As vital repositories of Beijing’s cultural heritage, Qing Dynasty Qinwang (Prince of the First Rank) mansions offer profound insights into the era’s architectural evolution. Despite its significance, systematic architectural analysis of Prince Jingjin’s Mansion is lacking, with existing research primarily focusing on historical events. To address this gap, the present study focuses on Prince Jingjin’s Mansion as its research subject, utilizing historical document analysis, historical map comparison, field investigation, and space syntax analysis. This study investigates the succession of ownership, historical development, and architectural regulations, and outlines the complete construction process shaped by the evolution of early Qing princely mansion regulations as well as the functional transformation during the late Qing period. Furthermore, the architectural features of the mansion are explored from five perspectives: site selection, functionality, spatial layout, individual buildings, and gardens. The objective of this study is to elucidate the unique characteristics and significance of Prince Jingjin’s Mansion, thereby offering theoretical support for the development of Beijing as a renowned historical and cultural city and for the preservation and adaptive reuse of architectural heritage structures.

This paper examines the Xiaoshi Jingang Keyi as a case of textual re-ritualization in the later history of Chinese Buddhism. Originally compiled by the Song dynasty monk Zongjing 宗鏡, the text transformed the exegetical reading of the Diamond Sūtra into a structured sequence of ritual acts centered on the notion of “entering the Diamond Dharma Assembly.” Its internal design—organized around the scripture’s “Thirty-two Sections” (三十二分) and the “Sevenfold Structure” (七種規模)—enabled successive generations to adapt the text to diverse ceremonial contexts. From the Ming and Qing dynasties onward, the Jingang Keyi circulated widely in ritual form across China, particularly within the Hokkien-speaking regions of Fujian and Guangdong, where the most active performance traditions emerged and later extended to Taiwan and Maritime Southeast Asia through migration. These vernacular enactments, often led by ritual specialists and supported by female lay associations (caigu 菜姑), illustrate how the Jingang Keyi was continually localized and revitalized while maintaining its canonical authority. The longevity of the Diamond Sūtra tradition depended not only on exegetical commentary but also on the text’s inherent capacity for re-ritualization—its ability to generate new performative meanings across changing historical and cultural settings. The Xiaoshi Jingang Keyi thus exemplifies how Buddhist scriptures have sustained ritual life through flexible structure, sound, and communal devotion.

Multi-platform analysis reveals the material basis and therapeutic mechanism of Chen Xiang Qu decoction piece in ameliorating functional dyspepsia in rats.

Integration of proteomics, network pharmacology and Mendelian randomization: Revealing key targets and mechanisms of Huoluo Xiaoling Pellet in improving knee osteoarthritis.

Xuanbai Chengqi Decoction alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury by regulating the EZH2/EGR1/TXNIP signaling pathway.

The spatial distribution patterns and temporal evolution of ancient designed gardens provide critical insights into the interactive dynamics among regional human–environment relationships, institutional structures, and cultural transmission. Taking 420 ancient garden sites on Hainan Island from the Tang to Qing dynasties (618–1911 AD) as the study objects, this research constructs a spatial database based on historical documents and local gazetteers. It further applies kernel density analysis, spatial overlay, and administrative hierarchy normalization to investigate their spatiotemporal distribution patterns and evolution mechanisms. The results reveal that: (1) natural geographical constraints serve as the fundamental boundaries defining the spatial differentiation; (2) transport corridors serve as the structural curve directing the spatial expansion; (3) the administrative hierarchy serves as institutions shaping the distribution of garden types and the spatial stratification; (4) social and cultural factors serve as the endogenous driving force for the continuous evolution of the spatial distribution. The evolution mechanism implies an analytical framework, i.e., “natural geographical constraints, the organization of transportation corridors, the influence of administrative hierarchies, and the dynamics of socio-cultural diffusion”, offering a transferable approach for studying historical cultural landscapes in island and peripheral regions.

The article examines the religio-ecological framework articulated in Ming–Qing morality books 勸善書, focusing on how animals, Ledgers of merit 功過格, and karmic 業報 are integrated into a system of moral causality. Within this framework, actions such as killing or saving animals are directly linked to karmic reward and punishment, generating a dual mechanism that combines moral technology with an ultimate logic of justice to cultivate ecological consciousness and enforce social discipline. A central contribution of the study is the articulation of a triadic analytical framework—merit–demerit ledgers, karmic narrative, and animal ethics—showing how these elements form a coherent system of measurable and actionable ethical practice. In doing so, the framework challenges a strictly human-centered worldview by foregrounding an interconnected ecological order in which humans and animals are bound together through shared moral obligations and karmic entanglements. The article further situates this religio-ecological mechanism within contemporary debates in environmental ethics and animal rights. Through comparison with modern approaches—such as anti-speciesism, animal welfare and rights discourse, and proposals for cross-species political communities—it identifies both points of convergence and structural divergence. It concludes by exploring how this historical model might be critically translated and revised for present-day conditions, proposing a “revised morality book” framework that is more publicly defensible and more amenable to institutional implementation.

The article examines the reflection of the image of China and the Chinese on the pages of the magazine “Mir Bozhiy” at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. It was during this period that the policy of the great powers in China was undergoing serious changes, and the Qing Empire itself was entering a period of serious crisis associated with coups d’etat and rebellions, which contributed to the growing interest of the reading public in the events in the Far East. As a result of the analysis of the contents of the magazine issues, containing both original articles and brief reviews of articles from other domestic and foreign publications devoted to Chinese topics, it became possible to identify the main problems that worried Russian public opinion during that period. Above all, those were issues of economic cooperation with China and the problem of Chinese migration in the Far East. Introduction to the internal life of the Qing Empire, its political system and social structure occupy the largest volume of publications up to 1900. With the aggravation of the situation within the Boxer Rebellion and the beginning of foreign intervention, the main interest in the publications was focused on those events and the reaction of the population of the border regions of the Russian Empire to the occurrence. The defeat of the rebels returns to the pages of the publication the polemics about the role of foreign powers in Chinese events and criticism of the barbaric behavior of the “civilized Europeans.” By 1902, interest in Chinese topics in the publication weakens and gradually moves to a new threat posed by the Japanese Empire.

Pawnshop buildings are places where pawn transactions are conducted. They are usually composed of a front shop and a back building, and their shape resembles a fortress. As a typical gambling city, pawnshops in Macau appeared as early as the Qing Dynasty. By the late Qing Dynasty (1644–1912) and early Republic of China (1912–1949), they had become a common market. They reached their peak during the Anti-Japanese War and were an important financial institution for the people to solve their urgent needs. Today, many pawnshop buildings have become architectural heritage sites and are distributed around the buffer zone of the World Heritage Site. Their location is consistent with the evolution of urban space and the development of gambling and tourism industries. However, existing research lacks systematic research based on spatial quantification technology and it has yet to be determined whether there is a spatial alignment relationship between pawnshop location and urban spatial structure. This paper takes the whole of Macau as the research area and combines DepthmapX space syntax, GIS analysis, and historical data comparison of pawnshop buildings to explore the path dependence characteristics of pawnshop building location and the service radius law in urban space. The study found that the location of pawnshop buildings in Macau has evolved through three stages: initially relying on traditional market spaces, then gathering around casino areas during a stable phase, and finally becoming closely tied to the core areas of gambling venues in the prosperous stage. It shows a path dependence that is continuously strengthened on nodes with low traffic resistance. The service radius of pawnshop buildings exhibits an unbalanced characteristic, with a dense core area and a blank peripheral area, forming a multi-level system of a 200 m core service circle, a 400 m extended service circle, and an 800 m radiation service circle. This study proposes pathways for the adaptive reuse and activation of traditional pawnbroking architectural heritage. For instance, by drawing on the operational model of the Tak Seng On Pawnshop, the integration of cultural exhibition and livelihood services can be realized, thereby providing practical references for the adaptive reuse and conservation of heritage assets. This study offers dual theoretical and practical support for the conservation of pawnbroking architectural heritage in Macau, the site selection and planning of modern pawnbroking establishments, and the optimization of the city’s urban spatial structure. Meanwhile, it enriches the research system on the spatial alignment between the peripheral financial industry and urban space.

China has a long history of raising camels and drinking camel’s milk. The available literature shows that camel’s milk was spread among different social classes as late as the Yuan Dynasty, and was included in the “Eight Treasures of Mongolia” by the Mongolian Khan, which was regarded as a precious health medicine or used to make wine. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, court nobles, everyday people and border guards still kept the habit of drinking camel’s milk as an important supplement to their food.To this day, this traditional production method and living customs have been passed down in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia and Qinghai. Among them, Alashan League,Inner Mongolia, which is known as the “Hometown of Camel in China”, has preserved the custom of drinking camel’s milk and the traditional technique of making camel’s milk food most completely, and the related camel’s milk industry has been vigorously developed and has become an important pillar of the region’s economic industry.

Abstract This article examines how the Qing empire reconfigured its cosmology of seas – ilan mederi – after 1644 to construct a hybrid framework of imperial legitimacy that integrated Manchu and Chinese worldviews. While pre-conquest Manchu cosmology recognized three seas ( dergi mederi, amargi mederi, julergi mederi ) linked to rivers originating from Mount Changbai, early Qing rulers – especially the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors – reinterpreted these concepts within the structure of Chinese sihai (four seas) thought. Through extensive surveys, mapmaking projects, and the incorporation of coastal tribes, the Qing systematically relocated and redefined maritime spaces such as dergi mederi and julergi mederi , aligning them with the culturally resonant donghai and beihai of Chinese political geography. Ritual reforms, including the establishment of new sea temples and the reorganization of natural worship, further embedded these spaces into imperial ideology. By linking Mount Changbai with Mount Tai and equating Manchuria’s eastern seas with the classical East Sea, the Qing court articulated a unified imperial cosmology that situated Manchu origins within the legitimacy-granting landscape of China proper. This study demonstrates that Qing empire-building relied not only on territorial expansion and administration but also on the deliberate remapping of cosmology, geography, and ritual to fuse two imperial traditions into a coherent ideological order.

This article investigates a unique iconographic anomaly in late medieval Dunhuang silk paintings: the conflation of the bodhisattvas Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra. Focusing on two key artifacts from the 9th and 10th centuries and tracing their legacy to later folk prints, this study argues the phenomenon is not a scribal error but a creative Anomaly—a deliberate ritual synthesis. The analysis reveals this synthesis was driven by two forces: a phonetic re-semanticization in the local dialect and a theological logic born from the integration of Huayan School doctrines with Esoteric ritual practice. The paper demonstrates how Huayan metaphysics were operationalized through condensed Esoteric invocations, turning the inscription into a functional ritual shorthand. Crucially, this study demonstrates the genealogical survival of this Silk Road variant in Ming and Qing dynasty woodblock prints. It uncovers a parallel, non-canonical lineage of visual piety, sustained through workshop copybooks rather than elite textual discourse. This trajectory challenges the linear narrative of Buddhist art history, highlighting the generative power of localized adaptations existing outside the purview of the written canon.

Background Heritage corridors represent complex cultural landscapes shaped by the historical interplay between military defense and transportation connectivity. However, the synergistic mechanisms behind this interplay remain underexplored. Methods This study investigated these synergistic mechanisms by which military defense systems and transportation networks influenced the settlement spatial patterns within China’s heritage corridors, using the Guangou section of the Great Wall as a representative case. Through an interdisciplinary approach that integrated historical document analysis, field surveys, remote sensing interpretation, and historical GIS spatial analysis, we constructed a tripartite research framework of “element identification-spatial quantification-mechanism interpretation”. Specific analytical methods included: 1. Euclidean distance and viewshed analyses to assess the spatial control exerted by defense facilities; 2. Cost-path analysis and buffer zone analysis to reconstruct historical transportation networks; and 3. Spatial overlay and raster calculation to quantify defense-connectivity interactions. Results Our findings revealed that settlement evolution underwent three distinct historical phases. Prior to the Ming Dynasty, settlements exhibited a dispersed, “mountain-water adjacent” distribution. During the Ming period, four distinctive settlement types emerged: High Defense-High Connectivity (HDHC) pass-courier station complexes, High Defense-Low Connectivity (HDLC) frontier military zones, Low Defense-High Connectivity (LDHC) plain waterway settlements, and Low Defense-Low Connectivity (LDLC) remote mountainous enclaves. Among these, the Guangou axial zone demonstrated an optimal defense-connectivity synergy model. In the Qing Dynasty phase, spatial configurations transitioned from “defensive control” to “connectivity empowerment”, characterized by “linear bead-like” and “planar networked” distribution patterns. Conclusion This study innovatively proposed a theoretical framework and quantitative indicator system for “defense-connectivity” synergistic evolution. It developed a spatial analysis technical approach that integrated multi-source data fusion and multi-method integration, revealed the evolution patterns and mechanisms of different spatial types in the formation of heritage corridors, and established a spatial management methodology for the protection of linear cultural heritage. Our findings would not only deepen the understanding of the evolution patterns of defensive settlement systems, but also provide precise spatial management references for the “holistic protection” and “living inheritance” of the Great Wall National Cultural Park, offering a replicable analytical framework for global studies on similar heritage corridors.

The present article deals with an Oirat letter, which was sent from Gаldаntsеrеn (1694–1745) to the Eastern Mongol nobleman Tseren (1672–1750) in 1737 during the border-line negotiation between the Dzungar Empire (1671–1755) and the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912). The letter is examined from two aspects. The first compares the original Oirat letter and its Manchu translation of that time, attempting to find distinctions in the content or sentences. The second is to analyse the Oirat letter’s colloquial elements and speech act. Academics generally agree that the precise sound marking capability of the Oirat script makes it easier for components of that time’s spoken language to infiltrate into the written form.

This study investigates the preservation of cultural memory amid urban transformation, focusing on Guangzhou’s historical and cultural heritage during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368–1912). As a vital hub on the Maritime Silk Road, Guangzhou fostered extensive commercial, religious, and artistic exchanges that shaped its urban identity. However, rapid industrialization and modernization have increasingly endangered both tangible and intangible aspects of this legacy. Employing qualitative research methods—including archival analysis, field investigation, and semi-structured interviews—the study categorizes major heritage sites, evaluates preservation challenges, and explores how cultural memory functions within heritage conservation practices. Findings reveal that while Guangzhou’s historic sites, such as the Huangpu Ancient Port, the South Sea God Temple, and the Thirteen Hongs district, embody rich layers of maritime and intercultural memory, they face threats from redevelopment, functional transformation, and weakened public engagement. The study identifies a disconnection between material conservation and the activation of cultural memory, particularly in the limited incorporation of public narratives, community participation, and digital engagement. Generational disparities further intensify the erosion of collective memory, as younger groups display declining awareness and emotional identification with local culture. Although digital technologies—such as 3D modeling, virtual reconstructions, and interactive archives—offer promising tools for revitalization, their application remains fragmented and insufficiently memory-oriented. The research concludes by proposing an integrative framework that aligns physical preservation with participatory cultural transmission and digital innovation. This framework emphasizes the dynamic interplay between cultural memory, identity formation, and sustainable urban development, providing theoretical and practical insights for heritage conservation in Guangzhou and other rapidly globalizing cities.

This paper takes the theoretical framework of Liu Liangyou, a pivotal figure in the contemporary revival of Chinese incense studies (Xiangxue), as its starting point. Combined with the historical context of Qing Dynasty bronze ware manufacturing, it conducts a multi-dimensional investigation and analysis of the “Xiangzhuan Tong Sifang Lu” (Bronze Square Seal-Incense Burner). The core issue is to explore how this traditional bronze square burner should be understood and positioned within the modern incense ceremony (Xiangxi) system advocated by Liu Liangyou, which centers on the appreciation of incense fragrance (Pinxiang). The study finds that due to its material and form, the bronze square burner is explicitly excluded from Liu’s strictly defined incense appreciation system, where ceramic burners are the standard. However, when placed within the broader genealogy of incense culture, this artifact can be re-accommodated as an excellent vessel for “seal incense” (Zhuanxiang), a display burner within the “Three Incense Utensils” (Lu Ping San Shi) set, and a multifaceted cultural symbol. This paper argues that Liu Liangyou’s incense studies and the tradition represented by the bronze square burner are not opposed but rather complementary, representing a relationship between “specialization/refinement” and “diversification”. Through this specific case study, this research aims to reflect on the “value reconstruction” process that traditional artifacts undergo during modern cultural revivals, advocating for a transmission path that respects in-depth standardization while embracing historical complexity.

Abstract Background During the Ming and Qing dynasties, as a mature period of traditional Chinese society, the education system dominated by the imperial examination system deeply penetrated the social fabric. Existing research mostly focuses on explicit issues such as the evolution of the education system and cheating in the imperial examination system, with insufficient empirical research on its value shaping and psychological impact, and a lack of quantitative support. The study focuses on the Ming and Qing imperial examination archives, local chronicles, and literati diaries as core historical materials, combined with quantitative statistics and text analysis methods, to explore the mechanism of the impact of educational content and form on social core values and group psychology, aiming to provide a new perspective for exploring the modern value of traditional education. Methods The study selected local chronicles from 286 counties in 13 provinces during the Ming and Qing dynasties, 432 imperial examination answer sheets, 156 literary diaries, and 307 family education records as research samples, including different educational levels and regions. Using content analysis method to encode core textbooks and answer texts such as "Annotations to the Four Books, Chapters and Sentences," and extract values keywords; Use historical demographic methods to analyze the correlation data between sample education level, occupation, and social behavior. The study first uses bibliometric methods to screen representative historical materials, removing non first-hand materials with a credibility of less than 85%; Then use Nvivo software to encode the values dimension of the text; Finally, correlation analysis was conducted using SPSS to explore the correlation between education years, scores of various values, and psychological representations. Results Data shows that among those who receive systematic Confucian education, 83% of respondents list "loyalty to the monarch and filial piety" as their core values, which is much higher than the 21% of those who have not received formal education; There is a significant positive correlation (r = 0.76, p<.01) between the length of education and the value of valuing righteousness over profit. The score of this dimension is 2.3 times higher for the Jinshi group than for the Tongsheng group. On a psychological level, the frequency of scholars and above mentioning adversity and striving in their diaries is 3.1 times higher than that of young students per year, and the frequency of expressing anxiety about fame and achievements in the juren class is 1.8 times higher than that of the Jinshi group. Discussion The research results indicate that traditional education has a strong shaping power on social values, and the cultivation model of both morality and talent has reference significance for contemporary moral education. Psychological phenomena such as fame anxiety provide a historical mirror for modern education pressure relief. The limitation of this study lies in the insufficient attention paid to folk education forms such as private schools, free schools, and clan education in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Future research can explore the value transmission path of grassroots education by sorting out first-hand materials such as local clan account books and private school teaching logs.

Within the context of the eastward spread of Western learning during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the cross-cultural dissemination of medical knowledge exhibited complex characteristics of visual transformation. This study selects Taixi Renshen Shuogai (1623) and Zhenjiu Dacheng (1601) as research samples, employing a research method combining iconographic analysis and digital humanities to explore the different body concepts and their cultural connotations carried by Chinese and Western medical illustrations. The study constructs a three-dimensional analytical framework covering visual vocabulary, content expression and quantitative statistics to conduct an in-depth analysis of the cognitive differences in human body representation between the two medical traditions. The results show that the mechanistic view of the body advocated by Western anatomy and the organic view of the body upheld by traditional Chinese medicine form a sharp contrast at the image level; the former is characterised by precise analysis and structural reduction, while the latter centres on holistic grasp and functional correlation. This difference is not only reflected in visual elements such as composition patterns and expressive techniques, but more profoundly reflects the knowledge construction logic of different epistemological systems. The coexistence of two body cognition models during the Ming and Qing dynasties reveals the selective mechanism and creative transformation ability of Chinese culture in the process of knowledge acceptance, providing a new interpretive path for understanding the interaction model between traditional culture and foreign civilisations. This study expands the methodological boundaries of medical history research and provides a historical mirror for contemporary cross-cultural medical exchanges.

This paper examines Ningbo Chinese Pidgin English (CPE) during the late Qing Dynasty, with a focus on the seminal textbook Annotation of English (1860). It investigates the phenomenon through a four-part framework: what it was, why it emerged, how it functioned, and its modern implications. The study argues that Ningbo CPE was not merely “broken English” but a systematic, functional contact language driven by urgent trade needs post the Treaty of Nanjing (1842). Its linguistic features, analyzed through memetics, were characterized by simplification and the dominance of Ningbo dialect phonetics and Chinese grammar. Functioning as a crucial socio-commercial tool, it empowered the Ningbo merchant group. Finally, the paper explores its contemporary relevance, offering insights for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) pedagogy and cross-cultural communication studies, highlighting the ingenuity embedded in early Sino Western linguistic encounters.

ABSTRACT This study examines Baiyunxi (白雲溪) in Changzhou during the Ming – Qing period as a case of how literati communities generated publicness under conditions of scarce land and fragmented urban space. Drawing on 35 poems, 23 prose essays, and 9 gazetteer entries, complemented by the pictorial source Yunxi Caotang Tu, and historical maps of Changzhou, the analysis applies a cross-media, multi-sensory framework and a triangulation approach to validate spatial and social evidence. The findings show that the literati transformed physical constraints into participatory practices through three interrelated mechanisms: (1) spatial permeability: linking private dwellings to shared waterways; (2) social diversity: forged through collaboration among literati and residents in festivals, performances, and gatherings; (3) collective memory: sustained by the repeated reproduction of Baiyunxi in texts, images, and seasonal rites. A controlled comparison with West Lake indicates that Baiyunxi’s publicness was community-generated at a micro scale, in contrast to state-managed, city-scale civic landscapes. The study offers empirically grounded evidence for the social production of space in late imperial China and expands Chinese garden historiography by identifying a mode of socially shared landscape-making rooted in imagination, collaboration, and participation, offering a historical precedent for bottom-up placemaking in high-density urban environments.