Podcasts about Forbidden City

While the Yongzheng Emperor attempts to get his domestic policy ducks in a row from the Forbidden City, out on the Western Frontiers, change is the only constant. Between squabbling Tibetan lamas, restless Kokonor Khans, and the ever-dangerous Dzungar Empire still on the loose out there, the new successor of the late, great Kangxi Emperor has some very big combat-boots to fill... Time Period Covered: ca. 1722-1728 CE Major Historical Figures: Qing Empire: Kangxi Emperor (Aisin-Gioro Xuanye) [r. 1661-1722] Yongzheng Emperor (Aisin-Gioro Yinzhen) [r. 1722-1735] Prince Yinti, the Fuyuan Daijiangjun [1688-1755]Governor Nian Gengyao [1679-1726]Governor-General Yue Zhongqi [1686-1754]General Erentei [d. 1718]Funingga [d. 1728] Dzungar Khanate: Tsewang Rabdan, Khong Tayiji [r. 1697-1727] Galdan Tseren, Khong Tayiji [r. 1727-1745] General Tsering Dondup Tibetan Gelupa/“Yellow Hats”: 5th Dalai Lama[r. 1642-1682] 6th Dalai Lama [r. 1697] 7th Dalai Lama [r. 1720-1757] sDe-pa Sangya Gyatso [1652-1705] Polhanas (Polhané Sönam Topgyé) [1689-1747] Kokonor Mongols (Khoshots): Güshi Khan (Torbaikhu) [r. 1642-1655] Lhazang Khan [r. 1700-1717] Prince Lobzang Danjin, Dalai Hongtaiji [d. 1731] Sources Cited:Perdue, Peter C. China marches west: the Qing conquest of Central Eurasia.Rowe, William T. China's last empire: the great Qing. Zelin, Madeline. “The Yung-chung reign” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 9: The Ch'ing Dynasty, Part 1: To 1800. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this video, we explore the iconic Mandarin phrase "我们是龙的传人" (Wǒmen shì lóng de chuánrén) 'We Are Descendants of the Dragon'

How did the Macartney Mission fail so spectacularly? Where does the word ‘kowtow' come from? Why were the diplomats banished from the Forbidden City? Listen as William and Anita continue the story of how the Macartney expedition completely failed to develop diplomatic relations with imperial China in 1793.  _____________ Empire Club: Become a member of the Empire Club to receive early access to miniseries, ad-free listening, early access to live show tickets, bonus episodes, book discounts, our exclusive newsletter, and access to our members' chatroom on Discord! Head to empirepoduk.com to sign up. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com.  Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk  Blue Sky: @empirepoduk  X: @empirepoduk Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Anouska Lewis Senior Producer: Callum Hill Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

April 27, 1856. In Beijing's Forbidden City, one of the emperor's consorts, a woman named Cixi, has given birth to a son – the emperor's first heir. This landmark event is met with mass celebration. But in just five years time, the emperor will be dead and Cixi will be planning a coup to take power for herself. How will she ever succeed?  Special thanks to our guests: Jung Chang, author of Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China, and Professor Ying-chen Peng, author of Artful Subversion: Empress Dowager Cixi's Image Making in Art. **This episode originally aired April 24, 2023. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Portraits of the Past: Mingyu and Lijuan's Forbidden City Quest Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-04-21-22-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在北京的初春，阳光柔和地洒在故宫的屋顶上。En: In the early spring of Beijing, the sunlight softly bathes the rooftops of the Forbidden City.Zh: 樱花随风飘舞，红墙金瓦在蓝天的映衬下格外夺目。En: Cherry blossoms dance in the wind, and the red walls and golden tiles look especially striking against the blue sky.Zh: 清明节的气氛渗透在空气中，人们在这里纪念祖先，也享受着古往今来的交融。En: The atmosphere of the Qingming Festival permeates the air; people are here to commemorate their ancestors and enjoy the blend of ancient and modern.Zh: 明宇是一位年轻的历史学家，他来这里寻找一些关于自己家族历史的信息，希望揭示被遗忘的故事。En: Mingyu is a young historian who has come here to search for information about his family's history, hoping to uncover forgotten stories.Zh: 另一方面，丽娟是个有创意的摄影师，她想在清明节期间捕捉到一张完美的照片，展现故宫的节日氛围。En: On the other hand, Lijuan is a creative photographer aiming to capture the perfect photograph during the Qingming Festival, showcasing the festive atmosphere of the Forbidden City.Zh: 明宇穿过人群，心里有些焦急。En: Mingyu weaves through the crowd, feeling a bit anxious.Zh: 他希望找到能帮他进入档案馆的人。En: He hopes to find someone who can help him access the archives.Zh: 丽娟则在一旁拍摄，她努力在纷扰中寻找那一刻的安静与美丽。En: Lijuan, on the side, is taking photographs, striving to find a moment of tranquility and beauty amidst the chaos.Zh: 但拥挤的人潮和严格的拍摄许可证限制让她倍感困难。En: However, the crowded throng and strict photography permits make it especially challenging for her.Zh: 在一座不太知名的殿宇旁，明宇和丽娟不约而同地停下脚步。En: By a less well-known temple, both Mingyu and Lijuan coincidentally stop in their tracks.Zh: 这里安静许多，阳光透过树叶洒下斑驳光影。En: It is much quieter here, with sunlight filtering through the leaves, casting dappled shadows.Zh: 他们开始交流，发现对方的目标出奇地契合。En: They begin to converse and discover that their goals surprisingly align.Zh: 明宇为丽娟讲解建筑背后的历史，丽娟则提供一个熟知档案馆手续的联系，让明宇看到希望。En: Mingyu explains the history behind the architecture to Lijuan, while Lijuan offers Mingyu a contact familiar with archive procedures, giving him a glimmer of hope.Zh: 两人决定一起努力。En: The two decide to work together.Zh: 明宇通过丽娟的帮助，顺利进入档案馆，找到了有关家族的珍贵资料。En: With Lijuan's help, Mingyu successfully accesses the archives and finds valuable materials about his family.Zh: 而丽娟也终于拍到一张完美的照片，捕捉到了清明节的宁静与庄重。En: Lijuan, in turn, manages to take a perfect photograph, capturing the tranquility and solemnity of the Qingming Festival.Zh: 画面里，丽娟用她的相机凝固住了一个永恒的瞬间。En: In the picture, Lijuan uses her camera to freeze an eternal moment.Zh: 两人坐在故宫的一处长廊，看着夕阳渐渐下沉。En: The two sit in a long corridor of the Forbidden City, watching the sunset slowly descend.Zh: 明宇感受到了分享历史发现的快乐，而丽娟则对作品的内涵有了更深刻的理解。En: Mingyu feels the joy of sharing historical discoveries, while Lijuan gains a deeper understanding of her work's meaning.Zh: 两人相视而笑，决定一同去探索更多的历史遗迹，将这些瞬间永远记录下来。En: They exchange smiles and decide to explore more historical sites together, recording these moments forever.Zh: 这个春天，交织了过去与未来的故事在这里静静流转，留下了属于他们的足迹。En: This spring, the stories intertwining the past and future flow quietly here, leaving their footprints behind. Vocabulary Words:permeates: 渗透commemorate: 纪念uncover: 揭示forgotten: 被遗忘的weaves: 穿过anxious: 焦急access: 进入archives: 档案馆striving: 努力tranquility: 安静throng: 人潮coincidentally: 不约而同地dappled: 斑驳converse: 交流align: 契合solemnity: 庄重eternal: 永恒corridor: 长廊descend: 下沉joy: 快乐discoveries: 发现deeper: 更深刻的entwining: 交织dapple: 洒下斑驳光影footprints: 足迹festive: 节日的scenic: 景色优美的photography: 摄影captures: 捕捉blend: 交融

It's highly technical work in what looks more like a lab than a museum: a fragment of a glazed roof tile from Beijing's Forbidden City is analyzed in a state-of-the-art X-ray diffraction machine that produces images which are then projected onto computer screens. The fragment being examined has a dark area on its surface that restorers want to understand. Their objective is to better preserve the artifacts at the sprawling imperial palace, the former home of China's emperors and its seat of power for hundreds of years. "We want to learn what the black material is," said Kang Baoqiang, one of the restorers at the complex, today a museum that attracts tourists from all over the world. "Whether it's atmospheric sediment or the result of substantial change from within." About 150 workers on the team fuse scientific analysis and traditional techniques to clean, patch up and otherwise revive the more than 1.8 million relics in the museum's collection. They include scroll paintings, calligraphy, bronzes, ceramics—and, somewhat unexpectedly, ornate antique clocks that were gifted to emperors by early European visitors. Down the hall from the X-ray room, two other restorers patch up holes on a panel of patterned green silk with the Chinese character for "longevity" sewn into it, carefully adding color in a process called "inpainting." The piece is believed to have been a birthday gift to Empress Dowager Cixi, the power behind the throne in the late 19th and early 20th century. Much of the work is laborious and monotonous—and takes months to complete. "I don't have the big dreams of protecting traditional cultural heritage that people talk about," said Wang Nan, one of the restorers. "I simply enjoy the sense of achievement when an antique piece is fixed." Restoration techniques have also evolved, said Qu Feng, head of the museum's Conservation Department, though the old ways remain the foundation of the work. When we preserve an antique piece, we "protect the cultural values it carries," Qu said. "And that is our ultimate goal." This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Rivalry and Revelations: Art Restored at the Forbidden City Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-04-15-22-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 北京的故宫在清明节时节焕发着迷人的春色。En: The Forbidden City in Beijing during the Qingming Festival is vibrant with captivating spring colors.Zh: 古老的建筑在阳光的映照下显得格外壮丽，周围的花朵纷纷绽放，香气四溢。En: The ancient buildings, bathed in sunlight, appear exceptionally magnificent, surrounded by blooming flowers and permeated with fragrance.Zh: 这里的一切都充满着历史的厚重感，使人肃然起敬。En: Everything here is imbued with a solemn sense of history, commanding respect from all who visit.Zh: 在故宫一间鲜为人知的小室里，李伟正专注于修复一幅新发现的古画。En: In a little-known room within the Forbidden City, an art restorer named Li Wei is deeply focused on restoring a newly discovered ancient painting.Zh: 这幅画非常破损，色彩黯淡，纸张发黄，似乎被时间遗忘。En: This painting is severely damaged, with faded colors and yellowed paper, seemingly forgotten by time.Zh: 李伟是一位充满激情的文物修复师，心中一直怀有一个梦想——创作属于自己的艺术作品，并得到展出的机会。En: Li Wei is a passionate artifact restorer, who harbors a dream of creating his own artwork and gaining the opportunity to exhibit it.Zh: 与李伟共同工作的是他的同事陈。En: Working alongside Li Wei is his colleague Chen.Zh: 陈和李伟同时寻求同一个项目的认可，在这竞争激烈的环境中，两人之间隐隐存在着竞争的火花。En: Both Chen and Li Wei are seeking recognition for the same project, and in this highly competitive environment, there are subtle sparks of rivalry between them.Zh: 李伟感受到压力，因为这个项目的成败可能关系到他的未来。En: Li Wei feels the pressure, as the success or failure of this project could determine his future.Zh: 而指导他们的则是经验丰富的小明师傅，他对李伟要求严格，但亦不乏关怀。En: Guiding them is the experienced master Xiaoming, who is strict with Li Wei but also caring.Zh: 随着修复工作的深入，李伟发现这幅画的损毁比想象中更加严重，时间也越来越紧迫。En: As the restoration work progresses, Li Wei realizes that the damage to the painting is more severe than expected, and time is running out.Zh: 他开始犹豫，是否该与竞争对手陈合作，以确保修复工作的质量。En: He begins to hesitate, wondering whether he should collaborate with his rival Chen to ensure the quality of the restoration work.Zh: 经过深思熟虑，李伟决定尝试合作，为不让历史瑰宝毁于一旦。En: After careful consideration, Li Wei decides to attempt collaboration to prevent this historical treasure from being lost.Zh: 在一起工作的过程中，李伟与陈一同交流修复的技术，分享各自的看法。En: During their collaboration, Li Wei and Chen exchange restoration techniques and share their perspectives.Zh: 渐渐地，李伟发现陈不仅仅是个对手，还是一个有着同样热爱的人。En: Gradually, Li Wei discovers that Chen is not just a competitor, but someone who shares the same passion.Zh: 在合作中，他们彼此取长补短，使画作逐渐恢复了昔日的光彩。En: Together, they complement each other's strengths, gradually restoring the painting's former brilliance.Zh: 就在最终呈现之前，李伟偶然发现画作的角落里有一行几乎无法辨识的古代铭文。En: Just before the final presentation, Li Wei accidentally discovers nearly indistinguishable ancient inscriptions in the corner of the painting.Zh: 他小心翼翼地将其清理出来，终于揭示出画作的重大历史意义。En: He carefully cleans them, revealing the painting's significant historical importance.Zh: 这个发现让所有人都惊叹不已。En: This discovery leaves everyone in awe.Zh: 在展示当天，李伟的修复工作赢得了评审的高度认可。En: On the day of the exhibition, Li Wei's restoration work receives high praise from the judges.Zh: 更让他喜出望外的是，他被邀请将自己的艺术作品与其他年轻艺术家的作品一同展出。En: Even more delightfully, he is invited to exhibit his own artistic works alongside other young artists.Zh: 他终于实现了多年的梦想。En: He has finally realized his long-held dream.Zh: 通过这次经历，李伟不但为修复事业和文物保护作出了贡献，还意识到合作的重要性。En: Through this experience, Li Wei not only contributed to the restoration and preservation of artifacts but also understood the importance of collaboration.Zh: 他更深刻地理解了自己的能力，对未来充满了信心。En: He gained a deeper understanding of his capabilities and is filled with confidence for the future.Zh: 从此，他朝着他的艺术梦想迈出了更坚定的一步。En: He has taken a more determined step toward his artistic dreams.Zh: 清明节的故宫在他的心中留下了难忘的印记，仿佛又翻开了新的篇章。En: The Qingming Festival at the Forbidden City left an unforgettable mark on his heart, as if opening a new chapter in his life. Vocabulary Words:vibrant: 焕发captivating: 迷人magnificent: 壮丽fragrance: 香气imbued: 充满solemn: 肃然art restorer: 文物修复师passionate: 充满激情artifact: 文物recognition: 认可competitive: 竞争激烈rivalry: 竞争pressure: 压力severe: 严重collaboration: 合作techniques: 技术perspectives: 看法complement: 取长补短indistinguishable: 无法辨识inscriptions: 铭文significant: 重大historical: 历史presentation: 呈现awe: 惊叹exhibition: 展示praise: 认可delightfully: 喜出望外confidence: 信心determined: 坚定unforgettable: 难忘的

十九世紀中葉 shí jiǔ shì jì zhōng yè - mid-19th century西方列強 xī fāng liè qiáng - Western powers侵略 qīn lüè - invasion, aggression地理大發現 dì lǐ dà fā xiàn - Age of Discovery (Great Geographical Discoveries)船隻 chuán zhī - ships, vessels接觸 jiē chù - contact, interaction工業革命 gōng yè gé mìng - Industrial Revolution迅速 xùn sù - rapid, fast武器 wǔ qì - weapons先進 xiān jìn - advanced, sophisticated淪為 lún wéi - to become (a worse state), to be reduced to半殖民半封建 bàn zhí mín bàn fēng jiàn - semi-colonial and semi-feudal屈辱 qū rǔ - humiliation, disgrace鴉片貿易 yā piàn mào yì - opium trade清朝 qīng cháo - Qing Dynasty (1644–1911)戰敗 zhàn bài - to be defeated in war簽訂 qiān dìng - to sign (a treaty, contract)南京條約 nán jīng tiáo yuē - Treaty of Nanjing開放通商口岸 kāi fàng tōng shāng kǒu àn - opening trade ports割讓香港 gē ràng xiāng gǎng - ceding Hong Kong主權 zhǔ quán - sovereignty喪失 sàng shī - to lose (rights, sovereignty, etc.)實力 shí lì - strength, capability大幅下降 dà fú xià jiàng - to decline sharply八國聯軍 bā guó lián jūn - Eight-Nation Alliance (1900 invasion of China)侵華 qīn huá - invasion of China入侵 rù qīn - to invade以...為由 yǐ ... wéi yóu - using ... as an excuse鎮壓 zhèn yā - to suppress, to crack down義和團 yì hé tuán - Boxer Rebellion (anti-foreign movement in 1899-1901)攻進 gōng jìn - to attack and enter佔領 zhàn lǐng - to occupy紫禁城 zǐ jìn chéng - Forbidden City洗劫 xǐ jié - to loot, to plunder頤和園 yí hé yuán - Summer Palace辛丑條約 xīn chǒu tiáo yuē - Boxer Protocol (1901 treaty)賠款 péi kuǎn - reparations, indemnity白銀 bái yín - silver (currency in historical China)消弱 xiāo ruò - to weaken, to diminish處境 chǔ jìng - situation, plight艱難 jiān nán - difficult, tough偽滿洲國 wèi mǎn zhōu guó - Manchukuo (puppet state in Northeast China, 1932-1945)殖民統治 zhí mín tǒng zhì - colonial rule南京大屠殺 nán jīng dà tú shā - Nanjing Massacre (1937)殺害 shā hài - to kill, to murder不甘心 bù gān xīn - unwilling to accept, resentful打壓 dǎ yā - suppression, crackdown自尊心 zì zūn xīn - self-esteem, sense of dignity損害 sǔn hài - to damage, to harm致力於 zhì lì yú - to commit to, to devote efforts to話語權 huà yǔ quán - discourse power, right to speak in international affairsIf your goal in 2025 is to improve your Chinese, meet more Taiwanese friends, and discuss a variety of topics like politics, culture, war, news, economics, and more! I invite you to book a one-on-one trial lesson with me

"This piece is based on a field recording of a drum and gong ensemble performance in Beijing's Forbidden City. In Chinese culture, such performances are traditionally associated with ceremonial events, including weddings, funerals, housewarmings, Lunar New Year celebrations, and dragon or lion dances. While the rhythms may initially seem repetitive, they are filled with intricate sonic textures and dynamic nuances. "In my composition, I deconstructed the original recording, isolating specific elements, such as the cymbal strikes, and used granular synthesis to generate new sonic materials. At the same time, I retained portions of the ensemble's characteristic rhythms to encourage the audience to focus on these distinctive traditional sounds. To maintain a connection with the original recording, I introduced a steady percussive rhythm at 1:25, with its density meticulously designed to mirror the rhythmic complexity of the source material. "In Chinese tradition, drum and gong performances often serve as background music for ceremonies, where attention is directed more toward the event than the music itself. For some, listening to these sounds in isolation might seem monotonous. However, this piece invites listeners to reconsider these sounds, exploring their intrinsic plasticity and uncovering the deeper potential within them." Beijing temple music reimagined by Boyi Bai. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world's most famous sights.  Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage

This recording captures the beautiful performance of traditional music and dance at the Forbidden City (Imperial Palace) in Beijing, China. Recorded by Colin Hunter. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world's most famous sights.  Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage

We end our trio of insider views into the Forbidden City by looking at the life - and strictures - of the Big Man himself: the emperor. Turn out it's not all banquets and parades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nestled deep in the heart of Beijing, the Forbidden City stands as one of the world's greatest architectural marvels. Built in the early 15th century as the secretive seat of imperial rule, it's the largest palace complex anywhere in the world, and the biggest wooden structure on earth. But how did an audacious coup lead to the construction of this mysterious compound? What was life like inside the gated city? And how did it survive revolution, civil war, invasion, and natural disasters, to remain relevant even today?   This is a Short History Of The Forbidden City. A Noiser Production, written by Sean Coleman. With thanks to Dr Stephen Whiteman, a Reader in the Art and Architecture of China at The Courtauld Institute of Art.  Get every episode of Short History Of a week early with Noiser+. You'll also get ad-free listening, bonus material, and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you're on Spotify or Android, go to https://www.noiser.com/noiser-plus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A look into the inner heart of the mysterious Forbidden City of Beijing, and at its most protected - and confined - denizens: the women of the Imperial palace. From Empress, to concubine, to lowly maid - women hold up half of Heaven. Please support the show!: patreon.com/thehistoryofchina Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review!This episode takes us on a journey through grand castles and mystical kingdoms as we dive into the majestic world of Top 5 Palaces, the breathtaking fantasy epic Princess Mononoke, and the delightful children's series Sofia the First.Palaces in film aren't just settings—they're symbols of power, magic, and intrigue. Whether steeped in history or conjured from fantasy, these cinematic castles and palaces have left a lasting impression on audiences.1. The Imperial Palace – The Last Emperor (1987)The Forbidden City in Beijing serves as the breathtaking backdrop for Bernardo Bertolucci's historical masterpiece. Its grandeur reflects the isolation and opulence of the young emperor's life. 2. Hogwarts – Harry Potter Series (2001-2011)A magical castle rather than a traditional palace, but let's be honest—Hogwarts is as grand and majestic as any royal residence.3. The Grand Budapest Hotel – The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)Though fictional, its lavish design and color palette make it one of the most memorable cinematic palaces. (Ed: is it though?)4. The Castle in the Sky – Castle in the Sky (1986)Studio Ghibli's floating fortress, Laputa, is an awe-inspiring mix of magic, history, and mystery. It serves as both a relic of the past and a symbol of lost power, perfectly embodying the themes of the film.5. The Palace of Agrabah – Aladdin (1992 & 2019)Disney's shimmering golden palace, home to the Sultan and Princess Jasmine, captures the magic and adventure of the Arabian Nights. Its lavish domes and sprawling gardens make it one of the most iconic palaces in animation.Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke is an epic that blends mythology, environmental themes, and breathtaking animation into a powerful tale of conflict and coexistence.The story follows Ashitaka, a young prince cursed by a demon after defending his village. Seeking a cure, he embarks on a journey that leads him to a battle between humans, led by the ambitious Lady Eboshi, and the spirits of the forest, including the fierce warrior Princess Mononoke (San).While darker and more mature than some of Ghibli's other films, Princess Mononoke is a masterpiece that older kids and adults can appreciate for its depth and emotional weight.For younger viewers, Sofia the First offers a charming introduction to the world of princesses and magic, wrapped in fun adventures and valuable life lessons.Sofia, an ordinary girl, becomes royalty overnight when her mother marries the king. As she navigates palace life, she learns about kindness, responsibility, and courage—often with the help of magical amulets and familiar Disney princesses.From grand palaces to mystical forests, this episode celebrates the magic and wonder of cinema's most enchanting worlds. So grab your crown, saddle up your wolf, and join us for a royal adventure!

She had every reason to quit—grief, financial struggles, and the challenge of protecting her late partner's dream. But instead of giving up, Abbey Tiu built Leilani Asian Fusion, a restaurant that honors Jason Morales' legacy. She also runs a successful mental health practice dedicated to helping others heal. How did she turn tragedy into success, and what can you learn from her journey? Watch until the end to find out.Abbey Tiu is a restaurateur and entrepreneur based in Aurora, Illinois. She is the owner of Leilani Asian Fusion, a dining establishment located in the historic Hobbs Building at 2 N. River St. in downtown Aurora. The restaurant, which opened on August 9, 2024, offers a diverse menu featuring inventive takes on sushi, steak, vegetarian dishes, boba (bubble tea), and signature cocktails. Leilani Asian Fusion also houses an underground lounge called Forbidden City, inspired by Southeast Asian nightclubs, offering rum-inspired craft cocktails, beer, and wine. The name "Leilani" honors Abbey's daughter and serves as a tribute to her late partner, Jason Morales, an exceptional restaurateur, entrepreneur, and engineer who was a longtime supporter of Aurora's revitalization. His giving spirit and zest for life are integral to the restaurant's ethos.Outline00:00 Kicking Off Season Four of Tuesdays with Andrea1:00 Abbey Intro and Bio5:22 From the Phillipines to the United States7:06 Joining a gang10:24 Transition from Gang Life to Mentorship14:06 Dropping out of high school19:05 Dealing with a troubled marriage20:12 Building a Mental Health Practice26:26 Leaving an unhealthy relationship32:49 Meeting Jason Morales34:39 Building Leilani Asian Fusion36:59 Jason's Passing and the Impact on Abby's Life42:00 Balancing Personal and Professional Life45:46 Not Missing an Opportunity49:27 Leilani Asian Fusion1:02:45 Advice and Insights for Listeners1:11:08 Faith in the Universe and Vision Board Goals1:13:00 Connection and Support from a Distance

Everything you ever wanted to know (and probably some you didn't) about Court Eunuchs in Imperial China (warning: contains description of castration & its effects) Mary M. Anderson, Hidden Power: The Palace Eunuchs of Imperial China. Duhalde, Marcelo. "How an army of eunuchs ran the Forbidden City" in The South China Morning Post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Henry Puyi, the six-year old Emperor of China, abdicated the throne on 12th February, 1912 —but of course it was his adoptive mother, Empress Dowager Longyu, who did the paperwork. With tears in her eyes, she dramatically whispered, “I am the sinner of a thousand years.” Meanwhile, young Puyi had only pressing question: “Does that mean I don't have to study anymore?”  Plucked from his home at age two, Puyi grew up as ruler in The Forbidden City, the centre of ancient traditions, even as the empire was crumbling. By the time he was 12, it was time for another surreal experience—marriage. Meanwhile, his Scottish tutor, Reginald Johnston, introduced him to movies and Western culture. But the imperial bubble popped for good in 1924 when soldiers finally kicked him out of the Forbidden City, and for the first time in centuries, China had no emperor.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain what Puyi did into exile; reveal how he coped when the Chinese Communist Party decided to rebrand him as a model citizen; and discover what Bertolucci's acclaimed movie of his life got wrong... Further Reading: • ‘The Last Emperor's Humble Occupation' (TIME, 1999): https://time.com/archive/6955501/the-last-emperors-humble-occupation/ • 'Pu Yi, last Emperor of China, is pardoned' (History Today, 2009): https://www.historytoday.com/archive/pu-yi-last-emperor-china-pardoned • ‘CHINA: Emperor Puyi crowned in Manchukuo' (BRITISH PARAMOUNT NEWSREEL, 1934): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwApqUm1KkI Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: A Letter's Legacy: Lina's Courage in the Forbidden City Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-01-27-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 紫禁城披着一层洁白的雪，红色的灯笼和节日的装饰在古老的走廊间摇曳，为这个历史悠久的地方增添了节日气氛。En: The Zijin Cheng, wearing a coat of pure white snow, swayed with red lanterns and festive decorations in its ancient corridors, adding a holiday atmosphere to this historic place.Zh: 农历新年即将来临，整个北京都沉浸在欢庆的气氛中。En: The Nongli Xinnian was approaching, and all of Beijing was immersed in a celebratory mood.Zh: 在紫禁城的一个安静的角落，年轻的策展人丽娜正在整理历史档案。En: In a quiet corner of the Zijin Cheng, a young curator named Lina was organizing historical archives.Zh: 她发现了一封看似陌生的信。En: She discovered a seemingly unfamiliar letter.Zh: 在信封泛黄的边缘，她觉得那是一封重要的信。En: With its yellowed envelope, she felt it was an important letter.Zh: 丽娜是个充满热情的策展人，致力于保护历史。En: Lina was a passionate curator, dedicated to preserving history.Zh: 她的导师智总是谨慎小心，而来访的历史学家凯以其大胆的理论闻名。En: Her mentor, Zhi, was always cautious, while the visiting historian, Kai, was known for his bold theories.Zh: “我应该告诉智吗？”丽娜心想。En: "Should I tell Zhi?" Lina thought.Zh: 她知道智喜欢以传统的方式处理事务，他可能会对这封信不以为然。En: She knew Zhi liked to handle things traditionally and might dismiss the letter.Zh: 然而，她心中的渴望强烈，想用这封信在即将到来的展览中展示一些新意。En: However, she was strongly eager to showcase some novelty at the upcoming exhibition.Zh: 这时，凯偶然路过，看到丽娜脸上的困惑神情。En: At that moment, Kai happened to pass by and noticed the puzzled expression on Lina's face.Zh: “发现了什么有趣的东西吗？”凯问。En: "Have you found something interesting?" Kai asked.Zh: 丽娜犹豫了一下，然后把信给凯看。En: Lina hesitated for a moment, then showed the letter to Kai.Zh: 凯读完后，眼中闪过一丝激动：“这可能是个突破！我们应该将它展示给公众。”En: After reading it, a flicker of excitement appeared in his eyes: "This could be a breakthrough! We should present it to the public."Zh: 丽娜的心在动摇。En: Lina's heart wavered.Zh: 智可能会反对，但凯的话让她有种不想错过的冲动。En: Zhi might oppose it, but Kai's words sparked a desire not to miss this opportunity.Zh: 丽娜最终选择去见智，带着这封信。En: Lina ultimately chose to meet with Zhi, bringing the letter with her.Zh: 智仔细阅读后，脸色凝重。En: Zhi read it carefully, his expression grave.Zh: “丽娜，我担心这会影响整个展览的主题，”他说。En: "I'm concerned it might affect the entire theme of the exhibition," he said.Zh: “有时，过于激进并不好。”En: "Sometimes, being too radical isn't good."Zh: 丽娜感到不知所措。En: Lina felt bewildered.Zh: 她尊敬智，但也逐渐被凯的勇气感染。En: She respected Zhi, but was increasingly influenced by Kai's courage.Zh: 她需要做出一个决定。En: She needed to make a decision.Zh: 随着春节庆祝活动的临近，展览的筹备工作如火如荼。En: With the Chunjie celebrations approaching, the preparation for the exhibition was in full swing.Zh: 丽娜终于下定决心，在新闻发布会上，她展示了这封信。En: Lina finally made up her mind, and during the press conference, she showcased the letter.Zh: 台下瞬间陷入沉默，然后爆发出一片嗡嗡声。En: The audience fell silent instantly, then erupted into a buzz.Zh: 所有人都被这份新发现吸引了。En: Everyone was fascinated by this new discovery.Zh: 更令人惊喜的是，经过权威验证，这封信被证实是正版。En: More astonishingly, after authoritative verification, the letter was confirmed to be genuine.Zh: 信件的内容为展览增添了丰富的历史意义，数不胜数的参观者前来观赏。En: The content of the letter enriched the historical significance of the exhibition, attracting countless visitors.Zh: 这不仅是对展览的成功，更是对历史保护的致敬。En: This was not only a testament to the success of the exhibition but also a tribute to the preservation of history.Zh: 丽娜在此次事件中变得更加自信。En: Through this event, Lina became more confident.Zh: 她学会了相信自己的直觉，同时在传统与创新之间找到了平衡。En: She learned to trust her instincts and found a balance between tradition and innovation.Zh: 智也对她的成长感到欣慰，而凯则对她的勇气表示钦佩。En: Zhi felt gratified by her growth, while Kai admired her courage.Zh: 紫禁城的雪依然飘零，古老而庄严的墙壁在这一刻见证了新旧交替间的传承。En: The snow still drifted in the Zijin Cheng, the ancient and solemn walls bearing witness to the inheritance between the old and new.Zh: 丽娜望着熙熙攘攘的人群，心中溢满自豪与满足。En: Lina gazed at the bustling crowd, her heart filled with pride and contentment. Vocabulary Words:corridors: 走廊immersed: 沉浸curator: 策展人archives: 档案envelope: 信封dedicated: 致力于mentor: 导师cautious: 谨慎dismiss: 不以为然novelty: 新意expression: 神情breakthrough: 突破wavered: 动摇oppose: 反对grave: 凝重radical: 激进bewildered: 不知所措preparation: 筹备showcased: 展示audience: 台下verification: 验证genuine: 正版significance: 意义testament: 见证tribute: 致敬contentment: 满足gratified: 欣慰inheritance: 传承bustling: 熙熙攘攘enchanted: 吸引

One of the most famous rulers in Chinese history, the Yongle emperor (r. 1402–24) gained renown for constructing Beijing's magnificent Forbidden City, directing ambitious naval expeditions, and creating the world's largest encyclopedia. What the Emperor Built: Architecture and Empire in the Early Ming (U Washington Press, 2020) is the first book-length study devoted to the architectural projects of a single Chinese emperor. Focusing on the imperial palaces in Beijing, a Daoist architectural complex on Mount Wudang, and a Buddhist temple on the Sino-Tibetan frontier, Aurelia Campbell demonstrates how the siting, design, and use of Yongle's palaces and temples helped cement his authority and legitimize his usurpation of power. Campbell offers insight into Yongle's sense of empire—from the far-flung locations in which he built, to the distant regions from which he extracted construction materials, and to the use of tens of thousands of craftsmen and other laborers. Through his constructions, Yongle connected himself to the divine, interacted with his subjects, and extended imperial influence across space and time. Spanning issues of architectural design and construction technologies, this deft analysis reveals remarkable advancements in timber-frame construction and implements an art-historical approach to examine patronage, audience, and reception, situating the buildings within their larger historical and religious contexts. Noelle Giuffrida is a professor and curator of Asian art at the School of Art and the David Owsley Museum of Art at Ball State University. Email: ngiuffrida@bsu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

One of the most famous rulers in Chinese history, the Yongle emperor (r. 1402–24) gained renown for constructing Beijing's magnificent Forbidden City, directing ambitious naval expeditions, and creating the world's largest encyclopedia. What the Emperor Built: Architecture and Empire in the Early Ming (U Washington Press, 2020) is the first book-length study devoted to the architectural projects of a single Chinese emperor. Focusing on the imperial palaces in Beijing, a Daoist architectural complex on Mount Wudang, and a Buddhist temple on the Sino-Tibetan frontier, Aurelia Campbell demonstrates how the siting, design, and use of Yongle's palaces and temples helped cement his authority and legitimize his usurpation of power. Campbell offers insight into Yongle's sense of empire—from the far-flung locations in which he built, to the distant regions from which he extracted construction materials, and to the use of tens of thousands of craftsmen and other laborers. Through his constructions, Yongle connected himself to the divine, interacted with his subjects, and extended imperial influence across space and time. Spanning issues of architectural design and construction technologies, this deft analysis reveals remarkable advancements in timber-frame construction and implements an art-historical approach to examine patronage, audience, and reception, situating the buildings within their larger historical and religious contexts. Noelle Giuffrida is a professor and curator of Asian art at the School of Art and the David Owsley Museum of Art at Ball State University. Email: ngiuffrida@bsu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

One of the most famous rulers in Chinese history, the Yongle emperor (r. 1402–24) gained renown for constructing Beijing's magnificent Forbidden City, directing ambitious naval expeditions, and creating the world's largest encyclopedia. What the Emperor Built: Architecture and Empire in the Early Ming (U Washington Press, 2020) is the first book-length study devoted to the architectural projects of a single Chinese emperor. Focusing on the imperial palaces in Beijing, a Daoist architectural complex on Mount Wudang, and a Buddhist temple on the Sino-Tibetan frontier, Aurelia Campbell demonstrates how the siting, design, and use of Yongle's palaces and temples helped cement his authority and legitimize his usurpation of power. Campbell offers insight into Yongle's sense of empire—from the far-flung locations in which he built, to the distant regions from which he extracted construction materials, and to the use of tens of thousands of craftsmen and other laborers. Through his constructions, Yongle connected himself to the divine, interacted with his subjects, and extended imperial influence across space and time. Spanning issues of architectural design and construction technologies, this deft analysis reveals remarkable advancements in timber-frame construction and implements an art-historical approach to examine patronage, audience, and reception, situating the buildings within their larger historical and religious contexts. Noelle Giuffrida is a professor and curator of Asian art at the School of Art and the David Owsley Museum of Art at Ball State University. Email: ngiuffrida@bsu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/architecture

One of the most famous rulers in Chinese history, the Yongle emperor (r. 1402–24) gained renown for constructing Beijing's magnificent Forbidden City, directing ambitious naval expeditions, and creating the world's largest encyclopedia. What the Emperor Built: Architecture and Empire in the Early Ming (U Washington Press, 2020) is the first book-length study devoted to the architectural projects of a single Chinese emperor. Focusing on the imperial palaces in Beijing, a Daoist architectural complex on Mount Wudang, and a Buddhist temple on the Sino-Tibetan frontier, Aurelia Campbell demonstrates how the siting, design, and use of Yongle's palaces and temples helped cement his authority and legitimize his usurpation of power. Campbell offers insight into Yongle's sense of empire—from the far-flung locations in which he built, to the distant regions from which he extracted construction materials, and to the use of tens of thousands of craftsmen and other laborers. Through his constructions, Yongle connected himself to the divine, interacted with his subjects, and extended imperial influence across space and time. Spanning issues of architectural design and construction technologies, this deft analysis reveals remarkable advancements in timber-frame construction and implements an art-historical approach to examine patronage, audience, and reception, situating the buildings within their larger historical and religious contexts. Noelle Giuffrida is a professor and curator of Asian art at the School of Art and the David Owsley Museum of Art at Ball State University. Email: ngiuffrida@bsu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most famous rulers in Chinese history, the Yongle emperor (r. 1402–24) gained renown for constructing Beijing's magnificent Forbidden City, directing ambitious naval expeditions, and creating the world's largest encyclopedia. What the Emperor Built: Architecture and Empire in the Early Ming (U Washington Press, 2020) is the first book-length study devoted to the architectural projects of a single Chinese emperor. Focusing on the imperial palaces in Beijing, a Daoist architectural complex on Mount Wudang, and a Buddhist temple on the Sino-Tibetan frontier, Aurelia Campbell demonstrates how the siting, design, and use of Yongle's palaces and temples helped cement his authority and legitimize his usurpation of power. Campbell offers insight into Yongle's sense of empire—from the far-flung locations in which he built, to the distant regions from which he extracted construction materials, and to the use of tens of thousands of craftsmen and other laborers. Through his constructions, Yongle connected himself to the divine, interacted with his subjects, and extended imperial influence across space and time. Spanning issues of architectural design and construction technologies, this deft analysis reveals remarkable advancements in timber-frame construction and implements an art-historical approach to examine patronage, audience, and reception, situating the buildings within their larger historical and religious contexts. Noelle Giuffrida is a professor and curator of Asian art at the School of Art and the David Owsley Museum of Art at Ball State University. Email: ngiuffrida@bsu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/chinese-studies

One of the most famous rulers in Chinese history, the Yongle emperor (r. 1402–24) gained renown for constructing Beijing's magnificent Forbidden City, directing ambitious naval expeditions, and creating the world's largest encyclopedia. What the Emperor Built: Architecture and Empire in the Early Ming (U Washington Press, 2020) is the first book-length study devoted to the architectural projects of a single Chinese emperor. Focusing on the imperial palaces in Beijing, a Daoist architectural complex on Mount Wudang, and a Buddhist temple on the Sino-Tibetan frontier, Aurelia Campbell demonstrates how the siting, design, and use of Yongle's palaces and temples helped cement his authority and legitimize his usurpation of power. Campbell offers insight into Yongle's sense of empire—from the far-flung locations in which he built, to the distant regions from which he extracted construction materials, and to the use of tens of thousands of craftsmen and other laborers. Through his constructions, Yongle connected himself to the divine, interacted with his subjects, and extended imperial influence across space and time. Spanning issues of architectural design and construction technologies, this deft analysis reveals remarkable advancements in timber-frame construction and implements an art-historical approach to examine patronage, audience, and reception, situating the buildings within their larger historical and religious contexts. Noelle Giuffrida is a professor and curator of Asian art at the School of Art and the David Owsley Museum of Art at Ball State University. Email: ngiuffrida@bsu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/art

Beijing is a city with over 3,000 years of recorded history. Not only is this a city with a rich history, it has a rich culture, some of which is surrounded by folklore and the supernatural. There are several haunted locations in this capital city of China. Chaonei (Chow nay) No. 81 is found in the Dongcheng District and is a unique brick structure with an obscure history that seems to be mostly connected to the Catholic church. No one really knows why it is haunted, but it is said to be one of the most haunted locations in China. There is the Huguang Guild Hall, a haunted theater. A home for royalty, the Prince Gong's Mansion, has a couple ghosts stories. The Bell Tower may be connected to a young woman's ultimate sacrifice and now it occasionally rings out her haunting cry. And the Forbidden City itself has some creepy stories. Join us for the history and hauntings of Beijing, China. The Moment in Oddity features the Tabitha Babbit Circular Saw and This Month in History features the birth of Eli Whitney. Check out the website: http://historygoesbump.com Show notes can be found here: https://historygoesbump.blogspot.com/2024/12/hgb-ep-568-haunted-beijing.html  Become an Executive Producer: http://patreon.com/historygoesbump Music used in this episode:  Main Theme: Lurking in the Dark by Muse Music with Groove Studios (Moment in Oddity) "Vanishing" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (This Month in History) "In Your Arms" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Outro Music: Happy Fun Punk by Muse Music with Groove Studios Other music used in this episode: Creepy Asian Theme created and produced by History Goes Bump Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Snow on the Forbidden City: A Tale of Healing and Harmony Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2024-12-23-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 冬至节的前一天，紫禁城被覆盖在一片洁白的雪中。En: The day before the Dongzhi Festival, the Forbidden City was covered in a blanket of white snow.Zh: 宫灯在悠悠飘雪中闪烁，映照出这座宏伟皇宫的庄严。En: Palace lanterns flickered amidst the leisurely falling snow, reflecting the grandeur of this magnificent imperial palace.Zh: 宫墙内，人心却充满了不安。En: Inside the palace walls, however, the people's hearts were filled with unease.Zh: 皇后突然染上了一种神秘的病，宫中的御医和太医们都束手无策。En: The Empress suddenly fell ill with a mysterious illness, leaving the court physicians and imperial doctors helpless.Zh: 李信是宫中的御医，他对皇后的健康十分关注。En: Li Xin was an imperial doctor in the palace, deeply concerned about the Empress's health.Zh: 李信每天清晨跪拜在佛前祈求皇后早日康复。En: Every morning, Li Xin knelt before Buddha, praying for the Empress's prompt recovery.Zh: 随着冬至节的临近，李信心中充满了紧迫感和责任感。En: As the Dongzhi Festival approached, Li Xin felt a strong sense of urgency and responsibility.Zh: 传统的草药和针灸都似乎对皇后的病情没有起色，他忧心如焚。En: Traditional herbal medicine and acupuncture seemed to have no effect on the Empress's condition, and he was anguished.Zh: 美玉是新来的宫廷药剂师，她对草药有深厚的理解。En: Meiyu was the newly arrived court herbalist, with a profound understanding of herbs.Zh: 美玉的医术虽然非传统，但很多人相信她的手段有奇效。En: Although Meiyu's medical techniques were unconventional, many believed in her methods' miraculous effects.Zh: 李信对这些新的药方心存疑虑，因为一直以来他都是遵从传统医学的准则。En: Li Xin harbored doubts about these new prescriptions, as he had always adhered to traditional medical principles.Zh: 他常常看到美玉在雪中采摘一些宫中少见的草药。En: He often saw Meiyu picking rare herbs in the snow within the palace grounds.Zh: “李大人，”一天黄昏，美玉在御药房内对李信说道，“我或许可以试一个新疗方，我们可以尝试结合我俩的知识，或许能帮助皇后。En: "Minister Li," Meiyu said to Li Xin in the imperial pharmacy one evening, "I might try a new remedy.Zh: ”李信沉思片刻，说：“美玉姑娘，我知道你有心。En: We could combine our knowledge; perhaps it could help the Empress."Zh: 可是，这样的想法实在是太冒险了。En: Li Xin pondered for a moment and said, "Meiyu, I know you are well-intentioned.Zh: ”“时间不多了。En: But such an idea is truly risky."Zh: ”美玉接着说道，“冬至节快到了，皇后需要尽快好转。En: "There is not much time," Meiyu continued, "The Dongzhi Festival is approaching, and the Empress needs to recover soon."Zh: ”李信挣扎着；他的心中充满了对皇后的责任。En: Li Xin struggled with his decision; his heart was laden with responsibility for the Empress.Zh: 他决定鼓起勇气，“好吧，我们试试。En: He decided to muster the courage, "Alright, let's try."Zh: ”两人共同研制了一种新药，结合了传统和美玉的独特配方，他们焦急地等待着结果。En: Together, they developed a new medicine, combining traditional methods with Meiyu's unique formula, and anxiously awaited the results.Zh: 很快，皇后病情开始好转，她逐渐恢复了意识。En: Soon, the Empress's condition began to improve, and she gradually regained consciousness.Zh: 冬至节当日，宫中锣鼓喧天，欢庆节日的到来。En: On the day of the Dongzhi Festival, the palace was filled with the sound of gongs and drums, celebrating the arrival of the festival.Zh: 皇后亲自出现在庆典上，脸色红润，全都得益于李信和美玉的医术。En: The Empress appeared in person at the celebration, her complexion rosy, all thanks to the medical skills of Li Xin and Meiyu.Zh: 李信赞美道：“美玉姑娘，谢谢你。En: Li Xin praised, "Meiyu, thank you.Zh: 是你的智慧帮助了我们。En: It was your wisdom that helped us."Zh: ”美玉微笑回应：“李大人，我们的合作让我也学到了许多。En: Meiyu smiled and replied, "Minister Li, our collaboration taught me so much as well."Zh: ”从那以后，李信对不同医学方法有了新的尊重。En: From then on, Li Xin gained a newfound respect for different medical approaches.Zh: 他开始在自己的医术中融入更多的创新，同时保持着传统的根基。En: He began to integrate more innovation into his medical practices while maintaining the foundations of tradition.Zh: 紫禁城再一次被欢庆和感激的气氛所包围，李信和美玉成了宫中人人敬重的医者。En: The Forbidden City was once again enveloped in an atmosphere of celebration and gratitude, with Li Xin and Meiyu becoming respected doctors within the palace.Zh: 冬至节的雪，静静地落在紫禁城的宫墙之上，见证了一次不平凡的康复奇迹。En: The snow of the Dongzhi Festival quietly fell upon the palace walls of the Forbidden City, witnessing an extraordinary miracle of recovery. Vocabulary Words:flickered: 闪烁grandeur: 庄严magnificent: 宏伟imperial: 皇宫的unease: 不安mysterious: 神秘prayed: 祈求recovery: 康复urgency: 紧迫感responsibility: 责任感anguished: 忧心如焚herbalist: 药剂师profound: 深厚unconventional: 非传统miraculous: 奇效prescriptions: 药方remedy: 疗方muster: 鼓起anxiously: 焦急地consciousness: 意识complexion: 脸色collaboration: 合作innovation: 创新enveloped: 包围gratitude: 感激respected: 尊重empress: 皇后integrate: 融入adhered: 遵从prescription: 新药

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Fuse of Time: A Historian and Photographer's Creative Journey Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2024-11-06-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 秋天的故宫，金黄色的银杏叶在风中飘舞，充满了双重九节的欢乐气氛。En: In the autumn of the Gugong (Forbidden City), the golden yinxing (ginkgo) leaves dance in the wind, filling the air with the joyous atmosphere of the Shuangchongjiujie (Double Ninth Festival).Zh: 故宫的红墙金瓦在阳光下熠熠生辉，人潮涌动，节日庆典正在热烈进行。En: The red walls and golden roofs of the Forbidden City gleam under the sunlight, as crowds gather, and festive celebrations are in full swing.Zh: 明是一位历史学家。En: Ming is a historian.Zh: 他特别喜欢在这种节日中讲述节日的历史故事。En: He especially enjoys telling historical stories about festivals during such events.Zh: 恋是一名摄影师，专注于捕捉每个文化节日的美丽。En: Lian is a photographer focused on capturing the beauty of every cultural festival.Zh: 两人都在寻找心灵的寄托。En: Both are searching for solace for their souls.Zh: 节日的喧闹中，明看到了正忙于拍照的恋。En: Amidst the festival's hustle and bustle, Ming noticed Lian, who was busy taking photos.Zh: 她的相机记录每一个精彩瞬间，却忽略了这些瞬间背后的历史故事。En: Her camera captured every wonderful moment, yet overlooked the historical stories behind them.Zh: 明心想：“这些照片如果能有历史的深度就更好了。En: Ming thought to himself, "These photos would be even better with historical depth."Zh: ”明走上前，微笑着对恋说：“你好，你在拍摄双重九节的照片吗？En: Ming approached with a smile and said to Lian, "Hello, are you photographing the Double Ninth Festival?"Zh: ”恋点头，说：“是的，我希望能捕捉到节日的精髓。En: Lian nodded and said, "Yes, I hope to capture the essence of the festival."Zh: ”但当明开始讲述双重九节的历史，恋却显得有些不耐烦。En: But when Ming started to tell the history of the Double Ninth Festival, Lian seemed a bit impatient.Zh: “照片应该传达自己的意境，”恋说。En: "Photos should convey their own meaning," Lian said.Zh: 两人就照片该如何呈现历史问题争论不休。En: The two argued endlessly about how photos should present history.Zh: 但经过一番思考，明决定换个方式。En: But after some thought, Ming decided to try a different approach.Zh: 他提出带恋游览故宫，边走边讲解，让她的每张照片都有一个故事背景。En: He suggested taking Lian on a tour of the Forbidden City, explaining the stories as they walked, so that each of her photos would have a storytelling background.Zh: 虽然起初心存疑虑，但恋同意了。En: Although initially hesitant, Lian agreed.Zh: 她意识到明的观点也许对她的作品有帮助。En: She realized that Ming's perspective might be beneficial to her work.Zh: 走在故宫长廊上，明细心讲述着墙壁上的每一个图案和背后的故事。En: Walking along the corridors of the Forbidden City, Ming carefully narrated the stories behind each pattern on the walls.Zh: 恋开始记录这些历史故事，并在相机取景框中寻找新的灵感。En: Lian began to document these historical stories and seek new inspiration through her camera lens.Zh: 这时，一场壮观的舞龙表演在庭院中展开。En: At that moment, a spectacular dragon dance performance unfolded in the courtyard.Zh: 明和恋都被眼前的场景所吸引。En: Both Ming and Lian were captivated by the scene.Zh: 舞龙队伍随着鼓声起舞，龙身在阳光下闪烁，仿佛敲响了古今的交响。En: The dragon dance troupe swayed to the drumbeats, the dragon's body shimmering under the sunlight, as if sounding a symphony across time.Zh: 明和恋同时按下快门，捕捉下这个瞬间。En: Ming and Lian simultaneously pressed the shutter, capturing the moment.Zh: 两人对视一笑，明白彼此看世界的角度不同，但热爱同一美丽。En: They exchanged a smile, understanding that while they viewed the world differently, they both cherished the same beauty.Zh: 活动结束，日暮时分，他们在故宫的角落坐下。En: As the event came to a close, at dusk, they sat in a corner of the Forbidden City.Zh: 明说：“历史也可以是现代的。En: Ming said, "History can also be modern."Zh: ”恋回答：“现代也需要历史的根。En: Lian replied, "The modern also needs historical roots."Zh: ”从那时起，明和恋开始一起创作。En: From that moment on, Ming and Lian began to create together.Zh: 他们的作品既有历史深度，也有现代美感。En: Their works held both historical depth and modern aesthetics.Zh: 明学会欣赏艺术的现代诠释，恋更重视历史在她作品中的分量。En: Ming learned to appreciate the modern interpretation of art, while Lian valued the weight of history in her work more highly.Zh: 他们携手，将历史与艺术完美结合，找到了彼此追寻的意义。En: Hand in hand, they perfectly combined history and art, finding the meaning they both sought.Zh: 两颗心在故宫的秋风中找到了共鸣，带着对未来的信心，走向属于他们的道路。En: In the autumn breeze of the Forbidden City, their hearts resonated with each other, moving forward with confidence into their future path. Vocabulary Words:autumn: 秋天ginkgo: 银杏dance: 飘舞joyous: 欢乐gleam: 熠熠生辉historian: 历史学家solace: 寄托bustle: 喧闹essence: 精髓impatient: 不耐烦endlessly: 不休perspective: 观点corridors: 长廊narrated: 讲述document: 记录inspiration: 灵感spectacular: 壮观troupe: 队伍shimmering: 闪烁symphony: 交响aesthetics: 美感appreciate: 欣赏interpretation: 诠释cherished: 热爱resonated: 共鸣confidence: 信心captured: 捕捉modern: 现代combined: 结合path: 道路

Our guest this week is David “Zeb” Cook as we continue our Gary Con 2024 series of 50 years of Dungeons and Dragons interviews. We talk about his involvement in 49 of the 50 years of D&D's existence and how satisfying it's been for him to see his work impacting generations of people.We discuss his late 1970s start at TSR by editing Queen of the Demonweb Pits (Q1), writing Slave Pits of the Undercity (A1) as the first project that he wrote at TSR, running tournaments at the very earliest Gen Cons and Origins, how Dwellers of the Forbidden City came from his writing sample to get the job at TSR. We talk about his love of Conan, writing the first Conan module Conan Unchained! (CB1) and writing the Conan Role-Playing Game.TSR in the 1980s: growth from a staff of gamers and hobbyists to running a successful company. Dealing with the Satanic Panic. Being lead designer on the 2nd edition AD&D. Worked on D&D through 1994 with Planescape and some smaller projects before moving on to video games. Follow Zeb at: Wikipedia - FB - Amazon —ANNOUNCEMENTSGamehole Con: October 17th through 20th in Madison, Wisconsin. We'll have a booth right up front in the Podcasters and Press section. Come say hi to Dragon Warrior and pick up some Dungeon Cats and Mad Dungeon season three Rise of the Vat Spawn swag!PAX Unplugged: December 6th through 8th in Philadelphia. Come say hi to Tiger Wizard at the Exalted Funeral booth, and play some games with Dragon Warrior every morning at the Alexandria RPG Library room.Dungeon Cats: Tiger Wizard's rules-lite TTRPG where you play feline adventures is now available at Exalted Funeral. Delve into lush carpeted dungeons to vanquish giant rats, demonic dog spawn and the half full food bowl. You only have 9 lives. Live them adventurously!THE MEGA DUNGEON MEN EP: Our new TTRPG fantasy meets hip hop album, The Mega Dungeon Men EP, with features from nerdcore legends Mega Ran and MC Frontalot, is now available on all streaming platforms.JOIN OUR MAILING LIST by clicking the newsletter button at epiclevelsrapgods.com—Thanks for listening to Season Three of the Epic Levels Mad Dungeon podcast, where D&D hip hop group Epic Levels alternate between “Rise of the Vat Spawn,” an actual play using Mystic Punks RPG, and Side Quests where we interview other game creators.You can support us via Patreon for early episode releases, bonus map content, extra art, access to our discord server, and lots of other exclusive goodies.Get nerd merch and stay up to date with socials: HEREMad Dungeon is hosted by Andrew Bellury, Steve Albertson, Robin Bellury and produced by Zach Cowan.Theme song by Epic Levels and beat by Jay Domingo.© 2024 Epic Levels. All characters in our adventures–even those based on real people–are entirely fictional.

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: From Pretend Protagonist to Real Connection in the Forbidden City Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.org/from-pretend-protagonist-to-real-connection-in-the-forbidden-city Story Transcript:Zh: 秋天的故宫，天空湛蓝，空气中弥漫着月饼的甜香。En: In the autumn at the Forbidden City, the sky was a deep blue, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of mooncakes.Zh: 人们穿着传统服装，灯笼在微风中轻轻晃动。En: People wore traditional clothing, and lanterns swayed gently in the breeze.Zh: 小飞、连、若曦三人正踏入这热闹的中秋节日。En: Xiaofei, Lian, and Ruoxi stepped into the bustling Mid-Autumn Festival.Zh: 小飞最爱历史，这次他兴奋异常。En: Xiaofei loved history the most and was extremely excited this time.Zh: 他偷偷瞟了一眼若曦，心里盼着能借这次机会给若曦留下深刻印象。En: He sneaked a glance at Ruoxi, hoping to make a lasting impression on her with this opportunity.Zh: 连则在一旁，只想着赶紧找一家摊位，好来几块月饼美餐一顿。En: Lian, on the other hand, just wanted to find a stall quickly to enjoy some mooncakes.Zh: 若曦是最近加入的小伙伴，她对故宫的每一件历史服装都充满了兴趣，还不停地提出问题。En: Ruoxi was the newest member of their group and was fascinated by every historical costume in the Forbidden City, constantly asking questions.Zh: 看到这些盛装打扮的演员，她发自内心地感到惊叹。En: She was genuinely amazed by the actors dressed in such splendid attire.Zh: 不知不觉中，他们被一群人围住。En: Before they knew it, they were surrounded by a crowd, who mistakenly believed Xiaofei and his friends were part of the official performance.Zh: 这些人误以为小飞他们也是官方表演的一部分。En: "You're the protagonist of this play, aren't you?"Zh: “你就是这场戏的主人公吧？En: asked a staff member with thick glasses, directing his question at Xiaofei.Zh: ”一位戴着厚厚眼镜的工作人员问小飞。En: Xiaofei was startled, but to impress Ruoxi, he decided to play along and act as if he was an important character in the play.Zh: 小飞心中大惊，但为了在若曦面前表现自己，他决定将错就错，装作自己是戏中的重要角色。En: He thought that at least he could demonstrate his historical knowledge.Zh: 他想，至少可以展示一下自己的历史知识吧。En: "That's right, it's me!"Zh: “没错，就是我！En: Xiaofei replied, with a hint of confidence in his voice, but he felt his palms sweating.Zh: ”小飞回答，语气中夹杂着一丝自信，可他却感到手心冒汗。En: As the event continued, the audience grew larger.Zh: 随着活动继续，观众越来越多。En: Xiaofei, Lian, and Ruoxi were led into a hall of the palace.Zh: 小飞、连和若曦被引导到宫殿的大厅内。En: It turned out to be a reenactment of an "imperial meeting."Zh: 原来是即将开始一场“皇庭会面”的情景再现。En: The host handed the microphone to Xiaofei, "Would this young gentleman please give us a speech?"Zh: 主持人将话筒递给小飞，“请这位公子为我们发表讲话。En: Xiaofei thought he was going to be exposed but, seeing Ruoxi's expectant gaze, he took a deep breath.Zh: ”小飞心想，这下要露馅了，但看到若曦期待的目光，他深吸一口气。En: "Uh, hello, everyone!Zh: “呃，大家好！En: Today, here in the beautiful Forbidden City, we celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together.Zh: 今天我们在这美丽的故宫，一同庆祝中秋节。En: I...Zh: 我……我很高兴能与大家分享这段珍贵的历史。En: I'm very glad to share this precious history with you all."Zh: ”小飞努力保持镇定，但结结巴巴的话音引得大家哈哈大笑。En: Xiaofei tried to remain calm, but his stammered speech made everyone burst into laughter.Zh: 幸亏大家都被这寓意深远的场景和小飞的幽默感染，活动氛围依旧热烈。En: Fortunately, everyone was moved by the meaningful scene and charmed by Xiaofei's humor, keeping the event lively.Zh: 若曦笑着走近小飞：“虽然你不是真正的角色，但你让我看见了你的努力和勇敢。En: Ruoxi smiled and approached Xiaofei, "Although you're not a real actor, you've shown me your effort and courage."Zh: ”活动结束后，小飞、连和若曦一齐漫步在故宫的庭院中。En: After the event, Xiaofei, Lian, and Ruoxi strolled through the courtyard of the Forbidden City.Zh: 小飞意识到，比起历史知识，本色出演和幽默也许更能打动人心。En: Xiaofei realized that perhaps being genuine and humorous could touch hearts more than historical knowledge.Zh: 他偷偷想，这或许就是这次节日最难忘的瞬间。En: He secretly thought that this might be the most unforgettable moment of the festival.Zh: 中秋的月亮升起，银白色的月光洒在三人的笑脸上。En: The Mid-Autumn moon rose, casting silvery-white moonlight on their smiling faces.Zh: 他们相信，在这个特殊的节日，明年会有更多的美妙回忆等着他们。En: They believed that on this special holiday, more wonderful memories awaited them next year. Vocabulary Words:autumn: 秋天Forbidden City: 故宫lanterns: 灯笼bustling: 热闹extremely: 异常sneaked: 偷偷impression: 印象stall: 摊位fascinated: 充满了兴趣splendid: 盛装attire: 服装startled: 大惊protagonist: 主人公microphone: 话筒stammered: 结结巴巴burst: 大笑meaningful: 寓意深远charmed: 感染genuine: 本色humorous: 幽默courtyard: 庭院unforgettable: 最难忘的scent: 甜香traditional: 传统performance: 表演reenactment: 情景再现precious: 珍贵courteous: 勇敢audience: 观众silvery-white: 银白色

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Moonlit Mystery: Forbidden City Treasure Hunt Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.org/moonlit-mystery-forbidden-city-treasure-hunt Story Transcript:Zh: 中秋节的黄昏，故宫笼罩在温暖的金色阳光中。En: On the evening of the Zhongqiujie (Mid-Autumn Festival), the Gugong (Forbidden City) was bathed in warm golden sunlight.Zh: 灯笼高挂，增添了节日的气氛。En: Lanterns were hung high, adding to the festive atmosphere.Zh: 人们的笑声在宫殿中回荡，但在这喧闹背后，一场危机悄然酝酿。En: Laughter echoed through the palace, but behind this noise, a crisis was quietly brewing.Zh: 紫禁城内传来了一个令人不安的消息：一件珍贵的文物消失了。En: A disturbing piece of news spread within the Zijincheng (Forbidden City): a precious artifact had disappeared.Zh: 贾浩是一位细心而内向的艺术史学者，正焦急不安。En: Jia Hao was a meticulous and introverted art historian, feeling anxious and uneasy.Zh: 他知道这件文物的价值，也明白找回它对他的事业有多么重要。En: He understood the artifact's value and how crucial retrieving it was for his career.Zh: 他渴望获得认可，为此他决定与梅琳和强强联手。En: Eager for recognition, he decided to team up with Mei Lin and Qiang Qiang.Zh: 梅琳是故宫的安保专家，她务实且富有怀疑精神。En: Mei Lin was a security expert at the Gugong, practical and full of skepticism.Zh: 强强则是一个富有魅力的导游，一直向往更为刺激的生活。En: Qiang Qiang was a charming tour guide who had always yearned for a more thrilling life.Zh: 三人聚集在故宫的一个小屋里讨论策略。En: The three gathered in a small room in the Gugong to discuss strategies.Zh: 贾浩坚定地说：“我们必须找到它，这不仅重要于我个人，更保护了我们的历史。”En: Jia Hao said determinedly, "We must find it. This is important not only to me personally, but also to protect our history."Zh: 梅琳点头，她表示严格的安全程序是关键，但也意识到一个新的视角可能会带来突破。En: Mei Lin nodded, acknowledging that strict security measures were key, but also realizing that a new perspective might bring a breakthrough.Zh: 强强思考着：“或许我可以利用我对游客的熟悉，找出谁可能与此事有关。”En: Qiang Qiang pondered, "Maybe I can use my familiarity with the tourists to find out who might be involved in this."Zh: 调查随着日落进入高潮。En: The investigation reached a climax as the sun set.Zh: 假线索层出不穷，让贾浩感到沮丧，但他从未放弃。En: False leads emerged one after another, leaving Jia Hao frustrated, but he never gave up.Zh: 他回忆起一段古老的故宫传说，文物常常在一些节日之时要通过特别的方法妥善隐藏。En: He recalled an ancient Gugong legend that artifacts were often hidden in special ways during certain festivals.Zh: 中秋节的月圆之夜，也许正是揭开真相的时机。En: The full moon night of the Zhongqiujie might just be the right time to uncover the truth.Zh: 三人顺利到达了一个鲜为人知的宫室。En: The trio successfully reached a little-known room in the palace.Zh: 当月光透过窗户洒下银辉时，他们在墙后发现了一扇隐藏的门。En: When the moonlight spilled silver beams through the window, they discovered a hidden door behind the wall.Zh: 门后，是消失已久的文物，静静地保存着。En: Behind it was the long-lost artifact, quietly preserved.Zh: 原来它是被故宫前的看守者藏起来，以防止政治劫夺。En: It turned out to have been hidden by the former guards of the Gugong to prevent political seizure.Zh: 贾浩终于找回了文物，他充满感激地看向梅琳和强强。En: Jia Hao finally retrieved the artifact and looked gratefully at Mei Lin and Qiang Qiang.Zh: 他不再是独自追求学术的孤狼，而是领会到团队合作的力量。En: He was no longer a lone wolf pursuing academic goals but had learned the power of teamwork.Zh: 通过这次冒险，他不仅赢得了学界的承认，也找到了真正的朋友。En: Through this adventure, he not only earned recognition in the academic world but also found true friends.Zh: 这个故事以充满希望的尾声收场，贾浩在故宫的庭院中，抬头仰望满月。En: The story ends on a hopeful note, with Jia Hao in the courtyard of the Gugong, gazing up at the full moon.Zh: 并肩站立的三人心中都无比满足。En: The three, standing shoulder to shoulder, felt immensely satisfied in their hearts. Vocabulary Words:bathed: 笼罩festive: 节日的atmosphere: 气氛crisis: 危机artifact: 文物introverted: 内向meticulous: 细心skepticism: 怀疑精神thrilling: 刺激的strategies: 策略determinedly: 坚定地security: 安保measures: 程序perspective: 视角pondered: 思考climax: 高潮frustrated: 沮丧legend: 传说hidden: 隐藏retrieved: 找回gratefully: 充满感激地adventure: 冒险recognition: 承认lone wolf: 孤狼teamwork: 团队合作courtyard: 庭院gazing: 仰望satisfied: 满足brewing: 酝酿seizure: 劫夺

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Forbidden Hearts: An Autum Romance in Beijing's Ancient Palace Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.org/forbidden-hearts-an-autum-romance-in-beijings-ancient-palace Story Transcript:Zh: 秋天到了，北京的故宫金黄一片。En: Autumn has arrived, and Beijing's Forbidden City is draped in golden hues.Zh: 树叶在微风中飘落，为这座历史悠久的宫殿增添了一份静美。En: Leaves fall gently in the breeze, adding a serene beauty to this historic palace.Zh: 此时，艺术历史学家丽玲正在故宫中漫步，细细观察着每一个雕刻细节。En: At this moment, art historian Liling is strolling through the Forbidden City, closely observing every carved detail.Zh: 她专注于古代中国艺术，希望通过亲身体验获得更深刻的理解。En: She is dedicated to ancient Chinese art, hoping to gain a deeper understanding through firsthand experience.Zh: 丽玲的好友梅常常提醒她，不要把心思全部放在工作上，要懂得生活。En: Liling's friend Mei often reminds her not to focus entirely on work and to know how to live.Zh: 梅这次同行，想让丽玲放松心情，享受北京的文化魅力。En: Mei accompanies her this time, wanting Liling to relax and enjoy the cultural charm of Beijing.Zh: “丽玲，你看，这么美的地方，你应该多看看周围的人和风景。”梅笑着对丽玲说。En: "Liling, look at this beautiful place, you should look more at the people and scenery around you," Mei says with a smile.Zh: 这时，正在给游客讲解的导游正吸引了她们的注意。En: At this time, a tour guide giving an explanation to tourists catches their attention.Zh: 正，他是个热爱中国文化与历史的当地导游，说话风趣，知识渊博。En: Zheng, a local guide who loves Chinese culture and history, speaks humorously and is very knowledgeable.Zh: 丽玲一边听他讲解，一边对他的热情和专业印象深刻。En: As Liling listens, she is impressed by his enthusiasm and professionalism.Zh: “你好，我是正，”导游休息时，他主动和她们打招呼。En: "Hello, I am Zheng," the guide greets them during his break.Zh: “你们对这里的历史也很感兴趣吗？”En: "Are you also interested in the history here?"Zh: “是的，我是丽玲，正在研究古代艺术。”丽玲微微一笑。En: "Yes, I am Liling, currently researching ancient art," Liling replies with a slight smile.Zh: “那真好！故宫就是一个宝库。”正兴奋地回应。En: "That's great! The Forbidden City is a treasure trove," Zheng responds excitedly.Zh: 他们开始一起探索故宫的每一个角落。En: They start exploring every corner of the Forbidden City together.Zh: 正为丽玲介绍了很多他从小听老人们说的故事，而丽玲则分享她研究中的新发现。En: Zheng shares many stories he heard from elders as a child, while Liling shares new discoveries from her research.Zh: 随着交流的深入，他们都感受到彼此间流动的温暖。En: As their conversation deepens, they both feel a warm connection between them.Zh: 中秋节的夜晚来临。En: The night of the Mid-Autumn Festival arrives.Zh: 故宫被点亮，灯笼在夜空中闪烁，营造出独特的节日氛围。En: The Forbidden City is lit up, and lanterns twinkle in the night sky, creating a unique festive atmosphere.Zh: 正邀请丽玲一起参加这里的庆祝活动，他们在灯火流光中分享着对历史的热爱和彼此的心情。En: Zheng invites Liling to join the celebration there; amidst the lights, they share their love for history and their feelings.Zh: 站在月光下，丽玲发现自己被一种全新的感受包围。En: Standing under the moonlight, Liling finds herself enveloped by a completely new feeling.Zh: 她逐渐明白，打开心扉接受新关系和体验并没有阻碍她的研究，反而丰富了她的生活与学识。En: She gradually realizes that opening her heart to new relationships and experiences hasn't hindered her research; on the contrary, it has enriched her life and knowledge.Zh: 正则觉得，有丽玲这样的伙伴一起分享他的兴趣，是多么美好的缘分。En: Zheng feels that having a companion like Liling to share his interests with is a wonderful destiny.Zh: 最终，丽玲和正决定进一步探索彼此之间的关系。En: Ultimately, Liling and Zheng decide to further explore their relationship with each other.Zh: 他们明白，生活和事业都能够在平衡中拥有更美好的未来。En: They understand that both life and career can achieve a more beautiful future in balance.Zh: 秋夜宁静，明月缓缓升起，照亮了故宫的屋顶，也照亮了两个人的心。En: The autumn night is peaceful, the bright moon slowly rises, illuminating the roofs of the Forbidden City and the hearts of these two people.Zh: 在这片弥漫着文化气息的土地上，他们开始了一段新的旅程。En: On this land filled with cultural atmosphere, they embark on a new journey together. Vocabulary Words:autumn: 秋天draped: 金黄一片serene: 静美historic: 历史悠久的strolling: 漫步carved: 雕刻dedicated: 专注understanding: 理解focus: 心思relax: 放松cultural charm: 文化魅力scenery: 风景tourists: 游客humorously: 风趣knowledgeable: 知识渊博enthusiasm: 热情professionally: 专业greeting: 打招呼interested: 感兴趣treasure trove: 宝库exploring: 探索elders: 老人deepens: 深入warm: 温暖Mid-Autumn Festival: 中秋节lanterns: 灯笼festive atmosphere: 节日氛围enveloped: 包围hindered: 阻碍enriched: 丰富

Join Beaker and Ghosty in this spine-chilling episode as we delve into the enigmatic and eerie tales surrounding the Forbidden City, China's imperial palace that has stood for centuries. Once the heart of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, this majestic complex is not only a symbol of architectural brilliance but also a repository of ghostly legends and dark secrets. Discover the stories of restless spirits that roam its ancient halls, the tragic fates of past emperors, and the eerie occurrences reported by visitors and caretakers alike. We explore how the rich history of the Forbidden City intertwines with the supernatural. Tune in to uncover the mysteries that lurk within the walls of this iconic landmark, and prepare for a journey into the haunting past of one of the world's most extraordinary places! Have an interesting story to share? Please tell us about it, email: evp.pod@gmail.com Follow us on social media (@evp.pod) and check out all the ways to listen and watch the podcast:  https://linktr.ee/evp.pod Looking for the best shop to find paranormal investigating equipment, check out Ghost Stop:  https://ghoststop.com/?rfsn=6873776.882712

Return to the "World of Lone Wolf series" with our second podcast dedicated to Grey Star's desperate and strange quest! Racing against the minions of Shasarak the Wytch-King and the terror of Desolation Valley, our fledgling would-be-wizard must make his way to the Daziarn and seek out the Moonstone before all is lost! Join Jonathan and August for an in-depth analysis of this exciting book and learn what lies beyond the Mountains of Morn, and whose presence sickens the dread halls of the Forbidden City.

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Moonlit Legends: Forbidden City's Night of Enchantment Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.org/moonlit-legends-forbidden-citys-night-of-enchantment Story Transcript:Zh: 秋天的北京，空气中弥漫着淡淡的桂花香。En: In the fall of Beijing, the air is filled with a faint osmanthus fragrance.Zh: 中秋节让紫禁城变得格外热闹，游客们蜂拥而至。En: The Mid-Autumn Festival makes the Forbidden City especially lively, with tourists flocking in.Zh: 梅雨、晓博和丽华，是这里的导游。En: Meiyu, Xiaobo, and Li Hua are the guides here.Zh: 他们穿梭在红墙金瓦间，忙得不可开交。En: They bustle between the red walls and golden tiles, busy beyond belief.Zh: 梅雨热爱历史。En: Meiyu loves history.Zh: 她的梦想是恢复古代艺术品。En: Her dream is to restore ancient artworks.Zh: 今天，她的目标是点燃游客对历史的热情。En: Today, her goal is to ignite the visitors' passion for history.Zh: 可是，大量的游客，让她感到压力。En: However, the sheer number of tourists makes her feel pressured.Zh: 丽华是个有经验的导游。En: Li Hua is an experienced guide.Zh: 她善于安排，但即使是她，也难以控制今天的人流。En: She is good at organizing, but even for her, managing today's crowd is difficult.Zh: 晓博是一名大学生，兼职赚学费。En: Xiaobo is a university student, working part-time to earn his tuition.Zh: 他也想了解自己的文化，但今天的忙碌让他无暇思考。En: He also wants to learn about his own culture, but today's busyness leaves him no time to think.Zh: 梅雨想到了一个特别的主意。En: Meiyu came up with a special idea.Zh: 她提议，晚上举办一个特别的夜间游览，讲述紫禁城的神秘传说。En: She proposed holding a special evening tour to tell the mysterious legends of the Forbidden City.Zh: 大家都同意，因为这次活动听起来既新颖又吸引人。En: Everyone agreed, as this activity sounded both novel and appealing.Zh: 灯笼挂在紫禁城的角落，把古老的道路照得璀璨夺目。En: Lanterns were hung in the corners of the Forbidden City, illuminating the ancient paths brilliantly.Zh: 到了晚上，月亮挂在天空，显得格外圆满。En: In the evening, the moon hung in the sky, appearing particularly full.Zh: 然而，突然之间，倾盆大雨从天而降，打乱了他们的计划。En: However, all of a sudden, a torrential downpour descended, disrupting their plans.Zh: 梅雨面临艰难的选择。En: Meiyu faced a difficult choice.Zh: 她不愿让游客失望，于是迅速决定带领大家去一个有顶盖的庭院。En: Unwilling to let the tourists down, she quickly decided to lead everyone to a covered courtyard.Zh: 这里不仅避雨，而且更适合讲故事。En: Here, they could not only stay dry but it was also more suitable for storytelling.Zh: 在庭院中，梅雨用动人的声音讲述着紫禁城的历史和传说。En: In the courtyard, Meiyu narrated the history and legends of the Forbidden City with an enchanting voice.Zh: 游客们在灯笼的柔光下倾听，似乎雨声也成为了背景音乐。En: Tourists listened under the gentle glow of lanterns, as if the sound of rain had become background music.Zh: 梅雨发现，游客不仅对古老建筑感兴趣，也对这些生动的故事充满热情。En: Meiyu found that visitors were not only interested in ancient buildings but also passionate about these vivid stories.Zh: 大家都被她的讲解所吸引。En: Everyone was captivated by her explanations.Zh: 即使是下着雨，也没有人离开。En: Even in the rain, not a single person left.Zh: 这次经历让梅雨更加自信，她意识到在意外中，创造力和历史知识一样重要。En: This experience made Meiyu more confident, making her realize that in unexpected situations, creativity is as important as historical knowledge.Zh: 雨慢慢停了，游客们纷纷拍手表示感谢。En: The rain gradually stopped, and tourists applauded to express their gratitude.Zh: 晓博和丽华都感到骄傲，而梅雨感觉重拾了她的梦想——让更多的人爱上历史。En: Xiaobo and Li Hua both felt proud, while Meiyu felt she had reclaimed her dream—to make more people fall in love with history.Zh: 夜深了，紫禁城再次恢复了宁静。En: As the night deepened, the Forbidden City returned to tranquility.Zh: 只有天上的月亮见证了这不平凡的夜晚。En: Only the moon in the sky witnessed this extraordinary night.Zh: 这一次的经历，让每个人都更加坚定和从容。En: This experience made everyone more determined and composed. Vocabulary Words:osmanthus: 桂花fragrance: 香flocking: 蜂拥而至bustle: 穿梭beyond belief: 不可开交restore: 恢复ignite: 点燃sheer: 大量的pressure: 压力managing: 控制tuition: 学费novel: 新颖appealing: 吸引人torrential: 倾盆downpour: 大雨disrupting: 打乱narrated: 讲述enchanting: 动人captivated: 吸引explanations: 讲解creativity: 创造力gradually: 慢慢applauded: 拍手gratitude: 感谢determined: 坚定composed: 从容tranquility: 宁静extraordinary: 不平凡experienced: 有经验的legend: 传说

On the 1st of October 1949, a huge crowd gathered in Tiananmen Square. In the shadow of Beijing's imperial Forbidden City, they listened as Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, proclaimed the birth of the People's Republic of China. The trials and tribulations of the Chinese people were over, he told them, and their liberation from the shackles of imperialism had finally arrived.To mark the 75th anniversary of the creation of the PRC, we're joined by Dr Jeremiah Jenne, an expert in Late Imperial and Modern China. He explains how the nation transitioned from imperial rule to Chinese Socialism and all about the key characters whose opposing visions for China's future created so much chaos along the way.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off for 3 months using code ‘DANSNOW'.We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.You can take part in our listener survey here.

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Secrets Under Moonlight: Unlocking the Forbidden City's Mysteries Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.org/secrets-under-moonlight-unlocking-the-forbidden-citys-mysteries Story Transcript:Zh: 夜晚，故宫的屋顶在秋月下闪耀，空气中弥漫着桂花的香气。En: At night, the rooftops of the Forbidden City glistened under the autumn moon, and the fragrance of osmanthus filled the air.Zh: 正是中秋节，人们在庭院里享受月饼，欢声笑语不断。En: It was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and people in the courtyard enjoyed mooncakes amidst constant laughter and chatter.Zh: 然而，丽芬没有心思赏月，她的心里充满了对家族传说的向往。En: However, Lifen had no mind for moon-gazing; her heart was filled with yearning for the family legend.Zh: 丽芬是一位年轻的艺术历史学家。En: Lifen was a young art historian.Zh: 她坚信在故宫深藏着一个秘密，一个关于她家族与古代皇室有联系的秘密。En: She firmly believed that a secret lay hidden deep within the Forbidden City—a secret connecting her family to the ancient royal court.Zh: 几代流传的家族故事声称，在故宫某个位子隐藏着一个古老的信件，揭示她的祖先曾是明朝宫廷的一部分。En: Stories passed down through generations claimed that an ancient letter was hidden somewhere in the Forbidden City, revealing that her ancestors were part of the Ming royal court.Zh: 丽芬选择去探索古籍馆，En: Lifen chose to explore the ancient books archive.Zh: 她在故宫工作良久，知道那里可能藏有她要寻找的东西。En: Having worked in the Forbidden City for a long time, she knew it might hold what she was seeking.Zh: 然而，她并不孤单，钟就在附近，默默地履行着他的职责。En: However, she was not alone; Zhong was nearby, quietly fulfilling his duties.Zh: 钟是故宫的保安，对丽芬的举动充满疑虑，他不习惯打破规则。En: Zhong, being a security guard at the Forbidden City, was full of suspicion about Lifen's actions, unaccustomed as he was to breaking rules.Zh: 在中秋晚宴后，丽芬悄悄溜进古籍馆。En: After the Mid-Autumn feast, Lifen quietly slipped into the ancient books archive.Zh: 她的脚步轻盈而坚定，但心里却踌躇不安。En: Her steps were light yet determined, but inside, she was perturbed.Zh: 她必须在钟发现她之前找到那封信。En: She needed to find the letter before Zhong discovered her.Zh: 钟则在外巡视，一如既往地注视着故宫的一切。En: Zhong was patrolling outside, as always watching over everything in the Forbidden City.Zh: 他对丽芬有些担心，这位年轻的学者似乎有些神秘。En: He was somewhat worried about Lifen, as the young scholar seemed a bit mysterious.Zh: 然而，他相信，在他所在的故宫里，没有秘密能永远隐瞒。En: Yet he believed that in the Forbidden City, where he worked, no secret could remain hidden forever.Zh: 经过长久的搜索，丽芬终于在一个书架后发现了一个隐蔽的隔层。En: After a long search, Lifen finally discovered a concealed compartment behind a bookshelf.Zh: 当她颤抖着手打开时，警报突然响起。En: Just as she opened it with trembling hands, an alarm suddenly blared.Zh: 钟迅速赶到了现场，看见丽芬神色凝重地站在门前。En: Zhong quickly rushed to the scene, seeing Lifen standing at the door with a grave expression.Zh: “你在做什么？”钟严肃地问,En: "What are you doing?" Zhong asked sternly.Zh: 虽然他心里充满疑问，但表面依然镇定。En: Although filled with doubt, he maintained a calm exterior.Zh: 丽芬咬了咬嘴唇，决定坦白地说：“这是一封信，我相信它和我的家族历史有关。”En: Lifen bit her lip and decided to confess openly, "It's a letter that I believe is related to my family's history."Zh: 钟沉默片刻，他看得出她眼中闪烁的诚实与渴望。En: Zhong was silent for a moment, seeing the honesty and desire glinting in her eyes.Zh: 在良知的驱使下，他做出了一个不寻常的决定。En: Driven by his conscience, he made an unusual decision.Zh: 他快速地帮助丽芬拿到信件，然后带她迅速离开古籍馆。En: He quickly helped Lifen retrieve the letter and then swiftly guided her out of the archive.Zh: “快走，在有人发现之前，”钟低声说。En: "Hurry, before anyone finds out," Zhong whispered.Zh: 两人成功地避开了惩罚，丽芬紧紧握着那封信。En: They successfully avoided punishment, and Lifen clutched the letter tightly.Zh: 她的心中充满了感激，不仅因为找到了信，也因为钟的帮助让她感受到分享秘密可以带来的信任。En: Her heart was filled with gratitude, not only for finding the letter but also for Zhong's help, which made her feel the trust that comes from sharing a secret.Zh: 那晚，丽芬和钟坐在故宫的角落，En: That night, Lifen and Zhong sat in a corner of the Forbidden City.Zh: 借着月光，她缓缓打开那封古老的信件。En: By moonlight, she slowly opened the ancient letter.Zh: 果然，信中提及她的一位祖先参与了明朝宫廷的某次重要事件。En: Indeed, it mentioned an ancestor of hers who participated in a significant event of the Ming court.Zh: 这一发现不仅丰富了她的家族历史，也让钟对宫殿中的历史故事燃起了新的兴趣。En: This discovery not only enriched her family history but also sparked a new interest in Zhong for the historical stories within the palace.Zh: 在故宫的月光下，两人共享着此刻的宁静与幸福，En: Under the moonlight of the Forbidden City, the two shared a moment of peace and happiness.Zh: 钟也从中体会到了历史的魅力。而丽芬，终于释怀了一直以来的寻根之旅，En: Zhong also experienced the allure of history, while Lifen finally concluded her long quest for roots.Zh: 她懂得了历史的力量，也懂得了与人分享的美好。En: She understood the power of history and the beauty of sharing with others. Vocabulary Words:rooftops: 屋顶glisten: 闪耀fragrance: 香气courtyard: 庭院mooncakes: 月饼yearning: 向往historian: 历史学家legend: 传说ancestors: 祖先archive: 馆patrolling: 巡视concealed: 隐蔽trembling: 颤抖blared: 响起grave: 凝重sternly: 严肃地confess: 坦白conscience: 良知punishment: 惩罚gratitude: 感激ancestor: 祖先significant: 重要的enriched: 丰富了sparked: 燃起quest: 旅程roots: 根基allure: 魅力autumn: 秋mysterious: 神秘sharing: 分享

This week, the boys reviewed the film year 2022, in which we saw over 50 films and discussed them in our feed. We feature “Decision To Leave,” Park Chan-wook's incredibly filmed Korean film, which is considered one of the best international films of the year. Dave flexes his cinematography chops by detailing how the hell they did some shots, John gets wet talking about storytelling, and Jeff drinks a lot. Grab a drink and join the conversation! Our phone number is 646-484-9298. It accepts texts or voice messages.  0:00 Intro; 8:33 Gripes; 14:50 2022 Year in Review; 33:34 Films of 2022: “Decision To Leave”; 1:16:57 What You Been Watching?; :28:41 Next Week's Movie Announcement Additional Cast/Crew: Park Hae-il, Tang Wei, Lee Jung-hyun, Go Kyung-pyo,, Tea Yoo, Seo Hyun-woo, Park Jeong-min, Lee Hak-joo, Jung Yi-seo, Go Min-se, Chung Seo-kyung, Kim Ji-yong. Hosts: Dave Green, Jeff Ostermueller, John Say Edited & Produced by Dave Green. Beer Sponsor: Carlos Barrozo Music Sponsor: Dasein Dasein on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/77H3GPgYigeKNlZKGx11KZ 
Dasein on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dasein/1637517407 Additional Tags: SAG-AFTRA, The Emmys, iPhones, Peking, Mao Zedong, The Forbidden City, Queensland, Australia, Melbourne, Sydney, Sisu, Auckland, New Zealand, Wilhelm Yell, Wilhelm Scream, Prince Charles, King Charles, John Wayne, Charleton Heston, Preparation H.   

For our 250th episode this week, the boys headed to Peking to discuss the Bernardo Bertolucci masterpiece ‘The Last Emperor.'  The random year generator spun 1987, and we set up the film year, noted some world events, and then discussed how great it is to no longer have fantastic films set in Chinese spoken in English. John, with full CoVid immunity, also caught ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' and gave us a spoiler-free mini-review.  Our phone number is 646-484-9298. It accepts texts or voice messages.  0:00 Intro; 1:25 250th Episod8:58 “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” mini review;16:16 Gripes; 20:54 1987 Year in Review; 40:58 Films of 1987: The Last Emperor; 1:21:36 What You Been Watching?; 1:33:10 Next Week's Movie Announcement Additional Cast/Crew: Enzo Ungari, Mark Peploe, John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O'Toole, Hans Zimmer, David Byrne, Ruocheng Ting, Victor Wong, Dennis Dun, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Maggie Han, Ric Young, Vivian Wu, Richard Vuu, Tsou Tijger, Tao Wu, Guang Fan, Henry Kyi, Puyi, Vittorio Storaro, Cong Su, Gabriella Cristiani, Ferdinando Scarfiotti, Jeremy Thomas. Hosts: Dave Green, Jeff Ostermueller, John Say Edited & Produced by Dave Green. Beer Sponsor: Carlos Barrozo Music Sponsor: Dasein Dasein on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/77H3GPgYigeKNlZKGx11KZ 
Dasein on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dasein/1637517407 Additional Tags: SAG-AFTRA, The Emmys, iPhones, Peking, Mao Zedong, The Forbidden City, Queensland, Australia, Melbourne, Sydney, Sisu, Auckland, New Zealand, Wilhelm Yell, Wilhelm Scream, Prince Charles, King Charles, John Wayne, Charleton Heston, Preparation H. 

The author of the following narrative has peculiar qualifications for her task. She is a daughter of Lord Yu Keng, a member of the Manchu White Banner Corps, and one of the most advanced and progressive Chinese officials of his generation. She became First Lady-in-Waiting to the Empress Dowager, and while serving at the Court in that capacity she received the impressions which provide the subject-matter of this book. Her opportunity to observe and estimate the characteristics of the remarkable woman who ruled China for so long was unique, and her narrative throws a new light on one of the most extraordinary personalities of modern times. Yielding to the urgent solicitation of friends, she consented to put some of her experiences into literary form, and the following chronicle, in which the most famous of Chinese women, the customs and atmosphere of her Court are portrayed by an intimate of the same race, is a result.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The author of the following narrative has peculiar qualifications for her task. She is a daughter of Lord Yu Keng, a member of the Manchu White Banner Corps, and one of the most advanced and progressive Chinese officials of his generation. She became First Lady-in-Waiting to the Empress Dowager, and while serving at the Court in that capacity she received the impressions which provide the subject-matter of this book. Her opportunity to observe and estimate the characteristics of the remarkable woman who ruled China for so long was unique, and her narrative throws a new light on one of the most extraordinary personalities of modern times. Yielding to the urgent solicitation of friends, she consented to put some of her experiences into literary form, and the following chronicle, in which the most famous of Chinese women, the customs and atmosphere of her Court are portrayed by an intimate of the same race, is a result.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

PREVIEW: PRC: HOUSING BUBBLE: Conversation with colleague Anne Stevenson-Yang re the collapse of the housing bubble that used iron and resources, now the abode of pigeons. More tonight. 1900 Forbidden City

Written by Carole Louie, Director of The Center of Reincarnation and Evolution, this book explores and explains the beliefs of all the world's major religions, and some not so major, that consider reincarnation to be a fact. It also traces the evolution of past life regression therapy as a vehicle for understanding who we are, and as an effective therapy for healing. Having studied these topics and practiced regression therapy for many years, and based on her own other-worldly experiences, she also reveals what she believes to be the true cosmology of birth, death, and rebirth. This is a must-read for all those with an interest in spirituality and a desire to know and understand the purpose of life on Earth.BioCarole Louie is on a spiritual journey. When she over came her lifelong fear of ghosts to communicate with her father's spirit, her world turned inside out. An award-winning Interior Designer, Louie juggled the experiences of her spiritual journey with the mundane world. Conversations with her father's ghost helped her accept her gift as a medium. Her explorations into her fa ther's Buddhist beliefs about ghosts and reincarnation in spired her to delve into reincarnation research. Louie's short story, I Remember, was published in the anthology From Ashes to Healing: Mystical Encounters with the Holocaust, compiled by Rabbi Yonassan Gershom.Louie is certified in Past Life Regression Therapy with The Weiss Institute and Carol Bowman and is a Certified Master Hypnotist with HCH Institute. She incorporates her gifts as a medium with her sessions. The Not-So-Secret Life of Emily Elizabeth, a paranormal mystery, is a cozy fiction based on a composite of past life memories. Conversations with a Hungry Ghost: Memoir of a Reluctant Medium tells the story of how Louie overcame her lifelong fear of ghosts to speak with her father and how their con versations guided her to his village in Taishan, China. Her genealogical research continued and led her to the gates of the Forbidden City. She documents her discoveries in The Legacy of the Lei Family Architects: The Story of Yang shi Lei. Unstuck in Time: Memoir of a Time Traveler is a true story about how love transcends time. It is a spiritual quest through many lives to discover the reasons why we rein carnate and how awareness of other lives can affect the present life. Louie is the Director of The Center of Reincarnation and Evolution, a center for spiritual growth in Richmond, VA. She offers private sessions, classes, workshops, and events to help others on their spiritual journey. She is the founder of the Reincarnation Symposium, an event that gathers people devoted to research, regression therapy, and who share their stories about remembering or experiences.Amazon link: https://shorturl.at/3Lz1Nhttps://carolelouie.net/ https://www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/https://www.patreon.com/ourparanormalafterlife

This week I am reading from Carole Louie's book 'The Cosmology of Reincarnation & Rebirth: A Brief History of Reincarnation & the Evolution of Past Life Regression'.Written by Carole Louie, Director of The Center of Reincarnation and Evolution, this book explores and explains the beliefs of all the world's major religions, and some not so major, that consider reincarnation to be a fact. It also traces the evolution of past life regression therapy as a vehicle for understanding who we are, and as an effective therapy for healing. Having studied these topics and practiced regression therapy for many years, and based on her own other-worldly experiences, she also reveals what she believes to be the true cosmology of birth, death, and rebirth. This is a must-read for all those with an interest in spirituality and a desire to know and understand the purpose of life on Earth.BioCarole Louie is on a spiritual journey. When she over came her lifelong fear of ghosts to communicate with her father's spirit, her world turned inside out. An award-winning Interior Designer, Louie juggled the experiences of her spiritual journey with the mundane world. Conversations with her father's ghost helped her accept her gift as a medium. Her explorations into her fa ther's Buddhist beliefs about ghosts and reincarnation in spired her to delve into reincarnation research. Louie's short story, I Remember, was published in the anthology From Ashes to Healing: Mystical Encounters with the Holocaust, compiled by Rabbi Yonassan Gershom. Louie is certified in Past Life Regression Therapy with The Weiss Institute and Carol Bowman and is a Certified Master Hypnotist with HCH Institute. She incorporates her gifts as a medium with her sessions. The Not-So-Secret Life of Emily Elizabeth, a paranormal mystery, is a cozy fiction based on a composite of past life memories. Conversations with a Hungry Ghost: Memoir of a Reluctant Medium tells the story of how Louie overcame her lifelong fear of ghosts to speak with her father and how their con versations guided her to his village in Taishan, China. Her genealogical research continued and led her to the gates of the Forbidden City. She documents her discoveries in The Legacy of the Lei Family Architects: The Story of Yang shi Lei. Unstuck in Time: Memoir of a Time Traveler is a true story about how love transcends time. It is a spiritual quest through many lives to discover the reasons why we rein carnate and how awareness of other lives can affect the present life. Louie is the Director of The Center of Reincarnation and Evolution, a center for spiritual growth in Richmond, VA. She offers private sessions, classes, workshops, and events to help others on their spiritual journey. She is the founder of the Reincarnation Symposium, an event that gathers people devoted to research, regression therapy, and who share their stories about remembering or experiences. Amazon link: https://shorturl.at/3Lz1Nhttps://carolelouie.net/https://www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/https://www.patreon.com/ourparanormalafterlifeBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/our-paranormal-afterlife-finding-proof-of-life-after-death--5220623/support.

Written by Carole Louie, Director of The Center of Reincarnation and Evolution, this book explores and explains the beliefs of all the world's major religions, and some not so major, that consider reincarnation to be a fact. It also traces the evolution of past life regression therapy as a vehicle for understanding who we are, and as an effective therapy for healing. Having studied these topics and practiced regression therapy for many years, and based on her own other-worldly experiences, she also reveals what she believes to be the true cosmology of birth, death, and rebirth. This is a must-read for all those with an interest in spirituality and a desire to know and understand the purpose of life on Earth.BioCarole Louie is on a spiritual journey. When she over came her lifelong fear of ghosts to communicate with her father's spirit, her world turned inside out. An award-winning Interior Designer, Louie juggled the experiences of her spiritual journey with the mundane world. Conversations with her father's ghost helped her accept her gift as a medium. Her explorations into her fa ther's Buddhist beliefs about ghosts and reincarnation in spired her to delve into reincarnation research. Louie's short story, I Remember, was published in the anthology From Ashes to Healing: Mystical Encounters with the Holocaust, compiled by Rabbi Yonassan Gershom.Louie is certified in Past Life Regression Therapy with The Weiss Institute and Carol Bowman and is a Certified Master Hypnotist with HCH Institute. She incorporates her gifts as a medium with her sessions. The Not-So-Secret Life of Emily Elizabeth, a paranormal mystery, is a cozy fiction based on a composite of past life memories. Conversations with a Hungry Ghost: Memoir of a Reluctant Medium tells the story of how Louie overcame her lifelong fear of ghosts to speak with her father and how their con versations guided her to his village in Taishan, China. Her genealogical research continued and led her to the gates of the Forbidden City. She documents her discoveries in The Legacy of the Lei Family Architects: The Story of Yang shi Lei. Unstuck in Time: Memoir of a Time Traveler is a true story about how love transcends time. It is a spiritual quest through many lives to discover the reasons why we rein carnate and how awareness of other lives can affect the present life. Louie is the Director of The Center of Reincarnation and Evolution, a center for spiritual growth in Richmond, VA. She offers private sessions, classes, workshops, and events to help others on their spiritual journey. She is the founder of the Reincarnation Symposium, an event that gathers people devoted to research, regression therapy, and who share their stories about remembering or experiences.Amazon link: https://shorturl.at/3Lz1Nhttps://carolelouie.net/ https://www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/https://www.patreon.com/ourparanormalafterlife

This week I am talking to Carole Louie about her book 'The Cosmology of Reincarnation and Rebirth: A Brief History of Reincarnation and the Evolution of Past Life Regression'.Written by Carole Louie, Director of The Center of Reincarnation and Evolution, this book explores and explains the beliefs of all the world's major religions, and some not so major, that consider reincarnation to be a fact. It also traces the evolution of past life regression therapy as a vehicle for understanding who we are, and as an effective therapy for healing. Having studied these topics and practiced regression therapy for many years, and based on her own other-worldly experiences, she also reveals what she believes to be the true cosmology of birth, death, and rebirth. This is a must-read for all those with an interest in spirituality and a desire to know and understand the purpose of life on Earth.BioCarole Louie is on a spiritual journey. When she over came her lifelong fear of ghosts to communicate with her father's spirit, her world turned inside out. An award-winning Interior Designer, Louie juggled the experiences of her spiritual journey with the mundane world. Conversations with her father's ghost helped her accept her gift as a medium. Her explorations into her fa ther's Buddhist beliefs about ghosts and reincarnation in spired her to delve into reincarnation research. Louie's short story, I Remember, was published in the anthology From Ashes to Healing: Mystical Encounters with the Holocaust, compiled by Rabbi Yonassan Gershom. Louie is certified in Past Life Regression Therapy with The Weiss Institute and Carol Bowman and is a Certified Master Hypnotist with HCH Institute. She incorporates her gifts as a medium with her sessions. The Not-So-Secret Life of Emily Elizabeth, a paranormal mystery, is a cozy fiction based on a composite of past life memories. Conversations with a Hungry Ghost: Memoir of a Reluctant Medium tells the story of how Louie overcame her lifelong fear of ghosts to speak with her father and how their con versations guided her to his village in Taishan, China. Her genealogical research continued and led her to the gates of the Forbidden City. She documents her discoveries in The Legacy of the Lei Family Architects: The Story of Yang shi Lei. Unstuck in Time: Memoir of a Time Traveler is a true story about how love transcends time. It is a spiritual quest through many lives to discover the reasons why we rein carnate and how awareness of other lives can affect the present life. Louie is the Director of The Center of Reincarnation and Evolution, a center for spiritual growth in Richmond, VA. She offers private sessions, classes, workshops, and events to help others on their spiritual journey. She is the founder of the Reincarnation Symposium, an event that gathers people devoted to research, regression therapy, and who share their stories about remembering or experiences. Amazon link: https://shorturl.at/3Lz1Nhttps://carolelouie.net/https://www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/https://www.patreon.com/ourparanormalafterlifeBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/our-paranormal-afterlife-finding-proof-of-life-after-death--5220623/support.

This tiny stone cabbage has a big backstory stretching from the rich, treasure-laden halls of Beijing's Forbidden City...through a harrowing wartime escape...to its prized place at the National palace museum in Taipei, Taiwan.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/jade-cabbage

This week's monument is the Forbidden City, a huge palace complex in central Beijing, China, which served as the imperial seat of government for over 500 years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last time we spoke about the first Jiangsu-Zhejiang War. Wu Peifu and Zhang Zuolin became swift rivals after the first Zhili-Fengtian War. The Zhili clique remained in control of Beijing and began bullying everyone into submission, trying to unify China under their thumb. Zhang Zuolin went to work reorganizing and retraining his army, for another war was looming over the horizon. Then in the southeast of China, conflict emerged between Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. The Zhili backed Qi Xieyuan wanted to control Shanghai, which was under the control of Lu Yungxiang of the Anhui clique. The Anhui clique were on the death bed, Zhejiang was the last province under their control, thus he elected to fight for it. Lu Yungxiang sought help from anyone who possibly could help him, such as Zhang Zuolin and Dr Sun Yat-Sen, but little did he know but he was contributing to a much larger war.    #105 the Second Zhili-Fengtian War Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Hello again, so after the first Zhili-Fengtian war of 1922, the Zhili warlords seized control over Beijing. Cao Kun bribed his way into the presidency as Zhang Zuolin licked his wounds and went back to Manchuria where he rebuilt his entire army. Zhang Zuolin appointed Yang Yuting as inspector general of the Mukden arsenal and Wang Yintai as director of the department of materials. He began purchasing more Renault FT tanks, increased his military production, now seeing 150 artillery pieces, 1000 machine guns, 60,000 rifles, 100,000 artillery shells and 600,000 rifle rounds pumping out of factories annually. He increased his navy and airforce, naming his son Zhang Xueliang as director of the aviation office. He purchased German and Italian aircraft, nearing 300 planes within 4 groups. Air bases and fields were built alongside naval headquarters and training schools in places like Harbin. To improve communications, additional water and coal supply stations were built in Suizhong, Xingcheng and Dayaogou so he could rapidly deploy troops via rail. Roads were further developed to increase transportation in areas without rail, each army was given wire communications such as telegraph or telephone lines, linking them to their general HQ's. Radio communication units were also developed, radio stations were built in Shenyang, Harbin and Jin county. The Fengtian military was reformed. Commanders like Bao Deshan and Xu Changyou who were blamed for losing the first zhili-fengtian war were court-martialed and executed in the spring of 1923. The rising star, Dogmeat General Zhang Zongchang aided Zhang Zuolin by massively recruiting White Russians who brought over all sorts of expertise and skills. The White Russians were commanded by Konstantin Petrovich Nechaev, alongside them Zhang also hired Japanese units. The Fengtian army expanded to 27 brigades from its original 25, organized into 3 armies of 3 divisions. Each division had three brigades. The cavalry was expanded from three to four divisions, with three brigades forming a division and the rest attached to infantry divisions as cavalry companies. The artillery regiments expanded from 4 to 10. Each division consisted of three brigades with either an infantry brigade or a combined brigade, and every division had an engineering battalion and a transportation battalion attached. Combined brigades were bolstered with an engineering company and a transportation company. All said an done the strength of the Fengtian army totaled more than 250,000 troops, and its performance was significantly improved. The best troops were found in the 2nd Brigade, commanded by Zhang Xueliang, and the 6th Brigade, commanded by Guo Songling, and they were viewed as the model units of the Fengtian army. The catalyst for what would be known as the second Zhili-Fengtian War, occurred on September 3rd of 1924, the first Jiangsu-Zhejiang War. When Lu Yungxiang of Zhejiang refused to cede administration of Shanghai to Qi Xieyuan, both Zhang Zuolin and Dr. Sun Yat-sen pledged to defend the neutrality of Zhejiang and end pulling everyone into a larger war. On September 4th, Dr Sun Yat-Sen held a meeting at his mansion in Guangzhou. There he announced he would assist Zhejiang to preserve Guangdong, thus he was enacting the Northern Expedition. His plan for the northern expedition was to first attack Jiangxi, after it was conquered next was Anhui. From there his KMT forces would link up with the Zhejiang forces, near the Jinpu road where they could march north to take Beijing. On September the 5th Dr Sun Yat-Sen publicly denounced Cao Kun and Wu Peifu and asked the people of Guangdong to work harder than they ever have so they could eliminate the warlords and China could be ruled by her people again. On September the 4th, in response to the war in the southeast, Zhang Zuolin declared war on the Zhili clique on the grounds of being in an alliance with Zhejiang and Dr Sun Yat-Sen. He also denounced Cao Kun, bringing up his bribery scheme. Zhang Zuolin's statement, and forgive me its poorly translated went something like this. "Curse Cao Kun with Power who bribed congressmen, raising teeth and claws, and stole power. Cao Kun harms the people. Now I Zhang Zuolin in charge of Manchuria and her people, and who is loyal to the people, and  is duty-bound will lead the three armies to wipe out the thieves." On September the 9th, Duan Qirui added his voice in a telegram against Cao Kun accusing him "of not knowing who the country and the people are, what ethics, justice and integrity are and unleashing four provinces to attack Zhejiang, excluding dissidents, hurting innocent people, and greedy for his own dignity. You have committed a heinous sin, and you have gone too far. How can you survive? The virtuous and powerful people in the world, who have great responsibilities for a while, will definitely be able to do their duty and act bravely when they see justice." On the 15th of September, Zhang Zuolin issued another telegram to Cao Kun, in the form of an ultimatum "This year natural disasters are prevalent and hungry people are everywhere. I have tried to say that attacking Zhejiang is wrong, and I have the strength to respond in favor of peace. However, the ink has not yet dried. Yet at the same time, the Zhili marched into Fengtian, detained Shanhaiguan trains, and blocked traffic. What was the purpose of this? In recent years, Cao Kun has been a puppet of Wu Peifu, which has caused public resentment. The impossibility of a military expedition is evident from the successive defeats of the Zhili army. We planned to send another envoy, but the train traffic has been cut off and we cannot enter Beijing. Therefore, we wait for the final answer." Indeed on September the 13th suddenly all the trains running along the Beijing-Fengtian railway stopped on Zhili orders. The war in Zhejiang had provided Wu Peifu with the occasion to force a showdown with Zhang Zuolin. Wu Peifu felt confident he would win. Wu Peifu had mobilized over a quarter of a million troops, divided into 3 armies. Wu Peifu trusted his military abilities and felt his subordinates were loyal to him, he was highly mistaken in that last part.  It would turn out, the christian general, Feng Yuxiang had major grievances. If you remember from the last episode, when ordered to attack Lu Yungxiang, Feng Yuxiang had refused. Instead Feng Yuxiang weaved a web, he pulled Wang Huaiqing to his side, the Beijing garrison commander Sun Yueh and Hu Qingyi. He complained to them about his army being slighted in the distribution of munition and supplies and he would move his troops very slowly out of Beijing when the war began. As it turned out, secret negotiations had been made. Zhang Zuolin's son Zhang Xueliang in the spring of 1923 had sent a letter to Feng Yuxiang and then his most trusted lt, Fu Xingpei to Beijing to secretly meet with him. Fu Xingpei met with Feng Yuxiang and his chief of staff Liu Ji at a secluded location in Nanyuan. The first meeting was brief, but fruitful as follow up meetings were made, now mediated through Duan Qiriu. Duan Qiriu brought the parties over to his residence in the Japanese quarter of Tientsin. There Feng Yuxiang was given a bribe between 1-2.5 million Japanese Yen. This bribe came from Zhang Zuolin's Japanese supplied war chest. Zhang Zuolin afterwards had every reason to believe Feng Yuxiang was in his pocket so he concentrated most of his forces around Shanhaiguan. The Zhili Cliques forces would come from the provinces of Henan, Shandong, Rehe (knowns as Jehol today), Chahar and Suiyuan. Meanwhile the Fengtian would have troops from Jilin, Heilongjiang and Fengtian. The 2nd war certainly exceed the first by a large margin and it would also involve battles over land, sea and air. The Zhili held an edge in numbers, but alienated generals would ultimately lose them the war. There was also an enormous technological gap between the Zhili and Fengtian armies. As I had mentioned the Fengtian had purchased a lot of western and Japanese weaponry and equipment. The Zhili clique also purchased western materials, but they were far behind the Fengtian army. Furthermore the Zhili clique had just experienced a series of small wars in Sichuan, Hunan, Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangdong. Their troops were exhausted, lacked pay, and thus morale was not high. Zhang Zuolin's Fengtian army faced 4 major objectives to see the Zhili clique defeated. Ultimately they needed to capture Beijing and Tianjin. Yet to do so they first had to retake Shanhaiguan so their forces could enter Xujialing. Thus Zhang Zuolin would need to gather his forces near Shanhaiguan to capture it. This task fell to his 1st and 2nd army led by Jiang Dengxuan and Zhang Xueliang. If Shanhaiguan could not be taken, at least two brigades would be needed in the Qiansuo region, where a railroad station was roughly 20 kms east of Shanhaiguan. Once that region was secured, the main force could redeploy around Suizhong county for a second attempt against Shanhaiguan. Next the 2nd army would advance into Rehe, Yi County and Dayaogou. They would then take Chaoyang, Jianping, Chengde and Lingyuan. Most of this responsibility fell onto Zhang Zongchang's 3rd Combined Brigade and Li Jinglin's 1st Division. After they completed this they would enter the Lengkou pass and take Luanzhou. A Fengtian cavalry group would attack Rehe with the objective of taking Chifeng. The cavalry group would also cover the flank of other Fengtian forces and mop up the enemy left behind. If the situation arose, the Cavalry group could also attack along the Great Wall via the Xifengkou or Gubeikou pass. The Fengtian reserve forces would be deployed between Xingcheng and Suizhong to guard Jinzhou. The Fengtian air forces headquartered at Shenyang would mobilize 3 groups for the war effort under the direct command of the 1st and 2nd Armies known as the Combined Corps. Other air units would be deployed to Yi county under the command of Zhang Xueliang. Wu Peifu took the title of commander in chief and set up his headquarters in Sizhaotang. Wu Peifu made special arrangements for the battle; his 1st army led by Peng Shouxin would take an eastern route advancing along the Beijing-Fengcheng line to attack Liaoshen from Shanhaiguan; the 2nd army of Wang Huaiqing would advance along the middle route from Xikou to attack Rechao; and the third army of Feng Yuxiang would take the western route from Gubeikou to attack Kailu. Wu Peifu also had set up a commander in chief of maritime defense Zheng Shiqi stationed at Shandong and a naval commander in chief Du Xiui. His air force was organized into 4 groups stationed in Beidaihe, Luanxian, Chaoyang and the Zhili aviation department, over 70 aircraft in total.  On September the 14th, Zhang Zuolin as commander in chief of the Fengtian army led them down the border area. Likewise Wu Peifu did the same from Luoyang. On the 15th the 23rd Brigade of Li Shuangkai, part of Li Jinglin's 2nd army engaged the Zhili 4th battalion of Yijun Zhenbiao around Yizhou, Jiuguan and Taimen. This effectively kicked off the war. From there the war front would run from Chaoyang to Jidong, with major battles taking place in Rehe, Shanhaiguan, Chaoyang, Chifeng, Jiumenmen and Shimenzhai.  The Fengtian forces planned to unleash their offensive against Shanhaiguan once the initiative was won in Rehe. Therefore Zhang Zuolin personally led the battle in Rehe. The 1st Fengtian army divided into a north and south group. The southern group attacked from Beizhen, passing through Chaoyang and Lingyuang to enter Xifengkou with Wu Junsheng's cavalry as the main force. The north group ran from Tongliao to Kailu, then headed south to Chengde via Chifeng, then would launch an attack at the western part of Xifengkou.  The southern attack went pretty smooth as the Zhili army did not put up serious resistance. On the 16th the Fengtian forces seized Yizhou and Fuxin. After this they concentrated their attacks against Chaoyang. Liu Fufu defended Chaoyang with the Zhili 26th brigade of the 12th division, but he only put up a symbolic defense, quickly abandoning the city. On the 23rd Chaoyang was occupied by Fengtian forces who scoured the county. Meanwhile the northern group attacked Jianping, Lingyuan and Chifeng. During the battle for Lingyuan, the Fengtian encountered determined resistance from Zhili forces led by Wang Huaiqing and Dong Zhengguo. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, but the Fengtian managed to take the city. Simultaneously the 2nd Fengtian army forces led by Xu Lanzhou and Wu Guangxin attacked Chifeng. The battle for the city raged for a few days seeing Fengtian air forces bomb the city until October 8th when it was captured. The fall of Chifeng marked a decisive moment in the battle for Rehe, the Fengtian had taken the initiative. Now the leading Fengtian troops began a rapid advance towards Lengkou at the foot of the Great Wall. Both sides knew the entire battle depended on Shanhaiguan. The Zhili had heavily fortified it and following the loss of Rehe they continued to strengthen it. Wu Peifu dispatched Peng Shouxin to setup the defenses of Shanhaiguan. Zhang Zuolin had Jiang Dengxuan and Zhang Xueliang form a new headquarters near Shanhaiguan as Guo Songling led the 2nd and 6th Brigades to frontally attack it. As Guo Songling did so, Jiang Dengxuan  and his deputy commander Han Linchun led the 4th and 16th brigades to face the Zhili forces north of Jiumenmen. Small scale battles broke out on the 17th that gradually escalated. On the 29th and 30th, the Fengtian began unleashing artillery and aerial bombardment upon the Zhili positions between Shanhaiguan and Changli. During that process the Fengtian forces seized Wanjiatun, Longwang Temple, Yaojiazhuang and other towns. By October 4th the Fentgian army approached the position of the Zhili 15th division. On the 7th Zhang Zuolin issued a general attack order, sending Fengtian forces across the board. The first line of Zhili troops relied on the solid fortifications and fired back upon the advancing enemy. The Fengtian gradually turned their attention to the Jiumenmen Gate located at the northwest part of the Shanhaiguan pass. On the 8th Jiang Dengxuan personally led the 19th Brigade to attack the Haungtu Ridge on the northside of Jiumenmen. His forces quickly encircled Jiumenmen before the 2nd and 6th brigades stormed and occupied it. The fall of Jiumenmen severed demoralized the Zhili defenders whose lines began to waiver. The Fengtian began breaching lines, capturing Liyu, Waiyu, Xiangmayu and now outflanked Shanhaiguan. At this point a brigade was sent to attack Shimenzhai along the north side of Jiumentou. Shimenzhai is roughly 25 kms away from Shanhaiguan, if captured the Fengtian could use it as a springboard to attack Qinhuangdao, cutting off the Zhili armies line of retreat. In order to protect the line of retreat, Peng Shouxin organized a force to reinforce Shimenzhai. On the 11th, Wu Peifu came over to Shanhaiguan, while also inspecting Shimenzhai, Zhaojiayu, Shahezhai and other significant Zhili positions. Seeing Jiumenmen had fallen, Wu Peifu ordered forces to recapture it on the 14th. The Fengtian defenders there were put into a desperate battle to hold onto it. On the 15th, a Fengtian regiment led by Sun Xuchang broke through the Zhili defensive line. On the 16th the Fengtian forces surged through the breach and stormed Shimenzhai. The Zhili forces routed in the area allowing the Fengtian forces to quickly seize Liujiang. On the 17th Zheng Xizhen led the Zhili 6th brigade to reinforce the battlefield emerging north of Qinhuangdao. Now we need to take a step away from the battle, because a lot of things were happening all over the place, that would have a deep impact on the war. While all of this was going on in the far north, in the south, Dr Sun Yat-Sen personally led the KMT forces north to try and prevent Zhili commander Sun Chuanfang from reinforcing his Zhili comrades in the north. Yet like again, in a fashion that just kept recurring, an issue came about. The Guangzhou merchants corps and forces led loyal to Chen Jiongming began an uprising in Guangzhou. Sun Yat Sen was forced to turn his army back to quell the rebellion. As Sun Yat-Sen pulled back, Sun Chuanfang had brought his forces into Zhejiang and Shanghai.  Meanwhile another ploy on the part of Zhang Zuolin paid off big time. The christian general Feng Yuxiang who was commanding the Zhili 3rd army began making some trouble. When the Zhili 2nd army suffered its initial defeat, Wang Huaiqing sent word asking for help from Feng Yuxiang. Instead he ordered his 3rd army to stay put at the Gubeikou pass.  Now back in the battle Wu Peifu had come to the front lines and was taking charge of operations. Zhili reinforcements arrived from Henan and Shanxi led by Zhang Fulai and began helping a counter attack against Shimenzhai. The Fengtian defenders also reinforced their lines, with Jiang Dengxuan taking command of the front lines personally. Despite the reinforcements, the Fengtian defenses were beginning to crumble, their casualties mounting. At the same time the main Fengtian forces were fighting at Shanhaiguan, failing to make progress. Then the Fengtian army received unconfirmed intelligence from the Japanese, that the Zhili clique had enlisted the Zhengji shipping company to use 13 transports to move 4 divisions directly into the rear of the Fengtian forces via the Taku Forts. The Japanese intelligence did not indicate where the landings would be made however. The Fengtian commanders believed it was possibly Yingkou or Huludao, perhaps both. Many Fengtian commanders called for deploying the general reserve as a rear guard, but the deputy chief of the general staff, Fu Xingpei opposed the idea, claiming the Jiumenkou sector required them. Yang Yuting the chief of the general staff worried the terrain of Jiumenkou was far too narrow and restrictive to deploy such large number of troops. Finally Zhang Zuolin ended the debate by ordering the General Reserve, under the command of Zhang Zuoxiang to rush to Jiumenkou. Despite committing the General reserve, things did not improve. In fact some interpersonal problems emerged. Zhang Xueliang and Guo Songling had secretly redeployed 8 infantry regiments and two artillery brigades from Shanhaiguan to the Jiumenkou sector. These units were to be led by Guo Songling, but the artillery battalion commander, Yan Zongzhou, a classmate of Guo Songling was removed from command by the artillery regiment commander Chen Chen. Upon hearing the news from Yan Zongzhou, enraged Guo Songling removed Chen Chen of command and gave it back to Yan Zongzhou. However Jiang Dengxuan and Han Linchun had given approval to Chen Chen when he asked to remove Yan Zongzhou, so now they were embarrassed. They then complained to Zhang Zuolin about Guo Songling's actions. Zhang Zuolin ordered both Chen Chen and Yan Zongzhou to go back to their original commands, and this only pissed off Guo Songling more. Like a kindergarten aged child Guo Songling took his 8th infantry regiment out of the battlefield and retreated to the rear. Zhang Xueliang then hunted him down and smooth-talked him to come back and engage the enemy. This entire stupid situation could have very well cost them the battle, fortunately it happened at night and the Zhili army none the wiser did not exploit the situation.  Back over in the Rehe front, Zhang Zongchang stormed the Lengkou pass against 4 Zhili divisions; the 9th led by Dong Zhengguo, the 20th led by Yan Zhitang, the 1st Shaanxi division led by Hu Jingyi and the 23rd led by Wang Chengbin. Unfortunately Wang Chengbin and Hu Jingyi had formed a pact with Feng Yuxiang and literally stepped aside during Zhang Zongchangs attack. To add insult to injury, Yan Zhitang and Dong Zhengguo hated each other and each held back to preserve their own strength. Again in the warlord era, petty warlords would pull this kind of shit all the time. As Zheng Zongchangs forces attacked, basically everyone fled Lengkou. Seizing the opportunity Zhang Zongchang pushed even deeper into the enemy lines. It was around this time, word spread that the First Jiangsu-Zhejiang War had concluded in a Zhili victory, thus it seemed if Shanhaiguan was not taken swiftly, the Zhili would win the war.  Yet the dark horse that was General Feng Yuxiang struck. On October 22nd, Feng Yuxiang betrayed the Zhili Clique. Feng Yuxiang formed a truce with the Fengtian commander Li Jingling on the night of October 20th. He then suddenly withdrew 8000 troops of Wu Peifu's 3rd and 26th Divisions, leaving only 4000 men at their defensive lines. He took said troops and secretly stormed Beijing where he performed a coup against President Cao Kun. At midnight on October 23rd the commander of the Beijing guards, Sun Yueh admitted Feng Yuxiang and his men into Beijing. Together they seized control over  key government buildings and gates. Feng Yuxiang then forced Cao Kun to dismiss Wu Peifu from his military positions. stripped him of the presidency and placed him under house arrest. Afterwards Feng Yuxiang issued a public statement denouncing the civil war and urged the warlords to settle their differences via negotiations. Feng Yuxiangs subordinates then took control of the railway line between Tientsin and Shanhaiguan and the railway line at Changhsintian south of Beijing. Meanwhile Yan Xishan dispatched a force from Shanxi to seize the railway junction at Shihchiachuang, blocking any movement from Hunan along the Peking-Hankou railway. Thus Qi Xieyuan and Sun Chuanfang could no longer advance north to aid Wu Peifu. Back at the battle, Zhang Zongchang saw the thinning of the defensive lines when Feng Yuxiang pulled men out and stormed it alongside Li Jinglin. Their forces broke through and advanced south along the Luan River towards Luanzhou, then in the direction of Tianjin. They seized the train station at Luanzhou as Sun Xuchang's 10th Brigade captured Jiumenkou. The Fengtian cavalry then stormed the Xifengkou pass and pushed forward. By this point the Zhili morale had all but disappeared as news of Feng Yuxiang's coup in Beijing was spreading along the lines. Even cry baby Guo Songling, hearing the news, grabbed his force and performed an all out charge into the Zhili lines breaking through and advanced eastwards. Now cut off between Qinhuangdao and Shanhaiguan, on the 31st of October, many high ranking Zhili officers began fleeing via ships at Qinhuangdao. Countless Zhili forces were surrounded and began mass surrendering. Wu Peifu meanwhile fled first to Tianjin where he began frantically telegraphing Zhili armies in Jiangsu, Henan, Hubei and Zhejiang for help. Things got even worse, more railway lines were cut by Anhui clique members such as Zheng Shiqi in Shandong, Cangzhou and Machang. Likewise Zheng Shishangs cut lines of the Jinpu railway at Hanzhuang and even Yan Xishan came out of his turtle shell to cut the Jinghan railway line at Shijiazhuang. The Fengtian army overran Tangshan and Lutai asFeng Yuxiang's forces stormed Yangcun and Beicang, forcing Wu Peifu to flee to Junliangcheng. Then Duan Qiriu sent a message to Wu Peifu advising he should depart by sea. Completely surrounded with no allies, Wu Peifu fled with 2000 troops on the transport Huajia on November 3rd. He went to Tanggu where Sun Chuanfang defended him.  It had been the most impressive war of the warlord period to that point. Nearly 450,000 troops had been involved in a month-long war along the Great Wall area from Shanhaiguan to Beijing. The casualties are tough to estimate, perhaps 20-30,000 perished. After taking Beijing, Feng Yuxiang reorganized his forces in the 1st Guominjun army, hiring his co-conspirators such as Sun Yueh and Hu Chingyi who would eventually lead the 2nd and 3rd armies. On November 5th, Zhang Zuolin removed Emperor Puyi from the Forbidden City. Puyi went into exile in Tianjin where the Japanese would keep a close eye upon.  Zhang Zuolin, Feng Yuxiang and Duan Qiriu then met in Tianjin where they agreed to form a provisional government with Duan Qiriu as its figurehead. The choice of Duan Qiriu seemed to be palatable to everyone, including the remaining Zhili warlords in the Yangtze region. On December 9th, Duan Qiriu's government was recognized. Dr Sun Yat-Sen of course refused to recognize the new Beiyang government and would begin to flirt more with the CCP and their larger backer, the Soviet Union.  For now the Beiyang government, for whatever it was actually worth, remained in the hands of three players. Duan Qiriu who no longer possessed a strong army, Feng Yuxiang who had just shown himself to be quite a treacherous man and did not wield a very strong army and lastly Zhang Zuolin who now wielded the largest army in China, was backed by Japan and controlled vast sums of territory.  I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. So the First Jiangsu-Zhejiang and Second Zhili-Fengtian Wars were now over. It seems Zhang Zuolin had just become king of the hill, but what did that mean for China? Would Zhang Zuolin pursue a policy of reunifying China? Would he expand south? Or would the chaos continue, what do you think?  

PREVIEW: #PLA: Conversation with colleague General Blaine Holt, USAF (ret), re the muted to silent reaction from the DoD to the PRC spy balloon and other soying direted at USAF bases -- and why? More later. 1900 Forbidden City

WUHAN LAB RECONSIDERED: 7/8: Chaos Under Heaven: Trump, Xi, and the Battle for the Twenty-First Century by Josh Rogin  (Author) https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/us-shared-gobsmacking-covid-lab-leak-file-with-uk/ar-AA1o8PCZ https://www.amazon.com/Chaos-Under-Heaven-Twenty-First-Century/dp/0358393248 By the time the COVID-19 pandemic erupted in Wuhan, Trump's love-hate relationship with Xi had sparked a trade war, while Xi's aggression had pushed the world to the brink of a new Cold War. But their quarrel had also forced a long-overdue reckoning within the United States over China's audacious foreign-influence operations, horrific human rights abuses, and creeping digital despotism. Ironically, this awakening was one of the biggest foreign-policy victories of Trump's fractious term in office. ​Filled with shocking revelations drawn from Josh Rogin's unparalleled access to top U.S. officials from the White House and deep within the country's foreign policy machine, Chaos Under Heaven reveals an administration at war with itself during perhaps our most urgent hour. 1900 Forbidden City