The Context

Today, we’ll introduce a Chinese explorer from more than 2,000 years ago who was the first person to provide the Han empire with a reliable account of the uncharted lands of Central Asia thus paving the way for the development of the Silk Road.

Today, we’ll introduce a brand new museum that was an instant hit when it opened in central China’s Henan Province that boasts over 400 cultural relics and offers a glimpse into the life of one of the most complicated and dubious characters in Chinese history.

Today, we are going to talk about a legendary Chinese-American scientist who devoted her life to the study of nuclear and particle physics and made significant contributions to the Manhattan Project.

Today, we’ll talk about the mysterious beginnings of the famed Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang, their unique place in Chinese history, and how an international cast of dubious characters spirited away crates and crates of priceless relics at garage-sale prices in the waning years of the Qing.

Today, we are going to tell the fascinating story of Robert van Gulik, a Dutch diplomat and sinologist whose writings during the mid-20th century offered the war-torn world a deeper more fact-based view of both modern and ancient China.

Today, we’ll introduce you to the 2,000-year-old tomb of Zhao Mo, second ruler of the Southern Yue State, that has been turned into a wildly popular museum in Guangzhou giving visitors insights into the ancient Maritime Silk Road and the state’s twisted relationship with the Han empire. 

Today, we are going to tell the story of Yang Jiang, a renowned lady who is remembered by Chinese readers for her translations and witty memoirs that gave a voice to the tragedies and triumphs of modern China.

Today, we are going to talk about a museum to be opened on May 18, which is International Museum Day, and we’re going to shine a spotlight on part of its collection – especially a bone flute from the Neolithic Age that first piped out a tune more than 8,000 years ago.

Today, we are going to talk about a set of chimes from more than 2,400 years ago that reveal the musical theory of ancient China and, in doing so, has unwittingly rewritten global music history. Context.

Today, we are going to talk about how a little orphan boy who lived during the Tang Dynasty rose to become the most renown tea master in Chinese history as well as author of the world’s first comprehensive written account on cultivating, preparing, and drinking tea.