History Walks for the 2016 October Holiday
In Beijing during the October holidays? I'll be offering a full slate of walks and discussion throughout the city between October 1st an the 8th. [Read More...]
September 2016
New History Walks and Talks for October
The library intern who would lead a nation? The scholar who built the capital of the Mongolian Khans? The exam candidate who lost his mind and nearly toppled an empire? The prince who tried to save a city? These are a few of the characters featured in two new walking tours and a new talk offered by The Hutong and The Granite Studio this Oc [Read More...]
A daughter is married, a mother remembers
This past summer, I (YJ) was a bridesmaid at my friend's wedding in England. Her parents were so happy and they told me the story of their own wedding day, in far humbler circumstances, in the years just after the Cultural Revolution. [Read More...]
“Six Hacks for Visiting the Forbidden City,” The Beijinger
I probably visit the Forbidden City five to six times a month either doing research or leading educational groups and I've shared a few of my favorite Forbidden City hacks for a post on The Beijinger website. [Read More...]
Eulogy for a Beijing Turtle
We always thought Yertle was indestructible. The Keith Richards of Turtles. Sadly, he proved to be mortal. [Read More...]
“The Life and Times of Edmund Trelawney Backhouse,” The Beijinger
I've long been fascinated with Edmund "The Hermit of Peking" Backhouse. It's time the famous Sinologist received a little love as one of the original hutong hipsters. [Read More...]
Interview: “Telling the story of the waterways,” Radio Beijing AM774
The final part of my conversation with Bruce Connolly of Radio Beijing AM774 on the renovation of the Jade River and the canal system of Beijing. [Read More...]
Interview: “Restored Jade River tells some of the early history of Beijing,” Radio Beijing AM774
The second part of my conversation with Bruce Connolly of Radio Beijing AM774 on the renovation of the Jade River and the canal system of Beijing. [Read More...]
Barbarians at the Gate Podcast: Are the Kids Alright?
Joining Jeremiah in this episode is Alec Ash, author of the book Wish Lanterns: Young Lives in New China to look at three of youth movements from the 20th century: The May Fourth/New Culture Era, the Cultural Revolution, and the 1980s. [Read More...]
Interview: “Walking the recently restored Jade River,” Radio Beijing AM774
The first part of my conversation with Bruce Connolly of Radio Beijing AM774 on the renovation of the Jade River and the canal system of Beijing. [Read More...]
“Settling Siberia: Nerchinsk, 1689,” The World of Chinese
Five languages, two empires, and the treaty that defined the Russian-Manchurian border. [Read More...]
Book Review: Fred Barton and the Warlords’ Horses of China
John Ross reviews the real life adventure of Montana cowboy Fred Barton, who led the world’s longest horse drive from Siberia through Manchuria and Mongolia into China. [Read More...]
“A Stroll Along Beijing’s Restored Canal System and the Ongoing Plan to Revive its Ancient Waterways,” The Beijinger
A project to reconstruct a section of an ancient canal system that once flowed through the heart of Beijing is finally nearing completion. [Read More...]
“Bad Driving in Beijing: Poor Planning, or Lack of Enforcement?” The Beijinger
who among us has not at some point engaged in an act of micro-aggression (some righteous, others less so) in the name of traffic safety? [Read More...]