https://eastepoch.com/ An independent journal on Chinese civilisation — its festivals, its arguments, its craft — written for readers in English. en https://eastepoch.com/posts/the-zodiac-is-a-calendar/ https://eastepoch.com/posts/the-zodiac-is-a-calendar/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Twelve animals, twelve slots, and two thousand years of paperwork. What the placemat in every Chinese restaurant actually is. https://eastepoch.com/posts/what-a-tea-bowl-asks-of-you/ https://eastepoch.com/posts/what-a-tea-bowl-asks-of-you/ Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Song-dynasty tea was whisked, not brewed. The bowl was built around a gesture, and the gesture still works.