded to write half of a rules draft and then not finish it, but at long last we do actually have a formal list of rules now. In theory, this codifies principles we've been acting on already, but in practice we do intend to enforce these rules a little more harshly in order to head off some of the more tangential arguments we tend to get at the moment.
Rule 1: No incivility. We define this quite broadly, encompassing any kind of prejudice relating to identity and other such characteristics. Nor do we tolerate personal attacks. We also prohibit dismissal of relevant authorities purely on the basis of origin or institutional affiliation.
Rule 2: Cite sources if asked, preferably academic. We allow a 24-hour grace period following a source request, but if no reply has been received then we can remove the original comment until that is fulfilled.
Rule 3: Keep it historical. Contemporary politics, sociology, and so on may be relevant to historical study, but remember to keep the focus on the history. We will remove digressions into politics that have clearly stopped being about their historical implications.
Rule 4: Permitted post types
Text Posts
Questions:
We will continue to allow questions as before, but we expect these questions to be asked in good faith with the intent of seeking an answer. What we are going to crack down on are what we have termed ‘debate-bait’ posts, that is to say posts that seek mainly to provoke opposing responses. These have come from all sides of the aisle of late, and we intend to take a harder stance on loaded questions and posts on contentious topics. We as mods will exercise our own discretion in terms of determining what does and does not cross the line; we cannot promise total consistency off the bat but we will work towards it.
Essay posts:
On occasion a user might want to submit some kind of short essay (necessarily short given the Reddit character limit); this can be permitted, but we expect these posts to have a bibliography at minimum, and we also will be applying the no-debate-bait rule above: if the objective seems to be to start an argument, we will remove the post, however eloquent and well-researched.
Videos
Video content is a bit of a tricky beast to moderate. In the past, it has been an unstated policy that self-promotion should be treated as spam, but as the subreddit has never had any formal rules, this was never actually communicated. Given the generally variable (and generally poor) quality of most history video content online, as a general rule we will only accept the following:
- Recordings of academic talks. This means conference panels, lectures, book talks, press interviews, etc. Here’s an example.
- Historical footage. Straightforward enough, but examples might include this.
- Videos of a primarily documentary nature. By this we don’t mean literal documentaries per se, but rather videos that aim to serve as primary sources, documenting particular events or recollections. Some literal documentaries might qualify if they are mainly made up of interviews, but this category is mainly supposed to include things like oral history interviews.
Images
Images are more straightforward; with the following being allowed:
- Historical images such as paintings, prints, and photographs
- Scans of historical texts
- Maps and Infographics
What we will not permit are posts that deliver a debate prompt as an image file.
Links to Sources
We are very accepting of submissions of both primary sources and secondary scholarship in any language. However, for paywalled material, we kindly request that you not post links that bypass these paywalls, as Reddit frowns heavily on piracy and subreddits that do not take action against known infractions. academia.edu links are a tricky liminal space, as in theory it is for hosting pre-print versions where the author holds the copyright rather than the publisher; however this is not persistently adhered to and we would suggest avoiding such links. Whether material is paywalled or open-access should be indicated as part of the post.
Rule 5: Please communicate in English. While we appreciate that this is a forum for Chinese history, it is hosted on an Anglophone site and discussions ought to be accessible to the typical reader. Users may post text in other languages but these should be accompanied by translation. Proper nouns and technical terms without a good direct translation should be Romanised.
Rule 6: No AI usage. We adopt a zero-tolerance approach to the use of generative AI. An exception is made solely for translating text of one’s own original production, and we request that the use of such AI for translation be openly disclosed.
r/ChineseHistory • u/paulsgems • 2h ago
Chinese Antique Hetian Jade Vase Museum Quality 10.5 lbs
Exceptional and Beautiful Chinese Antique Hetian Jade Multi-Color Vase-This Exceptional Beautiful Antique Vase is hand crafted. Museum Quality One of a Kind and comes from the Country China. I originally purchased the Vase 45 Years ago in a Antique Shop in China Town, New York City. Color- beige, light brown, dark brown, black and greens. Very Large in Size. Measurements Tall 13 3/4", Top- Wide 5" x 5" from Wing to Wing 8 1/4" and Base 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" Approximate Weight 10.5 lbs and Very Heavy. This would make a lovely gift for someone you Love or just to add to your collection. This item would be great for Home or Office Decor for someone who collects Asian pieces. The Vase has Dragon Heads all around the vase and also Rings around the vase, it's so Oriental and so Exceptionally Beautiful hand crafted and so detailed. The picture shows how Exceptional the Vase is and Signature of the Sculptor on the inside bottom. This Vase is Hand Carved not Machine Made or Cut. Triple AAA Grade. Original Price $1595.00 Shipping and Handling $85.00 Well Worth the Price. Pictures show all Angles of this Beautiful Antique Chinese Vase from My Collection Just Simply Breath taking. For Information: [paulsgems@Aol.com](mailto:paulsgems@Aol.com)
r/ChineseHistory • u/12jimmy9712 • 1d ago
Is the Western Jin dynasty really that underrated, or does this person just hate Cao Wei that much?
r/ChineseHistory • u/Master_Novel_4062 • 19h ago
To what degree were the former nobility (and the wider Manchu community in general) persecuted after the fall of the Qing Dynasty?
Was it a severe downfall, did they simply assimilate into everyday society, or something in between? How quickly did they lose their wealth?
r/ChineseHistory • u/TrainingPatient6477 • 7h ago
China के 8चिरंजीवी?😳भारत के 7 चिरंजीवियों से कितने मिलते-जुलते हैं |Chinese Mythology | Mani Mishra
r/ChineseHistory • u/tchseoul • 12h ago
Ancient China books and dynasty recommendations
Hello!! I'm a writer that is using different ancient cultures to create fictional countries. I have already did my research on Viking history and now I'm moving on to ancient China.
I know that China is a country is a big timeline of history (my country is the same) and what I'm looking for is to know the cultural customs, how society functions, political systems and stuff like that. I'm also using mythology, but that part I have it sort it out.
So my questions are: 1) which ancient china dynasty is cool to search about? and 2) books about ancient china that give the history but also customs, societies etc.
r/ChineseHistory • u/Legitimate_Fun_4859 • 1d ago
We have the genome of a Chinese emperor who died in 578 AD, and his face was reconstructed from it
Yuwen Yong, Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou, died in 578 at thirty-six. In 2024 a team sequenced him from his tomb and reconstructed his face from the DNA.
He was Xianbei, a steppe people who ruled northern China, and the genome showed him as a mix of Northeast Asian steppe and Yellow River farmer ancestry — which fitted the historical record of intermarriage rather better than some expected.
There is also a medical footnote: the data supports the old suggestion that he died of a stroke, and hints at the skin condition chroniclers described.
As far as I know he is one of very few named emperors anywhere with a published genome.
Attached here is a genetic heatmap of modern people sharing similarity with his genotype and his genetic profile.
r/ChineseHistory • u/wongchiyiu • 1d ago
History of ordinary people?
https://youtu.be/3lMHs5Ti9uQ?t=139
This Chinese university professor said that only about 40% of population can keep warm and don't have to endure hunger (during Tang XuanZong's reign in northwest). How to find out more information like this for other dynasties?
It seems that official history predominantly recorded people either working for or against the government. How to find out how ordinary people lived and their stories? There was a story during Han Wendi's reign where a young girl followed her convicted father to the capital to save him (緹縈救父). How to find out stories like this in later dynasties?
r/ChineseHistory • u/Bamerhof99 • 2d ago
Chinese girl with bound feet, San Francisco 1892.
r/ChineseHistory • u/Nihyo_Niyuki • 2d ago
Between all of the northern and southern dynasties, which one would you consider the best?
r/ChineseHistory • u/JapKumintang1991 • 2d ago
The Medieval Podcast: A Franciscan Tombstone in Medieval China (with Nancy Wu)
r/ChineseHistory • u/Blacksmith_Most • 3d ago
Question about Chinese scientific and technological advancements were made and recorded?
r/ChineseHistory • u/JapKumintang1991 • 4d ago
Smithsonian Magazine: Were Two Ancient Chinese Astronomers Beheaded for Failing to Predict an Eclipse in 2134 B.C.E.? The Story May Be a Myth, but It Underscores the Real Risks of Interpreting Celestial Events
r/ChineseHistory • u/LarsPiano • 4d ago
How does one collate an Ancient Chinese Text? A short introduction to Chen Yuans 陳垣 (1880-1971) si jiaofa 四校法 (Four Collational Methods)
galleryr/ChineseHistory • u/starbuckle5 • 4d ago
Appraisal Inquiry: Chinese Bronze Jue Vessel. Trying to find out if this is authentic or if anyone has the right chat community I can go to to get more information.
I bought it at a flea market/yard sale for a few dollars. Either way, I like it.
r/ChineseHistory • u/elnovorealista2000 • 5d ago
First letter sent by His Catholic Majesty King Philip II of Spain to Emperor Wanli of the Ming dynasty in China
r/ChineseHistory • u/x-psycho • 5d ago
Chinese Cannon Balls?
Found these in a store until that hadn’t been touched in 10 years. They are pretty heavy. Any significance?
r/ChineseHistory • u/Correct_Broccoli_448 • 6d ago
Was Qianlong a traditionalist or modernist?
Was Qianlong a traditionalist or modernist? He pushed for the dominance of the Manchus but was deeply into technology, that might surpass the idea of Bannerman hierarchy and monarchy in general.
r/ChineseHistory • u/JollyStatistician969 • 6d ago
Research Sources
Hello! I was wondering if anybody knew where I could find an English translation for the Xu Zizhi Tongjian Changbian? I have translated a volume or two myself just utilizing Google Translate, which can take a very long time and isn’t always totally accurate. I was also interested in knowing whether or not the Xu Zizhi Tongjian Changbian is more accurate than the Song Shi, or vice versa? I’ve read a majority of the first part of the Song Shi off the 24 Histories website, and have been using that as my primarily form of research along with the Apple Store version of the book (which is a much poorer English translation and just harder to read than the one on the website). I’ve cross referenced some facts with the translated years I’ve done from the Xu Zizhi Tongjian Changbian, but I’m worried that my translations may make some information I’ve gathered unsure or different between the two texts.
r/ChineseHistory • u/Emergency_Sound9302 • 7d ago
Why Korean people says qing dynasty is not China?
Edit: "Why do some Koreans see the Qing as a Manchu dynasty rather than a Chinese one?"
I am Korean, and my high school history teacher told me that Qing was not the history of China; it was the history of the Manchus. Although it inherited the culture and bureaucratic system of the Ming dynasty, the ruling royal family was the Manchus, and it was more of a multiethnic Eurasian empire than a Chinese dynasty. They explained it like that, but a Chinese friend I know said that the Ming and Qing dynasties were the same country, which made me curious—why are people's perceptions of history so different from country to country..
r/ChineseHistory • u/Komenouka • 6d ago
Chiang Kai Shek Scorched Earth Strategy
Traditionally in China's civil wars, in order not to let the enemy use anything, they carried out the ultimate Scorched earth operation called 堅壁清野(jiān bì qīng yě).
When Chinese troops withdrew, in order not to give anything to the enemy troops chasing, they burned houses, bridges and looted food and whatever, who could be the enemy's collaborators (China created the anti-Japan propaganda, so-called Sankou, which is "Kill all, Burn all, Loot all" policy, based on this). The KMT took this strategy against both Japan and CCP.
KMT fearing JIA carried out scorched earth operation in the city without prior notice to the citizens. More than 30,000 people lost their lives during the fire.
Changsha Fire in November 1938
r/ChineseHistory • u/Skip_2_My_Lou • 7d ago
I’m looking for English-language books about ancient Chinese myths.
Hello, I’ll arrive in Beijing tomorrow and am looking forward to finding books about ancient Chinese myths, such as dragons, as well as books about ancient dynasties, particularly the Xia dynasty.
I'm hoping to find books in English, since I’ve had a hard time finding them in Europe.
Do you have any recommendations?
r/ChineseHistory • u/AssumeImStupid • 8d ago
How did Mao and the Communists restructure from less connected militias and guerillas into a unified professional army and civilian government?
Asking because I'm currently in college and doing a presentation about organizational leadership. Title is exactly what it says; how was power consolidated to go from a loose faction of guerilla militias in their individual rural villages into a structured military meant to last as a professional standing army? What was that transition like?