With Chinese Characteristics: Recent Episodes
Natalie and Cherrie
A podcast where Natalie and Cherrie discuss Chinese history and stuff.We think we're funny but we're probably not.Episodes every other Sunday
We finally meet everyone's favorite guy (Song Jiang), and learn about song dynasty interrogation techniques.
This episode delves into Chinese stamps/seals/chops (印章), exploring the origins, ritualization, and various cultural conventions associated with this ancient practice.
Given their existence predating the invention of paper in China, what surfaces did ancient Chinese court officials typically stamp upon? Did different dynasties enforce distinct rules regarding stamps? Was the loss of an emperor's jade seals believed to signify the loss of the mandate of heaven? In the late Qing dynasty, the penalty for misusing the stamp could be as severe as death. Was this penalty genuinely enforced, or was it akin to many other historical (and current day) Chinese laws—a fallback scapegoat system?
Tune in to uncover the answers!
In this episode we discuss the Qing Dynasty's 'Self Strengthening Movement' of roughly 1861-1890.
Recognizing the superiority of european weapons, technology, and scientific knowledge, the Qing Dynasty attempted to adopt and integrate them into an otherwise unchanged Confucian bureaucracy.
Ambitious Westerners flocked to the country, lured by Qing silver, and with the support of towering Chinese figures such as Li Hongzhang and Cixi, helped the Qing reach a level of power and prosperity that had not been seen for a century.
However, in resisting deeper, more structural changes, the Qing Dynasty would place itself on the wrong side of history, and eventually fall at the hands of more dynamic revolutionaries and reformers.
Hello everyone. More water margin.
Zhang Yhi has to make life changes, and we learn how to motivate your police inspectors.
In this episode we get to the long awaited robbery of the birthday gifts (worth 100,000 strings of cash).
Will our 7 (or 8) brave heroes succeed?
Hello Everyone!
The exciting conclusion to our yellow river discussions. In this episode we discuss the near century where active management of the river was abandoned in the late Qing Dynasty, and the Communist party's attempts to return it to order.
We also touch on modern PRC water management techniques, which often involve redirecting water from more affluent areas to less politically sensitive ones.
The plot thickens as Wu Yong seeks out the three Ruan brothers to join the dream team to rob the birthday treasure caravan worth a hundred thousand strings of cash. Could he persuade the three gallant men using this sleek tongue? In this episode, we also meet a real wizard named "Dragon in the Clouds". These 7 (or 8) men are being brought together by fate. In this episode we discuss (more!) Chinese social etiquette, how as bad as peasant Chinese men had it, peasant women had it worse, and more.
Hello it's Ch 14 and a plot is starting to heat up.
Can our unlikely heroes find 7 (or 8) bold men to help them steal an entire year's worth of bribe money?!
Hello everyone. It's chapter 13.
In this episode we discuss the specifics of Chinese nepotism, and how military command works in the Song Dynasty.
Our story continues on with a new main character, Yang Zhi.
Learn about grotesque rocks, how to bribe people in Song Dynasty China, and why its so dangerous to sell your sword.
In Episode 11 of water margin we discuss Lin Chong's continued fall from grace, the dangers of failed scholars, and why all the bad boys in the Song Dynasty are eating beef.
Article Mentioned:
"Beefy Outlaws: Beef Consumption in Water Margin and Its Song-Yuan Antecedents"https://brill.com/view/journals/joch/7/3/article-p342_6.xml?language=en
This is a special episode from Cherrie and Natalie's travels. Tune in to find out why we highly recommend you make a trip to Kinmen Island (and Taiwan!). In this episode we talked about Kinmen's history, culture and politices.
Check out our episode about Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor (金门高粱酒): Baijiu: The World's Favorite Spirit 白酒历史谈
The Grand Canal, a waterway system that travels vast regions of China is famous today as a UNESCO world heritage site. In this episode we discuss its complicated history. Why build a canal? What was the labor cost - measured in countless lives - that built an emperor's vision? Does the UNESCO World Heritage Convention transcends cultural nationalism or reinforce it? Tune in to this first episode about the Grand Canal and its history.
Hello It's Chapter 9!!!
Lin Chong continues his journey and we meet Tough Guy enthusiast and sponsor, Chai Jin.
We also talk in great, exhaustive detail, on the cultural significance of griddle cakes, and special soups.
In this episode we talk about the "high reward / high risk" stage of Imperial Chinese hydraulic management during the Late Ming to late Qing dynasties.
Vast amounts of money, material, and expertise were poured into keeping the yellow river forced into a narrow, rapid channel. These efforts allowed the entire vast Chinese canal and irrigation system to function (including the grand canal), but at the price of constant vigilance. The river never rested, and a single season of negligence could undo years of careful maintenance.
We also discuss the men who managed this system "Confucian Engineers" and use the 1841 levee breach at Kaifeng of an example of how the system operated and responded to emergencies.
If you'd like to see illustrated examples of some of the tools and methods described in this episode, the National University of Taiwan has a digitized copy of a Qing Dynasty illustrated river management handbook here:
https://taiwanebook.ncl.edu.tw/zh-tw/book/NTUL-9900013371/reader
For additional reading on this topic I also suggest "Controlling the Dragon: Confucian Engineers and the Yellow River in Later Imperial China" by Randall A Dodgen.
In this short chapter we deal with the sentencing of Lin Chong after he is framed by Gao Qiu.
Despite the best intentions of the local Magistrate, personal power and political connections is always greater than the law in imperial China.
We also discuss the finer points of Imperial chinese punishments.
Lin Chong enters the scene, and we also we learn one of the great struggles facing tough dudes in the Northern Song Dynasty, having a hot wife and a lecherous boss.
Also discussed:
Sworn Brotherhood
Crows
Schemes
Strange men selling swords in an offer to frame you in an elaborate conspiracy.
As mentioned here is the paper referenced in the episode:
https://pages.ucsd.edu/~dkjordan/scriptorium/jyebay.html
In this episode we discuss China's sorrow, the famous and infamous yellow river (黄河). Stretching through China's north eastern floodplain, it both birthed early chinese civilization, and put it through some of its most harrowing challenges.
In part one we discuss the geography of the yellow river, its early myths, and how the complex interaction between rainfall, erosion, and human action can create extremely deadly disaster events.
Interesting books on the Yellow River:
The Yellow River, a Natural and Unnatural History
https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300238334/the-yellow-river/
The Water Kingdom:
https://www.amazon.com/Water-Kingdom-PHILIP-BALL/dp/1784701548/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
In this episode we continue the adventures of Sagacious Lu, and meet up with some old friends. He finally reaches the great Xiangguo monastery and is put in an important position there.
We also touch on:
Division of Buddhist Monks
Kitchen Gods
The Commentaries of 金圣叹
Being a Man of Valor as opposed to just a person who knows how to fight.
Paper on the Monk System in the Ming and Qing Dynasties
http://rdbk1.ynlib.cn:6251/qw/Paper/635647
Commentaries by 金圣叹
http://www.guoxue123.com/xiaosuo/jd/jpshz/index.htm
In this latest exciting episode of the WCC Book Club we spend time with Sagacious Lu on his spiritual journey, which seems to involve beating up everyone around him.
In late November 2022, just last month, protests broke out all over China. People took to the streets to voice their discontent against the “Zero Covid” policies of the Chinese government. This came from months of frustration and suffering under the zero covid policies and the strict social control the Chinese state, the CCP government, had enforced on its people.
After at least 10 lives lost and many injured in the No 24th fire in Xinjing, Ürümqi, during which zero covid lockdown measures impeded the rescue and escape of the victims trapped inside the building, people marched in front of a local government building. Surprisingly yet, they waved the Chinese national flag and sang the Chinese national anthem to voice their dissent.
In this episode we discuss how the many versions of Chinese National Anthems in the past 150 years reflect the needs of the Chinese state at the time. Though sometimes, people use the tool of nationalism to combat the grip the ruling class has on the nation.
2022年11月，在乌鲁木齐的大火之后，人们走向了街头抗议。在一栋政府大楼面前，示威者们一度一起唱起了《义勇军进行曲》。国歌在大多数情况下，是国家主义的工具，是民族主义与爱国教育的化身表达。但是当中国的抗议者们借它来表达对政府的愤怒的时候，也意味着中共政府借民族国家主义为自己正名的把戏被戳穿。
在2022年春季的上海封城期间，政府和社交媒体平台也曾多次审查屏蔽《义勇军进行曲》的歌词。这是一首所有人都耳熟能详的歌曲，我们都能说得出它的每一句歌词。在言论和创作审查严厉的高压之下，难以找到有效的、有共鸣的表达的人们，此时可能会借助国家框架下的语言表达，将它转化为己有，作为彼此鼓励、共鸣、创造联结的口号。
在这一集播客里，我们回顾了中国过去150年间的“国歌“历史。后半段的播客专注于《义勇军进行曲》的历史以及词作者田汉在新中国成立后，政治运动中的苦难经历。文革中的《义勇军进行曲》的歌词被消失，甚至经常被《东方红》等歌曲代替。文革后的新版歌词却没有放弃歌功颂德毛泽东的英明领导。
而在最近的十年间，中共在香港大力推行爱国主义教育，集体歌唱国歌的仪式是重要的一环。我们还讨论了香港的人们是如何抵抗这种洗脑式的爱国主义教育的。
Music:
Rogers, Walter B, and Victor Military Band. China national air 'The world's delight'. 1914. Audio. https://www.loc.gov/item/jukebox-11129/.
Recommended Reading:
1. 香港立法會 CB(2)1300/17-18(21)號文件 LC Paper No. CB(2)1300/17-18(21): 唱國歌，的確很感動流淚? By 陳永浩博士,恒生管理學院社會科學系助理教授
2. Re-envisioning the Chinese Revolution, The Politics and Poetics of Collective Memories in Reform China, 2007
In this episode we learn how Lu Da becomes Lu (Sagacious) Zhishen, and the finer points of how to join a chinese monastery.
In this episode we meet the amazing Lu Da, and watch him make bad decisions.
Also a discussion on Chinese prisons.
In this episode we discuss what is likely the second most printed book of all time, "Quotations from Chairman Mao".
Produced prior to the Cultural Revolution, the book was an iconic symbol of the moment, and become influential worldwide as it was translated into multiple languages and distributed.
We discuss what is in the book, and what isn't, as well as putting some of Mao's thoughts into perspective.
When chaos grows in 12th century China, and the empire is in peril, great heavenly heroes will arise among the people to make everything worse.
In the second episode we meet our first stars of destiny, and watch them immediately make bad decisions. We also discuss the finer points of Chinese capitol cities, and the definition of ancient chinese football (蹴鞠) techniques.
Feel free to get a copy (or find one of the many versions online) or just listen along as we go over this extremely entertaining story of rebellion. We are reading the Sidney Shapiro translation.
We have given up and are only going to do one chapter per episode!
When chaos grows in 12th century China, and the empire is in peril, great heavenly heroes will arise among the people to make everything worse.
Our exciting read along of China's literary classic 'The Water Margin' (水滸傳) finally begins!
In this first episode we go over the history of the novel, its cultural significance, as well as the historical time periods in which it is set and written. Then we discuss the first chapter, which is mostly about one Chinese government official being bad at his job.
Feel free to get a copy (or find one of the many versions online) or just listen along as we go over this extremely entertaining story of rebellion. We are reading the Sidney Shapiro translation.
After this the schedule should be 2 chapters every two weeks, eventually we may move these episodes to a separate podcast feed.
In this episode we compare and contrast two modern Chinese Blockbusters.
The 800, telling the tale of a doomed Chinese Battalion in the last ditch defense of Shanghai, was plagued by delays, censorship, and CCP meddling.
The Battle of Lake Changjin on the other hand, was a top down propaganda piece about the Korean War ordered to be ready for the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party.
Both movies were extremely successful commercially, and are interesting in their own way. However if you're just going to watch one... it should be the 800.
Baijiu is China's national alcohol, and the world's most drunk spirit.
Despite it's fearsome reputation amongst the uninitiated, there is more to baijiu than its fiery taste and aggressive ABV.
Join us as we sample the major varieties of Baijiu, learn about its history, and discuss its future.
A special thanks to Derek Sandhaus and his book Drunk in China.
In 1979 a new election law ended the era of single candidate elections, and theoretically ushered in an system where voters voters would have some level of choice in who their representatives would be.
However despite the letter of the new law, Chinese Elections remained firmly under party control, with no real path for anyone other than party-appointed candidates to become nominated and even less of an ability for them to impact government if elected. Despite the dizzying array of votes, conferences, "opposition parties", and ceremonies, the system exists not to do Democracy, but to present the illusion, especially to the international society that democracy is being done.
Join us as we discuss the grand performance that is the modern Chinese voting system.
In this episode we discuss the endgame of the Arrow war, and China's resulting loss of full sovereignty as the foreign powers take root in Beijing.
We also discuss the looting/burning of the summer palace, and how despite British claims, it had less to do with making a diplomatic statement, and more to do with avarice and greed.
From the Qing/Chinese perspective we discuss the unreasonable nature of British/French demands, but also their inability to resist those demands. This feeling of powerlessness will drive successive waves of Chinese reformers to build more and more militarily aggressive states, in an attempt to prevent foreign powers from repeating their humiliations.
During the Chinese Civil war, the communist forces experimented with various election systems in the territory they controlled, however upon taking control of the country in 1949, all large scale elections ceased.
However, facing mounting pressure from the Soviet Union, the Communist party eventually restarted "elections" in 1954. In this episode we discuss the Maoist election process, how the "single candidates elections" worked, how the "voting" happened, and most importantly who was able to cast a ballot, and what happened to those who were branded "non voters" by the state.
The word play of "等额选举", which was the form of election in China since 1953 up until the release of the 1979 Election Law., meant "single candidate election". Even in the strictest definition of democracy, an election where there is no competition, is not a real election. The Chinese style elections are more of a ceremonial occasion where the hand picked candidates by the CCP get confirmed.
Recommended Book on this topic:
Voting as a Rite - A History of Elections in Modern China, by Joshua Hill
https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674237216
After the Anglo/French diplomatic mission in 1859 was destroyed by the Qing Military, a larger, more powerful diplomatic army was sent in 1860 to ram the 'Treaty of Friendship' down the throats of the Qing Court.
Despite being unable to stop this larger force militarily, the Qing Empire would attempt every conceivable tactic to delay, misdirect, or otherwise stop the British and French from reaching Beijing and meeting the emperor.
However as desperate as these acts were, they in the end did little but aggravate the invading Europeans, and increase bloodshed.
The Modern Chinese state calls itself a People's Democratic Dictatorship (人民民主专政), and insists that it quickly and efficiently translates the people's will into government policy. Supposedly the Chinese people have no want or need for slow, chaotic, and expensive 'western style' democracy, and some studies even seem to back this up.
All of this however, is complete nonsense, as China is an autocratic, single party state, with no free elections and no freedom of speech or press.
Still with all the propaganda floating around, it is easy for a layperson to become confused about what system of Government China has, and the ability of the average person to make their voice heard.
In this series of episodes we explore the history of elections (选举) and democracy (民主) in China, from the Imperial Period to the present day. In the process we'll discuss the goals of these systems of peoples governance, their effectiveness, and their outcomes.
This first episode covers from roughly 1840 to 1949.
Special thanks to Joshua Hill and his book 'Voting as a Rite' for the episode idea
https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674237216
Cherrie and Natalie continue their discussion of the Arrow War!
After local pressure was unsuccessful, the British (and French!) escalated the situation around Canton, sending military forces to depose the Governor of Canton, Ye Mingchen.
While they were ultimately successful, it still did not bring them the results in China they desired.
With neither side willing to compromise or back down, the cycle of violence would continue as both sides began to pull troops towards Beijing for the final showdown.
China’s culinary culture and habits are endlessly diverse. However, you still can’t imagine Chinese cuisine without chili peppers. Everywhere in China, you will find chilis peppers used fresh, dried, powdered, pickled, turned into a paste, infused into oils, used as a condiment, used as a preservative, used as the main ingredient! In addition, chili is a cultural symbol for modern China and its influence goes beyond the culinary scene.
However, chili peppers only arrived in China in the 16th century. How did chili become popular in China? How did some, but not all areas in China embraced chili and developed regional identities around it? How is chili linked to the male-centered revolutionary spirit and at the same time, seen as a symbol of female passion and outspokenness?
Books Recommended
- The Chile Pepper in China: A Cultural Biography, Brian R.Dott
- 中国食辣史,曹雨 The History of Spicy Food in China, Cao Yu
- The Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook, Fuchsia Dunlop
- The Food of Sichuan, Fuchsia Dunlop
Cover Image License
https://stock.adobe.com/
After the end of the Opium War, an uneasy truce existed between the Qing Empire and the Foreign Powers. Despite their victory, the British in particular felt unsatisfied with their gains, and constantly pushed the envelope, trying to whittle away more and more privileges from the Chinese.
Overcome with internal issues such as rebellions, inflation, and natural disasters, the Great Qing was in no state to push the issue a second time, and thus attempted to fend off the foreigners as best they could, while avoiding open war.
For a number of years the unflappable Commissioner Ye Mingchen (葉名琛) managed to keep up this balancing act, despite the best British efforts. Then, a frustrated group of British colonial administrators, frustrated at the lack of progress, decided to manufacture a crisis, and blame it on the Qing.
Join as as we move past the Opium war to... the Arrow War!
Selected Sources:
Narrative of the Earl of Elgin's Mission to China and Japan in the Years 1857, '58, '59, by Laurence Oliphant
A History of Hong Kong: Frank Welsh
The Scramble for China: Robert Bickers
The Opium War: Julia Lovell
In the early 1900s, Chinese women were entering the public space and shaping society like never before. At a time when the new Chinese identity was emerging, women activists and leaders had to navigate the shifting sands that was Chinese society at the time. Striking a balance between meeting the expectation of the traditional Confucian ideal of a women’s role and finding their own place in a modern society as a citizen was tricky.
In this episode, we talked about one such woman, born into the late Qing dynasty, who had a fantastic character arc that impressed many not just at the time, but for years after. Lü Bicheng(吕碧城), the main character in our story today, was an educator, poet, journalist, writer, activist, business women and a buddhist, a woman who wore many hats. Her life story and trajectory reflected China at the time. What did it mean to be a modern Chinese woman living in the early 1900s? What did it mean to be both a feminist and a nationalist? What was a woman’s experience seeking education and better opportunities for herself while challenging the very foundation of a patriarchal society?
Recommended Books and Reading:
1. Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women, Volume 2. By Sue Wiles, Clara Wing-chung Ho · 1998.
2. "女界"之兴起 - 晚清天津女子教育与女性形象建构 By 秦方
3. Alternative Modernities, or a Classical Woman of Modern China: The Challenging Trajectory of Lü Bicheng's (1883-1943) Life And Song Lyrics. Author: Grace Fong
In this episode we briefly recap the events of the Opium war, before discussing its conclusion.
Both sides desperately wanted to end the conflict, yet neither side had the patience or diplomatic expertise to broker a lasting peace (If such a thing was even possible).
The 1942 Treat of Nanjing (and those negotiated shortly after), did indeed end the war, but left many questions unanswered, and many problems unsolved. These problems would only grow larger in time, and go on to cause the more dramatic Second Opium war in the late 1850s.
Beyond anything else, the issue of Opium remained unsolved, as the Qing Empire's attempt to end the trade by force had failed, and the British remained too financially dependent on the drug to consider banning it.
This is our 2022 Lunar New Year special edition. We hope you enjoy this episode and Happy New Year!
Every year around late January or early February, people all over the world celebrate the Lunar New Year according to the traditional lunisolar calendar.
As for the United States, in the 1950th, grand celebrations and American style parades in San Francisco Chinatown brought the concept of the Chinese New Year to the general American public, first to fight against racism and to show loyalty to the United States during the Cold War, as well as to boost Chinatown tourism business, although reinforcing the modal minority myth as well as other racial stereotypes , these public displays of Americanness during Chinese New Years celebrations contributed to a unique identity forward for Chinese Americans as well as for Chinatowns all around North America. Then, in the 1970s, American presidents started wishing the public "Happy Chinese New Year". In the 1980s and 90s, we see the transition from "Chinese New Year" to "Lunar New Year", we see an Asian American and AAPI identity emerging.
Throughout these historical changes, much like the "War on Christmas", for a Chinese celebrity or an international institution, to say "Happy Chinese New Year" or "Happy Lunar New Year" can be seen as a political stance. Was there really a war on Chinese New Year? Or, should we all fight for the Lunar New Year in observance of solidarity as well as intersectionality in today's America as well as the world?
Recommended Books1. Making an American Festival: Chinese New Year in San Francisco’s Chinatown By Chiou-ling Yeh
2. The Color of Success, Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority By Ellen D. Wu
3. Scratches on Our Minds: American Images of China and India By Harold R. Isaacs
The American Presidency Project
John Woolley and Gerhard Peters
UC Santa Barbara
Cover Photo Title
Crowd of people watching a dragon at a Chinese New Year Celebration, Los Angeles, [s.d.]
Cover Photo Source
Public Domain. Credit to University of Southern California. Libraries and California Historical Society. Digitally reproduced by the USC Digital Library.
Before the release of Edward Hunter's 1951 book, the term 'Brainwashing' did not exist in the English Language. Originally a translation of a Chinese term for political reeducation (洗腦，or "wash brain"), the term might have remained unknown in the US. However in the the next two years several thousand American (and international) Prisoners would undergo this 'Brain Washing' during the Korean War.
The fact that this process seemed so effective (23 Americans refused to return to the US, wanting to stay in China) lead to an explosion of interest in Brainwashing and Mind Control, both in fiction and policy.
In this episode we discuss reports of those initial 'Brain Washings', how it was done, how to resist it, and the results it could achieve.
We also discuss the US's reaction, and the CIA's attempts to compete with its own ambitious brain washing program, and its successes and failures.
Selected Sources:
Brain-Washing in Red China: The Calculated Destruction of Men's Minds (1951), Edward Hunter
Brainwashing: The Story of Men Who Defied It (1956), Edward Hunter
Maoism: A Global History (2019), Julia Lovell
The Search for the "Manchurian Candidate" (1991), John Marks
The Korean War (1987), Max HAstings
While naturalistic expeditions in the colonial era were cloaked in the mantle of progress and discovery, they often had a more opportunistic motive. Native plants, animals, and techniques which had already long been known to others were 'rediscovered' by Europeans and mass produced across their colonies on an industrial scale.
After the events of the first Opium war, Chinese methods of Tea cultivation eventually became a casualty of this process.
In this episode we talk about the industrial espionage that lead to the British Empire breaking China's monopoly on tea production, as well as the system of Royal Botanical gardens that facilitated the spread of economically useful plants across the empire.
Since the founding of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949, it has had a special focus on Africa. Referred to often as 'African Brothers' (非洲兄弟), the PRC sought new markets, new communist comrades, and international recognition, in the emerging continent.
In order to gain this they freely sent arms, aid and propaganda, hoping to imbue Africa with some Chinese characteristics of its own. In this periodic series, we'll attempt to touch on every major Sino-African relationship, from 1949 to the present day.
In this Episode, we discuss Tanzania, and China's involvement in it, from the Cultural Revolution inspired social movements, to the impressive works of infrastructure development.
China has always had a piracy problem. However in the early 18th century, Piracy quickly morphed from scattered opportunists, into a massive state-like operation. With hundreds of ships and 10s of thousands of men, they quickly overwhelmed the Qing Naval forces, and were able to extract tribute from Chinese and Foreigners alike.
Much of this was due to the organizational and diplomatic skill of Shi Yang, AKA Ching Shih, who, with her various husbands, forged several fleets into a powerful pirate confederacy.
In this episode we discuss the history of Chinese piracy, how it differed from the west, how Shi Yang organized this massive confederacy, and why it eventually negotiated for a peaceful settlement with the Qing Empire.
Recommended:
Pirates of the South China Coast, 1790-1810 by Dian H. Murray
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/3149970-pirates-of-the-south-china-coast-1790-1810
Chinese novels on crime, mystery and justice have a long and separate history from crime novels in the west. Often written by retired officials, they are useful both as entertainment, and as a description of how courts, laws, and investigations happened in the Imperial Chinese Justice system.
Today we talk about Judge Dee（狄仁杰）, a real Tang Dynasty judge and statesman, subject of countless works. Specifically the 18th century novel that was translated by Robert Van Gulik as 'Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee'. Listen in and learn how magistrates solve crimes, how trials are conducted, and why you never want to find yourself in an Imperial Chinese court (as a victim or a defendant!).
https://www.amazon.com/Celebrated-Cases-Judge-Detective-Stories/dp/0486233375
After the failures of the Cultural Revolution, and the advent of economic liberalization, the Communist Party needed to refocus its propaganda efforts to stay current.
1997s 'The Opium War' was the country's most expensive film to date. Made partially to commemorate the return of Hong Kong to Chinese control, it attempted to tell a version of the 1st Opium War that aligned to the CCPs narrative of the century of shame.
In this movie we talk the good, the bad, and the funny, going over the movie, and comparing it to the actual historical event.
In July 1840 British forces arrived off the coast of China to begin what would become the 1st Opium War.
Despite an overwhelming military superiority the commander of the British forces, Charles Elliot, seemed unable to break through Qing delaying tactics with diplomacy, and was hesitant to escalate the war by seizing (and looting!) cities and towns en masse.
The next year would be a series of skirmishes, battles, negotiations and delays, that would accomplish little aside from wasting British time and killing thousands of Qing Soldiers. Eventually after this lack of success, and perceived 'soft' treatment of the Chinese, Elliot would follow the fate of Lin Zexu (林則徐) and be replaced.
Alongside the British perspective, we also discuss the observations of Chinese Scholar Wei Yuan, who was involved with the conflict, and wrote his own opinions on the causes and problems of the war (道光洋艘征撫記).
Some interesting journals:
Narrative on the Expedition to China (Volume 2): John Elliot Bingham
https://books.google.com/books?id=8TGwqgOCFR0C
SELECTIONS FROM LIEUTENANT CHARLES CAMERON'S DIARY DURING THE PERIOD OF THE CHINESE WAR, 1840-41
https://www.jstor.org/stable/44232776?read-now=1&seq=3#page_scan_tab_contents
The extract of the Opium Poppy is one of humanities oldest drugs, and has been widely used and traded for thousands of years. However when the mass production of refined Opium by the East India Company combined with a new and efficient method of smoking it, a worldwide sensation ensued.
At the height of its popularity, Opium was a worldwide habit. In major cities across the globe, sumptuously appointed opium dens could be found where the rich, famous, and adventurous could enjoy a pipe of the drug. Imaginatively styled after the private chambers of oriental princes, they were a fixture of nightlife for almost a century.
In this episode we talk about the history of opium, the history of its abuse, and how it eventually fell out of favor and was replaced by stronger alternatives.
In 1833 the East India Company would lose its monopoly on Chinese trade. This change, and the lack of an effective structure to replace it, would create a power vacuum in and around China's only western trading port (Canton).
British Opium Traders took this opportunity to flood in and make fortunes, and to use those fortunes to promote a more belligerent diplomatic stance towards China.
As the Qing Empire attempted to stamp out the Opium trade, Canton, now awash with Opium, became the flashpoint for a conflict neither the British Empire, nor the Qing Empire actually wanted.
Read more on the Opium War:
Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the End of China's Last Golden Age - Stephen Platt
The Opium War: Drugs, Dreams, and the Making of Modern China - Julie Lovell
The First Opium War is often seen as the beginning of China's 'Century of Shame' , a time when Foreigners ran rampant, and China lacked the ability to set its own destiny.
However even without the aggression of Great Britain, China (Qing Dynasty) was undergoing a series of internal crisis, each with the potential to end the dynasty.
Rebellion, Inflation, Ethnic Tension, Failures of Government, Piracy, and waning military power, all seemed to strike at once, and help explain why the Qing Dynasty would be so ineffective against the British during the 1840 Opium War.
Its 1949 and Pandas are more popular than ever. Within Communist China, they achieve a rock star status, they appear on every product imaginable, and fuel attempts at scientific reform.
Outside of China, as Pandas die in captivity one after another, they become the poster child for conservation and the highest prize imaginable for zoos to obtain.
As China normalizes its relationship with most of the world Post 1972, Pandas would continue to be many things to many different people, National Symbol, Conservation Project, Money Maker, and Political Bargaining chip.
Books mentioned:
The Last Panda
by George B.Schaller
Panda Nation: The Construction and Conservation of China's Modern Icon
by E.Elena Songster
Despite their superstar status today, Pandas have spent most of history in relative obscurity. Living in remote, bamboo covered hills, they were rarely seen, and even more rarely recorded.
However with the explosion of westerners entering the country in the late Qing dynasty, came hunters, 'zoologists' and others interested in killing or capturing Pandas. These interlopers would for better or worse, catapult the Panda onto the international scene, and for a brief period they could be found in Zoos across the world.
In this first of a 2 part series, we discuss the history of Pandas from time immemorial to the dawn of the People's Republic of China (1949).
By the late 1700s, the United Kingdom was by far China's largest European trade partner. Millions of tons of Tea, Porcelain, silks, and other goods came from China every year on British ships, creating vast wealth both in trade, and in taxes, for the Crown.
Despite this, relations with the Qing court remained, as ever, frosty. To remedy this a grand embassy was sent from London to Peking, in order to cement a deeper relationship (and acquire a large number of financial and territorial goals).
Despite its lofty goals; arrogance, cultural misunderstandings, and simple overreach would plague the mission, perhaps even dooming it from the start.
Supplemental Reading:
A Narrative of the British Embassy to China in the Years 1792, 1793, and 1794: Containing the Various Circumstances of the Embassy, with Accounts of Customs and Manners of the Chinese and a Description of the Country, Towns, Cities &c. &c
From Ming Empire remnants, to anti-Japanese rebels, the Island of Taiwan has a long history of self determination.
When the remnants of the Republic of China fled the mainland to Taiwan in 1949, it was a republic in little but name. With corrupt elections, single party politics, and a byzantine electoral process, the average citizen had little chance of influencing politics.
In this episode we discuss the long, painful, and often bloody road by which Taiwan (ROC) exited martial law, reformed its politics, and created what is now possibly the most progressive and vibrant democracy in Asia (if not the world!).
After Mao's death and the end of the cultural revolution, the Communist party engaged in the policy of 拨乱反正 (eliminating chaos and returning to normal). A feature of this time period, was a relative lack of censorship, and an acceptance of self reflection. One form of new literature that emerged was 伤痕文学 (scar literature / literature of the wounded), which were works that attempted to make sense of the human tragedy China had experienced over the preceding decade.
Today we look at two Chinese produced films inspired by that movement, 1993's The Blue Kite, and 1994's To Live. Both films explore the tragedy and loss of a family during the Maoist period of China, and were both banned locally after being completed.
They're really good and you should watch them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Live_(1994_film)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Kite
The character of Fu Manchu isn't just an insensitive stereotype, or a villain that happens to be asian. It was the direct result of a failed author knowingly and purposefully cashing on on racist fears and tensions he sensed around his home city of 1910s London.
Poorly written, and with essentially no factual information, its more racist propaganda than adventure series. It is an embarrassment that the novels are available for purchase on major storefronts, and that they are sold and marketed as fun crime stories, like Sherlock Holmes, or the Invisible man.
Natalie and Cherrie discuss the work, its origin, and its historical context.
While there are many delicate issues that can affect foreign businesses in China, one of increasing scope and frequency are public boycotts. Often coming quickly and without warning, a company can go from beloved to hated almost overnight, for something as simple as the wrong label on a website menu, or a statement concerning the ethical sourcing of cotton.
In this episode we discuss the origin of boycotts amongst the birth of Chinese nationalism, and their reemergence in the 21st century. While originally spontaneous grassroots affairs, these modern boycotts are supported by Chinese State Media, and are often used as an unofficial arm of state policy.
However, despite their high profile, these boycotts seem to have a mixed result in actually changing the way foreign companies do business in china, or in changing the habits of Chinese consumers.
In 1912, Yuan Shikai would become the interim President of the new Republic of China. However, despite the hope heaped on him, his 3 year term would be marked by assassination, authoritarian power consolidation, and his founding of a new imperial dynasty.
Despite some accomplishments, this disastrous term would poison the well of Chinese representative government, destroying any real chance of actual power sharing or rule of law for decades.
In this episode we discuss the how and the why. Was Yuan Shikai simply a power hungry autocrat who had bidden their time, or was he a deluded old man who would not compromise his vision of China's future.
Probably a little of both!
Two available biographies of Yuan Shikai in English:
Yuan Shikai: A Reappraisal by Patrick Fuliang Shan
Yuan Shih-K'Ai by Jerome Ch'En
In 1912, Yuan Shikai seemed sure to go down in history as China's beloved George Washington. Admired and respected by both reformers and conservatives, he became China's first true president by both unanimous election, and Imperial decree.
Within a few short years though, he would become China's greatest villain. Join us for a two part episode where we discuss the rise and fall of the man who transitioned China from an Empire to a Republic, and attempted to keep it together in the process.
In this episode, we discuss his rise. How a man who never passed a civil service examination could rise so high and so quickly within the rigid world of Imperial China. How his bravery, cunning, and administrative skill made him famous and respected, not just within China, but worldwide.
Sun Yat-Sen is regarded today by both the PRC (People's Republic of China) and the ROC (Republic of China) as the founder of the modern nation. He was the first to break the imperial system, and set a path for something new and revolutionary.
However, before he was the founder of the nation, he was simply a failed revolutionary, with a head full of ideas. Perhaps one of his most famous stories from these early days is when he was 'Kidnapped' by agents of the Qing empire while in London.
Join us as we discuss Dr Sun Yat-Sen, his early life, his kidnapping, and how he might not really have been cut out for the revolutionary life.
Kidnapped in London By Sun Yet-sen: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Kidnapped_in_London/6VQuAAAAYAAJ?hl=en
From the very beginning, the Chinese Communist party took entertainment seriously. By drawing crowds to see plays, dances, songs, and other shows, they were able to spread their political messages and create new followers to the cause.
Perhaps the culmination of this, Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy (智取威虎山) was one of the 8 Model Plays promoted by Mao's Wife Jiang Qing (江青), as an attempt to modernize Beijing Opera for a Revolutionary Audience. Telling the story of a PLA detachment fighting a Bandit warlord, it was played dozens of times a year in almost ever town and village across China during the cultural revolution.
In this episode we discuss its content, its legacy, and and the brutal irony that many of the people who made this ultimate propaganda piece, were they themselves victims of the Cultural Revolution.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taking_Tiger_Mountain_by_Strategy
Script: http://massline.org/PekingReview/PR1969/PR1969-51-52-TigerMountain.pdf
1870s Los Angeles was a lawless town where violence ruled and life was cheap. Gunfights were an almost daily occurrence, and rival gangs dueled in the street.
Despite that, the country was still shocked by the dramatic mass lynching of Chinese immigrants which occurred there in 1871. Often described as the largest mass lynching in the US, it has in many ways faded from our public consciousness.
In this companion episode to the Pigtail Ordinance, we discuss the face of anti-asian racism outside of the law, mob violence, and the legacy of vigilante justice in the US today.
[LINKS]
Check out At the Moment, An Asian American News Podcast, by AZI Media: https://www.azi.media/.
In their upcoming episode, At the Moment will be discussing the recent rise of anti-asian hate crimes in the United States. We highly recommend you give it a listen!
Check out our episode on the Pigtail Ordinance:
Apple Podcast: HERE
Website: HERE
In what is likely to be their most controversial episode, Natalie and Cherrie discuss how the terms Facist, and 'Chinazi' have become particularly common in heated online arguments about China.
However, despite the flaws of the Chinese government, is it really correct to call it Fascist? What exactly is Fascism, and how has it been defined over the years, and by whom?
In this episode we discuss 4 different definitions of Fascism (Including the CCCP definition) to see if the modern Chinese state meets any of them.
Some references:
The Wages of Destruction: Adam Tooze
Facism: Roger Griffon
Five Moral Pieces: Umberto Eco
Ever since the introduction of 'Western' medicine to China in the late Imperial period, the role of Doctor in China has been a perilous one. Often blamed for circumstances outside their control, and viewed as agents of corruption, greed, and incompetence, they are an easy target for anger, violence, and murder.
While it is somewhat a world-wide problem, in this episode we discuss the uniquely Chinese ways violence affects the medical system, from its history in Mao's China, to the current day. These can range from Medical Disturbances ( 医闹 ) to Revenge Attacks against Society ( 报复社会 ), and while they have paused somewhat due to Covid-19, it is an open question what the future will bring for Chinese Medical Professionals.
This week, we've brought you 4 more famous rebellions. 3 of which are from more distant memories: Daizexiang Rebellion, White Lotus Rebellion and Yellow Turban Rebellion. And 1 from modern Chinese history - Mao's grass-roots, mass-mobilizing revolution.
Join us to discover how the self-fulling prophecy of the mandate of the heaven plays a part in these rebellions and how the clique of "History has a tendency to repeat itself" does check out sometimes.
See Episode 12 for [Top Peasant Rebellions - Part 1].
55 Days at Peking is a 1963 Hollywood movie which dramatizes the events of the 1900 Boxer Rebellion/Uprising, and the siege of the foreign legations in Peking.
One of the few western movies to depict late Imperial China, it spent lavishly on elaborate sets, thousands of extras, and huge battles. While it was a commercial and critical failure, and has its problems, such as white actors playing as Chinese royalty, and a bloated and boring script, it is still worth examining.
In this Episode we discuss what the movie gets right, what it gets wrong, and how the events of 1960 impacted its depiction of 1900 China.
For more about the boxer rebellion, the Military History (Not) Visualized Channel is quite good!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQJ5Jx3mO7s
https://youtu.be/U2ngXMCe8qQ
In China, an Imperial Dynasty can rule only as long as the Mandate of Heaven allows. Such a mandate has never been permanent however, and weak rulers face famine, plagues, war, and banditry.
Almost without fail in such times, disaffected Chinese peasants mass in giant rebellious armies, fighting and dying in attempt to overthrow the old regime and install a new dynasty. If they succeed, they have inherited the Mandate of Heaven, and all the riches and honors that entails. If they fail, they will be tortured and put down like any other bandit. After all in China:
成者為王，敗者為寇: "The winner is king, the loser an outlaw."
In this episode we discuss 4 of the most famous rebellions, The Boxer, The Taiping, the Red Turban, and Li Zicheng's Rebellion.
In this episode Natalie and Cherrie discuss how Christmas stole Confucius's holiday, where the world's holiday decorations are made, and Mao's Korean war holiday party.
Learn about the history of Christmas in China, and how it has taken on its own set of Chinese Characteristics.
Natalie and Cherrie discuss the highest grossing movie ever in China's box office - Wolf Warrior 2, a patriotic action blockbuster.
Started as a passion project by director, co-writer, co-producer and Wolf Warrior himself -Wu Jing, the movie's success came as a surprise to him and everyone else. It came at the right time. China's nationalist propaganda is becoming more and more aggressive. Through this movie, we see China's image to its own people, and China through the world's eyes.
Aside from many of its flaws and the re-enacting of the white (now Chinese) savior narrative, we can say that it's a very entertaining movie.
Follow along in fictional Africa and see how Wolf Warrior carries China and the world on his shoulders. Let us know what you think!
Chinese families (and asian families in general) have a reputation for being close, and for listening to parents and grandparents well into adulthood.
In China itself however, respect for your ancestors isn't just culture, it's the law!
Natalie and Cherrie discuss the origin of these filial piety laws, their impact on society, and their net effects. Like most things we talk about, it ends up being Confucius and Mao's fault.
The US Presidential Elections are always a spectacle, but this year interest from China was at an all time high.
Despite censorship, it has been the most popular topic on the web for weeks, dominating discussion there are much as it does in the US itself.
Join us as we discuss the Chinese Internet's reactions and hot takes, from State Media using it for Propaganda, to Chinese Netizen's championing worker rights.
In 1949 as a result of the Chinese Civil War, Chiang Kai Shek (蔣介石) and his Nationalist government had retreated to the Island of Taiwan, and Mao Tse Tung and his Chinese Communist Party funded the new People's Republic of China.
Normally the story ends there, however in reality, Chiang Kai Shek and his Nationalists never considered the civil war to be over.
Using one of the largest navies in Asia, US technology, and bitter determination, they almost brought the new nation of China to its knees, and the rest of the world into nuclear warfare.
Special thanks to the book: "Taiwan Straits" for giving me the idea for this topic.
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780810888906/Taiwan-Straits-Crisis-in-Asia-and-the-Role-of-the-U-S-Navy
In this episode we discuss the history and cultural significance of what is now known as 'The Great Wall of China'. When it was started, what it was for, and what role did it actually take in the defense of China.
More than that, though, we discuss the concept of the Great Wall, which ended up being more powerful and long lasting than any actual part of the structure. How it defined China both at home and abroad, and how through its age, it became not just a symbol of any particular dynasty, but of China itself.
Would there even be a China as we know it without the Great Wall? Let us know what you think.
Natalie and Cherrie discuss the wildly entertaining 1975 CCP Propaganda Film Breaking with Old Ideas. Made at the end of China's Cultural Revolution, the film is a naked justification of both the goals and methods of Maoist education. Come see what the hard line Maoists claimed they wanted in their own words.
The movie can be found online here: https://archive.org/details/Breaking_With_Old_Ideas
So please follow along and learn why universities are bad, private industry is worse, and how your mother will cry if she sees you in leather shoes. If you do end up watching it, please let us know what you think! Are you convinced? Did you take off your leather shoes.
Just 100 years ago in China, concubinage was not an uncommon sight and did not raise many eyebrows. Fast forward to today, from the ending of the last Imperial Dynasty in Chinese history, to the Republic of China, to the People’s Republic of China, Chinese society was turned upside down and with it, the tradition, culture and practice of the institution of Marriages. In this episode, we explore changes in Chinese Marriages in the last 100 years and how Chinese women’s standing in society transforms alongside with the institution of marriage.
The 1800s were a time of great humiliation and loss for the Chinese people, usually remembered now as the 'Century of Shame'. However among that, resistance to colonial pressure came from the most unlikely of sources.
In this episode, Natalie discusses the life of Liu Yongfu and his Black Flag army. Their origin from rebels and bandits, and their evolution into a guerrilla army that resisted two imperial powers.
Nearly sixty years ago, China declared an all out war on the bird of capitalism: sparrows. In this episode, we discuss the goals, the reality, the hysteria, the environmental impact of the legendary Four Pests Campaign. What started off as a health campaign to combat allegations of American biological warfare quickly evolved into one of the first of Mao's great social mass mobilizations - and the near extinction of sparrows in China. We also discuss the legacy and the historical memory of this event in China, and how it features in the country’s 2020 Coronavirus response.
Each week a Chinese and an American Podcaster discuss events with Chinese Characteristics.
Today, September 20th 2020, the US Goverment is set to ban certain aspects of both TikTok and WeChat. While TikTok obviously is more popular in the US, the banning of WeChat has a much greater impact on the lives of Chinese People both here in the US, and back in China.
((EDIT: A Federal Judge has since blocked the ban, so the future legal status of WeChat in the US remains uncertain))
Almost unknown outside of Asia, WeChat is a juggernaut of an app touching all aspects of Chinese life. Incredible in features, awe inspiring in scope, it's a flagship example of the way Modern China wishes to present itself. However it's great power also creates great danger, as its data collection, censorship, and state sponsored goals threaten to spread outside of China.
Natalie and Cherrie discuss what WeChat is, it's origins, it's meteoric rise and also the many questions and dangers swirling around this Super-App.
Until the dawn of the 20th century, Western images of Han Chinese men invariable included the Queue (辮子). The partially shaved head and long braid show up in books, drawings, and early photos. However most Americans (Even some immersed in asian culture) have no idea why the hairstyle was worn, and why it was abandoned.
**Join us for a hairstyle with Chinese Characteristics, as we discuss the history of the Queue, both in the United States and China.
New episode every other Sunday.**