Stuff You Missed in Chinese History
21 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingDid you know that a heavy rain was responsible for the demise of a Dynasty, during which the Great Wall was built?
Did you know that Italian merchant and explorer Marco Polo finished his master piece about China in prison?
And an Emperor proclaimed African giraffes as magical Chinese unicorns Qilin.
Follow the podcast, ‘Stuff you missed in Chinese history,’ to learn more fun facts during the past few thousand years in this country.
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Episodes
How China formed: an ancient civilization that keeps on learning
June 10, 2021 21:00 - 8 minutes - 12.4 MBThere are 1.4 billion Chinese people, so you may already know somebody from China and have some ideas about the country. What comes to mind when you do think of China? Do you see her as a rooster shape on the world map? Is it calligraphy, tea, or Tai Chi? Is it the delicious cuisine or the cadenced pronunciation of the language? Well, they are all part of China, but it is not the whole picture. Let’s take a closer look. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
British envoy failed to trade with the Qing Emperor
June 07, 2021 21:21 - 10 minutes - 14 MBHave you ever heard of George Macartney? He was the 1st Earl Macartney in Britain, a statesman, a colonial administrator, and a diplomat. However, among the Chinese, he is often remembered for his refusal to kowtow to the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Qing Empire: the most successful conquering dynasty
June 03, 2021 21:00 - 10 minutes - 13.8 MBEmperors during the Qing Dynasty used the title of "Bogd khaan" when dealing with the Mongols. "Bogd" means "sage" in Mongolian. While in Tibet, they turned out to be patrons of Tibetan Buddhism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ming treasure voyages: what the Yongle Emperor desired?
May 31, 2021 21:00 - 9 minutes - 12.8 MBThe Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty sent out his treasure fleet seven times to visit Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Western Asia, and East Africa. Each expedition was commanded by a Muslim admiral and court eunuch named Zheng He. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ethnic discrimination: Why Mongol Yuan’s reign was so short
May 27, 2021 21:00 - 9 minutes - 13 MBThe short-lived Yuan Dynasty had a history of just under 100 years. What mistakes did the Mongol administrators make? Our first guess is their tyranny, but what did that involve? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Travels of Marco Polo: China in European's imagination
May 24, 2021 21:00 - 7 minutes - 10.9 MBDid you know the book "The Travels of Marco Polo" was written in prison? And that both the book and its author shared a funny nickname? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Maritime Silk Road: continuous prosperity of Quanzhou
May 20, 2021 21:00 - 10 minutes - 14.6 MBYou must have heard of the Silk Road, but do you also know about its nautical counterpart? Called the Maritime Silk Road, let’s find out how it developed and where is its starting point. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
One country, two systems: how nomads ruled China
May 17, 2021 21:00 - 8 minutes - 11.6 MBLong ago in China, the nomads in the north and the farmers of the Central Plains were mostly in a state of conflict. After the Chanyuan Treaty was signed though, the regions enjoyed 120 years of development. Why did this nomadic regime love peace so much? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Chanyuan Treaty: too high a price for peace?
May 13, 2021 21:00 - 10 minutes - 13.8 MBWhich dynasty in Chinese history was the wealthiest? You might think that it was either the Han or Tang but, believe it or not, it was the Song Dynasty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
An Lushan Rebellion: Hu people rejected the Tang Dynasty
May 10, 2021 21:00 - 9 minutes - 12.4 MBToday we are talking about the An Lushan Rebellion, which marked the turning point of the Tang Dynasty from prosperity to decline. It was instigated by An Lushan, a member of the Hu, raising the question of whether the dynasty should have elevated such people to important positions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tang Dynasty: how to govern people equally
May 06, 2021 21:00 - 8 minutes - 11.9 MBIf you suddenly traveled back in time to ancient China, could you make a distinction between the "Hu people" of that era? If you arrived during the Western Han Dynasty, they were Xiongnu people. If you arrived at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, these people were of the Western Regions. And by the Tang Dynasty, things had changed completely. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty and his world expo
May 03, 2021 21:00 - 8 minutes - 11.9 MBOh my! Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty personally led the army to conduct a western expedition, accompanied by family, ministers and even his concubines. However, they encountered unexpected heavy snow and freezing temperatures during midsummer, resulting in the emperor's sister freezing to death. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ethnicities integrated into one another: Han and the Hu
April 29, 2021 21:00 - 8 minutes - 12 MBThe term "Hu" was used by Han Chinese to describe anyone who was not of ethnic Han Chinese descent. While there are many cases of the “Hanization” of the Hu people in history, there are also instances of Han becoming Hu. This episode is all about the integration of ethnicities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Eliminating the Xiongnu: good or bad for the Han Dynasty?
April 26, 2021 21:00 - 8 minutes - 12 MBWe know that China’s Han Dynasty consisted of the Western Han and the Eastern Han. The military and economic strength of the Western Han were stronger than those of the Eastern Han. But the Xiongnu, the almost life-long enemy of the Han, were eventually destroyed by the weaker Eastern Han instead of its more powerful predecessors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Princesses married for peace: miserable lives or diplomatic envoys?
April 22, 2021 21:00 - 7 minutes - 10.8 MBYou may have heard the story of Wang Zhaojun. As one of the Four Beauties of Ancient China, she was the most famous princess of the Han Empire. She was sent to marry a Xiongnu ruler to make peace. But do you know how many such ‘beauties of peace’ were sent off to marry nomad rulers during the Han Dynasty? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Zhang Qian -- founder of the Silk Road
April 19, 2021 21:00 - 7 minutes - 10.2 MBDiplomat Zhang Qian of the Han Dynasty never expected that his failed diplomatic mission would open the most important trade route in the world, the Silk Road. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Destruction of Qin: lose hearts, lose power
April 15, 2021 21:00 - 7 minutes - 17.7 MBDid you know that the Qin Dynasty only lasted for 15 years and that heavy rain helped wash it out completely? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Qin Dynasty: victory of reform and pragmatism
April 12, 2021 21:00 - 7 minutes - 10.3 MBYou may already know that Shang Yang was the first person in Chinese history to successfully carry out a reform, the result of which strengthened and unified the Qin Dynasty. However, did you know that he died because of his accomplishment? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wearing nomadic clothing and shooting arrows from horse
April 08, 2021 21:00 - 7 minutes - 10.6 MBHow did wearing nomadic clothing, riding horses and shooting arrows from horseback elevate King Wuling of Zhao into one of the greatest people in Chinese history? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A book shows how ancient Chinese imagined unknown world
April 05, 2021 21:00 - 7 minutes - 9.74 MBHuman-faced beasts, nine-headed snakes, three-legged birds, people with wings, and monsters with no heads but, two nipples as eyes. These are all stories from a mysterious ancient Chinese book called “Classic of Mountains and Seas.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Introducing ‘Stuff You Missed in Chinese History’
March 25, 2021 05:37 - 30 seconds - 470 KBFollow the podcast series, ‘Stuff You Missed in Chinese History’, to learn more fun facts about what has happened during the past few thousand years in this country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.