By popular demand Laszlo begins to trace the history of the Cultural Revolution.  This week’s episode looks at the events leading up to the moment in 1966 when Mao called for the people to Bombard the Headquarters and to tear down the government.

Terms used in this episode:

Dazibao 大字报 Big Character Poster

Paoda Silingbu 炮打司令部 Bombard the headquarters

Dayuejin 大跃进 The Great Leap Forward

Liu Shaoqi 刘少奇 President of China – Primary target of Cultural Recvolution

Hai Rui 海瑞 Upright Ming Dynasty official remembered for his honesty and daring to speak up to the emperor

Jiajing 嘉靖 Emperor during the Ming Dynasty

Wu Han 吴晗 Vice Mayor of Beijing, man of letters, writer of the play Hai Rui Dismissed

Hai Rui baguan 海瑞罢官 Play written by Wu Han that helped spark the Cultural Revolution

Peng Dehuai 彭德怀 Military hero, defense minister, dismissed at Lushan Conference

Chen Yun 陈云 One of the Eight Immortals in the 80′s, noted economic planner

Yang Shangkun 杨尚昆 One of the Eight Immortals in the 80′s, President of China 1988-93, Vice-chairman of CMC

Lin Biao 林彪 Military hero and later Mao’s successor after the fall of Liu Shaoqi

Zhu De 朱德 One of the founders of the PLA, great military hero, Mao’s right hand man in the earliest days

Lushan Conference 庐山会议 July 1959 meeting in Lushan, Jiangxi province to discuss the Great Leap Forward and where Peng Dehuai was dismissed

Mao Zhuxi yulu 毛主席语录 The Little Red Book  (Quotations from Chairman Mao)

Xuexi leifeng 学习雷锋 Study Lei Feng

Lei Feng 雷锋 PLA soldier whose early and tragic death was used for a political campaign before and during the Cultural Revolution

Jiang Qing 江青 Mao’s wife, Cultural Revolution villain and part of the Gang of Four

Kang Sheng 康生 Former Secret Police Chief and later considered the “godfather” of the Cultural Revolution

Mingzhou 明州 former name of the historic and ancient city of Ningbo

Peng Zhen 彭真 One of the Eight Immortals in the 80′s, Beijing Mayor and Party boss.  Later the first victim of the Cultural Revolution

Wu Lengxi 吴冷西 Part of the Five Man Group and in charge of People’s Daily

Lu Dingyi 陆定一  Part of the Five Man Group and Minister of Culture

Chairman Mao Zedong

Firstly, Laszlo apologizes in advance for the horrific pronounciation of all terms Hindi.  This week the topic is the history behind Sino-Indian relations.  This is an extremely emotive, complex and sometimes incendiary topic, conveniently encapsulated in an easy to digest half hour episode.  The long history of Chinese-Indian Relations is overwhelmoingly one of peaceful coexistance, mutual respect and benefit.  Only in the past century have challenges presented themselves that occasionally brought the two great civilizations into conflict.

Terms from this Episode:

Pengtoushan 彭头山 Early Neolithic Culture in China

Peiligang 裴李岗 Early Neolithic Culture in China

Cishan 磁山  Early Neolithic Culture in China

Hemudu 河姆渡  Early Neolithic Culture in China

Yangshao 仰韶  Early Neolithic Culture in China

Longshan 龙山  Early Neolithic Culture in China

Fuxi 伏羲 First of the mythical Three Sovereigns of China

Yao 尧 One of the mythical Five Emperors of China

Shun 舜 The last of the Five Emperors who passed the throne to Yu the Great, founder of the Xia.

Harappan Culture: Ancient culture in India app. 3300-1300BC, covered NW India, all of Pakistan and part of Afghanistan

Mohenjo-Daro:  Ancient Indus River Valley civilization (2600BC)

Yu the Great 大禹 Founder of the Xia Dynasty

Xia  夏 First dynasty of China, though no solid evidence uncovered yet to prove its existance

Shang 商 First documented dynasty in China (Bronze Age in China)

Zhou 周 Second Bronze Age Dynasty, followed the Shang

Laozi  老子 a.k.a Lao-tzu, Wrote the Dao De JIng

Ashoka the Great 阿育王  One of the greatest rulers of India (304-232 BC)

Siddhartha Gautama 释迦牟尼  The Buddha

Qin Shihuang 秦始皇 First emperor of China

Zhang Qian 张骞 Great explorer during the Han Dynasty

Shendu 身毒 Ancient name of India

Daxia 大夏 Kingdom known as Bactria, in present day Afghanistan

Faxian 法显 Early Buddhist pilgrim to India

Xuanzang 玄奘 Tang Dyansty monk who made a famous pilgrimage to India

Mathura, Kanaui, Kapilavastu, Kushinagar, Vaishali, Pataliputra, Kashi, Rajgir. (ancient cities in India whose pronunciation Laszlo butchered)

Zheng He 郑和 Great Ming Dynasty explorer

Daoguang 道光 Emperor during the Opium War

Xianfeng 先锋 Emperor during the misery years of the Qing

Aksai Chin 阿克塞钦 Disputed territory right on the westernmost border of Xinjiang and Tibet

Arunachal Pradesh   啊鲁纳恰尔邦 The other disputed territory (between Bhutan and Myanmar)

China President Hu JIntao and India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

Known by many names, Guan Yu, Guan Gong, Guan Di, this great man of loyalty, integrity and justice lived during the final years of the Eastern Han Dynasty. His oath of brotherhood with Liu Bei and Zhang Fei is the stuff of legends and remembered to this very day. Guan Yu was a historical person whose life was so admired, today he is considered as a god. In today’s episode we look at his life and his legend.

Terms from today’s episode:

Liu Bei 刘备 King and Emperor of the State of Shu Han
Zhang Fei 张飞 Loyal sworn brother and general of Liu Bei
Guan Gong 关公 Lord Guan, another honorary name for Guan Yu
Guan Di 关帝 Emperor Guan, another honorary name for Guan Yu
Wang Mang 王莽 Official during the end of Western Han who seized the throne for himself and set up the Xin Dyansty
Luoyang  洛阳 Capital of the Eastern Han
Shu (Shu Han) 属 （蜀汉）The Kingdom of Liu Bei
Wei (Cao Wei)  魏（曹魏）The Kingdom of Cao Cao
Wu (Sun Wu) 吴 （孙吴） The Kingdom of Sun Quan
Luo Guanzhong 罗贯中 Thought to be the author of Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Sanguo Yanyi  三国演义 Romance of the Three Kingdoms
laobaixing  老百姓 The Chinese People (The Old Hundred Surnames)
Huangjin zhi luan 黄巾之乱 The Yellow Turban Rebellion
Cao Cao  曹操 Ruler of the Kingdom of Cao Wei
Shanxi  山西 Province in China where Guan Yu is said to be from
Zhuozhou 涿州 City south of Beijing where the Oath of the Peach Garden was said to have been uttered.
Taoyuan San Jieyi 桃园三结义  Oath of the Peach Garden
Li Shimin 李世民 Co-founder of the Tang Dynasty
Zhu Yuanzhang  朱元璋 Founder of the Ming Dynasty
Zhu De 朱德 Founder of the Red Army
Zhuge Liang  诸葛亮 Liu Bei’s masterful strategist, the most renowned in Chinese history.
Fancheng  樊城 Site of a battle in 219 between the forces of Liu Bei and Cao Cao
Maicheng  麦城 The site of the battle where Guan Yu was killed
Guan Shengdi jun  关圣帝君 Honorific name given to Guan Yu
Wusheng  武圣 God of War
Wensheng  文圣 The Sage of Learning
Yongzheng 雍正 Qing Dynasty emperor

Cai Shen 财神  The God of Wealth
Sanguo Shidai  三国时代 The Three Kingdoms Period

Guan Yu (162-220 AD) 关羽 － 关公 － 关帝

A typical shrine found in almost any traditional Chinese establishment (shop, restaurant)...Note Guan Yu in the place of honor at the top center.

This week we look at a committed Communist Party leader who played an important role in steering China’s economy and financial system from 1949 to 1966 and during the Deng era.  Like many other leaders of his generatiom, Shanxi-born Bo Yibo suffered terribly during the Cultural Revolution.  Today he is best remembered as one of the Eight Immortals, or Party Elders who made up Deng Xiaoping’s “kitchen cabinet” during China’s go-go 80′s and 90′s.

Mr. Bo Yibo (1908 - 2007)

The Eight Immortals  bada yuanlao 八大元老

Deng Xiaoping 邓小平 (1904-1997)

Li Xiannian 李先念 (1909-1989)

Chen Yun 陈云 (1905-1995)

Peng Zhen 彭真 (1902-1997)

Yang Shangkun  杨尚昆 (1907-1998)

Bo Yibo  薄一波 (1908-2007)

Wang Zhen  王震 (1908-1993)

Song Renqiong  宋任穷 (1909-2005)

OTHER NAMES MENTIONED:

Bo Xilai  薄熙来 Son of Bo Yibo and former Chongqing (重庆) Party Boss, now disgraced

Wan Li 万里 Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and long time leader and Deng Xiaoping ally.

Taiyuan 太原 Capital of Shanxi 山西 Province, birthplace of Bo Yibo

Tianjin 天津 Municipality on China – subject of a future podcast

Li Fuchun 李富春 Worked closely with Bo Yibo managing China’s economy in the 50′s and 60′s. Also a future podcast topic.

Wenhua Dageming 文化大革命 The Cultural Revolution

Yan Xishan  阎锡山 Warlord and later loyal KMT general.  Allied with Bo Yibo’s Shanxi Suicide Squad during the war of resistance against Japan.

Jiang Qing 江青 Mao’s wife, Gang of 4 Member and tormenter of Bo Yibo during the Cultural Revolution

Kang Sheng 康生 Godfather of the Cultural Revolution, Mao’s lifelong ally, China’s Secret Police founder. See more about Kang at CHP episode 11

Hu Yaobang 胡耀邦 Former CCP General Secretary, later disgraced.

Zhao Ziyang 赵紫阳 Succeeded Hu Yaobang to the top position in the Party but later disgraced for his handling of the Tiananmen Incident.

Liu Binyan 刘滨雁 Writer and dissident during the 80′s along with Wang Ruowang and Fang Lizhi

Wang Ruowang 王若望 Writer and dissident, passed awayin 2001 in New York City

Fang Lizhi 方励之 Scientist, dissident, passed away April 6, 2012 in Tucson, AZ

Genzhe dang de luxian 跟着党的路线 To follow the Party Line

Zhou Xiaochuan 周小川 China princeling who now serves as Governor of the People’s Bank of China

This time we look at Missouri-born Carl Crow (1883-1945).  Though pretty much forgotten today, Carl Crow lived an amazing life and was a prolific writer.  From his front row seats to many of the historic events in China between 1911-1937, Crow wrote many books about his observations and opinions.  He has gone down in history for his achievements in Shanghai running American-style newspapers and creating the first Western Ad Agency in China.

Suggested Reading: Paul French – Carl Crow:  A Tough Old China Hand – The Life, Times and Adventures of an American in Shanghai 

(Also by Paul French: Midnight in Peking   (http://www.midnightinpeking.com/)

For those interested in further info on Sir Robert Hart, go to www.tiffaniabooks.com

Friends of Sir Robert Hart: Three Generations of Carrall Women in China, by Mary Tiffen

Carl Crow 1883-1945

This week we look at the Ma Family Clique, a notorious family of Hui Muslim Warlords who ruled the northwest provinces of Ningxia, Gansu, Xinjiang and Qinghai from the period beginning in the final years of the Qing dynasty all the way to 1949.

The Ma Zhan’ao Family

Ma Zhan’ao 马占鰲

Ma Anliang 马安良 son of Ma Zhan’ao

Ma Guoliang 马国良 son of Ma Zhan’ao

Ma Tingran son of Ma Anliang

Ma Tingxian son of Ma Anliang

The Ma Qianling Family

Ma Qianling 马千齡

Ma Fuxiang 马福祥 son of Ma Qianling

Ma Fulu 马福禄 son of Ma Qianling

Ma Fushou 马福寿 son of Ma Qianling

Ma Hongbin 马鸿宾 son of Ma Fulu

Ma Hongkui 马鸿逵 son of Ma Fuxiang

Ma Dunjing  马惇靖 son of Ma Hongbin

Ma Dunjing 马敦静 son of Ma Hongkui

The Ma Haiyan Family

Ma Haiyan 马海晏

Ma Qi 马麒 son of Ma Haiyan

Ma Lin 马麟 son of Ma Haiyan

Ma Liang 马良 relative of Ma Bufang

Ma Yuanxiang 马元祥 Ally of Ma Liang

Ma Bufang 马步芳 son of Ma Qi

Ma Buqing 马步青 son of Ma Qi

Ma Bukang 马步康 son of Ma Qi

Ma Buluan 马步銮 relative of Ma Bufang

Ma Zhongying 马仲英 great-nephew of Ma Lin

Ma Hushan 马虎山 Half-brother of Ma Zhongying

Ma Jiyuan 马继援 son of Ma Bufang

Ma Chengxiang 马呈祥 son of Ma Buqing

Other’s mentioned in this episode:

Dong Fuxiang 董福祥  Leader of the Gansu Braves

Zuo Zongtang 左宗棠 Effective general who re-conquered west China for Qing

Zhang Guotao 张国焘 Founding member of CCP, foe of Mao

Qingchao Monian 清朝末年 The last years of the Qing Dynasty

Dungan 东干族 The term used by Central Asians for Hui Chinese

Yaqub Beg 阿古柏 Uzbek rebel leader who set up a government in Xinjiang

Ma Hongkui shown with one of his four wives

In this farewell look at the Silk Road, we discuss a few more interesting things and then give the travels and adventures of Marco Polo a once over.

Marco Polo 1254-1324

Terms used in this episode:
Frances Wood: Did Marco Polo Go to China?
China Between Empires: Mark Edward Lewis: Book about the Northern & Southern Kingdoms
Eastern Han 东汉 23-220 AD
Three Kingdoms 三国 221-280
Western Jin 西晋 265-318
Eastern Jin 东晋 317-420
Northern & Southern Dynasties 南北朝 386-581
Sui 隋朝 581-617
Tang 唐朝 618-907
Red Coral 红珊瑚
Faxian 法显 337-422 early Buddhist monk who traveled to India
Xuanzang 玄奘 Discussed in CHP-076, Tang Dynasty Buddhist Monk
Han Wudi 汉武帝 Reigned 141 BC-87 BC. The great Han Dynasty emperor who played a big role in launching the Silk Road.
Shangdu 上都 Kublai Khan’s Palace, more popularly known as Xanadu
Chinese Oasis Towns mentioned: Kashgar（喀什）, Yarkand（莎车县）, Hoton（和田）, Lop（洛浦）, Dunhuang（敦煌）, Lanzhou (兰州）
Rustichello da Pisa: Wrote down the story of Marco Polo’s Travel’s as dictated to him by Marco Polo
Dr. Igor De Rachewiltz – Australian National University scholar of Mongol history and culture.

Dr. Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom – Prof. of History at Univ. Calif. Irvine.
Dr. Geremie R Barme – Australian National University scholar of Modern China, an amazing guy!

Sinica Podcast: http://popupchinese.com/lessons/sinica

Another fortnight, another China History Podcast. We return to the Silk Road and focus our attention on the monk Xuanzang.  His was an interesting life.  Through looking at Xuanzang you can truly gain a sense of the importance of Buddhism in China, India and almost the entirety of Central Asia. If not for the mechanism of the Silk Road, it’s unlikely Buddhism could have spread as far and wide as it did.

The Wild Goose Pagoda in Xian

Xi JInping left U.S. soil last night after taking in the Laker game at Staples Center.  His visit this week went off without a hitch.  Today we look at Xi Jinping’s life in the context of PRC history.  This fifth generation leader is someone who has a rich background not only in Party and military affairs but matters of state as well.  No past leader has been groomed to become Party Secretary as has Vice President Xi.

PRC Vice President Mr. Xi Jinping

If you’re only here for the history, skip this episode.  Laszlo checks in with his, for the most part, appreciative audience to explain the recent troubles, what he’s up to and general chit chat.

A Map of the Silk Road 300 BC to 100AD

Laszlo’s back from Germany and after a long delay we pick up where we left off.  In this episode we reacquaint ourselves with the background and early years of the Silk Road.

The Triads of Hong Kong have an interesting historical past that shaped their development throughout the years.  Today we look at their origins and some of the more important historic events that made them the violent international criminal gangs they are today.

Now that we have Deng Xiaoping out of the way, we’re back looking at random topics throughout the ages.  This week we look at the great Song Dynasty statesman and sage Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072).  In this episode we’ll review aspects of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) and Ouyang Xiu’s place in this amazing age in China. Also featured in this podcast will be other notable scholar-statesmen, Fan Zhongyan, Wang Anshi and Sima Guang.

Ouyang Xiu 欧阳修 (1007-1072)

Today we conclude our eight-part overview of Dr. Ezra Vogel’s recent biography of Deng Xiaoping.  In this installment we focus on Deng’s dramatic and brilliant Southern Tour of January-February 1992.

Deng Xiaoping, 87 years old, January 1992, shown during the Southern Tour.

After a holiday delay, Laszlo is back with the 7th and almost final episode of our overview of Ezra Vogel’s new biography of Deng.  In this episode we look at the meat and potatoes of the Reform years from 1979 to 1989.

Deng Xiaoping 邓小平

In this sixth installment of the Deng Xiaoping overview we focus in on 1978-1979.  In this episode we see Deng return to power a third time.  Deng immediately throws all his energy into advancing the cause of modernization in China.  The age of reform takes off in earnest. But first he has to deal with Hua Guofeng.

Deng Xiaoping 1979

This week’s episode looks at the exciting events that all went down in 1976.  Deng Xiaoping is on the defensive thanks to his 1975 policies to revive the nation.  But a concatenation of events will happen starting on January 8 and ending on October 6 that will both  bring Deng back and rock China. But these events will set the country on a course that will lead China to become the economic and international powerhouse it has become in the 21st century.

Deng Xiaoping shown with Marshal Ye Jianying a few years after Deng's return in 1977.

After a bit of a delay, this week we look again at Deng Xiaoping and his struggles during the Cultural Revolution Years from 1966 to 1975. Seems we still have a long way to go yet. Be on the lookout in the coming weeks for a possible new iTunes Feed for the China History Podcast.

Deng Xiaoping, after his first rehabilitation, making a historic speech in front of the U.N. General Assembly. April 10, 1974. Deng is just shy of his 70th birthday.

Today in Part 3 of our Deng Xiaoping overview we look at The Great One’s life from 1952 after his return from the Southwest Bureau all the way up to the start of the Cultural Revolution.

Deng Xiaoping - Honorary Chairman of the China Bridge Association

Deng Xiaoping

This time we continue on with our overview of the great leader Deng Xiaoping.  We pick up in 1937 with the invasion by Japan, the civil war and the founding of the PRC. We examine Deng’s achievements all the way up to 1952, the year he left the Southwest Bureau and returned to Beijing to serve as Vice Premier and to take the lead, with Mao, Zhou, Liu Shaoqi and others in building the PRC from the ground up.

Laszlo is happily back in Cali with a new episode that looks at the early years of Deng Xiaoping.  Most of the narrative is based on passages gleaned from Ezra Vogel’s new biography of The Great One.  Inspired by the events of May Fourth 1919, Deng Xiaoping was a lifelong revolutionary and by the end of his days had personally seen to it that China ended up the nation it was meant to be on the world stage.  In this multi-part series on the life of Deng Xiaoping we’ll trace his life, all the triumphs aas well as the tragedies.  We’ll look at why he is lionized as one of the greatest 20th century world leaders and also why some have vilified Deng for his actions.  His life itself is an interesting prism from which to view 20th century China.

A great man from five thousand years of Chinese history, Deng Xiaoping 1904-1995

This time we take a look at four Westerners who committed their lives to the People’s Republic of China.  These four foreigners, Agnes Smedley, Anna Louise Strong, George Hatem and Israel Epstein were all friends of China and were admired by China’s leaders.  Upon their deaths they were given the honor of internment at China’s Babaoshan Cemetery in Beijing.  In this episode we offer an overview of each of their lives and why they were given this great honor.

Babaoshan Cemetery

Today we jump over much of the history of the 1940′s and zero in on the moment when the PRC was officially established on Oct 1, 1949.  Today’s podcast episode offers a general overview of the first year of the PRC and some of the multitude of challenges Mao and China’s new leaders faced.

Mao left the borders of China for the first time at the end of 1949. Here he is pictured with Stalin.

Before we head back to modern times, we look at the mythological beginnings of the Chinese people and the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.  This period preceded China’s legendary Xia Dynasty and the beginnings of Chinese recorded history in the Shang.

The Yellow Emperor

This week we look at the immortal Zhou Gong, the Duke of Zhou.  If he isn’t the most revered person from Chinese history, he’s certainly in the top three.  He guided the earliest years of the Zhou Dynasty through treacherous times.  Zhou Gong was responsible for building a great amount of the foundation from which Chinese culture has evolved.

Sir Robert Hart

This week’s episode runs a little long as there won’t be anything for the following week.  Today’s episode looks at the life and interesting career of Sir Robert Hart (赫德), an Ulsterman from Northern Ireland. For most of his life he lived in China in the employ of the Zongli Yamen.  Though his official title was Inspector General of the China Maritime Customs Service, he played an important behind the scenes role during the Treaty Port Era.  His was an amazing life and today we look at his days in China from 1853 to 1908.  I’m in Shanghai and Ningbo all this week so there won’t be any episode until after I get back.

For those interested in further info on Sir Robert Hart, go to www.tiffaniabooks.com

Friends of Sir Robert Hart: Three Generations of Carrall Women in China, by Mary Tiffen

Mid-Autumn Festival takes place every year on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese calendar.  This year that date falls on September 12.  The Chinese world will be celebrating the holiday in very much the same way that generations have enjoyed going back to ancient times.  Families will get together and stroll in public gathering places. Children will carry all manners of lanterns and everyone will gaze at the moon. Due to the autumnal equinox, our moon is at its roundest and brightest.  Enjoy a moon cake everyone and 看月亮！

The Moon Goddess Chang E and her companion the Jade Rabbit

Thanks to RL in Hefei for the inspiration, this week we take a look at  China and Japan’s difficult history.  We focus on the historical events that led to “2,000 years of friendship and 50 years of confrontation,” as CPCCC member Zhao Qizheng 赵启正 said recently in the People’s Daily.  We look at the background and the 50 years that were so terrible, the reverberations are still loud and clear today with many Chinese.

Du Yuesheng

Today we’re back with more history.  We look at the Shanghai Massacre of April 12, 1927.  This was the defining moment when Chiang Kai-shek and his allies and supporters made a bloody break with the Communists.

Laszlo finishes off his weeklong biz trip to China with a few days in Hong Kong with another chit chat show about stuff in general.  The history episodes will return as soon as the jet lag wears off and Laszlo is back in the saddle.

Don't miss this joint next time you're in Macao!

The 1920′s in Republican era China was anything but quiet and uneventful.  In this episode we focus in on the general situation in China during the period of the early 1920′s.  This was a time when the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) and KMT (Kuomintang) were in the same bed dreaming their different dreams.  It was a period where China was divided with warlords Zhang Zuolin, Wu Peifu and Sun Chuanfang controlling China from the Yangzi north.  The south was the domain of the KMT-CCP alliance where revolution was always in the air.  In 1927 Chiang Kai-shek will turn on the CCP and this sets a chain of events in motion that will lead to the Communists victory in 1949.

Chiang Kai-shek (Jiang Jieshi - 蒋介石)

The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea 八仙过海。These eight favorites of Chinese folklore form part of the bedrock of Chinese culture.

We close out our little overview of Daoism by looking at the most powerful and popular Daoist deities. In this episode you will meet the Three Pure Ones and the Eight Immortals with a focus on Lu Dongbin and Zhongli Quan.

More Daoism this week. We look at Zhuangzi and trace the development of Daoism during the classical age from the Han Dynasty to the Tang

Zhuangzi dreaming he is a butterfly or is it a butterfly dreaming it is Zhuangzi

In this week’s episode Laszlo tackles Daoism, a philosophy, a religion and way of life that everyone has heard about but not everyone learned the backstory.  This time we look at the history and the times that spawned this most fertile of philosophies. In later episodes we’ll dig a little deeper and look more at the religion and the philosophy.

The Yin and Yang symbol is first mentioned in chapter 42 of the Dao De Jing. It is most often recognized as a symbol of Daoism.

Today we have some lighter fare than usual.  Nine months ago we looked at one great Hong Kong tycoon, Li Ka-shing.  Today we look another.  In this episode we look at the life and career of entertainment mogul Sir Run Run Shaw and the Shaw Brothers organization. Born in Ningbo in 1907, along with his brothers, Run Run Shaw built a business empire that spanned the globe and he brought joy to millions with his movies and television.  This week we’ll take a break from the brutality and bad news to examine a nice success story from Chinese history.

Thanks and 非常感谢 to listener Steaven who alerted me that the July 1st podcast was cut-off two thirds of the way through.  After rallying the entirety of the resources here at the China History Podcast, we were able to resolve the problem and have re-uploaded this episode. Our profoundest apologies.  In commemoration of the festivities in China marking the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, today we look at the events leading up to the CCP’s 1st Party Congress in Shanghai.  It was nine decades ago on this day on July 1, 1921 that the thirteen delegates of the Party participated in this historic event that began in Shanghai and finished off in the city of Jiaxing.

In this episode we look at the life of one of the bravest and greatest adventurers of ancient times.  Zhang Qian was selected by the Han Dynasty Emperor Wu to make a political alliance with a distant central Asian people, the Yuezhi. Zhang Qian’s thirteen year journey to the west between 138 BC and 126 BC brought back massive amounts of intelligence and understanding about those distant lands beyond Han China’s frontiers.  This great adventurer and national hero of China paved the way for the explosion of two way trade that followed in his footsteps and led to the development of the Silk Road.

Zhang Qian 张骞 returns from the west

May 4, 1919 was an historic day in modern Chinese history.  The demonstration in Beijing and the subsequent movement brought seismic changes to Chinese culture, politics and literature.  All the leaders of modern China who played a founding role in the establishment of the PRC were influenced by the writings and ideas that grew out of this May 4th Movement.  All the pent up anger, frustration and resentment of foreign imperialism and China’s weakness in the face of their might, came to a head at this time.

Chen Duxiu 陈独秀

The Qing Dynasty formally came to an end on February 12, 1912 when the last emperor Puyi abdicated.  That same year the Republic of China was founded and had a very rocky start.  In today’s episode we look at the immediate aftermath of the Xinhai Revolution and what happened right after Sun Yat-sen handed the presidency of the new republic to Yuan Shikai.

Yuan Shikai 袁世凯

In an effort to bring some understanding to the recent proposed call for a resolution to formally acknowledge and express regret for banning Chinese immigration and other violated rights of the Chinese settlers, we examine the history of the Chinese Exclusion Act. The resolution was introduced by L.A.’s very own Rep. Judy Chu, the first Chinese American elected to the US Congress. It is also co-sponsored  by Rep. Judy Biggert of Illinois and Rep. Mike Coffman of Colorado. The resolution is calling on Congress to express regret for the passage of several laws between 1882 and 1904 that violated the fundamental civil rights of Chinese-Americans.  In today’s episode of the China History Podcast we look at the history behind this resolution and why it is important to understand the past in order to be better informed about the issues of today.

Laszlo is traveling but we manage to eke out this brief (sort of) question and answer episode, mixed up with general chit chat and stuff.  Once all of the travel is out of the way, the China History Podcast will resume with weekly episodes with topics from five millennia of China history..

非常抱歉大家！ Sorry for the few day delay.  In a special collectors edition of the China History Podcast we review the Imperial China overviews of the past eight months.  We’ll quickly review the whole period from 2200 BC to 1912.  You can now follow the China History Podcast on Twitter @LaszloCHP.  Next time I’m late, I can let you know.

Fuxi 伏羲

In this episode we conclude our eight month overview of Chinese Imperial history from Yu the Great of the Xia Dynasty to Puyi of the Qing.  After more than half a century of tragedy, upheaval, national humiliation and plenty of mass death and destruction, the Qing dynasty ends in 1912. Now as China takes her place in the modern world, the nation must transition from a traditional monarchy to a republic.

The Last Emperor Puyi 溥仪

This week we look at China during the Tongzhi Era and part of the reign of Guangxu. This period from 1875 to 1895 is more of the same for China.  More humiliation at the hands of foreigners.  More scrambling to modernize. More imperial skullduggery.  More military defeats. By the time of China’s disastrous defeat after the Sino-Japanese War, the Middle Kingdom reaches a stage where they must wake up and defend themselves or face ruin as a country.

The infamous Marble Boat 石坊

Hong Xiuquan 洪秀全

We’re almost at the end of our Imperial China History Overview.  In this segment of the China History Podcast we look at the continued misfortunes in China during the Xianfeng era, as the country is torn apart by the Taiping and Nian rebellions and revolts in the west.  The western powers, following the 2nd Opium War, force yet another unequal treaty on the shellshocked Qing government.  In these trying times emerge three great China military heroes Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang.  The Qing at last face the choice of modernize or lose the mandate of heaven forever. But with the Empress Dowager Cixi preparing to seize power, things are going to be dicey for this last dynasty of imperial China.

Here we begin the turbulent, bloody and historically humiliating 19th century in China.  The first half century sees two emperors, Jiaqing and Daoguang stand by helplessly as China is torn apart by uprisings, anti-Manchu discontent, a financial crisis, opium addiction on a massive scale, foreign invasion and the usual deadly floods and other natural disasters.  By the time the Daoguang emperor passes from the scene in 1850, it is clear to all that the Qing have long lost Heaven’s Mandate.

Opium addicts enjoying an afternoon pipe

In this episode we look at the bittersweet reign of the Qianlong emperor.  The longest reigning emperor in Chinese imperial history, the Qianlong era saw the most splendid three decades for the Manchu’s of the Qing Dynasty.  China reached its greatest territorial extent and was still the marvel of the world.  But during the second half of the Qianlong era, Westerners became more aggressive in their ongoing attempts to increase China trade.  In addition to Westerners and their demands for China to open up, domestic problems increasingly plagued the Qing emperor.  The stage was being set for the turbulent 19th century. The remaining six Qing emperors were powerless to control the cataclysmic series of events that would change China forever.

The Qianlong Emperor 乾隆帝

In this episode we examine the Yongzheng emperor, the second of the three great Qing emperors who reigned during the most golden of times for the Manchu dynasty.  A tireless emperor who was a wizard at managing the machine of state, he reigned for only thirteen years before his son later brought the Qing dynasty to its greatest heights.

The Yongzheng Emperor 雍正帝, painted by Giuseppe Castiglione

In this first episode covering the Qing Dynasty we look at the Shunzhi emperor and his son, the Kangxi emperor.  The 61 year reign of the Kangxi emperor was the longest in imperial Chinese history.  The Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong eras saw the Qing dynasty reach its greatest heights and China was economically the wealthiest and intellectually the most advanced and artistically refined empire on earth.  In this episode we examine the life of the first of these three great emperors.

We finish off our overview of the Ming Dynasty in this episode and also trace the rise of the Manchu’s.  The period from the Jiajing emperor to the tragic suicide of the Chongzhen emperor saw a slow and steady decline in the fortunes of  the Ming dynasty.

The tragic ending of the last Ming emperor Chongzhen 重振帝

In today’s  episode we look at Ming Dynasty China from the reigns of Xuande to Jiajing.  This period in Chinese history was witnessing momentous changes.  The dynasty suffers a terrible debacle in 1449.  Portugal was becoming a regular visitor and sets up down in Macao.  This was also a time when evil self-serving eunuchs spread their tentacles throughout the government.  By the close of the Jiajing emperor’s long reign the best days of the Ming were already behind them.

The Jiajing Emperor 嘉靖帝

In this week’s episode we examine the second great emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the Yongle [Yong - Leh] emperor who reigned 1402-1424.  This tireless emperor waged campaigns against the Mongols in the north, the Vietnamese in the south and sent sailing expeditions throughout Asia, the subcontinent and the east coast of Africa to engage the peoples of these faraway lands and bring the splendor of China to them. These legendary voyages of the eunuch Admiral Zheng He were the brainchild of the Yongle emperor.

The Porcelain Tower of Nanjing 南京陶塔

Laszlo is back, finally, after a longer layoff than expected.  This week we look at the end of the Yuan dynasty and the founding of the Ming Dynasty.  We look at the first emperor Ming Taizu, a.k.a. The Hongwu Emperor.  With the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, once again Chinese are in control of the Middle Kingdom.

Ming Dynasty founder Zhu Yuanzhang 朱元璋 who reigned as Ming Emperor Taizu 明太祖

福到了 ！

This week we take a break from the history to look at the background and the traditions surrounding Chinese New Year.  Laszlo will be back next time to pick up where we left off after the fall of the Song Dynasty.  On behalf of everyone here at the China History Podcast, we wish everyone a happy and healthy new year filled with good health, prosperity and peace. 新年快乐大家！年年有余！

In this week’s episode Laszlo finishes off the Song Dynasty after the Jin Empire captures the royal family and sacks the capital in Kaifeng.  The Song dynasty continues on with the new capital in the south of China, below the Yangzi River.  Despite perilous times with hostile neighbors to the north, the dynasty enjoys continued prosperity and a burst of creativity in philosophy, the arts and sciences. The Southern Song has a good 152 year run until they are overrun by the Kublai Khan’s great armies in 1279.

Mao of the Southern Song Dynasty 南宋朝代

This week’s episode runs a little longer than usual.  In it we examine the Northern Song Dynasty from 960 to 1127.  This was a precarious time for China. Despite three potentially menacing non-Han empires surrounding them to the north and west, China once again had another magnificent great leap forward of brilliance and innovation.  Together with the Tang, the Song Dynasty is considered one of the greatest periods in all of China’s long history.  Today we look at the first half of the Song when the capital was located up in Kaifeng.

Zhao Kuangyin 赵匡胤, founder of the Song Dynasty who reigned as Song Taizu 宋太祖

In today’s final installment covering the history of the great Tang Dynasty, we look at its agonizing decline until 907 when it is pushed aside and another period of disunity sets in.  Five Dynasties reign in the north, all short lived and not spectacular by any means.  In the south, after the Tang falls you have a total of ten kingdoms that exist independently.  While not the most interesting period in Chinese history, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period acted as a kind of buffer between the two greatest dynasties in China’s long history: the Tang and Song.

Map of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, 五代十国

The true love of the Xuanzong emperor 唐玄宗帝, Yang Guifei 杨贵妃

Laszlo is back after a holiday illness to continue where we left off in 705 with the passing of Wu Zetian.  After an initial golden age during the Taizong emperor, the Tang will reach new heights of glory under Tang Minghuang a.k.a. the Xuanzong emperor.  The magnificent city of Chang’an is once again the center of the world where the arts flourished like never before and traders, travelers and explorers from around the world came to gather and marvel at the splendor of Tang Dynasty China.

As the Sui peters out, Li Yuan, the Duke of Tang, seizes power and establishes the Tang Dynasty in 618.  Along with the Song, the Tang Dynasty is considered the pinnacle of China’s long history.  In culture, art, poetry, painting, ceramics, science, navigation, diplomacy this was a golden age.  Buddhism made even greater inroads into Chinese society. And Chang’an was the center of the world where the great and mighty Taizong emperor ruled and people came from as far away as Persia to marvel at China’s greatness and might.  In this week’s episode we look at the founding of the Tang up to the demise of the third emperor Gaozong.  With her husband’s death in 683, the Empress Wu Zetian came to the fore and began ruling in her own name.

Li Shimin 李世民, son of the Tang Dynasty founder. He reigned as the Tang emperor Taizong 唐太宗

The demise of the Southern & Northern Dynasties brought us a China unified under the Sui emperors Wen and Yang.  This ephemeral dynasty laid the groundwork for the splendor of the Tang dynasty.  Lasting only 37 years, the Sui Dynasty doesn’t get the limelight enjoyed by the great dynasties of Han, Tang, Song, Ming and Qing but it played a critical role in the development of a unified China.

The Grand Canal 京杭大运河

The Southern & Northern Dynasties were a collection of dynasties that lasted 170 years and preceded the time of unification under the Sui Dynasty.  North of the Yangzi River you had the Northern Wei, the Northern Qi and the Northern Zhou.  South of the great river reigned the Liu Song, Southern Qi, the Liang and finally the Chen.  Although there was disunity in China and plenty of warring going on to make things miserable for most, it was still a very critical and formative time in China with mass migrations of Han Chinese from the north to the south.  It was also a time when Buddhism triumphed in China.

This week we are back with more Chinese history.  We will look at a very confusing but exciting time when there was mostly a period of disunity and China was broken up into contending kingdoms.  However this period of chaos brought us some of the richest tales of ancient China filled with amazing battles, events and larger than life characters. We’ll look at the Three Kingdoms period that followed the demise of the Eastern Han.  Then we will look at the Western Jin dynasty that briefly united China, followed by the Eastern Jin and then the period of the 16 Northern Kingdoms.  

Like they do in the circus in between acts to buy some time, we’re sending out the poodles and juggling clowns to entertain and enlighten you as the next China History Podcast episode is busily being written, recorded and edited.  This is the second of our Q&A sessions.  Everyone is encouraged to send a comment or question.  I’d love to hear from you.  Thanks for your ongoing support and listenership.

In this final installment of the Han Dynasty overview we look at the reign of Wang Mang during the short lived Xin Dynasty and the Eastern (or Later) Han Dynasty that followed.  The Eastern Han was a period of endless skullduggery at the imperial court where the palace eunuchs rose to power and meddled endlessly behind the scenes.  The final years of the Eastern Han were times of great chaos where the empire ultimately broke up into three kingdoms.  This was the time of Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Quan.  When the Eastern Han ended in 220AD, the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu battled for supremacy in China for sixty years.

Today we present the second part of the Western Han Dynasty overview where we will look at the great Han emperors Wendi, Jingdi and perhaps the greatest of them all, Han Wudi.  It was a golden age in Chinese history and saw the first indirect contact between the Roman Empire

Emperor Han Wudi 汉武帝

in the west and Han China in the east.  The Silk Road of course was the conduit between these two great empires. Next week we will continue on with the short-lived Xin Dynasty of Wang Mang and the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Liu Bang 刘邦, Western Han 1st emperor Han Gaozu汉高祖

In this week’s episode we look at only the first few decades of the Western Han Dynasty.  The Western Han lasted from 202BC to 8AD.  We’ll focus in on the fall of the Qin and the rise of Liu Bang who went on to found the Han Dynasty.  Liu Bang would reign as Emperor Gaozu.  Today we will look at his rise to power, his reign, his death and its gruesome aftermath.  Next week we will pick up with the reigns of Emperors Wen, Jing and Wu.  The periods of Wang Mang and the Eastern Han will wait until the 3rd installment of our Han Dynasty overview.  On another day we will return and focus in on many of the amazing stories of this golden  period.

In this episode we look at the second phase of the Zhou Dynasty.  This period was known as the Eastern Zhou.  The Eastern Zhou was broken down between the Spring & Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.  It lasted from 770 to 221BC.  From this chaotic period sprang the great works that defined Chinese philosophy through the ages.

Today we take a 走马看花 look at the 790 year Zhou Dynasty, the longest dynasty in Chinese history. In this episode we will particularly focus on the Western Zhou Period which lasted for 275 years.  Next week we will finish the Zhou Dynasty by examining the Eastern Zhou Period.

This week in part two of our dynasty overview, we examine the Shang Dynasty 1600 BC to 1046 BC.  Chinese characters make their appearance for the first time.  Artisans cast the most beautiful bronzes. Because of the discovery of archaeological evidence, many consider this China’s first real dynasty.

Yu the Great 大禹

In this episode we commence our Chinese imperial dynasty overview.  It begins today with the Xia Dynasty 夏朝代. According to historiographer Sima Qian, this was the first dynasty of China.  It’s origins and its demise and everything in between have all come from sources written many centuries later.  For this reason and for reasons of lack of archaeological evidence, the Xia is called a “legendary dynasty” of China.

Li Ka-shing is a Hong Kong billionaire tycoon who has played a great role in not only Hong Kong’s prosperity but in China’s as well.  He is respected not only for his achievements in business and industry but also for his rise from humble beginnings in Chaozhou, China.

Mr. Li Ka-shing 李嘉诚先生

This week we take a break from the history.  Laszlo answers listener questions concerning Chinese language and history. Listeners are encouraged to send a comment, question or suggestion for a topic.

Kang Sheng 康生 was a sinister character from modern Chinese history who was both Chairman Mao’s close confidant and creator of China’s Secret Police.

Kublai Khan (忽必烈汗）was a great 13th Century Mongol Khan who also went down in history as one of China’s greatest emperors.  He ruled during a great golden age in China.  It was this warrior and emperor who received Marco Polo at his magnificent palace.

February 1972 “The week that changed the world”.  We pick up where we left off last week with President Nixon’s historic visit to the PRC.

Thirty-eight years ago President Nixon visited Peking, as it was called then, and jump started the normalization of relations between the two great nations of The United States and the People’s Republic of China.  This was a story that played out over three years and culminated in one of the great geopolitical media events of the 20th century.

This week we look at the Tang dynasty Empress Wu Zetian, the only woman from Chinese history to rule China as an emperor in her own name.

Chinese names used in this episode:

Wu Zetian  武则天  The only empress in China to rule in her own name

Wu Zhao 武曌  Wu Zetian’s personal name

Taiyuan 太原  Capital of Shanxi Province

Li Shimin 李世民 Name of the 2nd Tang Dynasty emperor who reigned as Tang Taizong 唐太宗

Guifei 贵妃 1st Rank 1st level concubine

Shufei 淑妃 1st Rank 2nd level Concubine

Defei 德妃 1st Rank 3rd level Concubine

Xianfei 贤妃 1st rank 4th level Concubine

Wu Meiniang 武媚娘 Other name of Wu Zetian

Li Zhi 李治 Son of Emperor Taizong. Li Zhi reigned as Emperor Gaozong 高宗

Ganye Temple 感业寺 Temple where Wu Zetian was sent to become a nun

Xiao Shufei  蕭淑妃 Concubine of Gaozong who was a rival of Wu Zetian

Empress Wang 王皇后 Wife and Empress of Tang Gaozong 唐高宗

Li Hong 李弘 5th son of Gaozong, 1st son with Wu Zetian. Became Emperor Xiaojing 孝敬皇帝

Li Xian 李顯  2nd son of Gaozong and Wu Zetian. Later the Zongzong Emperor 中宗皇帝

Zaixiang 宰相 Chancellor (sort of like a prime minister)

Ersheng 二圣 The Two Sages (how Gaozong and Wu Zetian were referred to)

Shunsheng Huanghou 順聖皇后 Posthumous name given to Wu Zetian

In this week’s episode we give an overview of the First Opium War, one of the most humiliating events in Modern Chinese history.  From this event that culminated in the first of many unequal treaties in 1842, China began a steady downhill slide and suffered a multitude of setbacks and insults from foreign powers eager to trade with China and build market share.

Bu pingdeng tiaoyue 不平等条约   The Unequal Treaties

Dongya Bingfu 东亚病夫  The Sick Man of Asia

Laobaixing 老百姓 The Chinese people (The Old 100 Surnames)

Zhongguo 中国  China

Kangxi 康熙  The Kangxi Emperor

Yongzheng 雍正 The Yongzheng Emperor

Qianlong 乾隆  The Qianlong Emperor

Ketou 磕头 To kowtow (alternate pronunciation)

Daoguang 道光 The Daoguang Emperor

Lin Zexu 林则徐 The great Chinese hero Lin Zexu

Humen 虎门 The town in Guangdong where Lin Zexu burned the opium

Dongguan 东莞 City not far from Humen, a major center for the Made in China trade

Qi Shan 琦善 Manchu Official who relieved Lin Zexu after the Opium War

Three opium addicts during the Qing Dyansty enjoying a nice pipe.

In this brief episode of the China History Podcast we examine the four generations of leaders and get acquainted with their names.  1949 to the present day has seen four generations of Chinese leadership going back to Chairman Mao Zedong.  We will also look at the fifth generation of leaders who will take their new places in 2013.

Terms used in this episode:

he xin 核心 the core

First Generation

Mao Zedong 毛泽东

Zhou Enlai 周恩来

Zhu De 朱德

Liu Shaoqi 刘少奇

Second Generation

Deng Xiaoping 邓小平

Hu Yaobang 胡耀邦

Zhao Ziyang 赵紫阳

Third Generation

Jiang Zemin 江泽民

Li Peng 李鹏

Zhu Rongji 朱镕基

Li Peng 李鹏

Fourth Generation

Hu Jintao 胡锦涛

Wen Jiabao 温家宝

Fifth Generation

Xi Jinping 习近平

Le Keqiang 李克强

The Great Leap Forward ( 大跃进) from 1958-1960 caused death and suffering  to dozens of millions of people.  It sounded like a workable idea but it didn’t turn out like Chairman Mao hoped.  When looking back on the life of Mao Zedong, the Great Leap Forward is always viewed as a black mark against his legacy.  I welcome you to listen to the podcast and learn all about what happens when central planning goes awry.

Terms from this Episode

Da Yue Jin 大跃进 The Great Leap Forward

Liu Shaoqi 刘少奇 Mao’s first successor who later became a victim of the Cultural Revolution

Tian Jiaying 田家英 Mao’s secretary

Deng Xiaoping 邓小平

Zhou Enlai 周恩来

Chen Yi 陈毅

nongmin 农民  peasantry

san huai nian 三坏年 The Three Bad Years

san nian da ji huang 三年大饥荒 Three year big famine

san nian ziran zaihai 三年自然灾害  Three years of natural disasters

Yang Jisheng 杨继绳 Author of the authoritative book about the Great Leap Forward, Tombstone.

Lushan Conference 庐山会议 July 1959 meeting where the Great Leap Forward was discussed and Peng Dehuai was criticized.

Peng Dehuai 彭德怀 Hunanese Revolutionary Hero, Defense Minister and old comrade of Mao…criticized by Mao at the Lushan Conference

Ta gan shuo hua 他敢说话  He dared to speak up, what many say about Peng Dehuai

Lin Biao 林彪 China’s defense minister after Peng Dehuai

Today we look at the Four Great Inventions, the 四大发明, that Lord Francis Bacon hailed as having done more than anything else to transform completely the modern world and mark it off from antiquity and the Middle Ages.  Today we examine the four great inventions of the compass, gunpowder, paper and printing.

Terms used in this episode

Si Da Fa Ming  四大发明  The Four Great Inventions

Zhi Nan 指南 Compass

Shen Kuo 沈括 Writer of the Dream Pool Essays （梦溪笔谈）

Wujing Zongyao 武警总要 Collection of the Most Important Military Techniques, first described gunpowder

Bi Sheng 毕升 Credited with inventing moveable type

Cai Lun 蔡伦 Credited with inventing paper during the Han Dynasty.

The first emperor of China, Qin Shihuang 秦始皇

In our inaugural episode of the China History Podcast we examine the life and reign of China’s first emperor. Qin Shihuang who founded the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), a dynasty that bridged the feudalism of the Zhou with the splendor of the Han.

Terms used in this Episode:

Qin Shihuang 秦始皇 First emperor of China

Ying Zheng 嬴正  Given name of Qin Shihuang

Seven Warring States: Han, Wei, Zhao, Chu, Qi, Yan, Qin

King Zhuangxiang 庄㐮王 King of Qin, father of Ying Zheng

Lü Buwei 吕不韦 Confidante to King Zhuangxiang

Zhao Ji 赵姬 Mother of Ying Zheng

Sima Qian 司马迁 China’s greatest Historian, writer of the Shiji 史记 Record of the Grand Historian

Lao Ai 嫪毐  Ally of Lu Buwei

San Huang Wu Di  三皇五帝 Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors

Shi 始 First, start

Huangdi 皇帝 emperor

Li Si 李斯 Right hand man of Qin Shihuang during his reign – Strong Legalist

Shi Er Jin Ren 十二金人 The Twelve Gold Men

Pingyuan County 平原县 County in northwest Shandong province

Hebei Province 河北省

Shijiazhuang 石家庄 Capital of Hebei

Fu Su 扶苏 Qin Shihuang’s son and legitimate hier

Meng Tian 蒙恬 Loyal general to Qin Shihuang

Zhao Gao 赵高 Part of the emperor’s inner circle

Hu Hai 胡亥 Second Son of Qin Shihuang, became 2nd emperor of the Qin Dynasty

Er Huang 二皇 2nd Emperor

Ziying 子婴 2nd emperor’s son, last emperor of the ill-fated Qin

A warm welcome to everyone across the world and thank you for listening to the introductory episode of the China History Podcast.  Each week we will bring you a different topic taken from the annals of 5,000 years of Chinese history. We’ll look at the dynasties, historical persons, ancient history, modern history and everything in between.  Today in the 21st century China’s role in the world and how China’s impact touches many of us has never been greater.  Here at the China History Podcast we aim to explain China’s past so you can better understand China’s present.

The Great Chinese Historian Sima Qian 司马迁