Audio, History
Jeremiah Jenne
What can the end of the Ming Dynasty tell us ...

Trump's re-election disappointed many in the U.S. and abroad. To help them process, Jeremiah and David talk with literary translator and Pennsylvania voter Brendan O’Kane about Zhang Dai, the Ming-Qing transition, and living through an age of upheaval.

What can the end of the Ming Dynasty tell us about the election of Donald Trump and what comes next
Contemporary China, History, Audio
Jeremiah Jenne
Historical Battles: Rewriting China's Past to ...

Jeffrey Wasserstrom joins Barbarians at the Gate to discuss the legacy of the Hong Kong protests, Xi Jinping’s patriotic education law, and how Beijing’s control over historical narratives is reshaping academic engagement with China.

Historical Battles: Rewriting China's Past to Shape the Future
Audio, History
Jeremiah Jenne
Dan Snow's History Hit The Creation of the ...

How China transitioned from imperial rule to Chinese Socialism and all about the key characters whose opposing visions for China's future created so much chaos along the way.

Dan Snow's History Hit The Creation of the People's Republic of China
Book Reviews, History
Jeremiah Jenne
Philip Kuhn: Sorcery and Bureaucracy in Qing ...

A supernatural crisis pits an anxious autocrat against his own functionaries when a hunt for soul-stealing sorcerers turns into a political witch-hunt among 18th-century China’s “deep state.”

Philip Kuhn: Sorcery and Bureaucracy in Qing China
Audio, History, Travel
Jeremiah Jenne
Edge of Empire with author and journalist ...

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.

Edge of Empire with author and journalist Edward Wong

Beijing

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2017 Year in Review: Beijing's Changing Urban Landscape and a Few Predictions for the Coming Year

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2017 Year in Review: Beijing's Changing Urban Landscape and a Few Predictions for the Coming Year

2017 was a year of change for Beijing, but then again what year since 1421 hasn’t been a year of change for the city?

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Dangerous Benevolence

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Dangerous Benevolence

The Beijing municipal government threatening organizations that assist displaced migrants is bad policy, but official ambivalence toward private charity dates back at least to the imperial era

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Imperial-Era Tombs Discovered on Site of New Beijing Mega-Airport

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Imperial-Era Tombs Discovered on Site of New Beijing Mega-Airport

Workers building Beijing’s mega-airport of the future have stumbled over a bit of the city’s past.

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Postcards From Dashilan: Retracing the Development of Beijing’s Former Commercial Hub

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Postcards From Dashilan: Retracing the Development of Beijing’s Former Commercial Hub

Beijing has seen a lot of changes this year, but is this something new? Beijing has always been in a state of flux.

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The Beijing Migrants Crackdown: A ChinaFile Conversation

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The Beijing Migrants Crackdown: A ChinaFile Conversation

Since mid-November, police and security officials have evicted tens of thousands of migrants from their apartments, and pictures of the newly homeless from all across China sitting outside in the Beijing winter have spread widely on social media. Why did the city government take this step? And what does this mean for the rights of China’s so-called “low-end population”? 

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Voices from the Past: Child Abuse and Suppressed Rumors, Then and Now

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Voices from the Past: Child Abuse and Suppressed Rumors, Then and Now

The case of the RYB Kindergarten scandal is not the first time rumors have overwhelmed official denials in a case involving child abuse in China

How to Avoid Getting Evicted in the Latest Round of Housing Demolitions

How to Avoid Getting Evicted in the Latest Round of Housing Demolitions

The forced eviction of some of Beijing’s most vulnerable residents has sparked a backlash with even Chinese state media offering (albeit tepid) criticism of the city’s handling of this latest round of “urban renewal.”

But it’s not just Beijing’s poor and migrant communities which are being affected. Many international residents are feeling the pinch as well. 

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A Tale of Two Tragedies

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A Tale of Two Tragedies

A devastating fire which killed 18 migrant workers in Daxing and a child abuse scandal at a kindergarten in an upscale neighborhood expose the fault lines of economic class in China’s capital

Will Beijing Enforce the New Restrictions on Traffic and Parking in the Hutongs?

Will Beijing Enforce the New Restrictions on Traffic and Parking in the Hutongs?

After a year of steadily taking away all our nice things, the Municipal government has decided to throw us a bone.

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Making the Forbidden City Fun for Kids: New Spaces, Exhibits, and Dragons Galore

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Making the Forbidden City Fun for Kids: New Spaces, Exhibits, and Dragons Galore

The Forbidden City can be a test of endurance for most people, not just those young folks with shorter legs and even shorter attention spans. Making a three-hour walk through an old palace appealing to younger visitors is all about how you approach your Forbidden City trip.

Rants and Jottings: October in Beijing, Heaven and/or Hell, Where's the Sauce?

Rants and Jottings: October in Beijing, Heaven and/or Hell, Where's the Sauce?

 A few thoughts as summer crash lands into fall …

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Urban Hiking: Celebrate National Day With Historical Rambles Through Beijing’s Concrete Jungle

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Urban Hiking: Celebrate National Day With Historical Rambles Through Beijing’s Concrete Jungle

Beijing is not known for being especially pedestrian-friendly, but that doesn’t mean there is a shortage of historical strolls on which to stretch your legs and broaden your knowledge of our fair city.

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Still Want to See the Sights? Five Tips to Beat the Crowds in Beijing During Next Week's October Holiday

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Still Want to See the Sights? Five Tips to Beat the Crowds in Beijing During Next Week's October Holiday

Over 700 million tourists are going to be on the move starting Sunday, and Beijing will be one of the most popular destinations, Caixin reported this week. So how can one enjoy the sites and avoid the crowds?

An Ode to Beijing's Urban Renewal, With Apologies to Bruce Springsteen

An Ode to Beijing's Urban Renewal, With Apologies to Bruce Springsteen

Everything gets chai’d that’s a fact
But maybe somethings getchai’d which won’t come back
Brick up your hutong right, make your street look pretty
And meet me tonight, in China’s capital city

Famous Scroll Painting Among Treasures to Be Displayed at the Forbidden City This Month

Famous Scroll Painting Among Treasures to Be Displayed at the Forbidden City This Month

One of China’s most famous and seldom seen works of art will go on display at the Forbidden City today (September 15) until December 14.

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Historic Courtyards and Residences That Could (or Should) Be Opened to the Public

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Historic Courtyards and Residences That Could (or Should) Be Opened to the Public

Have you ever walked down a hutong past a grand gate and stopped to wonder just what was hidden behind those high brick walls?

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Historic Courtyards and Residences That Could (or Should) Be Opened to the Public

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Historic Courtyards and Residences That Could (or Should) Be Opened to the Public

Have you ever walked down a hutong past a grand gate and stopped to wonder just what was hidden behind those high brick walls?