The China History Podcast

Explore the intriguing Chinese idiom 何不食肉糜, or 'Why not eat meat porridge?' This saying, reminiscent of Marie Antoinette's infamous quote, highlights the disconnect between rulers and the common people. Delve into the historical context of the Jin Dynasty, where famine and aristocratic privilege led to societal collapse. The podcast illustrates how this timeless phrase critiques elite insensitivity, remaining relevant even today. Tune in for a captivating blend of history and cultural lessons!

In early 2025, I was approached by Jenny Chan at pacificatrocities.org about interviewing one of their experts in an upcoming CHP episode. I had a nice interview with Quin Cho, born in my hometown of Chicago. Those who lament that the young generation of today doesn't bother to learn history, here is some relief. When I saw him, I was surprised to see how young Quin was and how much enthusiasm and interest he has for this topic. It's refreshing to hear all this old history we're all familiar with recounted by those born in this century. We focused on the rise and fall of Japan's Kwantung Army 关东军. They've been blamed for the Mukden Incident and a whole cavalcade of atrocities committed against the Chinese people during the 1930s and 40's. In this interview, you'll get a very clear explanation of how everything unfolded. You could have heard this episode months ago (and without commercials). Please consider supporting me at my Patreon or CHP Premium. PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheChinaHistoryPodcast CHP PREMIUM: https://teacupmedia.supercast.com/ Pacific Atrocities Website: https://www.pacificatrocities.org/books.html Quin Cho Bio: https://www.pacificatrocities.org/quin-cho.html

Here's something a little different from the usual CHP fare. It concerns a natural substance that's not too well-known outside of Asia, mainly because it's so dang expensive! Chénxiāng 沉香 or Agarwood as it's also known, grows inside the heartwood of certain Aquilaria trees. Chenxiang has a few interesting things about it and is often mentioned in Chinese literature. This episode includes a bunch of poems and a couple of chengyu's that all contain references to chénxiāng. While I was on the subject, I'm also mentioning five other trees that, while nowhere nearly as expensoive as chenxiang, were rare and precious enough to be driven to the brink of extinction. These four are Xiǎoyè Zǐtán 小叶紫檀, Hǎinán Huánghuālí 海南黄花梨, Lǎowō Dàhóng Suānzhī 老挝大红酸枝, Jīchìmù 鸡翅木, and Jīnsī Nánmù 金丝楠木. You could have heard this episode three months earlier if you subscribed to the Official CHP Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheChinaHistoryPodcast CHP Premium: https://teacupmedia.supercast.com/ The Teacup Media Website: https://teacup.media/ Thanks to all of you for listening. Reach out to me anytime at laszlo@teacup.media.

Hi Everyone, just coming up for air. This is actually one of the several new episodes that have been available on Patreon and CHP Premium since July, three months ago. This is a brief overview of the life and times of Wang Jingwei, the 中国头号大汉奸. Strong words. Why is he so despised? What drove him to make the decisions he did that forever branded him as a traitor to the Chinese people? He's another figure from those early ROC years that everyone has heard of but perhaps not so sure of the role he played in the history of that era. Enjoy. If the FOMO is making you lose sleep at night, consider subscribing below. Thanks!!! Laszlo's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheChinaHistoryPodcast CHP Premium: https://teacupmedia.supercast.com/ Early access to shows. Ad Free. Easy and convenient access to Laszlo.

Here's a preview of a new podcast, The Chinatown Sting, from our friends at Pushkin Industries. In the late 1980s, a group of women connected through the mahjong parlors in Manhattan's Chinatown were caught in a massive undercover drug bust. But this bust was just the beginning of an even bigger case. Host Lidia Jean Kott and co-reporter Shuyu Wang interview sources who've never spoken on record before, including witnesses, defendants, and federal prosecutors, to reconstruct a case that still has repercussions today and impacted the history of American Chinatowns themselves, which developed to protect immigrants from a hostile society. Listen to The Chinatown Sting wherever you get podcasts and binge the entire season, ad-free, with a Pushkin+ subscription—sign up on The Chinatown Sting Apple Podcasts show page or at pushkin.fm/plus.

Here's another quickie for you, only a half hour long. It seems not only are the portions at fast-food chains shrinking, so are the CHP episodes. Thanks to a team of amateur historians, WWII enthusiasts, and survivors, this interesting tale can now be told. It concerns a forgotten man named Mr. Lam Ping Yu 林炳堯, who left behind a WWII diary from 1944 that was rediscovered by chance in 2015. I hope you'll enjoy this story. For more info, you can visit the website: https://www.dday.hk/. Thanks to Mr. John Mak, Mr. Angus Hui, and Mr. Jackson Chan for telling me about this story in 2024. Photo Credit: Thanks to Mr. Frank Tsou.

Dive into the grim history of the Guangxi Massacre, a harrowing episode of the Cultural Revolution. Discover the violent power struggles in Guangxi, revealing personal stories lost to time. Hear about the aftermath under Deng Xiaoping and the efforts to confront past human rights abuses. The discussion draws unnerving parallels to present-day tensions, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging history's dark chapters. Unravel the complexities of loyalty amid civil strife, showcasing a lesser-known yet crucial aspect of China's past.

Join a journey through the life of Anson Burlingame, an influential figure in reshaping U.S.-China relations in the 1860s. Discover his passionate advocacy for equal sovereignty for China after the opium wars. Learn about the groundbreaking treaty he championed that paved the way for legal Chinese immigration. Explore the challenges this treaty faced from European powers and how it eventually influenced the prejudices leading to the Chinese Exclusion Act. Reflect on the legacy of Burlingame's vision for mutual respect amidst shifting diplomatic tides.

Here's a nice little standalone episode on the life and work of Thomas Wade and Herbert Giles. And you can't mention Herbert Giles without mentioning his son, Lionel Giles. And of course, Robert Morrison must be mentioned as well as all the earliest Western scholars of Sinology going back to Michele Ruggieri. And it wouldn't be fair to only talk about Wade and the two Giles's without giving a nod to their contemporaries elsewhere on the continent and in Asia. So this is a slightly meandering survey of some of the great old sinologists from the 19th century (and early 20th).

This is only a 2-parter, so this exciting episode will bring the curtain down on Lin Biao and his famous "Incident." We resume the story following the 1970 Lushan Plenum. Lin, or Lin's ambitious manipulators, pushed Chairman Mao just a bit too much at this meeting, and he decided to take immediate action. This whole 913 Incident, as you will hear, was a huge embarrassment to the Chinese Communist Party. Therefore, it's not surprising that they circled the wagons and went beyond the call of duty to cover up what could still be covered up. Mao had to be careful. With a history filled with men like Wang Mang, Zhu Wen, Zhao Kuangyin, and Yuan Shikai, he knew he had to watch these generals. So here's all the various fun bits of speculation surrounding the days of September 12-13, 1971. No Beatles references in this episode, though I was tempted to mention that Stella McCartney was born on the exact day of the plane crash that ended Lin Biao's life. Thanks everyone, for listening. This episode was posted to Patreon and CHP Premium back in February. Consider joining. You'd have my everlasting appreciation.