Mike Cai

Mike Cai is a graduate of the New York Fei Tian Academy of the Arts and the University of California–Berkeley.

From East and West, 2 Magnificent Rulers Change the World

Europe’s long fascination with ancient Chinese art and culture isn’t new, as it was even mythologized in the ...

History January 1, 2023
The ‘Four Gentlemen’ and Their Poetic Inscriptions

Nature serves as our greatest artistic muse. It stirs feelings and emotions in us and was a source ...

Fine Arts June 26, 2022
2 Ancient Chinese Paintings on Humility and Integrity

Scandals allure and entice us. While scandalous events are feverishly debated today, the ancient Chinese used such incidents ...

Fine Arts September 17, 2019
Chinese Shan Shui Painting of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Stately mountains surrounded by flowing water—this is the essence of Chinese landscape painting, or “shan shui” (“mountain water”). ...

Fine Arts February 10, 2019
Chinese Shan Shui Painting Through the Yuan Dynasty

Chinese landscape painting, known as shan shui ("mountain water"), can be considered one of the highest forms of ...

Fine Arts January 14, 2019
The Boghta and the Hennin

We appreciate Mongolian culture for its equestrian lifestyle and succulent barbecue, but the Mongolians were also known as ...

Arts & Culture June 29, 2018
Ancient Chinese City Life: ‘Along the River During the Qingming Festival’

In his “Along the River During the Qingming Festival,” Zhang Zeduan (1085–1145) presents each house, boat, shop, or ...

Fine Arts April 6, 2018
The Art of China’s Bird-Flower Painting Through the Dynasties

The bird-and-flower paintings of ancient China shine a light on the breadth of traditional Chinese culture and philosophy. ...

Arts & Culture November 21, 2017
Zhou Fang’s ‘Court Ladies Wearing Flowered Headdresses’

Zhou Fang’s “Court Ladies Wearing Flowered Headdresses” is a rare jewel that allows us to glimpse the achievement ...

Arts & Culture June 26, 2017