Even if you don’t know anything else about China, if you’re listening to this podcast, you’ve most likely heard of the Great Wall. It’s often cited as one of the wonders of the world, and not without reason — it is genuinely a marvel of human workmanship.

Like any structure of this scale, though, the Great Wall’s construction was not without human cost, and this echoes through the pages of history and cultural memory. Today, we’ll look at a widely-known story that tells of one woman’s relationship with the Great Wall — one of China’s Four Great Folktales.

Join me, Jaer Christie, as I explore the hidden stories that shape the world on The Mythographist: Myths of Mainland China.

 

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Written, narrated, and produced by Jaer Christie

Research by Jaer Christie & Elena Tung

 

Music:

"Dancing Abroad" by Shaoqing Luna Li - https://filmmusic.io/u/sqluna/music

License CC BY 4.0 - https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

 

"River Water," "Lament at Chang Gate," and "Lament" from the collection The Essence of Famous Chinese Folk Music, used under CC fair use.