Categories
W4 World

Catholic Missionaries in Communist China: A Story of Resilience and Controversy

From 1920 to 1954, hundreds of Irish men and women served as Roman Catholic missionaries in Central China. They worked in social, pastoral, and disaster relief services during this extraordinarily turbulent but fascinating period of Chinese history. They encountered floods, famine and disease, civil war and world war, and finally persecution and expulsion with the […]

Categories
W4 World

The Sino-Soviet Split: Understanding the Rupture between Mao and Khrushchev

During the 1950s, the world witnessed a split in the communist movement between Mao Zedong’s China and Nikita Khrushchev’s Soviet Union. The tensions between the two countries reached their peak in the early 1960s and ultimately led to a complete rupture in their relationship. This article will explore the factors that led to the growing […]

Categories
W4 World

The Sino-Indian War of 1962: Complex Factors and Far-reaching Consequences

At the height of the Cold War, the relationship between China and India was seemingly friendly. Both countries shared a common interest in promoting anti-colonialism and supporting revolutionary movements around the world. However, tensions between the two countries would come to a head in the early 1960s, culminating in the Sino-Indian War of 1962. The […]

Categories
W4 World

The Complex Legacy of Empress Wu: A Controversial Figure in Chinese History

Empress Wu, also known as Wu Zetian, is one of the most controversial figures in Chinese history. She was a lowly concubine who rose to become the only woman in all of Chinese history to hold the title of “Emperor.” However, her legacy has been tarnished by accusations of tyranny and cruelty during her reign. […]

Categories
W5 World

The Lost Souls of SS Ventnor: The Tragic Fate of Chinese Gold Miners in New Zealand Waters

Introduction The story of the steamship SS Ventnor, which sank off the coast of New Zealand in 1902, is one of the most haunting and mysterious shipwreck tales in history. The vessel was carrying the remains of 499 Chinese gold miners who had died in New Zealand and were being repatriated to their homeland for […]