Hello All! I'm writing a fantasy set in ancient China. Since I don't speak Chinese and since there are only a relatively few English language books about the period of history I'm interested in, I was pleasantly surprised to find a site called the Chinese History Forum. What makes this site unusual is that new members are limited to 30 posts. Posting privileges are thereafter suspended unless you pass an on-line 20 question open book multiple choice examination on Chinese history with a 60% or higher. The site is run by a Taiwanese who lives in Singapore. I estimate that half to three-quarters of our members are westerners but the other half are Asian - primarily Chinese. Although most of these Chinese live in China, the rest are scattered throughout the rest of Southeast Asia. As a culinary arts teacher, I've been intrigued by an American of Vietnamese descent who has been adding to a thread of Vietnamese dishes. He has taken digital pictures of a step by step cooking process and added appropriate commentary and direction. I thought this was quite professionally done. I've also had a discussion with a Chinese teacher about what it's like to teach Chinese students as opposed to working in the states. In the mythology section, I was disappointed to find that one of my fantasy creatures wasn't evil at all. My character's use of magic was also chided as being western. I was given advice about Taoist magic and the use of talismans. What was a "lieutenant" called back in the 12th century? A helpful member told me that the lowest ranking junior officer would have been a Shao Wei. He would have commanded three squads (just like a platoon) but led from the back with a drawn sword. His job was to mercilessly cut down anyone trying to flee his unit during a battle. The site in question is: http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/ If this site doesn't load, be advised that it may be because the site administrator is switching servers. He hasn't said when this will occur but suggested that we would know if we couldn't access the site. If you visit this site, I post under the user name ChefDave. Regards, Dave
