Well known to Dynasty Warriors fans, Cao Cao is the baddest warlord to emerge out of collapse of Han Dynasty after Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out in 184 AD.
Trailer frm 2010 Drama Advisor’s Alliance
Cao Cao’s heir Cao Ang died giving his horse to Dad to escape in battle of Wancheng. Favorite son Cao Chong died young. That left No 2 son Cao Pi (L) and No 3 Cao Zhi (R) to fight to be Dad’s heir
In addition to Cao Cao’s throne, 2 brother also vied for affection of a woman. Aft Cao Cao defeated his old rival Yuan Shao and sons, Cao Pi took Yuan’s beautiful daughter-in-law as his wife. But Cao Zhi has a soft spot for his new sister-in-law...
A talented poet, Cao Zhi wrote a thinly veiled poem for his beautiful sister-in-law Ode to Goddess of Luo River 洛神賦.
The poem became famous. Here’s a modern interpretative dance 洛神水賦 based on the poem👇🏼
Cao Pi finally became Emperor of Wei after Cao Cao’s death. He ordered his brother to compose a poem within 7 strides on the pain of death.
Cao Zhi:
煮豆持作羹,
漉菽以為汁,
萁在釜下燃,
豆在釜中泣,
本自同根生,
相煎何太急
16th century author of Romance of Three Kingdoms Luo Guanzhong re-wrote the poem to its most popular version as quoted by Elon Musk:
煮豆燃豆萁
豆在釜中泣
本是同根生
相煎何太急
Translation of Cao Zhi’s poem Seven Steps Verse 七步詩
Burning beanstalks to boil beans
Beans in the pot cry out
We’re born from the same root
Why incinerate each other w such haste!
Elder brother Cao Pi wept and spared his younger bro Cao Zhi from death.
I just realized I am still too young, my explanation too simple, sometimes naive. Listen to the elder 长者 explains:
In this history thread, I will talk about how the direct ancestor of Miss Russia 2011 Natalia Gantimurova led to the 1st China Russia border war and Treaty of Nerchinsk in 1689.
Her ancestor Gantimur was a Tungus tribal chief who got caught up in Russian and Qing expansion 🧵
Russian Cossacks' pursuit of fur brought them deep into Siberia Taiga in 17th century. Like Viking before them, they expanded their control via navigable rivers. They're also looking a trade route to China. Oriat Mongols they encountered told them of a Bogda Khagan (Heaven Khan)
Cossacks crossed Lake Baikal into Dauria or the land of Daur (people). Mongol Tüsheet Khan ruled Dauria. But Dzungar ruler Galdan Boshugtu Khan defeated Tüsheet Khan along w other Khans of Outer Mongolia, driven them to Inner Mongolia to seek protection of Qing Empire
188cm Ukrainian cosplayer Karina at Hangzhou ad02 animation expo. Her fanbase mostly young Chinese women.
She became a cosplayer aft moving to China w her Chinese husband, gained 3.5million Douyin fans. Her husband cheated on her then drowned in Bali's Kuta Beach last Nov on his birthday during their vacation together. Her fans are glad that she seems to be doing ok now.
Karina actually became famous for cosplaying male characters. She towers over her now dead husband who's only 183cm.
Her hubby had responded to how they did photoshoot in which he appeared taller.
He cheated on her while she was pregnant. They made up just before Bali vacation and his drowning death. Karina said she tried to save him but the wave was too strong
Karina actually became famous for cosplaying male characters. She towers over her now dead husband who's only 183cm.
Her hubby had responded to how they did photoshoot in which he appeared taller.
He cheated on her while she was pregnant. They made up just before Bali vacation and his drowning death. Karina said she tried to save him but the wave was too strong
Ethiopian Chinese baby. Father works for a shoe factory.
Many Chinese textile and shoe factories moved to Africa to go around the US imposed quota on Chinese manufactured goods and take advantage of The African Growth and Opportunity Act which provides duty-free treatment to goods of designated sub-Saharan African countries (SSAs)
Chinese comments on the Douyin video: "Does your shoe factories still need people?"
Many thirsty single men in China
Salary day at a Chinese textile factory in Ethiopia.
Chinese factories off-shored to Africa employ mostly local African workers with a small managerial staff send from China.
Made in Ethiopian goods will sell to the US and EU market without facing restrictions on Chinese goods
Emperor Yongzheng (1722-1735) cosplaying as a French nobleman hunting tiger with traditional Chinese trident.
Yongzheng had commissioned many painting of him dressing variously as Han literati, Mongol/Turkic prince, Tibetan lama. They are collectively called 雍正行乐图 literally Yongzheng's fun pictures.
Yongzheng as a Turkic (Uyghur) prince. The robe is made from atlas silk produced in Xinjiang
Immediately after Opium War, Chinese tried to reverse-engineer Western technologies. They build models of steam engines. But they couldn't reproduce in industrial scale because China didn't have developed technical drawings. so work couldn't be quickly replicated.
Chinese illustration of steam locomotive in 1843, right after First Opium War
Lack of developed technical drawing tradition had been a problem back in 1600s when Chinese tried to reverse-engineer European machinery.
side by side comparison between European illustration from 1607 with Chinese illustration of the same in 1627.
Result is that while Chinese could reverse-engineer European machinery at small scale in workshops but couldn't scale the production because the drawing not detailed enough for others to replicate the machine
The larger issue is systematic adoption of science and scientific education in Europe that was missing in China. So while Europe didn't surpass China in living standards til after 1750s, roots of the First Industrial Revolution and Great Divergence was much deeper.