A retrospective journey of Chinese cultural diffusion
From Chang'an to the world
Backtracking across the millennia
Our story starts in Chang'an, the most prosperous metropolis of 7th century
Click the button to start our journey
Farewell to Chang'an, the Chinese gradually went abroad on camels and boats.
The legend of the Silk Road resounded throughout the Eurasian continent, and the tale of Zheng He was recited on the desert island.
Goldrush, sailing to the South China Sea, crossing the East Sea .... the story of Chinese immigrants was happening worldwide.
唐
Tang
600CE: Great Silk Road
A road and a story as old as time,
Asia and Europe crossing a line,
bridging divides between people and culture,
crisscrossed with danger, predators and vultures.
(Dodwalker,2020)
明
Ming
1400 CE: Chinese in Age of Discovery: Zhenghe's Voyage
In times that time forgot,
Zheng He sailed far seas,
with his great treasure fleet.
The beaches he landed on,
written history did not register.
(He, n.d.)
清
Qing
16th to 20th Century: Emigration Waves
The face of Chinatown returns its color,
plucked from July's industrial steamer.
Dry the cup!
So we do.
Four noodle shops on East
Broadway release their belches collectively.
They breed in me a hankering for family life.
(Jenny, 2022)
In 21st century, traveling by airplane is prevalent now!
The entire world is becoming a global village.
More and more Chinese go abroad for diverse reasons.
今
2016
2016: Modern Chinese Diaspora
After several generations of unremitting efforts, today,
Chinatown is no longer just a Chinese ethnic enclave, but more as a distinctive
symbol of Chinese culture going global and relocation.
今
2022
2022: Culture Relocation: Chinatowns in Modern Time
In the end, let's go back to the original starting point, Chang'an.
Our Team
Ce Hou
Technical Director
Rongrong Xue
Art Director
Yuning Jiang
Creative Director
Zhonghao Li
Visual Director
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Dr. Duncan Smith and Dr. Valerio Signorelli for their support and advice throughout this project. We would also like to thank Han Yu, our friend who kindly provided the Chang'an urban layout references. Finally, we would like to thank our team for every effort we have made.
View on Github
References
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