Book Reviews, History
Jeremiah Jenne
Peking Picnic by Ann Bridge

A 1930s novel of manners with evocative descriptions of Old Beijing offers surprisingly timeless observations about what it means to be an expat in China.

Peking Picnic by Ann Bridge
Audio, Contemporary China
Jeremiah Jenne
Let Only Red Flowers Bloom, with NPR ...

In this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, we talk with Emily Feng about her new book Let Only Red Flowers Bloom: Identity and Belonging in Xi Jinping’s China.

Let Only Red Flowers Bloom, with NPR Correspondent Emily Feng
Book Reviews, History
Jeremiah Jenne
Lin Yutang: My Country, My People

In 1935, the Chinese author Lin Yutang offered Westerners an insider’s guide to China's society. It endures today despite his own cultural contradictions.

Lin Yutang: My Country, My People
Audio, History
Jeremiah Jenne
Is this America's Cultural Revolution Moment?

In this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, Jeremiah and Chris Stewart of The History of China Podcast ask the question, "Is this America's Cultural Revolution moment?"

Is this America's Cultural Revolution Moment?
Contemporary China, Audio
Jeremiah Jenne
Experiencing the World of Jazz in China

Our latest episode explores jazz in China—from its revival in 1980s Beijing to today's talented performers. David Moser discusses how musicians with limited recordings mastered the medium and laid the groundwork for generations of skilled jazz players from China.

Experiencing the World of Jazz in China

Chinese Exclusion: Celebrating the Workers Who Helped Build the Transcontinental Railway

Chinese Exclusion: Celebrating the Workers Who Helped Build the Transcontinental Railway

150 years ago this month, one of the most famous photographs in American history commemorated the completion of the transcontinental railway. But where are the Chinese workers who played a key role in building the railroad?

,

What to Read in Beijing: 10 Books to Keep you Inspired in the Middle Kingdom's Capital

,
What to Read in Beijing: 10 Books to Keep you Inspired in the Middle Kingdom's Capital

From the Cultural Revolution and Chinese millennials to the Kangxi Emperor and hutongs, this list of books to read on your trip through Beijing will keep you entertained, informed, and enlightened.

,

Politics Squared: A Look at Tiananmen Square and the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial

,
Politics Squared: A Look at Tiananmen Square and the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial

To walk around Tiananmen Square in Beijing or the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial in Taipei is to appreciate the divergent paths these two capitals have taken in the 21st century.

The Battle of Yamen and the End of the Song Dynasty

The Battle of Yamen and the End of the Song Dynasty

As ships sank and the sea off the coast of Guangdong filled with corpses, the Mongol ships approached the vessel carrying Zhao Shi and his court. According to legend, rather than hand the boy over to the enemy, Lu Xiufu, a prime minister in Zhao Shi’s court, grabbed the young ruler and jumped into the sea drowning them both.

Meet the Great Chinese Women Your History Teacher Forgot to Mention

Meet the Great Chinese Women Your History Teacher Forgot to Mention

If we are to celebrate famous women in Chinese history, I think it’s time we expanded the list beyond the standard starting five (Wu Zetian, the Pirate Queen Ching Shih/Zheng Yi Sao, Ban Zhao, Hua Mulan, and Pick-Your-Favorite Soong sister).

, ,

China’s competing legacies on show at National Palace Museums in Beijing and Taipei

, ,
China’s competing legacies on show at National Palace Museums in Beijing and Taipei

  • The mid-century scramble to stop priceless art and artefacts falling into the wrong hands saw country’s collection of imperial artefacts splinter

  • Nationalists transported their treasures to Taiwan, while newly minted People’s Republic allowed Forbidden City to preserve posterity

Swine Fever: Celebrating Chinese History’s Most Famous Pigs

Swine Fever: Celebrating Chinese History’s Most Famous Pigs

What do Hillary Clinton, Chinese Admiral Zheng He, Amy Winehouse, and Chiang Kai-shek have in common? They are all pigs.

,

China’s Struggles to Reconcile Church and State are Rooted in History

,
China’s Struggles to Reconcile Church and State are Rooted in History

It’s not an easy time to be Christian, Muslim, or Jewish in China. Universalist religions are under attack in the PRC.

China’s Ghostwriter: The True Story Behind Jackie Chan’s New Movie “Knight of Shadows”

China’s Ghostwriter: The True Story Behind Jackie Chan’s New Movie “Knight of Shadows”

Qing dynasty writer Pu Songling gets the big screen treatment next month with Jackie Chan in the lead role. But who was the Qing era's most famous "ghost writer"?

Find me on BlueSky, LinkedIn, TWITTER, Instagram, or Apple Podcasts.