The China History Podcast

The China History Podcast episodes:

• 04.21.2024

  The History of Chinese Philosophy (Part 8)

  We've already explored the Ru School of Philosophy and the thought of Confucius, Mengzi and Xunzi. This time we look at Legalism and the most important philosophers of this school of thought. We'll look at the lives of Shang Yang,...

  
• 04.17.2024

  The History of Chinese Philosophy (Part 7)

  This episode will focus on the life of Mengzi and his philosophy. We'll also introduce Mengzi's legendary mother. Then we'll finish off with another Confucianist great from this era, Xunzi 荀子. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  
• 04.14.2024

  Jin Yong and the Wuxia genre. Laszlo chats with author Alice Poon

  I had the great pleasure to interview fellow Earnshaw Books author, Alice Poon recently. The occasion was the official release date of her new book, "The Earthly Blaze" (links below). We first discussed the life and work of Zha Liangyong,...

  
• 04.07.2024

  S9E04 | Be like Kong Rong

  This Chinese Saying, or at least the story, is rather well-known. The story of young Kong Rong and the bowl of pears. Kǒng Róng Ràng Lí 孔融让梨. This perennial children's favorite has a nice moral lesson to teach. When you...

  
• 04.07.2024

  The History of Chinese Philosophy (Part 6)

  This time around we will explore the other major Ru philosophers who established rival schools of thought, including Mozi 墨子. Then we'll explore the early life of Mengzi 孟子 (a.k.a. Mencius) and what he meant to Confucianism. Learn more about your...

  
• 03.31.2024

  The History of Chinese Philosophy (Part 5)

  This time we move beyond Confucius to look at some of the other schools of thought that contended with each other during the Spring and Autumn Period of the Zhou Dynasty. This included the School of Names and the Sophists,...

  
• 03.24.2024

  The History of Chinese Philosophy (Part 4)

  The story of Confucius and what he taught continues with an introduction to his disciples. We also look at Confucian core beliefs as well as selected quotes from the Analects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  
• 03.24.2024

  S9E03 | Please allow me to introduce myself

  Sima Qian strikes again. This time around we look at the well-known saying, Máo Suì Zì Jiàn 毛遂自荐. I tend to favor those 成语's from the Warring States Period. This one concerns the particularly volatile time in the Warring States...

  
• 03.17.2024

  The History of Chinese Philosophy (Part 3)

  In this episode, we'll take a look at the early life of Confucius and his service to the State of Lu. We'll also look at a few stories from his life, including the legend of when Confucius met Laozi. The...

  
• 03.10.2024

  S9E02 | R-E-S-P-E-C-T

  This week's Chinese Saying is another good and respectable one that comes to us compliments of the Book of Song. It concerns the Northern Song official and literatus Yang Shi. His two main teachers were the famous Cheng Brothers, Cheng...

  
• 03.10.2024

  The History of Chinese Philosophy (Part 2)

  This time we will look at some pre-Confucian philosophy during the Zhou Dynasty. Philosophers such as the little-known Yuzi 鬻子 will be introduced. Then we will look at Guan Zhong 管仲 and the concept of the Chinese Gentleman, or...

  
• 03.07.2024

  Laszlo Chats with Kaiser Kuo

  Just in time for Kaiser's birthday today, March 7th, here's a recording of a chat we had a couple of days ago. Nothing too heavy. Laszlo invited Kaiser on to the CHP for a friendly, light-hearted, and respectful conversation about...

  
• 03.03.2024

  The History of Chinese Philosophy (Part 1)

  Back in 2017, I produced a nine-part series on the history of Chinese philosophy. These were once episodes CHP-184 to 192. In 2021, I removed this series from the CHP lineup of shows and published it as an online course....

  
• 02.25.2024

  S9E01 | The Truth Always Gets Out

  For the Season 9 opener, we bring you a good one that takes place in the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty. Qin Hui, the reviled chancellor of Emperor Gaozong is back again, starring in another Chinese Saying, inspired...

  
• 02.22.2024

  Ep. 343 | The History of Clocks and Timekeeping in China

  This is an old topic I thought I'd present now to coincide with the recent release of the interview with the curators of "Clockwork Treasures From China's Forbidden City. Usually, I release new shows on Sundays at 5 AM L.A....

  
• 02.18.2024

  Clockwork Treasures from China's Forbidden City

  After hearing me talk about it for the longest time now, here's the interview with Tilly Blyth and Abbie MacKinnon at The London Science Museum. We discussed the Zimingzhong: Clockwork Treasures From China's Forbidden City that opened on February 1,...

  
• 02.11.2024

  Ep. 342 | China, East Africa, and Mwalimu Julius Nyerere

  Happy Year of the Dragon, 新年快乐，龙年大吉! Just in time for the Lunar New Year here's, here's a look back at the 1960s when Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, the nation of Tanzania, and Mao's China were fully engaged and setting the pace...

  
• 01.21.2024

  Ep. 341 | The History of Chinese Medicine (Part 5)

  In this Part 5 episode, we'll look at the history of Chinese medicine during the Ming and Qing, as well as all the major works that came out of that period. There will be a spotlight on Li Shizhen and his...

  
• 01.07.2024

  Bonus Episode, An old favorite of Laszlo's

  I wouldn't technically call this a Bonus Episode. We're in between seasons right now. And while Laszlo and Emma are busy brainstorming the chengyu lineup for Season 9, here's a re-recording of one of Laszlo's all-time favorite episodes from the seven-year...

  
• 12.31.2023

  Ep. 340 | The History of Chinese Medicine (Part 4)

  For the 2024 Year-End Closing episode, we continue on with the History of Chinese Medicine during the Sòng. Bi Sheng started a revolution in book printing with his invention of movable type printing. This led to an explosion of new...

  
• 12.17.2023

  Bonus CSP Episode featuring Emma in the narrator's seat

  As promised and advertised, to cap off another winning season of the Chinese Sayings Podcast, we're proud to feature none other than our very own Emma, presenting a special bonus episode. This time we look at another good one: 鹬蚌相争, 渔翁得利....

  
• 12.10.2023

  Ep. 339 | The History of Chinese Medicine (Part 3)

  The focus in Part 3 will be on the Song Dynasty, the Jin and the Yuan. Looming large in Chinese medicine during this fertile period was Sun Simiao, the 药王 or King of Medicines. We'll look at his life as...

  
• 12.05.2023

  S8E10 | Don't Count Me Out Yet

  For the second time in a row, we feature the Cao Family of Wei in a Chinese Sayings Podcast Episode. This one concerns a story of someone who made the grade late in life. There are a lot of people...

  
• 11.19.2023

  S8E09 | Why Can't We Live Together

  So much rancor in this world these days. Here's one that describes the feeling of mutual enmity that existed between two giants of their day, Cao Cao and Sun Quan. During the waning years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, three...

  
• 11.12.2023

  Ep. 338 | The History of Chinese Medicine (Part 2)

  As advertised last time in Part 1, we'll take a look at The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, the Huangdi Neijing 黄帝内经, including an explanation of the meridians. I'll also read a few passages from this most important of the ancient...

  
• 10.22.2023

  S8E08 | Let's Stick Together

  Once again, for all CHP listeners, I'm featuring the latest episode of the Chinese Sayings Podcast. It's said that we human beings have been called social animals by nature. Some of us love other kinds of people more than others...

  
• 10.15.2023

  Ep. 337 | The History of Chinese Medicine (Part 1)

  Here we commence a new series, one that will explore the history of Chinese Medicine. In this episode, we'll explore some of the basics and the lives and achievements of China's earliest physicians, the mythical and the ones we know...

  
• 10.08.2023

  S8E07 | Help!

  We're back for the seventh time this season. This time we're happy to feature once again the great Daoist philosopher who never disappoints. This story about the fish in a rut is a rather well-known one from the Outer Chapters...

  
• 09.24.2023

  S8E06 | Looks can be deceiving

  For the second time this season, we refer to Zuo Qiuming's "Chronicles of Zuo" for another good and useful chengyu. This one takes place in the Spring and Autumn Period and concerns a haughty self-important minister from Jin State stopping...

  
• 09.17.2023

  Ep. 336 | Guiguzi, The Sage of Ghost Valley

  Written into the ancient histories were the big-name Warring States characters Su Qin, Zhang Yi, Sun Bin, and Pang Juan. Sima Qian and others remarked that these four men were all students of Guiguzi 鬼谷子. He's like a lot of figures...

  
• 09.10.2023

  S8E05 | Shock the Monkey

  Lovers of all things Song Dynasty will surely recall the story of Qin Hui. He has top billing in this tale concerning the story behind Shù Dǎo Húsūn Sàn 树倒猢狲散. This one has practical applications these days when we see...

  
• 09.03.2023

  Ep. 335 | Qian Xuesen (Part 2)

  Once his past attendance at meetings of the Pasadena Communist Party in 1938 come to light, Qian gets caught up in the Red Scare of the 1950s. In this Part 2 episode, we see how the US government accused Qian...

  
• 09.03.2023

  Ep. 334 | Qian Xuesen (Part 1)

  Once again, by popular demand, here's another oft-requested topic. With the recent release of the Oppenheimer film, I thought this story was quite timely. Qian Xuesen is called "The Father of China's Missile and Space Program." What's not as well...

  
• 08.27.2023

  S8E04 | Run For Your Life

  Once again we thank The Grand Historian for giving up another good one. This one's an eight-character chengyu. The story goes back to 206 BC and the famous story of Liu Bang and Xiang Yu's meeting at The Banquet at...

  
• 08.20.2023

  Ep. 333 | Keye Luke

  If you're someone born in the 1940s-50s and 60s, Keye Luke was a familiar name, especially if you watched American TV. As a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild, I thought his story might be timely. Set's take a...

  
• 08.13.2023

  S8E03 | Gimme Three Steps

  With a cast of characters like the Dukes of Jin and Chu and everyone's favorite exile Chong Er, you're guaranteed a treat. This is the story behind the chengyu: 退避三舍 Tuì Bì Sān Shè. The story of Chong Er, his...

  
• 08.06.2023

  Ep. 332 | The History of Yunnan Province (Part 5)

  Here's the final episode in the Yunnan history series. In this episode, we pick up in 1875 in the wake of the Margary Affair and take the story through the end of the Qing and into the Warlord and Republican...

  
• 07.30.2023

  S8E02 | Blue, Blue, My World is Blue

  This time we're featuring another oldie but goodie, Qīng Chū Yú Lán 青出于蓝. Though Xunzi was the inspiration for the chengyu, the tale behind this Chinese Saying comes from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period. The longer version of the...

  
• 07.25.2023

  New from Empires - An Asian Business Podcast

  Starting last year I became a big fan of many of the new shows that have been emerging from Singapore, India, China, the Philippines, and elsewhere in Asia. My buddy at 1UP Media, Yeo Guang Jin is running a multi-part...

  
• 07.23.2023

  Ep. 331 | The History of Yunnan Province (Part 4)

  Here's Part 4 of my latest effort. This episode examines all the events leading up to, during, and immediately after The Panthay Rebellion, 1856-1872. Since the time of the Mongols, the Hui Chinese had served the dynasties faithfully as civil servants and bureaucrats....

  
• 07.18.2023

  Laszlo chats with Iron Horse Road Podcast producers Hao Huang and Micah Huang

  A few days ago, Laszlo sat down with good friend Hao Huang and son, Micah, at Scripps College where Hao is the Bessie and Cecil Frankel Chair in Music. In 2021 they co-produced the Blood on Gold Mountain Podcast. In...

  
• 07.16.2023

  S8E01 | Wouldn't Change a Thing

  Welcome back to another season of Chinese Sayings. For the Season 8 opener, we open with a well-known and useful chengyu: Yī Zì Qiān Jīn 一字千金. The story behind this classic from The Record of the Grand Historian features the...

  
• 07.09.2023

  Ep. 330 | The History of Yunnan Province (Part 3)

  In this latest installment of the Yunnan History series, we take the narrative up to the Qing Dynasty in the 1800s. The province had been relatively peaceful since the late 13th-century Mongol conquest. Then, not so much come the accession of...

  
• 06.25.2023

  Ep. 329 | The History of Yunnan Province (Part 2)

  We pick up after the fall of the Tang Dynasty and Nanzhao Kingdom. The main focus in this Part 2 episode will be the rise and fall of the Dali Kingdom and the Mongol Conquest of Dali in 1253. We'll also...

  
• 06.23.2023

  The History of Beijing with Jeremiah Jenne

  The response was so positive last time longtime Beijing ex-pat Dr. Jeremiah Jenne appeared on the CHP, we decided to invite him on the program again. Seeing how JJ has called this magnificent city home for the past twenty-odd years,...

  
• 06.20.2023

  The Ming Dynasty, Europa Universalis IV, and Grand Strategy Gaming with Álvaro Sanz of Paradox Interactive

  Over the past year, I've had the great pleasure of working with a talented group of game developers at Paradox Tinto, one of the studios where they design and develop history-based grand strategy games. These Grand Strategy Games are enjoyed...

  
• 06.11.2023

  Ep. 328 | The History of Yunnan Province (Part 1)

  In this first episode of a multi-part series, we'll look at Yunnan's ancient beginnings during the Zhou Dynasty and take things up to the end of the Nanzhao Kingdom in the 10th century. The Dian Kingdom, the Cuanman, the beginnings...

  
• 05.28.2023

  Ep. 327 | The History of China-Cambodia Relations (Part 2)

  In this episode, we'll focus on modern China-Cambodia Relations. The rise of the Cambodian communists (Khmer Rouge) will be highlighted, along with how China helped to facilitate their rise and keep them in power. In addition to PRC support for...

  
• 05.21.2023

  Bonus Episode: Emma debuts on the Chinese Sayings Podcast

  Emma's been integral to the CSP for a few seasons now. Here's one more nice chengyu that has loads of utility value. This time Emma herself, introduces the story behind the saying 世外桃源 Shì Wài Táo Yuán. This comes straight...

  
• 05.14.2023

  Ep. 326 | The History of China Cambodia Relations (Part 1)

  This is part 1 of a 2-part series covering the history of the relations between China and Cambodia. In this first half of the series, I present the early history. Some of this material was covered in the China-Vietnam series: Funan, Zhenla,...