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Outraged by the Christmas bombings of Hanoi in 1972 by the USA during the Vietnam War, the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme made a critical speech. He compared the US's actions to several massacres from history, including the killing of hundreds of thousands of Jews at the Treblinka Concentration Camp by the Nazis. President Richard Nixon and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger reacted by recalling their ambassador and refusing to accept the Swedish counterpart. Jan Ellisson was the first person to see the speech in the Swedish embassy in Washington and spent the next 15 months working to re-establish relations.He has been speaking to Tim O'Callaghan. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines' life and Omar Sharif's legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives' ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.(Photo: Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, who made the speech about the Hanoi bombings. Credit: Sjöberg Bildbyrå/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
聊中西文化,也聊很多东西! 第八十二期,说了很久的再次去越南,终于在春节假期安排上啦!这一期看到和思考了很多和胡志明不一样的地方,比如当地的茶饮、米其林餐厅、韩国企业,甚至菲律宾品牌Jollibee和永和大王等等。不好意思又拖更了。 欢迎给我们来信: ttmiChinese@gmail.com Have online class with Candice, please email candicex2018@gmail.com YouTube: Candice X Chinese Mandarin Instagram: CandiceXMandarin2022 免费学习资料 Free study materials please visit Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/candicex PDF full script for episode 82: https://www.patreon.com/posts/082-my-holiday-152045810 Video with full subtitles for episode 82: https://youtu.be/hMTImijNrFM
Send a textHỏa Lò Prison was first built during the French Colonial era between 1886 and 1901 in the French Quarter of Hanoi, Vietnam's capital city. During this time, Vietnam was part of French Indochina, a group of French colonial territories in Southeast Asia which was eventually dissolved in the 1950s. As well as various Vietnamese regions, French Indochina consisted of Cambodia, Laos and Guangzhouwan. The city of Hanoi remained the area's capital between 1902 and 1945.Upon first being built, Hỏa Lò Prison was dubbed ‘Maison Centrale' or ‘Central House', and was established to hold Vietnamese revolutionaries and political dissidents, particularly those campaigning for Vietnamese independence. The prison had a grisly reputation from the start: prisoners were known to be subject to torture and brutal interrogation tactics, before finally facing execution. The name ‘Hỏa Lò' emerged some time afterwards, roughly translating to ‘stove', ‘fire kiln' or ‘fiery furnace', and came from the fact that the surrounding neighbourhood was filled with stores selling wood and coal-fire stoves.Support the show
Have you ever felt an inner pull to do something more meaningful—but didn't know where to start?On this episode of Smart Women Talk, we're joined by Alexis Ramsey, CEO of We Care Foster Care, for a powerful conversation about purpose, service, and choosing impact over comfort.Alexis shares how her global career in education led her back home—and into nonprofit leadership—where she's working to break the foster care–to–prison cycle and change lives through education, housing, and workforce development.If you're in midlife and feeling the nudge to step into something bigger, this episode will meet you right where you are.You'll hear:How a lifelong commitment to education led Alexis to foster care advocacyWhy midlife is often the moment purpose gets louderThe hard truths about nonprofit leadership (yes, it's still a business)What it takes to break the foster care–to–prison pipelineWhy fear isn't a stop sign—it's part of the pathIf you've ever wanted your money to reflect what matters most to you, this episode is a must-listen.Alexis Ramsey is the CEO and Executive Director of We Care Foster Care, where she leads efforts to support youth in foster care through education, stability, and long-term opportunity.An educator for more than 25 years, Alexis began her career in Detroit Public Schools before spending two decades teaching internationally in Malawi, Africa; Beijing, China; and Hanoi, Vietnam. Her work abroad included roles with USAID, the United Nations International School, and multiple international schools, serving students from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.Throughout her career, Alexis has helped write two national curricula and has remained deeply committed to a child's right to quality education. Her work centers on the belief that education must support the whole child—academically, emotionally, and socially—and serve as a foundation for breaking cycles of poverty and instability.Connect with Alexis at WeCareFosterCare.org.
In this episode, I reconnect with a dear friend from my Boulder triathlon days, Dieter Bruhn, and his relatively new wife, Grace. We discuss the Hanoi dance scene and contrast the culture of activity in Vietnam with Boulder, Colorado.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
When photographer Jamey Price first turned his lens toward motorsports, he wasn't simply chasing speed—he was chasing feeling. The roar of engines, the blur of motion, the choreography of pit crews and drivers—all of it became raw material for a visual language that balances technical precision with emotional intensity. His photographs don't just freeze high-performance machines; they capture the atmosphere, tension, and spectacle that define global racing culture. That pursuit culminates in his new book, Racing Unfiltered, a signed and numbered edition that brings readers closer to the visceral reality of professional racing. Created entirely with branded disposable cameras, the images possess a raw, unpredictable character—grainy, imperfect, and immediate—offering a distinctive look far removed from the polished precision of modern digital capture. Rather than presenting only carefully crafted highlight moments, the work embraces spontaneity and constraint, revealing the grit behind the glamour: the preparation, exhaustion, unpredictability, and human vulnerability embedded within elite competition. The result is an immersive and refreshingly unfiltered study of motion, risk, and ambition. Resources Jamey Price https://www.jameypricephoto.com Racing Unfiltered (Signed & Numbered Edition) https://www.jameypricephoto.com/product-page/racing-unfiltered-signed-numbered-edition Altadena Photographers https://www.altadenaphotographers.org/ Workshops & Upcoming Education with Ibarionex Perello Japan Spring Workshop 2026 An immersive photographic and cultural experience in Japan, focused on visual storytelling, observation, and creative growth. https://www.nobechicreative.com/ibarionex-perello-spring-workshop-2026-japan X-Pedition Hanoi A destination workshop centered on street photography, culture, and daily life in Hanoi, Vietnam. https://www.f8photographicworkshops.com/x-pedition-hanoi Support Ibarionex & The Candid Frame GoFundMe https://www.gofundme.com/f/perello-familys-journey-to-re-establish-our-life Buy Me a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/thecandidframe eBook Purchases https://www.ibarionex.net/ebooks Websites The Candid Frame Patreon Page https://www.patreon.com/thecandidframe?fan_landing=true&view_as=public The Candid Frame PayPal Contribution Link https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=70VXjjF-1j_uhK8y0_nfvUK79_R1EWWuCTO2DX5ZOaTOR6yzhL6IgkthBiiitoipmDH23zLzPSIIlLhZ Sponsors Charcoal Book Club https://charcoalbookclub.com Frames Magazine https://readframes.com Education Resources Momenta Photographic Workshops https://momentaworkshops.com/workshops/ Candid Frame Resources The Candid Frame Newsletter & Substack Blog http://ibarionex.substack.com/welcome Contribute a one-time donation to the show thru Buy Me a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/thecandidframe Support the work at The Candid Frame by contributing to our Patreon effort. You can do this by visiting https://www.patreon.com/thecandidframe or the website and clicking on the Patreon button. You can also provide a one-time donation via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=13Tg_YGwf58eSyhevNPHAJMlgVqhI4xqQff9jBJeGNGR7G3-GkcKVX6OuU-5ZXfLbUkRa0&country.x=US&locale.x=US You can follow Ibarionex on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ibarionex/?hl=en
In this episode, Jared chats with Jack Mullinkosson, whose Chinese-learning journey runs from a Vice China documentary set… to living with a Chinese immigrant family in suburban California… to studying in Chengdu… and now biking from Chengdu to Hanoi.Jack got started the way many learners do: by feeling left out. On set, surrounded by Chinese speakers, he noticed how differently the foreigners who spoke Mandarin were treated. Chinese looked like a superpower, and he wanted it.With plenty of downtime during the shoot, Jack began studying characters and survival phrases, boosted by the classic “Your Chinese is so good!” encouragement (even when it wasn't). That early confidence turned into a full-on obsession.Then COVID hit, and Jack found a creative workaround. Back in the U.S., he made a flyer in Chinese offering to live with a Chinese family in exchange for helping their kids with English. The result: four months in a Rancho Cucamonga “McMansion” shared by multiple Chinese families, nightly Mandarin dinners, and a crash course in immigrant hustle and real-world language practice.Along the way, Jack:Read Mandarin Companion graded readers to build his foundationUsed shadowing to level up tones and pronunciationLooked for chances to speak—even when it was inconvenientTurned everyday errands into “Chinese missions”After a few years in Brazil, where he learned Portuguese and became a remote software engineer, Jack returned to China with a new goal: connect Chinese to his career. He now makes videos in Chengdu, capturing spontaneous conversations with park shūshu fitness legends, friendly aunties selling plum wine, and locals who light up when a foreigner speaks Mandarin.And one of the coolest payoffs? While traveling in Spain, Jack used Chinese to order food from a Chinese restaurant owner when neither of them shared English or Spanish.Links from the episode:Jack Mullinkosson | InstagramMandarin Companion Graded Readers
** VIDEO EN NUESTRO CANAL DE YOUTUBE **** https://youtu.be/YNAplyQ3jg4 +++++ Hazte con nuestras camisetas en https://www.bhmshop.app +++++ #historiamilitar #historia #vietnam Durante el conflicto de Vietnam, en el marco de la guerra encubierta en Laos y el norte del país, la CIA desplegó uno de los helicópteros más silenciosos y secretos jamás construidos: el Hughes 500P “Quiet One”. Basado en el OH‑6 Cayuse, fue profundamente modificado para llevar a cabo misiones de espionaje, sabotaje y extracción de información en territorio enemigo. Con un sistema de rotor silencioso, fuselaje tratado para absorber radar y escape rediseñado, esta aeronave podía operar a muy baja altitud sin ser detectada por el enemigo. En este programa especial, exploramos su historia, tecnología y operaciones dentro del proyecto “Operation Ivy Bells” sobre Hanoi en 1972, con el análisis de Esaú Rodríguez, Julio “Caronte” y Francisco García Campa. Tecnología, sigilo y operaciones negras… el helicóptero que parece sacado de una novela de espías, pero que fue muy real. Suscríbete a nuestros canales: ️ Historia Militar: https://www.youtube.com/@BELLUMARTISHISTORIAMILITAR ️ Geopolítica y Actualidad Militar: https://www.youtube.com/@BELLUMARTISACTUALIDADMILITAR Blog: https://bellumartishistoriamilitar.blogspot.com/ Bellumartis: Historia militar sin mitos ni ideología. Solo hechos. #QuietOne #CIA #Vietnam #Helicopteros #GuerraDeVietnam #AirAmerica #Bellumartis #HistoriaMilitar #Espionaje #OperacionesEncubiertas #BlackOps #OH6 #Hughes500 #Laos #Hanoi #JulioCaronte #EsaúRodríguez #FranciscoGarcíaCampa
In this week's episode of Greener Fields Hannah chats with Aisling Cullen, a yoga teacher and coach from Dublin.Throughout this conversation Aisling shares her journey of coming into herself during college, moving to Hanoi to work as an English teacher, her time living in Spain and her decision to move home to Ireland a few months ago. She reflects on the highs and lows of life abroad and how those experiences shaped her path inwards towards yoga training and teaching.Aisling also speaks about trusting intuition, navigating change, and the value of giving space to the duality of experiences in life. Now completing a Master's in Positive Psychology, she shares insights on listening to yourself and trusting that there are reasons in every season of life.This is such a special conversation - so make sure to check it out
Finn Gessert nimmt Sie mit nach Vietnam und stellt Ihnen die Oper von Hanoi vor. Das Haus war in den letzten hundert Jahren nicht nur eine Bühne für große Kunst, sondern auch für Vietnams Streben nach Selbstbestimmung
Libraries in French colonial Vietnam functioned as symbols of Western modernity and infrastructures of colonial knowledge. Yet Vietnamese readers pursued alternative uses of the library that exceeded imperial intentions. In Bibliotactics: Libraries and the Colonial Public in Vietnam (U California Press, 2026), Cindy Any Nguyen examines the Hanoi and Saigon state libraries in colonial and postcolonial Vietnam, uncovering the emergence of a colonial public who reimagined the political meaning and social space of the library through public critique and day-to-day practice. Comprising government bureaucrats, library personnel, journalists, and everyday library readers, this colonial public debated the role of libraries as educational resource, civilizing instrument, and literary heritage. Moving beyond procolonial or anticolonial nationalism framings, Bibliotactics advances a relational theory of power that centers public reading culture contextualized within the library infrastructure of the colonial information order. As the first comprehensive history of the colonial and national library in Asia, this book contributes new insights into publicity, colonial and postcolonial studies, and the histories of Vietnam, libraries, and information. Bibliotactics is available open access from Luminosa. Visit here to download a copy for free. Cindy Anh Nguyen is Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Studies and the Digital Humanities program at the University of California, Los Angeles. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Libraries in French colonial Vietnam functioned as symbols of Western modernity and infrastructures of colonial knowledge. Yet Vietnamese readers pursued alternative uses of the library that exceeded imperial intentions. In Bibliotactics: Libraries and the Colonial Public in Vietnam (U California Press, 2026), Cindy Any Nguyen examines the Hanoi and Saigon state libraries in colonial and postcolonial Vietnam, uncovering the emergence of a colonial public who reimagined the political meaning and social space of the library through public critique and day-to-day practice. Comprising government bureaucrats, library personnel, journalists, and everyday library readers, this colonial public debated the role of libraries as educational resource, civilizing instrument, and literary heritage. Moving beyond procolonial or anticolonial nationalism framings, Bibliotactics advances a relational theory of power that centers public reading culture contextualized within the library infrastructure of the colonial information order. As the first comprehensive history of the colonial and national library in Asia, this book contributes new insights into publicity, colonial and postcolonial studies, and the histories of Vietnam, libraries, and information. Bibliotactics is available open access from Luminosa. Visit here to download a copy for free. Cindy Anh Nguyen is Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Studies and the Digital Humanities program at the University of California, Los Angeles. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/southeast-asian-studies
Libraries in French colonial Vietnam functioned as symbols of Western modernity and infrastructures of colonial knowledge. Yet Vietnamese readers pursued alternative uses of the library that exceeded imperial intentions. In Bibliotactics: Libraries and the Colonial Public in Vietnam (U California Press, 2026), Cindy Any Nguyen examines the Hanoi and Saigon state libraries in colonial and postcolonial Vietnam, uncovering the emergence of a colonial public who reimagined the political meaning and social space of the library through public critique and day-to-day practice. Comprising government bureaucrats, library personnel, journalists, and everyday library readers, this colonial public debated the role of libraries as educational resource, civilizing instrument, and literary heritage. Moving beyond procolonial or anticolonial nationalism framings, Bibliotactics advances a relational theory of power that centers public reading culture contextualized within the library infrastructure of the colonial information order. As the first comprehensive history of the colonial and national library in Asia, this book contributes new insights into publicity, colonial and postcolonial studies, and the histories of Vietnam, libraries, and information. Bibliotactics is available open access from Luminosa. Visit here to download a copy for free. Cindy Anh Nguyen is Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Studies and the Digital Humanities program at the University of California, Los Angeles. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/french-studies
When photographer Danielle Goldstein and editor–writer Caroline Goldstein came together to create Transcience, the result was a collaboration rooted in restraint, trust, and attentiveness. The book occupies the in-between—those fleeting, unresolved moments that resist easy interpretation. Danielle's photographs do not insist on meaning; instead, they invite the viewer into a space of quiet observation, where tenderness and uncertainty are allowed to coexist. Caroline Goldstein's editorial sequencing and text deepen that experience without attempting to fix it in place. Her words don't explain the images so much as they echo them, creating room for resonance rather than resolution. Together, image and text form a subtle meditation on impermanence—on how time moves through bodies, relationships, and places, leaving behind traces that are felt more than seen. Transcience is a reminder that photography doesn't need to be declarative to be powerful; sometimes its greatest strength lies in suggestion, subtlety, and trust in the viewer. Resources: Danielle Goldstein https://www.daniellegoldstein.com Caroline Goldstein https://carolinegoldstein.com Transcience https://www.trope.com/products/transcience Altadena Photographers https://www.altadenaphotographers.org/ Workshops & Upcoming Education with Ibarionex Perello Timeline: Los Angeles A guided photographic exploration of Los Angeles that encourages participants to engage deeply with place, history, and personal narrative. https://lacphoto.org/events/timeline-los-angeles-with-ibarionex-perello/ Japan Spring Workshop 2026 An immersive photographic and cultural experience in Japan, focused on visual storytelling, observation, and creative growth. https://www.nobechicreative.com/ibarionex-perello-spring-workshop-2026-japan X-Pedition Hanoi A destination workshop centered on street photography, culture, and daily life in Hanoi, Vietnam. https://www.f8photographicworkshops.com/x-pedition-hanoi Support Ibarionex & The Candid Frame GoFundMe https://www.gofundme.com/f/perello-familys-journey-to-re-establish-our-life Buy Me a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/thecandidframe eBook Purchases https://www.ibarionex.net/ebooks Websites The Candid Frame Patreon Page https://www.patreon.com/thecandidframe?fan_landing=true&view_as=public The Candid Frame PayPal Contribution Link https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=70VXjjF-1j_uhK8y0_nfvUK79_R1EWWuCTO2DX5ZOaTOR6yzhL6IgkthBiiitoipmDH23zLzPSIIlLhZ Sponsors Charcoal Book Club https://charcoalbookclub.com Frames Magazine https://readframes.com Education Resources Momenta Photographic Workshops https://momentaworkshops.com/workshops/ Candid Frame Resources The Candid Frame Newsletter & Substack Blog http://ibarionex.substack.com/welcome Contribute a one-time donation to the show thru Buy Me a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/thecandidframe Support the work at The Candid Frame by contributing to our Patreon effort. You can do this by visiting https://www.patreon.com/thecandidframe or the website and clicking on the Patreon button. You can also provide a one-time donation via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=13Tg_YGwf58eSyhevNPHAJMlgVqhI4xqQff9jBJeGNGR7G3-GkcKVX6OuU-5ZXfLbUkRa0&country.x=US&locale.x=US You can follow Ibarionex on Instagram and Twitter
When photographer Danielle Goldstein and editor–writer Susanne Goldstein came together to create Transcience, the result was a collaboration rooted in restraint, trust, and attentiveness. The book occupies the in-between—those fleeting, unresolved moments that resist easy interpretation. Danielle's photographs do not insist on meaning; instead, they invite the viewer into a space of quiet observation, where tenderness and uncertainty are allowed to coexist. Susanne Goldstein's editorial sequencing and text deepen that experience without attempting to fix it in place. Her words don't explain the images so much as they echo them, creating room for resonance rather than resolution. Together, image and text form a subtle meditation on impermanence—on how time moves through bodies, relationships, and places, leaving behind traces that are felt more than seen. Transcience is a reminder that photography doesn't need to be declarative to be powerful; sometimes its greatest strength lies in suggestion, subtlety, and trust in the viewer. Resources: Danielle Goldstein https://www.daniellegoldstein.com Susanne Goldstein https://www.susannegoldstein.com Transcience https://www.trope.com/products/transcience Altadena Photographers https://www.altadenaphotographers.org/ Workshops & Upcoming Education with Ibarionex Perello Timeline: Los Angeles A guided photographic exploration of Los Angeles that encourages participants to engage deeply with place, history, and personal narrative. https://lacphoto.org/events/timeline-los-angeles-with-ibarionex-perello/ Japan Spring Workshop 2026 An immersive photographic and cultural experience in Japan, focused on visual storytelling, observation, and creative growth. https://www.nobechicreative.com/ibarionex-perello-spring-workshop-2026-japan X-Pedition Hanoi A destination workshop centered on street photography, culture, and daily life in Hanoi, Vietnam. https://www.f8photographicworkshops.com/x-pedition-hanoi Support Ibarionex & The Candid Frame GoFundMe https://www.gofundme.com/f/perello-familys-journey-to-re-establish-our-life Buy Me a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/thecandidframe eBook Purchases https://www.ibarionex.net/ebooks Websites The Candid Frame Patreon Page https://www.patreon.com/thecandidframe?fan_landing=true&view_as=public The Candid Frame PayPal Contribution Link https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=70VXjjF-1j_uhK8y0_nfvUK79_R1EWWuCTO2DX5ZOaTOR6yzhL6IgkthBiiitoipmDH23zLzPSIIlLhZ Sponsors Charcoal Book Club https://charcoalbookclub.com Frames Magazine https://readframes.com Education Resources Momenta Photographic Workshops https://momentaworkshops.com/workshops/ Candid Frame Resources The Candid Frame Newsletter & Substack Blog http://ibarionex.substack.com/welcome Contribute a one-time donation to the show thru Buy Me a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/thecandidframe Support the work at The Candid Frame by contributing to our Patreon effort. You can do this by visiting https://www.patreon.com/thecandidframe or the website and clicking on the Patreon button. You can also provide a one-time donation via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=13Tg_YGwf58eSyhevNPHAJMlgVqhI4xqQff9jBJeGNGR7G3-GkcKVX6OuU-5ZXfLbUkRa0&country.x=US&locale.x=US You can follow Ibarionex on Instagram and Twitter
Every week for The Ultimate Guide on The Hard Shoulder, Fionn Davenport takes a closer look at some of the fantastic destinations to visit around the world.This week, as part of his 12 best cities in the world, Fionn joined Ciara and Shane to give the ultimate guide to Hanoi in Vietnam
All aboard the Midnight Train to Sapa, a soothing sleep journey that begins in the vibrant bustle of Hanoi's Old Quarter. With a companion of your choice, you board a timeless night train that ascends through moonlit rice terraces and into the "walking clouds" of the Vietnamese highlands. Snuggle up into the quiet luxury of your private cabin and prepare for a night of restorative rest. It's time to dream away.Original Script, Sleep Music, Sound Design, and Narration by Michelle Hotaling, Dreamaway Visions LLC 2026 All Rights Reserved✨YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/michellessanctuary
VOV1 - Trong không khí cả nước bước vào giai đoạn phát triển mới với khát vọng vươn mình mạnh mẽ, Hà Nội chính thức khởi động mùa du lịch năm 2026 bằng chương trình “Du lịch Hà Nội chào 2026 – Get on Hanoi 2026”, diễn ra từ ngày 30/01 đến 01/02/2026, tại Không gian văn hóa sáng tạo Tây Hồ, Hà Nội.Chương trình “Du lịch Hà Nội chào 2026 – Get on Hanoi 2026” do Sở Du lịch Hà Nội và UBND phường Tây Hồ đồng chủ trì tổ chức, là hoạt động mở màn có ý nghĩa quan trọng, thể hiện quyết tâm đưa du lịch trở thành ngành kinh tế mũi nhọn, đồng thời hưởng ứng Năm Du lịch Quốc gia 2026 – Gia Lai.
The Beginning of My Crime Spree sounds like a joke—until Captain Mike “Masher” McGrath explains how survival inside the Hanoi Hilton sometimes meant quietly breaking the rules. In this episode of So There I Was, Masher, a retired US Navy A-4 Skyhawk and A-7 Corsair pilot, recounts flying 179 combat missions over Vietnam before being shot down in 1967 and spending nearly six years as a Prisoner of War in Hanoi. He shares firsthand stories of resistance, resilience, and the subtle “crimes” POWs committed to survive captivity—communicating in secret, organizing under pressure, and refusing to break. Told with dry humor, clarity, and perspective earned the hard way, this conversation offers an unfiltered look at life as a POW during the Vietnam War and how human will, discipline, and leadership endured under brutal conditions. Masher also discusses how he later documented these experiences through stark artwork and his book Prisoner of War—Six Years in Hanoi. This is not history from a textbook—it's lived experience, told straight. … #VietnamWar #POW #HanoiHilton #NavalAviation #MilitaryHistory #AviationPodcast #SoThereIWas #CombatStories #WarStories #USNavy #A4Skyhawk #A7Corsair #Leadership #Resilience #TrueStories
Paul Scott in print studio with cut Wild Rose detail Paul Scott (b. 1953, United Kingdom) is a UK-based artist, living and working in Cumbria, with a diverse practice and an international reputation. Creating individual pieces that blur the boundaries between fine art, craft, and design, he is well known for his research into printed vitreous surfaces, as well as his characteristic blue-and-white artworks in glazed ceramic. Scott's artworks can be found in public collections around the globe, including the National Museum, Norway; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK; National Museums Liverpool; the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA; and the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY. Commissioned work can be found in a number of UK museums, as well as in public places in the north of England, including Carlisle, Maryport, Gateshead, and Newcastle upon Tyne. He has also completed large-scale works in Hanoi, Vietnam, and at the Guldagergård public sculpture park in Denmark. A combination of rigorous research, studio practice, curation, writing, and commissioned work ensures that his practice continues to develop. His work is fundamentally concerned with the reanimation of familiar objects, landscape, pattern, and a sense of place. He was professor of ceramics at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts (KHiO) from 2011–2018. Scott received his Bachelor of Art Education and Design from Saint Martin's College and his PhD from the Manchester Institute for Research and Innovation in Art and Design in England. His current research project, New American Scenery, has been supported by an Alturas Foundation artist award, Ferrin Contemporary, and funding from Arts Council England. Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Souvenir of Portland OR Black Lives Matter (After Killen & Howard)/Trumpian Campaigne, No.5, 2021. Transfer print collage on partially erased Staffordshire transferware souvenir plate by Rowland & Marsellus, c.190010.25″ Dia. x 1” D Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Residual Waste (Texas) No.5/1, 2022Transfer print collage, shell-edged pearlware platter, 13″ H x 17.25″ W x 1.25” D Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, The Sleep of Reason, Wood Cuts (After Spode’s Woodland/Wild Rose) 2, 2024Transfer print collage on pearlware plate with Kintsugi, 11″ Dia. x 0.5″ D Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Sampler Jug, No.7 (After Stubbs), 2021Transfer print collage on pearlware jug, 15″ H x 14″ W x 11.75″ D
Pab nom Nationals tseem sab laj seb puas koom ua pab nom koom tswj nrog Liberalas, tej lus tawm tsav yim ntawm tsev tsoom fwv txog tsab cai Hate speech, Albanese thiab tsab cai Hate speech, Trump cov kev yws txog Nobil Peace Prize, thiab Greenland, Canada, EU, Belgium thiab Greenland, Pawg rooj tswj kev thaj yeeb rau Gaza, Suav lub embassy ntawm Central London Tower, Hanoi cov kev txhawb kom tej hluas sib yuav ua txij nkawm thiab yug me nyuam ntxov.
Last time we spoke about the climax of the battle of Lake Khasan. In August, the Lake Khasan region became a tense theater of combat as Soviet and Japanese forces clashed around Changkufeng and Hill 52. The Soviets pushed a multi-front offensive, bolstered by artillery, tanks, and air power, yet the Japanese defenders held firm, aided by engineers, machine guns, and heavy guns. By the ninth and tenth, a stubborn Japanese resilience kept Hill 52 and Changkufeng in Japanese hands, though the price was steep and the field was littered with the costs of battle. Diplomatically, both sides aimed to confine the fighting and avoid a larger war. Negotiations trudged on, culminating in a tentative cease-fire draft for August eleventh: a halt to hostilities, positions to be held as of midnight on the tenth, and the creation of a border-demarcation commission. Moscow pressed for a neutral umpire; Tokyo resisted, accepting a Japanese participant but rejecting a neutral referee. The cease-fire was imperfect, with miscommunications and differing interpretations persisting. #185 Operation Hainan 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. After what seemed like a lifetime over in the northern border between the USSR and Japan, today we are returning to the Second Sino-Japanese War. Now I thought it might be a bit jarring to dive into it, so let me do a brief summary of where we are at, in the year of 1939. As the calendar turned to 1939, the Second Sino-Japanese War, which had erupted in July 1937 with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident and escalated into full-scale conflict, had evolved into a protracted quagmire for the Empire of Japan. What began as a swift campaign to subjugate the Republic of China under Chiang Kai-shek had, by the close of 1938, transformed into a war of attrition. Japanese forces, under the command of generals like Shunroku Hata and Yasuji Okamura, had achieved stunning territorial gains: the fall of Shanghai in November 1937 after a brutal three-month battle that cost over 200,000 Chinese lives; the infamous capture of Nanjing in December 1937, marked by the Nanjing Massacre where an estimated 300,000 civilians and disarmed soldiers were killed in a six-week orgy of violence; and the sequential occupations of Xuzhou in May 1938, Wuhan in October 1938, and Guangzhou that same month. These victories secured Japan's control over China's eastern seaboard, major riverine arteries like the Yangtze, and key industrial centers, effectively stripping the Nationalists of much of their economic base. Yet, despite these advances, China refused to capitulate. Chiang's government had retreated inland to the mountainous stronghold of Chongqing in Sichuan province, where it regrouped amid the fog-laden gorges, drawing on the vast human reserves of China's interior and the resilient spirit of its people. By late 1938, Japanese casualties had mounted to approximately 50,000 killed and 200,000 wounded annually, straining the Imperial Japanese Army's resources and exposing the vulnerabilities of overextended supply lines deep into hostile territory. In Tokyo, the corridors of the Imperial General Headquarters and the Army Ministry buzzed with urgent deliberations during the winter of 1938-1939. The initial doctrine of "quick victory" through decisive battles, epitomized by the massive offensives of 1937 and 1938, had proven illusory. Japan's military planners, influenced by the Kwantung Army's experiences in Manchuria and the ongoing stalemate, recognized that China's sheer size, with its 4 million square miles and over 400 million inhabitants, rendered total conquest unfeasible without unacceptable costs. Intelligence reports highlighted the persistence of Chinese guerrilla warfare, particularly in the north where Communist forces under Mao Zedong's Eighth Route Army conducted hit-and-run operations from bases in Shanxi and Shaanxi, sabotaging railways and ambushing convoys. The Japanese response included brutal pacification campaigns, such as the early iterations of what would later formalize as the "Three Alls Policy" (kill all, burn all, loot all), aimed at devastating rural economies and isolating resistance pockets. But these measures only fueled further defiance. By early 1939, a strategic pivot was formalized: away from direct annihilation of Chinese armies toward a policy of economic strangulation. This "blockade and interdiction" approach sought to sever China's lifelines to external aid, choking off the flow of weapons, fuel, and materiel that sustained the Nationalist war effort. As one Japanese staff officer noted in internal memos, the goal was to "starve the dragon in its lair," acknowledging the limits of Japanese manpower, total forces in China numbered around 1 million by 1939, against China's inexhaustible reserves. Central to this new strategy were the three primary overland supply corridors that had emerged as China's backdoors to the world, compensating for the Japanese naval blockade that had sealed off most coastal ports since late 1937. The first and most iconic was the Burma Road, a 717-mile engineering marvel hastily constructed between 1937 and 1938 by over 200,000 Chinese and Burmese laborers under the direction of engineers like Chih-Ping Chen. Stretching from the railhead at Lashio in British Burma (modern Myanmar) through treacherous mountain passes and dense jungles to Kunming in Yunnan province, the road navigated elevations up to 7,000 feet with hundreds of hairpin turns and precarious bridges. By early 1939, it was operational, albeit plagued by monsoonal mudslides, banditry, and mechanical breakdowns of the imported trucks, many Ford and Chevrolet models supplied via British Rangoon. Despite these challenges, it funneled an increasing volume of aid: in 1939 alone, estimates suggest up to 10,000 tons per month of munitions, gasoline, and aircraft parts from Allied sources, including early Lend-Lease precursors from the United States. The road's completion in 1938 had been a direct response to the loss of southern ports, and its vulnerability to aerial interdiction made it a prime target in Japanese planning documents. The second lifeline was the Indochina route, centered on the French-built Yunnan-Vietnam Railway (also known as the Hanoi-Kunming Railway), a 465-mile narrow-gauge line completed in 1910 that linked the port of Haiphong in French Indochina to Kunming via Hanoi and Lao Cai. This colonial artery, supplemented by parallel roads and river transport along the Red River, became China's most efficient supply conduit in 1938-1939, exploiting France's uneasy neutrality. French authorities, under Governor-General Pierre Pasquier and later Georges Catroux, turned a blind eye to transshipments, allowing an average of 15,000 to 20,000 tons monthly in early 1939, far surpassing the Burma Road's initial capacity. Cargoes included Soviet arms rerouted via Vladivostok and American oil, with French complicity driven by anti-Japanese sentiment and profitable tolls. However, Japanese reconnaissance flights from bases in Guangdong noted the vulnerability of bridges and rail yards, leading to initial bombing raids by mid-1939. Diplomatic pressure mounted, with Tokyo issuing protests to Paris, foreshadowing the 1940 closure under Vichy France after the fall of France in Europe. The route's proximity to the South China Sea made it a focal point for Japanese naval strategists, who viewed it as a "leak in the blockade." The third corridor, often overlooked but critical, was the Northwest Highway through Soviet Central Asia and Xinjiang province. This overland network, upgraded between 1937 and 1941 with Soviet assistance, connected the Turkestan-Siberian Railway at Almaty (then Alma-Ata) to Lanzhou in Gansu via Urumqi, utilizing a mix of trucks, camel caravans, and rudimentary roads across the Gobi Desert and Tian Shan mountains. Under the Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact of August 1937 and subsequent aid agreements, Moscow supplied China with over 900 aircraft, 82 tanks, 1,300 artillery pieces, and vast quantities of ammunition and fuel between 1937 and 1941—much of it traversing this route. In 1938-1939, volumes peaked, with Soviet pilots and advisors even establishing air bases in Lanzhou. The highway's construction involved tens of thousands of Chinese laborers, facing harsh winters and logistical hurdles, but it delivered up to 2,000 tons monthly, including entire fighter squadrons like the Polikarpov I-16. Japanese intelligence, aware of this "Red lifeline," planned disruptions but were constrained by the ongoing Nomonhan Incident on the Manchurian-Soviet border in 1939, which diverted resources and highlighted the risks of provoking Moscow. These routes collectively sustained China's resistance, prompting Japan's high command to prioritize their severance. In March 1939, the South China Area Army was established under General Rikichi Andō (later succeeded by Field Marshal Hisaichi Terauchi), headquartered in Guangzhou, with explicit orders to disrupt southern communications. Aerial campaigns intensified, with Mitsubishi G3M "Nell" bombers from Wuhan and Guangzhou targeting Kunming's airfields and the Red River bridges, while diplomatic maneuvers pressured colonial powers: Britain faced demands during the June 1939 Tientsin Crisis to close the Burma Road, and France received ultimatums that culminated in the 1940 occupation of northern Indochina. Yet, direct assaults on Yunnan or Guangxi were deemed too arduous due to rugged terrain and disease risks. Instead, planners eyed peripheral objectives to encircle these arteries. This strategic calculus set the stage for the invasion of Hainan Island, a 13,000-square-mile landmass off Guangdong's southern coast, rich in iron and copper but strategically priceless for its position astride the Indochina route and proximity to Hong Kong. By February 1939, Japanese admirals like Nobutake Kondō of the 5th Fleet advocated seizure to establish air and naval bases, plugging blockade gaps and enabling raids on Haiphong and Kunming, a prelude to broader southern expansion that would echo into the Pacific War. Now after the fall campaign around Canton in autumn 1938, the Japanese 21st Army found itself embedded in a relentless effort to sever the enemy's lifelines. Its primary objective shifted from mere battlefield engagements to tightening the choke points of enemy supply, especially along the Canton–Hankou railway. Recognizing that war materiel continued to flow into the enemy's hands, the Imperial General Headquarters ordered the 21st Army to strike at every other supply route, one by one, until the arteries of logistics were stifled. The 21st Army undertook a series of decisive occupations to disrupt transport and provisioning from multiple directions. To sustain these difficult campaigns, Imperial General Headquarters reinforced the south China command, enabling greater operational depth and endurance. The 21st Army benefited from a series of reinforcements during 1939, which allowed a reorganization of assignments and missions: In late January, the Iida Detachment was reorganized into the Formosa Mixed Brigade and took part in the invasion of Hainan Island. Hainan, just 15 miles across the Qiongzhou Strait from the mainland, represented a critical "loophole": it lay astride the Gulf of Tonkin, enabling smuggling of arms and materiel from Haiphong to Kunming, and offered potential airfields for bombing raids deep into Yunnan. Japanese interest in Hainan dated to the 1920s, driven by the Taiwan Governor-General's Office, which eyed the island's tropical resources (rubber, iron, copper) and naval potential at ports like Sanya (Samah). Prewar surveys by Japanese firms, such as those documented in Ide Kiwata's Minami Shina no Sangyō to Keizai (1939), highlighted mineral wealth and strategic harbors. The fall of Guangzhou in October 1938 provided the perfect launchpad, but direct invasion was delayed until early 1939 amid debates between the IJA (favoring mainland advances) and IJN (prioritizing naval encirclement). The operation would also heavily align with broader "southward advance" (Nanshin-ron) doctrine foreshadowing invasions of French Indochina (1940) and the Pacific War. On the Chinese side, Hainan was lightly defended as part of Guangdong's "peace preservation" under General Yu Hanmou. Two security regiments, six guard battalions, and a self-defense corps, totaling around 7,000–10,000 poorly equipped troops guarded the island, supplemented by roughly 300 Communist guerrillas under Feng Baiju, who operated independently in the interior. The indigenous Li (Hlai) people in the mountainous south, alienated by Nationalist taxes, provided uneven support but later allied with Communists. The Imperial General Headquarters ordered the 21st Army, in cooperation with the Navy, to occupy and hold strategic points on the island near Haikou-Shih. The 21st Army commander assigned the Formosa Mixed Brigade to carry out this mission. Planning began in late 1938 under the IJN's Fifth Fleet, with IJA support from the 21st Army. The objective: secure northern and southern landing sites to bisect the island, establish air/naval bases, and exploit resources. Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondō, commanding the fleet, emphasized surprise and air superiority. The invasion began under the cover of darkness on February 9, 1939, when Kondō's convoy entered Tsinghai Bay on the northern shore of Hainan and anchored at midnight. Japanese troops swiftly disembarked, encountering minimal initial resistance from the surprised Chinese defenders, and secured a beachhead in the northern zone. At 0300 hours on 10 February, the Formosa Mixed Brigade, operating in close cooperation with naval units, executed a surprise landing at the northeastern point of Tengmai Bay in north Hainan. By 04:30, the right flank reached the main road leading to Fengyingshih, while the left flank reached a position two kilometers south of Tienwei. By 07:00, the right flank unit had overcome light enemy resistance near Yehli and occupied Chiungshan. At that moment there were approximately 1,000 elements of the enemy's 5th Infantry Brigade (militia) at Chiungshan; about half of these troops were destroyed, and the remainder fled into the hills south of Tengmai in a state of disarray. Around 08:30 that same day, the left flank unit advanced to the vicinity of Shuchang and seized Hsiuying Heights. By 12:00, it occupied Haikou, the island's northern port city and administrative center, beginning around noon. Army and navy forces coordinated to mop up remaining pockets of resistance in the northern areas, overwhelming the scattered Chinese security units through superior firepower and organization. No large-scale battles are recorded in primary accounts; instead, the engagements were characterized by rapid advances and localized skirmishes, as the Chinese forces, lacking heavy artillery or air support, could not mount a sustained defense. By the end of the day, Japanese control over the north was consolidating, with Haikou falling under their occupation.Also on 10 February, the Brigade pushed forward to seize Cingang. Wenchang would be taken on the 22nd, followed by Chinglan Port on the 23rd. On February 11, the operation expanded southward when land combat units amphibiously assaulted Samah (now Sanya) at the island's southern tip. This landing allowed them to quickly seize key positions, including the port of Yulin (Yulinkang) and the town of Yai-Hsien (Yaxian, now part of Sanya). With these southern footholds secured, Japanese forces fanned out to subjugate the rest of the island, capturing inland areas and infrastructure with little organized opposition. Meanwhile, the landing party of the South China Navy Expeditionary Force, which had joined with the Army to secure Haikou, began landing on the island's southern shore at dawn on 14 February. They operated under the protection of naval and air units. By the same morning, the landing force had advanced to Sa-Riya and, by 12:00 hours, had captured Yulin Port. Chinese casualties were significant in the brief fighting; from January to May 1939, reports indicate the 11th security regiment alone suffered 8 officers and 162 soldiers killed, 3 officers and 16 wounded, and 5 officers and 68 missing, though figures for other units are unclear. Japanese losses were not publicly detailed but appear to have been light. When crisis pressed upon them, Nationalist forces withdrew from coastal Haikou, shepherding the last civilians toward the sheltering embrace of the Wuzhi mountain range that bands the central spine of Hainan. From that high ground they sought to endure the storm, praying that the rugged hills might shield their families from the reach of war. Yet the Li country's mountains did not deliver a sanctuary free of conflict. Later in August of 1943, an uprising erupted among the Li,Wang Guoxing, a figure of local authority and stubborn resolve. His rebellion was swiftly crushed; in reprisal, the Nationalists executed a seizure of vengeance that extended far beyond the moment of defeat, claiming seven thousand members of Wang Guoxing's kin in his village. The episode was grim testimony to the brutal calculus of war, where retaliation and fear indelibly etched the landscape of family histories. Against this backdrop, the Communists under Feng Baiju and the native Li communities forged a vigorous guerrilla war against the occupiers. The struggle was not confined to partisan skirmishes alone; it unfolded as a broader contest of survival and resistance. The Japanese response was relentless and punitive, and it fell upon Li communities in western Hainan with particular ferocity, Sanya and Danzhou bore the brunt of violence, as did the many foreign laborers conscripted into service by the occupying power. The toll of these reprisals was stark: among hundreds of thousands of slave laborers pressed into service, tens of thousands perished. Of the 100,000 laborers drawn from Hong Kong, only about 20,000 survived the war's trials, a haunting reminder of the human cost embedded in the occupation. Strategically, the island of Hainan took on a new if coercive purpose. Portions of the island were designated as a naval administrative district, with the Hainan Guard District Headquarters established at Samah, signaling its role as a forward air base and as an operational flank for broader anti-Chiang Kai-shek efforts. In parallel, the island's rich iron and copper resources were exploited to sustain the war economy of the occupiers. The control of certain areas on Hainan provided a base of operations for incursions into Guangdong and French Indochina, while the airbases that dotted the island enabled long-range air raids that threaded routes from French Indochina and Burma into the heart of China. The island thus assumed a grim dual character: a frontier fortress for the occupiers and a ground for the prolonged suffering of its inhabitants. Hainan then served as a launchpad for later incursions into Guangdong and Indochina. Meanwhile after Wuhan's collapse, the Nationalist government's frontline strength remained formidable, even as attrition gnawed at its edges. By the winter of 1938–1939, the front line had swelled to 261 divisions of infantry and cavalry, complemented by 50 independent brigades. Yet the political and military fissures within the Kuomintang suggested fragility beneath the apparent depth of manpower. The most conspicuous rupture came with Wang Jingwei's defection, the vice president and chairman of the National Political Council, who fled to Hanoi on December 18, 1938, leading a procession of more than ten other KMT officials, including Chen Gongbo, Zhou Fohai, Chu Minqi, and Zeng Zhongming. In the harsh arithmetic of war, defections could not erase the country's common resolve to resist Japanese aggression, and the anti-Japanese national united front still served as a powerful instrument, rallying the Chinese populace to "face the national crisis together." Amid this political drama, Japan's strategy moved into a phase that sought to convert battlefield endurance into political consolidation. As early as January 11, 1938, Tokyo had convened an Imperial Conference and issued a framework for handling the China Incident that would shape the theater for years. The "Outline of Army Operations Guidance" and "Continental Order No. 241" designated the occupied territories as strategic assets to be held with minimal expansion beyond essential needs. The instruction mapped an operational zone that compressed action to a corridor between Anqing, Xinyang, Yuezhou, and Nanchang, while the broader line of occupation east of a line tracing West Sunit, Baotou, and the major river basins would be treated as pacified space. This was a doctrine of attrition, patience, and selective pressure—enough to hold ground, deny resources to the Chinese, and await a more opportune political rupture. Yet even as Japan sought political attrition, the war's tactical center of gravity drifted toward consolidation around Wuhan and the pathways that fed the Yangtze. In October 1938, after reducing Wuhan to a fortressed crescent of contested ground, the Japanese General Headquarters acknowledged the imperative to adapt to a protracted war. The new calculus prioritized political strategy alongside military operations: "We should attach importance to the offensive of political strategy, cultivate and strengthen the new regime, and make the National Government decline, which will be effective." If the National Government trembled under coercive pressure, it risked collapse, and if not immediately, then gradually through a staged series of operations. In practice, this meant reinforcing a centralized center while allowing peripheral fronts to be leveraged against Chongqing's grip on the war's moral economy. In the immediate post-Wuhan period, Japan divided its responsibilities and aimed at a standoff that would enable future offensives. The 11th Army Group, stationed in the Wuhan theater, became the spearhead of field attacks on China's interior, occupying a strategic triangle that included Hunan, Jiangxi, and Guangxi, and protecting the rear of southwest China's line of defense. The central objective was not merely to seize territory, but to deny Chinese forces the capacity to maneuver along the critical rail and river corridors that fed the Nanjing–Jiujiang line and the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway. Central to this plan was Wuhan's security and the ability to constrain Jiujiang's access to the Yangtze, preserving a corridor for air power and logistics. The pre-war arrangement in early 1939 was a tableau of layered defenses and multiple war zones, designed to anticipate and blunt Japanese maneuver. By February 1939, the Ninth War Zone under Xue Yue stood in a tense standoff with the Japanese 11th Army along the Jiangxi and Hubei front south of the Yangtze. The Ninth War Zone's order of battle, Luo Zhuoying's 19th Army Group defending the northern Nanchang front, Wang Lingji's 30th Army Group near Wuning, Fan Songfu's 8th and 73rd Armies along Henglu, Tang Enbo's 31st Army Group guarding southern Hubei and northern Hunan, and Lu Han's 1st Army Group in reserve near Changsha and Liuyang, was a carefully calibrated attempt to absorb, delay, and disrupt any Xiushui major Japanese thrust toward Nanchang, a city whose strategic significance stretched beyond its own bounds. In the spring of 1939, Nanchang was the one city in southern China that Tokyo could not leave in Chinese hands. It was not simply another provincial capital; it was the beating heart of whatever remained of China's war effort south of the Yangtze, and the Japanese knew it. High above the Gan River, on the flat plains west of Poyang Lake, lay three of the finest airfields China had ever built: Qingyunpu, Daxiaochang, and Xiangtang. Constructed only a few years earlier with Soviet engineers and American loans, they were long, hard-surfaced, and ringed with hangars and fuel dumps. Here the Chinese Air Force had pulled back after the fall of Wuhan, and here the red-starred fighters and bombers of the Soviet volunteer groups still flew. From Nanchang's runways a determined pilot could reach Japanese-held Wuhan in twenty minutes, Guangzhou in less than an hour, and even strike the docks at Hong Kong if he pushed his range. Every week Japanese reconnaissance planes returned with photographs of fresh craters patched, new aircraft parked wing-to-wing, and Soviet pilots sunning themselves beside their I-16s. As long as those fields remained Chinese, Japan could never claim the sky. The city was more than airfields. It sat exactly where the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway met the line running north to Jiujiang and the Yangtze, a knot that tied together three provinces. Barges crowded Poyang Lake's western shore, unloading crates of Soviet ammunition and aviation fuel that had come up the river from the Indochina railway. Warehouses along the tracks bulged with shells and rice. To the Japanese staff officers plotting in Wuhan and Guangzhou, Nanchang looked less like a city and more like a loaded spring: if Chiang Kai-shek ever found the strength for a counteroffensive to retake the middle Yangtze, this would be the place from which it would leap. And so, in the cold March of 1939, the Imperial General Headquarters marked Nanchang in red on every map and gave General Okamura the order he had been waiting for: take it, whatever the cost. Capturing the city would do three things at once. It would blind the Chinese Air Force in the south by seizing or destroying the only bases from which it could still seriously operate. It would tear a hole in the last east–west rail line still feeding Free China. And it would shove the Nationalist armies another two hundred kilometers farther into the interior, buying Japan precious time to digest its earlier conquests and tighten the blockade. Above all, Nanchang was the final piece in a great aerial ring Japan was closing around southern China. Hainan had fallen in February, giving the navy its southern airfields. Wuhan and Guangzhou already belonged to the army. Once Nanchang was taken, Japanese aircraft would sit on a continuous arc of bases from the tropical beaches of the South China Sea to the banks of the Yangtze, and nothing (neither the Burma Road convoys nor the French railway from Hanoi) would move without their permission. Chiang Kai-shek's decision to strike first in the Nanchang region in March 1939 reflected both urgency and a desire to seize initiative before Japanese modernization of the battlefield could fully consolidate. On March 8, Chiang directed Xue Yue to prepare a preemptive attack intended to seize the offensive by March 15, focusing the Ninth War Zone's efforts on preventing a river-crossing assault and pinning Japanese forces in place. The plan called for a sequence of coordinated actions: the 19th Army Group to hold the northern front of Nanchang; the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Border Advance Army (the 8th and 73rd Armies) to strike the enemy's left flank from Wuning toward De'an and Ruichang; the 30th and 27th Army Groups to consolidate near Wuning; and the 1st Army Group to push toward Xiushui and Sandu, opening routes for subsequent operations. Yet even as Xue Yue pressed for action, the weather of logistics and training reminded observers that no victory could be taken for granted. By March 9–10, Xue Yue warned Chiang that troops were not adequately trained, supplies were scarce, and preparations were insufficient, requesting a postponement to March 24. Chiang's reply was resolute: the attack must commence no later than the 24th, for the aim was preemption and the desire to tether the enemy's forces before they could consolidate. When the moment of decision arrived, the Chinese army began to tense, and the Japanese, no strangers to rapid shifts in tempo—moved to exploit any hesitation or fog of mobilization. The Ninth War Zone's response crystallized into a defensive posture as the Japanese pressed forward, marking a transition from preemption to standoff as both sides tested the limits of resilience. The Japanese plan for what would become known as Operation Ren, aimed at severing the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway, breaking the enemy's line of communication, and isolating Nanchang, reflected a calculated synthesis of air power, armored mobility, and canalized ground offensives. On February 6, 1939, the Central China Expeditionary Army issued a set of precise directives: capture Nanchang to cut the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway and disrupt the southern reach of Anhui and Zhejiang provinces; seize Nanchang along the Nanchang–Xunyi axis to split enemy lines and "crush" Chinese resistance south of that zone; secure rear lines immediately after the city's fall; coordinate with naval air support to threaten Chinese logistics and airfields beyond the rear lines. The plan anticipated contingencies by pre-positioning heavy artillery and tanks in formations that could strike with speed and depth, a tactical evolution from previous frontal assaults. Okamura Yasuji, commander of the 11th Army, undertook a comprehensive program of reconnaissance, refining the assault plan with a renewed emphasis on speed and surprise. Aerial reconnaissance underlined the terrain, fortifications, and the disposition of Chinese forces, informing the selection of the Xiushui River crossing and the route of the main axis of attack. Okamura's decision to reorganize artillery and armor into concentrated tank groups, flanked by air support and advanced by long-range maneuver, marked a departure from the earlier method of distributing heavy weapons along the infantry front. Sumita Laishiro commanded the 6th Field Heavy Artillery Brigade, with more than 300 artillery pieces, while Hirokichi Ishii directed a force of 135 tanks and armored vehicles. This blended arms approach promised a breakthrough that would outpace the Chinese defenders and open routes for the main force. By mid-February 1939, Japanese preparations had taken on a high tempo. The 101st and 106th Divisions, along with attached artillery, assembled south of De'an, while tank contingents gathered north of De'an. The 6th Division began moving toward Ruoxi and Wuning, the Inoue Detachment took aim at the waterways of Poyang Lake, and the 16th and 9th Divisions conducted feints on the Han River's left bank. The orchestration of these movements—feints, riverine actions, and armored flanking, was designed to reduce the Chinese capacity to concentrate forces around Nanchang and to force the defenders into a less secure posture along the Nanchang–Jiujiang axis. Japan's southward strategy reframed the war: no longer a sprint to reduce Chinese forces in open fields, but a patient siege of lifelines, railways, and airbases. Hainan's seizure, the control of Nanchang's airfields, and the disruption of the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway exemplified a shift from large-scale battles to coercive pressure that sought to cripple Nationalist mobilization and erode Chongqing's capacity to sustain resistance. For China, the spring of 1939 underscored resilience amid mounting attrition. Chiang Kai-shek's insistence on offensive means to seize the initiative demonstrated strategic audacity, even as shortages and uneven training slowed tempo. The Ninth War Zone's defense, bolstered by makeshift airpower from Soviet and Allied lendings, kept open critical corridors and delayed Japan's consolidation. The war's human cost—massive casualties, forced labor, and the Li uprising on Hainan—illuminates the brutality that fueled both sides' resolve. In retrospect, the period around Canton, Wuhan, and Nanchang crystallizes a grim truth: the Sino-Japanese war was less a single crescendo of battles than a protracted contest of endurance, logistics, and political stamina. The early 1940s would widen these fault lines, but the groundwork laid in 1939, competition over supply routes, air control, and strategic rail nodes, would shape the war's pace and, ultimately, its outcome. The conflict's memory lies not only in the clashes' flash but in the stubborn persistence of a nation fighting to outlast a formidable adversary. 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. The Japanese invasion of Hainan and proceeding operations to stop logistical leaks into Nationalist China, showcased the complexity and scale of the growing Second Sino-Japanese War. It would not merely be a war of territorial conquest, Japan would have to strangle the colossus using every means necessary.
Send us a textThis is not a paid promotion - Dennis discovered this challenge and signed himself and Big Head for it. Be aware, there is a cost to this challenge ($39 or $70 USD and you get merch with free shipping).Dennis and Big Head have signed up for the Vietnam Coast Virtual Challenge (website: https://www.theconqueror.events/vietnamcoast/). Per the website, it is a an interesting fitness challenge, matching your workout (run/walk or cycle) and linking it to features along the Vietnamese coast. This includes discussions of Local Spots, National Sites, UNESCO sites, historical and cultural information. This is the first of their updates on this journey across 2026. I am still looking to see if I am up for this.PS: Jon is a sphere and this is the best episode yet. An episode on Hanoi is coming.
Dans cet épisode d'Aventtitudes, Phetmany vous fait découvrir un café : le café vietnamien.Elle vous partage ses boissons préférées : classiques revisités, créations audacieuses, cafés glacés ou à la crème salée. Mais aussi des adresses à Paris - et une à Grenoble - où boire un vrai bon café viet.Une recommandation qui donne envie de ralentir, de savourer, et de (re)découvrir la culture vietnamienne à travers cette expérience sensorielle du café.
When photographer Amani Willett turns his attention to American life, he does so with a quiet precision that reveals both its poetry and its contradictions. Working primarily in black and white, Amani's photographs explore themes of history, memory, race, and belonging—often focusing on overlooked spaces and moments that carry deep cultural resonance. His work invites viewers to slow down and consider how the past lingers in the present, shaping both personal and collective identity. That approach has defined a career rooted in long-term observation and thoughtful storytelling. Whether photographing landscapes marked by historical trauma or everyday scenes charged with social meaning, Amani resists easy narratives. Instead, he creates photographs that ask questions rather than offer answers—encouraging reflection on what it means to inhabit America now, and how photography can serve as a tool for inquiry, witness, and understanding. Resources: Amani Willett https://www.amaniwillett.com Altadena Photographers https://www.altadenaphotographers.org/ Workshops & Upcoming Education with Ibarionex Perello Los Angeles Center of Photography Timeline: Los Angeles A guided photographic exploration of Los Angeles that encourages participants to engage deeply with place, history, and personal narrative. https://lacphoto.org/events/timeline-los-angeles-with-ibarionex-perello/ Nobechi Creative Japan Spring Workshop 2026 An immersive photographic and cultural experience in Japan, focused on visual storytelling, observation, and creative growth. https://www.nobechicreative.com/ibarionex-perello-spring-workshop-2026-japan f8 Photographic Workshops X-Pedition Hanoi A destination workshop centered on street photography, culture, and daily life in Hanoi, Vietnam. https://www.f8photographicworkshops.com/x-pedition-hanoi Support Ibarionex & The Candid Frame GoFundMe BuyMeaCoffee eBook Purchases Websites The Candid Frame Patreon Page The Candid Frame PayPal Contribution Link Sponsors Charcoal Book Club https://charcoalbookclub.com Frames Magazine https://readframes.com Education Resources: Momenta Photographic Workshops https://momentaworkshops.com/workshops/ Candid Frame Resources The Candid Frame Newsletter & Substack Blog Contribute a one-time donation to the show thru Buy Me a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/thecandidframe Support the work at The Candid Frame by contributing to our Patreon effort. You can do this by visiting patreon.com/thecandidframe or the website and clicking on the Patreon button. You can also provide a one-time donation via PayPal. You can follow Ibarionex on Instagram and Twitter.
The Brainy Business | Understanding the Psychology of Why People Buy | Behavioral Economics
In this episode of The Brainy Business podcast, Melina Palmer dives into the intriguing concept known as the Cobra Effect, exploring how well-intentioned solutions can sometimes lead to unintended consequences. Drawing on historical examples, Melina illustrates how policies aimed at solving problems can backfire spectacularly, resulting in outcomes that are often worse than the original issue. Listeners will learn about the infamous cobra bounty in colonial India, where the attempt to eliminate cobras led to the creation of cobra farms, exacerbating the problem. Similar stories from Hanoi, Georgia, and Bogota highlight the pervasive nature of this phenomenon across various contexts, including environmental policies and incentive programs. Melina emphasizes the importance of understanding human behavior and the potential for loopholes when designing solutions. As you tune in, consider how the Cobra Effect may be manifesting in your own business practices and decision-making processes. This episode is a reminder to think critically about the incentives you create and the behaviors they may inadvertently encourage. In this episode: Discover the origins of the Cobra Effect and its implications in modern contexts. Learn from historical examples such as the cobra bounty and the rat tail incentive in Hanoi. Understand how poorly designed incentives can lead to unintended negative outcomes. Explore strategies for anticipating potential loopholes in your own policies. Reflect on how to create more effective and thoughtful solutions in your organization. Get important links, top recommended books and episodes, and a full transcript at thebrainybusiness.com/559. Looking to explore applications of behavioral economics further? Learn With Us on our website. Subscribe to Melina's Newsletter Brainy Bites. Let's connect: Send Us a Message Follow Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube The Brainy Business on Instagram
LAM SON 719 AND THE FAILURE OF VIETNAMIZATION Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. The 1971 invasion of Laos (Lam Son 719) exposed the failure of Vietnamization, as South Vietnamese troops were routed without USground support, proving they lacked the leadership and logistics to fight alone. By 1972, only massive American air power, reinstated by Nixon during the Easter Offensive, saved South Vietnam from collapse, while Nixonsimultaneously pursued détente with China and the USSR to isolate Hanoi. The relentless "Linebacker" bombing campaigns eventually forced North Vietnam back to the negotiating table, though the peace deal essentially replicated terms available years earlier. NUMBER 15
Meet the dynamic Kim Thanh Le ! Many thanks to my producer, Bright Su ,for introducing us. We had such fun getting to know each other and learning about her improv journey! She was born and raised in Hanoi and loves her city. She is a Hanoi-based improviser/writer. She is the founder and director of The Improv Hub, Vietnam's first community space dedicated to improv, and the Vietnam Improv Festival. Thanh has been building the improv community across Vietnam, bringing this special art form to audiences who are mostly experiencing it for the first time. A lot of the shows and classes she has produced in her country are bilingual, to treasure both local cultures and international bonds. She has also taught and performed in Australia, China, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. With an academic background in education and business, she also applies improv to design training and facilitation programs on collaboration and development for organizations. This past year she taught at the Oslo Impro Festival and taught "Culturally Proud" and "Generational Bridges" which she describes on our podcast. When not doing improv, she gets nerdy and writes case studies about Asian businesses, or takes her motorbike and wanders around Vietnam. You can learn more about her at: The Improv Hub https://www.improv.vn or any of the social media handles for The Improv Hub (FB/IG) and Vietnam Improv Festival (FB/IG).
PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT: Geoffrey Wawro argues Nixon's diplomacy with Mao focused specifically on achieving peace in Vietnam rather than just triangulating superpowers. Following North Vietnamese refusal to bow to these plans, Nixon authorized the devastating Linebacker II bombing campaign, aiming to destroy Hanoi. 1972 LINEBACKER ORDNANCE
The "Madman Theory" was Richard Nixon's foreign policy strategy during the Vietnam War era, where he deliberately cultivated an image of being unpredictable and irrational—hinting he might escalate to nuclear extremes—to intimidate adversaries like North Vietnam and the Soviet Union into concessions. Nixon instructed aides like Henry Kissinger to spread rumors that he was volatile enough to "go crazy" and use drastic measures, hoping fear of his supposed madness would deter aggression and force negotiations without actual escalation. Nixon's Madman Theory was relatively ineffective in coercing North Vietnam because Hanoi correctly gambled that the U.S. would not use nuclear force against a non-nuclear state—like North Vietnam—due to the massive domestic and international backlash, the high risk of Soviet/Chinese escalation, and the global nuclear taboo. But what if Nixon had used it against an actual nuclear power? That could have happened if history had only played out a little differently. JFK won his presidential election in 1960 against Nixon by a few thousand votes in key counties, and many suspected voter fraud. What if Nixon had won? And what if he used the Madman Doctrine against the Soviets in the Cuban Missile Crisis? In today’s episode, were’ joined by Harvy Simon, who wrote a book of alternate history called “The Madman Theory” that imagines exactly that scenario. The book focuses on how President Nixon handles the Cuban Missile Crisis. True to the "Madman" strategy, Nixon maneuvers the U.S., the Soviet Union, and the world to the brink of nuclear war, believing his reputation for unpredictability will force Nikita Khrushchev to back down. We explore the dangers of deliberately appearing irrational and unstable to an adversary—especially in the nuclear age—significantly increases the risk of miscalculation, accidental escalation, or the adversary failing to understand the bluff, thereby triggering an actual catastrophic conflict. Harvey Simon --- I’m the author of The Madman Theory, which posits that Richard Nixon won the 1960 election against Kennedy. In particular, it focuses on the Cuban missile crisis, and what would have happened differently with Nixon as president.My book is being reissued with a newly added foreword examining how Nixon’s madman theory has been taken up by President Trump.If you'd be interested in a show about what would likely have happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis if Kennedy hadn't won--some scholars doubt the outcome was legitimate--I'd be happy to talk with you about my analysis, and, more generally, how counterfactuals can improve our understanding of history.I'm a former national security analyst with Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and have also worked as a journalist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Alex finally boards a Qatar Airways flight, and finds how to get a premium economy seat in this airline that doesn't have premium economy (not through that ethernet port though). Paul completely changes his mind about United, a true Christmas miracle (and a possible playbook for BA), what an incredible crew. Farewell to SeatGuru, nothing truly replaces you (AeroLOPA is the nearest). When your boarding pass gets denied at Hanoi airport, and you unwillingly discover the bowels of Hanoi airport (a gripping tale by Alex!). And more.Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you all. See you in 2026!Creators & Guests Paul Papa (Paul Papadimitriou) - Host Alex Hunter - Host ____Click here to watch a video of this episode. For video, subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lay_oversor Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4JaAXzE6CNLIZXv1buXuTTReview us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/layovers-air-travel-and-commercial-aviation/id965163837Reach out to the creator: https://instagram.com/paulpapa.ioComment on YouTube, Spotify orInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lay_overs/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/layovers.podcastMore links on our website: https://layovers.to
Get Mike's book: https://amzn.eu/d/b2lcwQtGet ad-free, early access to new 10 Percent True videos: https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans/listPig Penn, 10 Percent True Episode 79.In this extraordinary episode of 10 Percent True, Mike “Pig” Penn—US Navy A-7 Corsair II pilot, Iron Hand aviator, and Vietnam POW—walks through a life defined by combat, captivity, survival, and purpose. Pig recounts flying alpha strikes and Iron Hand missions over North Vietnam, dodging SAMs at night, being shot down near Hanoi in 1972, and surviving an ejection, capture, and eight months inside the Hanoi Hilton. He describes the brutal realities of captivity, the tap code, the psychological battle to retain hope, and the moment B-52 strikes signalled that the war—and his imprisonment—was nearing its end. The conversation then shifts to Pig's post-war life: returning to flight, confronting PTSD and alcoholism, and ultimately finding a new mission—helping others survive their darkest moments. It's a raw, unfiltered account of air combat, resilience, and why hope is not abstract, but essential to survival.0:33 intro teaser1:20 welcome “Pig” 2:55 ama question from Sedlo regarding Alpha Strikes6:18 Route to Naval Aviation and background 9:07 Training pipeline and experiences11:23 Buckeye at the boat14:50 Hope and Courage15:55 the reality of landing in the boat, scary, exhilarating?18:40 going into combat knowing a night trap awaits afterwards 20:33 The SLUF24:37 SAMS and dodging them30:37 Iron Hand32:53 finding SAMs and target prosecution by Shrike39:13 validating success? BDA? 40:33 any tactic change through experience - when iron hand turns into RESCAP43:08 psychological load? 45:08 shootdown49:21 on the ground and to the Hanoi Hilton53:23 cheating death54:03 coming to terms with initial stages of the ordeal56:33 any preconceptions/intel on the “Hilton” before arriving 58:23 initial phase at the Hilton1:02:33 Heartbreak hotel, making (unexpected) acquaintances, eventually starting to eat1:07:43 low down via tap code before leaving solitary and meeting fellow POWs1:10:19 why group you together?1:11:45 information flow, long sideburns and air raid drills preface December 18th (Linebacker II)1:19:53 mindgames and release order hang ups 1:21:58 release day story1:26:50 3 days in Clark and learning to sleep in a bed again1:28:06 to Travis AFB and reuniting with family and friends1:29:11 resentment? Return?1:32:17 flight gear on display in Hanoi1:32:43 what comes next? Returning to normality? Coming full circle on an incredible story. 1:35:58 F-4 orders turn sour so back to Lemoore and the A-7 RAG1:38:38 getting out and into Continental 1:38:45 meeting Kissinger 1:40:06 psychological and emotional journey and the genesis of the book - Hope and Courage1:47:48 meeting Marcus Luttrel and guesting on his podcast1:51:44 how to find Pig on tour/find out more1:53:03 philosophising on the experiences1:55:17 Share this please
Comments/ideas: asiaclimatefinpod@outlook.comAsia's climate finance landscape is evolving rapidly. In our discussion, our guest, KPMG's Ha Do, explores how Asian governments are shifting from policy ambitions to concrete implementation, the climate finance mechanisms proving most effective in mobilising capital, and why state-owned enterprises remain at mid-stage ESG maturity. We examine green public-private partnerships, regulatory convergence around global standards, and why Asia is increasingly positioned to shape, rather than follow, global climate finance architecture.ABOUT HA: Ha leads the Government and Public Sector, and IDAS practice for KPMG in the Asia Pacific region. She specializes in advising central and local governments, NGOs including multilateral and bilateral development banks/agencies, state-owned enterprise groups, and relevant stakeholders (private enterprises, starts-up, etc) especially in projects and transformation across areas of infrastructure, healthcare and sustainability. Before assuming the regional roles, Ha was Senior Partner of KPMG Hanoi office, Head of Infrastructure, Government & Healthcare (IGH) Sector, Head of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and Head of State-Owned Enterprises of KPMG Vietnam and Cambodia. She serves as a board director of Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC), an international business association that promotes cross-border trades. She also sits in the Asia Pacific Advisory Council for Global Infrastructure Project Financing Association (IPFA), a global organization for the infrastructure and energy financing industry. Ha has recently participated in the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP)'s Financing Energy Transition program as one of their Advisors. Ha has been a long-time Governor in the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Board of Governors in Hanoi. She is currently the Chairwoman of Women in Business Committee in AmCham. Ha has been a Board Member of Sustainable Finance Sector Committee (SFSC) under European Chamber of Commerce, working with various stakeholders to mainstream green business, abolish barriers, and create the conditions for green business to thrive. Ha was Vice Chairwoman of the Hanoi Business Association for the period of 2017 – 2021, and she is actively involved in promoting business of Vietnamese private enterprises. She sits on various advisory boards for non-profit organisations and runs SympaMeals with her friends, a charity fund providing free meals to poor patients in Hanoi's cancer and heart hospitals.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
Where will you find yourself in 2026? Will you be sipping coffee in a 400-year-old cobblestone square? Watching ice canoe racers battle across a frozen river? Or perhaps waking at sunrise for wellness rituals in a city that celebrates the dawn?Whether you're looking for centuries-old European charm, vibrant Asian street markets, or Australian coastal wonders, 2026 is the year for extraordinary international experiences in destinations that may not be on your radar yet.In this episode, host Angie Orth is back with Jim Benning, Editor-in-Chief of Westways, and Derrik Lang, Editor-in-Chief of AAA Explorer, for part two of their annual destination series. While part one explored the best domestic getaways, this episode ventures beyond borders to uncover five international destinations that are having major moments in the year ahead.You'll discover why Quebec City is more than just a winter wonderland, thanks to its year-round festivals and indigenous cultural centers, and how Guadalajara embraces mariachi and tequila culture. You'll also hear why Umbria is considered Italy's “green heart,” why Hanoi's luxury hotel scene is booming, and how new direct flights are making Brisbane easier to reach than ever.What You'll Learn:03:20 North America's most European-feeling destination11:30 Visiting the “most Mexican city in Mexico” 14:56 Italy's green heart: agritourism, wellness retreats, and the world's largest chocolate festival19:10 From backpackers paradise to emerging luxury destination21:58 Brisbane's wellness culture and the groundbreaking Ngaro track Going abroad in 2026? Tell us where you're headed in the comments!Connect with AAA:Book travel: https://aaa-text.co/travelingwithaaa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aaa-auto-club-enterprisesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/AAAAutoClubEnterprisesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AAAAutoClubEnterprises
In this episode of MoneyWeek talks, Thuy-Anh Nguyen, director and product specialist at Dragon Capital, gives Andrew Van Sickle the inside track on Vietnam. Having grown up in Hanoi in the late 1970s, she has first-hand experience of the country's extraordinary transformation from a war-torn planned economy to one of the world's most dynamic emerging markets.By 2005, MoneyWeek was highlighting it as Asia's other Communist dynamo. Now it is growing faster than China. Thuy-Anh tells Andrew how liberalisation triggered a growth spurt, what Vietnam did to ensure the economy maintained momentum, and how it dealt with the Donald Trump administration's tariffs earlier this year. We also explore some of the key holdings in Dragon's investment Trust, Vietnam Enterprise Investments Limited.
Unser heutiger Gast, The Duc Ngo, kommt 1974 in Hanoi zur Welt. Er ist 5, als er mit seiner Familie aus Vietnam flieht. Auf einem viel zu kleinen Boot, das kentert, in mehreren beschwerlichen Etappen, bis die Familie No in Deutschland ankommt. "2 Wochen heulen, danach war alles fein", so beschrieb Duc sein Ankommen in diesem für ihn komplett neuen Leben. Heute, großer Sprung nach vorne, ist dieser Junge von damals, der Sport liebte und sich Neuem gegenüber immer schon aufgeschlossen zeigte, heute also zählt The Duc Ngo zu den erfolgreichsten und innovativsten Gastronomen des Landes. Kulinarisch gesehen regiert er ein Imperium, Locals und Hollywoodstars versuchen gleichermaßen, in seinen 14 Restaurants einen Tisch zu bekommen, falls das als Referenz durchgeht. Duc selbst wirkt froh darüber, ansonsten aber ziemlich unbeeindruckt von diesem ganzen Hype. Zudem scheint er ständig das nächste Projekt im Kopf zu haben. Vielleicht ja mal kein Restaurant - aber was könnte es stattdessen sein? Chào mừng - The Duc Ngo. Playlist: Paolo Nutini - Last Request Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre - Nuttin But A G Thang Sia - Unstoppable Adele - When We Were Youg Billie Eilish - Wildflower The Beatles - All My Loving Supertramp - Lord Is It Mine NAS - The Message
rWotD Episode 3132: Lalamove Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Sunday, 30 November 2025, is Lalamove.Lalamove (货拉拉) is a delivery and logistics company which operates primarily in Asia and parts of Latin America. Lalamove services are currently available in Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Cebu, Bangkok, Pattaya, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Jakarta, Dhaka, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Mexico City. The company had expanded its services to India in 2018 but was banned by the Indian government in 2020 as part of increasing restrictions on Chinese technology.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:09 UTC on Sunday, 30 November 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Lalamove on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Bluesky at @wikioftheday.com.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Amy.
In this episode of Amateur Traveler, Chris talks with travel writer and guidebook author Joshua Zukas about planning an immersive trip through Central Vietnam, a region filled with imperial history, dramatic caves, ancient cultures, beaches, wildlife, and some of the country's most distinctive cuisine. Joshua has lived in Vietnam for nearly 20 years, first in Huế and now in Hanoi, and has authored multiple guidebooks. This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel here. Why Visit Central Vietnam? Central Vietnam offers a compact blend of what makes the country special. Within a week, you can explore beaches, royal palaces, ancient ruins, caves, and historic neighborhoods. Spring is the ideal time to visit, while October and November bring storms and flooding. ... https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-central-vietnam/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with Yvonne Blomer about her stunning narrative poetry, Death of Persephone: A Murder (Caitlin Press, 2024). In Death of Persephone, the patriarchal myth of the maiden taken, raped, and made the potent and sexualized queen of the underworld is questioned, altered, flipped. Instead, we have Stephanie, a girl of seven, taken and raised by her Uncle H. who is obsessed by her, tries to control her, to keep her, to have her even as she blooms out from underneath him. In poems both lyrical and narrative, a woman paints Hecate on a building, a Hyacinth Macaw flies overhead, a detective bumbles from crime to crime. This is a city with a vast underground where bats hang and paperwhites bloom, a city where men still rule. Who sees what, who will pay, and who will survive in this ancient story altered at the core? About Yvonne Blomer: Yvonne Blomer is the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collections The Last Show on Earth (Caitlin Press, 2022) and As if a Raven (Palimpsest Press, 2015) as well as the travel memoir Sugar Ride: Cycling from Hanoi to Kuala Lumpur (Palimpsest Press, 2017). Blomer served as the city of Victoria poet laureate from 2015 to 2018. Through poetry, she has raised awareness for the plight of the Pacific Ocean and its ecology. She is the creator and editor of Refugium: Poems for the Pacific (Caitlin Press, 2017), the first in a trilogy of water-based poetry anthologies that was followed by Sweet Water: Poems for the Watershed (Caitlin Press, 2020). She was the Artistic Director for the weekly Planet Earth Poetry series and edited the anthology Poems for Planet Earth. Yvonne recently edited Hologram: Homage to P.K. Page (Caitlin Press, 2023). She has been longlisted for the CBC Poetry Prize and shortlisted for the Montreal Poetry Prize and the Troubadour International Poetry Prize and won the Gwendolyn MacEwen Poetry Prize for Death of Persephone. She has performed at reading series and festivals in cities across the country and has had poems published in Canada, the UK and Japan. Yvonne lives, works and raises her family on the traditional territories of the WSÁNEĆ (Saanich), Lkwungen (Songhees), Wyomilth (Esquimalt) peoples of the Coast Salish Nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with Yvonne Blomer about her stunning narrative poetry, Death of Persephone: A Murder (Caitlin Press, 2024). In Death of Persephone, the patriarchal myth of the maiden taken, raped, and made the potent and sexualized queen of the underworld is questioned, altered, flipped. Instead, we have Stephanie, a girl of seven, taken and raised by her Uncle H. who is obsessed by her, tries to control her, to keep her, to have her even as she blooms out from underneath him. In poems both lyrical and narrative, a woman paints Hecate on a building, a Hyacinth Macaw flies overhead, a detective bumbles from crime to crime. This is a city with a vast underground where bats hang and paperwhites bloom, a city where men still rule. Who sees what, who will pay, and who will survive in this ancient story altered at the core? About Yvonne Blomer: Yvonne Blomer is the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collections The Last Show on Earth (Caitlin Press, 2022) and As if a Raven (Palimpsest Press, 2015) as well as the travel memoir Sugar Ride: Cycling from Hanoi to Kuala Lumpur (Palimpsest Press, 2017). Blomer served as the city of Victoria poet laureate from 2015 to 2018. Through poetry, she has raised awareness for the plight of the Pacific Ocean and its ecology. She is the creator and editor of Refugium: Poems for the Pacific (Caitlin Press, 2017), the first in a trilogy of water-based poetry anthologies that was followed by Sweet Water: Poems for the Watershed (Caitlin Press, 2020). She was the Artistic Director for the weekly Planet Earth Poetry series and edited the anthology Poems for Planet Earth. Yvonne recently edited Hologram: Homage to P.K. Page (Caitlin Press, 2023). She has been longlisted for the CBC Poetry Prize and shortlisted for the Montreal Poetry Prize and the Troubadour International Poetry Prize and won the Gwendolyn MacEwen Poetry Prize for Death of Persephone. She has performed at reading series and festivals in cities across the country and has had poems published in Canada, the UK and Japan. Yvonne lives, works and raises her family on the traditional territories of the WSÁNEĆ (Saanich), Lkwungen (Songhees), Wyomilth (Esquimalt) peoples of the Coast Salish Nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature
In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with Yvonne Blomer about her stunning narrative poetry, Death of Persephone: A Murder (Caitlin Press, 2024). In Death of Persephone, the patriarchal myth of the maiden taken, raped, and made the potent and sexualized queen of the underworld is questioned, altered, flipped. Instead, we have Stephanie, a girl of seven, taken and raised by her Uncle H. who is obsessed by her, tries to control her, to keep her, to have her even as she blooms out from underneath him. In poems both lyrical and narrative, a woman paints Hecate on a building, a Hyacinth Macaw flies overhead, a detective bumbles from crime to crime. This is a city with a vast underground where bats hang and paperwhites bloom, a city where men still rule. Who sees what, who will pay, and who will survive in this ancient story altered at the core? About Yvonne Blomer: Yvonne Blomer is the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collections The Last Show on Earth (Caitlin Press, 2022) and As if a Raven (Palimpsest Press, 2015) as well as the travel memoir Sugar Ride: Cycling from Hanoi to Kuala Lumpur (Palimpsest Press, 2017). Blomer served as the city of Victoria poet laureate from 2015 to 2018. Through poetry, she has raised awareness for the plight of the Pacific Ocean and its ecology. She is the creator and editor of Refugium: Poems for the Pacific (Caitlin Press, 2017), the first in a trilogy of water-based poetry anthologies that was followed by Sweet Water: Poems for the Watershed (Caitlin Press, 2020). She was the Artistic Director for the weekly Planet Earth Poetry series and edited the anthology Poems for Planet Earth. Yvonne recently edited Hologram: Homage to P.K. Page (Caitlin Press, 2023). She has been longlisted for the CBC Poetry Prize and shortlisted for the Montreal Poetry Prize and the Troubadour International Poetry Prize and won the Gwendolyn MacEwen Poetry Prize for Death of Persephone. She has performed at reading series and festivals in cities across the country and has had poems published in Canada, the UK and Japan. Yvonne lives, works and raises her family on the traditional territories of the WSÁNEĆ (Saanich), Lkwungen (Songhees), Wyomilth (Esquimalt) peoples of the Coast Salish Nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/poetry
This is Kelly Gibney's (simplified) version of Vietnamese cha ca, a dish that originated in Hanoi. Fish is marinated in curry powder, turmeric, fish sauce, sugar and dill. It's then fried and served over rice noodles. The combination of ingredients might sound unusual if you've never had this dish but it's absolutely delicious. Like most Vietnamese food, there's a perfect balance of salty, sweet, sour and fragrant. Be generous with the fresh dill and with the squeeze of lemon or lime you serve it with.
Ha sempre saputo che c'era qualcosa da approfondire, ma non gli ha mai dato un nome né ha mai avuto il coraggio di capire cosa fosse, fino a quando non si è trovata in Vietnam. Vagando sola per le vie di Hanoi, mentre il figlio in albergo si curava la febbre, Daria Bignardi ha capito che cos'era quel qualcosa: la solitudine. Dall'infanzia, immersa sul divano a leggere un libro, al divorzio che come una trave le cade sulla testa, nel suo ultimo libro “Nostra solitudine” Daria Bignardi mostra come una dimensione intima e personale possa farsi collettiva e diventare il luogo da dove ascoltare il battito del mondo.
Sheila Naughton, Reporter, visits Hanoi where young Gaelic players from across the continent of Asia gathered to celebrate the Asian Youth GAA Championship.
From the Skies Over Vietnam to the Power of Healing — The Story of Mike Penn This week's Team Never Quit guest, Mike Penn, embodies courage, resilience, and grace under pressure. A Navy fighter pilot who served in Vietnam over 50 years ago, Penn's life took a dramatic turn on August 6, 1972, during his 85th combat mission off the USS Midway. Shot down and captured by enemy forces, he endured eight harrowing months as a POW in Hanoi, facing starvation, torture, and isolation. Losing 60 pounds and battling injuries from the crash, he survived where many did not. Upon returning home, Penn continued to serve his country before transitioning to a long and successful career as an airline pilot. Yet, his greatest battles weren't fought in the skies—they were fought within. Like countless Veterans, Penn wrestled with PTSD and alcoholism, learning that even the strongest warriors can't always go it alone. Penn credits his recovery and renewed purpose to sheer determination, the support of fellow Veterans, and the care he received through the Houston VA, which later discovered a life-threatening cancer during a routine scan—saving his life once again. Today, Penn continues to inspire others through motivational speaking, encouraging Veterans to seek help, share their stories, and lean on one another. His outlook remains deeply positive: despite his suffering, he still calls it “an honor to serve.” Join us as we hear Mike Penn's incredible journey—from fighter pilot to prisoner of war to survivor and mentor. His story is a testament to resilience, faith, and the healing power of community. Thank you, Mike Penn, for your honorable service—and for reminding us that healing begins when we choose to reach out. In this episode you will hear: • [Marcus] If you're struggling in college, get your butt in the military for4-6 years, come back, and you'll scream right through it. (6:54) • To get on the Blue Angels demo pilot team, they vote on you. It's a good ol' boy system. If any one guy says no, you're done. (9:30) • Out of nowhere this Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant shows up right in my face. And he starts yelling at me, and honestly, I thought I was in the wrong place. When he gets through yelling at me, he says “You got anything to say for yourself you smart ass college boy?” I put my hand on his shoulder, looked him in the eyes, and I called him “sarge,” I said “Sarge, I really think I'm in the wrong place, because I cam down here to be a Navy jet pilot.” Boom! He threw me on the ground. I've never done so many push ups in my life. (12:21) • He got me in such good officer shape; I ended up becoming the Regimental Commander. (13:19) • Landing at night is so difficult, because in the daytime you have depth perception. You're looking at the “Meatball,” the optical landing system. Line up with the ship, and your air speed. At night you can't see anything. (19:00) • [When missiles are fired at you] you see it lift off, you see it coming at you. You build up speed. When it gets to be about ¾ of a mile away from you, you do a high G roll into it. It tries to track on you, but it's going so fast, it can't. (29:00) • They were firing 3 from behind that we never saw, so when I tried to get more speed, one from behind hit me. Boom. Engine quit. Stated shaking like crazy. Immediately 8I turned toward the beach. (29:26) • When I got hit, I knew it was over. (30:14) • I reached up to fire the ejection seat. I pulled it, and nothing happened. Never quit. (31:10) • Once I hit the ground, I was in about a foot of water, and the bullets were hitting the water all around me. (34:02) • [Melanie: Q: What happens to the plane?”] A: It blew up right after I ejected. (34:49) • At 36:22, Mike tells the story of his treatment when he was taken by the enemy. • When we got there, we were just beat up and tied up. We had about 3 weeks of that. (41:25) • We had 24” concrete slabs on either side. That's what we slept on. (42:57) • We got no rice. The Vietnamese ate it all. (43:35) • My grandfather, who was an Army vet in Japan, when I went to war, he told me 2 things: Take care of your men, and don't ever give up.(44:36) • [Melanie: Q: How long were you in there as a POW”] A: 8 months. (47:27) • When I got to Oakland, I made beer milkshakes. (55:03) • When I was at Clark, first thing I did – I sat in the shower for 2 hours. (55:28) • Guess where I git [a new car]? I won it on Hollywood Squares. (71:19) • If I can save 1 life from [writing] that book, it's worth it. (80:53) Support Mike: - www.hopeandcourage.us Support TNQ - IG: team_neverquit , marcusluttrell , melanieluttrell , huntero13 - https://www.patreon.com/teamneverquit Sponsors: - Tractorsupply.com/hometownheroes - Navyfederal.org - Dripdrop.com/TNQ - ShopMando.com [Promo code: TNQ] - mizzenandmain.com [Promo code: TNQ20] - meetfabiric.com/TNQ - masterclass.com/TNQ - Prizepicks (TNQ) - cargurus.com/TNQ - armslist.com/TNQ - PXGapparel.com/TNQ - bruntworkwear.com/TNQ - Groundnews.com/TNQ - shipsticks.com/TNQ - stopboxusa.com {TNQ} - ghostbed.com/TNQ [TNQ] - kalshi.com/TNQ - joinbilt.com/TNQ - Tonal.com [TNQ] - greenlight.com/TNQ - PDSDebt.com/TNQ - drinkAG1.com/TNQ - Hims.com/TNQ - Shopify.com/TNQ
Episode 3141 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's visit to Hanoi where he hopes to fire up efforts to find MIA's from the Vietnam War. The featured story is titled: … Continue reading →
Last time we spoke about the fall of Wuhan. In a country frayed by war, the Yangtze became a pulsing artery, carrying both hunger and hope. Chiang Kai-shek faced a brutal choice: defend Wuhan to the last man, or flood the rivers to buy time. He chose both, setting sullen floodwaters loose along the Yellow River to slow the invaders, a temporary mercy that spared some lives while ripping many from their homes. On the river's banks, a plethora of Chinese forces struggled to unite. The NRA, fractured into rival zones, clung to lines with stubborn grit as Japanese forces poured through Anqing, Jiujiang, and beyond, turning the Yangtze into a deadly corridor. Madang's fortifications withstood bombardment and gas, yet the price was paid in troops and civilians drowned or displaced. Commanders like Xue Yue wrestled stubbornly for every foothold, every bend in the river. The Battle of Wanjialing became a symbol: a desperate, months-long pincer where Chinese divisions finally tightened their cordon and halted the enemy's flow. By autumn, the Japanese pressed onward to seize Tianjiazhen and cut supply lines, while Guangzhou fell to a ruthless blockade. The Fall of Wuhan loomed inevitable, yet the story remained one of fierce endurance against overwhelming odds. #174 The Changsha Fire 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. In the summer of 1938, amid the upheaval surrounding Chiang Kai-shek, one of his most important alliances came to an end. On June 22, all German advisers to the Nationalist government were summoned back; any who refused would be deemed guilty of high treason. Since World War I, a peculiar bond had tied the German Weimar Republic and China: two fledgling states, both weak and only partially sovereign. Under the Versailles Treaty of 1919, Germany had lost extraterritorial rights on Chinese soil, which paradoxically allowed Berlin to engage with China as an equal partner rather than a traditional colonizer. This made German interests more welcome in business and politics than those of other Western powers. Chiang's military reorganization depended on German officers such as von Seeckt and von Falkenhausen, and Hitler's rise in 1933 had not immediately severed the connection between the two countries. Chiang did not share Nazi ideology with Germany, but he viewed Berlin as a potential ally and pressed to persuade it to side with China rather than Japan as China's principal East Asian, anti-Communist partner. In June 1937, H. H. Kung led a delegation to Berlin, met Hitler, and argued for an alliance with China. Yet the outbreak of war and the Nationalists' retreat to Wuhan convinced Hitler's government to align with Japan, resulting in the recall of all German advisers. Chiang responded with a speech praising von Falkenhausen, insisting that "our friend's enemy is our enemy too," and lauding the German Army's loyalty and ethics as a model for the Chinese forces. He added, "After we have won the War of Resistance, I believe you'll want to come back to the Far East and advise our country again." Von Falkenhausen would later become the governor of Nazi-occupied Belgium, then be lauded after the war for secretly saving many Jewish lives. As the Germans departed, the roof of the train transporting them bore a prominent German flag with a swastika, a prudent precaution given Wuhan's vulnerability to air bombardment. The Japanese were tightening their grip on the city, even as Chinese forces, numbering around 800,000, made a stubborn stand. The Yellow River floods blocked northern access, so the Japanese chose to advance via the Yangtze, aided by roughly nine divisions and the might of the Imperial Navy. The Chinese fought bravely, but their defenses could not withstand the superior technology of the Japanese fleet. The only substantial external aid came from Soviet pilots flying aircraft bought from the USSR as part of Stalin's effort to keep China in the war; between 1938 and 1940, some 2,000 pilots offered their services. From June 24 to 27, Japanese bombers relentlessly pounded the Madang fortress along the Yangtze until it fell. A month later, on July 26, Chinese defenders abandoned Jiujiang, southeast of Wuhan, and its civilian population endured a wave of atrocities at the hands of the invaders. News of Jiujiang's fate stiffened resolve. Chiang delivered a pointed address to his troops on July 31, arguing that Wuhan's defense was essential and that losing the city would split the country into hostile halves, complicating logistics and movement. He warned that Wuhan's defense would also be a spiritual test: "the place has deep revolutionary ties," and public sympathy for China's plight was growing as Japanese atrocities became known. Yet Chiang worried about the behavior of Chinese soldiers. He condemned looting as a suicidal act that would destroy the citizens' trust in the military. Commanders, he warned, must stay at their posts; the memory of the Madang debacle underscored the consequences of cowardice. Unlike Shanghai, Wuhan had shelters, but he cautioned against retreating into them and leaving soldiers exposed. Officers who failed in loyalty could expect no support in return. This pep talk, combined with the belief that the army was making a last stand, may have slowed the Japanese advance along the Yangtze in August. Under General Xue Yue, about 100,000 Chinese troops pushed back the invaders at Huangmei. At Tianjiazhen, thousands fought until the end of September, with poison gas finally forcing Japanese victory. Yet even then, Chinese generals struggled to coordinate. In Xinyang, Li Zongren's Guangxi troops were exhausted; they expected relief from Hu Zongnan's forces, but Hu instead withdrew, allowing Japan to capture the city without a fight. The fall of Xinyang enabled Japanese control of the Ping-Han railway, signaling Wuhan's doom. Chiang again spoke to Wuhan's defenders, balancing encouragement with a grim realism about possible loss. Although Wuhan's international connections were substantial, foreign aid would be unlikely. If evacuation became necessary, the army should have a clear plan, including designated routes. He recalled the disastrous December retreat from Nanjing, where "foreigners and Chinese alike turned it into an empty city." Troops had been tired and outnumbered; Chiang defended the decision to defend Nanjing, insisting the army had sacrificed itself for the capital and Sun Yat-sen's tomb. Were the army to retreat again, he warned, it would be the greatest shame in five thousand years of Chinese history. The loss of Madang was another humiliation. By defending Wuhan, he argued, China could avenge its fallen comrades and cleanse its conscience; otherwise, it could not honor its martyrs. Mao Zedong, observing the situation from his far-off base at Yan'an, agreed strongly that Chiang should not defend Wuhan to the death. He warned in mid-October that if Wuhan could not be defended, the war's trajectory would shift, potentially strengthening the Nationalists–Communists cooperation, deepening popular mobilization, and expanding guerrilla warfare. The defense of Wuhan, Mao argued, should drain the enemy and buy time to advance the broader struggle, not become a doomed stalemate. In a protracted war, some strongholds might be abandoned temporarily to sustain the longer fight. The Japanese Army captured Wuchang and Hankou on 26 October and captured Hanyang on the 27th, which concluded the campaign in Wuhan. The battle had lasted four and a half months and ended with the Nationalist army's voluntary withdrawal. In the battle itself, the Japanese army captured Wuhan's three towns and held the heartland of China, achieving a tactical victory. Yet strategically, Japan failed to meet its objectives. Imperial Headquarters believed that "capturing Hankou and Guangzhou would allow them to dominate China." Consequently, the Imperial Conference planned the Battle of Wuhan to seize Wuhan quickly and compel the Chinese government to surrender. It also decreed that "national forces should be concentrated to achieve the war objectives within a year and end the war against China." According to Yoshiaki Yoshimi and Seiya Matsuno, Hirohito authorized the use of chemical weapons against China by specific orders known as rinsanmei. During the Battle of Wuhan, Prince Kan'in Kotohito transmitted the emperor's orders to deploy toxic gas 375 times between August and October 1938. Another memorandum uncovered by Yoshimi indicates that Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni authorized the use of poison gas against the Chinese on 16 August 1938. A League of Nations resolution adopted on 14 May condemned the Imperial Japanese Army's use of toxic gas. Japan's heavy use of chemical weapons against China was driven by manpower shortages and China's lack of poison gas stockpiles to retaliate. Poison gas was employed at Hankou in the Battle of Wuhan to break Chinese resistance after conventional assaults had failed. Rana Mitter notes that, under General Xue Yue, approximately 100,000 Chinese troops halted Japanese advances at Huangmei, and at the fortress of Tianjiazhen, thousands fought until the end of September, with Japanese victory secured only through the use of poison gas. Chinese generals also struggled with coordination at Xinyang; Li Zongren's Guangxi troops were exhausted, and Hu Zongnan's forces, believed to be coming to relieve them, instead withdrew. Japan subsequently used poison gas against Chinese Muslim forces at the Battle of Wuyuan and the Battle of West Suiyuan. However, the Chinese government did not surrender with the loss of Wuhan and Guangzhou, nor did Japan's invasion end with Wuhan and Guangzhou's capture. After Wuhan fell, the government issued a reaffirmation: "Temporary changes of advance and retreat will not shake our resolve to resist the Japanese invasion," and "the gain or loss of any city will not affect the overall situation of the war." It pledged to "fight with even greater sorrow, greater perseverance, greater steadfastness, greater diligence, and greater courage," dedicating itself to a long, comprehensive war of resistance. In the Japanese-occupied rear areas, large armed anti-Japanese forces grew, and substantial tracts of territory were recovered. As the Japanese army themselves acknowledged, "the restoration of public security in the occupied areas was actually limited to a few kilometers on both sides of the main transportation lines." Thus, the Battle of Wuhan did not merely inflict a further strategic defeat on Japan; it also marked a turning point in Japan's strategic posture, from offense to defense. Due to the Nationalist Army's resolute resistance, Japan mobilized its largest force to date for the attack, about 250,000 personnel, who were replenished four to five times over the battle, for a total of roughly 300,000. The invaders held clear advantages in land, sea, and air power and fought for four and a half months. Yet they failed to annihilate the Nationalist main force, nor did they break the will to resist or the army's combat effectiveness. Instead, the campaign dealt a severe blow to the Japanese Army's vitality. Japanese-cited casualties totaled 4,506 dead and 17,380 wounded for the 11th Army; the 2nd Army suffered 2,300 killed in action, 7,600 wounded, and 900 died of disease. Including casualties across the navy and the air force, the overall toll was about 35,500. By contrast, the Nationalist Government Military Commission's General Staff Department, drawing on unit-level reports, calculated Japanese casualties at 256,000. The discrepancy between Japanese and Nationalist tallies illustrates the inflationary tendencies of each side's reporting. Following Wuhan, a weakened Japanese force confronted an extended front. Unable to mount large-scale strategic offensives, unlike Shanghai, Xuzhou, or Wuhan itself, the Japanese to a greater extent adopted a defensive posture. This transition shifted China's War of Resistance from a strategic defensive phase into a strategic stalemate, while the invaders found themselves caught in a protracted war—a development they most disliked. Consequently, Japan's invasion strategy pivoted: away from primary frontal offensives toward a greater reliance on political inducements with secondary military action, and toward diverting forces to "security" operations behind enemy lines rather than pushing decisive frontal campaigns. Japan, an island nation with limited strategic resources, depended heavily on imports. By the time of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, Japan's gold reserves,including reserves for issuing banknotes, amounted to only about 1.35 billion yen. In effect, Japan's currency reserves constrained the scale of the war from the outset. The country launched its aggression while seeking an early solution to the conflict. To sustain its war of aggression against China, the total value of military supplies imported from overseas in 1937 reached approximately 960 million yen. By June of the following year, for the Battle of Wuhan, even rifles used in training were recalled to outfit the expanding army. The sustained increase in troops also strained domestic labor, food, and energy supplies. By 1939, after Wuhan, Japan's military expenditure had climbed to about 6.156 billion yen, far exceeding national reserves. This stark reality exposed Japan's economic fragility and its inability to guarantee a steady supply of military materiel, increasing pressure on the leadership at the Central Command. The Chief of Staff and the Minister of War lamented the mismatch between outward strength and underlying weakness: "Outwardly strong but weak is a reflection of our country today, and this will not last long." In sum, the Wuhan campaign coincided with a decline in the organization, equipment, and combat effectiveness of the Japanese army compared with before the battle. This erosion of capability helped drive Japan to alter its political and military strategy, shifting toward a method of inflicting pressure on China and attempting to "use China to control China", that is, fighting in ways designed to sustain the broader war effort. Tragically a major element of Chiang Kai-shek's retreat strategy was the age-old "scorched earth" policy. In fact, China originated the phrase and the practice. Shanghai escaped the last-minute torching because of foreigners whose property rights were protected. But in Nanjing, the burning and destruction began with increasing zeal. What could not be moved inland, such as remaining rice stocks, oil in tanks, and other facilities, was to be blown up or devastated. Civilians were told to follow the army inland, to rebuild later behind the natural barrier of Sichuan terrain. Many urban residents complied, but the peasantry did not embrace the plan. The scorched-earth policy served as powerful propaganda for the occupying Japanese army and, even more so, for the Reds. Yet they could hardly have foreseen the propaganda that Changsha would soon supply them. In June, the Changsha Evacuation Guidance Office was established to coordinate land and water evacuation routes. By the end of October, Wuhan's three towns had fallen, and on November 10 the Japanese army captured Yueyang, turning Changsha into the next primary invasion target. Beginning on October 9, Japanese aircraft intensified from sporadic raids on Changsha to large-scale bombing. On October 27, the Changsha Municipal Government urgently evacuated all residents, exempting only able-bodied men, the elderly, the weak, women, and children. The baojia system was mobilized to go door-to-door, enforcing compliance. On November 7, Chiang Kai-shek convened a military meeting at Rongyuan Garden to review the war plan and finalize a "scorched earth war of resistance." Xu Quan, Chief of Staff of the Security Command, drafted the detailed implementation plan. On November 10, Shi Guoji, Chief of Staff of the Security Command, presided over a joint meeting of Changsha's party, government, military, police, and civilian organizations to devise a strategy. The Changsha Destruction Command was immediately established, bringing together district commanders and several arson squads. The command actively prepared arson equipment and stacked flammable materials along major traffic arteries. Chiang decided that the city of Changsha was vulnerable and either gave the impression or the direct order, honestly really depends on the source your reading, to burn the city to the ground to prevent it falling to the enemy. At 9:00 AM on November 12, Chiang Kai-shek telegraphed Zhang Zhizhong: "One hour to arrive, Chairman Zhang, Changsha, confidential. If Changsha falls, the entire city must be burned. Please make thorough preparations in advance and do not delay." And here it seems a game of broken telephone sort of resulted in one of the worst fire disasters of all time. If your asking pro Chiang sources, the message was clearly, put up a defense, once thats fallen, burn the city down before the Japanese enter. Obviously this was to account for getting civilians out safely and so forth. If you read lets call it more modern CPP aligned sources, its the opposite. Chiang intentionally ordering the city to burn down as fast as possible, but in through my research, I think it was a colossal miscommunication. Regardless Zhongzheng Wen, Minister of the Interior, echoed the message. Simultaneously, Lin Wei, Deputy Director of Chiang Kai-shek's Secretariat, instructed Zhang Zhizhong by long-distance telephone: "If Changsha falls, the entire city must be burned." Zhang summoned Feng Ti, Commander of the Provincial Capital Garrison, and Xu Quan, Director of the Provincial Security Bureau, to outline arson procedures. He designated the Garrison Command to shoulder the preparations, with the Security Bureau assisting. At 4:00 PM, Zhang appointed Xu Kun, Commander of the Second Garrison Regiment, as chief commander of the arson operation, with Wang Weining, Captain of the Social Training Corps, and Xu Quan, Chief of Staff of the Garrison Command, as deputies. At 6:00 PM, the Garrison Command held an emergency meeting ordering all government agencies and organizations in the city to be ready for evacuation at any moment. By around 10:15 PM, all urban police posts had withdrawn. Around 2:00 AM (November 13), a false report circulated that "Japanese troops have reached Xinhe" . Firefighters stationed at various locations rushed out with kerosene-fueled devices, burning everything in sight, shops and houses alike. In an instant, Changsha became a sea of flames. The blaze raged for 72 hours. The Hunan Province Anti-Japanese War Loss Statistics, compiled by the Hunan Provincial Government Statistics Office of the Kuomintang, report that the fire inflicted economic losses of more than 1 billion yuan, a sum equivalent to about 1.7 trillion yuan after the victory in the war. This figure represented roughly 43% of Changsha's total economic value at the time. Regarding casualties, contemporary sources provide varying figures. A Xinhua Daily report from November 20, 1938 noted that authorities mobilized manpower to bury more than 600 bodies, though the total number of burned remains could not be precisely counted. A Central News Agency reporter on November 19 stated that in the Xiangyuan fire, more than 2,000 residents could not escape, and most of the bodies had already been buried. There are further claims that in the Changsha Fire, more than 20,000 residents were burned to death. In terms of displacement, Changsha's population before the fire was about 300,000, and by November 12, 90% had been evacuated. After the fire, authorities registered 124,000 victims, including 815 orphans sheltered in Lito and Maosgang. Building damage constituted the other major dimension of the catastrophe, with the greatest losses occurring to residential houses, shops, schools, factories, government offices, banks, hospitals, newspaper offices, warehouses, and cultural and entertainment venues, as well as numerous historic buildings such as palaces, temples, private gardens, and the former residences of notable figures; among these, residential and commercial structures suffered the most, followed by factories and schools. Inspector Gao Yihan, who conducted a post-fire investigation, observed that the prosperous areas within Changsha's ring road, including Nanzheng Street and Bajiaoting, were almost completely destroyed, and in other major markets only a handful of shops remained, leading to an overall estimate that surviving or stalemated houses were likely less than 20%. Housing and street data from the early post-liberation period reveal that Changsha had more than 1,100 streets and alleys; of these, more than 690 were completely burned and more than 330 had fewer than five surviving houses, accounting for about 29%, with nearly 90% of the city's streets severely damaged. More than 440 streets were not completely destroyed, but among these, over 190 had only one or two houses remaining and over 130 had only three or four houses remaining; about 60 streets, roughly 6% had 30 to 40 surviving houses, around 30 streets, 3% had 11 to 20 houses, 10 streets, 1% had 21 to 30 houses, and three streets ) had more than 30 houses remaining. Housing statistics from 1952 show that 2,538 houses survived the fire, about 6.57% of the city's total housing stock, with private houses totaling 305,800 square meters and public houses 537,900 square meters. By 1956, the surviving area of both private and public housing totaled 843,700 square meters, roughly 12.3% of the city's total housing area at that time. Alongside these losses, all equipment, materials, funds, goods, books, archives, antiques, and cultural relics that had not been moved were also destroyed. At the time of the Changsha Fire, Zhou Enlai, then Deputy Minister of the Political Department of the Nationalist Government's Military Commission, was in Changsha alongside Ye Jianying, Guo Moruo, and others. On November 12, 1938, Zhou Enlai attended a meeting held by Changsha cultural groups at Changsha Normal School to commemorate Sun Yat-sen's 72nd birthday. Guo Moruo later recalled that Zhou Enlai and Ye Jianying were awakened by the blaze that night; they each carried a suitcase and evacuated to Xiangtan, with Zhou reportedly displaying considerable indignation at the sudden, unprovoked fire. On the 16th, Zhou Enlai rushed back to Changsha and, together with Chen Cheng, Zhang Zhizhong, and others, inspected the disaster. He mobilized personnel from three departments, with Tian Han and Guo Moruo at the forefront, to form the Changsha Fire Aftermath Task Force, which began debris clearance, care for the injured, and the establishment of soup kitchens. A few days later, on the 22nd, the Hunan Provincial Government established the Changsha Fire Temporary Relief Committee to coordinate relief efforts. On the night of November 16, 1938, Chiang Kai-shek arrived in Changsha and, the next day, ascended Tianxin Pavilion. Sha Wei, head of the Cultural Relics Section of the Changsha Tianxin Pavilion Park Management Office, and a long-time researcher of the pavilion, explained that documentation indicates Chiang Kai-shek, upon seeing the city largely reduced to scorched earth with little left intact, grew visibly angry. After descending from Tianxin Pavilion, Chiang immediately ordered the arrest of Changsha Garrison Commander Feng Ti, Changsha Police Chief Wen Chongfu, and Commander of the Second Garrison Regiment Xu Kun, and arranged a military trial with a two-day deadline. The interrogation began at 7:00 a.m. on November 18. Liang Xiaojin records that Xu Kun and Wen Chongfu insisted their actions followed orders from the Security Command, while Feng Ti admitted negligence and violations of procedure, calling his acts unforgivable. The trial found Feng Ti to be the principal offender, with Wen Chongfu and Xu Kun as accomplices, and sentenced all three to prison terms of varying lengths. The verdict was sent to Chiang Kai-shek for approval, who was deeply dissatisfied and personally annotated the drafts: he asserted that Feng Ti, as the city's security head, was negligent and must be shot immediately; Wen Chongfu, as police chief, disobeyed orders and fled, and must be shot immediately; Xu Kun, for neglect of duty, must be shot immediately. The court then altered the arson charge in the verdict to "insulting his duty and harming the people" in line with Chiang's instructions. Chiang Kai-shek, citing "failure to supervise personnel and precautions," dismissed Zhang from his post, though he remained in office to oversee aftermath operations. Zhang Zhizhong later recalled Chiang Kai-shek's response after addressing the Changsha fire: a pointed admission that the fundamental cause lay not with a single individual but with the collective leadership's mistakes, and that the error must be acknowledged as a collective failure. All eyes now shifted to the new center of resistance, Chongqing, the temporary capital. Chiang's "Free China" no longer meant the whole country; it now encompassed Sichuan, Hunan, and Henan, but not Jiangsu or Zhejiang. The eastern provinces were effectively lost, along with China's major customs revenues, the country's most fertile regions, and its most advanced infrastructure. The center of political gravity moved far to the west, into a country the Nationalists had never controlled, where everything was unfamiliar and unpredictable, from topography and dialects to diets. On the map, it might have seemed that Chiang still ruled much of China, but vast swaths of the north and northwest were sparsely populated; most of China's population lay in the east and south, where Nationalist control was either gone or held only precariously. The combined pressures of events and returning travelers were gradually shifting American attitudes toward the Japanese incident. Europe remained largely indifferent, with Hitler absorbing most attention, but the United States began to worry about developments in the Pacific. Roosevelt initiated a January 1939 appeal to raise a million dollars for Chinese civilians in distress, and the response quickly materialized. While the Chinese did not expect direct intervention, they hoped to deter further American economic cooperation with Japan and to halt Japan's purchases of scrap iron, oil, gasoline, shipping, and, above all, weapons from the United States. Public opinion in America was sufficiently stirred to sustain a campaign against silk stockings, a symbolic gesture of boycott that achieved limited effect; Japan nonetheless continued to procure strategic materials. Within this chorus, the left remained a persistent but often discordant ally to the Nationalists. The Institute of Pacific Relations, sympathetic to communist aims, urged America to act, pressuring policymakers and sounding alarms about China. Yet the party line remained firmly pro-Chiang Kai-shek: the Japanese advance seemed too rapid and threatening to the Reds' interests. Most oil and iron debates stalled; American businessmen resented British trade ties with Japan, and Britain refused to join any mutual cutoff, arguing that the Western powers were not at war with Japan. What occurred in China was still commonly referred to in Western diplomatic circles as "the Incident." Wang Jingwei's would make his final defection, yes in a long ass history of defections. Mr Wang Jingwei had been very busy traveling to Guangzhou, then Northwest to speak with Feng Yuxiang, many telegrams went back and forth. He returned to the Nationalist government showing his face to foreign presses and so forth. While other prominent rivals of Chiang, Li Zongren, Bai Chongxi, and others, rallied when they perceived Japan as a real threat; all did so except Wang Jingwei. Wang, who had long believed himself the natural heir to Sun Yat-sen and who had repeatedly sought to ascend to power, seemed willing to cooperate with Japan if it served his own aims. I will just say it, Wang Jingwei was a rat. He had always been a rat, never changed. Opinions on Chiang Kai-Shek vary, but I think almost everyone can agree Wang Jingwei was one of the worst characters of this time period. Now Wang Jingwei could not distinguish between allies and enemies and was prepared to accept help from whomever offered it, believing he could outmaneuver Tokyo when necessary. Friends in Shanghai and abroad whispered that it was not too late to influence events, arguing that the broader struggle was not merely China versus Japan but a clash between principled leaders and a tyrannical, self-serving clique, Western imperialism's apologists who needed Chiang removed. For a time Wang drifted within the Kuomintang, moving between Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, and Chongqing, maintaining discreet lines of communication with his confidants. The Japanese faced a governance problem typical of conquerors who possess conquered territory: how to rule effectively while continuing the war. They imagined Asia under Japanese-led leadership, an East Asia united by a shared Co-Prosperity Sphere but divided by traditional borders. To sustain this vision, they sought local leaders who could cooperate. The search yielded few viable options; would-be collaborators were soon assassinated, proved incompetent, or proved corrupt. The Japanese concluded it would require more time and education. In the end, Wang Jingwei emerged as a preferred figure. Chongqing, meanwhile, seemed surprised by Wang's ascent. He had moved west to Chengde, then to Kunming, attempted, and failed to win over Yunnan's warlords, and eventually proceeded to Hanoi in Indochina, arriving in Hong Kong by year's end. He sent Chiang Kai-shek a telegram suggesting acceptance of Konoe's terms for peace, which Chungking rejected. In time, Wang would establish his own Kuomintang faction in Shanghai, combining rigorous administration with pervasive secret-police activity characteristic of occupied regimes. By 1940, he would be formally installed as "Chairman of China." But that is a story for another episode. In the north, the Japanese and the CCP were locked in an uneasy stalemate. Mao's army could make it impossible for the Japanese to hold deep countryside far from the railway lines that enabled mass troop movement into China's interior. Yet the Communists could not defeat the occupiers. In the dark days of October 1938—fifteen months after the war began—one constant remained. Observers (Chinese businessmen, British diplomats, Japanese generals) repeatedly predicted that each new disaster would signal the end of Chinese resistance and force a swift surrender, or at least a negotiated settlement in which the government would accept harsher terms from Tokyo. But even after defenders were expelled from Shanghai, Nanjing, and Wuhan, despite the terrifying might Japan had brought to bear on Chinese resistance, and despite the invader's manpower, technology, and resources, China continued to fight. Yet it fought alone. 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 a land shredded by war, Wuhan burned under brutal sieges, then Changsha followed, a cruel blaze born of orders and miscommunications. Leaders wrestled with retreat, scorched-earth vows, and moral debts as Japanese force and Chinese resilience clashed for months. Mao urged strategy over martyrdom, Wang Jingwei's scheming shadow loomed, and Chongqing rose as the westward beacon. Yet China endured, a stubborn flame refusing to surrender to the coming storm. The war stretched on, unfinished and unyielding.
Phuong Nguyen is a Vietnamese expat currently located in Paphos, Cyprus. She has hosted a Vietnamese podcast since 2016. Occasionally she interviewed Expats living in Vietnam and has some episodes covering expat lives such as being a vegan in Hanoi, Vietnam under the eyes of an artist and expat's life during Tet - Vietnam's traditional New year holiday. At the age of 30, she decided to shift her career into Fitness and now she is a Pilates instructor. You can find her interview with Niall and more on her website:https://theblueexpat.com/ or on wherever you listen to podcasts.Connect with Phuong on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theblueexpat/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblueexpat/-------------------Theme music composed by Lewis WrightLogo designed by Niall Mackay and Le Nguyen with support from Devin GrayEpisode Art designed by Niall MackayBuy Seven Million Bikes a beer if you enjoy this content."Send me a message!"Vote now for Discover Vietnam! The full list of winners is here. Support the show
In Episode 257 of Resonation Radio, Ferry Corsten returns with a special guest — Ruben de Ronde, who steps in for Jesse this week. The duo catch up after an exciting Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), where they performed their new single “Rise Up” together during Ferry's Gouryella Special at AFAS. The episode features a fresh selection of melodic and progressive tracks from artists like Giuseppe Ottaviani, Markus Schulz & BLR, LSG (BLR x Helslowed Remix), and Ferry himself, including his latest collaborations and remixes such as “Deepest Blue” and “Drum's A Weapon (Giuseppe Ottaviani Reprint)”. Ferry also shares details about his upcoming Australia and Asia tour, with shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Macao, and Hanoi.
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