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Along the river, before the fall: China pre-Renaissance city life

A boat is about to hit the bridge. That is where Zhang Zeduan’s Along the River During the Qingming Festival begins to reveal its secret. Beneath the great arched bridge, boatmen shout, ropes tighten, a mast is being lowered, and a heavy river vessel struggles through a crowded

Asia

Ceasefires by other means

The week began with the ceasefire in Iran seeming more a negotiation over what the meaning of the war was in the first place, rather than a straightforward attempt at peace. It ended in a similarly surreal position. In between, Iran accused the US of continuing strikes.

Asia