Stele for Magistrate Jing Yun 景雲: An Eastern Han memorial stele from the south-west with reference to the Chuci 楚辭

An Eastern Han stele with an unusual relief decoration and 367 character memorial inscription tells us much about the south-west of China in early imperial times. Unearthed in 2004 from the banks of the Yangtze River and dated to 173 ce, the stele was dedicated to Quren county magistrate Jing Yun who died 70 years earlier in 103 ce. The paper provides a full translation, annotation, and analysis of the stele's commemorative text, which borrows from the content and language of one of China's oldest anthologies of poems, the Chuci, and places it in its historical context. It also examines the iconography at the head of the stele which reflects beliefs in transcendence and the pursuit of immortality prevalent at the time and demonstrates its close relation to the inscription. Overall, the paper suggests that the decoration and text together exhibit a regional heritage that is distinct to the south-west, its memorial culture, and poetic and religious traditions.

From the Imperial Capital to the Magistrate’s Court

Chapter 2 describes the institutions in the capital and in provinces that performed judicial functions, and their procedures and practices, throughout the imperial era. It lays out the role of the three judicial bodies in the central government, and the judicial functions performed by administrative officials at all levels below the imperial capital—provinces, prefectures, and counties. It details the judicial procedures prescribed by law, in criminal adjudications in particular, from trial procedures including personal investigation of homicide conducted by the county magistrate to the death penalty reviews that would go through all administrative levels to the central government and ultimately to the emperor. It addresses how such institutions and practices grew to be more and more elaborate and comprehensive, and presents some noteworthy practices and their rationales.

Polls weaken Taiwan's China-sceptic government

Significance At stake were 22 mayoral and county magistrate offices and 11,025 seats in local governments. The local outcome will be used as a bellwether heading into elections for parliament and the presidency in January 2020. In recognition of the party’s poor performance, President Tsai Ing-wen resigned as party chair (though she remains president). Seven of ten referendum questions held in conjunction with the balloting were adopted. They are largely at odds with the positions of the administration and will limit the DPP’s ability to further its policy agenda. Impacts A major personnel shakeup in the Tsai administration is likely to happen in coming weeks. More referendums will bedevil policymaking in future, acting as a restraint on the agendas of elected governments. Taiwan will continue to ban food from regions affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster, despite wanting closer relations with Japan.