Chinese and World History

                Xinzheng, in Henan Province, is best known as the birthplace of Huangdi, the “Yellow Emperor.” I am going to attempt to make some sense of the Huangdi legends. However, I should point out that what we actually know about Huangdi is approximately nothing, so anything I say may be almost as useless as everything else people say about him. (more…)

White Horse Temple (Baima si) is where tradition says Buddhism first took root in China in the first century with sacred texts brought from India on two white horses. At that time Luoyang was capital of the Eastern or Latter Han Dynasty. Unfortunately, the pagoda was under repair when I visited on November 22, 2008. I have included several photos from an earlier visit. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/WhiteHorseTempleLuoyang#

From 770 to 256 BC Luoyang was capital of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, although the Zhou king was little more than a figurehead or ceremonial leader. This royal tomb was discovered during excavation for a building project. It contains the first 6-horse chariot ever found in China, almost certainly the chariot of the Zhou king. Unlike the Xinzheng chariot burial where the wagons are thrown into a pit, these are all arranged in battle formation. The tomb itself lies beneath the chariots. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/LuoyangChariotBurialMuseum#

Luoyang was the capital of the Eastern Zhou, Eastern Han, and secondary capital of the Tang Dynasties. It is a rich source of ancient artifacts from myriads of tombs found in the area. The city museum displays artifacts from a long period of Chinese history. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/LuoyangMuseum#