Book Reviews, History
Jeremiah Jenne
Lin Yutang: My Country, My People

In 1935, the Chinese author Lin Yutang offered Westerners an insider’s guide to China's society. It endures today despite his own cultural contradictions.

Lin Yutang: My Country, My People
Audio, History
Jeremiah Jenne
Is this America's Cultural Revolution Moment?

In this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, Jeremiah and Chris Stewart of The History of China Podcast ask the question, "Is this America's Cultural Revolution moment?"

Is this America's Cultural Revolution Moment?
Contemporary China, Audio
Jeremiah Jenne
Experiencing the World of Jazz in China

Our latest episode explores jazz in China—from its revival in 1980s Beijing to today's talented performers. David Moser discusses how musicians with limited recordings mastered the medium and laid the groundwork for generations of skilled jazz players from China.

Experiencing the World of Jazz in China
History, Travel
Jeremiah Jenne
Phoenicians and Fish Sauce on the Costa del Sol

Jeremiah heads to Malaga where he inexplicably becomes obsessed with the history of an ancient condiment

Phoenicians and Fish Sauce on the Costa del Sol
Book Reviews, History
Jeremiah Jenne
Reginald Johnston: Twilight in the Forbidden ...

A Scotsman’s memoir of tutoring Puyi, China’s “last emperor,” is more than just court gossip — it’s a tantalizing portrait of China’s imperial trappings.

Reginald Johnston: Twilight in the Forbidden City

History

,

Pence Peeves Peking, MoFA Mocks Mike

,
Pence Peeves Peking, MoFA Mocks Mike

A speech by US Vice President Mike Pence earlier this month seemed to signal a tougher line against China. The two countries have a long complicated relationship but is Beijing correct when it accuses Pence of distorting history?

The Wire Guide to the 1911 Revolution

The Wire Guide to the 1911 Revolution

You come at the Emperor, you best not miss. Understanding the 1911 Revolution with an assist from the writers and cast of The Wire.

,

Beyond Marco Polo: Italians in Old China

,
Beyond Marco Polo: Italians in Old China

While Marco Polo might be the best-known Italian to travel to China (or not), he was far from alone in making the long journey from that sunny Mediterranean peninsula to the Far East.

What Donald Trump Could Learn About Staff Loyalty from the Ming Dynasty

What Donald Trump Could Learn About Staff Loyalty from the Ming Dynasty

Disloyalty? Treason? The scheming of bureaucratic factions to thwart the ambitions of a mad head of state? The stories being told about the Trump White House by Bob Woodward and the New York Times have nothing on Chinese history

It’s Not Rocket Science, Except When it is: The Strange Case of Qian Xuesen

It’s Not Rocket Science, Except When it is: The Strange Case of Qian Xuesen

The story of Qian Xuesen, “an undisputed genius” who helped China develop rocket technology after he was shunned in the United States of America

The Chinese Playwright Purged after Writing the National Anthem

The Chinese Playwright Purged after Writing the National Anthem

Anthems are tricky things. They are part of state pageantry but are also played ceremonially in public settings, such as sporting events, which are outside the immediate control of the state.

Karl Marx, Cai Yuanpei, and the Legacies of May Fourth

Karl Marx, Cai Yuanpei, and the Legacies of May Fourth

Marx may be getting most of the attention this year, but we should not forget the possible pasts represented by Cai Yuanpei, the intellectual omnivore, the university president unafraid of wild thinkers.

American Business and Chinese Nationalism: Lessons from 1905

American Business and Chinese Nationalism: Lessons from 1905

US politicians score points with nativists by targeting immigrants. Chinese commercial interests collude with officials to stymie foreign competition. Diplomats try to resolve a trade dispute and avoid a broader conflict. Welcome to the world…in 1905.

Tracing Heated Roots: How the Beloved Chili Arrived in China

Tracing Heated Roots: How the Beloved Chili Arrived in China

When I tell my dining companions that their mighty chili is not native – is, in fact, like me a foreigner to their shores – they look at me as if wondering, is it possible that this Lao Wai is intentionally hurting the feelings of 1.5 billion people?

,

Charitable Past: Examples of Goodwill Throughout the Chinese Ages

,
Charitable Past: Examples of Goodwill Throughout the Chinese Ages

Even centuries ago, the people of Beijing were willing to help those less fortunate, and throughout the city’s recent history, there have been many institutions providing aid to the poor, the sick, and the displaced.

, ,

Excellent Ming-Era Architecture and Artifacts on Display at Re-Opened Zhihua Temple

, ,
Excellent Ming-Era Architecture and Artifacts on Display at Re-Opened Zhihua Temple

Zhihua Temple, one of the best-preserved repositories of Ming-era architecture and artifacts in the city, has reopened after extensive renovations.

Find me on BlueSky, LinkedIn, TWITTER, Instagram, or Apple Podcasts.