Back to the Land: Author Alec Ash on escaping to Dali, rural retreats, and a return to England

Back to the Land: Author Alec Ash on escaping to Dali, rural retreats, and a return to England

Author Alec Ash stops by the Barbarians at the Gate studio on his way through Beijing. David and I talk with Alec about Dali in a time of COVID, Alec's new book about urban refugees in the mountains of Yunnan, and his plans for the future.

The Horrifying History behind Beijing's Most Notorious Execution Grounds

The Horrifying History behind Beijing's Most Notorious Execution Grounds

Few places in Beijing are as soaked in blood and steeped in the supernatural as the now rather banal neighborhood outside the Caishikou Metro Stop.

Barbarians at the Gate: CoCo19 and the Quarantines (The Scene from Beijing)

Barbarians at the Gate: CoCo19 and the Quarantines (The Scene from Beijing)

David returns to Beijing and Jeremiah can't leave the city. We're both navigating the new information and media environment in the run-up to the October Party Congress. BATG is back with the scene from Beijing.

How to Explore Beijing's History and Avoid the Crowds This October Holiday

How to Explore Beijing's History and Avoid the Crowds This October Holiday

Beijing's famous sites will be heaving from today onwards, but you can beat the crowds and find quiet spaces to explore the city's past.

Story of the 'Jing: When Beijing's Most Famous Sites Opened Their Doors to the Public

Story of the 'Jing: When Beijing's Most Famous Sites Opened Their Doors to the Public

Beijing's most famous attractions didn't open their doors to the public until the 20th century (or even later).

Weekend Walking with the Lamas: A Quick Guide to Visiting Yonghegong

Weekend Walking with the Lamas: A Quick Guide to Visiting Yonghegong

Yonghegong, also known as The Lama Temple, reopened to the public last month and remains one of the city’s most fascinating religious sites.

The China History Podcast: Forbidden City

The China History Podcast: Forbidden City

Few topics have been requested more than the Forbidden City, located in the center of the great city of Beijing. To help introduce this iconic palace complex, Laszlo invited longtime Beijing resident, Jeremiah Jenne of "Barbarians at the Gate Podcast" fame onto the CHP to discuss the history of the Forbidden City from its construction in the Ming Dynasty up to the present day.

Barbarians at the Gate: The Destruction of the Yuanmingyuan (One from the Vault)

Barbarians at the Gate: The Destruction of the Yuanmingyuan (One from the Vault)

This month marks the 160th anniversary of the destruction of the Yuanmingyuan. In this episode, David and I talk about the events leading up to the looting and razing of the gardens and the shifting meaning of "National Humiliation" in China today.

Story of the 'Jing: What's the Deal With the Old Red Gate on Ghost Street?

Story of the 'Jing: What's the Deal With the Old Red Gate on Ghost Street?

Ever walked (or stumbled) down Gui Jie and wondered why there is a red doorway and a stone tablet right in the middle of the sidewalk?

Story of the 'Jing: Legends and Myths of Jingshan Park

Story of the 'Jing: Legends and Myths of Jingshan Park

It might lack altitude, but at 45.7 meters (150 feet) Jingshan is the tallest point of land inside the Second Ring Road. Sitting astride Beijing’s famous Central Axis, the artificial hill also represents the geographic point zero for the historic capital of the Ming and Qing Emperors.

China Sports Insider Podcast: Jeremiah Jenne on the NBA finals and being a Boston sports fan in China

China Sports Insider Podcast: Jeremiah Jenne on the NBA finals and being a Boston sports fan in China

I swapped my historian's hat for an afternoon being "Jerry from Southern New Hampshire calling in from the cah" on Beijing's version of WEEI. Thanks to Haig and Mark for inviting me on the pod.

Barbarians at the Gate: Ideology and Education in China with Jiang Xueqin

Barbarians at the Gate: Ideology and Education in China with Jiang Xueqin

Educator Jiang Xueqin joins us in this episode to discuss ideology in schools, the effort to turn Chinese universities into “world-class” institutions, and cross-national educational projects and international schools in an era of Covid-19 and US-China decoupling.