In early 2025, Lin Zhifeng, a trader in Yiwu, Zhejiang, received an email from a Polish Catholic importer: “Please provide proof that these rosaries were not assembled in mainland China.” Around the same time, a Saudi client insisted during a…
Today, the cross is one of the most recognizable symbols in the world. Millions wear it as a necklace, pin, or bracelet—some as a fashion statement, others as a profound declaration of faith. But how did this practice begin? Was…
You’ve likely seen them—worn by monks in temples, carried by meditators, or even styled as mindful accessories in modern cities. Buddhist prayer beads, known as malas or japamalas, are far more than decorative objects. They are sacred tools of mindfulness…
Introduction In October 2025, China announced a major expansion of its rare earth export control regime, adding holmium, erbium, thulium, europium, and ytterbium — along with certain processing equipment — to the list of monitored items. Reuters+1 This move sends…
For centuries, prayer beads have served as a bridge between the earthly and the divine. Whether it is the rosary in Christianity, the mala in Hinduism and Buddhism, or the misbaha (tasbih) in Islam, these beads are more than mere…
Introduction: More Than Just Prayer Tools When people think of rosary beads, their first image is often a monk in a temple, a Catholic praying in church, or a quiet ritual of meditation. Yet rosary beads are far more than…
