The websites below provide (in English) brief writings on Chinese history and culture.

http://condensedchina.com
As indicated by its name, this website provides a condensed history of China . It has been linked from the Washington Post and Popular Science, and received more than 6,000 hits a month.

http://www.ibiblio.org/chinesehistory/
This website provides a little bit of everything: Chinese history, culture, geography, politics, and current events.