Podcasts about century chinese

Frustration with China's closest trade partners, renewed tensions in the South China Sea, WADA scandal, & a US House Report on the origins of CovidChina Update provides listeners with the most up to date political, economic, and geostrategic analysis on China - so that you are on top of the world's number 2 economy.   These podcasts are based on hundreds of articles, think tank reports, government statements and other resources in English and Chinese every week. The views and analysis are all my own and I produce the podcasts.  My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/chinaupdate  Disclaimer: China Update is not a financial advisory channel. While I take great care in researching everything discussed in these podcasts, nothing I say should be taken as investment advice. Please speak to a professional before making any investment decisions. #China

**REUPLOAD**In today's episode we're going to pick up where we left off, at the very beginning of the new Republic of China. We'll look at the rise of Yuan Shikai and the descent of China into a period of warlordism. We will explore the changing nature of China's politics and culture, right up until the next big event to hit the Chinese stage, the May 4th movement.Some famous people we will be discussing include Sun Yatsen, Cai Yuanpei, Hu Shi, Lu Xun, and some of the founders of the Chinese Communist Party, Li Dazhao, Chen Duxiu, and Mao Zedong.Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

**REUPLOAD**Currently in the process of reuploading old episodes from the history portion of the podcast starting with this one!DescriptionOn October 9th 1911 an accidental explosion in a revolutionary base in Hubei province in central China triggered a revolution that would mark the end of China's imperial past and usher in its modern future. While the series of events that followed seem to indicate a straightforward revolution on the surface, recent scholarship on the topic shows that the exact nature, objective, outcome, and legacy of the Republican movement is anything but uncontentious. In this episode we'll be discussing the build up to the revolution and the events as they took place to understand who the main actors were and what objectives they had, if any. Finally, we'll look at the different debates surrounding the truth about the Xinhai Revolution, including the notion that it wasn't really a revolution at all.Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

Dreams of a better future have driven many a revolution, but not all have turned out the way the dreamers imagined.   China's early revolutionaries, a century ago, aimed to rid the country of what they saw as corrupt capitalism and the world of colonialism and imperialism. Instead, they said, socialism would bring a future of peace, prosperity, equality, and social justice.  Not all of that worked out. One of the dreamers was Chen Hansheng, a prominent Western-educated  public intellectual who wrote, lectured, and taught in the United States while secretly working for the Soviet Comintern and Communist Party of China, who worked over time with Zhou Enlai and more briefly with Soviet spy Richard Sorge, and who was close friends Agnes Smedley, an American journalist who supported China's Communist revolution, and with Soong Ching-Ling, the widow of Sun Yat-Sen. Chen's comprehensive surveys of rural regions of China in the 1930s painted a vivid picture of the realities on the ground for China's farmers and villagers, who China's Communist revolution ended up helping in some ways and hurting in others, particularly in the preventable Great Famine of the late '50s and early '60s, when as many as 50 million people starved to death. Chen died in 2004 at age 107.  He lived through a century of epic change in China and in the world that brought some of what he wanted, but not in the way he expected, and a lot of disillusionment. In this  episode, Chen's biographer Stephen R. MacKinnon, lays it all out. Stephen R. MacKinnon is an emeritus professor of 20th Century Chinese history and former director of the Center for Asian Studies at Arizona State University. He has lived and worked in the People's Republic of China, and has focused on China in his work since the early 1960s. He has written dozens of articles and edited volumes, and is the author of five books on China, including Chen Hansheng: China's Last Romantic Revolutionary (2023), Wuhan, 1938: War, Refugees, and the Making of Modern China (2008), and Agnes Smedley: The Life and Times of an American Radical (1987).  The China Books podcast is hosted and produced by Mary Kay Magistad, a former award-winning China correspondent for NPR and PRI/BBC's The World, now deputy director of Asia Society's Center on U.S.-China Relations. This podcast is a companion of the China Books Review, which offers incisive essays, interviews, and reviews on all things China books-related. Co-publishers are Asia Society's Center on U.S.-China Relations, headed by Orville Schell, and The Wire China, co-founded by David Barboza, a former Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times China correspondent. The Review's editor is Alec Ash, who can be reached at editor@chinabooksreview.com.

My guest today is my friend Gabriel Wong. Gabe is an accomplished artist with artwork featured within private collections on all continents. His work has been presented to heads of state and relevant global figures such as Pope Francis and the President of China. Some of his corporate collaborations include Nike and Boeing.  He is currently a Mark Maker for Montblanc.As an architect, Gabe is Director of Design at Atelier 1985, a Panama-based architecture firm he runs with his wife. His work combines influences from his multiple fields of interest and cultural heritages; it is a reflection of his story as A Twenty-First century Chinese-Panamanian Architect and ArtistCONNECT WITH GABE:Artwork WebsiteAtelier 1985InstagramTikTokGALLERIESGalería Habitante (Panama)Galería 1-2-3 (El Salvador)Galería El Túnel (Guatemala) Produced by: Northgate Marketing, Inc. Host: David Allen Tracy  CONNECT WITH DAVID:InstagramLinkedin FOLLOW NORTHGATE:LinkedinInstagramFacebookYouTubewww.wearenorthgate.com

Misha is joined by former Anna Puglisi, former National Counterintelligence Officer for China, and Matt Brazil, author of Chinese Communist Espionage, to discuss just how widely and successfully Chinese spies have penetrated American business, government, and academia.

Titus, Bombshell, and The Hylinder talk about the never-ending gun violence in America, what's considered "obscene" in Texas law, and 12th Century Chinese sunglasses.  Titus Podcast...SCREAM SANITY!

Our 106th Zoomcast (May 12, 2022); Our host #CharlotteSistaCFerrell welcomes us with an overview for Asian Heritage month. We introduce ourselves with information about our backgrounds. Yoshimi tells us about growing up among other Japanese immigrants eking out a living in Canada in the 40s. She reveals the transition that occurred when a student in a new school encouraged her to start using her real name instead of the “Mary” a teacher had given her. Prafulla shares her life's journey from India to Canada with expansive tributes to the family matriarch. Lesley talks about her origins in the UK. Neall shares his knowledge of various cultures and languages. Neall announces his plans to travel and do research for an upcoming publication, “The Wisdom of Seniors.” To contribute, send a short bio and one favorite poem that you have written to ncr223@gmail.com. Neall reads 14th century Meng Hao-Ran's 14th Century Chinese poem Spring Morning and its English translation, followed by Easter Parade, his response to Meng's poem. #CharlotteSistaCFerrell leads us in a Qi Gong minute and a virtual hug to embrace our varied identities. Lesley reads four haiku inspired by a visit to a nature park in Japan. Yoshimi shares her short story Tell Your Mother. To listen to our SPINs (stories, poems, interviews and novelties) emerging from our podcasts, go to https://poweredbyage.com To hear any recordings of our podcasts aired through CJSF, go to https://cjsf.ca/contents/sistac Sponsored by the 411 Seniors Centre Society; The Government of Canada: New Horizons Grant; and G & F Financial.

Today, we interview Professor Roy Chan. Professor Chan is not only one of the most interesting thinkers trying to tackle Lu Xun in the American academia, but he is also the mentor of both Lee and Rob. Professor Chan is the author of The Edge of Knowing, an exploration dreams in the work of Lu Xun and other 20th Century Chinese writers. Today, Professor Chan discusses one of Lu Xun's most enigmatic works, Wild Grass.

“There are a number of brothels as well, whose guests are greeted with smiles of welcome, some even soliciting their customers right out on the street.”Read the article by James Carter: https://supchina.com/2021/11/17/li-guis-diary-a-19th-century-chinese-account-of-the-west/Narrated by John Darwin Van Fleet.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we begin a series of episodes on the Sino Japanese War and early 20th Century Chinese history. 

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Goto manscaped.com and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: NRL In this episode we were challenged to talk about 15th century Chinese art. Well guess what, we did it! We also chatted a little about a few Rugby League myths we have both heard over the years! This is a short one, but it will be very satisfying. Also, the podcast doesn't go for very long either.  Follow the boys on Twitter at AndrewRLP and LeagueFreak Visit The Rugby League Project for all your Rugby League statistics and The Official Website Of The Glorious League Freak for all your Rugby League news and opinions. Support the boys on Patreon at Rugby League Project Patreon and the League Freak Patreon! Visit Rugby League Podcasting Network and NRL Rumours as well as NRL Breaking News Last but not least visit the official podcast website at FergoandTheFreak.com #RugbyLeague #NRL #RFL #SuperLeague #NSW #QLD #Sport #Rugby #IntRL #RugbyWorldCup #RLWC #Podcast #LiveSport #GreatAustralianPodcasts #NRLPodcast #SuperLeaguePodcast #RugbyPodcast #SportPodcast #RugbyLeaguePodcast #History #RugbyHistory #InternationalRL #RLWC9s #RedV #ThunderAndLightning #NRLGrandFinal #ManscapedPod 

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is probably a direct consequence of China's reinforcement of different institutions that needed to be built to improve (trade) relations between China and other countries. With the this ambitious iniative, China is aiming to sustain its new phase of development. Across continents, however, other countries' perspectives on this project are diverse. In this episode, we take a general look at the BRI framework and discuss some of its implications.

National Book Award winning novelist Ha Jin discusses his latest book, “The Banished Immortal,” a biography of celebrated 8th Century Chinese poet Li Bai (also known as Li Po). Hosted by Richard Wolinsky.       The post Ha Jin: “The Banished Immortal” appeared first on KPFA.

Queens and female leaders in GOT have stories full of family drama, battles for the throne, and questionable choices. It turns out there are lots of historical queens with all that, too. No Season 8 spoilers! A 7th Century Chinese empress, Cersei Lannister, the Spanish queen who sent Columbus to the “new world,” the Mother of Dragons, and Sansa Stark - each has a complex story, interesting relationships, and struggles against the patriarchy. We also discuss the feminism of the show: its treatment of women and of misogynists, its representation on screen and off, and when it will be safe to decide whether it really is a feminist show. Of course, a Game of Thrones episode will be full of twisty stories, strong women, some laughs, and connections between history and HBO. Find out who Misty would be if she lived in Westeros, and which character shares a motto with Allegra. Profess-Hers is a podcast written and presented by Misty, a History professor, and Allegra, an English professor, both of whom are here for having a serious, fun conversation about looking at literature, history, current events, pop culture, and media through a feminist lens. Written by Allegra Hanna and Misty Wilson-Mehrtens. Find the Profess-Hers Podcast on Twitter and Instagram @Professhers.

With questions over how ideas are translated across borders and between languages as acute as ever today, it is sometimes easy to forget that our efforts to understand each other are mediated through many accreted layers of previous translations. Pu Wang’s The Translatability of Revolution: Guo Moruo and Twentieth-Century Chinese Culture (Harvard University Asia Center, 2018) takes us deep into this world of past linguistic and cultural interpretations, shedding invaluable light on broad questions how ‘history’, 'the people', 'revolution' and many other ideas have emerged as products of exchange between East Asian and European contexts. But this book is much more than this, being the first study of the whole life of Guo Moruo, the ‘writer, poet, dramatist, Marxist historian, paleographer… revolutionist and cultural fighter’ (p. 5), as Deng Xiaoping eulogised him. Wang skilfully weaves together an analysis of Guo’s extraordinarily diverse written works – from translations of Goethe to autobiography and interpretations of oracle bone inscriptions – with a rich account of the man's personal life and events in China at large. As a poet and translator himself, Wang is uniquely positioned to tell this richly creative story which is at once personally intimate and vast in scope. As difficult to encapsulate in a short blurb as the tumultuous life of Guo himself, this book offers us a portrait of a deeply complex and controversial figure and a picture of Chinese culture in the age of revolution which emerged in dialogue with innumerable historic voices. Ed Pulford is a postdoctoral researcher at the Slavic-Eurasian Research Center, Hokkaido University. His research focuses on friendships and histories between the Chinese, Korean and Russian worlds, and northeast Asian indigenous groups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With questions over how ideas are translated across borders and between languages as acute as ever today, it is sometimes easy to forget that our efforts to understand each other are mediated through many accreted layers of previous translations. Pu Wang’s The Translatability of Revolution: Guo Moruo and Twentieth-Century Chinese Culture (Harvard University Asia Center, 2018) takes us deep into this world of past linguistic and cultural interpretations, shedding invaluable light on broad questions how ‘history’, 'the people', 'revolution' and many other ideas have emerged as products of exchange between East Asian and European contexts. But this book is much more than this, being the first study of the whole life of Guo Moruo, the ‘writer, poet, dramatist, Marxist historian, paleographer… revolutionist and cultural fighter’ (p. 5), as Deng Xiaoping eulogised him. Wang skilfully weaves together an analysis of Guo’s extraordinarily diverse written works – from translations of Goethe to autobiography and interpretations of oracle bone inscriptions – with a rich account of the man's personal life and events in China at large. As a poet and translator himself, Wang is uniquely positioned to tell this richly creative story which is at once personally intimate and vast in scope. As difficult to encapsulate in a short blurb as the tumultuous life of Guo himself, this book offers us a portrait of a deeply complex and controversial figure and a picture of Chinese culture in the age of revolution which emerged in dialogue with innumerable historic voices. Ed Pulford is a postdoctoral researcher at the Slavic-Eurasian Research Center, Hokkaido University. His research focuses on friendships and histories between the Chinese, Korean and Russian worlds, and northeast Asian indigenous groups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With questions over how ideas are translated across borders and between languages as acute as ever today, it is sometimes easy to forget that our efforts to understand each other are mediated through many accreted layers of previous translations. Pu Wang’s The Translatability of Revolution: Guo Moruo and Twentieth-Century Chinese Culture (Harvard University Asia Center, 2018) takes us deep into this world of past linguistic and cultural interpretations, shedding invaluable light on broad questions how ‘history’, 'the people', 'revolution' and many other ideas have emerged as products of exchange between East Asian and European contexts. But this book is much more than this, being the first study of the whole life of Guo Moruo, the ‘writer, poet, dramatist, Marxist historian, paleographer… revolutionist and cultural fighter’ (p. 5), as Deng Xiaoping eulogised him. Wang skilfully weaves together an analysis of Guo’s extraordinarily diverse written works – from translations of Goethe to autobiography and interpretations of oracle bone inscriptions – with a rich account of the man's personal life and events in China at large. As a poet and translator himself, Wang is uniquely positioned to tell this richly creative story which is at once personally intimate and vast in scope. As difficult to encapsulate in a short blurb as the tumultuous life of Guo himself, this book offers us a portrait of a deeply complex and controversial figure and a picture of Chinese culture in the age of revolution which emerged in dialogue with innumerable historic voices. Ed Pulford is a postdoctoral researcher at the Slavic-Eurasian Research Center, Hokkaido University. His research focuses on friendships and histories between the Chinese, Korean and Russian worlds, and northeast Asian indigenous groups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With questions over how ideas are translated across borders and between languages as acute as ever today, it is sometimes easy to forget that our efforts to understand each other are mediated through many accreted layers of previous translations. Pu Wang’s The Translatability of Revolution: Guo Moruo and Twentieth-Century Chinese Culture (Harvard University Asia Center, 2018) takes us deep into this world of past linguistic and cultural interpretations, shedding invaluable light on broad questions how ‘history’, 'the people', 'revolution' and many other ideas have emerged as products of exchange between East Asian and European contexts. But this book is much more than this, being the first study of the whole life of Guo Moruo, the ‘writer, poet, dramatist, Marxist historian, paleographer… revolutionist and cultural fighter’ (p. 5), as Deng Xiaoping eulogised him. Wang skilfully weaves together an analysis of Guo’s extraordinarily diverse written works – from translations of Goethe to autobiography and interpretations of oracle bone inscriptions – with a rich account of the man's personal life and events in China at large. As a poet and translator himself, Wang is uniquely positioned to tell this richly creative story which is at once personally intimate and vast in scope. As difficult to encapsulate in a short blurb as the tumultuous life of Guo himself, this book offers us a portrait of a deeply complex and controversial figure and a picture of Chinese culture in the age of revolution which emerged in dialogue with innumerable historic voices. Ed Pulford is a postdoctoral researcher at the Slavic-Eurasian Research Center, Hokkaido University. His research focuses on friendships and histories between the Chinese, Korean and Russian worlds, and northeast Asian indigenous groups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With questions over how ideas are translated across borders and between languages as acute as ever today, it is sometimes easy to forget that our efforts to understand each other are mediated through many accreted layers of previous translations. Pu Wang’s The Translatability of Revolution: Guo Moruo and Twentieth-Century Chinese Culture (Harvard University Asia Center, 2018) takes us deep into this world of past linguistic and cultural interpretations, shedding invaluable light on broad questions how ‘history’, 'the people', 'revolution' and many other ideas have emerged as products of exchange between East Asian and European contexts. But this book is much more than this, being the first study of the whole life of Guo Moruo, the ‘writer, poet, dramatist, Marxist historian, paleographer… revolutionist and cultural fighter’ (p. 5), as Deng Xiaoping eulogised him. Wang skilfully weaves together an analysis of Guo’s extraordinarily diverse written works – from translations of Goethe to autobiography and interpretations of oracle bone inscriptions – with a rich account of the man's personal life and events in China at large. As a poet and translator himself, Wang is uniquely positioned to tell this richly creative story which is at once personally intimate and vast in scope. As difficult to encapsulate in a short blurb as the tumultuous life of Guo himself, this book offers us a portrait of a deeply complex and controversial figure and a picture of Chinese culture in the age of revolution which emerged in dialogue with innumerable historic voices. Ed Pulford is a postdoctoral researcher at the Slavic-Eurasian Research Center, Hokkaido University. His research focuses on friendships and histories between the Chinese, Korean and Russian worlds, and northeast Asian indigenous groups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With questions over how ideas are translated across borders and between languages as acute as ever today, it is sometimes easy to forget that our efforts to understand each other are mediated through many accreted layers of previous translations. Pu Wang’s The Translatability of Revolution: Guo Moruo and Twentieth-Century Chinese Culture (Harvard University Asia Center, 2018) takes us deep into this world of past linguistic and cultural interpretations, shedding invaluable light on broad questions how ‘history’, 'the people', 'revolution' and many other ideas have emerged as products of exchange between East Asian and European contexts. But this book is much more than this, being the first study of the whole life of Guo Moruo, the ‘writer, poet, dramatist, Marxist historian, paleographer… revolutionist and cultural fighter’ (p. 5), as Deng Xiaoping eulogised him. Wang skilfully weaves together an analysis of Guo’s extraordinarily diverse written works – from translations of Goethe to autobiography and interpretations of oracle bone inscriptions – with a rich account of the man's personal life and events in China at large. As a poet and translator himself, Wang is uniquely positioned to tell this richly creative story which is at once personally intimate and vast in scope. As difficult to encapsulate in a short blurb as the tumultuous life of Guo himself, this book offers us a portrait of a deeply complex and controversial figure and a picture of Chinese culture in the age of revolution which emerged in dialogue with innumerable historic voices. Ed Pulford is a postdoctoral researcher at the Slavic-Eurasian Research Center, Hokkaido University. His research focuses on friendships and histories between the Chinese, Korean and Russian worlds, and northeast Asian indigenous groups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A news series of episodes begins here. We explore the works of a 17th Century Chinese folklorist. Today, is this an Animal Saint, or Magical Animal Companion, or Faerie? Transcripts at https://timothyferguson.wordpress.com/    

Discussing a Peace Corps volunteer's experiences in China in the 2000s. (Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Discussing a Peace Corps volunteer's experiences in China in the 2000s. (Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Conspiracy Unlimited is delighted to welcome a new sponsor: LIFE CHANGE TEA - The organic, caffeine-free, herbal tea that cleanses the body while boosting energy and feelings of well-being.  ORDER NOW at GETTHETEA.COM  and enter the code 'UNLIMITED' to receive free shipping on your first order.   Richard welcomes an author/lecturer who has translated the log from a Chinese expedition which she says prove Chinese explorers penetrated deep into North America decades before Columbus.   GUEST: Laurie Nickless is an independent historical researcher on America's prehistory. She coauthored Chasing Dragons: The True History of the Piasa along with her husband Mark Nickless.  In it they  examine the mural on a rock outcropping along the Mississippi River, upstream from St. Louis.  They present convincing evidence that this painting is from an early 15th Century Chinese exploration of the North American continent.  Laurie and her husband have lectured internationally (China, Malaysia and London) on their research and were featured speakers at the Midwestern Epigraphic Society.  Arising from "Dragons," Laurie spent over the last decade translating the concluding 15 chapters of the lost manuscript from the Ming Dynasty's early 15th Century circumnavigation of the globe.  These chapters, which comprise Laurie's translation To the Gates of Fengtu,  make it obvious that the Chinese sailors visited America's largest Native city Cahokia.

We'll be celebrating the Chinese New Year with LAURIE and MARK NICKLESS. They assert that the Chinese visited Cahokia, the Mississippi Valley and  explored the Great Lakes. Where is the evidence? They will be discussing the artwork found upstream from St. Louis, which was documented in a painting by Henry Lewis in the mid 19th Century, and in Laurie's translation  of the recently discovered Mao Deng's journals of a 15th Century Chinese voyage around the world. Laurie spent the last 15 years translating the concluding 15 chapters of this journal, and it this fascinating book is  entitled "To the Gates of Fengtu." The Chinese descriptions of Fengtu seem  to parallel what we know of Cahokia. Please tune in  for this riveting information.

We'll be celebrating the Chinese New Year with LAURIE and MARK NICKLESS. They assert that the Chinese visited Cahokia, the Mississippi Valley and explored the Great Lakes. Where is the evidence? They will be discussing the artwork found upstream from St. Louis, which was documented in a painting by Henry Lewis in the mid 19th Century, and in Laurie's translation of the recently discovered Mao Deng's journals of a 15th Century Chinese voyage around the world. Laurie spent the last 15 years translating the concluding 15 chapters of this journal, and it this fascinating book is entitled "To the Gates of Fengtu." The Chinese descriptions of Fengtu seem to parallel what we know of Cahokia. Please tune in for this riveting information.

This is a Dharma Talk given by the Reverend Jay Rinsen Weik Sensei at the Buddhist Temple of Toledo.  In this talk, Rinsen Sensei explores the teachings of the early 11th Century Chinese teacher Master Hongzhi. If you would like to learn more about the Buddhist Temple of Toledo or to make a donation in support of this podcast please visit buddhisttempleoftoledo.org.

It is 60 years since Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat was published featuring the anarchic figure who 'entertains' two young children while their mother is away. Using only 236 words and with surreal cartoon characters, children's books were never the same again. Author Judith Kerr and Children's Laureate Chris Riddell talk about his work and how he influenced their own books for children.The Disney live-action Beauty and the Beast will be released in Russia with 16+ rating to prevent children from watching because of the studio's first "exclusively gay moment" involving a character played by Josh Gad. Samira talks to David Austin, Chief Executive of the British Board of Film Classification about the way in which film classifications here are decided and evolve to reflect changing social attitudes.Photographer and artist Wolfgang Tillmans discusses his 14-gallery exhibition at Tate Modern, which covers the period from 2003 to the present. For Tillmans - the first non-British artist to win the Turner Prize - 2003 was the moment the world changed, with the invasion of Iraq and the anti-war demonstrations. A vengeful ghost seeks retribution in the Royal Shakespeare Company's modern adaptation of the 13th Century Chinese classic, Snow in Midsummer. Playwright Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig talks to Samira about blending ancient Chinese traditions with contemporary issues, including organ harvesting and climate change. Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Ella-mai Robey.

Institute of Historical Research Healing, exorcism and charismatic powers in 19th and 20th Century Chinese Christianity Lars Laamann (SOAS) Christian Missions in Global History seminar series

The first Jewish people to come to Australia arrived on the First Fleet on 26 January 1788. Among the 827 convicts on the English First Fleet were at least 8 and possibly up to 14 or 15 British convicts who were Jewish. On board was Esther Abrahams. Esther would go on to become the First Lady of the Colony of New South Wales and an important landholder and farmer in her own right. Over the past few hundred years there have been several waves of Jewish migration to Australia.  More recently after the Second World War Australia accepted significant numbers of Jewish refugees from war ravaged Europe.  For this episode I recommend the excellent Australian history podcast Last Stop to Nowhere hosted by Michael Sloan and Kyle Sherer. You can download it from ITunes. Check out the Sydney Jewish Museum’s website: www.sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au  Also have a listen to Renee Geyer singing Heading in the Right Direction – such a beautiful voice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjYfkswK_yssp Finally, read the Australian Geographic article on the discovery of an 18th Century Chinese coin found on Elcho Island off the coast of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory: http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2014/08/18th-century-chinese-coin-found-in-arnhem-land Email me at: jamesdampier.awp@gmail.com Music courtesy of Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/ Thanks to Ken Dampier for post-production.

Karen Clark first visited our program when Matthew Fox spoke to us of Hildegard of Bingen. Karen sang "O Virtus Sapientiae" by Hildegard. Listening to the exquisite music, something stirred in me and got up and erased all my plans for September and wrote “the call to sing a sacred song.” So it's perfect that Karen Clark returns today to not only sing more Hildegard, but sacred songs from all times and places, proving that this soul call is truly universal. You'll hear sacred songs from ancient China to 21st-century America. You'll even get to sing along to "Ubi Caritas"!

This episode continues our series on the remarkable Rabban Sauma with Part 3.In Part 1, we looked at the opening chapter in Sauma's life. By way of a quick recap . . .He was the treasured son of an Onggud noble family who from an early age showed a remarkable passion for pursuing the spiritual. Adept in his studies and excelling in piety, by the age 25 he was a member of the Nestorian clergy, a monk-priest. It was the year 1248.Choosing a life of isolation rather than a monastery, he retreated from the Mongol capital at Tai-tu [later – Beijing] to the Fang Mountains where he devoted himself to study. The isolation he yearned for was often interrupted by people who made pilgrimage to his humble hamlet, seeking a glimpse, maybe a word, from the holy man whose fame was spreading. Though he preferred a life of quiet contemplation, he met with all those who sought him out.That would have been his entire life and one we'd never have known of, were it not for one of those pilgrims, a fifteen-year-old young man named Markos. Markos didn't just want to spend a couple days with the holy man. He wanted a mentor, someone who'd teach him everything he had to share. Sauma tried to dissuade the young man, just as his parents and others had tried to dissuade him when he was young. It didn't take long before Sauma recognized in Markos the same zeal and dedication that burned in his soul. Three years later Marcos had proven himself devotionally sincere, academically capable and of equal spiritual mettle with his master, so he was ordained as a monk in the Nestorian church.After a decade together in their mountain fastness, Marcos' intellectual curiosity prompted a spiritual itch that saw the two men descend from the heights and embark on a journey of literally epic consequence. Marcos wanted to visit the scenes and sites where the Bible story had played out, as well as the birthplace and headquarters of the Nestorian church. In his studies, he read of Christians of other flavors and stripes and wanted to meet them. Nothing less than a journey to the far-reaches of the West could scratch that itch. Markos shared this dream with Bar Sauma, who was now more friend than master. It took a while, but eventually, the younger man's hunger to discover, breathed new life on the embers of Sauma's soul and the two decided to pursue their vision. It was 1275 when they began plans to set out, the same year Marco Polo arrived in China. They gave away what few possessions they had and headed to Tai-tu to hire guides and gather provisions. Because they'd taken vows of poverty, they had to ask the local Nestorian churches to support them. The Nestorian leaders scoffed at the undertaking. Such a venture was deemed both physically impossible and spiritually wasteful. There simply wasn't a safe, navigable route West. And what use was it visiting the Holy Land, they wondered, when the Bible said The Kingdom of God is within us?But by this time, both Bar Sauma & Markos were deft at waving aside objections about the arduousness of the journey. Since they already counted themselves dead and had mortified the flesh, death along the route was of little consequence. Their only ambition was to faithfully follow the path they were convinced God had set before them. Their steely-eyed focus won the Nestorian community over and they went from resistance to a hearty support for their venture of faith.The journey they proposed would be expensive since they'd need an entire caravan. They needed guides, camels, and since camels require considerable attention to stay healthy, camel-attendants, a highly specialized trade.Camels are able to carry between 4 and 500 lbs. Mules, their closest rival as a beast of burden can carry 250 lbs. But camels require far less water and feed. Their hooves are better suited to the sandy soil covering large swaths of the territory in Central Asia. Camels are also reputed to be able to predict sandstorms and can locate underground water. Their dung makes decent fuel for fires. But camels aren't prolific in the progeny department, so they're expensive. Their care & upkeep requires special training, so handlers fetch a tidy sum.Markos and Sauma also needed baggage-handlers, cooks, & several other assistants. To give you an idea of how large a group we're talking about, a 14th Century European handbook for merchants recommended a China-bound caravan have no less than 60 people. But Bar Sauma & Markos weren't transporting commercial goods, just themselves and some small items to give as gifts to Western Nestorian leaders.They might have joined a merchant caravan, but the two monks intended to spend considerably more time at places along the route than a commercial interest would be willing to.Adding to the cost was the sheer length of time the trip would take. Six months wasn't an unreasonable estimate. That meant buying provisions for their entire caravan, as well as paying the inevitable levies and passage fees from petty lords who fancied themselves strong enough to extort coin. Then there was the obvious need for a reserve fund, because who knew what might befall them on the way.So, once the Nestorian community got on board with the venture, they generously supplied the needed funds. When the Mongol Court saw the seriousness with which Markos & Sauma proceeded with their plans, they decided to hop on. This was during the reign of the famous Khubilai Khan. A pragmatic ruler, Khubilai wanted to cover all his religious bases and hoped to gain the Nestorian God's favor by supporting the monks' trip. He gave them financial support, provided them with the all-important letters-patents that allowed them to pass unmolested across all Asia. These letter-patents were called pai-tzu in Chinese and were the forerunner of our modern passports. They not only served as evidence of official sanction from Khubilai's throne, they were certain to provide a warm welcome among Khubilai's allies. Even those less than friendly to the Khan would be careful to treat his emissaries with respect. For mistreating a Mongol envoy was a sure way to a lot of pain.After Khubilai's successful contest with his brother for the khanate, he saw it as imperative to gain the favor of as many of his subjects as possible. Supporting Sauma's & Markos' trip seemed a good way to gain favor with the Nestorian leaders and to recruit their scholars into his burgeoning bureaucracy. According to one account, Khubilai gave a set of royal clothes to Sauma with instructions to baptize them in the Jordan River then place them over Jesus' burial place in Jerusalem.So, with both Church & State backing, Sauma & Markos set off on their great adventure. We're not sure of the exact date of their departure. It was sometime around 1276.The guides they hired in Tai-tu took them on the first leg of the journey, then were replaced with new guides familiar with the territory they were entering.Leaving Tai-tu, their first stop was in Marko's hometown where the locals assumed he'd returned for good. They were delighted at the prospect the two holy men would assume the mantle of leadership in their church. They were stunned by the news Bar Sauma & Markos were headed to Jerusalem.Their next stop was at the headquarters of two Onggud chieftains allied by marriage to the Mongol court. They also assumed their exalted position and promises of major favors would entice the monks to stay and become a part of their royal retinue. They likewise were surprised at their insistence to continue their journey. Why brave the hardships that most certainly lay ahead when a life of ease and comfort was being handed them on a gilded platter. Such appeals only offended the monks, who were affronted by the idea their devotion to God could be sold for an offer of worldly influence. At one point the Onggud chiefs were so set on retaining them, they plotted their capture. But the presence of Khubilai's passport worried them. They realized it would be unwise to interfere in the affairs of the Mongol ruler. It seems word reached Sauma and Markos of the rulers' earlier plans to hang on to them. So in an appeal to their mercy, they sought to load them up with exorbitant gifts of gold, silver, and precious rarities. When the monks refused, they prevailed on them to see it as a loan, and to pay it back by making a generous donation to the Nestorian Churches of the West.They followed the Yellow River southwest along the Alashan Mountains to Ning-hsia just South of the Gobi Desert.The route out of China was a fairly straight-forward affair since the Chinese had long before set up a system of postal stations spaced roughly every 20 miles apart along their frontier. These postal stations served a multitude of purposes. Officials stayed there in making inspection rounds. Merchants and traders were able to resupply at them. Troops stationed there kept a careful lookout on the frontier. Though there wasn't a highway from station to station, the trail between them was clear.That changed as the monks' caravan left China and entered Central Asia. Here the stations ended and the trail petered out. An occasional pole or rock cairn might be seen on the horizon, but as often as not, such landmarks were washed away by floods, avalanches, & storms.Leaving Ning-hsia, they followed the route of the Southern Silk Road just south of the dreaded Taklimakan Desert. Bar Sauma's account includes the terse comment that this was a “toilsome & fatiguing” part of their journey. Which, knowing how austere and arduous their prior lives had been, we might use terms like “brutal & soul-crushingly exhausting.” The Taklimakan Desert has 60-foot tall dunes frequently savaged by dust storms. Marco Polo reported that travelers in this region are often separated from their mates by the opaque winds. Once alone, the bleakness and heat cause hallucinations in which people think they are being called from over the top of this or that mountain of sand. But each peak they traverse only takes them further away from the proper course.Entering the Tarin Basin, they skirted the northern foothills of the Kun-lun Mts. To their South was India. Though Bar Sauma's account doesn't say so, they likely stopped for a time in the caravan center at Miran, a trade mecca that saw about as diverse a mix of cultures as to be found anywhere on the planet. Then following the Cherchen River, they embarked on a 500-mile long journey to their next major stop, the city of Khotan, one of the most renowned oases of Central Asia. It took two months for them to travel from Ning-hsia to Khotan and all during this time they only had 8 watering holes.Khotan was a center of the white & black jade prized by the Chinese. As a result, it had become a major center of trade and a meeting place for the Far East & Middle East. Lying north of India, it became a center for the dispersal of Buddhism. A 6th Century Chinese record attributed Khotan with a plethora of Buddhist temples, stupas, monks and nuns. Khotan was so important to Chinese interests, they established military garrisons there from the 7th thru 10th Cs.The residents of Khotan had long before used the nearby river to produce an elaborate irrigation system that produced an abundance of crops. This agricultural bonanza supported a healthy community of merchants and craftsmen who produced a plethora of goods highly prized far & wide. The bazaar boasted fine carpets, silk, and glass. Traders brought goods from Europe, China, & the Middle East, all headed in the opposite direction of their origin to be sold at steep rates due to their rarity in the market of their ultimate destination.Khotan hosted a mixed population, with Uyghurs, Mongols, Chinese, Persians, and locals all adding to the cosmopolitan feel. Finding a community of Nestorians with which they were able to share both their faith and language, Bar Sauma & Markos spent 6 months there. The extra time they spent in Khotan is likely due both to their need for recovery from the difficulty behind them AND to turmoil in the Mongol world that made the path West uncertain.Conflict between Khubilai and his cousin Khaidu had shattered the Pax Mongolica in the region. Khubilai's general charged with securing the area had been captured by Khaidu's forces, handing the Great Khan a major setback. While their letters-patent ought to have secured them safe passage, Khaidu's treachery was a cause for concern. So the two monks decided to cool their heels in Khotan to see if things would steel down. A side trip to the Nestorian See at Kashgar sounded like a good idea. After all, visiting the center of their Faith was the whole point of their expedition and Kashgar was the home of a beloved Metropolitan. But when they arrived, they were shocked to discover the recent inter-Mongolian conflicts had left the city ransacked and depopulated. Marco Polo had visited Kashgar just a few years earlier and described the city as flourishing and prosperous.We'll end this episode with Bar Sauma and Markos back in Khotan, readying to set out on their westward course once more. The route was no more secure, but they determined to trust themselves into God's hands and press ahead.