Confucianism

Confucian new tianxia order: Humaneness to restrain nationalism and save globalisation

As the world makes radical swings between nationalism and cosmopolitanism, is there a third way — a Confucian world order ruled by a humaneness-based hierarchy? Academic Tongdong Bai ponders the question.

Tongdong Bai

05 Jun 2026

The tyranny of too much democracy: Confucius’s answer

Democracy today has lost some of its shine, with issues such as the rise of right-wing populist parties worrying some. But part of the problem lies in the conflation of two distinct ideas — liberalism and democracy. If the balance between liberalism and democracy needs to be restored, might a Confucian mixed regime be a possible alternative? Chinese academic Tongdong Bai contemplates the question.

Tongdong Bai

13 Apr 2026

[Video] George Yeo: America’s deep pain — and why China won’t colonise

George Yeo, in an interview with ThinkChina editor Chow Yian Ping, explores America’s deep social pain, China’s struggle with corruption rooted in Confucian ties, and why change is hard. He also weighs the risk of war in the Taiwan Strait and Singapore’s future in a fast-shifting world order. This is the first episode of ThinkChina Conversations, a series of in-depth interviews with experts on China.

Chow Yian Ping

27 Feb 2026

How China’s Shandong is fighting involution to win back its youth [Eye on Shandong series]

With quality jobs, lower life-costs and transparent career paths, Shandong could turn its brain drain into a comeback story. The province’s future depends on whether staying becomes the smart career move — not just the sentimental one. Shandong economics professor Yan Song explains. 

Yan Song

26 Sep 2025

[Photos] The Shandong ‘model’: A trailblazer in China’s history [Eye on Shandong series]

Shandong often played the role of a trailblazer, in more ways than one. The province was a central part of major turning points in Chinese history, and for historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao, the place holds fond memories of his first books published in mainland China.

Hsu Chung-mao

26 Sep 2025

Taiwanese art historian: What do Su Shi, Mao Zedong and Jesus have in common?

Defamed by villains, ostracised by the imperial court and repeatedly demoted to barren lands — was Song dynasty poet and essayist Su Shi’s dire fate truly dictated by the stars of Capricorn? Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun muses on the rumblings and trivialities in Su Shi’s life.

Chiang Hsun

17 Apr 2025

In marriage, do us apart: Changing family forms in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai [Eye on JiangZheHu series]

Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai’s dynamic economy, great social mobility, rising cost of living, exorbitant housing prices, intense competition and costly childcare have prompted a shift towards a wider variety of family forms to cope with these modern challenges. These pragmatic and innovative family and marriage arrangements have enriched the Chinese family system, asserts US academic Xiaoling Shu.

Xiaoling Shu

17 Jan 2025

Colour and culture: Why did Confucius detest the colour purple?

Cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai takes a look at the perception of the colour purple in Chinese history. Was it always deemed as the colour of the imperial royals?

Cheng Pei-kai

13 Sep 2024

Will the Confucian religion develop further in Indonesia?

The quiet support of the current administration for the tiny minority of Confucianists in Indonesia, who are mostly ethnic Chinese Indonesians, could speak volumes about not just religious but more worldly concerns.

Leo Suryadinata

09 Apr 2024

Interpreting a divination lot from Hong Kong's Che Kung Temple

Did the wise men understand the profundity of the words "Instead of flattering ao (奥), it is better to flatter zao (灶)" when they used it as an oracle in the drawing of divination lots? Cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai delves into the historical background of the quote from the Analects and what we can learn from it.

Cheng Pei-kai

11 Aug 2023

The Chaozhou people can boast of Tang dynasty essayist Han Yu

While Chaozhou is acknowledged for great food and the hometown of various famous personalities, it is also the lesser-known place of exile of Tang dynasty essayist Han Yu (韩愈), who made the best of his time there, writing essays and spreading Confucian teachings.

Cheng Pei-kai

28 Jul 2023

Chinese politics is undergoing great change

While the ruling system in China, carried over from ancient history, has the features of power combined with moral authority, recent events show that change is happening in Chinese politics. With netizens increasingly challenging the central authority openly, refuting official views and commentaries, will there be greater adjustments to Chinese state-society relations?

Lance Gore

21 Jul 2023