The organizational system of the Manchus for military and taxation purposes; there were eight banners under which all military houses were arranged, and each was further divided into blocks of families required to furnish units of 300 soldiers to the Manchu government.
An early type of gun in which the gunpowder charge is ignited by a burning taper (the "match") attached to the trigger mechanism.
Single-color; in East Asian painting, a very austere style popular in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, particularly among Zen-influenced artists.
Here, the place where various "factors" (merchants, agents, etc.) gathered to conduct business.
.png){kind=icon}