Podcast Episodes

Eastern Bureau and Eastern Forest

Episode 148

The story of the Ming Dynasty secret police led by eunuchs, the most infamous eunuch among them, and the faction of mandarins who opposed them.

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2 years, 3 months ago

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Gu Yanwu

Episode 147

Regarding Gu Yanwu, the 17th century intellectual who has recently been the subject of controversy in Taiwanese politics.

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2 years, 3 months ago

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Dujiangyan

Episode 146

The remarkable Dujiangyan irrigation system in Sichuan was constructed in the 250s B.C. but remains in use today and remains crucial to the Chinese e…

2 years, 4 months ago

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Sima Guang and the General Mirror on Good Governance

Episode 145

Regarding Zizhi Tongjian, or "General Mirror on Good Governance," and the man who wrote it during the 11th century.

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2 years, 4 months ago

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Borges and "Extensive Records of the Taiping Era"

Episode 144

Taiping Guangji or "Extensive Records of the Taiping Era" is an anthology of stories compiled during the early Song Dynasty. Its editors chose to col…

2 years, 4 months ago

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Policy Digests of the Zhen'guan Era

Episode 143

In 1615, the Tokugawa Shogunate made a rule that all Japanese emperors must study "Policy Digests of the Zhen'guan Era," written 900 years earlier in…

2 years, 4 months ago

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Journey to the West

Episode 142

The Ming Dynasty novel "Journey to the West" ranks among the great classics of Chinese literature. I recently reread it, and I have thoughts.

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2 years, 5 months ago

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The Tocharians

Episode 141

The story of the somewhat mysterious Tocharian people of Kuche in today's Xinjiang, confusingly named after the Tokharoi of Bactria in modern Afghani…

2 years, 5 months ago

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Door Gods

Episode 140

The story of the "Door Gods" and how a pair of Tang Dynasty generals came to serve in that role.

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2 years, 5 months ago

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Chunyu Kun, Bro

Episode 139

The tale of another short (not to mention poor) man who achieved greatness. Chunyu Kun was a famed "wit" from Warring States era State of Qi. Besides…

2 years, 5 months ago

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