The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) arose following a series of natural disasters that hit China during the early and middle 1300s, adding to the misery of a people under the harsh rule of the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). In 1368 rebel...

Scientific investigation also lagged, and by the end of the Ming dynasty China was importing weaponry and weapon technologies from Europe, where shipbuilding and navigational skills had become more advanced. The developments that did...

This site from China-on-site.com has a description of Ming Dynasty artwork as well as links to information on famous artists and their work.

This piece, from the Avery Brundage Collection of the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, illustrates a method of polychrome decoration in which painting, as well as firing, occurred twice: preceding glaze and over previously fired glaze....

This site provides beautiful examples of Chinese paintings ranging from the Tang Dynasty to the 20th century. Although the majority of paintings are not accompanied by much information, the pictures alone are worth the visit.

A chronological list of Chinese writers from antiquity to today -- or you can browse alphabetically. Some writers have only a scant 1-2 sentences of biographical background; others are covered extensively. Excellent jumping off point for...

"Blue-and-white" porcelain was used in temples and occasionally in burials in China, but most was exported. View pictures of Chinese porcelain and read about the innovative glazing techniques in this essay.

The Forbidden City is a large precinct of red walls and yellow glazed roof tiles located in the heart of China's capital, Beijing. As its name suggests, the precinct is a micro-city in its own right. This article describes the...