With Chinese Characteristics

We explore crimes and scams in the late ming dynasty with the excellently translated Book of Swindles.https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-book-of-swindles/9780231178631

We finally meet everyone's favorite guy (Song Jiang), and learn about song dynasty interrogation techniques. 

This episode delves into Chinese stamps/seals/chops (印章), exploring the origins, ritualization, and various cultural conventions associated with this ancient practice.Given their existence predating the invention of paper in China, what surfaces did ancient Chinese court officials typically stamp upon? Did different dynasties enforce distinct rules regarding stamps? Was the loss of an emperor's jade seals believed to signify the loss of the mandate of heaven? In the late Qing dynasty, the penalty for misusing the stamp could be as severe as death. Was this penalty genuinely enforced, or was it akin to many other historical (and current day) Chinese laws—a fallback scapegoat system?Tune in to uncover the answers!

In this episode we discuss the Qing Dynasty's 'Self Strengthening Movement' of roughly 1861-1890. Recognizing the superiority of european weapons, technology, and scientific knowledge, the Qing Dynasty attempted to adopt and integrate them into an otherwise unchanged Confucian bureaucracy.  Ambitious Westerners flocked to the country, lured by Qing silver, and with the support of towering Chinese figures such as Li Hongzhang and Cixi, helped the Qing reach a level of power and prosperity that had not been seen for a century. However, in resisting deeper, more structural changes, the Qing Dynasty would place itself on the wrong side of history, and eventually fall at the hands of more dynamic revolutionaries and reformers.

Hello everyone. More water margin.Zhang Yhi has to make life changes, and we learn how to motivate your police inspectors. 

In this episode we get to the long awaited robbery of the birthday gifts (worth 100,000 strings of cash).Will our 7 (or 8) brave heroes succeed?

Hello Everyone! The exciting conclusion to our yellow river discussions. In this episode we discuss the near century where active management of the river was abandoned in the late Qing Dynasty, and the Communist party's attempts to return it to order.We also touch on modern PRC water management techniques, which often involve redirecting water from more affluent areas to less politically sensitive ones.

The plot thickens as Wu Yong seeks out the three Ruan brothers to join the dream team to rob the birthday treasure caravan worth a hundred thousand strings of cash. Could he persuade the three gallant men using this sleek tongue? In this episode, we also meet a real wizard named "Dragon in the Clouds". These 7 (or 8) men are being brought together by fate. In this episode we discuss (more!) Chinese social etiquette, how as bad as peasant Chinese men had it, peasant women had it worse, and more. 

Hello it's Ch 14 and a plot is starting to heat up.Can our unlikely heroes find 7 (or 8) bold men to help them steal an entire year's worth of bribe money?! 

Hello everyone. It's chapter 13. In this episode we discuss the specifics of Chinese nepotism, and how military command works in the Song Dynasty. 

Our story continues on with a new main character, Yang Zhi.Learn about grotesque rocks, how to bribe people in Song Dynasty China, and why its so dangerous to sell your sword. 

In Episode 11 of water margin we discuss Lin Chong's continued fall from grace, the dangers of failed scholars, and why all the bad boys in the Song Dynasty are eating beef.Article Mentioned:"Beefy Outlaws: Beef Consumption in Water Margin and Its Song-Yuan Antecedents"https://brill.com/view/journals/joch/7/3/article-p342_6.xml?language=en

This is a special episode from Cherrie and Natalie's travels. Tune in to find out why we highly recommend you make a trip to Kinmen Island (and Taiwan!). In this episode we talked about Kinmen's history, culture and politices. Check out our episode about Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor (金门高粱酒): Baijiu: The World's Favorite Spirit 白酒历史谈

In this episode Lin Chong gets really mad (and drunk). 

The Grand Canal, a waterway system that travels vast regions of China is famous today as a UNESCO world heritage site. In this episode we discuss its complicated history. Why build a canal? What was the labor cost - measured in countless lives - that built an emperor's vision? Does the UNESCO World Heritage Convention transcends cultural nationalism or reinforce it? Tune in to this first episode about the Grand Canal and its history. 

Hello It's Chapter 9!!!Lin Chong continues his journey and we meet Tough Guy enthusiast and sponsor, Chai Jin.We also talk in great, exhaustive detail, on the cultural significance of griddle cakes, and special soups. 

In this episode we talk about the "high reward / high risk" stage of Imperial Chinese hydraulic management during the Late Ming to late Qing dynasties. Vast amounts of money, material, and expertise were poured into keeping the yellow river forced into a narrow, rapid channel. These efforts allowed the entire vast Chinese canal and irrigation system to function (including the grand canal), but at the price of constant vigilance. The river never rested, and a single season of negligence could undo years of careful maintenance. We also discuss the men who managed this system "Confucian Engineers" and use the 1841 levee breach at Kaifeng of an example of how the system operated and responded to emergencies.If you'd like to see illustrated examples of some of the tools and methods described in this episode, the National University of Taiwan has a digitized copy of a Qing Dynasty illustrated river management handbook here:https://taiwanebook.ncl.edu.tw/zh-tw/book/NTUL-9900013371/readerFor additional reading on this topic I also suggest "Controlling the Dragon: Confucian Engineers and the Yellow River in Later Imperial China" by Randall A Dodgen.

In this short chapter we deal with the sentencing of Lin Chong after he is framed by Gao Qiu.Despite the best intentions of the local Magistrate, personal power and political connections is always greater than the law in imperial China.We also discuss the finer points of Imperial chinese punishments. 

Lin Chong enters the scene, and we also we learn one of the great struggles facing tough dudes in the Northern Song Dynasty, having a hot wife and a lecherous boss.Also discussed: Sworn BrotherhoodCrowsSchemesStrange men selling swords in an offer to frame you in an elaborate conspiracy.As mentioned here is the paper referenced in the episode:https://pages.ucsd.edu/~dkjordan/scriptorium/jyebay.html

In this episode we discuss China's sorrow, the famous and infamous yellow river (黄河). Stretching through China's north eastern floodplain, it both birthed early chinese civilization, and put it through some of its most harrowing challenges.In part one we discuss the geography of the yellow river, its early myths, and how the complex interaction between rainfall, erosion, and human action can create extremely deadly disaster events.Selected sources:The Yellow River, a Natural and Unnatural Historyhttps://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300238334/the-yellow-river/The Water Kingdom:https://www.amazon.com/Water-Kingdom-PHILIP-BALL/dp/1784701548/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

In this episode we continue the adventures of Sagacious Lu, and meet up with some old friends. He finally reaches the great Xiangguo monastery and is put in an important position there.We also touch on:Division of Buddhist MonksKitchen GodsThe Commentaries of 金圣叹Being a Man of Valor as opposed to just a person who knows how to fight.Paper on the Monk System in the Ming and Qing Dynastieshttp://rdbk1.ynlib.cn:6251/qw/Paper/635647Commentaries by 金圣叹http://www.guoxue123.com/xiaosuo/jd/jpshz/index.htm

In this latest exciting episode of the WCC Book we spend time with Sagacious Lu on his spiritual journey, which seems to involve beating up everyone around him.

In late November 2022, just last month, protests broke out all over China. People took to the streets to voice their discontent against the “Zero Covid” policies of the Chinese government. This came from months of frustration and suffering under the zero covid policies and the strict social control the Chinese state, the CCP government, had enforced on its people.  After at least 10 lives lost and many injured in the No 24th fire in Xinjing, Ürümqi, during which zero covid lockdown measures impeded the rescue and escape of the victims trapped inside the building, people marched in front of a local government building. Surprisingly yet, they waved the Chinese national flag and sang the Chinese national anthem to voice their dissent. In this episode we  discuss how the many versions of Chinese National Anthems in the past 150 years reflect the needs of the Chinese state at the time. Though sometimes, people use the tool of nationalism to combat the grip the ruling class has on the nation. 2022年11月，在乌鲁木齐的大火之后，人们走向了街头抗议。在一栋政府大楼面前，示威者们一度一起唱起了《义勇军进行曲》。国歌在大多数情况下，是国家主义的工具，是民族主义与爱国教育的化身表达。但是当中国的抗议者们借它来表达对政府的愤怒的时候，也意味着中共政府借民族国家主义为自己正名的把戏被戳穿。在2022年春季的上海封城期间，政府和社交媒体平台也曾多次审查屏蔽《义勇军进行曲》的歌词。这是一首所有人都耳熟能详的歌曲，我们都能说得出它的每一句歌词。在言论和创作审查严厉的高压之下，难以找到有效的、有共鸣的表达的人们，此时可能会借助国家框架下的语言表达，将它转化为己有，作为彼此鼓励、共鸣、创造联结的口号。 在这一集播客里，我们回顾了中国过去150年间的“国歌“历史。后半段的播客专注于《义勇军进行曲》的历史以及词作者田汉在新中国成立后，政治运动中的苦难经历。文革中的《义勇军进行曲》的歌词被消失，甚至经常被《东方红》等歌曲代替。文革后的新版歌词却没有放弃歌功颂德毛泽东的英明领导。而在最近的十年间，中共在香港大力推行爱国主义教育，集体歌唱国歌的仪式是重要的一环。我们还讨论了香港的人们是如何抵抗这种洗脑式的爱国主义教育的。Music: Rogers, Walter B, and Victor Military Band. China national air 'The world's delight'. 1914. Audio. https://www.loc.gov/item/jukebox-11129/.Recommended Reading:1. 香港立法會 CB(2)1300/17-18(21)號文件 LC Paper No. CB(2)1300/17-18(21): 唱國歌，的確很感動流淚? By 陳永浩博士,恒生管理學院社會科學系助理教授2. Re-envisioning the Chinese Revolution, The Politics and Poetics of Collective Memories in Reform China, 2007 

In this episode we learn how Lu Da becomes Lu (Sagacious) Zhishen, and the finer points of how to join a chinese monastery. 

In this episode we meet the amazing Lu Da, and watch him make bad decisions.Also a discussion on Chinese prisons.

In this episode we discuss what is likely the second most printed book of all time,  "Quotations from Chairman Mao".Produced prior to the Cultural Revolution, the book was an iconic symbol of the moment, and become influential worldwide as it was translated into multiple languages and distributed. We discuss what is in the book, and what isn't, as well as putting some of Mao's thoughts into perspective. 

When chaos grows in 12th century China, and the empire is in peril, great heavenly heroes will arise among the people to make everything worse.In the second episode we meet our first stars of destiny, and watch them immediately make bad decisions. We also discuss the finer points of Chinese capitol cities, and the definition of ancient chinese football (蹴鞠) techniques.Feel free to get a copy (or find one of the many versions online) or just listen along as we go over this extremely entertaining story of rebellion. We are reading the Sidney Shapiro translation.We have given up and are only going to do one chapter per episode!

When chaos grows in 12th century China, and the empire is in peril, great heavenly heroes will arise among the people to make everything worse. Our exciting read along of China's literary classic 'The Water Margin' (水滸傳) finally begins!In this first episode we go over the history of the novel, its cultural significance, as well as the historical time periods in which it is set and written. Then we discuss the first chapter, which is mostly about one Chinese government official being bad at his job.Feel free to get a copy (or find one of the many versions online) or just listen along as we go over this extremely entertaining story of rebellion. We are reading the Sidney Shapiro translation.After this the schedule should be 2 chapters every two weeks, eventually we may move these episodes to a separate podcast feed.

In this episode we compare and contrast two modern Chinese Blockbusters.The 800, telling the tale of a doomed Chinese Battalion in the last ditch defense of Shanghai, was plagued by delays, censorship, and CCP meddling. The Battle of Lake Changjin on the other hand, was a top down propaganda piece about the Korean War ordered to be ready for the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party. Both movies were extremely successful commercially, and are interesting in their own way. However if you're just going to watch one... it should be the 800. 

Baijiu is China's national alcohol, and the world's most drunk spirit. Despite it's fearsome reputation amongst the uninitiated, there is more to baijiu than its fiery taste and aggressive ABV.Join us as we sample the major varieties of Baijiu, learn about its history, and discuss its future.A special thanks to Derek Sandhaus and his book Drunk in China. 

In 1979 a new election law ended the era of single candidate elections, and theoretically ushered in an system where voters voters would have some level of choice in who their representatives would be. However despite the letter of the new law, Chinese Elections remained firmly under party control, with no real path for anyone other than party-appointed candidates to become nominated and even less of an ability for them to impact government if elected. Despite the dizzying array of votes, conferences, "opposition parties", and ceremonies, the system exists not to do Democracy, but to present the illusion, especially to the international society that democracy is being done. Join us as we discuss the grand performance that is the modern Chinese voting system.

In this episode we discuss the endgame of the Arrow war, and China's resulting loss of full sovereignty as the foreign powers take root in Beijing.We also discuss the looting/burning of the summer palace, and how despite British claims, it had less to do with making a diplomatic statement, and more to do with avarice and greed.From the Qing/Chinese perspective we discuss the unreasonable nature of British/French demands, but also their inability to resist those demands. This feeling of powerlessness will drive successive waves of Chinese reformers to build more and more militarily aggressive states, in an attempt to prevent foreign powers from repeating their humiliations. 

During the Chinese Civil war, the communist forces experimented with various election systems in the territory they controlled, however upon taking control of the country in 1949, all large scale elections ceased.However, facing mounting pressure from the Soviet Union, the Communist party eventually restarted "elections" in 1954. In this episode we discuss the Maoist election process, how the "single candidates elections" worked, how the "voting" happened, and most importantly who was able to cast a ballot, and what happened to those who were branded "non voters" by the state.The word play of "等额选举", which was the form of election in China since 1953 up until the release of the 1979 Election Law., meant "single candidate election". Even in the strictest definition of democracy, an election where there is no competition, is not a real election. The Chinese style elections are more of a ceremonial occasion where the hand picked candidates by the CCP get confirmed.Recommended Book on this topic:Voting as a Rite - A History of Elections in Modern China, by Joshua Hillhttps://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674237216

After the Anglo/French diplomatic mission in 1859 was destroyed by the Qing Military, a larger, more powerful diplomatic army was sent in 1860 to ram the 'Treaty of Friendship' down the throats of the Qing Court.Despite being unable to stop this larger force militarily, the Qing Empire would attempt every conceivable tactic to delay,  misdirect, or otherwise stop the British and French from reaching Beijing and meeting the emperor. However as desperate as these acts were, they in the end did little but aggravate the invading Europeans, and increase bloodshed. 

The Modern Chinese state calls itself a People's Democratic Dictatorship (人民民主专政), and insists that it quickly and efficiently translates the people's will into government policy.  Supposedly the Chinese people have no want or need for slow, chaotic, and expensive 'western style' democracy, and some studies even seem to back this up. All of this however, is complete nonsense, as China is an autocratic, single party state, with no free elections and no freedom of speech or press.Still with all the propaganda floating around, it is easy for a layperson to become confused about what system of Government China has, and the ability of the average person to make their voice heard.  In this series of episodes we explore the history of elections (选举) and democracy (民主) in China, from the Imperial Period to the present day. In the process we'll discuss the goals of these systems of peoples governance, their effectiveness, and their outcomes. This first episode covers from roughly 1840 to 1949. Special thanks to Joshua Hill and his book 'Voting as a Rite' for the episode idea https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674237216 

Cherrie and Natalie continue their discussion of the Arrow War!After local pressure was unsuccessful, the British (and French!) escalated the situation around Canton, sending military forces to depose the Governor of Canton, Ye Mingchen.While they were ultimately successful, it still did not bring them the results in China they desired. With neither side willing to compromise or back down, the cycle of violence would continue as both sides began to pull troops towards Beijing for the final showdown. 

China's culinary culture and habits are endlessly diverse. However, you still can't imagine Chinese cuisine without chili peppers. Everywhere in China, you will find chilis peppers used fresh, dried, powdered, pickled, turned into a paste, infused into oils, used as a condiment, used as a preservative, used as the main ingredient! In addition, chili is a cultural symbol for modern China and its influence goes beyond the culinary scene. However, chili peppers only arrived in China in the 16th century. How did chili become popular in China? How did some, but not all areas in China embraced chili and developed regional identities around it? How is chili linked to the male-centered revolutionary spirit and at the same time, seen as a symbol of female passion and outspokenness? Books Recommended 1. The Chile Pepper in China: A Cultural Biography, Brian R.Dott2. 中国食辣史,曹雨 The History of Spicy Food in China, Cao Yu3. The Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook, Fuchsia Dunlop4. The Food of Sichuan, Fuchsia DunlopCover Image Licensehttps://stock.adobe.com/

After the end of the Opium War, an uneasy truce existed between the Qing Empire and the Foreign Powers. Despite their victory, the British in particular felt unsatisfied with their gains, and constantly pushed the envelope, trying to whittle away more and more privileges from the Chinese.Overcome with internal issues such as rebellions, inflation, and natural disasters, the Great Qing was in no state to push the issue a second time, and thus attempted to fend off the foreigners as best they could, while avoiding open war.For a number of years the unflappable Commissioner Ye Mingchen (葉名琛) managed to keep up this balancing act, despite the best British efforts. Then, a frustrated group of British colonial administrators, frustrated at the lack of progress, decided to manufacture a crisis, and blame it on the Qing.Join as as we move past the Opium war to... the Arrow War!Selected Sources:Narrative of the Earl of Elgin's Mission to China and Japan in the Years 1857, '58, '59, by Laurence OliphantA History of Hong Kong: Frank WelshThe Scramble for China: Robert BickersThe Opium War: Julia Lovell

In the early 1900s, Chinese women were entering the public space and shaping society like never before. At a time when the new Chinese identity was emerging, women activists and leaders had to navigate the shifting sands that was Chinese society at the time. Striking a balance between meeting the expectation of the traditional Confucian ideal of a women's role and finding their own place in a modern society as a citizen was tricky. In this episode, we talked about one such woman, born into the late Qing dynasty, who had a fantastic character arc that impressed many not just at the time, but for years after. Lü Bicheng(吕碧城), the main character in our story today, was an educator, poet, journalist, writer, activist, business women and a buddhist, a woman who wore many hats. Her life story and trajectory reflected China at the time. What did it mean to be a modern Chinese woman living in the early 1900s? What did it mean to be both a feminist and a nationalist? What was a woman's experience seeking education and better opportunities for herself while challenging the very foundation of a patriarchal society? Recommended Books and Reading:1. Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women, Volume 2. By Sue Wiles, Clara Wing-chung Ho · 1998. 2. "女界"之兴起 - 晚清天津女子教育与女性形象建构 By 秦方3. Alternative Modernities, or a Classical Woman of Modern China: The Challenging Trajectory of Lü Bicheng's (1883-1943) Life And Song Lyrics. Author: Grace Fong

In this episode we briefly recap the events of the Opium war, before discussing its conclusion.Both sides desperately wanted to end the conflict, yet neither side had the patience or diplomatic expertise to broker a lasting peace (If such a thing was even possible). The 1942 Treat of Nanjing (and those negotiated shortly after), did indeed end the war, but left many questions unanswered, and many problems unsolved. These problems would only grow larger in time, and go on to cause the more dramatic Second Opium war in the late 1850s.Beyond anything else, the issue of Opium remained unsolved, as the Qing Empire's attempt to end the trade by force had failed, and the British remained too financially dependent on the drug to consider banning it. 

This is our 2022 Lunar New Year special edition. We hope you enjoy this episode and Happy New Year!Every year around late January or early February, people all over the world celebrate the Lunar New Year according to the traditional lunisolar calendar. As for the United States, in the 1950th, grand celebrations and American style parades in San Francisco Chinatown brought the concept of the Chinese New Year to the general American public, first to fight against racism and to show loyalty to the United States during the Cold War, as well as to boost Chinatown tourism business, although reinforcing the modal minority myth as well as other racial stereotypes , these public displays of Americanness during Chinese New Years celebrations contributed to a unique identity forward for Chinese Americans as well as for Chinatowns all around North America. Then, in the 1970s, American presidents started wishing the public "Happy Chinese New Year". In the 1980s and 90s, we see the transition from "Chinese New Year" to "Lunar New Year", we see an Asian American and AAPI identity emerging. Throughout these historical changes, much like the "War on Christmas", for a Chinese celebrity or an international institution, to say "Happy Chinese New Year" or "Happy Lunar New Year" can be seen as a political stance. Was there really a war on Chinese New Year? Or, should we all fight for the Lunar New Year in observance of solidarity as well as intersectionality in today's America as well as the world? Recommended Books1. Making an American Festival: Chinese New Year in San Francisco's Chinatown  By Chiou-ling Yeh2. The Color of Success, Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority By Ellen D. Wu3. Scratches on Our Minds: American Images of China and India By Harold R. IsaacsThe American Presidency ProjectJohn Woolley and Gerhard PetersUC Santa BarbaraCover Photo TitleCrowd of people watching a dragon at a Chinese New Year Celebration, Los Angeles, [s.d.]Cover Photo SourcePublic Domain. Credit to University of Southern California. Libraries and California Historical Society. Digitally reproduced by the USC Digital Library.

Before the release of Edward Hunter's 1951 book, the term 'Brainwashing' did not exist in the English Language. Originally a translation of a Chinese term for political reeducation (洗腦，or "wash brain"), the term might have remained unknown in the US. However in the the next two years several thousand American (and international) Prisoners would undergo this 'Brain Washing' during the Korean War.  The fact that this process seemed so effective (23 Americans refused to return to the US, wanting to stay in China) lead to an explosion of interest in Brainwashing and Mind Control, both in fiction and policy.In this episode we discuss reports of those initial 'Brain Washings', how it was done, how to resist it, and the results it could achieve.  We also discuss the US's reaction, and the CIA's attempts to compete with its own ambitious brain washing program, and its successes and failures.Selected Sources:Brain-Washing in Red China: The Calculated Destruction of Men's Minds (1951),  Edward HunterBrainwashing: The Story of Men Who Defied It (1956), Edward HunterMaoism: A Global History (2019), Julia LovellThe Search for the "Manchurian Candidate" (1991), John MarksThe Korean War (1987), Max HAstings

While naturalistic expeditions in the colonial era were cloaked in the mantle of progress and discovery, they often had a more opportunistic motive. Native plants, animals, and techniques which had already long been known to others were 'rediscovered' by Europeans and mass produced across their colonies on an industrial scale.After the events of the first Opium war, Chinese methods of Tea cultivation eventually became a casualty of this process. In this episode we talk about the industrial espionage that lead to the British Empire breaking China's monopoly on tea production, as well as the system of Royal Botanical gardens that facilitated the spread of economically useful plants across the empire.

Since the founding of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949, it has had a special focus on Africa.  Referred to often as 'African Brothers' (非洲兄弟), the PRC sought new markets, new communist comrades, and international recognition, in the emerging continent. In order to gain this they freely sent arms, aid and propaganda, hoping to imbue Africa with some Chinese characteristics of its own. In this periodic series, we'll attempt to touch on every major Sino-African relationship, from 1949 to the present day.In this Episode, we discuss Tanzania, and China's involvement in it, from the Cultural Revolution inspired social movements, to the impressive works of infrastructure development. 

China has always had a piracy problem. However in the early 18th century, Piracy quickly morphed from scattered opportunists, into a massive state-like operation. With hundreds of ships and 10s of thousands of men, they quickly overwhelmed the Qing Naval forces, and were able to extract tribute from Chinese and Foreigners alike.Much of this was due to the organizational and diplomatic skill of Shi Yang, AKA Ching Shih, who, with her various husbands, forged several fleets into a powerful pirate confederacy.In this episode we discuss the history of Chinese piracy, how it differed from the west,  how Shi Yang organized this massive confederacy, and why it eventually negotiated for a peaceful settlement with the Qing Empire.Recommended:Pirates of the South China Coast, 1790-1810 by Dian H. Murrayhttps://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/3149970-pirates-of-the-south-china-coast-1790-1810

Chinese novels on crime, mystery and justice have a long and separate history from crime novels in the west. Often written by retired officials, they are useful both as entertainment, and as a description of how courts, laws, and investigations happened in the Imperial Chinese Justice system.Today we talk  about Judge Dee（狄仁杰）, a real Tang Dynasty judge and statesman,  subject of countless works. Specifically the 18th century novel that was translated by Robert Van Gulik as 'Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee'. Listen in and learn how magistrates solve crimes, how trials are conducted, and why you never want to find yourself in an Imperial Chinese court (as a victim or a defendant!).  https://www.amazon.com/Celebrated-Cases-Judge-Detective-Stories/dp/0486233375

After the failures of the Cultural Revolution, and the advent of economic liberalization, the Communist Party needed to refocus its propaganda efforts to stay current.1997s 'The Opium War' was the country's most expensive film to date. Made partially to commemorate the return of Hong Kong to Chinese control, it attempted to tell a version of the 1st Opium War that aligned to the CCPs narrative of the century of shame.In this movie we talk the good, the bad, and the funny, going over the movie, and comparing it to the actual historical event.

In July 1840 British forces arrived off the coast of China to begin what would become the 1st Opium War.Despite an overwhelming military superiority the commander of the British forces, Charles Elliot, seemed unable to break through Qing delaying tactics with diplomacy, and was hesitant to escalate the war by seizing (and looting!) cities and towns en masse. The next year would be a series of skirmishes, battles, negotiations and delays, that would accomplish little aside from wasting British time and killing thousands of Qing Soldiers.  Eventually after this lack of success, and perceived 'soft' treatment of the Chinese,  Elliot would follow the fate of Lin Zexu (林則徐) and be replaced.Alongside the British perspective, we also discuss the observations of Chinese Scholar Wei Yuan,  who was involved with the conflict, and wrote his own opinions on the causes and problems of the war (道光洋艘征撫記).Some interesting journals:Narrative on the Expedition to China (Volume 2): John Elliot Binghamhttps://books.google.com/books?id=8TGwqgOCFR0CSELECTIONS FROM LIEUTENANT CHARLES CAMERON'S DIARY DURING THE PERIOD OF THE CHINESE WAR, 1840-41https://www.jstor.org/stable/44232776?read-now=1&seq=3#page_scan_tab_contents

The extract of the Opium Poppy is one of humanities oldest drugs, and has been widely used and traded for thousands of years. However when the mass production of refined Opium by the East India Company combined with a new and efficient method of smoking it, a worldwide sensation ensued.At the height of its popularity, Opium was a worldwide habit. In major cities across the globe, sumptuously appointed opium dens could be found where the rich, famous, and adventurous could enjoy a pipe of the drug. Imaginatively styled after the private chambers of oriental princes, they were a fixture of nightlife  for almost a century.In this episode we talk about the history of opium, the history of its abuse, and how it eventually fell out of favor and was replaced by stronger alternatives. 

In 1833 the East India Company would lose its monopoly on Chinese trade. This change, and the lack of an effective structure to replace it, would create a power vacuum in and around China's only western trading port (Canton).British Opium Traders took this opportunity to flood in and make fortunes, and to use those fortunes to promote a more belligerent diplomatic stance towards China. As the Qing Empire attempted to stamp out the Opium trade, Canton, now awash with Opium, became the flashpoint for a conflict neither the British Empire, nor the Qing Empire actually wanted.Read more on the Opium War:Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the End of China's Last Golden Age - Stephen PlattThe Opium War: Drugs, Dreams, and the Making of Modern China - Julie Lovell

The First Opium War is often seen as the beginning of China's 'Century of Shame' , a time when Foreigners ran rampant, and China lacked the ability to set its own destiny.However even without the aggression of Great Britain,  China (Qing Dynasty) was undergoing a series of internal crisis, each with the potential to end the dynasty. Rebellion, Inflation, Ethnic Tension, Failures of Government, Piracy, and waning military power, all seemed to strike at once, and help explain why the Qing Dynasty would be so ineffective against the British during the 1840 Opium War.