Chinese Lore Podcast

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Classic Chinese novels and stories, retold in English and in a way that makes them more accessible for non-Chinese audiences.

John Zhu


    • Jun 2, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 25m AVG DURATION
    • 433 EPISODES
    • 2 SEASONS


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    Latest episodes from Chinese Lore Podcast

    Journey 015: Shady Monks

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025 26:51


    The scripture pilgrims seek lodging at a monastery whose residents might need a refresher on the tenets preached by their patron deity.

    Journey 014: Acts of ... Compassion?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2025 26:22


    Sun Wukong returns to his master and finds a nasty little surprise waiting for him.

    Journey 013: I Shalt Not Kill?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2025 25:51


    Sun Wukong and his new master have a difference of opinion on when it's ok for a Buddhist monk to spill someone's brains and loot their clothes.

    Journey Supplemental 003: Body Snatchers

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2025 20:55


    All's well that ends well, except for the princess whose soul gets dragged out of her mortal coil and hustled off to hell.

    Journey 012: Demons, Tigers, Monkeys, Oh My

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 27:04


    Everybody kept telling me how dangerous the journey to the West was, but seriously how bad can it possibly ... oh my god what are those things and what are they doing to my men?!!!

    Journey Supplemental 002: To Hell and Back

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2025 23:14


    Somehow a trip to the underworld adds decades to the Tang emperor's life.

    Journey 011: Divine Mission

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2025 28:19


    Guanyin crashes the emperor's Buddhist party and tells all the monks of the East what she really thinks of their scriptures.

    Journey Supplemental 001: When It Rains

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2025 22:08


    We embark on a three-episode mini-arc to find out why the Tang emperor was convening a big gathering of monks.

    Journey 010: Miracle Worker

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 26:25


    The blind regains sight, and the dead rises. Is it a miracle ... or a zombie apocalypse?

    Journey 009: Origin Story

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2025 28:32


    The Buddha shows how far he would go (or make someone else go) to avoid paying to ship some scriptures to the East.

    Journey 008: Handover of Heaven

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2025 27:04


    Sun Wukong makes a high-stakes wager with heaven's latest mediator.

    Journey 007: Crossover Clashes

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2025 25:48


    Sun Wukong proves to be such a handful that heaven has to go get a hero from another novel to take him on.

    Journey 006: So Many Peaches ...

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2025 25:43


    The Jade Emperor decides to take a different approach to try to keep Sun Wukong under control.

    Journey 005: Horsing Around

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2025 27:33


    A trip to Hell nets Sun Wukong a visit to Heaven.

    Journey 004: Loot Thy Neighbor

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2025 25:48


    Sun Wukong goes looking for a weapon befitting his newfound powers.

    Journey 003: Star Pupil

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2025 28:14


    The Monkey King gets a name and some special treatment from his teacher.

    Journey 002: Birth of a Legend

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 27:56


    An immaculate conception shakes heaven and earth, and an anarcho-syndicalist commune gives itself over to a king.

    Journey to the West 001: Introduction

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 8:49


    A brief introduction to Journey to the West, the next novel we'll cover.

    Gods 087: Wrap-up: Investiture of the Gods

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2024 17:38


    Some listener questions and closing thoughts on Investiture of the Gods.

    Gods Supplemental 004: Ji Chang and Ji Fa

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 19:29


    A look at the real historical figures of the Zhou Dynasty's father-and-son founding duo.

    Gods 086: How Gods Are Made

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2024 27:10


    In one afternoon's work, Jiang Ziya expands the pantheon of Chinese folk religion, and he's not too particular about who makes the cut.

    Gods Supplemental 003: Jiang Ziya

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2024 6:08


    A quick look at Jiang Ziya the historical figure vs. Jiang Ziya the fictional character.

    Gods 085: Homeward Bound

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2024 26:15


    A new day dawns for the kingdom, which is good news to everyone except Jiang Ziya's ex-wife.

    Gods 084: Fiery Finish

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2024 27:18


    With his back against the wall, King Zhou opts for a dramatic exit.

    Gods 083: Litany of Crimes

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2024 28:10


    The rebel forces come face to face with their chief enemy, and Jiang Ziya's got receipts.

    Gods 082: Desperate Measures

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2024 26:45


    With the enemy closing in, King Zhou is reduced to putting out "Help Wanted" posters to find anyone willing to fight for him.

    Gods 081: Monkey Madness

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2024 26:44


    Yang Jian gets some divine assistance as he attempts to slay a slippery simian foe.

    Gods 080: Dancing with Demons

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2024 25:43


    As one demon buddy after another show their true form, the Shang commander keeps telling his human comrades that, "I had no idea those guys were snakes and pigs and goats. I swear!"

    Gods 079: Eyes and Ears

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2024 26:08


    The Zhou forces find themselves stymied by a pair of new enemy recruits who seem to be always a step ahead of them.

    Gods Supplemental 002: Yang Jian

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2024 4:18


    A quick dive into the backstory of one of Jiang Ziya's top Daoist warriors.

    Gods 078: Bad to the Bone

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2024 26:21


    King Zhou takes an interest in human physiology, much to the chagrin of his people.

    Gods 077: Bloodied Earth

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2024 26:14


    Casualties continue to mount on both sides as the siege of Mianchi County drags on, while King Zhou gets help from some shady characters.

    Gods 076: Slain Tigers

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2024 25:28


    It's a whirlwind of fortunes for the Zhou forces as they continue their march.

    Gods 075: Flagging Fortunes

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2024 26:32


    The Shang forces at Lintong Pass were holding their own thanks to a macabre banner, but then the worst possible thing happened -- their king sent reinforcements.

    Gods 074: Not So Hot for Teacher

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2024 26:46


    A Daoist elder shows up and tells the sect leaders, "I don't care who started it (though Grandmaster of Heaven clearly started it)! Now swallow these magic poison pills!"

    Gods 073: Angry and Assembled

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2024 27:13


    Members of the Chan Sect upgrade their transportation options at the expense of their Jie Sect rivals.

    Gods 072: Playing with Pox

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2024 26:18


    The author recycles plot again as the Zhou forces encounter another pestilence-wielding sorcerer.

    Gods 071: Fan Service

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2024 25:50


    Jiang Ziya gets help from a guy with eye-popping powers.

    Gods 070: Brother's Betrayal

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 25:58


    Politics turn blood relations into blood enemies.

    Gods 069: Kill the Messenger

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2024 26:24


    King Zhou gets literal and puts a figure of speech into practice, with predictably disastrous results.

    Gods 068: Slap in the Face

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2024 27:28


    The Chan and Jie Sects stop pretending they're frenemies and start acting like straight-up enemies.

    Gods 067: Child's Play

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2024 27:01


    A Shang commander learns the pros and cons of letting your kids talk to random beggar monks.

    Gods 066: Sneaky Business

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2024 26:02


    Gods 065: Mirror Image

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2024 26:32


    One of the Zhou's officers discovers that his powers aren't so unique after all.

    Gods 064: School Rivalry

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2024 26:42


    A member of the Chan sect discovers that there's no such thing as friendly competition with those jerks from the cow college down the road.

    Gods 063: Sweet Dreams

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2024 25:28


    What looked like an easy victory for the Zhou turns into a bit of a nightmare.

    Gods 062: Beam Me Up

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2024 25:00 Transcription Available


    The Zhou army gets a timely visit from a helpful but uppity Buddhist friend in their fight against Kong Xuan.

    Gods Supplemental 001: Boyi and Shuqi

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2024 6:05


    Some quick background on two minor characters whose pacifist message fell on deaf ears.

    Gods 061: Killer Bees

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2024 25:15


    The Zhou army meets its first real resistance on its march East.

    Announcement: 10 Years of Podcasting

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2024 1:38


    Marking a decade since I first started doing this.

    Gods 060: Justifications, I Has Them

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2024 26:25


    Ji Fa decides that while he couldn't live with attacking his tyrannical king, he CAN live with paying said king a visit with a large army in tow, just to, you know, talk.

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