Lawrence Zhang 張樂翔
@historianzhang.bsky.social
Historian of China who studies, among other things, how people bought jobs in the government during the Qing dynasty. #tea addict. My book: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674278295
Peter Perdue's China Marches West is a great book, but this part is off by 100 years. My paper next month at Academia Sinica would argue that "outsourcing war" as I call it was probably integral to the Qing war effort against the Zungars
November 10, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Peter Perdue's China Marches West is a great book, but this part is off by 100 years. My paper next month at Academia Sinica would argue that "outsourcing war" as I call it was probably integral to the Qing war effort against the Zungars
Few thoughts on AI student essays:
1) they're mostly not using it to write their work wholesale, but as something to sketch out the essay and then put their own content in that skeleton
2) because of that, most end up sounding very similar
3) emphasize originality in grading
1) they're mostly not using it to write their work wholesale, but as something to sketch out the essay and then put their own content in that skeleton
2) because of that, most end up sounding very similar
3) emphasize originality in grading
October 16, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Few thoughts on AI student essays:
1) they're mostly not using it to write their work wholesale, but as something to sketch out the essay and then put their own content in that skeleton
2) because of that, most end up sounding very similar
3) emphasize originality in grading
1) they're mostly not using it to write their work wholesale, but as something to sketch out the essay and then put their own content in that skeleton
2) because of that, most end up sounding very similar
3) emphasize originality in grading
I can use a turn in this after grading yet another obviously AI generated paper
October 12, 2025 at 6:16 PM
I can use a turn in this after grading yet another obviously AI generated paper
Just this morning I was thinking to myself I don't have enough Munch conducting Berlioz, and then the gods answered
July 17, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Just this morning I was thinking to myself I don't have enough Munch conducting Berlioz, and then the gods answered
How to party 101
June 6, 2025 at 3:48 AM
How to party 101
The very definition of having a good time
May 18, 2025 at 5:48 PM
The very definition of having a good time
Surprised to see this for sale and hasn't been picked up
April 30, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Surprised to see this for sale and hasn't been picked up
Is there an easy way to import a thread from Twitter? Asking for a friend
April 21, 2025 at 4:38 AM
Is there an easy way to import a thread from Twitter? Asking for a friend
We all know what we are going for I guess
April 8, 2025 at 1:21 PM
We all know what we are going for I guess
Visited a tea maker in Yuchi who had these top prize plaques stacked up on the side because he didn't have enough wall space for them
April 1, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Visited a tea maker in Yuchi who had these top prize plaques stacked up on the side because he didn't have enough wall space for them
One of the fun things about archival research is that the thing you called up can be a single sheet of paper or a thousand pages
March 19, 2025 at 3:27 PM
One of the fun things about archival research is that the thing you called up can be a single sheet of paper or a thousand pages
Someone should write a book connecting 9/11, the Great Recession, and this current moment where the US tries to give up its role as the dominant superpower
February 14, 2025 at 4:17 AM
Someone should write a book connecting 9/11, the Great Recession, and this current moment where the US tries to give up its role as the dominant superpower
When you didn't study for your Chinese exam
February 2, 2025 at 7:41 AM
When you didn't study for your Chinese exam
Here's an idea for a project for maybe an econ PhD student: there's a lot of market data online from Donghe tea for major productions of pu'er since around year 2000. It has all kinds of historical data too and so if you want to study a nonessential collectible market in China...
tweb.donghenet.com
tweb.donghenet.com
January 27, 2025 at 7:03 AM
Here's an idea for a project for maybe an econ PhD student: there's a lot of market data online from Donghe tea for major productions of pu'er since around year 2000. It has all kinds of historical data too and so if you want to study a nonessential collectible market in China...
tweb.donghenet.com
tweb.donghenet.com
Who's the marketing genius who got paid for this
January 25, 2025 at 2:27 AM
Who's the marketing genius who got paid for this
This is like 1/4 of a bowl when cooked it's really not that much
Just a reminder that you can hide a ridiculous amount of chopped spinach under the cheese on a pizza if you're trying to eat more greens. 💚
January 24, 2025 at 4:55 PM
This is like 1/4 of a bowl when cooked it's really not that much
So I knew that my ancestor translated what is titled Veritable Records of Chinggis Khan 成吉思汗實錄 but also learned today that 1) it was never printed and probably lost during CR and 2) he was friends with Naito Konan!
January 24, 2025 at 8:34 AM
So I knew that my ancestor translated what is titled Veritable Records of Chinggis Khan 成吉思汗實錄 but also learned today that 1) it was never printed and probably lost during CR and 2) he was friends with Naito Konan!
Usage of masks is far higher in Taiwan than in Hong Kong
January 23, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Usage of masks is far higher in Taiwan than in Hong Kong
One thing Xiaohongshu is full of is academic/application advice. If you haven't looked you can search for your school and see what they say about applying there
January 14, 2025 at 1:37 AM
One thing Xiaohongshu is full of is academic/application advice. If you haven't looked you can search for your school and see what they say about applying there
Btw these are examples of what's wrong with the printer. Notice how some letters are a bit broken with missing ink. It happens at least once every five pages or so
January 8, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Btw these are examples of what's wrong with the printer. Notice how some letters are a bit broken with missing ink. It happens at least once every five pages or so
Is it poor form to complain in a published review how the press has an awful printer?
January 8, 2025 at 5:52 AM
Is it poor form to complain in a published review how the press has an awful printer?
We all have a dish that we always order when we see it in a menu. Mine is beef tartare
December 20, 2024 at 9:24 AM
We all have a dish that we always order when we see it in a menu. Mine is beef tartare
Annual reminder that Occam's razor suggests Santa is real
December 13, 2024 at 3:20 AM
Annual reminder that Occam's razor suggests Santa is real
It's the parents who want these things. There's a large proportion of them who ask for more assessment and homework not less
Harry Harrison tries for the lighter side of the Hong Kong department of education pleading that maybe schools insisting on grade 1 exams is a bit much for kids: today’s cartoon
December 11, 2024 at 2:46 AM
It's the parents who want these things. There's a large proportion of them who ask for more assessment and homework not less