In this episode of Barbarians at the Gates, Edward Wong of the New York Times joins David and me to discuss Ed's new book, At the Edge of Empire. We discuss frontiers, what the Qing Dynasty means for China, and the different generational perspectives on China's recent past.
History Wars: The PRC pushes back against unsanctioned views of the past
The Sorcerers and Soul Stealers that Terrorized Qing China
Death of Dorgon
The Prince and the Rebel
From the Archives: On Lamas in the White House
China’s competing legacies on show at National Palace Museums in Beijing and Taipei
The Rite Stuff
Send Lawyers, Guns, and Money: A Short History of the Opium War
A man, his dog, and the sinking of the Beiyang Fleet
Artefacts: Taking heads
On an Island
While there will be considerable fanfare today commemorating the 15th anniversary of the British handover of Hong Kong to the PRC, it’s worth noting that this is also an important anniversary year in the history of another island. 2012 marks 350 years since Zheng Chenggong (better known outside China as ‘Koxinga’) landed on Taiwan and forced a Dutch garrison to surrender control of the island to Zheng and his family.