“China’s Made up Maritime Holiday,” Here! Dongguan Magazine
In 1492, Columbus may have sailed the Ocean Blue, but compared to Zheng He, he was a Christopher-Comes-Lately in a tiny toy boat. [Read More...]
2016
Barbarians at the Gate Podcast: China’s territorial claims on the rocks in the South China Sea
Jeremiah and James talk about the implications of the decision at the Hague, the reaction here in Beijing, and the use (and abuses) of history in establishing contemporary territorial claims. [Read More...]
On the Rocks
Should the tribunal rules against the PRC — as it is expected to — and if the Chinese government chooses to use the tribunal’s ruling to, for example, wipe the ass of the nearest stray dog — as they will almost certainly want to do — the repercussions will ripple far past the rocks and reefs of the South China Sea. [Read More...]
From the Archives: The Ghost of Zheng He rises…again
In honor of Maritime Day in China, an updated piece from the archives on whether the ocean voyages of Ming Admiral Zheng He were really as peaceful as many Chinese historians today claim. [Read More...]
From the Archives: 独立宣言–The American Declaration of Independence in Chinese
The linguistic and philosophical thorns of translating American independence into the Chinese language. [Read More...]
Barbarians at the Gate Podcast: Keeping up with the Khitans
In this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, James and Jeremiah discuss the history of the Khitans, their empire and their legacy with a little help from the Godfather Trilogy and Dragon Barbie from Game of Thrones. [Read More...]
“The Rise and Fall of the Shit King of Beijing,” World of Chinese Magazine
New article for World of Chinese Magazine on the meteoric rise and steep fall of Shi Chuanxiang, the shit king of Beijing. [Read More...]
Interview: “Much to discover in the Forbidden City,” Radio Beijing AM774
My conversation with Bruce Connolly of Radio Beijing AM774 on leading walks and discussions at the Forbidden City. [Read More...]
“A Boxer on the Boxers,” The World of Chinese
New post for The World of Chinese Magazine in which I call on cinema's most famous boxer, Rocky Balboa for his thoughts on the Boxer Uprising. [Read More...]
“The Specter of the Tianjin Massacre,” The World of Chinese
In 1870, the city of Tianjin exploded in a day of rage. By nightfall, 21 foreign residents of the city were dead, including 16 nuns dragged from an orphanage and publicly tortured to death. The still-new network of trans-continental telegraph cable spread word of the outrage around the globe. [Read More...]
Interview: “Lakes and canals of historic Haidian,” Radio Beijing AM774
My conversation with Bruce Connolly of Radio Beijing AM774 on the Summer Palaces and the the waterways of imperial Beijing. [Read More...]
“Dens of Iniquity,” Here! Dongguan Magazine
Where do you go in Guangdong when you want to hang out and score good drugs? In the 1920s and 1930s, it would have been your friendly neighborhood opium den. [Read More...]
Barbarians at the Gate Podcast: A couple of characters talking about Chinese characters
David Moser (Beijing Capital Normal University, Sinica Podcast) and Brendan O'Kane (Paper Republic, University of Pennsylvania) join Jeremiah to discuss David's new book, A Billion Voices, the history of language reform and national unity in China, the best way to learn Chinese, and the debate over whether it's okay to hate on Chinese characters. [Read More...]
From the Archives: Mao and the Marriage Counselor
Still one of my favorite posts, a little something from the archives on the Anti-Rightist Movement of 1956-1958. Also known as the 100 Flowers Movement, this era set the stage for the Great Leap Forward and foreshadowed the chaos of the Cultural Revolution. [Read More...]
“The Empire Strikes Back: The Battle of Sanyuanli,” Here! Dongguan Magazine
For many, the Battle of Sanyuanli symbolized China's ability to finally stand up to the foreign invaders. [Read More...]