Wicky Tse

Dr. Wicky Tse serves as Associate Professor in the Department of History at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he has established himself as a leading expert in early Chinese military and social history. His research spans the dynamic period between the third century BCE and sixth century CE, focusing on five interconnected themes that have shaped our understanding of ancient Chinese warfare and society. Through his groundbreaking work, including his book on the collapse of China's Later Han Dynasty, he examines the complex relationships between violence, warfare, and social identity in early imperial China. His scholarship explores how warfare influenced and was influenced by various social, cultural, and political factors, particularly in the northwestern borderlands. As editor of special issues on war and cultural transfer, he has contributed significantly to understanding how military conflicts facilitated cultural exchange across Asia. His research portfolio includes extensive studies of regional identity formation, frontier dynamics, and the conceptualization of violence in early Chinese society. His work on the Later Han period has particularly illuminated how military regional identity in the northwest borderlands influenced the trajectory of early Chinese empires, demonstrating the complex interplay between military culture, political legitimacy, and social transformation in ancient China.