The China History Podcast

In this episode we look at the life of one of the bravest and greatest adventurers of ancient times. Zhang Qian was selected by the Han Dynasty Emperor Wu to make a political alliance with a distant central Asian people, the Yuezhi. Zhang Qian's thirteen year journey to the west between 138 BC and 126 continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 4, 1919, was a historic day in modern Chinese history. The demonstration in Beijing and the subsequent movement brought seismic changes to Chinese culture, politics and literature. All the leaders of modern China who played a founding role in the establishment of the PRC were influenced by the writings and ideas that grew out continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon...

The Qing Dynasty formally came to an end on February 12, 1912 when the last emperor Puyi abdicated. That same year the Republic of China was founded and had a very rocky start. In today's episode we look at the immediate aftermath of the Xinhai Revolution and what happened right after Sun Yat-sen handed the continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an effort to bring some understanding to the recent proposed call for a resolution to formally acknowledge and express regret for banning Chinese immigration and other violated rights of the Chinese settlers, we examine the history of the Chinese Exclusion Act. The resolution was introduced by L.A.'s very own Rep. Judy Chu, the first continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m...

非常抱歉大家！ Sorry for the few day delay. In a special collectors edition of the China History Podcast we review the Imperial China overviews of the past eight months. We'll quickly review the whole period from 2200 BC to 1912. You can now follow the China History Podcast on Twitter @LaszloCHP. Next time I'm late, I continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic...

In this episode we conclude our eight month overview of Chinese Imperial history from Yu the Great of the Xia Dynasty to Puyi of the Qing. After more than half a century of tragedy, upheaval, national humiliation and plenty of mass death and destruction, the Qing dynasty ends in 1912. Now as China takes her continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we look at China during the Tongzhi Era and part of the reign of Guangxu. This period from 1875 to 1895 is more of the same for China. More humiliation at the hands of foreigners. More scrambling to modernize. More imperial skullduggery. More military defeats. By the time of China's disastrous defeat after continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're almost at the end of our Imperial China History Overview. In this segment of the China History Podcast we look at the continued misfortunes in China during the Xianfeng era, as the country is torn apart by the Taiping and Nian rebellions and revolts in the west. The western powers, following the 2nd Opium continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here we begin the turbulent, bloody and historically humiliating 19th century in China. The first half century sees two emperors, Jiaqing and Daoguang stand by helplessly as China is torn apart by uprisings, anti-Manchu discontent, a financial crisis, opium addiction on a massive scale, foreign invasion and the usual deadly floods and other natural disasters.  continue reading >> Learn more about...

In this episode we look at the bittersweet reign of the Qianlong emperor. The longest reigning emperor in Chinese imperial history, the Qianlong era saw the most splendid three decades for the Manchu's of the Qing Dynasty. China reached its greatest territorial extent and was still the marvel of the world. But during the second continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone....

In this episode we examine the Yongzheng emperor, the second of the three great Qing emperors who reigned during the most golden of times for the Manchu dynasty. A tireless emperor who was a wizard at managing the machine of state, he reigned for only thirteen years before his son later brought the Qing dynasty continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this first episode covering the Qing Dynasty, we look at the Shunzhi emperor and his son, the Kangxi emperor. The 61-year reign of the Kangxi emperor was the longest in imperial Chinese history. The Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong eras saw the Qing dynasty reach its greatest heights and China was economically the wealthiest continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.f...

We finish off our overview of the Ming Dynasty in this episode and also trace the rise of the Manchu's. The period from the Jiajing emperor to the tragic suicide of the Chongzhen emperor saw a slow and steady decline in the fortunes of the Ming dynasty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode we look at Ming Dynasty China from the reigns of Xuande to Jiajing. This period in Chinese history was witnessing momentous changes. The dynasty suffers a terrible debacle in 1449. Portugal was becoming a regular visitor and sets up down in Macao. This was also a time when evil self-serving eunuchs spread continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...

In this week's episode we examine the second great emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the Yongle [Yong - Leh] emperor who reigned 1402-1424. This tireless emperor waged campaigns against the Mongols in the north, the Vietnamese in the south and sent sailing expeditions throughout Asia, the subcontinent and the east coast of Africa to engage continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...

Laszlo is back, finally, after a longer layoff than expected. This week we look at the end of the Yuan dynasty and the founding of the Ming Dynasty. We look at the first emperor Ming Taizu, a.k.a. The Hongwu Emperor. With the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, once again Chinese are in control of the continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we take a break from the history to look at the background and the traditions surrounding Chinese New Year. Laszlo will be back next time to pick up where we left off after the fall of the Song Dynasty. On behalf of everyone here at the China History Podcast, we wish everyone a continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode Laszlo finishes off the Song Dynasty after the Jin Empire captures the royal family and sacks the capital in Kaifeng. The Song dynasty continues on with the new capital in the south of China, below the Yangzi River. Despite perilous times with hostile neighbors to the north, the dynasty enjoys continued continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...

This week's episode runs a little longer than usual. In it we examine the Northern Song Dynasty from 960 to 1127. This was a precarious time for China. Despite three potentially menacing non-Han empires surrounding them to the north and west, China once again had another magnificent great leap forward of brilliance and innovation. 

In today's final installment covering the history of the great Tang Dynasty, we look at its agonizing decline until 907 when it is pushed aside and another period of disunity sets in. Five Dynasties reign in the north, all short lived and not spectacular by any means. In the south, after the Tang falls you continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laszlo is back after a holiday illness to continue where we left off in 705 with the passing of Wu Zetian. After an initial golden age during the Taizong emperor, the Tang will reach new heights of glory under Tang Minghuang a.k.a. the Xuanzong emperor. The magnificent city of Chang'an is once again the center continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Sui peters out, Li Yuan, the Duke of Tang, seizes power and establishes the Tang Dynasty in 618. Along with the Song, the Tang Dynasty is considered the pinnacle of China's long history. In culture, art, poetry, painting, ceramics, science, navigation, diplomacy this was a golden age. Buddhism made even greater inroads into continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...

The demise of the Southern & Northern Dynasties brought us a China unified under the Sui emperors Wen and Yang. This ephemeral dynasty laid the groundwork for the splendor of the Tang dynasty. Lasting only 37 years, the Sui Dynasty doesn't get the limelight enjoyed by the great dynasties of Han, Tang, Song, Ming and continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Southern & Northern Dynasties were a collection of dynasties that lasted 170 years and preceded the time of unification under the Sui Dynasty. North of the Yangzi River you had the Northern Wei, the Northern Qi and the Northern Zhou. South of the great river reigned the Liu Song, Southern Qi, the Liang and continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we are back with more Chinese history. We will look at a very confusing but exciting time when there was mostly a period of disunity and China was broken up into contending kingdoms. However this period of chaos brought us some of the richest tales of ancient China filled with amazing battles, events continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices