Podcasts about great wall

Beckler & Seanna talk about the Great Wall of China, hands and forearms, and the World Series.

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Risk and Reward: A Scientific Showdown at the Great Wall Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-10-22-22-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在长城脚下，隐藏着一个神秘的实验室。En: At the foot of the Great Wall, a mysterious laboratory is hidden.Zh: 金秋时节，黄叶遍地，而实验室内部却是历史与创新的交汇点。En: In the golden autumn season, with yellow leaves covering the ground, the inside of the laboratory is a convergence point of history and innovation.Zh: 那里，有着古老的文物，也有先进的科技。En: It houses ancient artifacts as well as advanced technology.Zh: 这个季节，一年一度的学校科学展览即将举办。En: This season, the annual school science exhibition is about to take place.Zh: 梅是一个充满好奇心的学生，总渴望在科学发现中脱颖而出。En: Mei is a student full of curiosity, always eager to stand out in scientific discovery.Zh: 她最想让自己冷静内敛的父亲，著名的科学家，对自己感到骄傲。En: She most hopes that her calm and introverted father, a renowned scientist, will feel proud of her.Zh: 而健是梅的好朋友，他总是支持梅的探索，却也害怕失败。En: Meanwhile, Jian, Mei's good friend, always supports her explorations but also fears failure.Zh: 两人决定在科学展览上展示一项突破性的项目。En: The two decide to showcase a groundbreaking project at the science exhibition.Zh: 项目准备期间，设备发生了故障，结果令人大跌眼镜，极大地威胁到了实验的成功。En: During the project preparation, a malfunction occurs with the equipment, resulting in a shocking outcome that greatly threatens the success of the experiment.Zh: 面对突如其来的危机，梅选择冒险，使用一种非常规的方法来修复设备。En: Faced with the sudden crisis, Mei chooses to take a risk by using an unconventional method to fix the equipment.Zh: 尽管健建议她谨慎行事，但梅坚持了自己的决定。En: Despite Jian's advice to be cautious, Mei insists on her decision.Zh: 展览那天，梅和健站在众人面前，实验开始了。En: On the day of the exhibition, Mei and Jian stand in front of everyone as the experiment begins.Zh: 突然间，设备似乎失控，眼看就要失败。En: Suddenly, the equipment seems to go out of control and is on the brink of failure.Zh: 然而，梅凭借快速反应，将实验从失败的边缘拉了回来，现场竟然变得异常壮观。En: However, with quick reflexes, Mei pulls the experiment back from the verge of failure, and the scene becomes extraordinarily spectacular.Zh: 大家目不转睛地看着，老师和同学们报以热烈的掌声。En: Everyone watches intently, and both teachers and classmates offer enthusiastic applause.Zh: 最让梅感到欣慰的是，台下的父亲也亲临活动。En: What gives Mei the most comfort is that her father is present at the event.Zh: 他用赞许的目光点头示意，让梅的心倍感温暖。En: He nods with approving eyes, which warms Mei's heart immensely.Zh: 梅知道，自己的努力得到了认可。En: Mei knows that her efforts have been recognized.Zh: 不仅如此，她还学会了在挑战中敢于冒险，并取得了出色的成果。En: Moreover, she has learned to take risks in the face of challenges and achieved outstanding results.Zh: 而健也意识到，有时候相信梅的直觉，即便在不确定的时候，也能带来不可思议的结果。En: Jian also realizes that sometimes trusting Mei's instincts, even when uncertain, can lead to incredible outcomes.Zh: 从此，梅更有自信去追逐自己的科学梦想，而健也成为了她最坚定的支持者。En: From then on, Mei is more confident in pursuing her scientific dreams, and Jian becomes her most steadfast supporter.Zh: 他们在实验室外的长城上，望着远方，踌躇满志地迎接未来。En: Standing on the Great Wall outside the laboratory, they look into the distance, brimming with ambition for the future.Zh: 故事在他们的笑声中圆满结束。En: The story ends perfectly amid their laughter. Vocabulary Words:mysterious: 神秘的laboratory: 实验室golden: 金autumn: 秋convergence: 交汇artifacts: 文物renowned: 著名的groundbreaking: 突破性的malfunction: 故障shocking: 大跌眼镜unconventional: 非常规的crisis: 危机equipment: 设备instincts: 直觉verge: 边缘outcome: 结果reflexes: 快速反应spectacular: 壮观applause: 掌声comfort: 欣慰supporter: 支持者ambition: 踌躇满志innovation: 创新intently: 目不转睛地approve: 赞许extraordinarily: 异常地steadfast: 坚定的immensely: 倍感recognized: 认可的pursuing: 追逐

Coffee with Samso | Episode 212 | UWA Club, Crawley, Western Australia. Guest: Darren Cooke – CEO, FireFly Metals Ltd (ASX: FFM) Introduction In this episode of Coffee with Samso, we continue our Exploration Discovery Series with one of the most fascinating stories to come out of Western Australia's goldfields — the Pegasus gold discovery. This story is special. Not because Pegasus was a greenfields success, but precisely because it wasn't. It was hiding in plain sight — within the Swiss cheese of decades of drilling in the Kundana gold camp. In 2014, Pegasus was recognised as one of the most significant discoveries of the decade. At the time of its unveiling, the project hosted a resource of 2.1 million tonnes at 11.4 g/t Au, containing approximately 763,000 ounces of gold. Northern Star Resources (ASX: NST) would later prove what Bill Beament said at the time — that this would be a million-ounce deposit just 350 metres from their Rubicon mine. To unpack this milestone discovery, I spoke with Darren Cooke, CEO of FireFly Metals and the former geology and long-term planning manager for Barrick at Kundana during the Pegasus discovery years. This conversation isn't just a walk down memory lane. It's a technical, strategic, and cultural deep dive into how great discoveries can be made in places everyone thinks they already know. Chapters 00:00 Start 02:39 Introduction 04:03 Introduction to Darren Cooke. 04:54 The early days of the Discovery - Pre 2011 07:11 The Unlocking of the Historical Dataset - 2011 to 2012 08:32 The Duration of the Work to "work" the data. 9:45 What was the structural concept? 10:47 Was the narrow mineralisation of Kundana the key to thinking differently? 11:58 With hindsight, was Pegasus easy to define/discover? 12:38 The double plunging mineralisation is the thinking that helped other discoveries? 13:48 Well Drilled Does Not Mean Well Explored - Quality of Data 14:46 Time is required to understand historical data 15:42 Geological Models are only a good guide. 16:58 How much confidence did Management know about the Pegasus potential? 18:43 The Northern Star "Thinking". 22:15 Was Anton Billis a good JV partner? 23:11 Was the purchase price of AUD $75M cheap? 24:25 Was there something that could have made Pegasus not a discussion? 25:52 Is there more discoveries left to discover from "Brownfield" projects? 27:10 Is there another Pegasus still out there like a Never Never? 28:16 A different view to a Brownfield project? 29:41 Brownfield projects should be more about a Brownfield new discovery not a reintroduction of the old concepts. 31:08 A Mineral System Is Always More Than One Success. 32:30 The FireFly Story. (Take out the bit I said about "Dont spoil the Story" 34:00 Is Northern Star the new generation of Western Mining in terms of quality work. 35:38 The skillset required in developing a Mining of Mineral Resources 36:59 The culture DNA of Northern Star. 37:45 Words of Wisdom to the new generation of geologists. 39:14 A Special DNA to Find the Solution. 40:29 Darren last Words 40:56 Conclusion Setting the Scene – Kundana in the 2000s - The Pegasus Gold Discovery The Kundana Province is no stranger to gold. By the early 2000s, it was already a 10Moz gold camp. The ground around Pegasus was peppered with drill holes — hundreds of them — yet the discovery remained elusive. In 2005, Placer Dome drilled the first hole into what would later become Pegasus. But they walked away. Fast-forward to 2011–2012, a new team at Barrick re-examined the data. What followed wasn't a stroke of luck but a combination of fresh geological thinking, technical persistence, and the right mindset to challenge old assumptions. "It wasn't that Pegasus wasn't drilled. It was that no one had looked at the data differently. We just saw what others missed." – Darren Cooke Unlocking the Historical Dataset (2011–2012) When Darren stepped into the Barrick geology and planning role, the first thing the team did was dig through the database — not for something new, but for something overlooked. 100+ drill holes were already in the area. Most were shallow and targeted under a subvertical plunge model. Hits were dismissed because follow-up holes below were barren. No one questioned whether the plunge direction was wrong. Darren's team challenged the model. By recognising a double-plunging shoot orientation, they unlocked a structure that others had effectively drilled around. "It was a classic case of model bias. Everyone was fitting data to the model rather than re-examining the model itself." The Turning Point – Geological Insight Meets Practical Pressure Pegasus wasn't just a technical story. It was also a story about operational necessity. The Barrick Kundana team was running out of ore. The long-term planning and geology groups collaborated closely to rethink their targeting strategy. It was this internal pressure that drove them to rework the historical data. The double plunge model that emerged: Explained the original hit and subsequent misses. Predicted mineralisation at depth offset from previous holes. Led to rapid resource definition once drilling resumed. The result: a million-ounce gold system hiding between existing infrastructure and old drill collars. "Well Drilled" Does Not Mean "Well Explored" One of the most powerful takeaways from this conversation is the difference between density of drilling and quality of exploration. "Well drilled doesn't mean well explored. You can have a pin cushion of holes and still miss the prize." This statement resonates across WA discoveries: Hemi sat beside 1.4Moz of known gold. Never Never was hidden in existing data. Pegasus was 350m from Rubicon and hiding in plain sight. Brownfields areas are full of opportunity, but only for those willing to break models and reframe the geological story. From Discovery to Development – The Northern Star Effect In 2014, Barrick sold the Kundana assets to Northern Star Resources for $75 million. Barrick described the assets as "high-cost, short-life." Northern Star saw the opposite: long-life, company-making assets. The cultural difference was stark: Within weeks, Northern Star doubled drill rigs at Pegasus. Approved an underground decline for drilling access. Backed the geological team to prove the model quickly. "Every mine has its right size owner. For Barrick, Pegasus was peripheral. For Northern Star, it was core." The entrepreneurial mining mindset turned geological opportunity into economic reality. Brownfields Discovery – A Playbook for the Future The Pegasus story mirrors many of WA's recent major discoveries. It shows:

Marina Abramović is the self proclaimed ‘grandmother of performance art'. Her latest work, a reimagining of Slavic fertility rites, opened in Manchester earlier this week. Notorious for committing extreme acts to her body, the Serbian first achieved fame with her “Rhythm 0” performance, where she stood still in a room and invited guests to do anything they liked to her. They removed her clothes, cut her neck and held a loaded gun to her head. Many of her biggest works were made in collaboration with German artist Ulay, her one-time romantic partner. They ended their relationship in 1988 by walking from opposite ends of the Great Wall of China and meeting in the middle. In 2010, she received international acclaim for her performance The Artist is Present. It saw her sit in a chair for eight hours a day, 6 days a week for three months. She invited anyone to sit across from her. It famously ended with Abramović reuniting with Ulay. Mark Coles looks back at her career. Production Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Ben Cooper, Mhairi MacKenzie and Alex Loftus Editor: Justine Lang Sound Editor: Duncan HannantArchive Abramović/ Ulay - Light/ Dark (1977) Abramović/ Ulay - AAA-AAA (1978) The Artist is Present trailer (2012) TED Talk - An Art Made of Trust, Vulnerability and Connection (2013) BBC - This Cultural Life: Marina Abramović (2024) Marina Abramović at Glastonbury (2024) Abramović - Balkan Erotic Epic (2025)

A runner's memoir by a man who has run marathons on every continent. Bob Welbaum shares his adventures from Antarctica to the Great Wall of China at age 77.

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Love and Resilience: A Mid-Autumn Stroll on the Great Wall Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-10-09-22-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 秋天的长城，如同一幅如梦似幻的画卷。En: The Great Wall in autumn is like a dreamy and enchanting painting.Zh: 五彩的树叶在微风中轻摇，阳光洒下，照在古老的石墙上，显得格外温暖。En: The colorful leaves sway gently in the breeze, and sunlight pours down, illuminating the ancient stone walls, making it feel particularly warm.Zh: 李娟和明手牵手走在长城上，但他们的心似乎并不如这秋日般温暖。En: Lijuan and Ming walk hand in hand on the Great Wall, but their hearts aren't as warm as this autumn day.Zh: 李娟是一位坚韧而乐观的艺术家，总是能在生活中找到灵感。En: Lijuan is a resilient and optimistic artist, always able to find inspiration in life.Zh: 这次旅行，她希望用爱情的力量把美好的愿景变成现实。En: On this trip, she hoped to turn a beautiful vision into reality through the power of love.Zh: 然而，明的心思却被他的创业烦恼占据着。En: However, Ming's thoughts are preoccupied with the worries of his startup.Zh: 最近公司运营不太顺利，他的脸上多了几分忧虑。En: Recently, the company's operations haven't been going smoothly, and worry has added new lines to his face.Zh: 他们在长城的慕田峪段静静地走着。En: They walk quietly along the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall.Zh: 周围是嬉闹的人群，还有挂满彩灯，为中秋节增添了几分浪漫色彩。En: Surrounding them are playful crowds and colorful lanterns, adding a touch of romance for the Mid-Autumn Festival.Zh: 李娟深吸一口气，决定不再沉默。En: Lijuan takes a deep breath, deciding not to remain silent any longer.Zh: “明，我们谈谈好吗？En: "Ming, can we talk?"Zh: ”她的声音柔软，却藏着一股坚定。En: Her voice is soft but carries a firm determination.Zh: 明停下脚步，回头看她。En: Ming stops in his tracks and turns to look at her.Zh: 他明白这次谈话避免不了，他点了点头，示意她继续。En: He understands that this conversation is unavoidable, and he nods to indicate for her to continue.Zh: “我知道你工作压力很大，但有时候我希望我们能多花点时间在彼此身上。En: "I know you have a lot of work pressure, but sometimes I wish we could spend more time on each other.Zh: 我们的关系，是不是能像这满月一样圆满呢？En: Could our relationship be as complete as the full moon?"Zh: ”李娟望向夜空，那轮明月正悬挂当空。En: Lijuan looks toward the night sky, where the bright moon hangs overhead.Zh: 她从包里拿出一幅画，送到明的手中。En: She takes a painting out of her bag and hands it to Ming.Zh: 那是一幅中秋的景象，长城在月光下如同银色的长龙。En: It's a depiction of a Mid-Autumn scene, with the Great Wall resembling a silver dragon under the moonlight.Zh: 他的眉间微微舒展，心中的焦虑似乎缓缓消散。En: His brow slightly relaxes, and the anxiety in his heart seems to slowly dissipate.Zh: “李娟，对不起，我最近太专注于工作，忽略了你的感受。En: "Lijuan, I'm sorry.Zh: 我只是……担心这一切会失败。En: I've been so focused on work lately that I've neglected your feelings.Zh: ”明低下头，但语气中流露出真诚。En: I'm just... worried that everything might fail," Ming says, lowering his head, but his tone is sincere.Zh: 李娟握住他的手，轻声说道：“我们可以一起面对。En: Lijuan holds his hand and gently says, "We can face it together.Zh: 不论成功与否，我都在这里支持你。En: Whether we succeed or not, I'm here to support you."Zh: ”这次对话像一阵秋风，吹散了两人心中阴霾。En: This conversation is like a gust of autumn wind, blowing away the gloom in both of their hearts.Zh: 他们在月光下对视，默契从眼中流过，再次紧紧握住彼此的手。En: They gaze at each other under the moonlight, a silent understanding passing between them, and they tightly hold each other's hands once again.Zh: 经过这次谈话，李娟的内心更加坚毅，她学会了如何勇敢表达自己的需求。En: After this conversation, Lijuan's heart is even more steadfast, having learned to bravely express her needs.Zh: 而明，也明白了感情中开放与坦诚的重要性。En: And Ming realizes the importance of openness and honesty in a relationship.Zh: 在长城的古老墙垣间，他们找到了新的连接。En: Amidst the ancient walls of the Great Wall, they find a new connection.Zh: 那晚，长城上空，满月正盈。En: That night, over the Great Wall, the full moon shines brightly. Vocabulary Words:dreamy: 如梦似幻enchanting: 迷人的resilient: 坚韧的optimistic: 乐观的preoccupied: 被占据心思的startup: 创业operations: 运营smoothly: 顺利地playful: 嬉闹的lanterns: 彩灯breeze: 微风depiction: 描绘dissipate: 消散gloom: 阴霾steadfast: 坚定的illuminating: 照在firm determination: 坚定anxiety: 焦虑sincere: 真诚的support: 支持connection: 连接full moon: 满月vision: 愿景ancient: 古老的gazeen: 凝视mute: 沉默gently: 轻声地autumn: 秋天understanding: 理解romance: 浪漫

My Story  Talk 28  Activities Beyond Europe Welcome to Talk 28 in our series where I'm reflecting on God's goodness to me throughout my life. Looking back on it, I suppose I travelled fairly widely during the time we were at Mattersey. Apart from the many places in Europe we visited, I found myself on the Lord's business in America, Africa, and Asia, though never, incidentally in Australia. These visits, which cover the period from 1982 to 2004, were either in connection with the Pentecostal World Conference which later became the Pentecostal World Fellowship or preaching trips The Pentecostal World Conference My reason for attending the Pentecostal World Conference in Oslo in 1992 was that, because it was being held in Europe, the PEF presidium had decided to hold a committee meeting there at the same time. Eileen and I had visited Norway for the first time two years previously where we had enjoyed a holiday there before attending the EPTA conference in Lillehammer. This time, however, I was alone. During one of the mornings, I was sitting high up at the back of the auditorium and was surprised to hear my name mentioned at the close of the session. Dr Ray Hughes was asking me to see him on the platform during the coffee break.  I couldn't imagine why but, of course, went to see him as requested. This was not quite as easy as it sounds because to get there I had to make my way through hundreds of people who were exiting the venue and all walking in the opposite direct from me. When I finally got there, he said to me, Oh David, as you know, you've been appointed to the Advisory Committee, and we'd like you to sit on the platform with us for the rest of the conference. Well, I knew nothing about this appointment. It was a complete surprise and when a year or so later I was elected to the Presidium it was an even greater honour. The 1995 conference was particularly special because it was held in Jerusalem. And this time Eileen came with me. We had never been in Israel before and we made sure that we saw as many of the biblical sites as possible. We had booked a tour with a Christian company and travelled in a small coach with a group of Brits who were attending the conference, and it was there that we met Ivor and Jan Maddison who were pastoring the church in Ollerton, not far from Mattersey.  (We got to know Jan very well when she came to live in Brixham after Ivor had died). The tour involved a visit to Tiberias on the shore of Lake Galilee from where we visited Capernaum, took a trip across the lake in a boat like those used by Jesus' disciples and from which he calmed the storm, and had a meal on the lake shore eating ‘St. Peter's fish', so called because of the occasion where he found a coin in the fish's mouth. We went to Caesarea Philippi, a beautiful place, where Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ. We visited the place in the river Jordan where Jesus is believed to have been baptised, and further south we had a brief stop in Jericho.   We travelled up from there to Jerusalem in time for the conference and of course visited Bethlehem and all the places you would expect, many of which have been spoilt by centuries of tradition and tourism. Eileen got to see Nazareth, but I missed the trip because I had to be in a presidium meeting. Highlights in Jerusalem were the Garden of Gethsemane, and the via dolorosa. But without a doubt the visit to the garden tomb was by far the most moving. It may or may not have been the actual site of Jesus' burial and resurrection, although I like to think that it was, but it was certainly a powerful reminder of the truth – Jesus is not here, he is risen! And who could forget the visit to the Upper Room and joining with other Pentecostals in speaking in tongues as the first disciples did in Acts 2? After the conference we visited Masada, floated on the Dead Sea where it's impossible to sink, and went to the cave where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. It was there, I think, that we paid an Arab to let us take a photo of his camel! We also visited a museum where we saw a number of ancient seals, some dating back over three thousand years, and reminding us of Paul's teaching that after we believed we were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. So during the trip there was much to remind us of Bible times and the truth of God's word. We were glad that we went but have never had a wish to return. Eileen is now enjoying the heavenly Jerusalem and one day I will join her there. And all because of Jesus! In 1998 the conference was held in Seoul, Korea, at the vast Yoido Full Gospel Church led by David Yongghi Cho, numbering at the time some 720,000 members. We had at first thought to extend the trip and visit China and the Great Wall. Eileen had always had a great interest in China, but when it turned out that the visit was not feasible she decided not to accompany me. I had met Cho at the London world conference in 1976 when I gave him a copy of my book, Know the Truth, later to be renamed You'd Better Believe It. I was naturally interested to visit his church and to experience one of the Sunday services there. There were, I think, six services each Sunday to accommodate the vast numbers. Everything had to be organised and left little if any room for the exercise of spiritual gifts like tongues, interpretation and prophecy which we might expect in a smaller congregation. Presumably there was opportunity for such gifts to be experienced in their many home groups. The final meeting of the conference was held in the Olympic Stadium where it was estimated that over 100,000 people were in attendance. I was privileged to read from the scriptures, which I found a little difficult on this occasion as I had somehow mislaid my glasses on a visit to the Prayer Mountain and was using a pair borrowed from an English brother who was staying in the same hotel as me. During the conference it was decided to hold the next presidium meeting in Hawaii in 1999. The reasoning seemed to be that as Hawaii is in the Pacific Ocean it was not too far from either Asia or America. However, no one considered the inconvenience for anyone travelling from Europe! But as I was the only European on the presidium I could hardly object. So that is how I came to fly to Hawaii, a 24 hour journey each way, for a three-day committee meeting! The purpose was to plan for the 2001 conference which was to be held in Los Angeles. Fortunately, the meeting finished a day early and I had a day to spare before flying home. This gave me the opportunity to take a minibus tour of the island, visiting among other things Pearl Harbour and a tropical rain forest. I also experienced macadamia nuts for the first time and learnt that the name comes a Scot named Macadam who first discovered them and who also invented tarmac! Eileen was able to travel with me for the Los Angeles conference in 2001 and in the week before the conference we both enjoyed a short holiday staying with Brian and Ann Lee, old friends from Retford who had emigrated to La Verne just a few miles from L.A.  It was good to renew fellowship with them and to preach in their local AoG church. At the conference itself I had been asked to chair a theological seminar at which Roger Stronstad, a Canadian scholar whose writings I greatly admired, was to be one of the speakers. The subject was the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and at the last minute, I was asked to be the other speaker deputising for an American brother who was unable to attend. I was so grateful to the Lord for the opportunity he gave me to speak at the conference and the help he gave me to do so. The last world conference we attended was in South Africa in 2004. This conference was in many ways different from all the others. In the opening meeting the delegates were warmly welcomed by the President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeke who had been deputy president under Nelson Mandela from 1994 to 1999 and served as president from '99 to 2008. Eileen felt particularly honoured as she was seated right next to him on the front row! But much more important was the fact that so many participants were from African countries, and the meetings were marked by the freedom of expression so typical of African worship and so different from the formalism we have seen elsewhere even in some Pentecostal meetings. It was something we were to see much more of in later visits to Africa in the years that followed my retirement from Mattersey, After the conference we hired a car and travelled to the Africa School of Missions founded by Paul Alexander, my newly appointed successor at Mattersey. We broke our journey at Witbank where I preached at two services on the Sunday, travelling on to ASM on the Monday where we were warmly welcomed by the staff. They asked us if we were planning to visit the Kruger National Park, and, when we said no, one of them kindly phoned a relative who worked there and arranged for us to stay for a few nights at Skukuza, one of the safari lodges in the park. Our accommodation was in an extremely comfortable one-room apartment that looked something like a traditional African hut with a thatched roof. The restaurants served excellent food which was relatively inexpensive and offered views overlooking the wonderful wildlife. We enjoyed every moment we spent at Skukuza, especially when a company of mongooses ran across the compound in single file right in front of us. But of course it was driving outside the safari park that we saw most of the wildlife. It was early spring in the southern hemisphere, and the leaves had only just begun to appear on the trees and bushes, making it easy to spot whatever animals and birds happened to be in the area. We travelled miles each day, taking care to obey the instruction never to get out of the car except in specially designated safe places. We were also glad that the car had good air-conditioning because it was often important to ensure the windows were closed. On one occasion we stopped to watch a group of baboons in the road just ahead of us and I closed the electric windows. However, I had momentarily forgotten that, unlike our car at home, our hire car had electric windows only at the front. We only realised the back ones were still open when a large baboon leapt in onto the back seat attempting to steal our lunch! I turned round and shouted in a loud voice – Eileen later told the grandchildren that Grandad roared like a lion – and thank God, the animal obeyed! Both we and our lunch were safe. After that, we never opened the back windows again for the rest of the trip. Apart from that, the remainder of our stay there was relatively uneventful. We loved it so much that when I was back at ASM a few years later I borrowed a car and went back there. Our visit was far too short but was the highlight of our trip to South Africa. We were particularly grateful that in such a short time we had managed to see the big five – lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo, a wonderful ending to our last Pentecostal World Conference. Preaching trips But of course my travels beyond Europe were not limited to my role in the Pentecostal World Fellowship. There were preaching trips as well. At first, these centred on the USA where I combined preaching with raising funds for our building project. An American AoG pastor named Paul Curtis had a burden for Britain came to see me on one of his trips to England and said he would like to help raise funds for our new Hall of Residence. So at Paul's invitation, in February '82 I spent ten days preaching in AoG churches in North Carolina with a view to returning in mid-May for a period of four weeks. I enjoyed the trip in February, and the Lord blessed my ministry, and about £1400 was raised towards our building fund. Hopefully the trip in May-June would be more fruitful in that respect. I was looking forward to it and had bought my flights in advance as that was more economical. But only a few weeks before the trip Paul contacted me to apologise and tell me that he had been unable to arrange a suitable itinerary for me and that he felt that the time was not right. But I had already bought non-refundable tickets for flights both ways! And I had already planned the timetable at Mattersey to enable me to be away from the college throughout that period! After praying about it I contacted John and Sara Miles who were by then living in Naperville, Illinois, and asked their advice. Sara suggested that I was in a situation like Abraham's when he set off not knowing where the Lord would lead him. So I used the air tickets to fly as far as New York and paid the extra to fly on to Chicago where John and Sara collected me from O'Hare airport on May the 18th. When I arrived they told me that they had contacted Richard Dortch, the Superintendent of the Illinois AoG, and that he was arranging an itinerary for me around Illinois where I was already known through my three visits back in the seventies. I stayed with John and Sara until 6th July preaching in churches in the Chicago area on Sundays and Wednesday evenings. These included Yorkville, Palatine, Dekalb, Naperville, and Lake Villa as well as Chicago itself. I also spent a day at Wheaton College, had lunch with John, who was now a French professor there, and with Peter Kuzmic from Yugoslavia, and saw the wardrobe made famous in C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. On Thursday the 27th I flew via Denver to San José, California, to visit Bethany Bible College. Dick Foth, who had been the pastor in Urbana where I first preached on my visit to the States in 1972, was now the President of Bethany and I had a couple of useful days with him visiting the college and comparing notes.  I had an interesting experience flying back on the Saturday. The weather was extremely hot and everyone else was dressed in shorts and T shirts. I, however, was still wearing my jacket. As I was waiting in the queue to check in, an airline official approached me and said, Excuse me, sir. I wonder if you can help me. We're overbooked in Economy Class, and as you seem to be a suitable gentleman, I wonder if you would mind travelling First Class. Would I mind! It was the first and only time I have travelled First Class and, although I could never justify the expense of doing so, I was more than happy to enjoy the experience at no extra cost to myself. On 6th June I left Naperville and flew to Urbana where I preached on the Sunday and where my old friend Jim Hall was now the pastor. The next day I flew to Springfield MO to visit two other AoG colleges, Evangel College and Central Bible College, as well as the Graduate School located in the AoG Headquarters in Boonville Avenue. When I returned to Urbana on the Friday, Jim Hall had arranged an English Evening where I talked about the spiritual state of the UK and taught the Americans how to make a proper cup of tea! On the Sunday morning, I preached in Normal, where Marvin Foulkes was the pastor. I had preached for Marvin back in '72 and '74 and was delighted to see how much the church had grown since then. In the evening, I preached in Decatur from where I flew back to Chicago ready for my return to England the next day. Looking back on it, I felt that the trip had been very worthwhile, not just because it raised about $5000 for our college, but because of the opportunity it gave me to visit and learn from other AoG colleges and expand my vision for Mattersey. I was very grateful to Richard Dortch for making it possible. A year later I met Dortch in Portugal at the opening of the new chapel in the Bible College in Fanhões, near Lisbon, and he shared with me that he was soon likely to become the Executive Vice-President at PTL, the centre of Jimmy and Tammy Bakker's ministry, and he invited me to preach for a week on their TV station. This took place in 1985 and during our stay Eileen, Jonathan, and I were treated to the luxurious accommodation of the Heritage Grand Hotel. And we came home with a significant sum of money for our building fund.  We were, of course, very grateful for their hospitality and generosity, but I confess I was not really comfortable about so much luxury. Coming to terms with the cultural differences and levels of poverty or prosperity we see around the world is by no means easy. The riches of America were in stark contrast with the poverty I was to see in India less than a year later. But I'll tell you about that next time.

 Think you know history? From Marie Antoinette's fake cake quote to a pope putting a corpse on trial, we debunk 10 myths and reveal the weird truths behind them.You know the story — or so you thought.This episode of An Ounce dives into 10 famous “facts” that never happened, plus a few true events so strange you'll swear we made them up. From Columbus's wrong math to political window-tossing in Prague, we're swapping history class clichés for the real — and often ridiculous — truth.It's fast-paced, insightful, and packed with twists that outsmart the obvious.What surprised you the most? Drop a comment below.If you could rewrite one moment in history, what would you change?

Steve Burgess never expected to become one of the world's most experienced hypnotherapists and past life regression specialists—but fate had other plans. What began as an unexpected detour became a lifelong journey into the subconscious, where healing often transcends time and space. With more than 15,000 therapy sessions, Steve has seen the power of regression therapy to uncover emotional root causes of illness and transform lives. In this episode, we explore his fascinating book, The Adventures of a Hypnotherapist: Was I Under?—a collection of his most astonishing cases and adventures. From facilitating surgery without anaesthetic to helping clients heal cancer, exploring alien contact, and releasing spirit attachments, Steve's stories reveal the extraordinary potential of the subconscious. His path has also taken him to prisons, the Great Wall of China, the Inca Trail, and even into his own grave. Connect with Steve at https://steveburgesshypnosis.com/. Check out his free hypnosis videos at https://www.youtube.com/@hypno4all509. ✨ Ready to live more authentically? Book a session at radiatewellnesscommunity.com/appointment.

Send us a textWelcome!  Upside/Downside is a podcast about value creation, and how business leaders like you can grow your profits and cash flow.  I'm your host, Matt Cooley.  In this episode, Jay Wei, CEO and Founder of Discover Live, takes us on a value creation journey through the power of creating connections and accessibility for the 94% of the world's population that can't physically travel.Jay shares the importance of understanding what you're really selling and how to use key metrics to drive value creation.  With a NPS score of 88% and a ton of customer stories, including memories of a first kiss, a 5.8 earthquake and climbing the Great Wall in the pitch black of night, we explore the building blocks to stronger profits and cash flow.  We learn why exceptional guides are like great chefs, and how they are fundamental to value creation.  And we get into unit economics and the power of partnerships.This episode feels like an inspirational college course in a friendly 27-minute package.  Find a comfortable seat and join us!Thank you for listening and please visit Upside/Downside podcast and enter your email for my FREE list: "10 places to look for higher profits and cash flow right now!". Matt

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Balancing Books and Joy: Mei's Autumn Revelation Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-09-22-22-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 秋天，长城在晴朗的天空下延伸。En: In the autumn, the Great Wall stretches under the clear sky.Zh: 红色、橙色和金色的叶子在风中飞舞，云朵懒洋洋地飘过，给古老的石墙投下轻柔的影子。En: Red, orange, and golden leaves dance in the wind, and clouds lazily drift by, casting gentle shadows on the ancient stone walls.Zh: 这是学校的秋游，学生们兴奋不已。En: This is the school's autumn outing, and the students are excited beyond measure.Zh: 美是个勤奋的学生。En: Mei is a diligent student.Zh: 她喜欢学习，但也想和朋友们一起享受这次旅行。En: She loves studying, but she also wants to enjoy this trip with her friends.Zh: 她担心即将到来的重要考试，却又不想错过和同学们的美好时光。En: She is worried about the upcoming important exams, but she doesn't want to miss out on good times with her classmates.Zh: 假、陈和她同行。En: Jia and Chen accompany her.Zh: 他们在长城上欢笑，欣赏美丽的风景。En: They laugh on the Great Wall, appreciating the beautiful scenery.Zh: 同时，美背着书包，里面装满了课本和笔记本。En: Meanwhile, Mei carries a backpack filled with textbooks and notebooks.Zh: 途中，美不时停下来，翻开书本复习。En: Along the way, Mei occasionally stops to open her books and review.Zh: 假和陈叫她一起拍照。En: Jia and Chen call her to join them for photos.Zh: 美微笑着，但心里还是想着学习。En: Mei smiles, but her mind remains on studying.Zh: 中秋节快到了，大家计划晚上赏月。En: Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, and everyone plans to enjoy moon gazing that evening.Zh: 到了一个观景台，美到达了抉择的时刻。En: Reaching a viewing platform, Mei arrives at a moment of decision.Zh: 朋友们都聚集到一起，准备吃月饼，赏明月。En: Her friends gather together, preparing to eat mooncakes and admire the bright moon.Zh: 美站在一旁，手里翻动着书页。En: Mei stands aside, flipping through the pages of a book.Zh: 她闭上眼睛，深吸一口气，想着考试，但也想着朋友们的笑脸和这难得的欢乐时光。En: She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, thinking about the exams but also about her friends' smiles and this rare joyful time.Zh: 终于，她把书本放进包里，走向同学们。En: Finally, she puts the book back in her bag and walks towards her classmates.Zh: 月光明亮，大家在一起欢笑，美也感受到一种轻松和快乐。En: The moonlight is bright, with everyone laughing together, and Mei also feels a sense of ease and happiness.Zh: 在那一刻，她明白，有些体验和学业一样重要，是生活的一部分。En: In that moment, she understands that some experiences are as important as academics and are a part of life.Zh: 美学会了平衡，珍惜生活中的重要时刻。En: Mei learned to balance and cherish important moments in life.Zh: 不仅仅是书本，人生还需要这些温暖的回忆。En: It's not just about books; life also needs these warm memories. Vocabulary Words:autumn: 秋天stretches: 延伸lazily: 懒洋洋地casting: 投下ancient: 古老的diligent: 勤奋的accompany: 同行scenery: 风景occasionally: 不时review: 复习approaching: 快到了viewing platform: 观景台decision: 抉择gather: 聚集admire: 欣赏moon gazing: 赏月rare: 难得的joyful: 欢乐ease: 轻松moment: 时刻understands: 明白experiences: 体验balance: 平衡cherish: 珍惜important: 重要life: 生活memories: 回忆clouds: 云朵gazing: 赏notebooks: 笔记本

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Yoga on the Great Wall: A Journey of Balance and Discovery Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-09-17-22-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 漫步在秋天的长城，微风把黄色和橙色的落叶轻轻吹落在路上，空气中弥漫着浓郁的季节气息。En: Strolling along the Chang Cheng in autumn, the breeze gently blew the yellow and orange fallen leaves onto the path, filling the air with a rich seasonal scent.Zh: 李伟充满期待地踏上了这条古老的石道，En: Li Wei stepped onto this ancient stone path with great anticipation.Zh: 他是个历史迷，认为这次旅行是一场穿越时空的历史重现体验。En: As a history enthusiast, he viewed this trip as a time-traveling historical reenactment experience.Zh: 他希望能在这里找到祖先留下的足迹，感受到血脉的连接。En: He hoped to find traces left by his ancestors here and feel the connection of his bloodline.Zh: 但出发没多久，他突然发现，这竟然是一节瑜伽课堂！En: But shortly after setting out, he suddenly discovered that this was actually a yoga class!Zh: 站在他眼前的是一位活力四射的导游兼瑜伽教练，张敏。En: Standing before him was an energetic guide and yoga instructor, Zhang Min.Zh: 她正带领一群兴高采烈的参与者找到属于自己的一片宁静。En: She was leading a group of enthusiastic participants to find their own piece of tranquility.Zh: 李伟环顾四周，看到另一个徒步者，陈磊，也是一脸困惑。En: Li Wei looked around and saw another hiker, Chen Lei, who also had a look of confusion.Zh: 不过，与李伟不同，陈磊立即接受了这个笑料般的误会，开始尝试各种动作。En: However, unlike Li Wei, Chen Lei immediately embraced this amusing misunderstanding and began trying various poses.Zh: 李伟感到尴尬不已。En: Li Wei felt extremely embarrassed.Zh: 他从未上过瑜伽课，心里担心自己在别人面前出丑。En: He had never attended a yoga class and worried he might embarrass himself in front of others.Zh: 他努力想要逃避这种羞愧，但他又觉得，如果就此退出，不免显得懦弱。En: He desperately wanted to avoid this shame, but he also felt that quitting would seem cowardly.Zh: 更何况，陈磊的欢笑和平和的心态，令他心生仰慕。En: Moreover, Chen Lei's laughter and calm demeanor made him feel a sense of admiration.Zh: 最后，李伟做了个决定。En: In the end, Li Wei made a decision.Zh: 他试图参与其中，跟随张敏的指导，愚钝地模仿各种动作，尤其是陈磊那轻松自若的姿态。En: He attempted to join in, following Zhang Min's guidance, clumsily mimicking various poses, especially Chen Lei's relaxed stance.Zh: 起初，他挣扎不已，手忙脚乱，果真不负众望地成为大家捂嘴偷笑的对象。En: Initially, he struggled greatly, awkwardly flailing, indeed becoming the target of everyone's stifled laughter as expected.Zh: 然而，故事的高潮在他尝试一种叫做“平衡式”的姿势时发生了。En: However, the story reached its climax when he attempted a pose called the “Balance Pose.”Zh: 当他的小腿刚刚蹬出时，脚下的1016号砖头竟然松动了！En: As he just extended his leg, the brick underfoot, labeled 1016, suddenly loosened!Zh: 李伟猛然失去平衡，整个人跌向墙边，En: Li Wei lost his balance abruptly, his body tumbling towards the wall.Zh: 然而，奇迹般的，他以一种看似精确设计的战士姿态稳住了身体。En: Miraculously, he stabilized himself in a seemingly precisely designed warrior pose.Zh: 现场一片寂静，随后，大家爆发出热烈的掌声。En: The scene fell silent, followed by a burst of enthusiastic applause.Zh: 张敏拉起他的手，称赞他为这些动作增添了独特的“创意”。En: Zhang Min pulled him up, praising him for adding unique "creativity" to these movements.Zh: 李伟也开始忍不住大笑。En: Li Wei couldn't help but laugh as well.Zh: 他意识到，有时候，寻根之旅并不一定以传统方式进行，而尝试新事物也可以是一种收获满满的体验。En: He realized that sometimes, a journey to trace one's roots doesn't have to proceed in a traditional manner, and trying new things can also be a richly rewarding experience.Zh: 当课结束后，李伟和陈磊并肩漫步在长城的古道上。En: After the class ended, Li Wei and Chen Lei walked side by side on the ancient path of the Great Wall.Zh: 远方，夕阳亲吻着山峦，长城似乎在这团和日丽的金红色余晖中活了过来。En: In the distance, the sunset kissed the mountains, and the Great Wall seemed to come alive in the golden-red afterglow of this sunny day.Zh: 李伟不再担心自己显得愚笨，他已然学会了享受每一个意外的瞬间。En: Li Wei no longer worried about appearing foolish; he had learned to enjoy every unexpected moment. Vocabulary Words:strolling: 漫步fallen: 落anticipation: 期待enthusiast: 迷reenactment: 重现traces: 足迹bloodline: 血脉energetic: 活力四射participants: 参与者tranquility: 宁静confusion: 困惑embraced: 接受misunderstanding: 误会poses: 姿势embarrassed: 尴尬shame: 羞愧cowardly: 懦弱dilemma: 挣扎admiration: 仰慕mimicking: 模仿awkwardly: 手忙脚乱flailing: 挣扎climax: 高潮abruptly: 猛然stabilized: 稳住warrior pose: 战士姿态creativity: 创意traditional: 传统richly: 满满unexpected: 意外

This week on Life's A Beach, Alan Carr is joined by actor, writer and all-round talent Richard Armitage. From his early holiday memories in Anglesey to skiing adventures, to living in New York, and even bumping into Lady Gaga on a flight, Richard shares some amazing travel tales from his acting career. He opens up about writing his new book (and how his stories are getting optioned!), how filming The Hobbit made him fall in love with New Zealand, and we find out where he'd like to be at 100 years old. Plus, Alan has some classic confessions of his own along the way… ⏰ Timestamps  00:00 Intro  00:15 Make up for dogs  00:50 Rich's first holiday memories of Anglesey  01:56 Richard's writing a new book and how writing started  03:07 His books getting optioned  03:30 The Cut: story and inspiration  05:05 How scary Weapons is  06:01 Why Richard loves skiing  08:24 Lionel Blair is Alan's dad  09:10 Has Richard ever had a holiday romance?  10:14 Richard in Beijing and the Great Wall of China  13:02 Richard and the superstar on the flight (Lady Gaga)  16:18 Is Richard adventurous with food?  17:30 How filming The Hobbit made Richard fall in love with New Zealand and Alan's New Zealand hidden gem  19:30 Richard's New York hidden gem: Carnitos  21:03 Broadway stories  22:50 Richard wanted to ski down Mount Ruapehu as a dwarf  23:57 Does Richard complain?  25:19 Richard's love of Berlin  26:15 Richard returning to the stage  27:00 Where does Richard want to be when he's 100 years old?  28:20 Starting our descent – the quick fire quiz ✨ Don't forget to like, subscribe and join Alan every week as he chats to celebrity guests about their dream holidays and travel stories.  #LifesABeach #AlanCarr #RichardArmitage #LadyGaga #HolidayPodcast #TravelStories #Skiing #Berlin #NewZealand #Broadway #FunnyPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode Description: When a flyer leads Max and Molly to new POG activity, Aunt M sends them to the Great Wall of China in 1601. There, they discover that what locals think is a terrifying “monster” is actually a POG transmission antenna. With the Commander eager to take credit, Max and Molly must rescue a strange printout that deepens the koan mystery. Math Concepts:  Time calculations (converting minutes → seconds, hours → minutes → seconds); Speed, distance, and pace (Molly's run: 1.1 miles in 9:45 → pace calculations); Order of Operations (PEMDAS: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction); Prime vs composite numbers (e.g., 9 as the first odd composite number); Ratios and unit conversions (seconds to minutes, minutes to hours)History/Geography Concepts:  Geography: The Jiumenkou section of the Great Wall—unique as a bridge with nine arches spanning the Jiujiang River; History: Ming Dynasty China, 1601 CE; Cultural element: How myths and misunderstandings can grow around technology (locals mistaking a satellite dish for a monster); Philosophy: Koans (riddles used in Zen Buddhism to provoke deeper thought)

As the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services opens on Wednesday, visitors will notice familiar rows of red seats scattered outside the venue, according to Beijing Daily.据《北京日报》报道，2025年中国国际服务贸易交易会（以下简称“服贸会”）于周三开幕，展会场馆外错落摆放的一排排红色座椅格外引人注目——这些座椅对公众而言并不陌生。These 1,508 seats, once part of the temporary viewing platforms at Tian'anmen Square for the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War, continue to serve the public across the capital.此次亮相服贸会的1508把座椅，曾是中国人民抗日战争（1931-1945年）暨世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年纪念活动期间，天安门广场临时观礼台的组成部分。如今，它们在首都北京的各处继续为公众服务。"We retrofitted these seats with steel bases for stability so they could be used safely and effectively on the ground," said Liu Feifei, head of Shougang Park's urban renewal department.“我们为这些座椅加装了钢制底座以增强稳定性，确保其能在地面安全、有效地投入使用。”首钢园城市更新部负责人刘菲菲表示。The repurposing effort extends beyond Shougang. Beijing has embarked on a large-scale, precise reuse of these elements from Tian'anmen Square to maximize resource efficiency and preserve the commemorative value of items used for the grand parade, including flag formations, seats, carpets, and the Great Wall-themed stage.这样的“旧物新用”并非仅见于首钢园。目前，北京市正对天安门广场纪念活动遗留物资开展大规模、精细化的再利用工作，除座椅外，还包括国旗方阵道具、地毯、长城主题舞台等纪念活动及阅兵相关物资。此举既能最大限度提升资源利用效率，也让这些承载重大意义的物品得以保留纪念价值。The reuse includes nearly 50,000 ergonomically designed seats, color-coded in gold, red, and olive green to match their new environments, whether in school auditoriums, parks, sports facilities, or public spaces.据介绍，此次再利用的物资中，仅符合人体工学设计的座椅就有近5万把。工作人员根据座椅新使用场景的环境特点，将其分为金色、红色、橄榄绿三种颜色，适配学校礼堂、公园、体育场馆、公共活动空间等不同场所。Some red seats now offer rest spots under trees and along pathways in the Central Green Forest Park in Tongzhou district and are also used in schools. Fengtai district received four entire viewing platforms, complete with seats, now serving as spectator stands at local parks.在通州区城市绿心森林公园，部分红色座椅被放置在树下、步道旁，成为市民休憩的便民设施；另有部分座椅被调配至学校使用。丰台区则接收了4组完整的观礼台（含座椅），经过改造后，这些观礼台已成为区内公园的观众看台，服务市民休闲活动。Moreover, the red flag formations have been distributed to various school campuses, where they continue to inspire students and teachers to commemorate the war.此外，纪念活动中使用过的国旗方阵道具也已陆续分发至各中小学。这些承载着历史记忆的物品，在校园里继续发挥作用，激励广大师生铭记历史、缅怀先烈。ergonomicallyadv符合人体工程学地./ˌɜːɡəˈnɒmɪkli/commemorativeadj.纪念性的；用于纪念的/kəˈmemərətɪv/

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Rebuilding Bonds: A Mid-Autumn Reunion on the Great Wall Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-09-10-22-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 长城在秋天的色彩中绵延不绝，金色的阳光洒在古老的砖石上。En: The Great Wall stretched endlessly in the autumn colors, with golden sunlight spilling over the ancient bricks.Zh: 远处传来欢声笑语，这是来自附近村庄的中秋节庆祝声。En: From afar came sounds of laughter and joy, the celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival from nearby villages.Zh: 今天是一个特别的日子，莲、伟和小决定在这里见面。En: Today was a special day, and Lian, Wei, and Xiao decided to meet here.Zh: 他们希望在长城上找回曾经的亲密关系。En: They hoped to reconnect and regain their past closeness on the Great Wall.Zh: 莲是家中长女，En: Lian is the eldest daughter in the family.Zh: 她一直努力扮演家族的桥梁角色。En: She has always worked hard to play the role of the family bridge.Zh: 然而，现在的她有些迷茫，家族的期望压在肩上，让她有些喘不过气来。En: However, she now feels a bit lost, with the expectations of the family weighing heavily on her shoulders, making it hard to breathe.Zh: 她希望能和伟修复关系，而今天的约定是她的一次尝试。En: She hopes to mend her relationship with Wei, and today's meeting is her attempt to do so.Zh: 伟是莲的弟弟，总觉得自己不被家人理解。En: Wei is Lian's younger brother and always feels misunderstood by the family.Zh: 他认为大家对他的期望全然不符，他只想做自己。En: He thinks the family's expectations of him are completely misplaced; he just wants to be himself.Zh: 而今天，伟抱着复杂的心情来到长城，这个地方对家族有着特殊的意义。En: Today, Wei carries mixed emotions to the Great Wall, a place that holds special significance for the family.Zh: 小是最小的，她在家里总是被拉来扯去，但她始终希望一家人能够和睦相处。En: Xiao is the youngest and is often caught in the middle at home, but she always hopes the family can get along harmoniously.Zh: 中秋节让她格外期盼，这个节日象征着团圆。En: The Mid-Autumn Festival makes her particularly hopeful, as this holiday symbolizes reunion.Zh: 三个人在长城上并排走着，谁也没说话。En: The three of them walked side by side on the Great Wall, none of them speaking.Zh: 风轻轻地吹过，带走了秋天的凉意。En: The wind gently blew by, taking with it the chill of autumn.Zh: 终于，莲打破了沉默：“伟，我们好久没这样一起走了。”En: Finally, Lian broke the silence, "Wei, it's been a long time since we walked like this together."Zh: 伟停下脚步，看着远处的山峦，似乎在思考：“莲，我觉得你们一直不理解我。”En: Wei stopped, looking at the distant mountains, seemingly in thought, "Lian, I feel like you never understand me."Zh: 莲点点头，心里说不出的沉重：“我知道。我们有些误解。我总以为尽责就好，但忽略了你的感受。”En: Lian nodded, a heavy feeling she couldn't quite describe in her heart, "I know. We've misunderstood each other. I always thought fulfilling responsibilities was enough, but I neglected your feelings."Zh: 伟叹了一口气，好像放下了什么心事：“我也有不成熟的地方，我愿意多和你们交流。”En: Wei sighed, as if letting go of some burden, "I also have my immature moments. I'm willing to communicate more with you."Zh: 小看到两人终于开始对话，露出了笑容：“我们一起过中秋节，好吗？正好爸爸妈妈也在。”En: Xiao saw the two finally starting to talk and smiled, "Let's spend the Mid-Autumn Festival together, shall we? Mom and dad are also here."Zh: 最后，三人坐在长城的一块大石头上，分享月饼。En: Finally, the three of them sat on a large stone on the Great Wall, sharing mooncakes.Zh: 莲和伟把过去的不快都留在了长城，决心重新开始。En: Lian and Wei left their past grievances behind at the Great Wall, determined to start afresh.Zh: 月亮渐渐升起，带来了节日的光辉。En: The moon gradually rose, bringing the glow of the festival.Zh: 空气中弥漫着淡淡的甜香，那是团圆的味道。En: The air was filled with a faint sweet aroma, the scent of reunion.Zh: 这一天，他们不仅重新找回了彼此，也找回了家的温暖。En: On this day, they not only reconnected with each other but also found the warmth of family.Zh: 莲更加理解弟弟，愿意倾听他的想法。En: Lian understood her brother better and was willing to listen to his thoughts.Zh: 伟则感受到了被接受和认可的喜悦。En: Wei felt the joy of being accepted and recognized.Zh: 小看到哥哥姐姐和好如初，欢快地笑着，她知道，这个中秋节，他们是一家人。En: Xiao saw her brother and sister reconcile and laughed happily, knowing that this Mid-Autumn Festival, they were truly a family. Vocabulary Words:stretched: 绵延不绝joy: 欢声笑语celebration: 庆祝reconnect: 找回regain: 重新获得closeness: 亲密关系bridge: 桥梁mend: 修复misunderstood: 不被理解misplaced: 不符significance: 意义harmoniously: 和睦相处symbolizes: 象征着blows: 吹过chill: 凉意seemingly: 似乎describe: 说不出的fulfilling: 尽责neglected: 忽略immature: 不成熟communicate: 交流reunion: 团圆grievances: 不快determined: 决心afresh: 重新glow: 光辉faint: 淡淡的scent: 香味reconcile: 和好如初accepted: 被接受

Paul, June, and Jason break down the 2016 alien flick The Great Wall starring Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, Willem Dafoe, and Tian Jing. LIVE from the Chevalier Theatre in Boston, they cover the space dogs, Matt Damon's many accents, all the beards and rattails, magnets, and so much more. (Originally Released 03/26/2020) • Go to hdtgm.com for tour dates, merch, FAQs, and more• Have a Last Looks correction or omission? Call 619-PAULASK to leave us a voicemail!• Submit your Last Looks theme song to us here• Join the HDTGM conversation on Discord: discord.gg/hdtgm• Buy merch at howdidthisgetmade.dashery.com/• Order Paul's book about his childhood: Joyful Recollections of Trauma• Shop our new hat collection at podswag.com• Paul's Discord: discord.gg/paulscheer• Paul's YouTube page: youtube.com/paulscheer• Follow Paul on Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/paulscheer• Subscribe to Enter The Dark Web w/ Paul & Rob Huebel: youtube.com/@enterthedarkweb• Listen to Unspooled with Paul & Amy Nicholson: unspooledpodcast.com• Listen to The Deep Dive with June & Jessica St. Clair: thedeepdiveacademy.com/podcast• Instagram: @hdtgm, @paulscheer, & @junediane• Twitter: @hdtgm, @paulscheer, & msjunediane • Jason is not on social media• Episode transcripts available at how-did-this-get-made.simplecast.com/episodesGet access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using the link: siriusxm.com/hdtgm

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Erik and Chris zoom in a couple of fans to talk about noisy upstairs neighbors and getting a private tour of the Egyptian Pyramids. They also discuss times they've been in aw, the Great Wall of China, and a fictional sitcom starring the Wahlbergs.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Last time we spoke about the Battle for South Sakhalin and the Kurile Islands. In August 1945, as Japan teetered on the edge of destruction following the atomic bombings, a desperate situation unfolded. The Soviet Union launched a sudden invasion of Manchuria, catching Japanese forces off guard. On August 14, Japan's decision to surrender was made, announced to the world the following day. However, the Kwantung Army resisted fiercely, engaging in frantic evacuations. In South Sakhalin, Japanese defenders clashed with advancing Soviet troops, facing overwhelming odds. By August 18, chaos reigned on the Japanese side, with forces surrendering and civilians in panic. As the Soviets pushed forward, the situation became increasingly dire for Japan. Despite valiant resistance, the imminent defeat became clear. In a moment of critical decision, Emperor Hirohito accepted the surrender terms, officially sealing Japan's fate and marking the end of the Pacific War. However the Soviets had not yet stopped their onslaught.  This episode is the Soviet Victory in Asia Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, 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 world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two 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 you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  We are drawing near to the real conclusion of this series! Japan has officially surrendered, however the Soviets are not done just yet. East asia is a delicious piece of cake, laid wide open and Stalin intends to take every piece he can grab before the curtain falls. Now as we last left off it was August 18, and General Yamada's Kwantung Army had surrendered to the Soviet forces led by Marshal Vasilevsky, who were advancing rapidly through Manchuria. Yet, some Japanese units, like those at Kalgan, continued to resist occupation until the month's end. On August 19, following Yamada's announcement that all military operations had ceased, a Soviet delegation arrived at Hsinking.  A daring operation took place, where a 225-strong detachment from the 6th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade, part of the 5th Guards Tank Corps, was airlifted to the city's main airfield. This mission, along with others, was carried out under orders from Marshal Vasilevsky on August 18, following the commander's initial offer of surrender from the Kwantung Army. Vasilevsky's directive was urgent: “The Japanese resistance is broken, and the challenging road conditions hinder the swift advance of our main forces. We need to deploy specially formed, fast-moving, and well-equipped units to capture Changchun, Mukden, Jilin, and Harbin immediately. These units should remain flexible for future missions, regardless of their distance from the main forces.”The push to accelerate operations came directly from Stalin himself. In Kulichkin's biography of Marshal Vasilevsky, he recounts a pivotal phone call on August 15. Stalin was informed that the Japanese had “lost command and control” and were unable to mount a strong defense, with their forces divided into several fragmented groups. Vasilevsky confidently stated, “Even a miracle cannot save the Japanese from total defeat,” stressing the need to maintain the momentum of the offensive. Stalin's response was straightforward: “Good. We need to increase the pace. What proposals do you have?” Vasilevsky revealed plans to use airborne assault forces against larger cities like Harbin, Changchun, Jilin, and Mukden, alongside advanced mobile units across all combined arms armies. These units, consisting of tanks and assault guns, were fully equipped with desantniki, ready to engage firmly in the ongoing operations. The landing at Shenyang revealed a remarkable twist of fate. Waiting at the airfield for evacuation to Japan was none other than the recently abdicated Emperor Puyi of Manchukuo. On August 15, 1945, Puyi tuned in to the radio and listened to Emperor Hirohito's address announcing Japan's surrender. In this historic speech, the Showa Emperor referred to the Americans' use of a "most unusual and cruel bomb," which had just devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For Puyi, this was the first revelation of the atomic bombings, information that the Japanese had conveniently withheld from him until that moment. The aircraft carrying Major Chelyshev's force, escorted by fighter planes, landed at 1:15 PM without any opposition and captured him. This small unit's survival hinged on remaining unchallenged, and they successfully secured the airfield. They also freed several Allied personnel held at the nearby Hoten prisoner-of-war camp. As soon as the landing was secured, additional reinforcements were airlifted in later that day, led by General Kravchenko, the commander of the 6th Guards Tank Army. He formally accepted the city's surrender, and the Soviets then transported Puyi to the Siberian town of Chita.  Meanwhile, Vasilevsky's ground offensive pressed on, mostly unopposed, though some resistance persisted. In the Transbaikal Front, Marshal Malinovsky's General Pliyev led his cavalry-mechanized units against the Japanese forces at Kalgan. Other units reached Jehol and accepted the surrender of the 108th Division. General Danilov's 17th Army secured the Shanhaiguan coast, while General Managarov's 53rd Army pushed towards Kailu. The main force of General Kravchenko's 6th Guards Tank Army regrouped at Tungliao and Kaitung, preparing to advance south toward Mukden. General Lyudnikov's 39th Army steadily approached Changchun, confronting the bypassed 107th Division, and General Luchinsky's 36th Army occupied Tsitsihar, accepting the surrender of the 136th Independent Mixed Brigade. At the same time, on General Purkayev's 2nd Far Eastern Front, General Teryokhin's 2nd Red Banner Army continued its siege of the Aihun fortified region. Meanwhile, a forward detachment moved slowly south through the Lesser Khinghan Mountains. General Mamonov's 15th Army began capturing and processing prisoners from the many retreating Japanese units after a successful amphibious assault secured Sansing. The Amur Flotilla supported the army's push towards Harbin, while General Pashkov's 5th Rifle Corps finally reached Poli, which had already been occupied by other Soviet units. In Marshal Meretskov's 1st Far Eastern Front, forward detachments of General Zakhvatayev's 35th Army began arriving at Linkou, focusing on the surrender of Japanese units in the area. Rear elements effectively eliminated the last traces of enemy resistance in the Hutou fortified area.  After a challenging struggle through the wetlands and the capture of Mishan on August 12, advanced detachments of the 35th Army's main force, the 66th and 363rd Rifle Divisions, continued their advance against minimal opposition. The situation was starkly different to their rear, where the 1056th Rifle Regiment of the 264th Rifle Division, supported by the heavily reinforced 109th Fortified Region, worked to dismantle the now-isolated Hutou fortified area. Despite the dire circumstances, the garrison refused to surrender. Thus, the focus shifted to systematically eliminating their defenses, which became a painstaking task. The attackers deployed an artillery destruction group, secured air supremacy, and utilized well-trained assault formations. Their techniques included pouring kerosene or gasoline into ventilation shafts of underground structures, sometimes in alarming quantities. For instance, two tonnes of gasoline were recorded being poured into a single installation before ignition was applied. Despite the brutal and methodical obliteration of their positions, the defenders continued to ignore orders to surrender. Notably, on August 18, a Japanese prisoner was sent under a flag of truce to inform those still holding out that the war was officially over; tragically, he was hacked to death by a sword-wielding officer. Ultimately, this stubbornness led to catastrophic consequences: about 3,000 defenders were killed, blasted and burned, before a small number finally capitulated. Additionally, advanced detachments of General Beloborodov's 1st Red Banner Army reached Shangzhi before continuing towards Harbin, and forward elements of General Krylov's 5th Army pushed on toward Jilin. General Chistyakov's 25th Army commenced disarming General Murakami's 3rd Army, while the 10th Mechanized Corps advanced rapidly westward, crossing the Laoilin Mountain passes to arrive at Tunhua by nightfall. Over in North Korea, the 335th Rifle Division successfully landed in Chongjin, as General Kabanov's Southern Defense Region prepared for an assault on Gensan. In South Sakhalin, despite the surrender of the 125th Regiment and ongoing negotiations with General Mineki's 88th Division, Soviet forces opted to proceed with the planned landing at Maoka. Consequently, Admiral Andreyev's Northern Pacific Flotilla departed from Sovetskaya Gavan in the morning, carrying the bulk of the 113th Rifle Brigade along with a battalion of marines for the long and challenging voyage to Maoka. On Shumshu Island, as General Gnechko's forces were landing their artillery to renew their assault, Japanese officers unexpectedly approached the Soviets under flags of truce, carrying a letter from General Tsutsumi proposing negotiations for surrender. Representatives from both sides began discussions, and by 6 PM, the 91st Division formally surrendered the garrisons of Shumshu, Paramushir, and Onekotan. On August 20, Gnechko dispatched a small detachment on six vessels to seize control of the airfield at Kataoka. However, as they crossed the Second Kuril Strait, batteries on both sides of the narrow waterway opened heavy fire on the Soviet ships, forcing them to withdraw. This breach of the surrender agreement sparked a renewed offensive at 1 PM, coordinated with air strikes. The bases at Kataoka and Kashiwabar were bombed by 61 aircraft, which dropped over 200 bombs, enabling ground troops to push forward up to six kilometers. It was not until General Tsutsumi intervened that the Soviets were assured the Japanese would indeed lay down their arms. Meanwhile, Andreyev's convoy arrived at Maoka harbor on the morning of August 20, successfully landing the first wave of marines amid heavy fog. They quickly spread out and secured the area while the second and third waves of infantry followed behind. By noon, the port area was secured, and the marines began advancing eastward into the city, supported by infantry on their flanks. Taken by surprise, the Japanese defenders were ultimately compelled to retreat, with the 113th Rifle Brigade pursuing them through the mountains to the villages of Futamata and Osaka. In Manchuria, between August 20 and 21, Vasilevsky's units continued their advance to occupy the region's main centers. Stalin urged for greater speed, fearing that any delay might prompt President Truman to order General MacArthur's air-naval assault forces to land there. Notably, Pliyev's first column successfully captured Kalgan, while his second column moved south toward Beijing, securing Gubeikou at the border. Located in one of the passes through the Great Wall, marking the border between Manchukuo and China, the town was garrisoned by Japanese units. These forces surrendered upon the approach of the Soviet troops, who then quickly advanced toward Beijing, about 100 kilometers away. Although not the former capital itself, this area was under the control of Chinese Communist forces known as the 8th Route Army, who aligned with the Soviets. Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek was acutely aware that any Japanese capitulation to the Communists in northern China would allow the latter to occupy vital territories, making their removal difficult. Consequently, he commanded the 8th Route Army not to accept any Japanese surrenders, insisting they only surrender to Nationalist forces, with dire punishments threatened for defiance. Adding to the complexity, the Soviet Union and China had signed the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance, discussed at Yalta, just six days earlier on August 14. This treaty promised mutual respect for sovereignty and non-interference in each other's internal affairs. The Soviets had also committed to providing “moral support and aid in military supplies and other material resources” exclusively to the National Government as the legitimate central authority of China. Thus, a significant political and military predicament loomed. However, the Soviets quickly extricated themselves from this situation when Malinovsky issued an order forbidding Pliyev's forces from crossing the border. As Pliyev recounted, his formations were poised just halfway between Chengde and Beijing, needing “only one 'leap' to the Chinese capital.” He noted, “I had to suspend the offensive and move north beyond the Great Wall.” Units from the 6th Guards Tank Army occupied both Changchun and Mukden, initiating a rail movement towards Port Arthur and Dairen. For those curious, at Pingfan and Changchun, General Shiro Ishii and the remaining personnel from Units 731 and 100 were captured by Soviet forces. In a tragic turn of events, all test subjects were murdered and cremated, while the Japanese attempted to destroy evidence of their facilities but were unable to do so in time. Following their capture, the Soviets launched an extensive campaign to uncover the secrets behind Units 731 and 100, leading to the Khabarovsk Trial. If you want to learn more about what I would call “japans operation paperclip”, the secret dealings between Unit 731 and the Allies after the war, I did make an episode about it over on my patreon. Its pretty gruesome stuff so big disclaimer there.' The Soviets arrived to Dairen on 24 August, although these places had surrendered to air-landed forces two days earlier. This was, no doubt, much to the relief of Stalin, as these were amongst the main locations where he most feared American intervention. Indeed, on the day of the landing he had told Vasilevsky to ‘keep in mind' the fact that any delay could mean ‘Truman will order General MacArthur to land his naval assault forces'. The long-resisting 135th Independent Mixed Brigade finally surrendered at Aihun, while advanced units of the 2nd Red Banner Army secured Nencheng and Peian before pushing towards Tsitsihar and Harbin. Forward detachments from the 15th and 1st Red Banner Armies also reached the already-occupied Harbin. Furthermore, advanced units of the 5th and 25th Armies arrived in Jilin to reinforce the air-landed detachment there. Additionally, units from the 88th Rifle Corps and the 10th Mechanized Corps began their southward movement into Korea, heading toward the 38th Parallel. In North Korea, Kabanov dispatched a marine battalion and other units, totaling around 2,000 men, to occupy the fortified port of Gensan on August 20. The following morning, the landing force arrived and disembarked without opposition. However, the Japanese garrison refused to surrender until orders from higher command were received. Meanwhile, Japanese troops began to peacefully surround the harbor area, while Soviet sailors and marines, in a similarly calm manner, took up their defensive positions. As Kabanov noted, “An incomprehensible situation arose, neither peace nor war. The enemy has numerical superiority, but he neither fights nor wants to capitulate.” Unsurprisingly, he added, “the night passed in suspense.” The surreal situation was resolved when Rear Admiral Hori Yugoro and Colonel Tado boarded the frigate EK-3 to meet with Captain Studenichnikov on the morning of August 22. During their discussions, they attempted to negotiate terms, but the Soviet captain issued a bold threat of an immediate large-scale air strike and the initiation of hostilities at the port unless they surrendered unconditionally. While the latter was likely an empty threat, the Japanese officers signed the surrender agreement nonetheless. The process of surrendering the garrison began that evening and continued until August 26. In total, the Soviets captured more than 7,000 officers and men, along with all their military equipment. Looking toward the northern Kuriles, Japanese forces on Shumshu finally began to lay down their weapons on the afternoon of August 22, as Gnechko's units spread out to secure the island. In Manchuria, airborne detachments were also landed at Dairen and Port Arthur to secure these key administrative centers before the Americans could take control. Vanguard units of the 6th Guards Tank Army arrived to reinforce them two days later. Meanwhile, in South Sakhalin, heavy fighting persisted at Futamata despite Mineki's ceasefire agreement on August 22. Soviet air strikes supported the ground forces when weather conditions allowed, and the Japanese finally surrendered by the nightfall of August 23. At the same time, Andreyev dispatched three marine battalions on a small convoy to capture Otomari. However, a fierce storm forced the flotilla to seek refuge in the port of Honto on the morning of August 24. Once the storm subsided that evening, the force left a company of marines to garrison the port and resumed their voyage to Otomari, arriving there on the morning of August 25, just as elements of the 113th Rifle Brigade reached the eastern outskirts of the city. By noon, the 88th Division surrendered, and the city was secured. Shortly after, the 214th Tank Brigade arrived at Toyohara to secure South Sakhalin's administrative center. Thus, the South Sakhalin operation concluded with nearly 18,320 Japanese soldiers taken prisoner. Yet, this wouldn't mark the end of operations for General Cheremisov's 16th Army. Stalin pushed for the 87th and 135th Rifle Brigades, along with three marine battalions, to assemble at Otomari and execute amphibious landings on the southern Kurile Islands, specifically, Etorofu, Shikotan, and Kunashiri, and the islets of the Habomai group. The failure to include the Kuril Islands in the areas designated for surrender to Soviet forces in Truman's General Order No. 1, originally issued on August 15, exacerbated Stalin's inherent suspicions regarding American intentions. Consequently, Vasilevsky was instructed to organize landings on the Kurils, ensuring that, similar to Port Arthur, Soviet occupation would manifest physically through boots on the ground. Despite Truman's subsequent correction of the omission, mistrust endured, as did the directive to occupy the islands. However, where Stalin hesitated was concerning Hokkaido. Truman's somewhat abrupt rejection of Stalin's demand for a portion of Hokkaido undoubtedly irritated the Soviet dictator, yet he chose not to take further action. Scholarly debates have arisen around the rationale behind Stalin's ‘retreat.' When viewed within the framework of his stated geostrategic goal of securing the Soviet Union's sea lines of communication in the Pacific, it becomes understandable. Churchill once likened the Soviet Union's challenges in this regard to those of a “giant with his nostrils pinched.” A look at the map reveals that control of the Kurils would significantly alleviate this pressure in the Far East, making their acquisition crucial. Similarly, occupying southern Sakhalin would allow the Soviet Union to control the northern side of the La Pérouse Strait, which connects the Sea of Japan to the Sea of Okhotsk. The strait's opposite shore is formed by the northern coast of Hokkaido, and possessing this area would undeniably enhance the security of communications and is therefore highly desirable. However, any unilateral action in this regard would incur a significant and public breach with the Americans, the consequences of which could not be easily predicted. Given that Stalin's claim to the Kurils was firmly based on the agreement reached at Yalta, an agreement which Truman honored, his choice to avoid completely rupturing relations with the U.S. was motivated by strategic self-interest. Consequently, Andreyev's flotilla, carrying these units, departed Otomari on August 27, reaching the west coast of Etorofu at 3:15 AM on August 28. The landing, conducted using small boats, went unopposed and was met by the surrender of General Ogawa's 89th Division. The occupation of the other islands was also peaceful, with the Soviets securing Kunashiri by September 2, and Shikotan and the Habomai islets by September 5. The remaining northern Kurile Islands surrendered without incident as elements of Gnechko's Kamchatka forces arrived at Paramushir on August 24, Onekotan and Shiashkotan on August 25, Matsuwa by August 26, Shimushiru on August 27, and Uruppu by August 29. In total, 63,840 prisoners were taken throughout the Kuriles. On August 24, air-landed detachments arrived at the cities of Pyongyang and Kange to secure the last administrative centers in North Korea. Two days later, units of the 25th Army reached Gensan. With this move, albeit with some geographical liberties, Chistyakov asserted that "the troops of the 25th Army, on the orders of Marshal Meretskov, reached the 38th Parallel.” In the days that followed, units of General Kushibuchi's 34th Army gradually began to surrender and disarm. Finally, in Manchuria, most of Yamada's units had surrendered and were being disarmed. However, one unit continued to resist until the end of the month. The bypassed and encircled 107th Division was engaged in fierce fighting for survival against the 94th Rifle Corps. Due to a lack of communication with Kwantung Army Headquarters, they did not receive any ceasefire orders. As a result, a staff officer from General Iida's 30th Army was dispatched by plane to locate the division and deliver the ceasefire orders. The 107th Division was found near Chalai, and the plane made a forced landing between the Japanese troops and the opposing Soviet forces. The staff officer successfully delivered the orders terminating hostilities in that sector on August 30, which the Japanese troops promptly complied with. By September 1, units of the 53rd Army occupied Kailu, Chaoyang, Fuhsin, and Gushanbeitseifu, while forward detachments secured the Chinchou area on the Liaotung Peninsula. This marked the conclusion of the Manchurian campaign, with the Soviets claiming to have captured between 594,000 and 609,000 prisoners of war across Inner Mongolia, Manchuria, and North Korea. The captured Japanese military personnel were subjected to forced labor in Siberian internment camps, as well as camps in Sakhalin, Manchuria, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia. A significant number were assigned to the construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline. Unfortunately, the treatment of prisoners of war was deemed inhumane and mishandled. Many suffered from malnutrition, overwork, cave-ins, floods, unsanitary working conditions leading to epidemics, harsh winter weather, violent guards, and brutal suppression of even mild resistance. Disturbingly, some Japanese prisoners were even lynched by their fellow captives. Estimates suggest that between 60,000 and 347,000 Japanese died in captivity. Although 18,616 prisoners were released in 1946, the process of repatriating prisoners of war extended into the 1950s. Those who remained after 1950 were detained for various convictions. However, their release began in 1953 under different amnesties. Following Josef Stalin's death and the subsequent Khrushchev Thaw, the Soviet attitude toward the remaining Japanese prisoners shifted significantly. Accompanied by Soviet officials, they were taken on tours of cities and allowed to purchase gifts for their families. Before repatriation, a banquet in Khabarovsk, hosted by Nikolai Gagen, included high-ranking prisoners such as Jun Ushiroku as attendees. The last major group of 1,025 Japanese POWs was released on December 23, 1956. After that, some Japanese POWs were released in small groups, with some only returning in the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Interestingly, some prisoners who had been held for decades, many of whom had married and started families during their captivity, chose not to return permanently to Japan. The Soviets committed numerous war crimes during their invasion and occupation of Manchuria and other Japanese territories. During the invasion, Soviet soldiers killed and raped Japanese civilians and looted civilian property. Following the Soviet invasion of Manchuria on August 9, 1945, a large number of Japanese citizens residing in the region sought to repatriate to Japan. The Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers supervised this mass movement and, in October 1945, delegated responsibility to Japan's Ministry of Health and Welfare. The Kwantung Army, which was meant to protect the Japanese settlers in Manchuria, quickly retreated and abandoned them. With most able-bodied men drafted into the army, the majority of those left behind were women, children, and the elderly, rendering them highly vulnerable to attacks from Soviet soldiers and local Chinese seeking revenge.In Soviet-occupied Manchuria and North Korea, the repatriation of Japanese civilians was characterized by violent expulsions, accompanied by widespread looting, mass killings, and rampant sexual violence perpetrated by both Soviet soldiers and local populations seeking retribution. Many Japanese civilians succumbed to starvation, disease, mass killings, and mass suicides. Approximately 223,000 Japanese civilians residing in the Soviet-occupied zones died, most within a year and a half after August 9, 1945. Regarding the extensive rape of Japanese women and girls by Soviet soldiers, a former Japanese soldier, Wakatsuki Yoshio, detailed these grim experiences in his memoir, The Records of Postwar Repatriation “What word can possibly describe the violence committed by the Soviet soldiers on Japanese women? I can only think of the word “hideous”. The victim could be a girl of twelve or thirteen years old or an old lady of almost seventy years old. These soldiers did not choose the sites where they raped them, in public, in broad daylight, even on snow-covered roads”. The Soviet invasion of Manchuria in 1945 left many Japanese women stranded after their male family members were either conscripted or killed. These women, including young girls, endured severe hardships, facing gang rapes by Soviet soldiers and local Chinese militia groups. In a desperate effort to survive, many were forced to marry Chinese men, either out of necessity or in exchange for assistance in repatriating their remaining family members. Disturbingly, some victims were as young as thirteen. Some women were held in groups and subjected to repeated sexual violence over extended periods. In certain instances, to ensure the safety of the group, members of the Japanese community offered women to their perpetrators. There were also reports of women voluntarily submitting themselves to protect their families, younger peers, or others in their communities. After Japan's defeat in 1945, leaders of the Kurokawa Settler Group in Manchuria offered approximately 15 young women, aged 17 to 21, to Soviet soldiers in exchange for protection. This tragic practice continued from September to November 1945, with some of the women later being offered to Chinese soldiers as well. With no protection from Japanese soldiers, Japanese women often had to devise unique strategies to avoid rape. Memoirs from female repatriates detail various escape tactics. Some women hid in attics every night, narrowly avoiding capture or even gunfire. Others managed to trap intruders in rooms before fleeing or bribed Soviet soldiers with valuables, such as wristwatches, to secure their escape. Notably, some women, particularly former geisha and bar workers, voluntarily went with Soviet soldiers to protect others. These women were referred to as tokkōtai (kamikaze) for their self-sacrifice. Additionally, it wasn't just Japanese women who suffered; Korean and Chinese women were also victims of sexual violence at the hands of various perpetrators in Manchuria. British and American reports indicate that Soviet Red Army troops looted and terrorized the local population in Shenyang, a city in Manchuria. A foreign witness described how Soviet troops, formerly stationed in Berlin, were permitted by the Soviet military to enter Shenyang for "three days of rape and pillage." In Harbin, Soviet forces ignored protests from leaders of the Chinese Communist Party regarding the widespread mass rape and looting committed by their troops. In the immediate aftermath of the war in 1945, in areas of Manchuria occupied by the National Revolutionary Army, 176 Koreans were killed, 1,866 were injured, 3,468 were detained, and 320 were raped by armed Chinese mobs. The attacks against Korean residents in Manchuria were believed to stem from a perception of Korean collaboration with Japanese colonial rule. One of the most infamous instances was the Gegenmiao massacre. On August 10 and 11, Xing'an was bombed, nearly destroying its urban functions. It is estimated that 3,000 of the 4,000 civilians. Anticipating the Soviet invasion, Xing'an had prepared an evacuation plan divided into three groups based on residential area and workplace. The Kwantung Army, however, failed to inform the General Office officials about their retreat. As a result, residents in the eastern area, many of whom were self-employed or office workers, had difficulty obtaining information and securing transportation, while those in the western area had military personnel who were first to learn of the situation. Some of the civilians with a handful of armed men had proceeded on foot towards Gegenmiao Township, about 35 kilometers southeast of Xing'an Street, to wait for a train at Gegenmiao Station and then evacuate to Baichengzi. They aimed to receive protection from the Kwantung Army in Baichengzi. Around 11:40 AM on August 14 in the vicinity of Gegenmyo Hill, where a Lamaist temple was located, they encountered an infantry unit consisting of 14 Soviet medium tanks and 20 trucks. The column reportedly stretched for two kilometers, with about a hundred survivors among them. Soviet troops launched an attack from the hilltop, deploying tanks with machine-gun fire. The tanks attacked multiple times, and when they ceased, Soviet soldiers disembarked and ruthlessly shot and bayoneted survivors. Many who escaped death from gunfire were still severely injured or witnessed family members being killed. Some were left holding their loved ones or chose to commit suicide. It is estimated that only about a hundred survivors were later confirmed, including nearly 200 schoolchildren from the Xing'an Street Zaiman National School. Kwantung Army units, which were supposed to escort the civilians and counterattack, had already retreated southward. Even after the Soviet soldiers left, sporadic gunfire continued, presumably due to suicides. Local residents began to plunder the bodies, stripping them of clothes and valuables. Others drowned in the river while attempting to escape. Reports tell of one woman who had her child killed by Soviet soldiers, only to later face an attack from Chinese militia, who stripped her of her clothes and mutilated her. Surviving mothers and children were also attacked, and those separated were often taken by the Chinese. At the time, it was common for Japanese boys to be sold for 300 yen and girls for 500 yen. Some survivors gathered together and began committing mass suicide, killing those who wished to end their lives. Others expressed intentions to form a death squad with rifles for revenge but ultimately did not resist.   After the war ended on August 15, attacks on displaced persons continued. A 12-year-old girl who joined a group of about ten women after the incident reported that they were attacked and robbed, taking over a week to reach Zhenxi Station, 10 kilometers from Gegenmiao Station. The women sought shelter in an abandoned house near the station but were discovered by Soviet soldiers that night who assaulted them until midnight. Afterward, the soldiers piled dry grass into the house, setting it ablaze in an attempt to burn the women alive. The girl and her sister managed to escape through a window, but many others could not flee in time due to the fire's rapid spread. The girl was forced to live as a residual orphan afterward. Fortunately, some Chinese, Mongolians, and Koreans provided food for the survivors, with some Chinese showing kindness towards the children. Those orphaned children, whose parents had been killed, became known as residual orphans, with about 30 in this unfortunate situation. Many women were forced to become residual women as well. Tragically, around 200 students from a local school, including the headmaster and his wife, were killed during this chaos. Some historians believe the attack stemmed from Soviet soldiers mistaking the refugees for armed Japanese troops because men within the group were carrying firearms for protection. In general, displaced persons at this time often carried small weapons like rifles, and some groups were even armed with light machine guns. In the pioneer groups, women sometimes participated in fighting against bandits, and in the Sado pioneer group incident, children above the fifth grade were forced into combat, regardless of gender. There may also have been prior skirmishes with other Japanese civilian groups before the war's end, further complicating the situation as the Soviet Army, which included female soldiers, may have regarded these mixed civilian and armed groups as a threat. According to Soviet military combat records, on August 14, the Soviet 17th Guards Rifle Division, 19th Guards Rifle Division, 91st Guards Rifle Division, and 61st Tank Division were stationed northwest of Gezhne Temple, but there was no combat activity in the area. On August 15, this unit advanced toward Bai Chengzi and occupied Bai Chengzi Station, which was then taken over by tanks from the 61st Tank Division. Despite extensive documentation, nothing about this incident was revealed until 2014 during the process of perestroika. Reports from British and American sources indicate that the 700,000 Soviet troops occupying Manchuria also terrorized and looted the local population in Mukden. They were not deterred by Soviet authorities and engaged in what was described as "three days of rape and pillage," with similar atrocities occurring in Harbin and across the country. Amid the mass repatriation of Japanese civilians living in the region, Japanese women in Manchuria faced repeated sexual violence at the hands of Russian soldiers every day. In North Korea, it was similarly reported that Soviet soldiers raped both Japanese and Korean women. Additionally, Soviet soldiers looted the property of Japanese, Chinese, and Koreans residing in Manchuria and North Korea. 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. Amid chaotic surrenders, Emperor Hirohito accepted defeat, but Soviet advances continued relentlessly. As they pushed deeper, the Soviets captured key cities, including Harbin, while Japan's soldiers and civilians struggled for survival against the onslaught. War crimes committed by Soviet troops added to the tragedy, with rampant violence against Japanese civilians. Amidst political tensions, the Soviets secured territory, culminating in the surrender of remaining Japanese forces. The grim conclusion of this campaign marked a profound shift in the power dynamics of East Asia and paved the way for post-war ramifications.

A wall built not for defense… but for revenge. In 1852, Westminster, Massachusetts, farmer Edmund Proctor had had enough of his neighbor Farwell Morse—a fiery religious zealot who openly condemned Proctor for working on the Sabbath. Proctor's answer? Build a massive colonial stone wall tall enough to block Morse's view entirely. Join Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger as they walk alongside this towering “Spite Wall,” explore the feud that inspired it, and uncover why it still stands as one of New England's strangest monuments to pettiness, pride… and pure spite. Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more episodes join us here each Monday or visit their website to catch up on the hundreds of tales that legends are made of. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ournewenglandlegends.com/category/podcasts/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Jeff Belanger here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jeffbelanger.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  The Great Wall of Spite - A New England Legends Podcast PLEASE SUPPORT THE ADVERTISERS THAT SUPPORT THIS SHOW Happiness Experiment - ⁠⁠https://go.happinessexperiment.com/begin-aff-o2?am_id=podcast2025&utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=michael⁠⁠ Factor Meals - Get 50% off your first order & Free Shipping at ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.FactorMeals.com/p6050off⁠⁠⁠⁠ & use code: P6050off at checkout Mint Mobile - To get your new wireless plan for just $15 a month, and get the plan shipped to your door for FREE, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.MintMobile.com/P60⁠⁠⁠⁠ Shadow Zine - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shadowzine.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Love & Lotus Tarot -  ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://lovelotustarot.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EPISODE 377 - 04/28/2025 SHORTCUTS On this episode of Dream Infringement, Jennifer takes the mic for a solo show all about shortcuts. From the very first webcam ever invented, to “desire lines” that show us where paths really want to be, to the workers who carved a hole in the Great Wall of China just to get to work a little quicker, this week is a journey through the clever, the rebellious, and the surprising ways we try to save time.

Join Dr. Jay and Brad as they interview Joey Coleman.Joey Coleman rolls into the conversation ready to sprinkle in his Notre Dame football expertise like he's the twelfth man on the field. This is the same guy who's defended “alleged” criminals in court, sold custom research to Fortune 500 execs, raced along the Great Wall, juggled in front of the Taj Mahal, emceed charity auctions, worked in the White House, sung a solo at the Kennedy Center, and racked up stamps from 51 countries (and counting). When he's not busy calling plays from the Notre Dame sidelines in his head, he's a keynote speaker, workshop leader, and consultant who teaches businesses how to win the First 100 Days® with customers and employees. He's also the bestselling author of Never Lose a Customer Again and Never Lose an Employee Again — books that basically break down the customer/employee journey like a football playbook. Thousands of speeches, a Wall Street Journal bestseller, and a brand-new release with Penguin/Portfolio later… and still, somehow, he'll make sure you know he's the guy who can not only fix your customer retention strategy but also tell you exactly what's wrong with Notre Dame's offensive line.To connect with Joey, visit his website at joeycoleman.com.

In ancient times, a city without walls would be a sitting duck: defenseless, vulnerable, and a ripe target for hostile nations. Writing to discouraged exiles who had returned to a ruined Jerusalem in 520 BC, Zechariah delivers God's stunning promise delivered to him in a third vision: Jerusalem will become a city without walls because of the multitude of people God will bring to it, and the YHWH Himself will be a wall of fire around His people and the glory in their midst. This was good news that required trust from God's returning people—what does it mean for us today? The Rev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Zechariah 2.  To learn more about Trinity Lutheran, visit trinitylutheranministries.org. The Persian king Cyrus issues an astonishing decree: the exiles may go home. Among them are the Jews—God's chosen people—whom this pagan ruler not only repatriates, but commands to rebuild the temple of the Lord. Ezra 1–4 tells of their return, the joy of restored worship, and the crushing opposition that brings construction to a standstill. Then the prophets Haggai and Zechariah speak with God's authority, calling His people to courage, repentance, and hope. In Ezra 5–8 the temple is completed, worship flourishes, and hearts are renewed in God's Word. This series on Thy Strong Word follows the events in the order they happened, revealing how the Lord moves kings and prophets, overcomes opposition, and restores His people. Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Mariah and Alan - reunited! For a fabulous holiday chat on Life's a Beach!

Are you tired of feeling stretched thin and resentful? Do you want to build stronger relationships and live a more successful life? The key might be simpler than you think: boundaries.In this episode of Thriving Man, host David Maxwell explains why boundaries are your most powerful tool for conquering everyday chaos. Using the powerful analogy of the Great Wall of China, he reveals how we often let our personal "walls" get breached by failing to make predetermined decisions.Learn the three essential steps to setting effective boundaries:Discover why personal boundaries must start within you.Understand the critical need for clarity to avoid misunderstandings.Master the art of communicating boundaries calmly and confidently.This show is your guide to taking back control, defining what's truly important, and creating the thriving life you were meant to live.For more help to live a life of impact as a man, go to www.thrivingman.com.

Can an artist lead a community? What does it take for cultural activists to become trusted stewards of change in divisive times?In a world grappling with polarization and rising authoritarianism, the need for compassionate, imaginative leadership has never been more urgent. This episode dives into how artists and cultural workers already operating in community spaces can embrace roles as civic leaders—balancing creativity with responsibility and vision with service.Discover how leadership can be reframed through metaphors like the wedding planner, the parade leader, and the soul shepherd.Hear powerful stories of artistic ingenuity in places like death row and urban neighborhoods that reveal art's transformative power.Learn the foundational traits and practical strategies for leading with courage, communication, and care in culturally complex contexts.Notable Mentions: Here's a categorized, hyperlinked list of the People, Events, Organizations, and Publications mentioned in the podcast episode,

This episode, the podcast takes a look at a poem Mao Zedong wrote in February 1936, after he and his party had undergone the near-death experience of the Long March. Yet still, Mao has the gumption to imply in the poem that he would be the greatest ruler China had ever seen.    My Translation of the Poem: Spring in a Soaked Garden - Snow The north country scenery, frozen over for a thousand miles, snow floating for ten thousand miles.    I look inside and outside the Great Wall of China,  all that remains is boundlessness.    Up and down the Yellow River, it has suddenly lost its surging vigor.   The mountains dance like silver snakes, the plains gallop like white elephants,  I want to compete with Heaven and see which of us is taller.    I must wait for a clear day,  and look at the snowy landscape wrapped in red and white, it's really bewitching.  The rivers and mountains, this land, is so pretty, it has brought out countless heroes to compete and serve the nation.   Pity Qin Shihuang, the first Chinese emperor, and Han Wudi, the greatest Han emperor, their writing ability ain't all that good.    Tang Taizong, the greatest Tang emperor, and Song Taizu, the greatest Song emperor, they kinda lack style.    Those northern barbarian rulers,  like Genghis Khan,  all they knew how to do was shoot arrows at big eagles.    Those guys are all dead, if you want to count the true badasses look to today.     Original Poem:  沁园春·雪 北国风光，千里冰封，万里雪飘。望长城内外，惟余莽莽；大河上下，顿失滔滔。山舞银蛇，原驰蜡象，欲与天公试比高。须晴日，看红装素裹，分外妖娆。 江山如此多娇，引无数英雄竞折腰。惜秦皇汉武，略输文采；唐宗宋祖，稍逊风骚。一代天骄，成吉思汗，只识弯弓射大雕。俱往矣，数风流人物，还看今朝。

The team's series on sovereign debt sustainability continues, this week with a focus on China. Julia Hermann hosts Valentina Chen, Head and Portfolio Manager of the Emerging Market Debt team at MacKay Shields, to discuss how China's systemic over-leverage influences everything from the country's economic business model, to the nature and scope of investment opportunities in Chinese credit.  

Hear about travel to the Silk Road as the Amateur Traveler talks about his recent trip to the Gansu province of China, Buddhist Grottos, stunning landscapes, barren deserts, and the original Great Wall of China. More than 2,000 years ago, Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty sent his prodigy general Huo Qubing to seize the Hexi Corridor from the Xiongnu nomads, founding four fortified outposts—Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Dunhuang—that anchored the eastern Silk Road. Centuries later, the monk Xuanzang left Lanzhou for India along the same desert corridor, returning with Sanskrit scriptures that reshaped Chinese Buddhism. Following their footsteps today reveals grottoes, Great Wall forts, and rainbow-striped badlands that still echo with the sounds of camel bells and caravan legends. Transfer & check‑in: Fly into Zhongchuan Airport and settle downtown. Yellow River walk: Night flavors: Slurp Lanzhou hand‑pulled beef noodles, then graze at a Night Market for local delights. Historic BackgroundDay‑by‑Day ItineraryDay 1 – Arrival in Lanzhou ... https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-the-silk-road-in-gansu-china/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As summer continues to cut a rug through to August, we talk tourist sites, and three in particular: Neuschwanstein, Herrenchiemsee and Linderhof. Why these three? For the simple reason that they are the three newest German UNESCO World Heritage sites. Are they worthy entrants, and what does this have to do with the Great Wall of China? We find out.Summer also means school holidays, but it wouldn't be German school holidays without a little bit of complaining. What's boiling people's blood? The most obvious of German annoyances, Bavaria. Yes, Bavaria, who along with their southern neighbours Baden-Württemberg, are refusing to move their summer holidays with their fellow Bundesländer. We question the Bavarian belligerence, but wonder if they might have a point after all.We finish off with another listener question…well sort of…not directly, but it does give Nic and Producer Simon a chance to have their favourite argument: Tanks vs Castles!!!!Theme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

If you'd seen the front lawn of our office, you wouldn't have been able to tell that there had been a change inside. The only evidence of that was that there was an uncustomary pile of shattered sheetrock in this big lump in the yard. The changes were on the second floor immediately above that pile where two small offices had just become one large office. A man from our staff went in, and went after that temporary wall that divided the people in that room, and ripped it out in no time. I'll tell you, it felt pretty different in there with that wall gone! Wish they were all that easy to tear down. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Great Wall Destroyer." Let's go to another upstairs room with a lot of walls in it. This room is an upper room in Acts 2, where we find our word for today from the Word of God. In a sense, there were a lot of walls there. It tells us when the disciples arrived they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. And then it lists some of the people who were there. It mentions Peter. Of course, Peter was very different from somebody else listed there, like Thomas. Peter was sort of a walking gland; he's like all emotions. Thomas - not his type. Thomas - cerebral, the thinker - always got an intellectual question. And then it talks about Matthew. Well, he had worked for the government as a tax collector. And then it mentions Simon the Zealot. He'd been a revolutionary, trying to overthrow the very same government that Matthew worked for. In fact, only a few weeks before, all of these guys who were in this upper room together, had been arguing over who was going to be the greatest. They were, each one, trying to win "king of the hill" against each other. Listen to what happens. "They all joined constantly in prayer." Chapter 2, verse 1: "On the Day of Pentecost they were all together in one place." Chapter 2, verse 42 says, "The new Christians had devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." That word fellowship is koinonia; it means intimate closeness. Verse 44: "After they prayed together, all the believers were together and had everything in common." The book of Acts goes on talking about times when the people will pray together and it literally brings them together. Listen, if you want to tear down a wall between rooms, use a crowbar. If you want to tear down walls between people, you use prayer. You can't get really, really close until you really, really pray together. Oh, sure, sometimes prayer can be a time when people still keep their masks on, keep it superficial, stick to the general praying kind of stuff. But real prayer is where people come together and express how they really need the Lord. You know, worship Him with specific thanks for specific things He's done recently. You fight together on your knees for the lives of people you care about. You come against Satan. You come against the stronghold of darkness that you both know is there. You admit your struggle, you passionately seek His strength, His answers, and walls start coming down. Every married couple needs to pray together daily. It is the ultimate glue between people: Christian coworkers, parents and their children, Christian friends, even if it starts out feeling awkward. Go to your Father together. In fact, the person you're having the most difficulty with is probably the one you most need to be praying with. When we go into the Father's presence sort of distant from each other, we almost always come out of His presence closer. Prayer softens hearts; prayer helps us see people and situations through God's eyes. And prayer is the great wall destroyer.

What is it like to visit China for the first time? Culture shock, unforgettable adventures, and of course a whole lot of language learning.In our special mini-series "British Teens in China", we talk with UK students, their teachers, and the program leader to find out how their Chinese language learning experience is going and what it truly means to connect across cultures.From squat toilet surprises to Great Wall awe — join their journey through Chinese language challenges, food discoveries, and once-in-a-lifetime moments in this 5-episode podcast series.Want more fun ways to learn Chinese?Come hang out with us on Facebook and YouTube!https://www.facebook.com/crilearnchinesehttps://www.youtube.com/@LearnChineseforfun

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Destined Connections: A Journey Along the Great Wall Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-07-28-22-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 长城在阳光下蜿蜒穿越绿意盎然的夏季景观，En: The Changcheng, or Great Wall, winds through the lush, verdant summer landscape under the sun.Zh: 古老的石墙吸引着无数游客徜徉其中，领略大自然的壮丽景色。En: The ancient stone wall attracts countless tourists who wander through it, taking in the magnificent scenery of nature.Zh: 在长城的一个角落，导游连向一群游客讲述着关于长城建造的传奇故事。En: In one corner of the Changcheng, a tour guide named Lian is telling a group of tourists the legendary stories of the wall's construction.Zh: 他笑容满面，充满活力，似乎每一块砖石都有他倾慕的故事。En: His face beams with a smile and energy, and it seems that every brick and stone holds a story he admires.Zh: 这一天，连的讲解中来了一位特别的游客。En: On this day, a special visitor joined Lian's tour.Zh: 她叫夏，来自遥远的城市，是一名画家。En: Her name was Xia, a painter from a distant city.Zh: 夏到长城来寻找灵感，为她下一个艺术展览收集素材。En: Xia came to the Changcheng in search of inspiration and to gather materials for her next art exhibition.Zh: 然而，她一开始显得有些孤僻，独自一人走在长城的崎岖路面上，安静地在速写本上勾勒石墙。En: However, she initially appeared somewhat aloof, walking alone on the rugged paths of the wall, quietly sketching the stone walls in her notebook.Zh: 连注意到了她的专注，心中涌起一丝欣赏。En: Lian noticed her focus and felt a twinge of admiration.Zh: 他知道自己即将到国外留学，心里有些不舍，但他希望在离开之前留下美好的回忆。En: Knowing that he was about to go abroad to study, he felt a bit reluctant to leave, but he hoped to create beautiful memories before departing.Zh: 他决定抽出时间陪伴夏，帮她解析长城每一段的美。En: He decided to take the time to accompany Xia, helping her appreciate the beauty of each section of the wall.Zh: 于是，连轻轻走到夏身旁，问道：“需要帮忙吗？En: So, Lian gently approached Xia and asked, "Need any help?Zh: 我可以给你讲讲这里的历史，也许会有些启发。”En: I can tell you about the history here, it might be inspiring."Zh: 夏抬头望着他，微笑着点了点头，表示愿意接受他的陪伴。En: Xia looked up at him, smiled, and nodded, indicating her willingness to accept his companionship.Zh: 连带着夏穿梭于长城的每一个角落，讲述不同时期的修筑故事，介绍著名的景观和传说。En: Lian led Xia through every corner of the Changcheng, telling stories of its construction during different periods, and introducing famous sights and legends.Zh: 夏仔细听着，她的画笔在速写本上不停地流动，捕捉着长城的生动细节。En: Xia listened attentively, her pencil moving incessantly across her sketchbook, capturing the vivid details of the wall.Zh: 日暮时分，连和夏坐在长城顶上，享受夏日的晚风吹拂。En: By dusk, Lian and Xia sat atop the Changcheng, enjoying the summer evening breeze.Zh: 两人不知不觉中忘记了时间，在谈话中分享彼此的想法和梦想。En: The two lost track of time, sharing their thoughts and dreams in conversation.Zh: 夏感到前所未有的放松，而连开始重新审视他即将离开的决定。En: Xia felt an unprecedented sense of relaxation, while Lian began to re-evaluate his decision to leave.Zh: 第二天，连收到了一封来自国外大学的录取信，他该出发去追寻更广阔的世界。En: The next day, Lian received an acceptance letter from an overseas university; it was time for him to set off to explore a wider world.Zh: 但那一刻，他犹豫了。En: Yet at that moment, he hesitated.Zh: 与此同时，夏要回城了，她乘上了开往远方的火车。En: Meanwhile, Xia was heading back to the city and boarded a train bound for afar.Zh: 窗外景色渐渐远去，夏想起连对她工作的启发，微笑着接受了一种新的艺术视角。En: As the scenery outside the window gradually faded, Xia recalled Lian's insights into her work and smiled, embracing a new artistic perspective.Zh: 连站在月台上，心中思绪万千。En: Lian stood on the platform, his mind filled with countless thoughts.Zh: 他体会到人与人之间的联系比异国的梦想更为珍贵。En: He realized that the connections between people are more precious than dreams of foreign lands.Zh: 他决定在离开之前，重新思考这个决定。En: He decided to rethink his decision before leaving.Zh: 长城下，阳光洒在古老的石块上，诉说着千万年以来那些未曾忘却的故事。En: Under the Changcheng, sunshine bathed the ancient stones, telling stories that have never been forgotten over millennia.Zh: 而这次，连和夏都将在彼此的回忆中，留下属于自己的故事。En: And this time, Lian and Xia would leave their own stories in each other's memories. Vocabulary Words:lush: 绿意盎然的verdant: 青翠的wander: 徜徉magnificent: 壮丽的legendary: 传奇的aloof: 孤僻的rugged: 崎岖的twinge: 一丝admiration: 欣赏reluctant: 不舍departs: 离开companionship: 陪伴attentively: 仔细地incessantly: 不停地vivid: 生动的breeze: 晚风unprecedented: 前所未有的hesitated: 犹豫perspective: 视角platform: 月台millennia: 千万年insights: 启发inspiration: 灵感materials: 素材departing: 出发contemplate: 思考connections: 联系scenery: 景色bricks: 砖石memories: 回忆

Hear about travel to Beijing, China, and the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Gansu) as the Amateur Traveler discusses the first half of a recent press trip to China, sponsored by the Chinese Tourism Board. Seven days let you pair Beijing's imperial centers and Great Wall with the yak‑grazed valleys, monasteries, and soaring limestone of Gannan—history and highlands in a single, unforgettable loop. Morning Land at PEK or PKX before noon. A pre‑booked car or the Airport Express gets you downtown in 45‑60 minutes. Stay inside the 2nd Ring Road to limit traffic headaches. Afternoon Forbidden City (Palace Museum) – Reserve tickets with your passport in advance; allow 3‑4 hrs to navigate the 960 × 750 m compound of 980 buildings. Travel China Guide Exit the North Gate and climb Jingshan Park for the classic rooftop panorama. Day 1 | Arrive Beijing ... https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-beijing-and-gannan/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this mind-bending episode of Dark Fringe Radio, we sit down with renowned author and hypnotherapist Steve Burgess, whose extraordinary journey into the world of past life regression and healing therapy is chronicled in his book, The Adventures of a Hypnotherapist: Was I Under? Steve never intended to become one of the world's most experienced hypnotherapists, but fate had other plans. What began as a chance encounter with the field evolved into a decades-long odyssey through the subconscious, where he has conducted over 15,000 therapy sessions, often guiding clients through past lives to uncover and heal the emotional roots of chronic illness, trauma, and psychological suffering. In this gripping conversation, Steve shares jaw-dropping real-life stories from his practice: – Major surgery with no anesthetic – Cancer remission linked to regression therapy – Alien contact experiences and spirit attachments – And even conducting therapy sessions on the Great Wall of China, the Inca Trail, and once—in his own grave. We also explore his time spent inside prison with one of Britain's most violent inmates and the strange, sometimes paranormal, phenomena that often accompany deep hypnosis and regression. If you're curious about the hidden power of the subconscious, the mysteries of past lives, or how trauma may ripple through time and space—this is one episode you don't want to miss. Dark Fringe Radio – where the shadow meets the soul.

Gaza starvation crisis claims 122 lives, leads to growing demands for international community to help. Cambodia calls for ceasefire in its border dispute with Thailand. Malnutrition in Gaza has caused at least 122 deaths since the war began. At least eight people are reported to have been killed in an attack on a court house in Iran. Taiwan voters deciding not to eject pro-China legislators Is Prime Minister Mark Carney planning changes to the Senate? Residents of Tuktoyaktuk celebrate "The Great Wall of Tuk" in their fight against climate change. The Toronto Blue Jays are now the top team in Major League Baseball.

Are bats really blind? Can you really see the Great Wall of China from space? These and more questions will finally be answered!

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Lost and Found on the Great Wall: Liu's Historic Quest Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-07-23-22-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 夏日的长城，延绵不绝，宛如一条巨龙。En: The summer Changcheng, stretches endlessly, like a giant dragon.Zh: 天蓝如洗，几片白云点缀着夏日的晴空。En: The sky is as blue as if it were washed clean, with a few white clouds adorning the summer sky.Zh: 石阶古老，散发着历史的气息，绿色的藤蔓沿着墙壁攀爬，让长城更显生机。En: The ancient stone steps exude a historical aura, and green vines climb along the walls, making the Changcheng appear more vibrant.Zh: 这一天，刘和他的家人要去探访这个历史遗迹。En: On this day, Liu and his family are going to visit this historical site.Zh: 刘是个好奇的少年，对历史充满了热情。En: Liu is a curious young boy, full of passion for history.Zh: 他的姐姐梅总是细心，常常保护着他。En: His sister Mei is always attentive and often looks out for him.Zh: 父亲建则是个乐观开朗的人，总是支持孩子们的探索。En: Their father, Jian, is an optimistic and cheerful person, always supporting the children's explorations.Zh: “我听说长城有个地方，刻着一个古老的铭文。”刘对姐姐梅和父亲建说。En: "I heard there's a place on the Changcheng with an ancient inscription," Liu said to his sister Mei and father Jian.Zh: 他期待地看着他们。En: He looked at them expectantly.Zh: “别跑太远，跟我们走安全路线。”梅一脸认真，她担心刘的安全。En: "Don't wander off too far, stick to the safe route with us," Mei said seriously, worried about Liu's safety.Zh: 刘点点头，但心里还是想着那个刻文。En: Liu nodded but his mind was still on the inscription.Zh: 他真的很想看一看，那是他探险的梦想。En: He really wanted to see it; it was his adventurous dream.Zh: 长城上的游客很多，梅紧紧握着弟弟的手，不让他走丢。En: There were many tourists on the Changcheng, and Mei tightly held her brother's hand, preventing him from getting lost.Zh: 建则在后面笑着拍了拍刘的肩：“听你姐姐的话。”En: Jian was in the back, smiling as he patted Liu's shoulder: "Listen to your sister."Zh: 然而，到了一个转角，刘趁姐姐不注意，悄悄溜开。En: However, at a corner, Liu took advantage of his sister's distraction and quietly slipped away.Zh: 他往少有人走的小道走去，心里既紧张又兴奋。En: He walked toward a less traveled path, feeling both nervous and excited.Zh: 刘快步走，心里想着铭文的传说。En: Liu walked quickly, thinking about the legend of the inscription.Zh: 这时，他看见了一处长满杂草的墙段，很少有人来。En: At that moment, he saw a section of the wall overgrown with weeds, rarely visited by people.Zh: 他向前走得更快，果然发现了铭文。En: He quickened his pace and indeed found the inscription.Zh: 那是几个模糊的汉字，刘激动地伸手触摸，心中一片欢喜。En: It consisted of a few blurred Chinese characters, and Liu excitedly reached out to touch them, filled with joy.Zh: 但环顾四周，刘才意识到自己迷路了。En: But as he looked around, Liu realized he was lost.Zh: 不禁有些慌乱，他试着往回走，但方向感模糊。En: Panic started to set in as he tried to retrace his steps but found his sense of direction muddled.Zh: 不远处，梅和建发现刘不见了，马上开始寻找。En: Not far away, Mei and Jian noticed that Liu was missing and immediately began searching.Zh: 他们很快找到了刘，看到铭文，梅的脸色终于缓和下来。En: They soon found Liu, and upon seeing the inscription, Mei's expression finally relaxed.Zh: 刘心头一松，笑了：“对不起，下次我不会独自行动。”En: Liu felt relieved and smiled: "I'm sorry, next time I won't go off on my own."Zh: 梅和建站在旁边，认真欣赏着铭文。En: Standing beside him, Mei and Jian seriously admired the inscription.Zh: 此刻，长城雄伟依旧，他们三人靠在一起，心中充满了感动。En: At that moment, the Changcheng remained majestic, and the three of them stood together, filled with emotion.Zh: 这次的冒险不仅让刘找到心中的铭文，也让他更加珍视家人在一起的时光。En: This adventure not only allowed Liu to find the inscription he dreamed of but also made him cherish the time spent with family even more.Zh: 长城依旧静静矗立，他们的故事将永远留在这里。En: The Changcheng stood silently, and their story would remain here forever. Vocabulary Words:stretches: 延绵endlessly: 不绝adorn: 点缀exude: 散发aura: 气息vines: 藤蔓vibrant: 生机curious: 好奇attentive: 细心optimistic: 乐观cheerful: 开朗inscription: 铭文wander off: 跑太远seriously: 认真adventurous: 探险distracted: 不注意slipped away: 悄悄溜开nervous: 紧张excited: 兴奋muddled: 模糊retraced: 往回走panicked: 慌乱quickened: 快步blurred: 模糊reached out: 伸手relieved: 心头一松admired: 欣赏majestic: 雄伟emotion: 感动cherish: 珍视

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Kites on the Great Wall: A Windy Adventure Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-07-21-22-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在中国长城上，阳光灿烂，一片喧闹。En: On the Great Wall of China, the sun shone brightly, and the atmosphere was bustling with activity.Zh: 明、丽丽和杰三个人兴奋地站在墙上，手中紧握一只巨大的风筝。En: Ming, Lili, and Jie stood excitedly on the wall, holding a gigantic kite tightly in their hands.Zh: "明，我们真的能在这里放风筝吗？"丽丽有些犹豫，她看着周围的人群，担心地问。En: "Ming, can we really fly a kite here?" Lili asked hesitantly, looking at the surrounding crowd with concern.Zh: "当然可以！今天风大，是放风筝的好天气。"明自信地说。En: "Of course we can! It's windy today, perfect weather for kite flying," Ming replied confidently.Zh: 而杰则在一旁笑着插嘴："别担心，丽丽，如果风筝飞走了，我们至少有杰哥帮忙捡帽子！"En: Jie chuckled and chimed in, "Don't worry, Lili, if the kite flies away, at least brother Jie is here to help retrieve the hats!"Zh: 三人找了个稍微空旷的地方，试着让风筝在空中翩翩起舞。En: The three found a slightly open space and tried to let the kite gracefully dance in the sky.Zh: 然而，风筝刚升起，就因为墙上的强风而晃动得厉害。En: However, as soon as the kite rose, it wobbled fiercely due to the strong winds on the wall.Zh: "糟糕！它缠住了女士的帽子！"丽丽喊道。En: "Oh no! It's tangled with a lady's hat!" Lili exclaimed.Zh: 更糟糕的是，每次风筝绳一拂而过，总有一个游客因帽子被带走而惊慌失措。En: Even worse, each time the kite's string brushed by, it caused panic as it took away a tourist's hat.Zh: 明开始感到心急，他决心要让风筝不在地面惹麻烦。En: Ming began to feel anxious and was determined to keep the kite from causing trouble on the ground.Zh: "我们去那边！人少一点！"他指了指墙的另一边。En: "Let's go over there! Fewer people!" he pointed to the other side of the wall.Zh: 他们移到另一边，那里确实少了很多游客，但风更强。En: They moved to the other side, where indeed there were fewer tourists, but the wind was stronger.Zh: 几次尝试后，风筝再次高高地飞起。En: After several attempts, the kite flew high again.Zh: 可是没过多久，风筝突然俯冲下来，勾住了一位导游的帽子。En: But before long, it suddenly swooped down and hooked onto a tour guide's hat.Zh: 导游本在给游客们讲解，他的帽子飞起，全场安静后却是一阵欢笑。En: The tour guide, who was explaining things to tourists, had his hat taken away, which brought laughter after the initial silence.Zh: "抱歉，抱歉！"明连忙道歉。En: "Sorry, Sorry!" Ming quickly apologized.Zh: 导游哈哈大笑："没关系！天空四通八达，分享快乐吧！让我来试试这个风筝如何？"En: The tour guide laughed heartily, "No worries! The sky is vast and open, let's share the joy! Let me have a go with the kite!"Zh: 随着导游的加入，一切变得更加有趣。En: With the tour guide's participation, everything became more amusing.Zh: 他教大家如何在风中找到平衡，如何让风筝稳稳飞翔。En: He taught everyone how to find balance in the wind and how to keep the kite flying steadily.Zh: 不久，所有人都沉浸在这场意外的快乐中。En: Soon, everyone was immersed in this unexpected joy.Zh: 望着飞到高高云端的风筝，明笑了。En: Watching the kite soar high up to the clouds, Ming smiled.Zh: 他明白，不必追求完美。En: He realized that there was no need to strive for perfection.Zh: “有时候，过程比结果更令人难忘。”他对丽丽和杰说。En: "Sometimes, the process is more unforgettable than the result," he said to Lili and Jie.Zh: "没错，我的帽子是最好的风筝道具！"杰调皮地说。En: "That's right, my hat is the best kite accessory!" Jie joked mischievously.Zh: 在长城上，这一天留下了他们共同的欢笑声，也让明明白了有时候与朋友共同经历不完美，也是一种快乐。En: On the Great Wall, the day left behind their shared laughter, and it also taught Ming that sometimes, going through the imperfections with friends is a form of happiness itself. Vocabulary Words:bustling: 喧闹gigantic: 巨大的hesitantly: 犹豫地surrounding: 周围的confidently: 自信地retrieve: 捡gracefully: 翩翩地wobbled: 晃动fiercely: 厉害地tangled: 缠住brushed: 拂panicked: 惊慌失措anxious: 心急determined: 决心swooped: 俯冲hooked: 勾住apologized: 道歉laughed heartily: 哈哈大笑vast: 四通八达participation: 加入amusing: 有趣balance: 平衡steadily: 稳稳地immersed: 沉浸soar: 飞unforgettable: 难忘perfection: 完美mischievously: 调皮地shared laughter: 共同的欢笑声imperfections: 不完美

If you compiled a list of all the things you'd like to see but haven't, it would be quite long. Consider the Great Wall of China, the Eiffel Tower, or even the end of war or a cure for cancer. But you might be surprised to know that there's one thing that God hasn't seen.

Today's poem is Climbing China's Great Wall by Afaa M. Weaver.The Slowdown is currently taking a break. We'll be back soon with new episodes from a new host. This week, we're going back into the archive to revisit Tracy K. Smith's time as host. Today's episode was originally released on August 4, 2020. In this episode, Tracy writes… “I visited China for the first time in the spring of 2017. It was a visit to the great poet Yi Lei, whose poems I had been working to translate. It was my second time meeting Yi Lei in person. The first had been three years earlier, over lunch in Manhattan. That was the trip when we visited the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. It was a bright, clear, warm day. There were plenty of visitors all around, but our climb up and down the thousand steep steps felt spacious somehow, as if we had the site to ourselves. I gawked happily at trees and mountains, stones and birds. I wanted to feel history under my feet, but really it was the living moment that enraptured me.” Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

Please hit subscribe and leave a positive review.   Click here for Jen's book. https://a.co/d/4Q11Kko Click here to go to our Patreon page. https://www.patreon.com/222ParanormalPodcast Click here to go to our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/222paranormal Click here to go to Joes Book. https://a.co/d/3GeUd5x   This week on the 222 Paranormal Podcast, we take you on a chilling journey to the Far East as we explore the haunted side of China. From ancient dynasties to bustling megacities, China is a land steeped in history, legend, and superstition. Behind the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and neon-lit skylines lies a shadowy world of ghost stories and haunted places that have terrified generations. In this episode, we'll uncover eerie tales of restless spirits, cursed buildings, and paranormal hotspots that make China one of the most fascinating—and haunted—countries on Earth. We begin with the Forbidden City in Beijing, perhaps the most famous haunted location in China. Built in the 1400s, it was the seat of emperors for nearly 500 years. Countless executions, murders, and palace intrigues have left behind a legacy of hauntings. Guards and visitors report seeing ghostly women in white, strange apparitions at night, and hearing unexplained screams echoing through the massive courtyards and darkened halls. Next, we travel to Chaonei No. 81, known as “Beijing's Most Haunted House.” This crumbling French Baroque-style mansion dates back to the early 20th century and is the stuff of urban legend. Rumors swirl about a woman who hanged herself after being abandoned by her lover. Locals claim to hear weeping inside, see her shadow moving behind boarded windows, and even feel violently ill when approaching the building at night. We'll also discuss the Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai. Though famous for its beautiful classical design, it's also home to centuries of bloodshed from rebellions and wars. Locals speak of encountering spirits in traditional garb, shadowy figures slipping between rockeries and bridges, and disembodied whispers after dark. Our episode wouldn't be complete without exploring China's rich ghost lore. We'll talk about the Hungry Ghost Festival—a time when spirits are believed to roam the Earth seeking offerings and revenge. Families burn paper money and leave food for the dead, hoping to appease them and prevent misfortune. We'll also examine some chilling modern hauntings, including ghostly subway stations in Beijing where passengers report spectral encounters, phantom trains, and even deadly urban legends about portals to the afterlife hidden in plain sight. Throughout this episode, we'll discuss why China's deep respect for ancestors, Buddhist and Taoist beliefs, and folklore about vengeful spirits shape the way these hauntings are understood. You'll learn how Chinese ghost stories differ from Western ones, yet tap into the same primal fears about betrayal, loss, and the unknown. So turn down the lights, grab your tea (or your favorite ghost-hunting gear), and join us as we explore the darker side of China—a land where history and the paranormal go hand in hand. Whether you're fascinated by ancient curses, tragic love stories, or modern urban legends, this episode is sure to haunt your imagination. Tune in now to the 222 Paranormal Podcast for a spine-tingling tour of China's most haunted places and ghostly legends. Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave us a review if you enjoyed this week's journey into the paranormal!   Welcome to the 222 Paranormal Podcast, your gateway to the captivating world of the supernatural. Immerse yourself in our expertly crafted episodes, where we delve deep into a wide range of paranormal phenomena, including ghostly hauntings, cryptid sightings, and unexplained mysteries that defy logic. Each episode is meticulously researched and features engaging discussions with leading experts, seasoned ghost hunters, and renowned paranormal investigators. We cover the latest advancements in ghost hunting technology, offer practical tips for both amateur and experienced investigators, and review essential equipment for your paranormal adventures. Our podcast also explores the rich history of haunted locations, sharing true stories and firsthand accounts that will send chills down your spine. Whether you're a die-hard fan of the paranormal or just curious about the unknown, our content is designed to entertain, inform, and ignite your imagination. Stay tuned as we uncover secrets from the most haunted places around the world and analyze the most intriguing supernatural events. We also provide in-depth interviews with notable figures in the field and explore theories that challenge conventional understanding of reality. By subscribing to our Paranormal Podcast, you'll stay updated with the latest episodes, allowing you to join a community of like-minded individuals who share your fascination with the unexplained. Don't miss out on our exclusive content and special features, which bring you closer to the mysteries that lie beyond our everyday experiences. Dive into the world of the unknown with our Paranormal Podcast and experience the thrill of discovering what lies just beyond the veil of reality.

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Last time we spoke about Operation Chahar. In July 1937, the tensions between Japan and China erupted into a full-scale conflict, ignited by the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. Following a series of aggressive Japanese military maneuvers, Chiang Kai-shek, then enjoying a brief respite at Kuling, learned of the escalating clashes and prepared for battle. Confident that China was primed for resistance, he rallied his nation, demanding that Japan accept responsibility and respect China's sovereignty. The Japanese launched their offensive, rapidly capturing key positions in Northern China. Notably, fierce battle ensued in Jinghai, where Chinese soldiers, led by Brigade Commander Li Zhiyuan, valiantly defended against overwhelming forces using guerrilla tactics and direct assaults. Their spirit was symbolized by a courageous “death squad” that charged the enemy, inflicting serious casualties despite facing dire odds. As weeks passed, the conflict intensified with brutal assaults on Nankou. Chinese defenses, though valiant, were ultimately overwhelmed, leading to heavy casualties on both sides. Despite losing Nankou, the indomitable Chinese spirit inspired continued resistance against the Japanese invaders, foreshadowing a long, brutal war that would reshape East Asia.   #156 The Battle of Shanghai Part 1: The Beginning of the Battle of Shanghai 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. On August 9, a bullet riddled sedan screeched to an abrupt halt at the entrance to the Hongqiao airport along Monument Road. The gruesome scene on the dashboard revealed that one of the victims had died in the car. He had been dragged out and subjected to brutal slashing, kicking, and beating until his body was a mangled mess. Half of his face was missing, and his stomach had been cut open, exposing the sickly pallor of his intestines, faintly glimmering in the night. The other man had managed to escape the vehicle but only got a few paces away before he was gunned down. A short distance away lay a third body, dressed in a Chinese uniform. Investigators swiftly identified the badly mangled body as belonging to 27-year-old Sub-Lieutenant Oyama Isao, while the other deceased Japanese man was his driver, First Class Seaman Saito Yozo. The identity of the Chinese victim remained a mystery. At first glance, the scene appeared to be the aftermath of a straightforward shootout. However, numerous questions lingered: What were the Japanese doing at a military airfield miles from their barracks? Who had fired the first shot, and what had prompted that decision? The Chinese investigators and their Japanese counterparts were at odds over the answers to these questions. As they walked the crime scene, searching for evidence, loud arguments erupted repeatedly. By the time the sun began to rise, they concluded their investigation without reaching any consensus on what had transpired. They climbed into their cars and made their way back to the city. The investigators were acutely aware of the repercussions if they failed to handle their delicate task with the necessary finesse. Despite their hopes for peace, it was evident that Shanghai was a city bracing for war. As they drove through the dimly lit suburbs on their way from Hongqiao back to their downtown offices, their headlights illuminated whitewashed trees, interspersed with sandbag defenses and the silhouettes of solitary Chinese sentries. Officially, these sentries were part of the Peace Preservation Corps,  a paramilitary unit that, due to an international agreement reached a few years earlier, was the only Chinese force allowed to remain in the Shanghai area. In the hours that followed, both sides presented their versions of the incident. According to the Chinese account, the Japanese vehicle attempted to force its way through the airport gate. When members of the Peace Preservation Corps stationed at the entrance signaled for Saito, the driver, to stop, he abruptly turned the car around. Sub-Lieutenant Oyama then fired at the Chinese guards with an automatic pistol. Only then did the Chinese return fire, killing Oyama in a hail of bullets. Saito managed to jump out before he, too, was gunned down. The commander of the Chinese guards told a Western reporter that this wasn't the first time someone Japanese had attempted to enter the airport. Such incidents had occurred repeatedly in the past two months, leading them to believe that the Japanese were “obviously undertaking espionage.” The Japanese account, predictably, placed the blame for the entire incident squarely on China. It asserted that Oyama had been driving along a road bordering the airfield with no intention of entering. Suddenly, the vehicle was stopped and surrounded by Peace Preservation Corps troops, who opened fire with rifles and machine guns without warning. Oyama had no opportunity to return fire. The Japanese statement argued that the two men had every right to use the road, which was part of the International Settlement, and labeled the incident a clear violation of the 1932 peace agreement. “We demand that the Chinese bear responsibility for this illegal act,”. Regardless of either side, it seemed likely to everyone in the region, war would soon engulf Shanghai.  Meanwhile, as the Marco Polo Bridge Incident escalated into a full blown in the far north, General Zhang Fakui was attending a routine training mission at Mount Lu in southeastern Jiangxi. A short and small man, not considered too handsome either, Zhang had earned his place in China's leadership through physical courage, once taking a stand on a bridge and single handedly facing down an enemy army. He was 41 years old in 1937, having spent half his life fighting Warlords, Communists and sometimes even Nationalists. In the recent years he had tossed his lot in with a rebel campaign against Chiang Kai-Shek, who surprisingly went on the forgive him and placed him in charge of anti communist operations in the area due south of Shanghai. However now the enemy seemed to have changed.  As the war spread to Beijing, on July 16th, Zhang was sent to Chiang Kai-Shek's summer residence at Mount Lu alongside 150 members of China's political and military elites. They were all there to brainstorm how to fight the Japanese. Years prior the Generalissimo had made it doctrine to appease the Japanese but now he made grandiose statements such as “this time we must fight to the end”. Afterwards Chiang dealt missions to all his commanders and Zhang Fakui was told to prepare for operations in the Shanghai area.  It had been apparent for weeks that both China and Japan were preparing for war in central China. The Japanese had been diverting naval troops from the north to strengthen their forces in Shanghai, and by early August, they had assembled over 8,000 troops. A few days later, approximately thirty-two naval vessels arrived. On July 31, Chiang declared that “all hope for peace has been lost.” Chiang had been reluctant to commit his best forces to defend northern China, an area he had never truly controlled. In contrast, Shanghai was central to his strategy for the war against Japan. Chiang decided to deploy his finest troops, the 87th and 88th Divisions, which were trained by generals under the guidance of the German advisor von Falkenhausen, who had high hopes for their performance against the Japanese. In doing so, Chiang aimed to demonstrate to both his own people and the wider world that the Chinese could and would resist the invader. Meanwhile, Chiang's spy chief, Dai Li, was busy gathering intelligence on Japanese intentions regarding Shanghai, a challenging task given his focus in recent years. Dai, one of the most sinister figures in modern Chinese history, had devoted far more energy and resources to suppressing the Communists than to countering the Japanese. As a result, by the critical summer of 1937, he had built only a sparse network of agents in “Little Tokyo,” the Hongkou area of Shanghai dominated by Japanese businesses. One agent was a pawnshop owner, while the rest were double agents employed as local staff within the Japanese security apparatus. Unfortunately, they could provide little more than snippets, rumors, and hearsay. While some of this information sounded alarmingly dire, there was almost no actionable intelligence. Chiang did not take the decision to open a new front in Shanghai lightly. Built on both banks of the Huangpu River, the city served as the junction between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the great Yangtze River, which wound thousands of kilometers inland to the west. Shanghai embodied everything that represented modern China, from its industry and labor relations to its connections with the outside world. While foreign diplomatic presence was concentrated in nearby Nanjing, the capital, it was in Shanghai that the foreign community gauged the country's mood. Foreigners in the city's two “concession” areas nthe French Concession and the British-affiliated International Settlement often dismissed towns beyond Shanghai as mere “outstations.” Chiang Kai-shek would throw 650,000 troops into the battle for the city and its environs as well as his modest air force of 200 aircraft. Chiang, whose forces were being advised by German officers led by General Alexander von Falkenhausen, was finally confident that his forces could take on the Japanese. A German officer told a British diplomat, “If the Chinese Army follows the advice of the German advisers, it is capable of driving the Japanese over the Great Wall.”   While Chiang was groping in the dark, deprived of the eyes and ears of an efficient intelligence service, he did have at his disposal an army that was better prepared for battle than it had been in 1932. Stung by the experience of previous conflicts with the Japanese, Chiang had initiated a modernization program aimed at equipping the armed forces not only to suppress Communist rebels but also to confront a modern fighting force equipped with tanks, artillery, and aircraft. He had made progress, but it was insufficient. Serious weaknesses persisted, and now there was no time for any remedial action. While China appeared to be a formidable power in sheer numbers, the figures were misleading. On the eve of war, the Chinese military was comprised of a total of 176 divisions, which were theoretically organized into two brigades of two regiments each. However, only about 20 divisions maintained full peacetime strength of 10,000 soldiers and officers; the rest typically held around 5,000 men. Moreover, Chiang controlled only 31 divisions personally, and he could not count on the loyalty of the others. To successfully resist Japan, Chiang would need to rely not only on his military command skills but also on his ability to forge fragile coalitions among Warlord generals with strong local loyalties. Equipment posed another significant challenge. The modernization drive was not set to complete until late 1938, and the impact of this delay was evident. In every category of weaponry, from rifles to field artillery, the Chinese were outmatched by their Japanese adversaries, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Domestically manufactured artillery pieces had shorter ranges, and substandard steel-making technology caused gun barrels to overheat, increasing the risk of explosions. Some arms even dated back to imperial times. A large proportion of the Chinese infantry had received no proper training in basic tactics, let alone in coordinated operations involving armor and artillery. The chief of the German advisory corps was General Alexander von Falkenhausen, a figure hard to rival in terms of qualifications for the role. Although the 58-year-old's narrow shoulders, curved back, and bald, vulture-like head gave him an unmilitary, almost avian appearance, his exterior belied a tough character. In 1918, he had earned his nation's highest military honor, the Pour le Mérite, while assisting Germany's Ottoman allies against the British in Palestine. Few, if any, German officers knew Asia as well as he did. His experience in the region dated back to the turn of the century. As a young lieutenant in the Third East Asian Infantry Regiment, he participated in the international coalition of colonial powers that quelled the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. A decade later, he traveled through Korea, Manchuria, and northern China with his wife, keenly observing and learning as a curious tourist. From 1912 to 1914, he served as the German Kaiser's military attaché in Tokyo. He was poised to put his extensive knowledge to good use in the months ahead. Chiang believed that Shanghai should be the location of the first battle. This decision was heavily influenced by Falkenhausen and was strategically sound. Chiang Kai-shek could not hope to win a war against Japan unless he could unify the nation behind him, particularly the many fractious warlords who had battled his forces repeatedly over the past decade. Everyone understood that the territory Japan was demanding in the far north did not need to be held for any genuine military necessity; it was land that could be negotiated. The warlords occupying that territory were unpredictable and all too willing to engage in bargaining. In contrast, China's economic heartland held different significance. By choosing to fight for the center of the country and deploying his strongest military units, Chiang Kai-shek signaled to both China's warlords and potential foreign allies that he had a vested interest in the outcome.  There were also several operational reasons for preferring a conflict in the Yangtze River basin over a campaign in northern China. The rivers, lakes, and rice paddies of the Yangtze delta were much better suited for defensive warfare against Japan's mechanized forces than the flat plains of North China. By forcing the Japanese to commit troops to central China, the Nationalists bought themselves the time needed to rally and reinforce their faltering defenses in the north. By initiating hostilities in the Shanghai area, Japan would be forced to divert its attention from the northern front, thereby stalling a potential Japanese advance toward the crucial city of Wuhan. It would also help safeguard potential supply routes from the Soviet Union, the most likely source of material assistance due to Moscow's own animosity toward Japan. It was a clever plan, and surprisingly, the Japanese did not anticipate it. Intelligence officers in Tokyo were convinced that Chiang would send his troops northward instead. Again in late July, Chiang convened his commanders, and here he gave Zhang Fukai more detailed instructions for his operation. Fukai was placed in charge of the right wing of the army which was currently preparing for action in the metropolitan area. Fukai would oversee the forces east of the Huangpu River in the area known as Pudong. Pudong was full of warehouses, factories and rice fields, quite precarious to fight in. Meanwhile General Zhang Zhizhong, a quiet and sickly looking man who had previously led the Central Military Academy was to command the left wing of the Huangpu. All of the officers agreed the plan to force the battle to the Shanghai area was logical as the northern region near Beijing was far too open, giving the advantage to tank warfare, which they could not hope to contest Japan upon. The Shanghai area, full of rivers, creaks and urban environments favored them much more. Zhang Zhizhong seemed an ideal pick to lead troops in downtown Shanghai where most of the fighting would take place. His position of commandant of the military academy allowed him to establish connections with junior officers earmarked for rapid promotion. This meant that he personally knew the generals of both the 87th and 88th Divisions, which were to form the core of Zhang Zhizhong's newly established 9th Army Group and become his primary assets in the early phases of the Shanghai campaign. Moreover, Zhang Zhizhong had the right aggressive instincts. He believed that China's confrontation with Japan had evolved through three stages: in the first stage, the Japanese invaded the northeast in 1931, and China remained passive; in the second stage, during the first battle of Shanghai in 1932, Japan struck, but China fought back. Zhang argued that this would be the third stage, where Japan was preparing to attack, but China would strike first.   It seems that Zhang Zhizhong did not expect to survive this final showdown with his Japanese adversary. He took the fight very personally, even ordering his daughter to interrupt her education in England and return home to serve her country in the war. However, he was not the strong commander he appeared to be, as he was seriously ill. Although he never disclosed the true extent of his condition, it seemed he was on the verge of a physical and mental breakdown after years in high-stress positions. In fact, he had recently taken a leave of absence from his role at the military academy in the spring of 1937. When the war broke out, he was at a hospital in the northern port city of Qingdao, preparing to go abroad for convalescence. He canceled those plans to contribute to the struggle against Japan. When his daughter returned from England and saw him on the eve of battle, she was alarmed by how emaciated he had become. From the outset, doubts about his physical fitness to command loomed large. At 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 10, a group of officers emerged from the Japanese Consulate along the banks of the Huangpu River. This team was a hastily assembled Sino-Japanese joint investigation unit tasked with quickly resolving the shooting incident at the Hongqiao Aerodrome of the previous night. They understood the urgency of reaching an agreement swiftly to prevent any escalation. As they drove to the airport, they passed armed guards of the Chinese Peace Preservation Corps stationed behind sandbag barricades that had been erected only hours earlier. Upon arriving at Hongqiao, the officers walked up and down the scene of the incident under the scorching sun, attempting to piece together a shared understanding of what had transpired. However, this proved to be nearly impossible, as the evidence failed to align into a coherent account acceptable to both parties. The Japanese were unconvinced that any shootout had occurred at all. Oyama, the officer who had been in the car, had left his pistol at the marine headquarters in Hongkou and had been unarmed the night before. They insisted that whoever shot and killed the man in the Chinese uniform could not have been him. By 6:00 pm the investigators returned to the city. Foreign correspondents, eager for information, knew exactly whom to approach. The newly appointed Shanghai Mayor, Yu Hongjun, with a quick wit and proficiency in English, Yu represented the city's cosmopolitan image. However, that evening, he had little to offer the reporters, except for a plea directed at both the Japanese and Chinese factions “Both sides should maintain a calm demeanor to prevent the situation from escalating.” Mayor Yu however was, in fact, at the center of a complex act of deception that nearly succeeded. Nearly eight decades later, Zhang Fakui attributed the incident to members of the 88th Division, led by General Sun Yuanliang. “A small group of Sun Yuanliang's men disguised themselves as members of the Peace Preservation Corps,” Zhang Fakui recounted years later in his old age. “On August 9, 1937, they encountered two Japanese servicemen on the road near the Hongqiao military aerodrome and accused them of forcing their way into the area. A clash ensued, resulting in the deaths of the Japanese soldiers.” This created a delicate dilemma for their superiors. The two dead Japanese soldiers were difficult to explain away. Mayor Yu, likely informed of the predicament by military officials, conferred with Tong Yuanliang, chief of staff of the Songhu Garrison Command, a unit established after the fighting in 1932. Together, they devised a quick and cynical plan to portray the situation as one of self-defense by the Chinese guards. Under their orders, soldiers marched a Chinese death row inmate to the airport gate, dressed him in a paramilitary guard's uniform, and executed him. While this desperate ruse might have worked initially, it quickly unraveled due to the discrepancies raised by the condition of the Chinese body. The Japanese did not believe the story, and the entire plan began to fall apart. Any remaining mutual trust swiftly evaporated. Instead of preventing a confrontation, the cover-up was accelerating the slide into war.  Late on August 10, Mayor Yu sent a secret cable to Nanjing, warning that the Japanese had ominously declared they would not allow the two deaths at the airport to go unpunished. The following day, the Japanese Consul General Okamoto Suemasa paid a visit to the mayor, demanding the complete withdrawal of the Peace Preservation Corps from the Shanghai area and the dismantling of all fortifications established by the corps. For the Chinese, acquiescing to these demands was nearly impossible. From their perspective, it appeared that the Japanese aimed to leave Shanghai defenseless while simultaneously bolstering their own military presence in the city. Twenty vessels, including cruisers and destroyers, sailed up the Huangpu River and docked at wharves near "Little Tokyo." Japanese marines in olive-green uniforms marched ashore down the gangplanks, while women from the local Japanese community, dressed in kimonos, greeted the troops with delighted smiles and bows to the flags of the Rising Sun that proudly adorned the sterns of the battleships. In fact, Japan had planned to deploy additional troops to Shanghai even before the shooting at Hongqiao Aerodrome. This decision was deemed necessary to reinforce the small contingent of 2,500 marines permanently stationed in the city. More troops were required to assist in protecting Japanese nationals who were being hastily evacuated from the larger cities along the Yangtze River. These actions were primarily defensive maneuvers, as the Japanese military seemed hesitant to open a second front in Shanghai, for the same reasons that the Chinese preferred an extension of hostilities to that area. Diverting Japanese troops from the strategically critical north and the Soviet threat across China's border would weaken their position, especially given that urban warfare would diminish the advantages of their technological superiority in tanks and aircraft. While officers in the Japanese Navy believed it was becoming increasingly difficult to prevent the war from spreading to Shanghai, they were willing to give diplomacy one last chance. Conversely, the Japanese Army was eager to wage war in northern China but displayed little inclination to engage in hostilities in Shanghai. Should the situation worsen, the Army preferred to withdraw all Japanese nationals from the city. Ultimately, when it agreed to formulate plans for dispatching an expeditionary force to Shanghai, it did so reluctantly, primarily to avoid accusations of neglecting its responsibilities. Amongst many commanders longing for a swift confrontation with Japan was Zhang Zhizhong. By the end of July, he was growing increasingly impatient, waiting with his troops in the Suzhou area west of Shanghai and questioning whether a unique opportunity was being squandered. On July 30, he sent a telegram to Nanjing requesting permission to strike first. He argued that if Japan were allowed to launch an attack on Shanghai, he would waste valuable time moving his troops from their position more than 50 miles away. Nanjing responded with a promise that his wishes would be fulfilled but urged him to exercise patience: “We should indeed seize the initiative over the enemy, but we must wait until the right opportunity arises. Await further orders.” That opportunity arose on August 11, with the Japanese display of force on the Huangpu River and their public demand for the withdrawal of China's paramilitary police. Japan had sufficiently revealed itself as the aggressor in the eyes of both domestic and international audiences, making it safe for China to take action. At 9:00 p.m. that evening, Zhang Zhizhong received orders from Nanjing to move his troops toward Shanghai. He acted with remarkable speed, capitalizing on the extensive transportation network in the region. The soldiers of the 87th Division quickly boarded 300 trucks that had been prepared in advance. Meanwhile, civilian passengers on trains were unceremoniously ordered off to make room for the 88th Division, which boarded the carriages heading for Shanghai. In total, over 20,000 motivated and well-equipped troops were on their way to battle.  On August 12, representatives from the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Italy, Japan, and China gathered for a joint conference in Shanghai to discuss ceasefire terms. Japan demanded the withdrawal of Chinese troops from Shanghai, while the Chinese representative, Yu Hung-chun, dismissed the Japanese demand, stating that the terms of the ceasefire had already been violated by Japan. The major powers were keen to avoid a repeat of the January 28 Incident, which had significantly disrupted foreign economic activities in Shanghai. Meanwhile, Chinese citizens fervently welcomed the presence of Chinese troops in the city. In Nanjing, Chinese and Japanese representatives convened for the last time in a final effort to negotiate. The Japanese insisted that all Peace Preservation Corps and regular troops be withdrawn from the vicinity of Shanghai. The Chinese, however, deemed the demand for a unilateral withdrawal unacceptable, given that the two nations were already engaged in conflict in North China. Ultimately, Mayor Yu made it clear that the most the Chinese government would concede was that Chinese troops would not fire unless fired upon. Conversely, Japan placed all responsibility on China, citing the deployment of Chinese troops around Shanghai as the cause of the escalating tensions. Negotiations proved impossible, leaving no alternative but for the war to spread into Central China. On that same morning of Thursday, August 12, residents near Shanghai's North Train Station, also known as Zhabei Station, just a few blocks from "Little Tokyo," awoke to an unusual sight: thousands of soldiers dressed in the khaki uniforms of the Chinese Nationalists, wearing German-style helmets and carrying stick grenades slung across their chests. “Where do you come from?” the Shanghai citizens asked. “How did you get here so fast?” Zhang Zhizhong issued detailed orders to each unit under his command, instructing the 88th Division specifically to travel by train and deploy in a line from the town of Zhenru to Dachang village, both located a few miles west of Shanghai. Only later was the division supposed to advance toward a position stretching from the Zhabei district to the town of Jiangwan, placing it closer to the city boundaries. Zhang Zhizhong was the embodiment of belligerence, but he faced even more aggressive officers among his ranks. On the morning of August 12, he was approached by Liu Jingchi, the chief of operations at the Songhu Garrison Command. Liu argued that the battle of 1932 had gone poorly for the Chinese because they had hesitated and failed to strike first. This time, he insisted, should be different, and Zhang should order an all-out assault on the Japanese positions that very evening. Zhang countered that he had clear and unmistakable orders from Chiang Kai-shek to let the Japanese fire first, emphasizing the importance of maintaining China's image on the world stage. “That's easy,” Liu retorted. “Once all the units are deployed and ready to attack, we can just change some people into mufti and send them in to fire a few shots. We attack, and simultaneously, we report that the enemy's offensive has begun.” Zhang Zhizhong did not like this idea. “We can't go behind our leader's back like that,” he replied. Zhang Zhizhong's position was far from enviable. Forced to rein in eager and capable officers, he found himself acting against his own personal desires. Ultimately, he decided to seek the freedom to act as he saw fit. In a secret cable to Nanjing, he requested permission to launch an all-out attack on the Japanese positions in Shanghai the following day, Friday, August 13. He argued that this was a unique opportunity to capitalize on the momentum created by the movement of troops; any further delay would only lead to stagnation. He proposed a coordinated assault that would also involve the Chinese Air Force. However, the reply from Chiang Kai-shek was brief and unwavering: “Await further orders.” Even as Chiang's troops poured into Shanghai, Chinese and Japanese officials continued their discussions. Ostensibly, this was in hopes of reaching a last-minute solution, but in reality, it was a performance. Both sides wanted to claim the moral high ground in a battle that now seemed inevitable. They understood that whoever openly declared an end to negotiations would automatically be perceived as the aggressor. During talks at the Shanghai Municipal Council, Japanese Consul General Okamoto argued that if China truly wanted peace, it would have withdrawn its troops to a position that would prevent clashes. Mayor Yu responded by highlighting the increasing presence of Japanese forces in the city. “Under such circumstances, China must adopt such measures as necessary for self-defense,” he stated. Late on August 13, 1937, Chiang Kai-shek instructed his forces to defend Shanghai, commanding them to "divert the enemy at sea, secure the coast, and resist landings."  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. In July 1937, tensions between Japan and China escalated into war following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. Confident in his country's resolve, Chiang Kai-shek rallied the Chinese against Japanese aggression. On August 9, a deadly confrontation at Hongqiao Airport resulted in the deaths of Japanese soldiers, igniting further hostilities. As both sides blamed each other, the atmosphere became tense. Ultimately, negotiations failed, and the stage was set for a brutal conflict in Shanghai, marking the beginning of a long and devastating war.

Last time we spoke about the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. On July 7, 1937, tensions escalated between Japan and China as the Japanese military conducted a training exercise near the Marco Polo Bridge. During the exercise, gunfire erupted, sowing confusion and leading to the unexplained disappearance of one soldier. This incident prompted Japan to demand permission to search the nearby city of Wanping, which was denied by Chinese forces, escalating tensions further. By the next day, Japanese troops attacked, resulting in fierce fighting at the bridge. Under heavy assault, Chinese defenders fought valiantly but faced overwhelming force. As the conflict intensified, both sides struggled with heavy casualties, leading to the full-scale Sino-Japanese War. The Japanese military's aggressive maneuvers and the determined Chinese resistance marked the beginning of a brutal conflict, forever altering the landscape of East Asia. The profound toll on both nations foreshadowed the horrors of war that were to come, as China prepared to defend its sovereignty against a relentless enemy.   #155 Operation Chahar 1937 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. By the end of July of 1937 the Japanese had overwhelmed the Beiping-Tianjin region. It's pretty understandable as to how this came so fast. As we have discussed thoroughly in this series, the Japanese had gradually seized control over Northern China going back to Operation Nekka in 1933. Little by little they had carved it out. Typically when you pull out a map of a war between two nations, one nation pierces into the other and gradually seizes control of key locations until it archives victory. However with the case of the outset of the Second Sino-Japanese War its more like the Japanese are starting at multiple key locations where they have concessions, treaties or where there are autonomous regions. Thus its honestly a huge headache to follow. When the Marco Polo Bridge Incident broke out, Chiang Kai-Shek had been in Kuling, a mountain top resort where he spent his summer vacations. He received the news with composure, but his message to the nation conveyed a sense of optimism and anticipation. The embarrassment of the Sian mutiny was a thing of the past. Although he wasn't overly confident, he believed that this was the pivotal moment China had been preparing for, more so than at any time in recent years. For nearly three weeks, efforts were made to resolve the situation through diplomatic means. For the first time, Chiang was in a position to make demands. He understood they would likely be rejected, but that wasn't the main point. He asked Japan to acknowledge its responsibility for the recent turmoil, to issue an apology, and to provide compensation. After making that request, he addressed his nation with a formal commitment: China would not accept any settlement that compromised its sovereign rights or territorial integrity. No changes would be permitted regarding the status of the Hubei-Chahar Council, and local officials would not be reassigned at the request of any foreign government. Any restrictions on the Twenty-ninth Army's positions would be unacceptable. He declared that the era of Japanese expansion in North China had come to a definitive end. The Japanese army achieved significant victories on the battlefield in China, leading to the inevitable expansion of the conflict. The first major campaign following the Nanyuan victory unfolded along the mountainous border marked by the inner Great Wall, separating northern Hubei from Chahar. On the Jinpu Railway, just south of Tianjin, lies a small station known as Jinghai. Adjacent to this station is the Jian River, which had swollen to a width of 20 meters due to intermittent heavy rains in northern China after the Japanese army's occupation of Tianjin. The embankments on either side of the river were overgrown with dense reeds and grass, and a wooden arch bridge spanned the river. After landing at Dagukou in Tianjin, the 10th Division, commanded by Lieutenant General Rensuke Isogai, advanced south along the Jinpu Railway. However, as the vanguard, the 10th Regiment of the 33rd Brigade made its way through the muddy terrain towards the Jian River's wooden bridge, they were suddenly taken aback. A group of Chinese soldiers appeared, their faces vividly painted red and armed with long-handled broadswords, a sight reminiscent of the legendary Chinese figure Guan Yu, as depicted in many traditional portraits. These soldiers belonged to the 26th Independent Brigade of the 38th Division of the 29th Army, who were in retreat from Tianjin. Following the city's fall, they had retreated southward to Jinghai Station, where they prepared to make a stand. Brigade Commander Li Zhiyuan recognized their inferior numbers and weaponry compared to the Japanese forces. Drawing from painful lessons learned during the positional battles in Tianjin, he decided to divide his troops strategically: one battalion would defend the station, another would protect the county town, and a third would engage in guerrilla tactics along the Jinpu Road. If faced with a small number of Japanese soldiers, they would fight fiercely; if overwhelmed, they would attempt to encircle the attackers to prevent a direct assault on their main position. Despite the Japanese army's attempts to advance, including efforts to send an armored train into Jinghai Station, the Chinese soldiers cleverly laid straw on the tracks and buried mines, thwarting the train's progress. Once Japanese troops disembarked to mount an offensive, they were ambushed by the battalion executing guerrilla tactics, resulting in a chaotic retreat that left behind several dozen casualties. Over the course of weeks, the divisional headquarters ordered a battalion of Japanese troops to move south along the Jinpu Road, requiring them to cross the Jian River at the wooden bridge. The 26th Independent Brigade was assigned to halt this advance, and they managed to hold their ground for over 20 days. Recognizing the gravity of their situation, Brigade Commander Li Zhiyuan gathered his group and battalion commanders to emphasize the necessity of pushing back the Japanese forces. He passionately rallied them, declaring, “We must defend this river to the death. Each regiment will select a death squad. Each member will carry a long-handled broadsword and four grenades, paint their faces red and rush across the bridge to engage in melee combat!” When Li asked for volunteers to lead the death squad, the regiment commander, Zhu, eagerly stepped forward, quickly gathering a group that followed him, uniting passionately in their cause. The death squad charged across the bridge, catching the Japanese off guard with their war paint and weapons. The sudden attack left the Japanese soldiers dazed, leading to a chaotic retreat as they struggled through the muddy terrain. In the tumult, more than 200 long-handled swords struck down a significant number of Japanese troops. Those advancing from behind panicked at the sight of their retreating comrades. An officer, dismounted during the chaos, was left behind, and the Chinese soldiers, filled with zeal, pressed forward, ignoring the orders from Brigade Commander Li Zhiyuan to fall back for their own safety. Despite moments of heroism, many fell that day by the Jian River, as the officers and soldiers burned their boats and set fire to the wooden bridge, rendering retreat impossible. As the Japanese military consolidated its power in the Pingjin region, many leaders underestimated the tenacity of Chinese resistance. Plans were made to defeat the Chinese army and air force swiftly, aiming to resolve the issue in North China decisively, with no diplomatic negotiations or external interventions allowed during military operations. Now, in late July to early August, Chiang Kai-shek issued orders to improve defenses at Nankou. He mobilized Tang Enbo's 13th Army in Suidong for battle readiness, tasked Liu Ruming to sabotage railways, and directed Fu Zuoyi and Yan Xishan in Suiyuan to prepare for conflict. Troops were reorganized rapidly, with divisions merging to strengthen the 17th Army under Liu Ruming's command. Chiang insisted that Nankou's defenses be deep and wide to thwart enemy cavalry and tank assaults, rendering Japanese mechanized advantages ineffective. He called for close cooperation among commanders and a resolute defense. Tang Enbo's 13th Army, consisted of the 4th and 89th Divisions, whom established defensive positions along the Peiping-Suiyuan Railway at Nankou, with additional units positioned further back at Juyongguan. The 13th Army, was 20,000 men strong, all motivated soldiers committed to fighting the Japanese, but their equipment was woefully inadequate. The 89th Division had a few outdated artillery pieces, whilst other units were in even worse condition, hampering their effectiveness against the well-armed Japanese forces. Liu's 17th Army stationed its 84th Division at Chihcheng, Yanqing, and Longguan, effectively securing the flank of the 13th Army against potential Japanese advances from Chahar. The 21st Division was deployed in Huailai, situated along the railway to the rear of Tang's forces. Additionally, Zhao Chengshou's 1st Cavalry Army, Liu 's 143rd Division, and two Peace Preservation Brigades commenced an offensive against Mongol forces in northern Chahar. As the Japanese launched initial assaults on Nankou on August 4, fierce fighting erupted. The Chinese defenders fought valiantly, but heavy bombardments by artillery and air raids took a toll. The Japanese began using tanks to support their infantry, yet the 530th Regiment successfully repelled an attack at Deshengkou. Meanwhile, the Japanese intensified their efforts, culminating in poison gas assaults that overwhelmed Chinese positions on Longhutai, leading to significant losses. Despite the escalating pressure and casualties, the determination to hold Nankou was unwavering. On August 5, the Kwantung Army requested permission for the advance guard to move to Changpei, arguing that the Central Army's invasion of Chahar had jeopardized the security of Manchukuo. This request was denied, yet the advance guard proceeded to Changpei on August 8. This unauthorized movement by the Kwantung Army was a serious act of defiance, as Tolun lay outside Manchukuo's borders, and troop deployments required imperial authorization. Although imperial sanction had been obtained for the move to Tolun on July 28, permission for the advance guard to proceed was only granted retroactively, with the stipulation that they would not advance further into Inner Mongolia. Nevertheless, this unauthorized action ultimately compelled the high command to approve the advance to Changpei. On August 7, the Japanese army launched a large assault on Nankou with its three main divisions, aiming to breach the Great Wall and advance westward along the Pingsui Railway to flank the strategic city of Shanxi. By August 8, the Japanese forces that had captured Beiping and Tianjin deployed the entire 20th Division, commanded by Lieutenant General Kawagishi Fumisaburo, and supplemented their efforts with the 5th and 10th Divisions, along with the Sakai Brigade, to attack Nankou along the Pingsui Railway. On August 8, the Japanese 11th Independent Mixed Brigade, led by General Shigiyasu Suzuki, initiated an attack on the left flank of the 13th Corps' position at Nankou. However, their efforts were halted after three days due to challenging terrain and the determined resistance from Chinese forces.  On the same day, Chiang Kai-shek ordered the activation of the 14th Group Army, comprising the 10th, 83rd, and 85th Divisions, under General Wei Lihuang. Elements of the 14th Group Army traveled by rail from Yingchia-chuang to Yi County and then embarked on a ten-day march through the plains west of Beiping to flank and support Tang Enbo's forces. Meanwhile, the Chinese 1st Army Region launched attacks against the Japanese in Liangxiang and Chaili to divert their attention and dispatched a detachment to Heilung Pass to cover the advance of the 14th Group Army. On August 9, the central high command ordered the China Garrison Army to eliminate resistance in the area and instructed Kwantung Army Commander Ueda Kenkichi to send reinforcements from Jehol and Inner Mongolia to support the operation. The China Garrison Army deployed its 11th Independent Mixed Brigade and the 5th Division, recently arrived from Hiroshima under Lieutenant-General Itagaki Seishirö, to launch an attack on the mountainous regions around Nankou and Pataling within the Great Wall. Following intense fighting, they succeeded in crossing into Chahar.    The Kwantung Army aimed to conquer Chahar and, upon receiving approval from the Japanese General Staff, established an expeditionary headquarters on August 14, led by its chief of staff, Lieutenant General Tojo Hideki. Yes that Tojo. Tokyo's objective was to secure the strategic flank of Manchukuo, while the Kwantung Army sought to create puppet regimes in northern China and integrate the occupied territories into a Japanese sphere of influence. The Chahar Expeditionary Force comprised three mixed brigades, including Japan's only fully mechanized unit, which was equipped with medium tanks, heavy and light armored vehicles, and light tanks. The Japanese troops shifted their main attack toward Zhangjiakou via the Pingsui Railway due to pressures from the Kwantung Army eager to occupy Inner Mongolia, Suiyuan, and Chahar. They sought to eliminate threats from the rear before launching further operations along the Pinghan Line and Jinpu Line. The 11th Independent Mixed Brigade of the 20th Division of the Chinese Garrison Army was ordered to assault Chinese defenders in the Nankou area, with the goal of capturing key locations on the Great Wall, like Badaling, to facilitate the Fifth Division's advance. The Chinese assessed the Japanese strategy, believing they would first secure critical points along the Pingsui route to facilitate further incursions into Shanxi and Zhengding. They understood that holding the Nankou line was vital for both logistical support and tactical maneuvering. Nankou, a key town on the Pingsui Railway connecting Beijing to Zhangjiakou and Baotou, was surrounded by mountains and the Great Wall, marking it a significant natural defense line. As the Japanese army aimed to capture Zhangjiakou and divide their forces into Shanxi and Suiyuan, the Chinese army's control over Nankou became crucial. A renewed assault on August 11, bolstered by tanks and aircraft, successfully captured Nankou Station, allowing General Suzuki's brigade to advance toward Juyong Pass. On August 12, Tang Enbo's army launched a counterattack, encircling the Japanese forces and severing their supply and communication lines. That day, Tang Enbo sent a telegram to Luo Fanggui: “Brother Fanggui, Commander Luo of the 529th Regiment, I have received your telegram. Your regiment has recently defeated formidable enemies, laying the groundwork for our army's future victories. Your efforts bring me great relief! The Nankou position is critical to our nation's war of resistance. Despite the enemy's numerical superiority and fierce artillery fire, we cannot surrender this area. It is our fighting spirit, not our numbers or advanced weaponry, that will help us withstand these powerful foes. We vow never to abandon our positions. Life is transient, and we must embrace our fate. A hero perishing on the battlefield is the glorious destiny of a soldier.” On the same day, he also sent a telegram to Wang Zhonglian: “Brother Jieren Wang, commander of the 89th Division, I have read your telegram. Brigade Li has triumphed against formidable foes, establishing a precedent for our army's victory. Your successes bring me much comfort! The Nankou position is our glorious objective. If I perish, the country lives on. If I survive, the country perishes. We would rather die defending this position than live in disgrace. Please convey to all the officers and soldiers of your division, who share in this struggle, the importance of striving for victory!” On August 13, Tang Enbo ordered the defensive positions at Nankou to be abandoned as the remaining troops pulled back to stronger positions at Badaling and Juyongguan. Renowned journalist Fan Changjiang noted Tang Enbo's physical and emotional toll, describing him as a mere shadow of his former self after enduring relentless battles without rest. His subsequent thoughts and fears reflected the despair of facing insurmountable odds, with the Japanese army overwhelming the Nankou defenses. Casualty reports from the Battle of Nankou reveal stark discrepancies; average estimates suggest Chinese losses neared 26,000, while Japanese casualties were around 2,600,an alarming ratio of 10 to 1. Despite the devastating defeat, Tang Enbo's leadership gained national recognition for his efforts, though he viewed the loss of Nankou as a blemish on an otherwise honorable defense. The indomitable spirit displayed during the relentless struggle at Nankou, despite the defeat and challenges faced, inspired a sense of resilience among the Chinese people, reminding them that even in dire circumstances, they would not yield to oppression. Meanwhile in response to having their supply and communication lines severed, on August 14, Seishirō Itagaki dispatched the 5th Division to relieve the 11th Independent Mixed Brigade at Juyonggua. Fu Zuoyi's troops attacked Chahar from Suidong. Dong Qiwu 's troops attacked Shangdu and recaptured it on the 14th, while Shi Yushan 's troops attacked Dehua and recaptured it on the 16th. By the 16, Itagaki had arrived at Nankou and initiated an enveloping assault targeting the right flank of the 13th Army, executing a five-pronged attack at Huanglaoyuan. In anticipation, the 7th Brigade of the 4th Division, commanded by Shi Jue, was positioned to counter this maneuver. Reinforcements, including Li Xianzhou's 21st Division and Zhu Huaibing's 94th Division, were brought in, resulting in several days of intense fighting. On August 17, General Yan Xishan, Director of the Taiyuan Pacification Headquarters, ordered the 7th Group Army, commanded by Fu Zuoyi, to move the 72nd Division and three additional brigades by rail from Datong to Huailai to support Tang Enbo's forces. Chiang Kai-shek urged steadfastness in the face of adversity, emphasizing that retreat was not an option. But with communication breakdowns and logistical challenges, Tang Enbo faced dilemmas that would lead him to issue the order for his troops to break out on August 26. As the Japanese army occupied Huailai and Yanqing, Tang Enbo's forces executed a withdrawal, retreating via various routes before suffering further losses.  Meanwhile Liu Ruming's troops of the 143rd Division of the 29th Army took Zhangbei from Zhangjiakou . Proceed to Wanquan Dam , the junction of Wanquan and Zhangbei. The members of the pseudo-Mongolian military government fled to Duolun under the leadership of King De . In order to relieve the danger in Zhangjiakou, Liu Ruming's troops began to attack the enemy in Zhangbei. On August 20, they captured key points such as Bolicai Village outside Zhangbei City. At this time, the mechanized troops of the Japanese Kwantung Army led by Hideki Tojo rushed from Rehe to support Zhangbei. When passing through Guyuan, they were divided into two groups: one group of Japanese troops, the Suzuki Brigade and Homma Brigade went south to attack Zhangjiakou. On the night of August 21, the Chinese army retreated to Shenweitai, 25 kilometers south of Zhangbei County. On August 22, the Japanese army began its attack. Shenwei Tower fell at midnight on the 23rd. At the same time, another part of the Japanese army launched a roundabout attack on Wanquan County. On the morning of August 24, they captured Wanquan County, and then headed straight for Zhangjiakou along the highway with an infantry regiment and an artillery battalion. From August 25 to 27, the Japanese army attacked Bajiaotai, the highest point of Cir Mountain west of Zhangjiakou. At noon on the 27th, Zhangjiakou fell. Gao Guizi's 17th Army marched to Dushikou to resist the enemy from Duolun Akagi and Longguan and intercepted the Pingsui Railway. Gao Guizi's troops failed to withstand the Japanese attack, and the 301st Regiment of the 29th Army stationed in Xuanhua also retreated southward. On August 28, Xuanhua fell into the hands of the enemy. Meanwhile, in northern Chahar, the Chinese 1st Cavalry Army successfully captured Shangdu, Nanhaochan, Shangyi, and Huade from the puppet Mongolian Army led by Demchugdongrub. Elements of the 143rd Division secured Zhongli, while the main force advanced to Zhangbei. During this Chinese offensive, the Japanese Chahar Expeditionary Force, consisting of the mechanized 1st Independent Mixed Brigade along with the 2nd and 15th Mixed Brigades, prepared for a counteroffensive from Zhangbei to Kalgan. Tojo personally commanded the units of the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade during Operation Chahar, which would serve as his only real combat service for his career. From August 18 to 19, the Chahar Expeditionary Force launched a counterattack from Zhangbei, capturing Shenweitaiko on the Great Wall and the Hanno Dam. The scattered and ill-equipped Chinese forces were unable to halt the Japanese advance, which now threatened the Peking–Suiyuan Railway at Kalgan. On August 20, General Fu Zuoyi's 7th Group Army diverted its 200th and 211th Brigades, which had been moving south by rail to join General Tang Enbo's forces, back to defend Kalgan. Fu's remaining 72nd Division arrived to reinforce Chenpien, while his 7th Separate Brigade was dispatched to protect the railhead at Huailai.On August 21, the Japanese forces breached the defenses at the villages of Henglingcheng and Chenbiancheng. General Tang Enbo's forces, awaiting reinforcements but having suffered over 50% casualties, continued to defend Huailai, Juyong Pass, and Yanqing. Liu Ruming's 143rd Division retreated to safeguard Kalgan from the advancing Japanese troops. On August 23, as Seishirō Itagaki's 5th Division advanced toward Huailai from Chenpien against Ma Yenshou's 7th Separate Brigade, advance elements of the 14th Army Group arrived on the Japanese flank at Chingpaikou. They successfully drove off the Japanese outpost and made contact with Japanese forces advancing toward Chenpien. However, delays in crossing the Yongding River postponed their attack until it was too late to halt the Japanese advance. Due to poor communications, they also failed to coordinate with General Tang Enbo's forces during the battle. After eight days and nights of fierce fighting, on August 24, Itagaki linked up with the Kwantung Army's 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade at Xiahuayuan. By August 24, the Japanese army breached the defensive line of the Chinese defenders' Wang Wanling Division along the western Hengling, crossed the Great Wall, and advanced into the Huailai area. At this time, the Japanese forces attacking Zhangjiakou from Chabei also secured control of the railway line west of Zhangjiakou, posing a significant threat to the Chinese defenders at Nankou. On August 25, the Chinese defenders were compelled to withdraw from Nankou and retreat to Juyongguan. By August 27, they received orders to break out and relocate southward, completely evacuating the Nankou battlefield. Since Wei Lihuang's troops lost their intended target for reinforcement and Baoding along the Pinghan Line was in a state of emergency, they engaged the enemy in the Wanping area for over a month before retreating south. Following the abandonment of both Nankou and Juyongguan, the Japanese army invaded Huailai City on the night of August 27. The Chinese army suffered over 16,000 casualties, while the Japanese army reported more than 15,000 casualties. On August 26, General Tang Enbo's forces were ordered to break out toward the Sangchien River, while Liu Ruming's troops were directed to withdraw to the opposite side of the Hsiang-yang River. On August 29, a Japanese unit known as the Oui Column by the Chinese and the Ohizumi Detachment by the Japanese launched an attack. According to Hsu Long-hsuen, this unit moved south from Tushihkou, and on August 30, it attacked Yenching via Chihcheng but was repelled by the Chinese 17th Army. The unit had moved to Guyuan by August 25 and reached Xuanhua by September 7, effectively cutting the railway behind Tang's forces and east of the Chinese defenders along the Great Wall. Following the repulsion of the Oui Column's attack, the Chinese 17th Army withdrew to join the rest of Tang Enbo's forces on the far side of the Sangchien River. Kalgan fell to the Japanese on August 27. After General Fu Zuoyi's 200th and 211th Brigades failed in their counterattack to recapture Kalgan, Fu's forces retreated to the west to defend the railway to Suiyuan at Chaikoupao.  On August 30, the army high command ordered the task force and the China Garrison Army to occupy Chahar Province. The North China Area Army deployed Lieutenant General Itagaki Seishiro's Fifth Division, the theater's strategic reserve, for this operation. The Japanese forces relied on armored units to breach Chinese defenses and utilized rail lines to transport troops and supplies effectively to critical locations throughout Chahar. Although the First Independent Mixed Brigade's tanks and armored cars demonstrated proficiency, the Kwantung Army's assessment of the operation criticized the armored units for their lack of shock effect and frequent mechanical breakdowns. Additionally, these vehicles required significant supplies and maintenance, leading the army to deem them ineffective in combat situations. The Second Air Group provided crucial support for the ground offensive in Chahar. From mid-August, this air group, stationed in Chengde and Jingzhou, conducted bombing raids on enemy positions and transport routes, performed reconnaissance missions, and even airdropped supplies to encircled Japanese forces. To match the rapid advance of the mechanized ground forces, air units were repositioned to advanced airfields. After bombing Taiyuan in late August, some units returned to their home bases, leaving behind two fighter squadrons and two heavy bomber squadrons, which formed a provisional air regiment. By mid-September, the Fifth Division and the Chahar Expeditionary Force were advancing southwest through the rugged mountains of Shanxi Province and captured Datong on September 13. Five days later, anticipating a decisive battle, Lieutenant General Katsuki ordered the Fifth Division to pivot southeast toward Baoding to encircle the retreating Chinese forces. Shortly after repositioning, Itagaki learned from aerial reconnaissance that Chinese units were assembling near Pingxingguan (Dayingzhen) Pass. Concerned that these forces might advance eastward through the pass and threaten his rear, Itagaki dispatched a regimental-sized task force under the command of Major General Miura Keiji, leader of the Twenty-first Brigade, to disperse the enemy troops and control the road on both sides of the pass. Miura's task force departed by truck in the mid-afternoon of the following day, but the overland movement proved much slower and more challenging than anticipated. Travelling along a single rutted dirt track through steep mountains, the forty-nine trucks carrying his infantry and heavy weapons, including crew-served machine guns and battalion artillery, could only manage a speed of seven miles per hour. By late afternoon, the lead elements were still about five miles east of the pass when they encountered a few hundred Chinese troops who had retreated after a brief firefight. As night fell, the Japanese moved cautiously forward and reached a village approximately a mile from the pass, where they encountered stiff resistance, including mortar and automatic weapons fire. After successfully repelling a counterattack by the Chinese Seventy-third Division, Miura launched a night assault. Supported by pack artillery and heavy machine guns, two Japanese companies pushed through the pass and seized the high ground on its west side by early morning. However, Chinese reinforcements soon arrived and attempted to reclaim the lost territory, resulting in ongoing fighting for the heights on September 24. Meanwhile, the Chinese Communist 115th Division, comprising the 685th, 686th, and 687th regiments of the Eighth Route Army, consisting of around 6,000 effective troops under the command of twenty-nine-year-old Lin Biao, maneuvered south around the Japanese rear. By September 24, they had interposed themselves on the road east of the pass, effectively cutting off Miura's task force from its supply base. That same day, the Central Army's Seventy-first Division launched several sharp counterattacks against Miura's outnumbered forces west of the pass, threatening to overrun the Japanese positions. Central Army and Communist forces had planned to attack both flanks of the Japanese at dawn on September 25, but torrential rains delayed the advance of the Central Army reserves. The downpour also muffled the sounds of an approaching Japanese night assault. Utilizing the poor night security of the Chinese, Japanese assault parties surprised the Seventy-first and Eighty-fourth divisions, pushing them from their positions west of the pass. Miura mistakenly believed he controlled both sides of the pass and assumed the Chinese forces were in full retreat. Unbeknownst to him, Lin Biao's troops had blocked the eastern entrance to the pass, prompting him to order a resupply column with rations and ammunition forward from about fifteen miles east of the pass to replenish his depleted task force. The supply train, consisting of seventy horse-drawn wagons and eighty trucks, struggled to make progress along the single dirt track, where sections had become muddy bogs due to the heavy rains. Most of the hundred-plus soldiers handling the horses and wagons were untrained and unarmed. The few regular service corps soldiers carried only ten cavalry carbines, while a single infantry platoon of thirty men provided security. The eighty trucks transported another 176 men, most of whom were not infantry. Therefore, the resupply column was ill-prepared for any trouble. Following a sunken road worn down by centuries of caravans, the column approached the pass through a narrow man-made defile, with its sides rising as high as thirty-five feet above the track. Around mid-morning, about four miles east of the pass, the Chinese Communist 115th Division launched an ambush. Communist troops rained grenades and small-arms fire from the high ground overlooking the road onto the trapped convoy. Although the Japanese fought back desperately, the combination of surprise, advantageous terrain, and overwhelming numbers turned the road into a killing ground. The ambush decimated almost all of the teamsters and the infantrymen who protected the wagons. At his field headquarters, Miura heard the heavy gunfire and explosions and quickly ordered a battalion-sized rescue force to assist the convoy. However, the Chinese 685th Regiment, blocking the only road to the trapped supply train, halted the Japanese battalion. Elements of the 685th and 686th regiments then finished off the motorized convoy, with only five trucks at the rear escaping. After looting weapons, equipment, and clothing, the Communists burned the remaining vehicles and withdrew southwest into the rugged mountains. Although the Communists claimed to have killed 3,000 Japanese troops, the more realistic number is around 200. Nonetheless, Lin Biao's guerrillas had achieved a significant tactical success. While the 115th Division destroyed the Japanese resupply column east of the pass, the Central Army's Sixth and Seventh Army Groups, including the Seventy-first Division, launched a series of day and night assaults against Miura's dispersed units west of the pass. Both sides incurred heavy losses, and the Japanese struggled to maintain control of the high ground as the Chinese fanned out through the valleys and attacked from all sides. Isolated and under heavy attack, the Japanese were low on ammunition, food, and water, lacked proper cold-weather clothing in the frigid mountains, and were greatly outnumbered. They resorted to scavenging ammunition and weapons from fallen Chinese soldiers. Itagaki promptly ordered his 41st and 21st infantry regiments, supported by an infantry regiment from the Kwantung Army located about fifty miles northeast of the pass, to rescue the beleaguered task force. These regiments moved along a narrow mountain road amidst heavy rain, which slowed their progress. The relief force split up about forty miles north of Pingxingguan, with the Twenty-first Regiment swinging westward to outflank the Chinese, while the other two regiments continued toward the pass. To the northwest, the Fifteenth Brigade of the Chahar Expeditionary Force advanced southeastward from Datong to encircle the Chinese. Central Army forces defending along the inner Great Wall, about fifty miles northwest of Pingxingguan, inflicted substantial casualties on the Japanese. The Japanese Forty-first Regiment finally reached Miura on September 28, and on the same day, the Twenty-first Regiment dislodged the stubborn defenders along the Inner Great Wall, roughly forty miles northwest of the pass, disrupting the entire Chinese defense and threatening to surround the besieging forces. Nonetheless, fighting continued through September 29, when the Second Brigade broke through the Chinese Central Army's defenses and advanced westward. Facing potential encirclement and certain destruction, the Japanese Sixth Army Group withdrew southwest the following day. Japanese accounts do not specify overall losses, but Chinese reports claim nearly 3,000 Japanese casualties while acknowledging they suffered ten times that number. After five days of intense fighting in rugged terrain, Miura's forces managed to hold their ground, but their heavy losses and those sustained by relief columns rendered it a Pyrrhic victory. Both Communist and Nationalist Chinese forces retreated southwest, surviving to fight another day. The determination of the Chinese Central Army in both offensive and defensive maneuvers, combined with the skillful hit-and-run tactics of the 115th Division, inflicted significant damage on the Japanese and became a cornerstone of Chinese propaganda. On October 1, the Japanese General Staff ordered the North China Area Army to destroy the Chinese forces in Shanxi Province, which were estimated to number over twenty divisions from either the Shanxi Army or the Central Army, and were fortifying positions in Taiyuan, Yangquan, and Yuanpingzhen. The Japanese Fifth and Twentieth Divisions advanced toward Taiyuan, while the Fifteenth Division, reinforced by a mixed brigade, launched an assault south from Yuanpingzhen on October 13. The Fifteenth Division quickly encountered strong Chinese resistance from well-prepared defenses, which halted its advance. From October 19 to 26, the Twentieth Division faced thirteen Chinese divisions entrenched near Jiuguan. Although they successfully repelled numerous fierce counterattacks, the division was unable to breach the Chinese lines. A maneuver by one of its regiments to the rear of the Chinese defenses forced a withdrawal of Chinese troops. The reconstituted Fifth Division joined the pursuit of the retreating Chinese forces on November 3, reaching Taiyuan five days later. Meanwhile, the Twentieth Division, moving westward, inflicted heavy losses on the Chinese units that were withdrawing from Taiyuan. Overall, given that the offensive aimed to secure territory, it can be considered a tactical and operational success. Shortly thereafter, all Japanese forces, except for the Twentieth Division, withdrew from Shanxi Province. The Chahar campaign concluded with the Kwantung Army in control of Chahar, Suiyuan, and the northern half of Shanxi Province. The Japanese quickly established puppet regimes in the captured territories. 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. In July 1937, tensions between Japan and China erupted following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, leading to fierce fighting as Japanese troops attacked. Chinese defenders, under command of Chiang Kai-shek, bravely resisted despite overwhelming odds, determined to protect their sovereignty. The Battle of Nankou saw relentless assaults, tank warfare, and desperate defense tactics, revealing the depth of Chinese resolve. 

In the third century BC, China was a land fractured by war - a patchwork of rival kingdoms struggling for dominance. Out of this chaos rose a single, extraordinary figure who would reshape the course of history: Chin Shrr Hwong, the First Emperor of China. His achievements were monumental, but his reign was marked by ruthlessness, so how did this teenage king rise to power? What drove him to undertake colossal projects like the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army? And how might his obsession with immortality have led to his mysterious death? This is a Short History Of The First Emperor of China. A Noiser Production, written by Sean Coleman. With thanks to John Man, author of The Terracotta Army: China's First Emperor and the Birth of a Nation.  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 noiser.com/subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Guy Adami and Dan Nathan discuss the current state of trade negotiations, tariffs, and their potential impacts on the market. They delve into the complexities of the U.S.-China trade relationship, the ramifications of increased tariffs on steel, and the ongoing issues of national debt and deficit. The conversation also touches upon market reactions, inflation concerns, and significant market indicators such as non-farm payrolls and CapEx spending. They address key market players like Elon Musk and the influence of geopolitical events on investor sentiment. Additionally, the hosts analyze specific stocks like CrowdStrike and Apple, considering their performance and valuation challenges. The podcast concludes with an outlook on upcoming economic reports and their potential influence on market trends. —FOLLOW USYouTube: @RiskReversalMediaInstagram: @riskreversalmediaTwitter: @RiskReversalLinkedIn: RiskReversal Media

In Episode 398 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll past the Spite Wall in Westminster, Massachusetts. Constructed in 1852 by Edmund Proctor, the giant colonial wall was made to block the view from Proctor's neighbor, Farwell Morse, a religious zealot who didn't approve of his neighbor working on the sabbath day. The wall still stands today as a testament to spite.    See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-398-the-great-wall-of-spite/    Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends               Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/              Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/