I don't know how to navigate the Chinese webspace and I can't read Chinese so I'm asking for those who are well-versed in Chinese academics and Chinese historiography what their thoughts are.

What's the modern consensus among Chinese academics/historians regarding the Xia dynasty?

Are there any updates beyond the Erlitou site that supports the existence of the Xia?

I think the man was wildly delusional about his prospects. The Mongols only succeeded in conquering China because they were physically closer to the heartlands of China and because the country was split between three dynasties (two of which were in decline by the time of the conquest). Even then it took them nearly 7 decades to subdue all of China. He must've had some really good court flatterers to make him think that he could gather an army, trek thousands of miles across desert and mountain and subdue an army united under the rule of one of the most formidable men to ever rule China.

I'm new and I know pretty much nothing. I'd like a well-rounded history of China that covers different dynasties, rulers and political systems, revolutions and rebellions, wars, religion, language, culture, science & tech, social classes, and what everyday life was like.

I know that's a lot. I'm wondering if it would be better for me to start with one dynasty and learn about that. Or if I should first read something that covers Chinese history as a whole, then delve into individual topics or periods in more depth?

I'm a western learner if that isn't obvious.

I'm open to either books or videos/documentaries. I've been looking online for books and came across China: A History by John Kea, The Search for Modern China by Jonathon Spence, and China: A New History by John Fairbank. Not sure what to go with. Or if I should be reading something else.

I saw a review online for the John Kea book that said it was framed through a western lens to be more palatable for western audiences. I'm unsure if that's true, as I saw no mention of that in other reviews. But other than me needing a book targeted to beginners that is somewhat easy to understand, I'm not interested in a westernized history if that makes sense.

In 1896, China sent students to Japan to learn after losing the Sino-Japanese War. Figures like Sun Yat-sen used this network of students to organize revolutionary societies, shaping the 1911 Xinhai Revolution. However, I'm curious if anyone knows any details of what actually happened within Japan, the social/political details of the Chinese students' interactions with the Japanese, and what the immediate and long-term impacts were from these students. Also, how relevant is this situation to current affairs?

Currently trying to do an essay on this, and I would love to be enlightened by y'all.

In imperial China, zhigong tu (职贡图, “Portraits of Periodical Offering”) depicted envoys and tribute missions from neighboring states and peoples.

More than just records of tribute, these paintings reflected traditional China’s view of the world and its own place within it, as well as the imperial ideal of ruling over the surrounding “barbarians” (四夷).

The paintings shown here include works from the Liang, Tang, Song, and Qing dynasties: Xiao Yi’s “Portraits of Periodical Offering” (a surviving fragment of a Song-dynasty copy), Yan Liben’s “Portraits of Periodical Offering,” Zhou Fang’s “Foreigners Presenting Tribute,” Li Gonglin’s “Portraits of the Myriad States,” and the Qing dynasty’s “Ten Thousand Nations Coming to Pay Tribute.”

Here’s the link to the original post. To be honest, it’s very well written. In short, it satirizes the current mainstream narrative, which uses countless stringent criteria to ultimately elevate Chinese history to an unparalleled height. But the fact is, as long as you set enough criteria to disqualify competitors who are stronger than you, you’ll always come in first—and that’s exactly what the current official Chinese historical perspective is doing.

My comment was simply this: In reality, this current view of history stems from an inherent sense of inferiority—a desperate need to make a huge splash at some point, to “make a name for oneself,” as if that alone would allow one to “hold one’s head high.” Racking their brains to argue over the past in the dusty archives of established facts, they fail to realize that no one actually cares. It would have been better back in the *River Elegy* in 1980s, when they openly admitted on CCTV’s prime-time programming that they were no match for others. That attitude was, at its core, a confidence born of the realization that “while the past cannot be changed, the future can be pursued” . The current situation is like a school kid who’s been bullied for years—unable to fight back and failing to outperform others in core subjects—who finally lands a term in a non-important exam and acts as if that alone can wash away the humiliation of years of bullying.

As you can see, there are no politically sensitive terms or inappropriate remarks. At 4:00 a.m. Beijing time, within three minutes of publication, a notification was received restricting the post’s visibility (traffic throttling).

Somehow the sources I’ve looked at would always say something different, one said that it took place at the gate of supreme harmony, another that it did at the Hall of Supreme Harmony but then it also says that it was rarely used and only for important matters. So where did officials actually talk to the emperor about their matters?

Hello there, I'm an ABC'er wanting to connect to their roots so to say. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendation when it comes to literature, history and so on. Many thanks in advance!

I don't mean just at the imperial level. Maybe a city, special county, guild, religious order or any organisation. And what did it look like?