This is the fifty-ninth chapter in Other People’s Thoughts, a China Heritage series inspired by a compilation of quotations put together by Simon Leys (Pierre Ryckmans), one of our Ancestors, during his reading life.… Read

The Other China 何處覓知音 Lao Shu 老樹 is the nom de plume of Liu Shuyong (劉樹勇, 1962-), a Beijing-based artist, writer, critic and professor in communications. His artistic voice is unique and personal, its tenor, whimsy and profundity evoke what for decades we have called The Other China — a cultural noosphere that is as undeniably local as it is universal.… Read

Contra Trump Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game ‘法西斯 — Fascists!’ — it was a one-word curse and accusation shouted in shock, anger and outrage that was first heard as the Chinese military moved against protesters at Muxidi, Beijing, late on the night of 3 June 1989.… Read

Xu Zhangrun Archive 送葬接續燔祭中
化作劫灰的飄緒 The Fifth Month of China’s traditional lunisolar calendar (May-June in the Gregorian tradition) includes three anniversaries — one ancient, the second international and the third a contemporary day of remembrance:

端陽節 The Double Fifth Festival;

兒童節 International Children’s Day; and,

六四 June Fourth.

… Read

Contra Trump 禍國殃民   An abiding drama of post-1949 Chinese life revolves around how political hacks, or dilettantes, have dominated people with expertise or professional knowledge in any given field. In Chinese, the disconnect is summed up in the expression 外行領導內行, ‘outsiders in charge of experts’, and for decades the Communist Party has worked to reconcile the two.… Read

Contra Trump 愚民、弱民、疲民、辱民、貧民。 Ignorance and fanaticism is ever busy and needs feeding. Always it is feeding and gloating for more. — Clarence Darrow The 25th May 2025 marks the centenary of what is known as ‘The Monkey Trial’.… Read