Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim: Recent Episodes
Jeffrey Bingham Mead
Xie xie! Thank you for tuning in to Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim. My weekly news blasts, emails and blog site are here to connect you China and Chinese culture.
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The Pacific Learning Consortium in Honolulu, Hawaii and Greenwich, Connecticut sponsors the weekly Confucius Moment. Now collaborating with the Admissions Network of Chinese Universities and Colleges by offering the Sino-American Cultural Exchange Scholarship Program. Now qualified Americans can study on full scholarships for their Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral degrees at Chinese universities. Get started today by contacting PacificLearningConsortium@gmail.com. Learn more online at www.pacificlearningconsortium.org.
On this broadcast- the last one for Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim Show- we featured an encore interview with Dr. Ying Ying Chang, the mother of the late Iris Chang. Iris Chang was the author of The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II, her 1997 bestselling nonfiction book. It was 81 years ago this month when the Japanese Imperial Army marched into the city of Nanking in what would be six weeks of carnage resulting in the murder of 300,000 out of 600,000 civilians and soldiers in what was then China's capitol city. This became known as the Rape of Nanking. We featured our regular segments -the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China and Chinese Fun Facts. We also featured other news, including the signing into law by President Trump of the Chinese American World War II Veteran Congressional Gold Medal Act. With a grateful heart I, as host and producer of this show, wish to convey to all our listener across the USA, China and around the world my deepest thanks. What's next? Stay tuned! Asia Today with Jeffrey Bingham Mead is our successor show to this one. We'll be expanding our horizons across all of Eastern Asia and South East Asia and related communities in the USA and around the world. The new show airs on Saturdays starting 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time on 1490 WGCH Radio Greenwich, Connecticut and WGCH.com anywhere. We'll archive our broadcasts here on a separate channel on Podcasts.com. Xiexie!
My guest on the Saturday, December 22, 2018 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim was Rebecca Woodland. She has been leading people of all backgrounds like you and me on adventures to Vietnam and Angkor Wat, Cambodia combining the best of food and friendship on cross-cultural explorations like none other anywhere. Based in Honolulu, Hawaii USA where I recently caught up with her, I asked Rebecca to share the good news of her next Food & Friendship Tour of Vietnam and Angkor Wat, Cambodia. What's the good news? There's much to say, as always. This is open to everyone! Learn more at RebeccaWoodland.net and on a special page I've posted here at MarvelsofChina.blogspot.com. With 96 million people, bustling cities, beautiful beaches, meandering rivers and some of the friendliest people on Earth, Vietnam will tantalize you. Food is at the heart of Vietnamese culture. Its cuisine has spread itself across the world with its distinctive mixes and ranges of flavors. We featured the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, news and much more as the show unfolds.
Today's show features an encore interview from Year 2016 with Douglas Chong, the head of the Hawaii Chinese History Center in Honolulu's Chinatown. Chong is a Chinese cultural historian, consultant and director.
In 2016 the world paused to observe the 150th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the father of modern China. This was particularly important in Hawaii because Dr. Sun lived his formative years here. Douglas Chong is considered one of the world's most luminary authorities on Sun Yet-sen's life and activism in the Hawaiian Islands. As the leader of China's 1911 revolution, Sun Yat-sen inspired and organized a movement that overthrew the Qing Dynasty that reigned over China for nearly three hundred years. Born near Macau on November 12, 1866, Sun moved to Honolulu, Hawaii after completing his primary school education to live with his elder brother Sun Mei. Sun Yat-sen studied English, mathematics and science at Iolani School in 1882 and received a prize for his outstanding performance in English from King David Kalakaua. Sun later enrolled at Oahu College, now Punahou School, before returning to China.
We featured an encore interview with Professor Xu Xin, China's most renowned Judaic scholar. We heard about Ho Feng-Shan, a Chinese diplomat in Vienna who risked his own life and career during World War II to save thousands of European Jews fleeing the Holocaust. Professor Xu is the founder and director of the Diane and Guilford Glazer Institute for Jewish and Israel Studies at Nanjing University. He has been a scholar of Judaism, Jewish culture and the history of Chinese Jews since 1986. Xu was also the first Chinese scholar to introduce modern Hebrew literature to Chinese readers. He has also created Masters and doctoral programs on Jewish history and culture. His activities have been widely reported by such newspapers and magazines as Chicago Tribune, Jerusalem Post, New York Times, Harvard University Gazette, The Jerusalem Report, The Jewish Week, The Forward, China's Talents, Xinhua Daily, Modern Express, and China Daily. He is a member of a number of academic organizations in China, such as Jiangsu Writers' Association, the Association of All-China Comparative Literature, the Association of Translators of Jiangsu, and the Society of World History Studies of China. Currently he serves as President of the China Judaic Studies Association and vice-president of China Association for Middle East Studies.
Long-time listeners may remember my Year 2016 interview with Mr. Ling, the man behind the podcast, Antique Shanghai Pop Music. On this American Thanksgiving holiday weekend I thought our newer audience members would enjoy my conversation with Ling about the pop music scene in 1920s, 1930s and 1940s Shanghai.
The tumultuous history and cultural upheavals in 20th century Shanghai was like nothing anywhere else in the world. Its pop music scene uniquely blended elements of Chinese, American and Japanese influences with new recording and broadcasting technologies. Ling's commentary explains in context "a unique sentimentality that is not only understood through the context of history; it can be thought as a discontinued school of aesthetics, a lost craft." On this American Thanksgiving holiday weekend I wish to convey to all of you my sincerest gratitude to so many of you who tune-in each week, and to all of our show's supporters -past and present- and to 1490 WGCH/WGCH.com who work hard to make Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim possible. May all of your lives be filled with good things and safe travels. May your homes be filled with laughter and happiness.
My guest on Conversations was Herb Tam, the curator of the Museum of Chinese in America New York City (MOCANYC). We discussed the museum's newest exhibition, Radical Machines: Chinese in the Information Age.It explores the seemingly impossible, yet technologically crucial Chinese typewriter – a machine that inputs a language with no alphabet -yet has more than 70,000 characters. For centuries, written Chinese has presented fascinating and irresistible puzzles for engineers, linguists, and entrepreneurs alike. With help from the global community, China solved these puzzles, and Chinese became one of the world’s most successful languages in the information age. Radical Machines explores the design, technology, and art of Chinese characters in the information age. Through a collection of rare typewriters and computers — and a diverse array of historic photographs, telegraph code books, typing manuals, ephemera, propaganda posters, and more — we gain unprecedented insight into the still-transforming history of the world’s oldest living language. The exhibition originated at the East Asia Library of Stanford University and is curated by Stanford historian Dr. Tom Mullaney. Composed of items in his personal collection, which is the largest Chinese and Pan-Asian typewriter and information and technology (IT) collection in the world. We featured the Confucius Moment, the Weekly Almanac, take you on a voyage to one of the Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts -and more! Now that most of the USA has returned to Standard Time our broadcasts start at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/11:30 p.m. Beijing Time on Radio 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via audio-streaming.
Joining the show on Saturday, November 10, 2018 was Andrew Singer. He is the author of the newly-released coming-of-age book China Sings To Me: A Journey into the Middle Kingdom and Myself. Singer is a traveler, history lover, and collector of books and Chinese snuff bottles who supports his family and interest as a land use and environmental permitting lawyer on Cape Cod, Massachusetts USA. In his memoir, Andrew Singer explores China in the midst of seismic growing pains, and finds the courage to live his own life without boundaries. Purchase your copy here. Learn more from this published article from the August 22, 2018 edition of The Cape Cod Chronicle. Take a few moments to view this YouTube interview featured on Books and the World from the Cape Cod Writers Center. We featured the Confucius Moment, the Weekly Almanac, take you on a voyage to one of the Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts -and more! Now that most of the USA has returned to Standard Time our broadcasts start at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/11:30 p.m. Beijing Time on Radio 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via audio-streaming.
You may be surprised to learn that Montana has a rich, colorful historical connection with China and Chinese people. Disrupted by wars, rebellions, droughts and famines in the 19th century some Chinese who sought better opportunities in America came to “Big Sky Country,” Montana. On the November 3, 2018 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim I was joined by Mr. Pat Munday, the president of the Mai Wah Society in the city of Butte. You can learn more by going online to http://www.maiwah.org. We’ll feature the Confucius Moment, the Weekly Almanac, Treasures of China, and more! Remember that our weekly broadcast begins 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via live-audio-streaming. Can’t listen live? Fear not; we have you covered. All our shows are archived and made freely available on our special channel on podcasts.com.
The relationship between America and China is unique, fascinating -and if you’ve seen recent media source headlines it is complicated. I went back into the show archives and found a 2016 interview we featured with American author Eric Jay Dolin. At that time we conversed about his book When America First Met China: An Exotic History of Tea, Drugs, and Money in the Age of Sail. It was only eight years after the founding of the United States of America -then the world’s youngest nation- that Americans encountered China -one of the world’s oldest enduring civilizations. Relations since then have been anything but dull. Brilliantly illuminating one of the least-understood areas of American history, best-selling author Eric Jay Dolin now traces our fraught relationship with China back to its roots: the unforgiving nineteenth-century seas that separated a brash, rising naval power from a battered ancient empire. It is a prescient fable for our time, one that surprisingly continues to shed light on our modern relationship with China. Indeed, the furious trade in furs, opium, and beche-de-mer—a rare sea cucumber delicacy—might have catalyzed America’s emerging economy, but it also sparked an ecological and human rights catastrophe of such epic proportions that the reverberations can still be felt today. Peopled with fascinating characters—from the “Financier of the Revolution” Robert Morris to the Chinese emperor Qianlong, who considered foreigners inferior beings—this page-turning saga of pirates and politicians, coolies and concubines becomes a must-read. It is my hope that an examination of the historical context of the relationship between China and America will shed new light. I recommend Dolin’s book as a first-step in that direction. We featured the Confucius Moment, the Weekly Almanac, Treasures of China, and more! Remember that our weekly broadcast begins 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via live-audio-streaming. Can’t listen live? Fear not; we have you covered. All our shows are archived and made freely available on our special channel on podcasts.com.
Get your running shoes ready! Runners, 5,164 steps await you at the annual Great Wall Marathon in China. Joining me by phone from Copenhagen, Denmark on the Saturday, October 20 show was Mr. Steen Albechtsen of Albatros Adventure Marathons. The Great Wall Marathon is reputed to be as one of the world's most challenging. You're invited to be a participant in the one of-a-kind marathon that attracts 2,500 runners from over 50 nations, with Americans making the largest contingent. Needless to say there's no place anywhere like the Great Wall of China -or the Great Wall Marathon. Iconic and arduous, runners from around the world are rewarded with breathtaking surroundings, one of humanity's most historic settings, the warm hospitality of Chinese villagers, cheering onlookers and a festive atmosphere that is second-to-none. Learn more at Great Wall Marathon here.
Note the dates and locations of other marathons:
-Big Five Marathon South Africa
-Petra Desert Marathon Ancient City of Petra, Jordan
-Polar Circle Marathon Greenland
-Bagan Temple Marathon, Myanmar/Burma
We featured the Confucius Moment, the Weekly Almanac, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts and more! Remember that our weekly broadcast begins 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via live-audio-streaming. Can’t listen live? Fear not; we have you covered. All our shows are archived and made freely available on our special channel on podcasts.com.
On October 13 I welcomed back Dr. Daisy Yiyou Wang, the Robert N. Shapiro Curator of Chinese and East Asian Art at the world-renowned Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Massachusetts USA. We discussed PEM’s newest exhibition, Empresses of China’s Forbidden City now on view until February 10, 2019. The exhibit is timed to mark the 40th anniversary of the re-establishment of China-USA diplomatic relations. It’s been organized as a collaboration between the Peabody Essex Museum, the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., and the Palace Museum in Beijing. Empresses of China’s Forbidden City is the first to explore the role of empresses in shaping the Qing Dynasty 1644 to 1912. We’ll featured the Confucius Moment and a few surprises! Remember that our weekly broadcast begins 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via live-audio-streaming. Can’t listen live? Fear not; we have you covered. All our shows are archived and made freely available on our special channel on podcasts.com.
Xiexie! Thank you for tuning in to Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim. My weekly news blasts and blog site are here to connect you to my show on NewsTalk AM 1490 WGCH Radio, China and the other cultures of East Asia and the Pacific Rim. Subscribe by email to MarvelsofChina@gmail.com. If you prefer not to receive messages please respond with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject-box of your email. Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim's broadcasts are from AM1490 WGCH and anywhere on WGCH.com in Greenwich, Connecticut USA. This show is title-sponsored by Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development Ltd. You are invited to explore how an alliance with Beijing AmBridge can help your company or organization grow and prosper. Call Beijing AmBridge's office in Beijing at 86-10-80775517 or email ambridge01@163.com. Need a contractor for construction, demolition and remodeling or any investment project that requires a general contracting license in the State of Hawaii? We are ready to work for you. Please contact us at (808) 394-5694. Thank you! Xiexie!
When you visit San Francisco be sure to make the Grant Plaza Hotel your choice for quality accommodations. This impressive boutique hotel is has all the advantages: great location, easy access to ground transportation, clean, safe and easy on your budget. Staff are cheerful. professional and helpful. The Grant Plaza is one block up from Dragon's Gate and within walking distance of Union Square and Market Street, even Nob Hill. Restaurants and theaters are nearby. Located at 465 Grant Avenue, San Francisco, California 94108-3208.
The Pacific Learning Consortium in Honolulu, Hawaii and Greenwich, Connecticut sponsors of the weekly Confucius Moment. Now collaborating with the Admissions Network of Chinese Universities and Colleges by offering the Sino-American Cultural Exchange Scholarship Program. Now qualified Americans can study on full scholarships for their Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral degrees at Chinese universities. Get started today by contacting PacificLearningConsortium@gmail.com. Learn more online at www.pacificlearningconsortium.org.
This weekly show is also made possible by individual listeners like you all around the world. Thank you!
Children’s books have existed for generations. My next guest on Conversations is children’s books author Oliver Chin of the San Francisco Bay area. A critically-acclaimed writer and author, Chin reminds us that dreaming up, writing, designing and developing engaging children’s books is not child’s play. Chin has written more than 15 books, including picture books. His titles include The Tao of Yao: Insights from Basketball’s Brightest Big Man, Tales from the Chinese Zodiac, Julie Black Belt: The Kung Fu Chronicles, The Discovery of Ramen and more. He is the founder of Immedium, a publishing house specializing in Chinese children’s books. We’ll feature the Confucius Moment, the Weekly Almanac, Treasures of China and more! Remember that our weekly broadcast begins 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via live-audio-streaming. Can’t listen live? Fear not; we have you covered. All our shows are archived and made freely available on our special channel on podcasts.com.
After the Saturday, September 29 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim chances are high that you’ll never look at mountains the same ever again. It’s my pleasure to welcome back Willow Weilan Hai, curator and director of the China Institute Gallery, China Institute in America, New York City. I’ve invited her to tell us about a phenomenal exhibit, Art of the Mountain: Through the Chinese Photographer’s Lens. It is open to the public until February 17, 2019 at the gallery at 100 Washington Street in Lower Manhattan. Musee: Vanguard of Photography Culture calls Art of the Mountain, “a meditation on the majesty and mystery of nature and humankind’s attempt to explore the uninhibited spirit and pure tranquility of a world part from our own. Thus, the artist’s attempt to capture the sacred spirit of the mountain is not for the sake of art alone, but another step on the search for the eternal happiness found only in nature.” We’ll feature the Confucius Moment, the Weekly Almanac, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts and more! Remember that our weekly broadcast begins 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via live-audio-streaming. Can’t listen live? Fear not; we have you covered. All our shows are archived and made freely available on our special channel on podcasts.com.
The Saturday, September 22 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim features Wes Radez, the creator of Chinese American Family. The Oakland, California resident started this wonderful cultural resource that serves Chinese American families -and everyone else! Chinese American Family “focuses on cultural parenting topics like holidays, food, history and language while reaching a diverse community of families that includes Chinese Americans, multicultural couples, adoptive parents and other Americans with connections to Chinese culture.” Amen to that.
I am among many to admit that Year 2018 has been progressing at light-speed. Try not to be too alarmed if you forgot that Monday, September 24 is the annual Mid-Autumn Festival. I’ve invited Wes Radez to be on Conversations so we can learn more about this second-most important Chinese holiday -the first being Chinese New Year. You’ll hear about how to celebrate this harvest festival dedicated to “giving thanks, for nature’s abundance and for joyful reunions with loved one.” It arrives annually with the full moon on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar.
Go to this link on ChineseAmericanFamily.com to learn more about the Mid-Autumn Festival. While you’re at it please subscribe to Wes Radez’s web site. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did!
Finally, you’ll hear Wes review Crazy Rich Asians, the new blockbuster movie that is sweeping theaters around the world. His comments are poignant and spot-on. As always, we’ll feature the Confucius Moment, the Weekly Almanac, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts and more! Remember that our weekly broadcast begins 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via live-audio-streaming.
Can’t listen in realtime? Fear not; we have you covered. All our shows are archived and made freely available on our special channel on podcasts.com.
In March 1974 a group of Chinese peasants digging a well in drought-parched Shaanxi province accidentally unearthed fragments of a clay figure. This was the first evidence of what would become one of the greatest archeological discoveries in world history. Near the unexcavated tomb of Qin She Huangdi- who in Year 221 B.C. proclaimed himself the first emperor of China- lay an entire army of terra-cotta soldiers, horses and more -interred for over 2000 years. My distinguished guest is Edward Burman, the author of the newly-released bookThe Terra-cotta Warriors: Exploring the Most Intriguing Puzzle in Chinese History. Edward Burman holds a degree in Philosophy and Fine Art from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. He has published 18 books focusing on a variety of historical subjects. Burman has been a trustee of the Xi’an City Wall Heritage Foundation -the only foreigner to hold such a position. He makes his home in the United Kingdom, but on the broadcast schedule he will be on the phone from Sardinia in Italy. We’ll feature the Confucius Moment, the Weekly Almanac, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts and more!
Across America schools, colleges and universities have returned from summer vacation. Among those enrolled are Chinese students -the largest group of foreign students studying in the country today. Who was the first to graduate? On the Saturday, September 8 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim I welcomed Professor Benjamin Railton, Ph.D., of Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts. Dr. Railton is also the President Ex Officio of the New England American Studies Association and past presidents of the Northeast Modern Language Association. Railton is also a blogger. Peruse his blog located at AmericanStudier.blogspot.com.
He penned a fascinating article that caught my eye on ConnecticutHistory.org. Yung Wing was the first Chinese student to graduate from an American university -in this case Yale College in 1854. Go to this link to read his article.
Stay tuned for the Confucius Moment, the Weekly Almanac, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts and more! Remember that our weekly broadcast begins 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via live-audio-streaming. Can’t listen live? Fear not; we have you covered. All our shows are archived and made freely available on our special channel on podcasts.com.
I welcomed back Mr. Cy Feng of the Honda International Center (HIC) at Kapiolani Community College in Honolulu. HIC was named after Paul S. Honda, a Hawaii community leader, businessman and philanthropist. Honda had a vision of bringing students of various backgrounds around the Asia Pacific Rim to study and learn together and chart a peaceful path towards a bright future. In this encore interview with Cy Feng he will present HIC’s educational mission, activities and how you can also come and study here. Mr Honda’s life was colorful. He died on July 31, 2016. Go here to read his obituary. I’m delighted to announce that I will be returning occasionally to HIC to teach East Asian student groups in Hawaii on short-term study programs. It’s good to be back with former and new colleagues. We featured our regular segments. It’s also Labor Day weekend throughout the USA! Remember that our weekly broadcast begins 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via live-audio-streaming. Can’t listen live? Fear not; we have you covered. All our shows are archived and made freely available on our special channel on podcasts.com.
On the Saturday, August 25 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim I welcomed self-described baseball fanatic William Chu, the first-generation Chinese American New Yorker behind the Chinese baseball blog site ChineseBangqiu.com “I believe that baseball is for everyone. Domestically, I want to increase baseball’s profile with Asian-Americans.” That sounds like a home run to me, and I’ll bet that’s true for you. There are a growing number of Chinese nationals and Chinese Americans who are players in the major leagues. Baseball has won many fans in places such as Japan and South Korea -and China, too! Tune in for our featured segments: the Confucius Moment, the Weekly Almanac, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts and more! Mark your calendars! Remember that our weekly broadcast begins Saturday 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via live-audio-streaming.
On the Saturday, August 18 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim I welcomed from Rotterdam, the Netherlands Mr. Hans van Roon. He is the blogger behind Mongols, China and the Silk Road: Archeology and History of the Silk Road (MongolsChinaandtheSilkRoad.blogspot.com). Little was known on the mysterious, remarkable heritage of the ancient Silk Road -that is, until a century ago when explorers and archeologists uncovered the ruins of ancient cities. These same explorers who braved the deserts of Central Asia and China brought the wonders of the ancient silk roads to the world’s attention. The work continues today in the 21st century. Eclectic, cosmopolitan, sophisticated societies dotted the region with a bewildering universe of cultures, languages and religions -Chinese, Indians, Mongols, Turks, Persians, Buddhists, Nestorian Chrstians, Manicheans and others. You can learn about the latest through van Roon’s blog site (here) and Twitter (here). My own introduction to the Ancient Silk Roads came in the form of a stunning exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Along the Ancient Silk Routes: Central Asian Art from the West Berlin State Museums. It was the first time such an exhibit was held in the USA. I was escorting a university group on a field trip, and to this day I recall how riveted we were. The catalog is no longer in print, but you can find it freely available online via Google Books here and here via Archive.org. We’ll feature the Confucius Moment, the Weekly Almanac, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts and more! Remember that our weekly broadcast begins 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via live-audio-streaming. Can’t listen live? Fear not; we have you covered. All our shows are archived and made freely available on our special channel on podcasts.com.
Joining me on the Saturday, August 11 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim was Tommy Gong, the author of Bruce Lee: The Evolution of a Martial Artist.
Tracing Bruce Lee’s path from wing chun student to jeet kune do founder, Gong’s biography chronicles Lee’s physical journey—from Hong Kong to Seattle to Oakland to Los Angeles and back again to Hong Kong—as well as his voyage of self-discovery and actualization. His book draws on numerous conversations with Bruce Lee’s childhood classmates, former students, and family friends, offering a unique insight into the life of the legendary martial artist. It also offers a wealth of rare and unique photos, letters, and personal writings courtesy of Lee’s wife, Linda Lee Cadwell, and his daughter Shannon. As we learn from Tommy Gong about Bruce Lee's progression in martial arts techniques and training methods, we will also discover how Lee’s personal philosophy of continuously adapting to the changing conditions of the moment can be applied to life.
We featured the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, Paul Cabo’s Chinese Word of the Week and more!
Remember that our weekly broadcast begins 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via live-audio-streaming. Can’t listen in real time? Fear not; we have you covered. All our radio shows are archived and made freely available on our special channel on podcasts.com.
Looking for a little zen to balance your life? Help is on the way! On the Saturday, August 4 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim I welcomed certified New York City and Los Angeles Feng Shui expert Laura Cerrano. She is the CEO and founder of the bicoastal consulting firm Feng Shui Manhattan, established in 1997. You can learn more at fengshuimanhattan.com. Cerrano is also a Feng Shui scientific researcher who is dedicated to bridging the gap between the ancient wisdom of Feng Shui with modern day science. She is a resident teacher at the Metropolitan Institute of Design in Syosset, New York. Laura Cerrano has been featured on PBS, News China, the New York Times, BBC Radio and more. We featured our weekly words of wisdom on the Confucius Moment, the Weekly Almanac, Treasures of China, and Chinese Fun Facts! Paul Cabo phoned in from Beijing with his Chinese Word of the Week, too. Remember that our weekly broadcast begins 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via live-audio-streaming. Can’t listen live? Fear not; we have you covered. All our shows are archived and made freely available on our special channel on podcasts.com.
On the Saturday, July 21 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim I welcomed back two-time Emmy Award winning sports broadcast journalist and documentarian Rick Quan by phone from the San Francisco Bay area. Rick Quan Productions has collaborated with the Chinese Historical Society of America, Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream Foundation and others. He was with us previously regarding The Dorothy Toy Story. Rick returned to discuss his latest award-winning documentary No Ordinary Joe: The Allen Joe Story. Oakland, California native Allen Joe -who recently died at age 94- was one of the first Chinese American bodybuilding champions who turned to exercise and good health to build his confidence, attract the love of his life and become both friend and mentor to martial arts legend Bruce Lee. I’ve established a link to the documentary where you can enjoy Allen Joe’s remarkable and heartwarming story in the Films section of MarvelsofChina.Blogspot.com, and directly on Vimeo. As we like to point out, “everything Chinese is all the rage these days.” We featured the Confucius Moment, the Weekly Almanac, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts and more! Remember that our weekly broadcast begins 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via live-audio-streaming. Can’t listen live? Fear not; we have you covered. All our shows are archived and made freely available on our special channel on podcasts.com.
On the Saturday, July 28 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim I welcomed Mr. Huihan Lie by phone from Beijing. He is the head of a first of its kind family tree and genealogical research business, My China Roots. What started as interest in tracing his ancestral roots to China quickly evolved into the founding of My China Roots, China’s first company devoted to helping overseas Chinese trace their family history and genealogical roots. He was on Conversations talked about My China Roots -and announced a first-of-its-kind, innovative service for overseas Chinese around the world. Learn more at MyChinaRoots.com. Huihan Lie has been featured on the BBC, South China Morning Post, The Economist, China Daily, Global Times and more! I was especially interested in welcoming Huihan Lie to the show for a very important reason. Since this radio show started many, many of the Chinese nationals and Chinese Americans I've met have expressed an interest in learning more about their ancestors and family tree. Mr. Lie's announcement will -I am certain- pique your attention. We featured the Confucius Moment, the Weekly Almanac, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts and more! Tune in to hear the Chinese Word of the Week with Paul Cabo coming in to us from Beijing. Remember that our weekly broadcast begins 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via live-audio-streaming. Can’t listen live? Fear not; we have you covered. All our shows are archived and made freely available on our special channel on podcasts.com.
On the Saturday, July 14 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim we met Mr. Tunney Lee, professor emeritus and former head of the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and former head of the Department of Architecture at Chinese University of Hong Kong. We learned about a fascinating, collaborative project Professor Lee is a leader of, Boston Chinatown Atlas. You can access it at ChinatownAtlas.org and through MarvelsofChina.blogspot.com. Professor Lee served as chief of Planning and Design at the Boston Redevelopment Authority, as well as deputy commissioner of the Massachusetts Division of Capital Planning and Operations. Lee’s research and teaching at MIT has focused on the process of community-based design. In addition, he has led many studios involving Boston-area neighborhoods. Professor Lee’s research has focused on urban development of the pearl River Delta in China, and an Atlas of Urban Residential Densities. We featured the Confucius Moment, the Weekly Almanac, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts and more! Remember that our weekly broadcast begins 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via live-audio-streaming. Can’t listen live? Fear not; we have you covered. All our shows are archived and made freely available on our special channel on podcasts.com.
As our celebration of the 242nd year of American independence on the Fourth of July continues I welcomed back Mr. Edmond Gor from Houston, Texas. On Conversations we discussed and were updated on the Chinese American World War II Veterans Recognition Project, (https://caww2.org) an initiative of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance (www.cacanational.org). You may remember that Gor was with us on the August 12, 2017 broadcast. Go to this link and listen. The project’s mission is to recognize, honor and celebrate the military service of Chinese Americans who fought in the Second World War through advocacy, education and preservation -ensuring that the outstanding achievements and contributions of these extraordinary members of America’s greatest generation will never be forgotten. A bill is before Congress in Washington, D.C. Your help is needed to get it passed. Tune in and find out how. Get ready for more words of wisdom on the Confucius Moment, a journey to another of the Treasures of China, and much to see and do on the Weekly Almanac, and more! We featured a rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner -the American national anthem- by Chinese Pipa Soloist, Composer and Cultural Ambassador Ms. Gao Hong. She was on the Saturday, January 12, 2018 show when we met in Hawaii.
It was my pleasure to welcome Judge Michael Kwan from the Utah this morning. As the president of the Chinese Railroad Workers Descendants Association, we heard from Judge Kwan about a remarkable time in American history when legions of Chinese and Chinese Americans built the Transcontinental Railroad. They endured hardships, exploitation and discrimination -and in the process transformed America.
Don't forget to mark on your calendar next year's annual Golden Spike Conference marking the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.
We featured the Confucius Moment and Treasures of China, too.
I'd like to take this occasion to wish our American listeners around the world a Happy Fourth of July; this coming Wednesday will mark 242 years of American independence. Safe celebrations and travels to all!
“Go West, young man, is a famous phrase that was first popularized in the 19th century by American author and New York Herald Tribune editor Horace Greeley. Fast forward to the 21st century. Today it’s “Go East-everyone! Where are they going? You’ll never guess-although, if you listen to this program the answer is a no-brainer.
A huge number of foreigners -including Americans- have pulled up stakes and focused their dreams on China. You’ll agree that it takes a fair amount of risk coupled with an abundance of grit, tenacity and courage to take the plunge.
On the Saturday, June 23 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim we met Mr. Paul Cabo, our first Beijing correspondent, intern and guest. This native of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City acted on his captivation with all-things Chinese. Cabo left behind his former life as a Starbucks manager and reached for the stars and a new life in China as an English teacher in the Chinese capitol, as an entrepreneur and university student at Beijing Language and Culture College.
Cabo was featured in a 2010 New York Times piece, From Brooklyn to Beijing to Teach Children English-and Into the Cauldron. He’s described his life as “fact is truly stranger than fiction. His personal image evokes a “wow-factor on the streets of Beijing, too.
Get ready for more words of wisdom on the Confucius Moment, a journey to another of the Treasures of China, much to see and do on the Weekly Almanac, and on Spotlight on C-Pop you’ll hear a wonderful selection from the one and only Faye Wong.
On the Saturday, June 16 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim, I welcomed Ms. Nicky Honghao Ruan of the New York City-based Lotus Lee Foundation.
Newly established in New York City, Lotus Lee Foundation is a non-profit that is partnered with Lotus Lee Studios, a theater company founded in Shanghai in 2015. Does an all-expense paid opportunity to travel to Shanghai and be immersed in its exciting theater community appeal to you? You’ll want to tune in and hear about the Lotus Lee Foundation Travel Fellowship! Go to this link for details, and scroll down to the bottom of the page to register: https://www.lotus-lee.foundation/lotus-lee-travel-fellowship/We featured the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, the Weekly Almanac and much more at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA and WGCH.com anywhere.
When I was in Hawaii recently I read a very touching obituary about the one and only Vera Ako -whose stage name was Vi Wong- who at age 88 years “went over the rainbow in Kailua on March 23. In the 1960s she was among the first wave of Asian American pioneering entertainers who dazzled audiences across North America, Europe and Japan at such venues as the legendary Forbidden City Nightclub in San Francisco, California. Celebrities who attended these Chinese performers included Ronald Reagan, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Duke Ellington. Vi Wong was part of the dance team headed by legendary Dorothy Toy -who just turned 101 years young- and Paul Wing -at a time when Hollywood overlooked the talents of Asian American performers.
Joining me from Honolulu on Conversations on the Saturday, June 9 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim was Vi Wong’s daughter, Diane Ako. An award-winning journalist, Diane Ako anchors and reports for Honolulu’s ABC affiliate KITV Island News. She’s also reported at stations in California, Pennsylvania and New Mexico and worked at KHON2 and KHNL. Her reporting has garnered ten first-place award from the Society of professional Journalists’ Hawaii Chapter and four Emmy nominations from the San Francisco/Northern California Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Check out her blog at DianeAko.com. Vera was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in Year 2013. Her family requests that you consider a memorial contribution to the University of Hawai‘i John A. Burns School of Medicine “in memory of Vera Ako. Here’s how:1) Indicate if it's for the Alzheimer’s Disease Research and Education Fund (#12722004), the Preclinical Research Fund for Alzheimer’s (#12583204), or both2) Please make checks payable to UH Foundation3) Mail to:University of Hawai‘i FoundationP.O. Box 11270
Honolulu, HI 96828
High-level strategic partnerships between American and Chinese healthcare academics, policymakers and health industries are growing. These constructive collaborations strive to improve people's lives. This meeting of great minds serves to promote the advancement of global health through exchanges of knowledge, ideas and experiences for the betterment of all.
Joining me today by phone from New York City was Dr. Lu Fan of Wenzhou Medical University (WMU), Zhejiang Province, China. Fan was director of the Eye Hospital and dean of the School of Ophthalmology. She was the president of Wenzhou Medical University until April 2018 when she was appointed WMU’s chancellor. Chancellor Fan graduated from WMU, majoring in General Medicine, completing a residency in ophthalmology and a Masters in Optics in Ophthalmology. In 2002 she graduated from the New England College of Optometry in Boston, Massachusetts. Fan is a pioneer in establishing ophthalmology and optometric medical programs throughout China. Under her leadership Wenzhou Medical University’s eye hospital became one of China's most outstanding, covering eye care for a population totaling 20 million in Zhejiang Province. She has been conferred several national science and education awards in China. Her current research focuses on ocular imaging, refractive therapy, vision function and dry eye, mainly sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China through its National Key Basic Research Development Program.
Tune in to Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim on Saturday on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via audio-streaming at 10:30 a.m., Eastern USA Time/10:30 p.m. Beijing Time. We featured our regular segments, such as the Confucius Moment, Chinese Fun Facts, the Weekly Almanac and more.
On the Saturday, May 26, 2018 Memorial Day weekend broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim I welcomed Commander Kenneth Wong of the American Legion Lt. B.R. Kimlau Chinese Memorial Post 1291 in New York City’s Chinatown. Americans annually pause on the final weekend of May to pay respects and remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in times of war, always with the hope that it will be the last time. We heard from Commander Wong about the heroism of Lt. B.R. Kimlau, a Chinese American who perished during World War II, and who was memorialized by the establishment of the American Legion post that bears his name. We heard about the Kimlau Chinese Memorial Post 1291’s other activities for all who seek their help. All this started in the mid-1940’s by three Chinese Americans in New York City -two of whom were postal workers and another who ran a Chinatown enterprise- envisioning the formation of the formation of a Chinese American Legion to serve American veterans of Chinese descent. You can learn more by going to its official web site at http://www.ltkimlau.com.
I also welcomed back from Hawaii Retired Brigadier Frances Iwalani Mossman. This month marked the one-year anniversary of the historic “Sister City ties established between Hangzhou, China and Greenwich, Connecticut USA -where this show broadcasts from. We’ll be hearing more from General Mossman -and stay tuned for an important announcement and invitation from us in the weeks ahead.
When the Committee of 100 announced the death of Anna Chan Chennault -who died on March 30, 2018- Governor Shirley Young, who is one of the organization’s founders, said, “Anna Chennault was a true pioneer, as a courageous young woman helping the Flying Tigers during World War II and as a proud Chinese American working with Chinese and American leaders to build strong, positive relationships. We are grateful to have had her as a vibrant member of the Committee of 100. Anna Chan Chennault was the Chinese-born wife of the celebrated, legendary Gen. Claire Lee Chennault of World War II Flying Tigers fame. She was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for International Cooperation by the Committee of 100 in 2005 at its annual conference.
My guest on Conversations was Dr. Catherine Forslund, chair of the Rockford University history department and official biographer of Anna Chan Chennault. Forslund is the author of Anna Chennault: Informal Diplomacy and Asian Relations. You can find a link on the Book Club section of MarvelsofChina.Blogspot.com, on Amazon and other book vendors. Regarding Mrs. Chennault, the Washington Post quoted Dr. Forslund as saying, “She was somebody who interpreted China to Americans, government officials, business and the public to a certain extent. Plus, she interpreted the United States to all these Asian countries. Having the ear of American President’s regardless of party, Anna Chan Chennault became one of the most influential private citizens in Washington, D.C. She was and will be remembered for many accomplishments, especially her invaluable contributions to U.S.-China relations and diplomacy.
Everything Chinese is all the rage these days, so we also featured the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, the Weekly Almanac and more!
I welcomed Eric Lefebvre, director and chief curator of the world renowned Musee Cernuschi Museum of the Asian Art in Paris, France. Since March 9, 2018 Perfumes of China, the Cultures of Incense in Imperial Times has been captivating visitors as never before. How? The exhibition presents a novel approach to Chinese civilization through the exploration of the art of incense and perfume from the 3rd century BCE to the 19th century. This is an extraordinary collaboration with Shanghai Museum and Christian Dior Perfumes. The Musee Cernuschi is an Asian art museum with an outstanding, world-class collection of works from China, Japan and Korea near Parc Monceau in Paris. The exhibit is on through August 26, 2018. Learn more at cernuschi.paris.fr and on MarvelsofChina.blogspot.com. We featured our regular segments such as the Confucius Moments, Treasures of China, the Weekly Almanac and more.
Ms. Wei Zhou takes center stage on Conversations. She is the president and founder of New York City-based Weiber Consulting. This Shanghai-born Chinese American founded Weiber Consulting in 2008 after already making her mark as a leader in multicultural public relations and effective integrated marketing. Zhou holds an MBA in Marketing and International Business from NYU's Leonard N. Stern School of Business. Weiber Consulting is one of New York City's most experienced consulting firms specializing in the Asian market in North America and East Asia. The firm is a one-stop-shop for a full range of services. These include integrated marketing strategies, publicity, social media, branding, event planning, community outreach, strategic partnerships and more. Learn more at Weibers.com.
The Hagley Museum and Library in Delaware announced what museum officials call a “path-breaking exhibition the partnership with Tsinghua University in Beijing and the China Association for Science and Technology. My guest on Conversations was Hagley's executive director David Cole, PhD, where he has been since 2013. Spirit of Invention: 19th Century U.S. Patent Models of the Hagley Museum and Library(and here) showcases authentic American patent models, stories of American invention and chronicles the development of U.S. patents and intellectual property systems. The exhibited models from the Hagley Museum and Library represent a broad spectrum of American industries, interest and inventions. The exhibit is scheduled to travel to various cities in China with a projected audience of over one million visitors. This marks the first time an American history museum has exhibited in China.
On today's broadcast I was joined by Ms. Sasha Kong, the daughter of the legendary Chinese contemporary artist Kong Baiji (pictured above) who died recently in Greenwich, Connecticut -the home of our flagship station 1490 WGCH/WGCH.com. He was regarded as a key figure in China's post-Cultural Revolution contemporary art movement. His works are included in some of the world's finest museums and cultural institutions. We featured our regular segments and more!
There is only one Dorothy Toy. Take my word for it. She is one of the most prodigious and fascinating dancers in American history. Both Dorothy Toy and the late Paul Wing (pictured above) dazzled audiences on film and on stage across North America, Europe and Japan with world-class footwork the likes of which no one had seen before. Dorothy Toy's story has been told through a documentary, Dancing Through Life: The Dorothy Toy Story by veteran San Francisco Bay Area journalist and documentary filmmaker Rick Quan, who called Dorothy Toy "an Asian American pioneer in entertainment." Rick Quan was my guest on Conversations on the Saturday, April 14 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via audio-streaming at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/10:30 p.m. Beijing Time. We featured our regular segments, such as the Confucius Moment, Chinese Fun Facts, the Weekly Almanac and more.
Mysterious, exotic, even other-worldly Tibet’s aura has captured the imagination of the Western mind for centuries. On February 27, 2018 Unknown Tibet: The Tucci Expeditions and Buddhist Painting opened to the public at the Asia Society in New York City. The exhibition features stunning paintings collected by Italian scholar Giuseppe Tucci during his 1926-1948 expeditions to Tibet, along with striking photography of his travels. Go to this link for an introductory video of the exhibition. We welcomed the exhibition’s guest curator Dr. Deborah Klimburg-Salter, PhD. to the show. She received her PhD from Harvard University in 1976, followed by her Habilitation from University of Vienna in 1989. Among her many accomplishments, Deborah Klimburg-Salter is the research director of the Giuseppe Tucci Photographic Archive. Her work has involved extensive fieldwork and writing on the art and archaeology of Afghanistan, Northern India and Tibet. The Asian Society was founded in 1956 by John D Rockefeller 3rd. It is the leading educational organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among people's, leaders, and institutions of Asia and the United States in a global context. Learn more at AsiaSociety.org. We featured our usual segments, including our Weekly Almanac of exhibitions and events you can attend all across the USA.
Qingming Festival -also known as Tomb Sweeping Day- arrives on April 5. We featured an encore interview on Conversations with Douglas Chong, director of the Hawaii Chinese History Center in Honolulu. We also featured our usual segments -the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, the Weekly Almanac and more.
Our observance of Women's History Month across the USA continued. Today we featured an encore interview on Conversations with Dr. Karen McNeill, America's foremost authority on renowned architect Julia Morgan, the first licensed architect in California. Her over 700 designs across the Western USA include Hearst Castle in San Simeon. She also designed the iconic Chinatown YWCA in San Francisco, today the headquarters of the Chinese Historical Society of America. Tune in for the Confucius Moment, Weekly Almanac, Treasures of China and more!
On today's Conversations I featured an encore interview with Hawaii-based filmmaker Robin Lung. It's Women's History Month across the USA. In 2016 Lung was just introducing the world to her award-winning documentary Finding Kukan -and to the one and only Li Ling-Ai. Since that time there have been an continue to be multiple screenings. Go to FindingKukan.com to learn more. We featured the Confucius Moment and Treasures of China. We ran out of time for the Weekly Almanac, so go to the page on MarvelsofChina.blogspot.com, and note the changes to the site.
Welcome back from Chinese New Year celebrations! I just returned to Honolulu from San Francisco where I attended my fist-ever Chinese New Year/Spring Festival events. I was intrigued and dazzled by the vibrant, colorful and expressive street murals there -and I wanted to know who created them. On Conversations I enjoyed welcoming Michelle Chan of Dragon School based in Oakland, California's Chinatown. Learn more about this exciting non-profit at www.dragonschool99.com. We featured our Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, the Weekly Almanac and Chinese Fun Facts. Did you know I'm also a State of Hawaii wedding officiant? Come get married and enjoy your honeymoon here, too! We also held our All-Things Chinese Weekly Triva Contest! Mark your calendars for our future shows starting at 10:30 .m. Eastern USA Time on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere.
Today's guest on Conversations was Darlene Chiu Bryant, a member of the Board of Directors of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation. Based in San Francisco, California and formed in 1983, you can learn more and help support the preservation and restoration of Angel Island Immigration Station by going on the web to www.aiisf.org. We marked the Lantern Festival, signaling the conclusion of Chinese New Year observances. Enjoy our steady stream of educational segments, such as the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, how to contact me as marvelsofchina@gmail.com and the Weekly Almanac -where you'll find an assortment of events and exhibits. Our Spotlight on C-Pop focused on those among you feeling a little shy about looking for love. So, enjoy Patrick Brasca and Jay Chou singing 'Try' -for you must! See more on MarvelsofChina.blogspot.com.
Ni hao from San Francisco's Chinatown! I'm here for the annual public Chinese New Year celebrations-the largest outside of Asia. My guest on Conversations was Victoria Gerard, curator of Collections and Special Exhibitions at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California. We heard about an amazing exhibit, 'Empress Dowager: Selections from the Summer Palace.' This groundbreaking exhibit is in collaboration with the Summer Palace Museum in Beijing. It focuses on the Empress Dowager's non-political life at the renowned summer palace. It reconstructs her life at the Summer Palace with 160 objects never before exhibited in North America. Our Weekly Almanac featured much to see and do at museums and Chinese cultural organizations across the USA. We shared words of wisdom on the Confucius Moment, and we enjoyed another journey to a dazzling destination on Treasures of China. As your host I shared my thanks with all who have made this first-of-its-kind show such a success as we begin our third year on the air. Our best days lay ahead! Xiexie!
On our Chinese New Year special broadcast I welcomed Ms. Ashley Fu, chair of the Young Professionals of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii in Honolulu. I also welcomed back Mr. Douglas Chong, director and head of the Hawaii Chinese History Center in Chinatown. He shared comments about the unveiling by the U.S. Postal Service of the official Chinese New Year stamp, as well as educating us about how the Chinese in Hawaii celebrate the holiday. Local officials from Greenwich, Connecticut USA -where WGCH/WGCH.com is located- shared their holiday greetings. We also had our first-ever Chinese New Year t-shirt giveaway and other segments.
Grant Hayter-Menzies joined us from British Columbia, Canada today for an insightful conversation about his book, Imperial Masquerade: The Legend of Princess Der Ling. He has been an art and music critic and a former board member of the Northwest China Council in Portland, Oregon USA. He is the author of a number of books and has been on the broadcast before. As Chinese New Year draws closer we featured special greetings from Connecticut State Representative Fred Camillo of Greenwich, Connecticut USA and from Rocco Forte, the owner and president of AM 1490 WGCH/WGCH.com Radio also in Greenwich from which the show airs. There's much to see and do, so we featured activities, exhibits and more in the Weekly Almanac and showcased Chinese cultural museums, plus our usual segments.
My guest today was John Pomfret, author of The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom: America and China, 1776 to the Present. Pomfret served as a bureau chief and correspondent for the Washington Post, earned a BA and MA from Stanford University and was one of the first Americans to pursue studies in China after the normalization of relations. We featured the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, the Chinese New Year Countdown and more!
Today I welcomed Mr. Larry Dubinski, president and CEO of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor is on exhibit until March 4, 2018. We heard an overview of the Franklin Institute, the significance of First Emperor's Qin's terracotta army, the uniqueness of this exhibit, and much more. We heard the Confucius moment, the Countdown to the Chinese New Year, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts, the Weekly Almanac, and on our Spotlight on C-Pop we heard Li Yugang's song Just Met You.
We're joined today by Mr. Matt LePere, co-director of the Confucius Institute for Global Finance at Baruch College in New York City. NYCIGF@Baruch is a first-of-its-kind institute in collaboration with Shanghai International Studies University and Hanban, an entity associated with the Chinese Ministry of Culture. We're also joined by Mr. Douglas D.L. Chong of the Hawaii Chinese History Center in Honolulu. We heard about some of the latest advances and theories in genealogical research for Chinese and Chinese/Hawaiians in particular. We also heard about the release of the 2018 Year of the Dog stamps by the U.S. Postal Service and our regular segments.
My guest today was Ms. Gao Hong, a world-renowned China pipa soloist, composer, educator and cultural ambassador. She is a graduate of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and today teaches as a member of the music faculty at Carleton College in Minnesota USA. Learn more about her at www.chinesepipa.com. We heard her performance of the Star-Spangled Banner, the American national anthem. We also featured our Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts, the countdown to Chinese New Year, the Weekly Almanac and more!
Aloha from Hawaii USA! The first broadcast of Year 2018 featured Mr. Douglas Chong of the Hawaii Chinese History Center headquartered in Honolulu's Chinatown. China's Ancient Silk Road has captured the imagination for ages. Chong just returned from an extraordinary trip to the Silk Road, and shared his impressions -including his visit to the famous Mogao Caves, also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes near Dunhuang. We also started off Year 2018 with the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts, Chop Sticks and the Weekly Almanac. As a public service to our friends everywhere we started the countdown to Chinese New Year/ Spring Festival.
Year 2017 concluded with Mr. Jim Jang, president of the Friends of the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles, California USA. The Chinese American Museum's mission is to "foster a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, America's diverse heritage by researching, preserving, and sharing the history, rich cultural legacy, and continued contributions of Chinese Americans." It is the first museum in Southern California dedicated to the Chinese American experience and history of the region. We featured the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China and the Weekly Almanac. To all my guests throughout 2017 -and my listeners around the world- thank you for a terrific year! We are eagerly looking forward to Year 2018 as our journey into all-things Chinese continues.
Today I welcomed Ms. Ginger Jiang representing the Silk Road Chamber of International Commerce (www.srcic.org). China's Han Dynasty established the famous network of ancient trading and commercial routes we know today as the Silk Roads. Flash forward to the 21st century. In Year 2013 Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Belt and Road Initiative -the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The SRCIC was founded in Year 2015 in Hong Kong, serving as a bridge between corporations and governments through its members, further promoting a resilient world economy. We also featured the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts and the Weekly Almanac.
On today's show I welcomed back Dr. Ying-Ying Chang, mother of the renowned and legendary author Iris Chang. Dr. Chang is the author of an extraordinary memoir, 'The Woman Who Could Not Forget: Iris Chang Before and Beyond The Rape of Nanking. As we pause to reflect on and commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre in 1937, we discussed Iris Chang's life and legacy in the Conversations segment. I also shared my recently delivered remarks at the United Nations, New York City. In the Delegates Dining Room on that day YinuoYIP launched its art trading platform (www.yinuovip.com). We also featured the Weekly Almanac of events, exhibitions and more at various museums and Chinese cultural institutions. Be sure to tune-in every Saturday 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time on 1490 WGCH and anywhere via audio-streaming on WGCH.com.
NOTE: The live broadcast of the regularly scheduled show was pre-empted until Wednesday, December 13 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time. On this show I welcomed Dr. Ying-Ying Chang, mother of the renowned, legendary author Iris Chang who wrote 'The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II.' Iris Chang's book chronicles the 1937 Nanking Massacre. This year we are commemorating its 80th anniversary on December 13, 2017. I invite you to tune in next Saturday, December 16. I'll be welcoming back Dr. Ying-Ying Chang to discuss her daughter's legacy and her own memoir, 'The Woman Who Could Not Forget: Iris Chang Before and Beyond The Rape of Nanking.'
World renowned pianist Lang Lang has called my guest “an experienced and versatile violinist who possesses outstanding technique and profound musical taste."
Professor Lin Yaoji of the Lin Yao Ji Music Foundation of China says of my guest, “He is a genius the likes of which are few and far between. His performance is often imbued with enriched color, impeccable technical command, and immaculate interpretation. He will be able to make enormous contributions to the violin scene of both China and the world.Widely recognized as one of the most talented violinists of his generation, Mr. Gao Can enjoys an international following, appearing with major orchestras, prestigious venues and festivals around the world.In 2014 Gao Can was appointed the ambassador of the prestigious Verbier Festival held annually in Switzerland, the only Chinese national to be appointed. In 2015, Gao Can performed in front of 17 national leaders and thousands of political and business leaders at the closing ceremony at the Boao Forum for Asia. On that occasion he played the 1727 Stardivarius violin ex-General Dupont, the first to be owned by a Chinese collector. He has performed at the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra in South Africa, the Teatro di San Carlo Orchestra in Italy, the China National Symphony, and numerous music festivals throughout Europe, Asia and North America.Gao Can holds over 45 violin concerts annually, touring on five continents gaining international acclaim from Critics and audiences alike. He also dedicates his time to mentoring the next generation of violinists through teaching, lecturing and masterclasses. He has been appointed as the music director of the Poly WeDo Education Project by the Poly Cultural Group. We’ll brought you the Confucius Moment, Weekly Almanac, Treasures of China and more. Mark your Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 11:30 p.m. Beijing Time. Listen live in the local listening area on 1490 WGCH. Our global audience can listen live via audio-streaming at WGCH.com.
My guest on the November 25 show was Ruthanne Lum McCunn from San Francisco. She is the author of Chinese Yankee. Her book recounts the true story of Hong Kong born Thomas Sylvanus (Ah Yee Way) who was one of a number of Chinese who fought in the American Civil War 1861-1865. Learn more about Ruthanne Lum McCunn, her work and how you can order copies of her books by going to www.McCunn.com. We like to say that "everything Chinese is all the rage these days," so you'll also get your dose of wisdom on the Confucius Moment, explore another of the Treasures of China, learn about events and exhibits on the Weekly Almanac, and so much more!
On today's show I welcomed Mr. Dong Yaohui, vice-chairman of the China Great Wall Society. Translating Vice-chairman Dong's remarks was Mr. Larry Liu of the Charles R. Weber Company, Inc., shipbrokers and marine consultants since 1940 in Greenwich, Connecticut USA. Learn more about the Great wall of China and on-going effrots to restore and preserve it for present and future generations at www.chinagreatwallfoundation.org, a secondary foundation to the China Culture Relics Protection Foundation. We featured the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts and the Weekly Almanac.
Today is Veterans Day in the USA. My special guest was Greenwich, Connecticut resident and World War II veteran Mr. Roswell Curtis. He served in the war in Chengdu as one of the renowned, heroic Flying Tigers. He shared some of his memories of a time when a militarized Japan sought to conquer China. The Flying Tigers cast a bold light during the darkest days of World War II, boosting morale on the path to victory in 1945. We featured our usual segments -the Confucius moment, Treasures of China, the Weekly Almanac and more. On our new 'Spotlight on C-Pop' segment we featured the mixed South Korean and Chinese group UNIQ singing the Chinese version of 'Falling in Love.'
What a delight it was to welcome Professor Kenneth Hsien-yung Pai to today's broadcast! Warm, gregarious and cultured, Professor Pai is a living legend. He is also a visionary of China's modern culture scene, one of the great stylists of Chinese fiction and prose. We met at the China Institute In America's headquarters in Lower Manhattan -and it was there that I conducted my interview with him. We also featured the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, the Weekly Almanac -and on the show's first-ever Spotlight on C-Pop Music we heard Lu Han sing his hit 'Catch Me When I Fall.' Remember to tune in every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time on 1490 WGCH and anywhere via audiostreaming on WGCH.com.
During my recent travels to my home in Hawaii I caught up with Mr. Cy Feng of the Honda International Center (HIC) at Kapiolani Community College (KCC). I was an instructor at KCC, working with the Honda International Center. My colleagues and I taught various subjects to university-level students from China, Japan and South Korea on short-term study programs. That experienced highlighted for me the importance of international study programs. We also featured the Confucius Moment, Chinese Fun Facts, Treasures of China, and our Weekly Almanac of things to see and do at various Chinese museums and cultural institutions across the USA. Tune in on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time. We're on AM 1490 WGCH and anywhere via live audiostreaming on WGCH.com. Miss a show? Check out the Shows and Hosts section of WGCH.com and this archival site on Podcasts.com. Remember, you can also contact the show by email at marvelsofchina@gmail.com.
My guest on the Conversations segment of today's show was Ms. Stephanie Liu, Vice-Consul of Cultural Affairs at the Chinese Consulate General in New York City. We discussed the China-US Cultural Forum. Needless to say, China has a vibrant, dazzling modern cultural scene in the performing arts, music and much more. The area of the USA covered by the Chinese Consulate in New York City consists of ten states in the Northeast. The Cultural Affairs offic offers a wide-range of opportunities to celebrate China's culture and works with many American cultural institutions as partners. We also featured our variety of segments such as the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts, too! Thanks to the education I received from Vice-Consul of Cultural Affairs Liu you're going to hear more about China's contemporary cultural scene. I think you'll be impressed; I certainly am. Tune in every Saturday morning 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time, and listen via streaming audio on WGCH.com. Check out the Shows and Hosts section of WGCH.com where our most recent shows are posted for you.
On today's show I resumed my conversation by phone with Retired Brigadier General Frances Mossman in Honolulu, Hawaii USA. Our topic was the recently signed sister city agreement between Greenwich, Connecticut USA -where AM 1490 WGCH/WGCH.com is located- and the city of Hangzhou, China. Both communities are seeking to open, nurture and expand social, cultural, ecuational and commercial ties. Greenwich and Hangzhou are recognized finance centers. As always, we featured our regular segments -the Confucius moment, Treasures if China, Chinese Fun Facts, the Weekly Almanac and more. Be sure to tune in every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time. Shows are audio-streamed on WGCH.com and archived on Podcasts.com and the Shows and Hosts section of WGCH.com.
On the October 7, 2017 broadcast I welcomed by phone from Honolulu, Hawaii USA Ret. Brigadier General Frances I. Mossman. This is the first of two conversations -the second scheduled for next Saturday, October 14- on the recently signed "sister city" agreement between Greenwich, Connecticut USA and the city of Hangzhou in China. Both municipalities are established financial wealth centers in their respective nations. (AM 1490 WGCH/WGCH.com is located in Greenwich, where Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim broadcasts from). At the signing ceremony it was noted that Greenwich was the model for developing Shangcheng, China's first invstment management commercial park. In the official declaration it was noted that Greenwich and Hangzhou have shared values in "jointly promoting prosperity and cooperation and understanding of development and change." Additionally, the agreement calls for the promotion of social, cultural and commercial ties. Both General Mossman and I discussed the nuances of sister city relationships, their history examples of successful exchanges and relationships as well as how both Greenwich and Hangzhou should establish a framework for incrased trust, intercultural appreciation, shared goals and priorities. We called, for example, for both communities to immediately establish representative offices in each other's locations. Stay tuned for the October 14 show when Mossman and I discuss the constructive foundations for how Greenwich and Hangzhou could learn from each other, as well our suggestions for the next step in this new relationship. We also featured our usual segments, such as the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, the Weekly Almanac, Chinese Fun Facts and more! Tune in every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on WGCH and anywhere via streaming audio on WGCH.com.
On today's show I welcomed back Connie Young Yu, Board Emeritus Member of the Chinese Historical Society of America in San Francisco. She's a descendant of Chinese workers who built America's first Transcontinental Railroad in the 19th century. We discussed more about this remarkable history. Be sure to look at the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project at Stanford University. We featured our usual segments, such as the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, the Weekly Almanac and more. Be sure to tune-in every Saturday morning 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time to 1490 WGCH and anywhere on WGCH.com.
I was joined today by Connie Young Yu from San Francisco. She is a descendants and recognized authority on the Chinese railroad workers who built the Transcontinental Railroad. She is a Trustee Emeritus Board member of the Chinese Historical Society of America and graduated from Mills College. This is the first of two conversations on the subject. remember to tune in next week for more from Connie Young Yu.
We had our usual segments -the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, the Weekly Almanac and more!
Tune in each Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time for all-things wise, wonderful and Chinese on 1490 WGCH and anywhere on WGCH.com.
On today's show I welcomed back Grant Hayter-Menzies from British Columbia, Canada. We discussed his book 'Shadow Woman: The Extraordinary Career of Pauline Benton. In the 1920s, Benton discovered Chinese shadow theatre in China and brought it back to the USA. Like other women Hayter-Menzies has written about, Benton defied the conventions of her time while at the same time opened herself and her heart to Chinese culture. As always, we featured the Confucius Moment, the Weekly Almanac of events and happenings, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts and more.
Today we featured the second half of my conversation with Mr. Jeff Greene, executive director of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation. We discussed the history of the renowned Flying Tigers and the activities of the foundation. We also featured our usual segments, such as the Confucius Moment, Chinese Fun Facts, the Weekly Almanac and more!
My guest on Conversations was Mr. Jeff Greene' executive director of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation. This is the first of a two-part interview that will be continued in the next broadcast. We went back in time to World War II and a time when tigers roared- Flying Tigers, that is! We heard about the foundation, its mission, goals, and the history of the Flying Tigers. We featured our usual segments -the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun Facts, and the Weekly Almanac. We heard about Mid-Autumn Festival events, too. We also heard some big news about Greenwich High School 2017 valedictorian William Yin -and more! Tune in every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time on 1490 WGCH and anywhere via audio-streaming on WGCH.com.
Joining me from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada today was Mr. Grant Hayter-Menzies, the author of The Empress and Mrs. Conger: The Uncommon Friendship of Two Women and Two Worlds. Published in 2011, this book tells the story for the first time of a special friendship between Dowager Empress Cixi and American Sarah Pike Conger, a diplomat's wife during tumultuous times in China dominated by the fifty-five day siege of the Beijing foreign legations known as the Boxer Uprising. We also featured our usual segments: the Confucius Moment, Treasures of China, the Weekly Almanac, Chopsticks and Chinese Fun Facts. Be sure to tune in every Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time and anywhere via audio-streaming on WGCH.com as our celebration of all-things Chinese continues. Check out the blog at marvelsofchina.blogspot.com and on Facebook, too.
On the August 19 show I welcomed Ms. Sonia Hu to the Conversations segment. Hu is the author of Shanghai, Forever Lost: A Biography of My Grandmother and Mother. This nonfiction book is based on the true stories and events from 1920s Shanghai to 1950s Peking. be sure to tune in for future Conversations, the Confucius moment, Treasures of China, Chinese Fun facts and other segments each Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time as our celebration of all-things Chinese continues on 1490 WGCH and anywhere on WGCH.com.
My guest on today's broadcast was Mr. Edmond Gor, the national president of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance (www.cacanational.org). He shared details of the Chinese American World War II Veterans Recognition Project (https://caww2.org). We featured our other segments such as the Confucius Moment, Chinese Fun Facts, Treasures of China, the Weekly Almanac and more! Tune in every Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time for more of our celebration of all things Chinese!
My guest was Daisy Wang, Ph.D., curator of Chinese and East Asian Art at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts USA. Dr. Wang oversees the museum's Chinese, Japanese and Korean collections. Previously, she served as Chinese Art Specialist at the Smithsonian's Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Wang's publications cover topics ranging from Buddhist art to contemporary art and the history of collecting Chinese art. Wang founded the American Alliance of Museums' China Program, the largest annual US-China museum professional exchange program. Wang was a Smithsonian Post-Doctoral fellow, a Getty Museum Leadership fellow and a grant reviewer for the Getty Research Institute and the Smithsonian. She earned her Ph.D. in Art History from Ohio University, and her M.A. in English Literature and her B.A. in International Law and Affairs from the University of International Relations in Beijing. We heard about Yin Yu Tang, an authentic 200-year-old Chinese merchants house formerly located in Anhui province, now on the campus of the Peabody Essex Museum. Learn more about the museum and this remarkable house at www.pem.org. On today's broadcast we featured our usual segments -the Confucius Moment, Chinese Fun Facts, the Weekly Almanac and more. Tune in every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and anywhere on WGCH.Com in Greenwich, Connecticut USA.
My guest on the July 29 broadcast was Mr. John Woo,executive director of Asian CineVision and the Asian American International Film Festival in New York City. The festival goes from July 26 to August 5 at various venues in Manhattan. This year marks the 40th anniversary. We featured our usual weekly words of wisdom on the Confucius Moment and shared news of exhibits and events on the Weekly Almanac. We heard more on Chinese Fun Facts, too. Tune in every Saturday at 10:30 a.m Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH in Greenwich, Connecticut and anywhere on WGCH.com.
My guest on today's show was Dr. Karen McNeill. She illuminated us all on renowned American architect Julia Morgan. Dr. McNeill is considered America's foremost authority on Morgan's life, career and legacy. As the first female architect licensed in California and a graduate of the Ecole des Beau-Arts in Paris a century ago, Morgan is best known for designing Hearst Castle in San Simeon. She designed over 700 buildings throughout the Western USA. Our focus today was on the San Francisco Chinatown YWCA, now the headquarters of the Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA). We featured our usual words of wisdom on the Confucius Moment, took off for another amazing destination on Travels of China, heard about what's happening on the Weekly Almanac, learned more on Chinese Fun Facts, and so on. Tune in each Saturday morning 10:30 a.m Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time for more of our ongoing celebration of all-things Chinese. Go to 1490 WGCH or anywhere, anytime on WGCH.com, Greenwich, Connecticut USA.
Today I welcomed Mr. Wesley Radez, the man behind the web site ChineseAmericanFamily.com. He shared his story and how his web site and online business-Red Bean Company- can be of service to you. You can subscribe by going to Wesley Radez's web site. Did I mention it is free? It is! We featured our usual segments -the Confuciius Moment, Chinese Fun Facts, Treasures of China and the Weekly Almanac. Be part of our celebration of Chinese culture every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA and anywhere on WGCH.com via audio streaming. Remember: we archive our shows here on Podcasts.com and our most recent ones on the Shows & Host section of WGCH.com.
Nearly two years ago in Beijing I had the pleasure of meeting my next guest, Mr. James Lindsay and his wife Pamela. We were in the Chinese capital as invited guests for the 70th year anniversary events commemorating the end of World War II. We and other guests had arrived from all over the world that first week in September, 2015. On one magical night we sat around large, round tables in the Grand Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Beijing trading larger-than-life war stories of a time when the world was in turmoil -until, as you can imagine- the hotel staff kicked us out as the hour had grown late. Jim came to us by phone from his home in Canberra, Australia to share with me and you a true, gripping story surely like no other as found in his late-mother’s book, Bold Plum: with the Guerrillas in China’s War Against Japan. Hsiao Li Lindsay was one-of-a-kind, a master storyteller whose stories are real and harrowing. Her day-to-day accounts of the flight from Beijing after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 with Japanese military troops in hot pursuit, years with Communist guerrillas, childbirth on the trail and refuge in Yennan, tragically massacred peasant villages and living intimately with Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, Lin Biao and many others is a story of struggle, courage and life-changing choices we can only imagine in the 21st century. You can purchase a copy of Bold Plum: with the Guerrillas in China’s War Against Japan at amazon.com or through the publisher at lulu.com.https://www.amazon.com/Bold-Plum-Guerillas-Chinas-against/dp/1430302925http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/hsiao-li-lindsay/bold-plum-with-the-guerillas-in-chinas-war-against-japan/paperback/product-597158.htmlWe also featured our usual weekly words of wisdom in the Confucius Moment. On Treasures of China let your imagination soar as we'll take off for a new, amazing destination. Learn about what's going on and things to see at museums on the Weekly Almanac. We had more for you on Chinese Fun Facts, too. Be part of the journey on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA and anywhere in WGCH.com via audio-streaming. If you miss the show fear not! We'll post a link on our archives site on Podcasts.com and the blog site on the 2017 Shows page.
On today's broadcast I welcomed back Willow Weilan Hai, Director of China Institute Gallery in New York City. We conversed about the China Institute Gallery’s new exhibition, Dreams of the Kings: A Jade Suit for Eternity, Treasures of the Han Dynasty from Xuzhou. It’s an adventure into an area of China’s history you should partake in this summer. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated bilingual catalogue, too. We also featured our usual weekly words of wisdom in the Confucius Moment. On Treasures of China let your imagination soar as we'll take off for a new, amazing destination. Learn about what's going on and things to see at museums on the Weekly Almanac. We featured more for you on Chinese Fun Facts, too. Last -and certainly not least- I shared some special, well-deserved words of appreciation for Sue Lee, the retiring executive director of the Chinese Historical Society of America in San Francisco, California. Mark your calendars and tune in every Saturday, 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time for our broadcasts on 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA and anywhere on WGCH.com.
It's graduation time across America. On today's broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim I welcomed William Yin and his proud father, Dr. Mark Yin. William Yin is the valedictorian of the Greenwich High School class of 2017 here in Connecticut USA. This accomplished young man is truly extraordinary. Recently named a U.S. Presidential Scholar and honored by the Greenwich Board of Education, William Yin has volunteered at Albert Einstein Hospital in New York City and at the First People's Hospital in Shanghai. Did you know that he created a science enrichment program for children in neighboring White Plains, New York? Participated in the We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution competition? Captain of the Math Team? Oh yes, there's more! We featured our usual weekly words of wisdom on the Confucius Moment. On Treasures of China let your imagination soar as we took off for a new, amazing destination. Learn about what's going on and things to see at museums on the Weekly Almanac. We had more for you on Chinese Fun Facts, too.
Be part of the journey every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA and anywhere in WGCH.com via audio-streaming. If you miss the show fear not! We'll post a link on our archives site on Podcasts.com and the blog site on the 2017 Shows page.
On today's show we welcomed Mr. Douglas Chin, Attorney General of the State of Hawaii. Warm and engaging, you'll hear about his remarkable journey from his birth in Taiwan to growing up in the Pacific Northwest to his present life and career in Hawaii as the state's Attorney General. We featured our usual weekly words of wisdom in the Confucius Moment. On Chopsticks today's ingredient was one of my favorites, lemongrass. Learn about what's going on and things to see at museums on the Weekly Almanac. We focused on the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region on Chinese Fun Facts, too. On Treasures of China we took you to another timeless destination from China's distant past.
Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead is the American representative of the Admissions Network of Chinese Universities and Colleges. The Sino-American Cultural Exchange Scholarship Program offers numerous opportunities for qualifying Americans to study for their Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral programs at Chinese universities and colleges. Please contact Mr. Mead for further details and to register today.
You're always invited to be part of the journey every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA and anywhere in WGCH.com via audio-streaming.
If you miss the show fear not! We'll post a link on our archives site on Podcasts.com and the blog site on the 2017 Shows page.
You might remember that my guests on the Conversations segment of the May 27 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim were Ms. Kuang-Yu Fong and Mr. Stephen Kaplin of Chinese Theatre Works in New York City. I asked them to return for the broadcast on Saturday, June 10 to talk about Chinese Theatre Works, its mission, programs and cultural offerings to the public. We featured our usual weekly words of wisdom in the Confucius Moment. On Treasures of China let your imagination soar as we'll take off for a new, amazing destination. Learn about what's going on and things to see at museums on the Weekly Almanac. We had more for you on Historical Notes and Chinese Fun Facts, too. Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead is the American representative of the Admissions Network of Chinese Universities and Colleges. The Sino-American Cultural Exchange Scholarship Program offers numerous opportunities for qualifying Americans to study for their Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral programs at Chinese universities and colleges. Please contact Mr. Mead for further details and to register today at MarvelsofChina@gmail.com. I’m in Greenwich, Connecticut. and this weekend I’ll be with you from the studios of 1490 WGCH.com. Be part of the journey every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA and anywhere in WGCH.com via audio-streaming. If you miss the show fear not! We'll post a link on our archives site on Podcasts.com and the blog site on the 2017 Shows page.
Adriana Proser is the John H. Foster Curator of Traditional Asian Art at the Asia Society New York City USA. On Saturday, June 3 I welcomed her to Conversations on Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim.
A specialist in Chinese art, over the last fifteen years she has organized and co-organized over forty exhibitions featuring diverse works from all over Asia. These include the upcoming loan exhibition Buddhist Art of Myanmar and the exhibitions Gilded Splendor: Treasures of China’s Liao Empire and Princes and Painters in Mughal Delhi, 1707-1857 for Asia Society Museum.
Her publications include Pilgrimage and Buddhist Art (Asia Society Museum and Yale University Press, 2010), for which she served as editor and contributor.
Dr. Proser is recipient of a Ph.D. in Chinese art and archaeology from Columbia University. Proser was formerly Assistant Curator of East Asian Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Dr. Proser commented on Secrets of the Sea: A Tang Shipwreck and Early Trade in Asiawhich was on exhibit at the Asia Society Museum in New York City. This exhibit closed yesterday, Sunday, June 4, 2017, the day after the broadcast.
For more information on this remarkable exhibit go to this link to Artsy.com.
Secrets of the Sea: A Tang Shipwreck and Early Trade in Asia featured precious cargo—bound for the Abbasid Caliphate, an empire that included present-day Iran and Iraq, and produced in China during the Tang dynasty (618–907)—including ceramics, gold and silver vessels, bronze mirrors, and other artifacts.
You are invited to click this link to a presentation on YouTube featuring Executive Vice-President Tom Nagorski of the Asia Society.
Go to this link to a story on the exhibit in the New York Times.
Scholar Regina Krahl delivered this keynote address at a symposium dedicated to the exhibition. The symposium was co-organized by Asia Society and the Tang Center for Early China at Columbia University.
We also featured our usual weekly words of wisdom in the Confucius Moment. On Treasures of China let your imagination soar as we took off for a new, amazing destination. Learn about what's going on and things to see at museums on the Weekly Almanac. We always have more for you on Historical Notes and Chinese Fun Facts, too.
We remind our audience that Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead is the American representative of the Admissions Network of Chinese Universities and Colleges. The Sino-American Cultural Exchange Scholarship Program offers numerous opportunities for qualifying Americans to study for their Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral programs at Chinese universities and colleges. Please contact Mr. Mead for further details and to register today.
Be part of the journey every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA and anywhere in WGCH.com via audio-streaming. If you miss the show fear not! We'll post a link on our archives site on Podcasts.com and the blog site on the 2017 Shows page.
My guests on the Conversations segment of the May 27 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim were Ms. Kuang-Yu Fong and Mr. Stephen Kaplin of Chinese Theatre Works in New York City. Thanks to them and an exhibit they curated at Flushing Town Hall in Queens, I was introduced to an extraordinary American woman named Pauline Benton. She was the founder of Red Gate Theatre and the first to bring Chinese shadow puppetry to American audiences nationwide. We also featured our usual weekly words of wisdom in the Confucius Moment. On Treasures of China let your imagination soar as we'll take off for a new, amazing destination. Learn about what's going on and things to see at museums on the Weekly Almanac. We had more for you on Historical Notes and Chinese Fun Facts, too. We remind our audience that Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead is the American representative of the Admissions Network of Chinese Universities and Colleges. The Sino-American Cultural Exchange Scholarship Program offers numerous opportunities for qualifying Americans to study for their Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral programs at Chinese universities and colleges. Please contact Mr. Mead for further details and to register today. On Tuesday, May 23 I attended a signing ceremony at Town Hall in Greenwich, Connecticut. A new sister city relationship now exists between the Town of Greenwich and the City of Hangzhou in China. I'll had some words to share. I’m back in Greenwich, Connecticut. and this week I’ll be with you from the studios of 1490 WGCH.com. Be part of the journey every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA and anywhere in WGCH.com via audio-streaming. If you miss the show fear not! We'll post a link on our archives site on Podcasts.com and the blog site on the 2017 Shows page.
On Tuesday May 23 the Greenwich, Connecticut First Selectman’s Economic Advisory Committee welcomed representatives of Hangzhou, China to Greenwich Town Hall.The delegation of government and financial leaders from Hangzhou arrived for a ceremonial signing of a resolution announcing Sister City status between Hangzhou and Greenwich. I attended this event and express my thanks to the First Selectman’s Economic Advisory Committee for extending an invitation. My comments are featured in this excerpt of the morning news on 1490 WGCH. Greenwich First Selectman Peter Tesei greeted the delegation led by Tao Guo, Secretary General of the Zhejiang International Hedge Fund Talent Association.Greenwich and Hangzhou will promote social, cultural and commercial relationships to “broaden and strengthen ties, developing cooperation through initiatives and projects that increase awareness that both cities are global financial centers.In 2013 Chinese journalists visited Seattle, Washington, California’s Silicon Valley and Greenwich, Connecticut. A future “fund town architectural development team provided first-hand impressions of what to emulate for returning ex-pat North American-educated Chinese, replicating living and working environments found in the USA.Greenwich, Connecticut was distinguished by its proximity to an urban center, maintaining an outstanding lifestyle setting, diverse commercial facilities and a concentration of industry leaders, financial figures and wealthy, high net worth residents.Greenwich, ranking third globally with its concentration of 380 hedge funds managing $250 billion in assets, became the model for the development Shangcheng, China’s first investment management commercial park. Located just outside Hangzhou, it is home to China’s largest stock exchange. In 2016 a reciprocal fact-finding visit included chair of the Economic Advisory Committee Jim Aiello, Greenwich business consultant Bob Lardon, and Bruce McGuire, founder and president of the Greenwich-based Connecticut Hedge Fund Association. They attended a conference on Global Alternative Investments hosted by the People’s Government of Zheijang Province and the Asset Management Association of China.The signing ceremony is expected to mark the start of promoting cultural and commercial ties between Hangzhou and Greenwich.The Connecticut Hedge Fund Association’s mission is to promote a favorable business climate for hedge funds operating in Connecticut and provide networking and educational forums.The Chinese Hedge Fund and Talent Association is sponsored by the Finance Office of the Zhejiang provincial government. It is headquartered in the city of Hangzhou. The association is China’s largest body of senior hedge fund portfolio managers and influential figures in the asset management industry.
It's Dragon Boat Festival Time! My guests on the Conversations segment of today's broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim were Mr. Douglas Chong of the Hawaii Chinese History Center and Mr. Kelfred Chang of the Hawaii Dragon Boat Festival.
We also featured our usual weekly words of wisdom in the Confucius Moment. Learn about what's going on and things to see at museums on the Weekly Almanac. We'll have more for you on Historical Notes, Chinese Fun Facts and Chopsticks, too. We remind our audience that Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead is the American representative of the Admissions Network of Chinese Universities and Colleges. The Sino-American Cultural Exchange Scholarship Program offers numerous opportunities for qualifying Americans to study for their Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral programs at Chinese universities and colleges. Please contact Mr. Mead for further details and to register today.
Be part of the journey every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA and anywhere in WGCH.com via audio-streaming.
Our guest on the Conversations segment of the May 13 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim is Ms. Lesly Lan Yin Goo, the Hawaii Narcissus Festival Queen for 2017. Also joining us from the Hawaii Chinese History Center was its director, Mr. Douglas Chong in Honolulu's Chinatown. You'll hear a relaxed, informal and congenial interview about a remarkable young woman who was crowned the 68th Narcissus Queen at the historic Hawaii Theatre in January. You may remember that I enjoyed the privilege of attending the pageant in January as a guest of its director, Ms. Michele Choy. We'll also featured our usual weekly words of wisdom in the Confucius Moment. On Treasures of China let your imagination soar as we'll take off for a new, amazing destination. Learn about what's going on and things to see at museums on the Weekly Almanac. We'll have more for you on Historical Notes, Chinese Fun Facts and Chopsticks, too. We remind our audience that Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead is the American representative of the Admissions Network of Chinese Universities and Colleges. The Sino-American Cultural Exchange Scholarship Program offers numerous opportunities for qualifying Americans to study for their Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral programs at Chinese universities and colleges. Please contact Mr. Mead for further details and to register today.
Be part of the journey every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA and anywhere in WGCH.com via audio-streaming. If you miss the show fear not! We'll post a link on our archives site on Podcasts.com and the blog site on the 2017 Shows page.
Our guest on the Conversations segment of the May 6 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim was New York Times best selling author Lisa See. Her latest work, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, was released in March. *A thrilling new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa See explores the lives of a Chinese mother and her daughter who has been adopted by an American couple.
Li-yan and her family align their lives around the seasons and the farming of tea. There is ritual and routine, and it has been ever thus for generations. Then one day a jeep appears at the village gate—the first automobile any of them have seen—and a stranger arrives.
In this remote Yunnan village, the stranger finds the rare tea he has been seeking and a reticent Akha people. In her biggest seller, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, See introduced the Yao people to her readers. Here she shares the customs of another Chinese ethnic minority, the Akha, whose world will soon change. Li-yan, one of the few educated girls on her mountain, translates for the stranger and is among the first to reject the rules that have shaped her existence. When she has a baby outside of wedlock, rather than stand by tradition, she wraps her daughter in a blanket, with a tea cake hidden in her swaddling, and abandons her in the nearest city.
After mother and daughter have gone their separate ways, Li-yan slowly emerges from the security and insularity of her village to encounter modern life while Haley grows up a privileged and well-loved California girl. Despite Haley’s happy home life, she wonders about her origins; and Li-yan longs for her lost daughter. They both search for and find answers in the tea that has shaped their family’s destiny for generations.
A powerful story about a family, separated by circumstances, culture, and distance, Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane paints an unforgettable portrait of a little known region and its people and celebrates the bond that connects mothers and daughters.Here is a sample of the reviews:“Lisa See transports readers to the remote mountains of China…come for the heartwarming bonding between mother and daughter; stay for the insight into Akha culture and the fascinating (really) history of the tea trade."
—Real Simple*
"With strong female characters, See deftly confronts the changing role of minority women, majority-minority relations, East-West adoption, and the economy of tea in modern China. Fans of See’s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan will appreciate this novel.
—Library Journal
"With vivid and precise details about tea and life in rural China, Li-Yan’s gripping journey to find her daughter comes alive."
—Publishers Weekly
"A riveting exercise in fictional anthropology."
—Kirkus Reviews
Click here to visit her official web page: http://www.lisasee.com. Want to purchase your copy of The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane? For your convenience click this link to Amazon.com. We also featured our usual weekly words of wisdom in the Confucius Moment. On Treasures of China let your imagination soar as we'll take off for a new, amazing destination. Learn about what's going on and things to see at museums on the Weekly Almanac. We'll have more for you on Historical Notes, Chinese Fun Facts and Chopsticks, too. We remind our audience that Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead is the American representative of the Admissions Network of Chinese Universities and Colleges. The Sino-American Cultural Exchange Scholarship Program offers numerous opportunities for qualifying Americans to study for their Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral programs at Chinese universities and colleges. Please contact Mr. Mead for further details and to register today.
Time flies when you're having fun!
Be part of the journey every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA and anywhere in WGCH.com via audio-streaming. If you miss the show fear not! We'll post a link on our archives site on Podcasts.com and the blog site on the 2017 Shows page.
My guest on the Conversations segment of the April 29 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim is Ms. Zhou Yi, pipa virtuoso of the Ba Ban Chinese Music Society of New York. Founded in 1999, the Ba Ban Chinese Music Society of New York is dedicated to the preservation, creation and presentation of Chinese traditional and contemporary performing arts. Named after an ancient piece of folk music, "Ba Ban" literally means "Eight Beats, which is the structural basis for the grouping of notes in traditional Chinese music. In 1843, Shanghai was one of the first five cities to open its ports to the West and became known as the "Paradise of Adventurers" and the “Paris of the Orient. Because of its unique geographic location and the structure of foreign concessions, Shanghai gradually became the most prosperous economic trade and cultural center of the Far East in the early 20th century. In the 1930s and 40s, Shanghai was a cultural gathering place that fostered a unique environment for creating hybrid music. The boom of the foreign trading markets, the shantytowns on the riverbank of the Suzhou River, and the cultural mixture of east and west were reflected in the complex timbres of emerging Chinese pop music. This new genre of Chinese pop was both foreign and domestic as well as modern and traditional. We'll also featured our usual weekly words of wisdom in the Confucius Moment. On Treasures of China let your imagination soar as we'll take off for a new, amazing destination -Baomo Garden, thanks to good friend, faithful listener and Singapore-based travel blogger Daren Ng. Learn about what's going on and things to see at museums on the Weekly Almanac. We'll have more for you on Historical Notes, Chinese Fun Facts and Chopsticks. We remind our audience that Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead is the American representative of the Admissions Network of Chinese Universities and Colleges. The Sino-American Cultural Exchange Scholarship Program has opportunities for qualifying Americans to study for their Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral programs at Chinese universities and colleges. Please contact Mr. Mead for further details and to register today. Time flies when you're having fun! Be part of the journey live every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA and anywhere in WGCH.com via audio-streaming. If you miss the show fear not! We'll post a link on our archives site on Podcasts.com and MarvelsofChina.blogspot.com on the 2017 Shows page.
Author Henry Chang was my guest on the Saturday, April 22, 2017 broadcast of the Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim show on 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut, and anywhere on WGCH.com. Chang is a native New Yorker hailing from Manhattan's Chinatown and the Lower East Side. His poems have appeared in the seminal Yellow Pearl anthology, and in Gangs In New York’s Chinatown. He has written for Bridge Magazine, and his fiction has appeared in On A Bed Of Rice and in the NuyorAsian Anthology. His debut novel Chinatown Beat garnered high praise from the New York Times Book Review, the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, among others.
Henry Chang is a graduate of City College of New York (CCNY). He has been a lighting consultant, and a security director for major hotels, commercial properties, and retail businesses in Manhattan.
Chang's Chinatown Trilogy of Chinatown Beat (2006), Year of the Dog (2008), Red Jade (2010) and Death Money (2014) are currently being developed for television and movies.
His newest mystery novel, Lucky: A Detective Jack Yu Investigation was released on March 14, 2017. Kirkus Reviews calls Chang's latest work, "a turbo-charged requiem for a blood brotherhood rooted in an impossibly distant past." Library Journal says, “Yu struggles between his loyalties formed growing up in New York’s Chinatown and his role as a police officer in the very same neighborhood… The sparse writing infused with Chinatown culture will appeal to those who are drawn to noir mysteries with a rich cultural component.Be sure to check out Henry Chang's official web site at http://www.chinatowntrilogy.comYou can purchase copies via this link to Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Detective-Jack-Yu-Investigation/dp/1616957840/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492628985&sr=8-1&keywords=henry+chang+luckyWe also featured our usual weekly words of wisdom on the Confucius Moment. On Treasures of China my good friend, Singapore-based travel blogger Darren Ng of ExploreLifeLah! (http://explorelah.blogspot.com) shared his recent exploration of Shamian Island in Guangzhou. Learn about what's going on and things to see at museums on the Weekly Almanac. We'll have more for you on Historical Notes, Chinese Fun Facts.On Chopsticks guess what? Yes, you'll hear that those two sticks many of us use for eating and cooking have been around for 6,000 years. Not bad!
Time flies when you're having fun!
Be part of the journey every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA and anywhere in WGCH.com via audio-streaming.
My guest on the Saturday, April 15, 2017 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim was Professor Jonathan Lee of San Francisco State University's Asian American Studies Program.
Professor Lee is the primary organizer of a fascinating conference scheduled for October 6-8, 2017.
"This Land Is Our Land": Chinese Pluralities Through the Americas, An International Conference of the Chinese Historical Society of the Americas sounded fascinating to me -and I think it will be to you, too. The conference is open to the public and organized by the Chinese Historical Society of America in San Francisco, California.
The basis of the conference "seeks to unpack, (re)examine, re(focus), (re)calibrate, and (re)examine the pluralities of "Chinese" experiences within, among, and through the Americas-historically and presently. We enjoin participants to take a global view of the Chinese experience in the Americas. The primary focus of this Conference is to research on any and all aspects of Chinese American history, Chinese American studies, and Chinese in the Americas."
What else do we have on tap for you? We'll feature our usual Confucius Moment. On Treasures of China let your imagination soar as we'll take off for a new, amazing destination. Learn about what's going on and things to see at museums on the Weekly Almanac. On Historical Notes you'll hear about Hazel Ying Lee, the first Chinese American woman to fly for the U.S. military during World War II. After my recent first-ever visit to San Francisco's Chinatown I decided to share some of what I learned about this oldest such Chinatown in North America on Chinese Fun Facts. As a confessed foodie I shared that nothing comes between me and my dim sum on Chopsticks.
Time flies when you're having fun!
Be part of the journey on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA and anywhere in WGCH.com via audio-streaming.
If you miss the show fear not!
We'll post a link on our archives site on Podcasts.com and this blog site on the 2017 Shows page at MarvelsofChina.blogspot.com.
My next guest on the Saturday, April 8 show is Mr. Douglas Chong of the Hawaii Chinese History Center. I sat down with Douglas and his volunteers to learn about this week's Qing Ming Festival -also known as Tomb-Sweeping Festival that goes back centuries. We'll share words of wisdom on the Confucius Moment, and take you on another journey on Treasures of China. There's more! We're introducing new segments. Chopsticks is foodie central, appealing to the hungry, eclectic and curious. Of Historical Note reflects on historical events in and about China. On Chinese Fun Facts this week you'll hear that baseball isn't just America's pastime; the Chinese having playing ball for a long time. The Weekly Almanac lets you know what's going on at museums and other events. Tune in on Saturday's at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH in Greenwich, Connecticut USA and anywhere on WGCH.com.
On today's Saturday, April 1 broadcast I welcomed while in Hawaii Chairman Ms. Yin Zhijun of the internationally famous Lau She Tea House by phone in Beijing to the show. Thank you, Mr. Liming Guan of The China Press in New York City for your superb translation. Lao She Tea House was founded in 1988 by Chairman Yin's father. You'll learn that Lao She offers much more than tea. This tea house offers its patrons a cornucopia of Chinese cultural performances. These include Kung Fu, acrobatics, crosstalk, dancing, Peking opera and more. For many years audiences from around the world are dazzled. You may not speak or understand Chinese language, but this is a cultural immersion experience that is not to be missed. We also featured our weekly Confucius Moment and Treasures of China destination.
Tune in to 1490 WGCH on the AM radio dial -or listen to the show via audio-streaming on WGCH.com every Saturday morning 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time.
Flushing, Queens, New York City is a phenomenal place. When I rode the #7 Subway from Grand Central Terminal to Main Street I never imagine the surprise that awaited me when I emerged for the first time. I felt as if I took the subway to a destination in Chinese-speaking Asia. When I related my first impressions to good friend and former show guest Dr. Dave Wang he just laughed -and I could not blame him. After lunch we ventured to historic Flushing Town Hall, headquarters of Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts. This hub of cultural activity features an impressive myriad of fascinating Asian-themed programs serving the community.Learn more by visiting http://www.flushingtownhall.org and to https://www.nyc-arts.org/organizations/321/flushing-town-hallMy guest on the March 25 broadcast was Mr. Michael Liu, the director of Chinese Community Initiatives at Flushing Town Hall. I'm looking forward to introducing you to Michael, to the successful programs he manages and how you can experience and be enriched by everything that the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts has to offer -and how you can join the fun and support its mission.We'll head off to another amazing Chinese destination on Treasures of China, get our weekly dose of wisdom on the Confucius Moment, hear about exhibits, programs and happens and more! Mark your calendar! Tune in for Saturday's broadcast starting at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and anywhere via streaming audio on WGCH.com.
You are invited! Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Spicy: Stories of Chinese Food and Identity in America has been such a huge hit at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) that it's been extended through September 10, 2017. I had to learn more -so I invited Mr. Herb Tam, Curator and Director of Exhibition of MOCA. You'll get food for thought -and much more in today's featured interview on the Conversations segment.
You'll also hear words of timeless wisdom on the weekly Confucius Moment and embark on yet another wondrous journey to another destination on Treasures of China. It seems everything Chinese is all the rage today, so there are announcements of programs, exhibits and things to do and see at various museums.
Tune in for our weekly broadcasts starting at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. Beijing Time on Saturdays on 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA and anywhere via streaming audio on WGCH.com.
My guest on the Saturday, March 4, 2017 broadcast was James M. Scott, author of Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and The Raid That Avenged Pearl Harbor. This interview is the second and final of two parts.It was 75 years ago this coming April 18 that the Doolittle Raid was launched to avenge the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Sixteen U.S. Army bombers under the command of Jimmy Doolittle lifted off the deck of the USS Hornet. This one-way mission pummeled factories, refineries, dockyards and other targets in the Japanese capitol -then there was the task of escaping to China. While Roosevelt heralded the raid as a propaganda victory it came at a heavy price by the Chinese people who suffered the most -victims of a retaliatory campaign by the Japanese Army that tragically claimed the lives of an estimated 250,000 Chinese lives.This is one of the most exhaustive and detailed narratives of the Doolittle Raid ever assembled, with author James M. Scott having access to never-before utilized or published international sources. You'll hear about Jimmy Doolittle, the son of an Alaskan gold prospector, a former boxer and brilliant engineer who earned his doctorate from MIT, Chiang Kai-shek, Lieutenant General Joseph Stilwell, Vice Admiral William "Bull" Halsey, Jr., and the young American pilots, navigators and bombardiers -many little more than teenagers- who volunteered for a mission that few expected to return from. There are both English and Chinese language editions of this remarkable book. Go to this link to Amazon to purchase a copy:https://www.amazon.com/Target-Tokyo-Doolittle-Avenged-Harbor/dp/0393352277
Author James M. Scott's official web site is here: http://jamesmscott.comWe also featured our weekly Confucius Moment, our excursion on Treasures of China, announcements and more. Tune in again next Saturday, March 11, 2017 to 1490 WGCH and anywhere on WGCH.com starting at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 11:30 P.M. China Time.
Chinese export porcelain was more than a common product or a mere commodity. It was a phenomenon that swept Europe and North America like nothing ever before. Porcelain from China was coveted by America's founders and many others. Some were so addicted to their cravings for Chinese porcelain that they went into debt -and paid the consequences. On this past President's Day holiday weekend in the USA you heard me welcome Dr. Dave Wang, a noted international authority originally from China who has researched, lectured and published on the ties between the American Founders and Chinese civilization. I met Dr. Wang in Chinatown, Flushing Queens in New York City to hear his findings about the impact of Chinese Export Porcelain on Americans and Europeans. I asked him to share his thoughts on the March 11 show. Here they are!Dr. Wang is the managing librarian of the Laurelton Library in Queens, New York City and an adjunct professor at St. John's University. We featured our usual explorations on Treasures of China, immerse ourselves in timeless Chinese wisdom on the Confucius Moment and more!I shared some announcements, happenings and events -and my impressions of the Asian food courts in Flushing Queens! I felt like I was back in Asia! Mark your calendar for the next broadcast on Saturday, March 18 at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 11:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and anywhere via streaming audio on WGCH.com.
My guest on the Saturday, February 25 broadcast was James M. Scott, author of Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and The Raid That Avenged Pearl Harbor. This interview is the first of two parts. My conversation with James. M. Scott will conclude on the March 4 broadcast. It was 75 years ago this coming April 18 that the Doolittle Raid was launched to avenge the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Sixteen U.S. Army bombers under the command of Jimmy Doolittle lifted off the deck of the USS Hornet. This one-way mission pummeled factories, refineries, dockyards and other targets in the Japanese capitol -then there was the task of escaping to China. While Roosevelt heralded the raid as a propaganda victory it came at a heavy price by the Chinese people who suffered the most -victims of a retaliatory campaign by the Japanese Army that tragically claimed the lives of an estimated 250,000 Chinese lives.This is one of the most exhaustive and detailed narratives of the Doolittle Raid ever assembled, with author James M. Scott having access to never-before utilized or published international sources. You'll hear about Jimmy Doolittle, the son of an Alaskan gold prospector, a former boxer and brilliant engineer who earned his doctorate from MIT, Chiang Kai-shek, Lieutenant General Joseph Stilwell, Vice Admiral William "Bull" Halsey, Jr., and the young American pilots, navigators and bombardiers -many little more than teenagers- who volunteered for a mission that few expected to return from. There are both English and Chinese language editions of this remarkable book. We also featured our weekly Confucius Moment, our excursion on Treasures of China, announcements and more.Tune in again next Saturday, March 4, 2017 to 1490 WGCH and anywhere on WGCH.com starting at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 11:30 P.M. China Time.
In the USA, Presidents Day arrived on Monday, February 20. It's a federal holiday throughout the nation with most schools and government offices closed for the three-day holiday. On Saturday, February 18 my featured guest is Dr. Dave Wang. Born and raised in Northeastern China, he is an adjunct professor at St. John's University, New York, branch manager of the Laurelton Library/New York City Public Library System in Queens, New York and a noted scholar, lecturer and writer on the subject of the influences of Chinese civilization on the U.S. Founders and the founding of the United States of America in 1776. Much of his research is freely available to all on his blog site, The U.S. Founders and China:http://foundingfathersandchina.blogspot.com
His research and commentary has been cited and featured in numerous professional publications, ranging from The Korean Journal of Medical History to the Virginia Review of Asian Studies. His findings have attracted much attention in the academic world, too. Dr. Wang has been invited to present papers at conference throughout the USA, Europe and China. His research has found its way to university-level history and culture courses.Remember that event in American history called The Boston Tea Party? The tea that was dumped in Boston Harbor was from China's Fujian Province. Dr. Wang has been a guest on our show before -and we full expect to have him back again. We featured our usual explorations on Treasures of China, immersed ourselves in timeless Chinese wisdom on the Confucius Moment and more! I shared some announcement about happenings and events, too. Mark your calendar for Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 11:30 p.m. China Time on 1490 WGCH and anywhere via streaming audio on WGCH.com.
On today's show I welcomed and introduced the listening audience to Mr. Baldwin Chiu and Ms. Larissa Lam. They produced a 2015 documentary short film, Finding Cleveland.When I viewed the screening in Greenwich recently the place was packed. I knew I had to have Baldwin and Larissa on the show and introduce you to them.Their documentary takes its viewers on a transformational journey in search of their family roots. Now, you are thinking a trip to a remote village in China, right? Guess again. This voyage of discovery took them to the American South to a small town, Cleveland, Mississippi USA. Their lives would never be the same after this journey. ?Both Baldwin and Larissa shared what they uncovered -not just ancestral, familial roots -but also sparks of history centered on Chinese American settlers in the Mississippi Delta, racial tensions, segregation, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and more. We featured our final installment of Chinese New Year Fun Facts and our weekly dose of wisdom on the Confucius Moment.
Over 130 years ago a group of Chinese from the Southern Chinese village of Buck Toy arrived in Hawaii. They came as immigrants to create a new home for themselves.
Just before concluding my recent travels to Hawaii I was welcomed by two of their descendants to the Buck Toy Club on Vineyard Blvd., in Honolulu. Jeffrey Young is the president of the club, and his cousin Leo Young is one of the club’s directors. Both are descendants of those intrepid first-generation immigrants. I was curious about the Buck Toy Club’s history and how this organization and other Hawaii-based Chinese benevolent societies perpetuate their culture and pass that responsibility to succeeding generations.
We’ll share more Chinese New Year Fun Facts, get our weekly dose of wisdom on the Confucius Moment, stroll around and inside Biyong Hall at the Confucian Temple and Imperial Academy in Beijing on Treasures of China -and more!
We will also mark the first anniversary of the Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim Show! Auspicious and exciting times continue to unfold. Mark your calendar for Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 11:30 p.m. China Time on 1490 WGCH and anywhere via streaming audio on WGCH.com.
On today's Chinese New Year broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim I'm welcomed Mrs. Iris Xianghong Mu, Consul for Cultural Affairs of the Chinese Consulate in New York City. On the Conversations segment we'll learn from her about the Cultural Affairs Office, about what it does and how you can access its resources and services. You'll also hear about Chinese New Year events that are being supported by the Chinese Consulate in New York and open to the public.
We featured our weekly dose of wisdom on the Confucius Moment. Our Treasures of China segment excursion took us to a visit to the Long Promenade located in the Summer Palace in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing.
We also enjoyed more fun facts about Chinese New Year and more! It's Spring Festival! Auspiciousness fills the air!
Tune in every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time to 1490 WGCH and anywhere via audio streaming at WGCH.com for the next broadcast. I look forward to welcoming you!
In recent years Chinese celebrities have emerged as important pillars in the field of charity. Many of these public figures are discovering and initiating new, unique ways to contribute to Chinese society.
One of these celebrities is Chinese TV anchor Mr. Cui Yongyuan. In 2007 he founded the Beijing Yongyuan Charitable Foundation. Cui Yongyuan is an enthusiastic supporter of oral history research and practices, encouraging more people to participate in recording oral histories.
In our Conversations segment I welcomed by phone from China Mr. Li Guowu, the President of the Beijing Yongyuan Charitable Foundation. We heard about how the foundation was started, its goals, mission and accomplishments and more.
For example, the Home, Spring & Autumn Oral History Project was founded by Beijing Yongyuan Charitable Foundation and supported by the Zhejiang Dunhe Foundation, the Cui Yongyuan Oral History Research Center at Communication University of China and the China Social Assistance Foundation. On December 15, 2016 this project was awarded as one of the ‘Top Ten Chinese Documentary Promotors’ at the Guangzhou International Film Festival. More than just an oral history project, it is an historical and cultural project aimed at raising awareness of the importance of oral history and inviting young people in particular to contribute to it.
The first two seasons of the Home, Spring & Autumn Oral History Project covered 35 cities, 167 universities and 1,200 people producing more than 300 works involving more than 50 oral history experts and documentary directors.
We featured our usual Treasures of China segment, news and, of course, countdown to Chinese New Year!
When I relocated to Honolulu over 20 years ago one of my favorite events were the lion and dragon dance performances during the Chinese New Year celebrations. Lion dance "is a form of traditional dance in Chinese and many other Asian countries in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume." The lion dance is usually performed during the Chinese New Year and other Chinese traditional, cultural and religious festivals, as well as performed at important occasions. These include business opening events, special celebrations or wedding ceremonies, or may be used to honour special guests by the Chinese communities.Lucky for me I caught up with Sifu Harlan Dai Tong Lee of the Gee Yung International Martial Arts, Dragon and Lion Dance Association. I received a crash course and all-things involved in lion dance and dragon dance -yes, there is a difference. Did you know that Gee Yung takes students in as young as four years old and as advanced as 60 years? I'm in that range, so who knows? If you see me in a lion or dragon dance parade you'll know how I got started. It's more than just a dance; it's a way of life. We ha our usual Confucius Moment and weekly excursion on Treasures of China. We also started the countdown to the upcoming Chinese New Year -and I got some very enthusiastic help from the young students at Gee Yung in Honolulu's Chinatown. We shared fun facts about the new year traditions on Saturday's broadcast with more to come. Remember to always tune in to 1490 WGCH and from anywhere on WGCH.com via streaming on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time.
The Saturday, January 7 broadcast features my conversation with Ms. Michele Choy in Honolulu. She is the chair of the Annual Narcissus Queen Pageant. The pageant is scheduled to be held tonight night at the historic Hawaii Theatre in Chinatown. I caught up with her recently at her office near the Honolulu Museum of Art.We'll hear about how she became involved, the qualifications for competition, how this pageant and festival has successfully maintained the ties of friendship between the State of Hawaii and China -and more.May I also remind you that you'd better start shopping, cleaning and getting things organized - the Lunar New Year arrives on Saturday, January 28! We ha our weekly Confucius Moment and enjoy another excursion to another one of the Treasures of China.Tune in every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time to 1490 WGCH and anywhere via audio streaming at WGCH.com for the next broadcast. I look forward to welcoming you!
Our final Year 2016 broadcast featured an encore interview from October 15 with the one and only Mr. Luc Bendza. He comes from a large family in the Gabonese Republic in Central Africa. As a teenager Luc Bendza dreamed of becoming a master of Kung Fu, of disarming his adversaries and enemies with lightning speed and skill, of flying through the air like Chinese martial artists have been doing for untold centuries.
In 1996 Luc Bendza earned a Master's degree specializing in Wushu from Beijing Sports Univesity after earning a Bachelors in physical education. He was a student at the internationally famous Shaolin Temple, Shaolin Traditional Wushu School. Bendza is the founder and since 1992 the president of the Gabon Wushu Association. He is the vice-chairman of the Traditional Committee of the International Wushu Federation. In 2010 he was cultural ambassador of the United African Pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai. He's been a successful actor in numerous films and television shows such as Twelve Dragons, Yongchun Zodiac and others.
From his home in Beijing of over 30 years, we heard about Luc Bendza's early life, about the Chinese marital art known as Wushu and its core styles, the benefits of Wushu training and practice, the characteristics of a successful Wushu athlete, and how he turned his mastery of Wushu into a successful movie and film career in China.
The show airs live starting at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time on 1490 WGCH and anywhere on WGCH.com in Greenwich, Connecticut USA.
On the December 24 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim I welcomed back Douglas Chong from Hawaii.
Chong is the president of the Hawaii Chinese History Center in Honolulu's Chinatown. He is a noted Chinese community leader and cultural historian in Hawaii. A fifth-generation Chinese American, Douglas grew up steeped in Chinese tradition with his family who is been in Hawaii for nine generations. His publications are products of living and oral history balanced with academic research and his rich knowledge of the Chinese language and history.
We learned from him about the Zhongshan people of Guangdong province in southern China – which is where most Chinese Americans in Hawaii trace their roots.
We featured our Treasures of China and Confucius Moment segments, too.
Tune in Saturdays at 10:30 AM Eastern USA Time. You can listen live online through streaming audio at WWW.WGCH.com. If you miss the show, not to worry. All our shows are archived at Podcasts.com.
In order to promote the mutual understanding, cooperation and exchanges in various fields between China and the USA, the Chinese government has set up the Sino-American Cultural Exchange Scholarship Program to sponsor American students to study and conduct research in Chinese universities.
Now, dozens of designated Chinese universities offer a wide variety of academic programs in Science, Engineering, Agriculture, Medicine, Economics, Legal Studies, Management, Education, History, Literature, Philosophy, and Fine Arts for scholarship recipients at all levels.
The Sino-American Cultural Exchange Scholarship Program sponsors American students to undertake credit course and degree studies -Bachelor, Master and PhD- in institutions of higher education in China.
This new scholarship was announced on the November 19 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim by host Jeffrey Bingham Mead on 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA and anywhere on WGCH.com.
The Admission Network of Chinese Universities and Colleges (ANCUC) is a professional online network that links international students with Chinese universities and colleges. It established a strategic partnership with Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development, Ltd., and The Pacific Learning Consortium, Inc.
The Sino-American Cultural Exchange Scholarship Program covers:
-Tuition funds will be comprehensively used by the host university. It may cover scholarship students’ education, administration costs and expenditures to support student activities.
-Free university dormitory or accommodation subsidy.
-Comprehensive medical insurance.
-Stipend:
Undergraduate students: CNY 2,500 per month;
* Master’s students: CNY 3,000 per month;
* Doctoral students: CNY 3,500 per month;
* Credit-course students: refer to above.*
NOTE: International travel expenditure is self-financed.“ANCUC believes that young people own the future, and in the coming future, China needs more than ever to prove herself to the world, commented Mr. Harrison Ho from Beijing. He was Mead’s guest on the November 19 broadcast.“Our aim to help all the international students find an ideal program in an ideal Chinese university in an ideal city, and to help the universities find ideal students. ANCUC serves to link the future world with China.
Since 2014, The Admission Network of Chinese Universities and Colleges has established wide connections with the best universities in China. It is able to offer over 50,000 programs provided by around 400 universities and colleges. Through ANCUC students have access to the best Chinese and English Medium programs (including but not restricted to Medicine, Engineering, International Trade, Chinese Language, etc.) in Chinese universities.
“This is a golden opportunity for qualifying American students, said Jeffrey Bingham Mead. “China stirs the imagination. With 100,000 scholarships available, the Sino-American Cultural Exchange Scholarship Program is a winning choice at a time when college education in the USA is very expensive. This exciting partnership offers global, transformative experiences for American students that will last a lifetime for themselves and their families.
Get all the facts. Start now. Learn more by going to www.ancuc.com, or contact The Pacific Learning Consortium at pacificlearningconsortium@gmail.com (PacificLearningConsortium.org), orMarvelsofChina@gmail.com
My next guest on the December 17 broadcast was Mr. Corey Tong of San Francisco and Honolulu.
Tong is a producer of a new documentary film Forever, Chinatown. His films have screened on PBS and other international broadcasters or theatrical venues in over 20 countries.
In addition to being a film and media producer, Corey Tong is a public relations and programming acquisitions consultant, guest lecturer and producers representative. He also has a professional background in architecture and design.
Tong is the former director of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival and former IFFCON director of Special Projects (co-production, development market).
Forever, Chinatown is the story of unknown, self taught 81-year-old artist Frank Wong. He has spent the past four decades re-creating is fading memories by building romantic, extraordinarily detailed miniature models of the San Francisco Chinatown rooms of his youth.
This film takes the journey of one individual and maps it to a rapidly changing urban neighborhood from the 1940s to the present day. A meditation on memory, community, and preserving one's own legacy, Wong’s three-dimensional miniature dioramas become rare portals into a historic neighborhood and a window to the artist’s filtered, romanticized memories and emotional struggles.
Forever, Chinatown is co-production of Good Medicine Picture Company and Independent Television Service (ITVS) presented in association with the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
“…antique Shanghai pop music has the appeal to a certain sentimentality that is not only understood through the context of history; it can be thought as a discontinued school of aesthetics, a lost craft.
Shanghai was a city like no other in China -or the rest of the world- in the 1930s and 1940s. On the December 3 broadcast I welcomed Mr. Ling of Antique Shanghai Pop Music, a fascinating podcast featuring the music of that era with his commentary.
We featured weekly words of wisdom on the Confucius Moment, and took you to another exciting destination on Treasures of China: the Shenyang Palace Museum.
My guest on the Conversations segment of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim is China’s most renowned Judaic scholar in the modern era, Professor Xu Xin of Nanjing University.
Professor Xu enlightened the audience about Ho Feng-Shan, a Chinese diplomat in Vienna. He risked his own life and career during World War II to save thousands of European Jews fleeing the Holocaust.
Professor Xu is the founder and director of the Diane and Guilford Glazer Institute for Jewish and Israel Studies at Nanjing University. He has been a scholar of Judaism, Jewish culture and the history of Chinese Jews since 1986.Among his many accomplishments, Xu led a team of scholars on an abridged Chinese translation of the Encyclopedia Judaica and served as its editor -a book that was used by Chinese diplomats when China and Israel opened diplomatic relations in 1992. The Chinese edition of the Encyclopedia Judaica won an award of Excellent Book by Bureau of Press and Publication of Shanghai and East China in 1994, and an award of Excellent Reference Book by General Administration of Press and Publication of the People's Republic of China in 1995.He has also edited Legends of the Chinese Jews of Kaifeng (with Beverly Friend); Anti-Semitism: How and Why; A History of Jewish Culture, and more. Xu has also written numerous articles on Judaic topics. Xu was also the first Chinese scholar to introduce modern Hebrew literature to Chinese readers. he has also created Masters and doctoral programs on Jewish history and culture. Xu has served as a visiting professor and taught at Chicago State University; Florida Community College and Montclair State University. He was a guest speaker at Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1988) and at Tel Aviv University (1993 and 1998). In 1995 he was a fellow at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and a visiting scholar at Harvard University’s Center for Jewish Studies (1996 and 1998). Professor Xu has delivered over 500 lectures in the USA, Israel, Canada and the United Kingdom at such institutions of higher learning as Harvard University, Yeshiva University, Yale University, University of Chicago, Boston University, Princeton University, UCLA, USC, Brown University, City University of New York, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Bar-Ilan University, Tel Aviv University, Haifa University, Ben-Gurion University, University of Toronto, McMaster University, University of Montreal, York University and various other universities, organizations and institutions. In 2011 Professor Xu appeared at the Asia Society in New York City, where he reflected on the Jewish communities in Kaifeng, Harbin and Shanghai. Xu launched 12 Nanjing testimonies at the University of Southern California (USC) Shoah Foundation which is dedicated to making audio-visual interviews with survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust and other genocides. His three-week summer seminars for Chinese scholars and graduate students from departments of history and western civilization at other universities enable them to incorporate material on Judaism into their classes. His activities have been widely reported by such newspapers and magazines as Chicago Tribune, Jerusalem Post, New York Times, Harvard University Gazette, The Jerusalem Report, The Jewish Week, The Forward, China's Talents, Xinhua Daily, Modern Express, and China Daily.In 1996, Professor Xu was awarded a Special Government Allowance by the State Council of the People's Republic of China. Xu's essay on Modern Hebrew Literature won a Second Place of Excellent essays on Social Sciences by the Bureau of Higher Education of Jiangsu province in 1994. His book, A History of Western Culture, was named as National Planned Textbook in 2006 for Chinese colleges. Xu has won five titles of Excellent Teacher Award since 1994.In 1995, he was honored with the James Friend Memorial Award. In 2002, Bar-Ilan University's Board of Trustees and the Senate of Israel awarded him the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Honoris Causa in recognition of the important research he has done on Jewish people in China.He is a member of a number of academic organizations in China, such as Jiangsu Writers' Association, the Association of All-China Comparative Literature, the Association of Translators of Jiangsu, and the Society of World History Studies of China. Currently he serves as President of the China Judaic Studies Association and vice-president of China Association for Middle East Studies.Professor Xu Xin joined the broadcast live by phone from Nanjing University, China.
On our November 26, Thanksgiving Saturday broadcast I will be welcomed Dr. Li Bo of Xinyuan Hospital and the Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.
Dr. Li educated us about traditional Chinese medicine and medical practices -including his time in the African nation of Tanzania at Muhimibili National Hospital.
We featured of weekly words of wisdom on the Confucius Moment, and took listeners to another exciting destination on Treasures of China: the Hall of Supreme Harmony in Beijing's Forbidden City.
We shared news of the first snowfall in Beijing this season, too.We also shared news of the Sino-American Cultural Exchange Scholarship Program that sponsors American students to study and conduct research in Chinese universities. The program is administered by the Admission Network of Chinese Universities and Colleges. Go to WWW.ANCUC.com or contact the Pacific Learning Consortium, Inc., at pacificlearningconsortium@gmail.com.
I welcomed Mr. Harrison Ho is with the Admission Network of Chinese Universities and Colleges (ANCUC), a professional online network that links international students with Chinese universities and colleges: "In order to promote the mutual understanding, cooperation and exchanges in various fields between China and the US, the Chinese government has set up this Sino-American Cultural Exchange Scholarship program to sponsor American students to study and conduct research in Chinese universities. Now, dozens of designated Chinese universities offer a wide variety of academic programs in Science, Engineering, Agriculture, Medicine, Economics, Legal Studies, Management, Education, History, Literature, Philosophy, and Fine Arts for scholarship recipients at all levels."I also welcomed Retired Brigadier General Frances I. Mossman, President and Founder of International Coordinated Systems LLC. The unique approach developed and used by ICoord.Systems enables businesses, government agencies and NGOs to achieve sustainable, optimum solutions for international conflict prevention, mitigation, resolution and management.
It is Veterans Day weekend in the USA. On today's broadcast I welcomed Dr. Gwendolyn Gong live from Hong Kong and her daughter Devereux Gong Powers from California. They and Dr. John H. Powers are the co-authors of The Mississippi Chinese Veterans of World War II: A Delta Tribute. We also featured our weekly Confucius Moment and Treasures of China segment.
On today's broadcast I welcomed Hawaii Filmmaker Robin Lung to the Conversations segment. We heard about her film 'Finding Kukan,' which opened today at the Hawaii International Film Festival and will have its North America premiere at DOCNYC in New York City. For more see the show's blog site at http://marvelsofchina.blogspot.com. We are also enjoyed our weekly Confucius Moment and Treasures of China. Our Community Calendar segment started today with news of when and where you could see Finding Kukan.
Treasures of China is a celebration of dramatic contrasts, a unique blend of cultural journeys and far-flung destinations where a world of adventure awaits.
Shanghai’s Bund is a wide thoroughfare that runs along the Huangpu River. It was at the heart of colonial Shanghai. Western style buildings from the early 20th century dominated the streetscape, all symbols of western commercial power and prestige. At its peak this was the third biggest financial center in the world.
After it was built in 1921, the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank was described as the most beautiful building in Asia. The bronze lions at the entrance are rubbed for good luck.
The nearby Customs House eight-story is decorated with some magnificent marine mosaics. It’s clock tower offers views of the entire city center. It is still the largest clock in Asia.
The Palace Hotel was built in 1906. For many years it was considered the best hotel in Shanghai. Today it is now part of the Fairmont Peace Hotel.
The Bank of China building blends American and traditional Chinese architectural styles. It was constructed by a rival of Victor Sassoon, Chinese banker and politician H.H. Kung who was highly influential in the Kuomintang nationalist government in the 1930s and 1940s.
Today on the river side of the Bund is a wide sidewalk, a wonderful to take a stroll and, in the early morning, observe locals practicing tai chi.
What once had been a minor, undistinguished river port became a thriving city between the world wars with a reputation for glamor and excess with a rich storied history.
It's time for this week's Confucius Moment.
(Click here to listen)
The Sage Confucius is the epitome of Chinese classical civilization. Confucius is legendary for teaching his disciples the cultivation of personal virtue, veneration for one's parents, love of learning. loyalty to one's superiors, kindness to one's subordinates and a high regard for civility.
Here is today's lesson:
"There were four things the Master refused to have anything to do with: he refused to entertain conjectures or insist on certainty; he refused to be inflexible or to be egotistical."
On Conversations I welcomed Karen Frederick, curator of the Greenwich Historical Society in Connecticut. Our pathways to the Pacific Rim took us back in time to late 19th and early 20th century Japan and America.
An Eye to the East: The Inspiration of Japan is the Society's newest exhibit. Through paintings, prints, photographs, carvings, ceramics and textiles, the exhibit examines the influence of Japanese art and culture on America's first American Impressionist art colony at the Bush Holley House in Cos Cob.
Our Treasures of China segment spotlighted the internationally famous Bund in Shanghai. We also heard more words of wisdom from the Great Sage on the Confucius Moment.
On today's show I welcomed Professor Franklin Ng of Fresno State University, California. We heard about his forty-plus years in Asian American studies programs and his thoughts on Asian immigration to the USA and more.
We also featured our weekly Confucius Moment, and on Treasures of China we spotlighted the renowned Marco Polo Bridge.
It's time for this week's Confucius Moment.
The Sage Confucius is the epitome of Chinese classical civilization. Confucius is legendary for teaching his disciples the cultivation of personal virtue, veneration for one's parents, love of learning. loyalty to one's superiors, kindness to one's subordinates and a high regard for civility.
Here is today's lesson:
The Master said,
"Men who reject discipline and yet are not straight, men who are ignorant and yet not cautious, men who are devoid of ability and yet not trustworthy are quite beyond my understanding."
Treasures of China is a celebration of dramatic contrasts, a unique blend of cultural journeys and far-flung destinations where a world of adventure awaits.
“Over this river there is a very fine stone bridge, wrote Marco Polo, “so fine indeed, that it has very few equals in the world.
Construction of the Marco Polo Bridge began in 1189. It was completed in 1192.
Built of granite with a large central arch flanked by ten smaller ones, the bridge is considered an architectural masterpiece since its completion 800 years ago.
The bridge is 874 feet long and just over 30 feet wide. Hundreds of adroitly unique stone lions from various dynasties line both sides of the bridge. Most date from the Ming dynasty 1368-1644 and Qing dynasty 1644-1911. Some are earlier from the Yuan dynasty 1271-1368.
Four ornamental columns measuring 15 ft high and a white marble stele stand at the ends of the bridge. One stele atop a stone tortoise records the reconstruction of the bridge by the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing dynasty in 1698.
The other stele features calligraphy by the Qianlong Emperor who was a grandson of the Kangxi Emperor. It reads "Morning moon over Lugou -the Chinese name of the bridge.
The bridge was the scene of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, marking the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War 1937-1945.
A visit to the Marco Polo Bridge is a great way to discover for yourself China’s stunning monuments to its 5000 years of history.
This is the interview that will be featured on the Conversations segment of the Saturday, November 5 broadcast. The topic is Robin Lung's documentary, 'Finding Kukan,' a fascinating film about a long-lost film about China in the late 1930s/1940s, that will be screened at the Hawaii International Film Festival and in New York City in November 2016.
On today's broadcast I welcomed Mr. Luc Bendza from his home in Beijing. Growing up in the Gabonese Republic in Africa, Luc Bendza dreamed of becoming a Kung Fu Chinese martial artist -a dream that brought him to China. In today's show he'll share with the audience who his dream became and extraordinary reality. Today he is a well-known Wushu athlete, actor and artist. He shared with us what wushu is, why it is so popular and how almost anyone can benefit from this unique Chinese martial art. You'll hear our weekly Confucius Moment and the latest destination in our 'Treasures of China' segment.
The Sage Confucius is the epitome of Chinese classical civilization. Confucius is legendary for teaching his disciples the cultivation of personal virtue, veneration for one's parents, love of learning. loyalty to one's superiors, kindness to one's subordinates and a high regard for civility.
Here is today's lesson: The Master said,"Being fond of courage while detesting poverty will lead to insubordination. Excessive detestation of men who are not benevolent will provoke them to insubordination."
Treasures of China is a celebration of dramatic contrasts, a unique blend of cultural journeys and far-flung destinations where a world of adventure awaits.
At the Hall of Happiness and Longevity in the renowned Summer Palace visitors see the residence of Empress Dowager Cixi. Rebuilt in 1889, is east outer chamber was where she took breakfast and tea. The inner chamber was her dressing room. The west inner chamber served as her bedroom, and the west outer one was her reading chamber.
Fronting the Hall of Happiness and Longevity are bronze deer, cranes and vases symbolizing universal peace. Magnolias, flowering crab apple trees and peonies planted here represent homes filled with wealth and prestige.
A large table in the central hall was the Empress Dowager's dining table. It is said that at each meal she ordered a total of 128 courses -but only tasted a few.
Presented by the Germans in 1903, the chandeliers were China's first electric lights. The Summer Palace had its own power station. Initially opposed to the installation of electric lights in Beijing, the Empress Dowager was persuaded to change her mind by the superintendent eunuch.
Two embroideries on display feature a peacock in full plumage and a phoenix among 100 birds. The Empress Dowager tended to compare herself to the peacock and phoenix. The peacock is considered the most beautiful bird, while the phoenix is the queen of birds.
A visit to the Hall of Happiness and Longevity at the Summer Palace is a truly sublime experience you will always treasure.
Treasures of China is a segment of the Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim Show that is a celebration of dramatic contrasts, a unique blend of cultural journeys and far-flung destinations where a world of adventure awaits.
Today's destination was The Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum. This was featured on the October 8, 2016 broadcast.
The Sage Confucius is the epitome of Chinese classical civilization. Confucius is legendary for teaching his disciples the cultivation of personal virtue, veneration for one's parents, love of learning, loyalty to one's superiors, kindness to one's subordinates and a high regard for civility.
Here is today's lesson: The Master said, "The gentleman is easy of mind, while the small man is ever full of anxiety."
And that concludes our Confucius Moment, brought to you this week by The Pacific Learning Consortium. Educational solutions. Global connections. Practical results. Advancement for all. Learn more by going on the web to PacificLearningConsortium.Org.
My guest on the Conversations segment was China’s most renowned Judaic scholar in the modern era, Professor Xu Xin of Nanjing University. We also featured our weekly Confucius Moment. Our Treasures of China segment profiled the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum. Go to this link to learn more about Professor Xu Xin:
http://marvelsofchina.blogspot.com/2016/10/coming-up-next-chinas-renowned-judaic.html
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On my recent trip to Hawaii I experienced the vanished world of imperial China. How? I was immersed in vividly-captured photographs developed on glass plates through an incredible exhibit, China Through the Lens of John Thomson 1869-1872 at the East-West Center Gallery in Honolulu. My guest on this broadcast is Michael Schuster, curator of the gallery and of this exhibit. John Thomson was a pioneer in photojournalism and one of the most influential photographers of his generation.Michael Schuster is a specialist on arts in Asia and the Pacific. He served as folk arts coordinator of the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. Schuster has studied Asia Pacific arts for 30 years, training with master artists from India, Burma, Indonesia and Japan. He has served on panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Western States Arts Federation. He currently serves on the advisory panel for community outreach at Shangri La, owned by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art. He holds a Ph.D. in Asian theater from the University of Hawaii.Established in 1960, by Congress, the East-West Center promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States of America, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research and dialogue. We also featured our weekly Confucius Moment, news of Saturday's Mid-Autumn Festival at Jennings Beach, Fairfield, Connecticut, hosted by the Chinese American Heritage Association (www.cahai.org), and the opening of the riveting Art in a Time of Chaos: Masterworks from Six Dynasties China 3rd-6th Centuries at the China Institute in America in Lower Manhattan, New York City.
On the Saturday, September 24 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim I welcomed Willow Weilan Hai, the director of the China Institute Gallery, to the Conversations segment. She is also the chief curator of Art in a Time of Chaos: Masterworks from Six Dynasties China, 3rd-6th Centuries due to open to the public on Friday, September 30. This is the inaugural exhibition at the China Institute of America’s new headquarters in Lower Manhattan in New York City. The exhibition is the first major survey to examine Chinese culture and its international influence during the Six Dynasties period, as well as the relationship between the two dominant political centers in the South and North. I had the pleasure of previewing this remarkable, not-to-be-missed exhibition in August at the Honolulu Museum of Art in Hawaii. I found myself contemplating Chinese history and culture in a new way. Many layers of history and culture came alive for me -and I am certain you’ll feel the same way. The Six Dynasties period, from the 3rd to 6th centuries, was one of the most dynamic periods in Chinese art history, akin to the European Renaissance in the impact it had on artistic creativity and the celebration of individual expression in China. Over the past twenty years, archaeological excavations have unearthed extraordinary works of art, forever altering scholarly understanding of this chaotic, four-hundred-year period of political upheaval, geographical division and civil strife. Not only was the Six Dynasties period a pivotal link in the historical timeline between the Han and Tang dynasties, but it is increasingly recognized for having laid the foundation for Chinese artistic standards, genres, subjects, and important themes that continue to define Chinese art today. Art in a Time of Chaos: Masterworks from Six Dynasties China, 3rd-6th Centuries will present the artistic innovations and achievements evidenced by recent archaeological findings from both the Southern and Northern Dynasties across four major disciplines: ceramics, sculpture, calligraphy and painting. Each of these disciplines provides a different glimpse into daily and ritual life during this time. Through instability came great artistic innovation, resulting in the emergence of enduring subjects, genres, and themes. This exhibition will highlight these lasting elements of Six Dynasties art, allowing visitors to see and better understand the trajectory of Chinese art that continues to today.Willow Weilan Hai discussed this amazing exhibition, the Six Dynasties period in China’s history, her background in archeology and what American, Chinese and international audiences can derive from the exhibit. We also featured our weekly Confucius Moment and renewed our invitation to attend the Mid-Autumn Cultural Festival at Jennings Beach, Fairfield, Connecticut on October 1. Go to www.cahai.org for more details. See you there!
Douglas Chong is a Chinese cultural historian, consultant and director of the Hawaii Chinese History Center in the heart of Honolulu’s Chinatown where I caught up with him recently.
As the world pauses in 2016 to observe the 150th anniversary of Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s birth we wanted to hear from someone who could illuminate us about Sun’s formative years in Hawaii. As the leader of China's 1911 revolution, Sun Yat-sen inspired and organized a movement that overthrew the Qing Dynasty that reigned over China for nearly three hundred years. Born near Macau on November 12, 1866, Sun moved to Honolulu, Hawaii after completing his primary school education to live with his elder brother Sun Mei. Sun Yat-sen studied English, mathematics and science at Iolani School in 1882 and received a prize for his outstanding performance in English from King David Kalakaua. Sun later enrolled at Oahu College, now Punahou School, before returning to China. Douglas Chong is a renowned authority on Dr. Sun Yat-sen -especially Sun's formative years in Hawaii.
First of all be warned: by the conclusion of this Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim broadcast you are going to be very hungry -and for good reason. And if you are an Asian cuisine "foodie" like me you'd better strap yourself in. Why? You're going to meet the one and only Danielle Chang, founder of LUCKYRICE (WWW.LUCKYRICE.COM) in New York City. She created LUCKYRICE "to follow her lofty, yet life-long, passion to create a platform for Asian culture." According to LUCKYRICE.COM:"Her career has always revolved around pop culture, story telling and entrepreneurship. Danielle began her career at The New York Times and later founded and published the lifestyle magazine Simplycity. After earning her Masters degree in Critical Theory from Columbia University, she was a Professor of Contemporary Art History as well as a curator of emerging art. Most recently, she was the CEO of Vivienne Tam, a fashion company and, prior to that, the Managing Director of Assouline, a French creative advertising agency. Instead of the visual arts, her focus today is the culinary arts, an appetizing and universal lens through which to share stories about our current obsession with Asian culture."The Wall Street Journal asked, "How lucky can you get?" WSJ went on to point out that, "In the case of LUCKYRICE, there's seemingly no end to the good fortune. What started in 2010 as a New York-only event has morphed into something of a national powerhouse, with additional festivals in Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco and Las Vegas." You'll learn about the LUCKYRICE Festival, the mission of LUCKYRICE, her latest cookbook, the LUCKYRICE Agency, and much more! "After all, if we are what we eat, then we're all part-Asian." What does this mean? To find out tune in to this archived broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! On the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival is the second grandest only after the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival in Chinese culture. The Mid-Autumn Festival takes its name from the fact that this holiday is celebrated in the middle of the autumn season. On tomorrow's broadcast I will be welcoming Mr. Howard Liao and his associates of the Chinese American Heritage Association of Fairfield County, Connecticut. (CAHAI.org) We will be learning about CAHAI, its mission, goals and activities -as well get an explanation of the Mid-Autumn Festival from those who know best. Mark your calendars! CAHAI is holding a first-ever Mid-Autumn Festival on October 1! Jennings Beach in the Town of Fairfield will come alive 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Be there for the talent show, music, singing, dancing performances, traditional Chinese festival foods such as moon cakes and wonderful delicacies, hands-on activities, arts, crafts and games, too. For more information go to www.cahai.org. A $10 per guest donation is requested. See the web site for sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, too.
Hei Ming is nationally known as a visionary and an accomplished photographer in his native China -but he is no ordinary cameraman.
His images of average Chinese people are coupled with rich, imaginative and compelling stories that document the lives around them. Since 1997 Hei Ming has published a fine portfolio of photographic albums, all focusing on everyday people of all kinds in China.
I recently caught up with Hei Ming in midtown Manhattan, New York City, joined by Liming Guan of The China Press who translated Hei Ming’s Chinese language comments to English.
Hei Ming describes himself as “a man who captures real life with his camera rather than a photographic artist.On the Treasures of China segment we learned about the Imperial Vault of Heaven located in Beijing's Temple of Heaven, and ended with a Confucius Moment.
Roy Rowan is a living legend. He is a veteran author-journalist and avid fisherman -but he is much more. For over fifty years Rowan covered the world for Time, Life and Fortune magazines.
His book, Chasing the Dragon: A Veteran Journalist's Firsthand Account of the 1949 Chinese Revolution was given to me by a mutual friend of ours. I was captivated.
In another twist of circumstance, it turned out that 96-year-old Roy Rowan and I were almost neighbors here in Greenwich, Connecticut USA. I couldn't believe my luck.
Accompanied by Mr. Liming Guan of The China Press of New York City, we paid Roy Rowan a visit to his home on Steamboat Road near Greenwich Harbor. Another dimension of China's history came alive that day from the comfort of Mr. Rowan's living room.
"Roy Rowan's spellbinding account of China's earth-rattling Communist Revolution," said Tom Brokaw of NBC News, "is high drama and great journalism-all that I'd expect from one of the best."
Stella Dong, author of Shanghai: The Rise and Fall of a Decadent City 1842-1949 said, "Chasing the Dragon is both enthralling personal history and an invaluable eyewitness account of China. Rowan offers a riveting insider's view of pre-Communist China and records its last death those with a keen eye for history and human detail."
Waltar Isaacson, president of the Aspen Club and author of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life has this to say about Roy Rowan and his memoir: "This colorful eyewitness account of the Communists' 1949 takeover of China is the perfect blend of journalism and history. Roy Rowan tells this amazing tale with the firsthand excitement of a young reporter and the wisdom of a veteran China watcher. In a very personal and readable way, his book explores war, historic forces, colorful characters and the thrill of journalism."
http://marvelsofchina.blogspot.com/2016/07/july-9-coming-up-next-roy-rowan-chasing.html
On today's broadcast I welcomed Ako of the Takarazuka Revue in the Conversations segment of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim's July 16 broadcast. She shared with me and our global audience how she became involved with Takarazuka Revue, its rich history and traditions, how women train for its programs and performances, fan clubs and how it has influenced theater.
The Takarazuka Revue was formed by railroad tycoon Ichizo Kobayashi in 1913 to help draw tourists to hot springs of Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture in Japan. The all-female stage troupe itself has gone on to be phenomenally successful in Japan, the USA, China and around the world. This summer the troupe is heading to New York City's David H. Koch Theater at the Lincoln Center for six performances over five days of Takarazuka CHICAGO. It's all part of the annual 2016 Lincoln Center Festival. We also shared a Confucius Moment!
On this broadcast you'll meet one of New York City's finest purveyors of Chinese jianbings, Brian Goldberg of Mr. Bing Beijing Street Crepes. Writing in New York's Grub Street, Chris Crowley has proclaimed the Chinese jianbing as the 2016 "cheap eat of the year." I've already decided that my 2017 New Year's resolution will be to extend my passion for these delightful Chinese crepes well into the years ahead. "Twenty-first-century culinary anthropologists could very well chart a course for migratory foodstuffs from country of origin to outer-borough enclave to Smorgasburg stall. And so it is with jianbing, the Chinese street-food breakfast that has emerged as this year’s microcraze. Typically made from a batter of green mung bean, wheat, or other grains and starches and spread with egg, the savory crêpe is strewn with some combination of cilantro, scallions, and pickles; brushed with a chile-paste sauce and a sweet bean paste like tianmianjiang; and folded around either a thin, crispy cracker called baocui or a chewy cruller and chopped in half — all in under 45 seconds." When I savored my first bite into a jianbing I exclaimed to those around that this is what fast-food was truly meant to be.
I met Brian Goldberg and his team at a food-tasting event at the China Institute in America in Manhattan. What a time it was! I've been hooked on jianbings since. It took no time at all for me and the other attendees to become enamored with these tasty treats that are sold on the streets of Beijing and other cities. Now they've come to America! Brian Goldberg shared with us how his journey began, the process of bringing his entrepreneurial dreams to reality, his thoughts on the fusion cuisine movement, how New Yorkers and others have responded to jian bings, what the future holds and more! We also enjoyed a Confucius Moment together!http://marvelsofchina.blogspot.com/2016/07/coming-up-next-brian-goldberg-of-mr.html
As my guest on the August 27 Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim show, Tony Hwang was born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, educated at Cornell University, became a residential real estate agent with Coldwell Banker. He was also elected as the first Chinese American to the State Senate of the Connecticut General Assembly representing the 34th District. Senator Hwang shared with me and our listening audience the story of a remarkable journey that started in China, then to upstate New York where he learned English -and how to deal with snow-, working in his family's restaurant in Syracuse, later graduating from Cornell University followed by a career in executive search and real estate. Immigrating to a new country comes with great challenges and opportunities. We learned about what inspired and motivated Hwang to persist and succeed, the emergence of Asian Americans in American governance, and Hwang's perspectives on the important bilateral relationship between America and China.
This is an encore broadcast from May 28, 2016 featuring Ms. Meixu Huang of East China Normal University (ECNU) in China. Ms. Huang is the director of the Global education Center's International Student Office at ECNU. In the original broadcast she spoke to us from her office in Shanghai. Ms. Huang briefed us on ECNU's process of internationalizing its academic programs, establishing global strategic cooperative partnerships, and elaborated for us on the benefits of internationalization. Additionally, Meixu Huang commented on how higher education is a form of diplomatic policy through university-to-university investment as well as its role in the improvement of people-to-people relationships between Chinese, Americans and other nationalities.
This is an encore broadcast of the May 7, 2016 show. On that day we featured a special interview with Parkway Elementary School fifth-grader Brandon Yu and his mother. He caught our attention in the Greenwich Time newspaper. At the time of the original broadcast Brandon was due to compete in the National History Bee contest.
The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) is a nonprofit educational and cultural institution in New York City that presents the living history, heritage, culture and diverse experiences of Chinese Americans through exhibitions, educational services, and public programs. Starting in 1980 as the community-based New York Chinatown History Project, it was founded by historian John Kuo Wei Tchen and Charles Lai.
On the July 30 broadcast we welcomed Nancy Yao Massbach, president and director of MOCA. She holds a degree in Diplomacy and World Affairs with a minor in Chinese language from Occidental College and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.
Before being named president/director of MOCA, Massbach served as the executive director of the Yale-China Association, the managing director of the corporate programs at the Council on Foreign Relations where she had also been an International Affairs Fellow in Japan and a research associate on China.
Massbach also worked in Goldman Sachs' investment banking division and executive office in Hong Kong and New York. She was the associate producer at CNN during the handover coverage of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China in 1997. She served on the national board of the Association of Asian American Yale Alumni.
MOCA's mission is "to celebrate the living history of the Chinese experience in America, to inspire our diverse communities to contribute to America's evolving cultural narrative and civil society, and to empower and bridge our communities across generations, ethnicities and geography through our dynamic stories."
We learned from Nancy Yao Massbach about the founding of MOCA, its location on Centre Street that was designed by Maya Lin-who came to fame as the designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.- about MOCA's amazing programs, educational services and collections, and much more!On this broadcast we started a new segment, Treasures of China. Our first to be featured was Suzhou Market Place located in the Summer Palace in Beijing's Northwest near the Fragrant Hills.
This is the September 3 interview with Douglas Chong of the Hawaii Chinese History Center in Honolulu
It was my pleasure to announce that my guest on the June 25, 2016 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim was Dr. Ren Youqun, Ph.D. He is the Vice-President of East China Normal University (ECNU), Vice-Chaiman of ECNU's University Council and a professor of Education Science. Dr. Ren's research interests are focused on Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Technology, Teacher Education and Learning Sciences. He has published two books and more than 80 academic papers. Dr. Ren has also translated ten English books in these fields into Chinese.With a passion for teaching known internationally, Dr. Ren has been lecturing on information and communication technology (ICT) since 2003, focusing on its integration with curriculum and teacher education for Chinese graduate students. We discussed all this, ECNU's internationalization efforts and how information and communication technology is being utilized to improve the efficiency of education management, governance and administration.
My next guest on the Conversations segment of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim is the legendary Roy Rowan, veteran journalist who covered the Chinese Civil War and author of Chasing the Dragon: A Veteran Journalist's Firsthand Account of the 1949 Chinese Revolution.' This 96-year-old has much to share about his time reporting on the Chinese Civil War. This interview will be featured on the July 9, 2016 broadcast.
My guest on this broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim was such a delight! Qian Yi is "China's reigning opera princess." She is the star of Paradise Interrupted which the Wall Street Journal calls "a mesmerizing new work that is part opera, part dynamic art installation."
This chamber opera is part of Lincoln Center Festival 2016 in New York City. It is being performed July 13-16.
Qian Yi shared stories and memories of her roles in past productions such as The Peony Pavilion, Amy Tan's The Bonesetter's Daughter, The Butterfly Dream and more. We heard about Qian Yi's early career, about the challenges behind blending Western and Chinese elements of opera into production, and so much more.
The Saturday, June 11 Conversations segment of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim featured Mr. James Heimowitz, president of the China Institute in America.
I had the pleasure of lecturing on my late-father and the post-World War II American China Marines at the China Institute's former location in Lenox Hill, Manhattan in November, 2014 as reported by The China Press.
Founded 90 years ago in 1926, the Institute was founded by a group of distinguished American and Chinese educators. They included John Dewey, Hu Shih, Paul Monroe and Dr. Kuo Ping-wen. It is the oldest bicultural organization in America that is devoted exclusively to China.
In 1944, the China Institute in America was chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York as a school of continuing education. The Institute's language and cultural school is the oldest educational center of its kind in the USA.
Newly located in Lower Manhattan off Washington Street -and near Wall Street- the China Institute in America "advances a deeper understanding of China through programs in education, culture, business and art in the belief that cross-cultural understanding strengthens our global community."
My conversation with James Heimowitz covered a range of topics from the Institute's new location, its variety of cultural programs and activities, how the Institute addresses the needs of the business community, what's in store for the future, and how people like you can join the Institute and support its mission.
On the Saturday, July 2, 2016 of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim we welcomed E. Samantha Cheng from Washington, D.C., USA, and Dr. Gwendolyn Gong from Hong Kong, China. Both are the executive producers of Honor and Duty: The Mississippi Delta Chinese. I was privileged to attend the recent New York screening at this documentary at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) in Chinatown This three-part documentary series tells the story of an almost forgotten community of Chinese in America's Deep South. It is an American story like no other anywhere. The story of Chinese immigration and integration into the Mississippi Delta region begins just after the American Civil War with the introduction of 16 Chinese men. How did this community evolve and proper within the segregated South? What lessons does this story provide for immigrants today?Honor and Duty: The Mississippi Delta Chinese documentary series focuses on people who built an enduring kinship through small town markets and grocery stores drawing in part on the memories of the patriotic Chinese World War II veterans who lived in this area and stepped forward to serve.
This is a draft of a recorded interview with Chinese Photographer/Documenter Hei Ming in NYC
On the June 4, 2016 show I welcomed Afaa Michael Weaver.
This remarkable American poet, educator, story teller, writer and editor is the author of numerous poetry collections. His honors include a Fulbright Scholarship, fellowships from the National Endowments of the Arts (NEA), the Pew Foundation, and he is the recipient of the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award and a Pushcart Prize, among others. Weaver is the director of the Writing Intensive at The Frost Place.
In 2015 his work City of Eternal Spring won the Phillis Wheatley Award for excellence in poetry at the Harlem Book Fair. This work was the final book in Weaver's Plum Flower Trilogy.
Weaver's other works include Timber and Prayer: The Indian Pond Poems; My Father's Geography; The Plum Flower Dance: Poems 1985 to 2005; and The Government of Nature, and more.
Nigerian playwright Tess Onwueme gave him the Ibo name, Afaa, meaning "oracle." Weaver teaches at Simmons College in Massachusetts and is the chairman of the Simmons International Chinese Poetry Conference and director of the Zora Neale Hurston Literary Center.
Of Afaa Michael Weaver, Henry Louis Gates has observed that "Weaver of one of the most significant poets writing today. With its blend of Chinese spiritualism and American roundedness, his poetry presents the reader (and the listener, for his body of work is meant to be read aloud) with challenging questions about identity, about how physicality and spirit act together or counteract each other to shape who we are in the world. His attention to the way language works is rare, and the effects of that attention on his poetry are distinctive and expansive."
Referring to Weaver's work, The Government of Nature, Ching-Hsi Perng, President of the Taipei Chinese Club has said, "In these nuanced, sobering, and beautifully cadenced poems, the poet tries to deal with haunting, mysterious vines of the past, present, and future-whether of fear, anxiety, joy, love, or hope. Reconciling East and West, he achieves harmony and tranquility. A marvelous work." Weaver was given the Chinese name "Wei Yafeng."
In 2005 he received the Gold Friendship Medal from the Beijing Writers Association for his work with Chinese poets.
We heard from Weaver about many things, such as his early life, his work with Chinese poets, how his works are insightful and special for Chinese as well as Americans, his lifelong interest in Chinese culture and much more.
Please check out his official web site at http://afaaweaver.net/
On the May 28, 2016 broadcast I welcomed Ms. Meixu Huang. She is the director of the Global Education Center's International Student Office at East China Normal University (ECNU).
Speaking to us from her office on the ECNU campus in Shanghai, Meixu Huang briefed us on ECNU's process of internationalizing its academic programs, establishing global strategic cooperative partnerships, and she elaborated on the benefits of internationalization.
In addition, Ms. Huang commented on how higher education is a form of diplomatic policy through university-to-university investment, as well as its role in the improvement of people-to-people relationships between Chinese, Americans and other nationalities.
Today we welcomed Eric Jay Dolin, author of When America First Met China: An Exotic History of Tea, Drugs, and Money in the Age of Sail.
His book illuminates its readers with one of the least understood areas of history. Throughout this epic journey to the past, Dolin retraces the complicated history shared between the "Middle Kingdom" of China and the newly-independent United States of America in the late-18th and early 19th centuries.
"That is why every time I heard or read news stories about America and China, it occurred to me that-given the intense focus on the evolving ties between these two countries- it might be revealing to explore the origins of their relationship. Therein lay the genesis of this book, whose goal is to tell the story of how America and China first met, and what their relationship was like in the beginning. As it turns out, the story revolves mostly around trade, for that was the primary medium through which America and China came to know each other."
Far earlier than most Americans realize, there has been a hearty appetite for Chinese products in this country -and a complicated relationship to go with it. After independence, and with the USA cut off from trade with Europe and the West Indies, Americans were ambitious, bound and determined to compete on the world stage -and off to China they went.
Our weekly Confucius Moment quote: "A man who dupes others survives because he is fortunate enough to be spared." My latest lecture at the China Institute in America focused on Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty, facts from which I shared with the audience.
The day before the April 9 broadcast I returned from Hawaii, where I live part of the year. While in Honolulu I interviewed on-location Mr. Johnson Choi in his office on Bishop Street in the heart of the city's financial district. We discussed doing business in Hawaii as well as in China, the unique nuances this presents and why it is important to learn about culture and practices when doing business in Asia. In the Paths to the Past segment I introduced the listening audience to the Chinese in Hawaii -who have been in the islands for centuries! Our Confucius Moment focused on, "The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." Interested in doing business in Asia? We're offering you the opportunity to go there and make contacts -a very important aspect in one's success.
This is an encore broadcast/podcast of the show. This one features Ms. Nell Calloway, granddaughter of Gen. Claire lee Chennault of the legendary Flying Tigers of World War II. She is also the director of the Chennault Aviation & Military Museum in Monroe, Louisiana USA.
My special guest is President & CEO Amy Needle of Historic Philadelphia. Franklin Square, at 6th and Race streets in the City of Brotherly Love setting is the for the first-ever Chinese Lantern Festival in the northeastern USA. She discusses the origins of the festival, backgrounds of the Chinese artisans who designed the lanterns and how your evenings and mine can be illuminated. Learn more by going to www.historicphiladelpha.org.
You’ll hear an update about last week’s guest, Parkway School fifth-grader Brandon Yu, as he and a team from Western Middle School enter yet another history competition.
The latest ‘China’s Great Emperors’ lecture series at the China Institute in America focused on Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty -who started out well but later saw his dynasty and his rule over China ruined forever.
On the weekly Confucius Moment the Great Sage reminded us all that “the sun and moon shine on all without partiality.
Our audience was reminded that May is Asian Pacific Heritage Month in the USA. We also announced that the show has a podcast site at www.podcasts.com.
Our listeners can contact me at MarvelsofChina@gmail.com, “like is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/marvelsofchina/, view our blog at marvelsofchina.blogspot.com, and hear archived shows at WGCH.com under ‘Shows & Hosts’ or podcasts.com.
In this broadcast you'll meet one of the most extraordinary fifth-graders anywhere in the Conversations segment. His name? Brandon Yu.
This history-whiz has made a name for himself in the Town of Greenwich and far beyond. Brandon competes in history contests, and he was recently featured in a piece in Greenwich Time. Just after this broadcast Brandon was on his way to the finals in the National History Bee contest for the third consecutive year!
Our Paths to the Past segment takes us to the China Institute in America in Lower Manhattan, NYC, where I have been attending lectures on Chinese emperors.
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month has also arrived! We also announced the creation of this podcasting site where show archives and even out commercial spots will be posted. I also call to everyone's attention that in Franklin Square, Philadelphia the organization Historic Philadelphia is hosting the first-ever Chinese Lantern Festival in the Northeastern USA.
My guest on the Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim Show will be taking you, me and our global listening audience to new heights -literally!
Thanks to Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development Ltd. (AmBridge), the show's title-sponsor, I was able to meet one of China's most ambitious and passionate mountain climbers, Sun Bin. This is the final part of a three-part interview series.
Sun Bin has nearly 20 years of world-wide mountaineering, rock climbing and ice climbing experience. He is the first Chinese mountaineer athlete to be sponsored for California-based The North Face.
He first started his climbing adventures as a member of the Peking University Mountaineering Association in 1997. Sun Bin subsequently joined the Chinese Mountaineering Association in 2000. For the next six years he was the chief designer of training programs for rock climbing, ice climbing and mountain guiding in China, as well as certification programs- a first in Chinese history.
From 2006 to 2008 Sun Bin joined the Beijing Olympic Committee, serving as project manager of the torch relay on Mount Everest. During the test event in 2007 he summited Mount Everest.
Since then Sun Bin has climbed and guided others on an amazing assortment of expeditions. In 2008, he made a film about ice climbing in Shuangqiao Gully titled Dragon Breath. In 2009, he acted as the main role for the movie Summit Memory from the story of climbing Mt. Xixiabangma. In 2009, he translated the book Extreme Alpinism by Mark Twight to Chinese and published for all the Chinese climbers. In 2011, Sun Bin set up a new route on south face of Mt. Siguniang (6250m), and made a documentary, Return to the Peak. In 2012, he set up a non-profit organization, Summit Outdoor School, to provide courses for mountain guides, local guides, and university students. Four years ago Sun Bin was featured in the “Go Wild campaign, a collaboration between The North Face and Ogilvy & Mather Shanghai:
“The North Face’s Go Wild campaign is a breath of fresh air that encourages city dwellers to break free from the eating-drinking-shopping-sitting in front of a screen rut and to replace it with tranquil or thrilling experiences in the great outdoors.
Sun Bin and his team were in Norway preparing for an expedition to the North Pole, to be followed by one to Denali Mountain in Alaska, USA. Get ready to "go wild" over mountaineering with Sun Bin. This is an interview series you will not want to miss.
My guest on the Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim Show will be taking you, me and our global listening audience to new heights -literally!
Thanks to Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development Ltd. (AmBridge), the show's title-sponsor, I was able to meet one of China's most ambitious and passionate mountain climbers, Sun Bin.
Sun Bin has nearly 20 years of world-wide mountaineering, rock climbing and ice climbing experience. He is the first Chinese mountaineer athlete to be sponsored for California-based The North Face.
He first started his climbing adventures as a member of the Peking University Mountaineering Association in 1997. Sun Bin subsequently joined the Chinese Mountaineering Association in 2000. For the next six years he was the chief designer of training programs for rock climbing, ice climbing and mountain guiding in China, as well as certification programs- a first in Chinese history.
From 2006 to 2008 Sun Bin joined the Beijing Olympic Committee, serving as project manager of the torch relay on Mount Everest. During the test event in 2007 he summited Mount Everest.
Since then Sun Bin has climbed and guided others on an amazing assortment of expeditions. In 2008, he made a film about ice climbing in Shuangqiao Gully titled Dragon Breath. In 2009, he acted as the main role for the movie Summit Memory from the story of climbing Mt. Xixiabangma. In 2009, he translated the book Extreme Alpinism by Mark Twight to Chinese and published for all the Chinese climbers. In 2011, Sun Bin set up a new route on south face of Mt. Siguniang (6250m), and made a documentary, Return to the Peak. In 2012, he set up a non-profit organization, Summit Outdoor School, to provide courses for mountain guides, local guides, and university students. Four years ago Sun Bin was featured in the “Go Wild campaign, a collaboration between The North Face and Ogilvy & Mather Shanghai:
“The North Face’s Go Wild campaign is a breath of fresh air that encourages city dwellers to break free from the eating-drinking-shopping-sitting in front of a screen rut and to replace it with tranquil or thrilling experiences in the great outdoors.
Sun Bin and his team were in Norway preparing for an expedition to the North Pole, to be followed by one to Denali Mountain in Alaska, USA. Get ready to "go wild" over mountaineering with Sun Bin. This is an interview series you will not want to miss.
My guest on the Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim Show will be taking you, me and our global listening audience to new heights -literally!
Thanks to Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development Ltd. (AmBridge), the show's title-sponsor, I was able to meet one of China's most ambitious and passionate mountain climbers, Sun Bin.
And you will, too, over the next two Saturday broadcasts scheduled for April 23 and 30.
Sun Bin has nearly 20 years of world-wide mountaineering, rock climbing and ice climbing experience. He is the first Chinese mountaineer athlete to be sponsored for California-based The North Face.
He first started his climbing adventures as a member of the Peking University Mountaineering Association in 1997. Sun Bin subsequently joined the Chinese Mountaineering Association in 2000. For the next six years he was the chief designer of training programs for rock climbing, ice climbing and mountain guiding in China, as well as certification programs- a first in Chinese history.
From 2006 to 2008 Sun Bin joined the Beijing Olympic Committee, serving as project manager of the torch relay on Mount Everest. During the test event in 2007 he summited Mount Everest.
Since then Sun Bin has climbed and guided others on an amazing assortment of expeditions. In 2008, he made a film about ice climbing in Shuangqiao Gully titled Dragon Breath. In 2009, he acted as the main role for the movie Summit Memory from the story of climbing Mt. Xixiabangma. In 2009, he translated the book Extreme Alpinism by Mark Twight to Chinese and published for all the Chinese climbers. In 2011, Sun Bin set up a new route on south face of Mt. Siguniang (6250m), and made a documentary, Return to the Peak. In 2012, he set up a non-profit organization, Summit Outdoor School, to provide courses for mountain guides, local guides, and university students. Four years ago Sun Bin was featured in the “Go Wild campaign, a collaboration between The North Face and Ogilvy & Mather Shanghai:
“The North Face’s Go Wild campaign is a breath of fresh air that encourages city dwellers to break free from the eating-drinking-shopping-sitting in front of a screen rut and to replace it with tranquil or thrilling experiences in the great outdoors.
Sun Bin and his team were in Norway preparing for an expedition to the North Pole, to be followed by one to Denali Mountain in Alaska, USA. Get ready to "go wild" over mountaineering with Sun Bin. This is an interview series you will not want to miss.
Part 4: Just days before the first broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim on February 6, 2016 WGCH personality Debbie Nigro had us on her show to make the big announcement. Our "Elite to the Street" experience with Debbie featured Show Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead; Ms. Dong Qixin of title-sponsor Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development, Ltd.; Mr. Liming Guan of The China Press; Dr. Yiping Wan of Manhattanville College; WGCH Engineer Robert Small; and Photographer Christopher Semmes. As you'll hear it was a fun ride!
Part 3: Just days before the first broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim on February 6, 2016 WGCH personality Debbie Nigro had us on her show to make the big announcement. Our "Elite to the Street" experience with Debbie featured Show Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead; Ms. Dong Qixin of title-sponsor Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development, Ltd.; Mr. Liming Guan of The China Press; Dr. Yiping Wan of Manhattanville College; WGCH Engineer Robert Small; and Photographer Christopher Semmes. As you'll hear it was a fun ride!
Part 2: Just days before the first broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim on February 6, 2016 WGCH personality Debbie Nigro had us on her show to make the big announcement. Our "Elite to the Street" experience with Debbie featured Show Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead; Ms. Dong Qixin of title-sponsor Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development, Ltd.; Mr. Liming Guan of The China Press; Dr. Yiping Wan of Manhattanville College; WGCH Engineer Robert Small; and Photographer Christopher Semmes. As you'll hear it was a fun ride!
Part 1: Just days before the first broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim on February 6, 2016 WGCH personality Debbie Nigro had us on her show to make the big announcement. Our "Elite to the Street" experience with Debbie featured Show Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead; Ms. Dong Qixin of title-sponsor Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development, Ltd.; Mr. Liming Guan of The China Press; Dr. Yiping Wan of Manhattanville College; WGCH Engineer Robert Small; and Photographer Christopher Semmes. As you'll hear it was a fun ride!
In today's mailbag (marvelsofchina@gmail.com) I heard from my former program director, Dr. Lance Sato. I taught under Dr. Sato at Kapiolani Community College in Honolulu. He and his wife now make their home in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, and from the bullet trains that Lance listens to this show! With warm weather emerging I share news about the cruise travel market, especially NCL's 'Norwegian Joy' and the Chinese vacation market. Did you know suspension bridges were invented in China? My special guest in the Conversations segment of the show was Mr. Liming Guan, reporter for The China Press based in New York City.
Spring has sprung in more ways than one when it comes to China. On March 5 the 11-day National People's Congress in China opened. In recent history no nation compares to China when it comes to rapid economic transformations.
To help us make sense of it all we welcomed Professor Xu Hongcai to Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim on Saturday, March 19 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Eastern USA Daylight Savings Time and everywhere on WGCH.com.
He spoke to the listening audience from Shanghai. Professor Xu delivered his remarks in Chinese. We were very fortunate to have Mr. Liming Guan of The China Press in New York City serving as translator.
Professor Xu Hongcai is a famous economist throughout China and internationally. He is a professor of Finance and has a PhD in Economics from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a Distinguished Professor of Tsinghua University and an adjunct professor at the Central University of Finance. Professor Xu has visited and spoken in more than 200 cities before more than 200 listed companies in China. In 2009 he won the 'China Top 100 Management Trainer title. He has attended international seminars and published academic lectures in Europe and the USA.
We heard about China's new Five-Year Plan, growth targets, the country's new growth model ensuring a rising middle-class population, personal consumption, and how the services sector and private firms -and American investment- will play a role in China's continuing transformation.
Happy-belated Dragon's Heads Raising Day! Most of today's broadcast was focused on the importance of Chinese language. Today we welcomed Katy Myers of the Chinese Language School of Connecticut. Everybody has different reasons for learning a different language. There are numerous, amazing rewards that learning another language can bring. They range from meeting new people, discovering new and interesting cultures, improving your employability and transforming your travel experiences. See http://www.chineselanguageschool.org
I love fortune cookies, don't you? They are a staple in Chinese restaurants across the USA -but are they Chinese? We learned about Chinese lanterns, and thanks to our title sponsor, Beijing AmBridge International Culture Deveopment, Ltd., we were treated to more of Meng Ke's music from Inner Mongolia. "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves" was the theme of our weekly Confucius Moment. On the Conversations segment of the show we welcomed Ms. Nell Calloway, granddaughter of General Claire Lee Chennault of the legendary Flying Tigers and director of the Chennault Aviation & Military Museum in Monroe, Louisiana USA. We also welcomed for the first time our new supporting sponsor, Penang Grill at 55 Lewis Street, Greenwich, Connecticut USA.
On the fourth show of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim I welcomed H. Allen Larsen, one of the last of the living Flying Tigers from World War II in China. Allen is the co-author of the book China in the Eyes of Flying Tigers 1944-1945. Believe it or not he and his family moved here to Greenwich, Connecticut after the war concluded! We met last September in Beijing during the 70th year commemorations of the end of World War II.
We also learned about Beijing billionaires, more Year of the Monkey facts, the invention of the waterwheel and iron plow in China, and enjoyed our weekly Confucius Moment.
Thanks to our title sponsor, Beijing AmBridge International Cultural Development, Ltd., we were treated to music from Meng Ke, an extraordinary artist from Inner Mongolia.
Besides our weekly Confucius Moment we enjoyed learning fun-facts about China I shared with the audience my discussions with staff members of the Chinese Language School of Connecticut. On Conversations we welcomed Major General William Chen, the first Chinese American to attain that rank in the American armed forces. Maj. Gen. Chen had some history and important observations to share about China, America and the world.
The Lunar New Year and Spring Festival were underway on the second show of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim. Besides learning more about this holiday season, we learned about the Chinese zodiac during this auspicious time. We also heard more words of wisdom from the Great Sage himself during the Confucius Moment. On the Conversations segment Dr. Dave Wang was our special guest. He is the managing director of the Laurelton Library in Queens, NY and an adjunct professor at St. John's University. He spoke to us about his research, lectures and publications on the little-known influences Chinese civilization had on the Founding Fathers of the United States of America in the late 1700s. Learn more by going to http://foundingfathersandchina.blogspot.com/
Southeast Asian cuisine has never been more popular, and if you want the best go to Penang Grill. Conveniently located at 55 Lewis Street in downtown Greenwich, Connecticut, the repertoire of fine culinary selections, tranquil, Asian-themed surroundings, courteous service and great prices will leave you satisfied.
What’s not to love? Try the big bowl noodle soups, such as Tom Yam Chicken with angel-hair noodles or the Seafood clear broth with udon noodles. You won’t go wrong with the Vietnamese salad with tamarind peanut dressing. Szechuan dumplings and Thai crab cakes always make me smile. Daily luncheon specials are great for your budget. Penang Grill’s spicy to non spicy selections cater to all tastes. The vegetables are very fresh and the food always delicious.
Whether you dine-in or order take out, Penang Grill in Greenwich, Connecticut is an outstanding choice for lovers of Asian cuisine everywhere. Penang Grill is located at 55 Lewis Street, just off the east side of Greenwich Avenue. Call 203-861-1988. You’ll be glad you did.
Corporate Executive Offices (CEO) is a supporting sponsor of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim. Located at 75 Holly Hill Lane in Greenwich, Connecticut USA, CEO meets the needs of businesses -and surpasses client expectations again and again. A professional staff and state-of-the-art facilities makes this location truly the best -and they treat you like family! Go to www.ceooffices.com for further details.
In Inner Mongolia, there is a legendary group of people called the
Torghut, or Guardsmen. They have been guarding the mausoleum of Genghis Khan for 800 years. His majestic mausoleum is made up of six halls and corridors. The five-meter tall or16-foot tall statue of Genghis Khan stands proudly at the entrance.
Together with the Kubuqi Desert, they are all part of the legend that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world to Ordos, which is one of the twelve major subdivisions of Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. It lies within the Ordos Loop of the Yellow River.
Although mainly rural, Ordos is administered as a prefecture-level city, with a population of over half a million people.
There is a wealth of one-of-a-kind journeys in this world. Make Ordos your destination.
Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development Ltd is the title-sponsor of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim. AmBridge is synonymous with the pursuit of long-lasting cross-cultural relationships with an eye for excellence.
Friends wishing to visit Ordos are welcome to call AmBridge’s main office in Beijing at 86-10-80775517 or email ambridge01@163.com.
Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development Ltd is the title-sponsor of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim.
Renowned as the largest and best preserved imperial garden in all of China, its Chinese name translates to ‘Garden of Nurtured Harmony.’ It was a legendary pleasure ground for emperors and empresses seeking relief from summer heat in the capitol, Beijing.
Steeped in beauty, illustrious for its design, its huge lake and hilltop views encapsulate extraordinary experiences spanning centuries. The palace’s exquisite temples, lush gardens, impeccable pavilions, striking bridges and elegant corridors are recognized as among the world’s finest with its magnificent architecture, spectacular setting and celebrated history.
With its rich history and connection to Chinese culture, the famed Summer Palace is spectacularly located in Northwest Beijing near the Fragrant Hills.
You are invited to explore how an alliance with Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development Ltd can help your company or organization grow and prosper. Expand your horizons by contacting AmBridge’s main office in Beijing at 86-10-80775517 or email ambridge01@163.com.
Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development Ltd is the title-sponsor of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim. AmBridge is synonymous with the pursuit of long-lasting cross-cultural relationships with an eye for excellence.
AmBridge’s commitment to developing intercultural and international relationships makes it a leader in bringing people and ideas together.
Based in the Chinese capitol, AmBridge is an international public relations and communications firm whose mission is to help engage diverse communities, shape trusting relationships through friendship, constructive collaboration while investing its talents and energies in the success of every client and every enterprise.
In an increasingly globalized world with China playing an increasingly prominent role means you need a communications and public relations firm that you can trust. AmBridge focuses on delivering customized services connecting and nurturing American and Chinese leaders and organizations in education, media, civic affairs and business.
You are invited to explore how an alliance with AmBridge can help your company or organization grow and prosper.
Call AmBridge’s main office in Beijing at 86-10-80775517 or email ambridge01@163.com.
Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim's first show was broadcast on February 6, 2016 on AM1490 WGCH and everywhere on WGCH.com from Greenwich, Connecticut USA. Our first guest on the Conversations segment was Cultural Consul Li Liyan of the Chinese Consulate of the People's Republic of China in New York City. Here is an announcement on the show's blog site. (CLICK HERE)
The weekly half-hour show provides a colorful, lively international perspective focusing on China and the Pacific Rim, introducing educational, cultural, business and travel opportunities for Chinese and Americans, featuring business, news and cultural events, and reveal historical and cultural ties between the USA and China. Another intent of the show is to promote and strengthen understanding and friendship between the peoples of the USA, China and the Pacific Rim. The format includes interviews, guest commentary, stories, education and announcements.