Ranked #1
Kumarajiva: Translator Monk
Kumarajiva: Translator Monk
Millions of Chinese speak the words of Kumarajiva (334-413) every day. Far fewer have any idea of who he is. He was perh... Read more
11 Apr 2018
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13mins
Ranked #2
Kublai Khan: Cosmopolitan Conqueror
Kublai Khan: Cosmopolitan Conqueror
He was the man with the pleasure dome, according to Coleridge, but in reality Kublai Khan didn't have so much time for p... Read more
17 Apr 2018
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13mins
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Ranked #3
Confucius: Becoming the Sage
Confucius: Becoming the Sage
If there were a competition for most famous Chinese in history, Confucius (551-479 BCE) would surely come out on top. He... Read more
18 Apr 2018
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13mins
Ranked #4
Matteo Ricci: Jesuit and Geometrist
Matteo Ricci: Jesuit and Geometrist
Better living through geometry. That was one of the lessons shared with the Chinese emperor by the Jesuit priest Matteo ... Read more
12 Apr 2018
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13mins
Ranked #5
Sima Qian: Grand Historian
Sima Qian: Grand Historian
He wasn't quite the man who invented history in China, but he certainly shaped it for thousands of years. Author of the ... Read more
16 Apr 2018
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13mins
Ranked #6
Ding Ling: Sophie, Sensation and Sex
Ding Ling: Sophie, Sensation and Sex
In 1927, China's literary scene was struck by a sensational new character. Her name was Sophie, and she was tormented by... Read more
13 Apr 2018
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13mins
Ranked #7
Li Qingzhao: Patriotic Poet
Li Qingzhao: Patriotic Poet
Li Qingzhao, who lived (1084-1151) during the late Song dynasty, is recognised as one of China's greatest poets. She gre... Read more
19 Apr 2018
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13mins
Ranked #8
Zheng He: The Admiral Goes to Africa
Zheng He: The Admiral Goes to Africa
China rarely had an image as a great maritime power. But for a brief time in the mid-15th century, that all changed unde... Read more
23 Apr 2018
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13mins
Ranked #9
Lu Xun: Compassionate Cynic
Lu Xun: Compassionate Cynic
To create one character who says something profound about the society you live in might be a stroke of luck. To create t... Read more
25 Apr 2018
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13mins
Ranked #10
Robert Hart: Chinese Customs
Robert Hart: Chinese Customs
He was a servant of the Chinese empire, respected in Beijing and London alike. Yet he was no son of Shanghai, but of Uls... Read more
24 Apr 2018
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12mins