History Asian history

Seen in funerary architecture, homes, and religious buildings across regions spanning modern-day India and Pakistan, pinjrakari involves transforming wood into intricate latticed screens that filter light, allow ventilation, and create privacy. Drawing from Central Asian and broader Islamicate design traditions, the craft evolved through architectural exchange, regional patronage, and highly skilled woodworking practices across South Asia.

To mark the forthcoming 60th anniversary in 2027 of Lingnan University’s re-establishment in Hong Kong and the 140th anniversary in 2028 of its founding in Guangzhou, the University has officially established the new Lingnan University History Exhibition Hall on its Tuen Mun campus, and held the Opening cum Lingnan Education Organization Ambassadors Appointment Ceremony. The Exhibition Hall presents, through valuable archival materials and exhibits, the University’s development over a century, tracing its origins to its Guangzhou-based predecessor, the Christian College in China, founded in 1888 during the late Qing period. The exhibition offers students, alumni, and members of the public a profound understanding of Lingnan’s historical roots and educational ethos.

Sculpted from a granite rock face in Sri Lanka’s North Central Province, the Avukana Buddha is an early example of colossal Buddha imagery in Sri Lanka. Its form and detailing suggest connections with sculptural traditions from Amaravati and the Gupta period, while its execution reflects regional adaptation. Discover how the sculpture and its associated finds have been linked to the doctrine of Lokottara or transcendence, later adopted by Mahayana Buddhism.

Moved by how Hiroshima’s memorials transformed unspeakable loss into a global call for peace, a Hiroshima University historian turns his gaze to Southeast Asia—unpacking what stories their war monuments enshrine, what they leave out, and what that means for peace and justice, as the world marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing this year.

Japanese language learning brought prosperity and persecution for women in Korea

The finals of the 2023/24 Territory-wide Junior Secondary Chinese History and Culture Quiz, organised by the Hong Kong Government Education Bureau (EDB) and co-organised by the Hong Kong and South China Historical Research Programme (HKSCHRP) of Lingnan University, were held on campus today (18 May). Officiating guests were Ms Teresa Chan Mo-ngan, Deputy Secretary of the EDB,and Prof Lau Chi-pang, Associate Vice-President (Academic Affairs and External Relations) and Co-ordinator of the HKSCHRP. ProfVincent Leung Sueh-han, Head and Associate Professor of the Department of History at Lingnan University, Prof Tam Ka-chai, Associate Professor of the Department of History at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Dr Fan Wing-chung, Senior Lecturer of HKBU, and Dr Law Yuen-han, Lecturer I at the Department of History at HKBU, judged the competition.

A genre of sculpture developed in the northwest region of the ancient Indian subcontinent in the form of reliefs and freestanding work as expressions of the Buddhist faith.

The history of extracting chay root dye — a natural red colourant — from the chay plant (Oldenlandia umbellata) dates back to at least the seventeenth century. Read on to know more about the relevance of the dye in the textile dyeing practices of southern India.

A team of scientists has found that women’s football was common across Japan between the Meiji restoration and the start of the Second World War. In the process, they also uncovered the oldest known photograph of women playing football in Japan, from 1916.