Podcasts about Lanzhou

  Last time we spoke about the Xi'an Incident. In December 1936, tensions in China erupted as Nationalist General Chiang Kai-shek faced a revolt led by his commanders, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng. Disillusioned by Chiang's focus on battling communists instead of the Japanese invaders, the generals swiftly captured him in a coup. Confined in Xi'an, Chiang initially resisted their demands for a united front against Japan but eventually engaged in negotiation with Zhang and the Chinese Communist Party. As public sentiment shifted against him, Chiang's predicament led to urgent discussions, culminating in an unexpected alliance with the communists. This pact aimed to consolidate Chinese resistance against Japanese aggression, marking a critical turning point in the Second Sino-Japanese War. By December 26, Chiang was released, and this uneasy collaboration set the stage for a more unified front against a common enemy, though underlying tensions remained between the factions.   #152 China Prepares for War Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Before we jump into the Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945, which I honestly have no idea how long will take us, I thought it would be a good idea to dedicate two episodes to how both China and Japan prepared themselves for war.  Going all the way back to the 1910s, Chinese intellectuals began to view an outright conflict between Japan and China was inevitable. In the discussions about China's strategic options, Jiang Fangzhen pioneered a strategy of protracted warfare, a concept that would later shape China's approach during the Sino-Japanese War. Having studied in Japan during his youth, Jiang developed a keen understanding of the Japanese government and military. As early as 1917, he predicted that China and Japan would become embroiled in a long-term conflict, with the battleground likely to be west of the Peiping–Wuhan and Guangzhou–Wuhan railways. In his work titled "Guofang Lun" or “On National Defense”, Jiang reiterated the importance of protracted warfare as a means to thwart Japan's aspirations for a swift victory. He argued that China should leverage its vast population and extensive territory to extend the conflict, gradually wearing down Japanese strength and turning the situation to its advantage. Jiang recommended that China not focus on defending its coastal regions but instead confront the enemy west of the Peking–Wuhan Railway.   Chiang Kai-shek would eventually come to share Jiang's belief that “the longer the war drags on, the more advantageous it will be for China.” Despite significant public criticism, both the Nationalist government and General Zhang Xueliang, decided against military resistance when Japan invaded Manchuria in September 1931 and attacked Shanghai in 1932. Chiang was particularly hesitant to engage Japan directly, as he was also dealing with a Communist insurgency in central China. He feared that Chinese forces would suffer quick defeat, predicting that Japan would capture key coastal areas and critical infrastructure within just three days, crippling China by dismantling its military and economic lifelines. Following the invasion of North China Chiang was forced to adopt a firmer stance. The Nationalist government proposed a dual strategy of pursuing peace and security while simultaneously preparing for war. If peace proved impossible, China would mobilize its resources for ultimate victory through prolonged conflict. This approach was formalized in the National Defense Plan, which China adopted by prioritizing protracted warfare as its core strategy. After the Sino-Japanese clash in Shanghai on January 28, 1932, the Military Affairs Commission devised a plan that divided China into four defense areas along with a preparation area. While some troops were assigned local security, commanders were directed to concentrate their remaining forces for potential confrontations with Japan. That year, the Military Affairs Commission issued General Defense Guidelines that outlined two strategic responses to a potential Japanese invasion. The first, conservative approach focused on maintaining key positions and utilizing protracted warfare to impede the enemy. The second strategy advocated for decisive battles in key regions to thwart Japan's ambitions and protect China's territorial integrity, prioritizing disengagement from Japanese forces along the Yangtze River and coastline. In August 1935, German military adviser General Alexander von Falkenhausen provided recommendations to Chiang Kai-shek based on his predictions of Japanese advance routes into China. He identified three main routes: one from northern Hebei to Zhengzhou, the second from Shandong toward Xuzhou, and the third crossing the Yangtze River to Nanjing and onwards to Wuhan. He suggested treating the Yangtze River as the primary combat zone and highlighted Sichuan as a possible retreat area. Taking all of this into consideration. in 1936, a draft of a new National Defense Plan divided the country into four zones: a war zone, a defense zone, an internal security zone, and a preparation area. The war zone encompassed ten provinces and established strategies for retreating to predetermined defensive positions when necessary, with Sichuan designated as the main base for the war. In January 1937, the Chinese General Staff Department introduced its annual War Plan, outlining three possible military conflict regions between China and Japan. It proposed two main strategies: Proposal A emphasized sustained combat and retreat to fortified positions if the situation became unfavorable, aiming to eventually go on the offensive against Japan. Proposal B focused on repelling Japanese invasions along the coast and from the north, prioritizing counter offensives against Japanese units stationed near key locations. To prepare, the NRA completed several critical projects outlined in its plans, establishing military supply depots in Nanjing, Bengbu, Xinyang, Huayin, Nanchang, and Wuchang to manage logistics for supplies across various strategic railways. These depots were equipped to sustain the military, with ample ammunition and provisions, including 60 million rounds of small-arms ammunition and food for hundreds of thousands. Despite these preparations, not all projects were completed by the time war broke out in July 1937. In contrast to the Japanese military's tactics, Chinese forces prioritized defensive strategies. For example, at the Mount Lushan Military Officer Training Camp in July 1934, Chiang Kai-shek outlined four possible approaches against Japan, favoring a defense-as-offense strategy. Other options included building fortifications, tenaciously defending key positions, and employing guerrilla warfare through irregular forces to constrain enemy advances. Chiang stressed the importance of national mobilization for the war effort.  There was a significant disparity in equipment between the Japanese and Chinese armies. To give you an idea, each Japanese division included a mechanized group featuring thirty-nine light military vehicles and 21 light armored cars, supplemented by 6,000–7,000 horses, 200–300 automobiles, and specialized troops such as poison gas teams. In contrast, Nationalist divisions lacked any of these capabilities, a typical nationalist division theoretically had an armored regiment, but this unit was equipped with fewer than 72 armored vehicles. Another major weakness of the Nationalist forces was their insufficient artillery. In 1936, a division was officially assigned one artillery battalion, which was divided into three batteries totaling twelve guns. It also included a mechanized cannon company with four direct-fire weapons. By comparison, a Japanese division boasted four infantry regiments and one mountain artillery or field artillery regiment, with each artillery regiment comprising three field artillery battalions and one howitzer battalion. The infantry regiment itself included a mountain artillery section with four mountain guns, while the infantry battalion had one Type 70 mountain gun section with two guns. In total, a Japanese division possessed sixty-four artillery pieces of various calibers, four times the number of a Chinese division and of significantly higher quality. In reality, in 1936, twelve of the twenty elite Chinese “reformed divisions” still lacked artillery battalions. The ordnance available in the “reformed divisions” mostly consisted of the outdated Type 60 mountain gun. Nationwide, very few of the 200 divisions were equipped with any artillery, and those that did often used obsolete field artillery pieces or mountain artillery provided to local forces. Some units even relied on trench mortars as a makeshift solution. The artillery weapons came from various countries, but they frequently lacked necessary observation and signal components, and were often low on ammunition. The majority of mountain guns and field artillery were of the Type 75, which, while capable of providing fire support, had limited range and inflicted minimal damage. To give you an idea of the striking inadequacy of the Chinese artillery, during the Shanghai fighting in 1937, the mountain artillery of the Guangxi 21st Army Group could only reach targets within 1,200 yards, while Japanese field artillery had an effective range of 8,000 yards. Chinese-made mountain artillery suffered due to inferior steel-making technology; the gun shields were constructed from low-quality steel, and the barrels often overheated after firing just a few rounds, increasing the risk of explosions. Additionally, the equipment of local forces varied greatly in quality. In fact, some local units had superior equipment compared to Nationalist units. For example, before the Sino-Japanese War, troops from Yunnan were equipped with French antitank guns and heavy machine guns, which were better than the German water-cooled machine guns used by the Nationalist forces. However, the majority of local troops relied on inferior equipment; the 122nd Division under Wang Mingzhang from Sichuan, noted for its brave defense of Tengxian County during the Xuzhou Battle, was armed with locally produced light and heavy machine guns that frequently malfunctioned, and their Type 79 rifles, also made in Sichuan, were often outdated, with some dating back to the Qing Dynasty. These weapons had limited range and sometimes malfunctioned after fewer than one hundred rounds. Now before the war, both Nationalist and local forces acquired weaponry from diverse foreign and domestic sources. Even domestically produced weapons lacked standardization, with those made in Hanyang and Manchuria differing in design and specifications. Arms manufactured in Germany, France, Russia, Japan, and Italy were similarly inconsistent. Consequently, even within a single unit, the lack of uniformity created significant logistical challenges, undermining combat effectiveness, particularly in the early stages of the war. Despite Nationalist ordnance factories producing over three million rounds of small-arms ammunition daily, the incompatibility of ammunition and weapons diminished the usable quantity of ammunition. Chinese communications infrastructure was inadequate. In the Nationalist army, signal units were integrated into engineering units, leading to low-quality radio communications. In emergencies, telegrams could remain undelivered for days, and orders often had to be dispatched via postal services. By 1937, the entire country boasted only 3,000 military vehicles, necessitating heavy reliance on horses and mules for transport. To effectively equip twenty Nationalist divisions, 10,647 horses and 20,688 mules were needed, but by the end of 1935, only 6,206 horses and 4,351 mules were available. A statistic from 1936 indicated a 5 percent mortality rate among military horses, with some units experiencing a rate as high as 10 percent. The distribution of weaponry led to disputes during army reorganization efforts following the Northern Expedition. Although Chiang Kai-shek's forces were part of the regular army, the quality of their equipment varied significantly. Domestic production of weapons was limited, and imports could not close the gap. Priority was given to small arms; through army reorganization, Chiang aimed to diminish the influence of forces less loyal to him. Nationalist army staff officers observed that troops loyal to Chiang received the best weapons. Northwest and Northeast forces, having cultivated good relations with the KMT, were similarly better equipped, while Shanxi troops received inferior supplies. Troops associated with the Guangxi Clique were given even poorer quality weapons due to their leaders' stronger political ambitions. Troops regarded as “bandit forces,” such as those led by Shi Yousan, Li Hongchang, and Sun Dianying, were naturally assigned the least effective weaponry. This unequal distribution of arms increased some local forces' inclination to align with the KMT while alienating others, which inadvertently led to additional turmoil in the aftermath of the Northern Expedition. Logistical accounting within the Nationalist military was severely lacking. Military expenditures accounted for a significant portion of government spending, roughly 65.48 % in 1937, with personnel costs being the largest component. However, military units prioritized boosting their own resources over accurate accounting. Surpluses were not returned but rather utilized to reward military officers and soldiers for merits in battle, care for the wounded, or to create a reserve. Conversely, if deficits arose, troops would resort to “living off vacancies,” a practice in which they would fail to report desertions promptly and would falsely claim new soldiers had arrived. Military leaders typically appointed their most trusted subordinates to serve as accountants and logistic officers. As the war commenced, these issues became readily apparent. During the Battle of Shanghai in 1937, frontline soldiers sometimes went days without food and went months without pay. Wounded soldiers and civilians had to search tirelessly for medical treatment, and when main forces relocated, they often abandoned grain, ammunition, weapons, and petroleum along the way. General Chen Cheng, the commander in chief during the Battle of Shanghai, noted, “This phenomenon clearly revealed our inability to supply frontline troops, indicating that China remains a backward country with poor management.” Many logistical shortcomings severely impacted troop morale and combat effectiveness. In a 1933 speech, Chiang Kai-shek acknowledged that poor food, inadequate clothing, and ineffective logistics contributed to widespread desertion. Soldiers were further demoralized by reduced or embezzled salaries. A lack of professional medical staff and equipment hampered healthcare efforts, leading to high disease and mortality rates. According to official statistics from 1936, approximately 10 percent of soldiers fell ill annually, with a mortality rate as high as 5 percent. Japanese military authorities reported that one in three wounded Japanese soldiers died, while a Dutch military officer present during the early stages of the Sino-Japanese War observed that one in every two wounded Nationalist soldiers perished. Due to inadequate equipment and limited transport options, Nationalist forces were compelled to recruit farmers and rent vehicles, as they lacked essential facilities such as tents. This reliance on local resources inevitably led to frequent conflicts between military personnel and civilians. China is clearly a vast nation with an extensive coastline, requiring the construction of several significant fortresses during the modern era. These included Wusong, Jiangyin, Zhenjiang, Jiangning, and Wuhan along the Yangtze River, as well as Zhenhai, Humen, and Changzhou along the seacoast. Except for the Wuhan fortress, built in 1929-1930, all other fortifications were established during the late Qing Dynasty and featured uncovered cannon batteries. These fortresses suffered from inadequate maintenance, and many of their components had become outdated and irreplaceable, rendering them militarily negligible. Following the January 1932 Shanghai Incident, the Japanese military destroyed the Wusong forts, leaving the entrance to the Yangtze River completely unfortified. Consequently, there were no defenses along the coastline from Jiangsu to Shandong, allowing the Japanese to land freely. In December 1932, the Military Affairs Commission established a fortress group tasked with constructing fortresses and defensive installations, seeking assistance from German military advisers. After the North China Incident in 1935, the Nationalist government accelerated the construction of defensive structures in line with national war planning, focusing particularly on Nanjing. The Nationalists prioritized building fortifications along the seacoast and the Yellow River, followed by key regions north of the Yellow River. The government also ordered a significant quantity of heavy artillery from Germany. This included several dozen pieces of flat-fire antiaircraft and dual-purpose heavy artillery, which were installed at fortifications in Jiangyin, Zhenjiang, Nanjing, and Wuhan. By the summer of 1937, the construction of nine fortified positions was complete: Nanjing, Zhenjiang, Jiangyin, Ningbo, Humen, Mawei, Xiamen , Nantong, and Lianyungang. In total, China had established 41 forts and equipped them with 273 fortress cannons. Some defensive installations were poorly managed, with many units assigned to their perimeters lacking training and access to proper maps. The barbette positions in the fortresses were not well concealed and could hardly store sufficient ammunition. Troops stationed at these fortresses received little training. Despite these shortcomings, the fortresses and fortifications were not entirely ineffective. They bolstered Chinese positions along the defense line stretching from Cangxian County to Baoding and from Dexian County to Shijiazhuang, as well as in southern Shandong.  Before the war, China's political and economic center was situated along the seacoast and the Yangtze River. As Japanese influence expanded, the Nationalist government was compelled to establish bases in China's inner regions, very similar to how the USSR pulled back its industry further west after Operation barbarossa.The Japanese attack on Shanghai in 1932 prompted the Nationalists to relocate their capital to Luoyang. On March 5, during the Second Plenary Session of the KMT's Fourth Congress, the Western Capital Preparation Committee was formed to plan for the potential relocation of all governmental bodies to Xi'an in the event of full-scale war. In February 1933, the Central Political Conference approved the Northwest Development Bill, and in February 1934, the National Economic Commission set up a northwestern branch to oversee development projects in the region. On October 18, 1934, Chiang Kai-shek traveled to Lanzhou, recording in his diary that “Northwest China has abundant resources. Japan and Russia are poised to bully us. Yet, if we strengthen ourselves and develop northwest China to the fullest extent, we can turn it into a base for China's revival.” Interestingly, it was Sichuan, rather than the northwest, that became China's rear base during the 2nd Sino-Japanese War. In October 1934, the Communist army evacuated its Soviet base in southern China, initiating the Long March that would ultimately end in the northwest. By this time, Chiang Kai-shek had decided to designate Sichuan as the last stronghold for China. In January 1935, the Nanchang Field Headquarters of the Military Affairs Commission, responsible for combatting the Communists and serving as the supreme military and political authority over most provinces along the Yangtze River and central China, dispatched a special advisory group to Chongqing. Following this, the Nationalist army advanced into Sichuan. On February 10, the Nationalists appointed a new provincial government in Sichuan, effectively ending the province's long-standing regionalism. On March 2, Chiang traveled to Chongqing, where he delivered a speech underscoring that “Sichuan should serve as the base for China's revival.” He stated that he was in Sichuan to oversee efforts against the Communist army and to unify the provincial administration.  After the Xinhai revolution, the Republic of China was still suing the Qing Dynasty's conscription system. However, once in power, the Nationalist government sought to establish a national military service program. In 1933, it enacted a military service law, which began implementation in 1936. This law categorized military service into two branches: service in the Nationalist army and in territorial citizen army units. Men aged eighteen to forty-five were expected to serve in the territorial units if they did not enlist in the Nationalist army. The territorial service was structured into three phases: active service lasting two to three years, first reserves for six years, and second reserves until the age of forty-five. The Ministry of Military Affairs divided China into sixty divisional conscription headquarters, initially establishing these headquarters in the six provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, and Hubei. By December 1936, approximately 50,000 new soldiers had been drafted. The military service law disproportionately favored the middle and upper classes. Government personnel were exempt from enlistment, allowing privileged families to register their children with government agencies. Similarly, students in middle and higher education were excused from service, while youth from poorer backgrounds often felt compelled to enlist due to financial constraints that limited their educational opportunities. Village and town leaders were responsible for executing the recruitment process and frequently conspired with army recruiters. Recruitment principles often favored wealthier families, with guidelines stating that one son should be drafted for every three sons, two for five sons, but no drafts if there was only one son. Wealthy families could secure exemptions for all their male children, while poor families might see their only son conscripted if they were unable to provide the requisite bribe. Town and village heads wielded significant power in recruitment. This new recruitment system also created numerous money-making opportunities. Military personnel assigned to escort draftees to their units would often allow draftees to escape for a fee. Additionally, draftees could monetize their service by agreeing to serve as substitutes for others. For some, being drafted became an occupation. For example, in 1936, 600 individuals were drafted in the Wuhu area of Anhui province, and accounts from regional administrators indicated that every draftee had either been traded, replaced, or seized. Beginning in 1929, the Nationalist government also instituted military training for high school students and older individuals. Students were required to participate in one theoretical class and one practical class each week, totaling three hours. Starting in 1934, students had to complete a three-month military training program before graduating. Graduates of military academies were employed as military instructors. By the end of 1936, over 237,000 high school students had undergone military training. This student military training was overseen by the Society for the Implementation of the Three People's Principles of Sun Yat-sen, which also provided political education and sometimes gathered information on students' political beliefs.  Although the Nationalists made significant efforts to improve the military training of both officers and troops, they inherited deep-seated challenges that they were unable to completely overcome. A lack of facilities, outdated training manuals, low regard for military instructors, and the ongoing influence of regionalism and warlordism hindered progress. The Japanese would also later exploit these shortcomings of the Nationalist army. The Central Military Academy, which evolved from the Whampoa Military Academy established in 1923 in Guangzhou to train officers for the Northern Expedition, became the primary training institution for junior military officers. The academy offered a basic course, lasting eighteen months, which included general education, specialized training in various subjects, and field practice. This was followed by a two-year cadet training program focused on developing the skills necessary for junior military officers. Seventeen classes were admitted before the outbreak of war. Admission to the academy was highly competitive, with military officers receiving attractive salaries. For instance, in 1935, the academy received 10,000 applications for the twelfth class, but only 7% were accepted. Upon graduation, cadets were typically assigned to divisions within the Nationalist army loyal to Chiang Kai-shek. Their training, influenced by German advisors, resulted in a high-quality cadre. In modern China, most sergeants were veterans. While some units provided training for sergeants, a lack of formal education led to their diminished status. Truly qualified sergeants were rare. During his tenure as Minister of Military Training, General Bai Chongxi proposed establishing a sergeant school and creating a professional noncommissioned officer system; however, the Ministry of Military Affairs opposed this on financial grounds. While commanding officers enjoyed rapid promotions, military instructors did not. Furthermore, there was no system for transferring instructors to field commands or assigning commanders to military academies for extended periods. Despite minor updates to cover modern warfare concepts such as tank warfare and machine guns, Qing Dynasty military manuals were still in use at the Central Military Academy at the start of the war. Yeah, 1937 they were still rocking the old Qing books. Following the establishment of the Ministry of Military Training, a bureau for military translation was set up to evaluate existing course materials and translate military manuals, but its contributions were limited. Another significant shortcoming of military instruction focused on theory at the expense of practical application.  To enhance the quality of military officers, the Nationalist army instituted specialized schools for artillery, infantry, transport, engineering, and signals starting in 1931. These institutions were considered to have high-quality administrators and facilities. The Nationalists adopted German military training models, replacing the previously used Japanese models. They appointed German advisors to oversee instructor training at military academies and established three instructional divisions. By the onset of the Sino-Japanese War, 15,000 students had graduated from programs with a German military influence, resulting in the creation of about fifty combat divisions from these instructional units. However, the progress of other Nationalist army units was limited because their training was not aligned with contemporary battlefield realities. Before World War I, troops operated in close formations due to limited firepower. The widespread introduction of machine guns after World War I necessitated a shift to dispersed formations. Although a new drill manual issued by the Ministry of Military Training in 1935 introduced small-group tactics, few units adopted these methods. General Chen Cheng highlighted another underlying issue in 1938, commenting on the outmoded focus on parade ground drills and formal military manners. He noted, “We have paid too much attention to stereotypical formality and procedures of no practical use. Sometimes, even though soldiers could not get a haircut or take a bath for several months, their camps had to be in order. They underwent intensive training in close-order drill but learned little about gun handling, marksmanship, or maneuvering. This was inappropriate in peacetime, yet we continued this practice even after the Sino-Japanese War started, even using it on highly educated youth.” In contrast, the Communist army simplified training, emphasizing two essential skills: live-fire exercises and physical endurance, which significantly enhanced troop effectiveness in the challenging terrain characteristic of the Sino-Japanese War. Ultimately, the Nationalist army's training did not reach all soldiers. Only about half of all combat soldiers received adequate training, while the rest were neglected. According to statistics from the time, there were approximately five million military personnel during the Sino-Japanese War, with three million serving in logistics. Most of these logistics personnel had received little training, leading to disastrous consequences for overall combat effectiveness. As warfare has become more complex, the role of highly trained staff officers has become increasingly important. Napoleon developed operational plans close to the front and communicated orders via courier. During World War I, military commanders collected information at their headquarters and utilized telephones and automobiles to relay orders to the front lines. In World War II, with the battlefield expanding to include land, sea, and air, senior commanders often made decisions from headquarters far from the action, relying on a significant number of staff officers with specialized skills to keep them informed. In China, however, the staff officer system was underdeveloped. By 1937, only about 2,000 commanders and staff officers had received training. Prior to the Sino-Japanese War, most commanders managed staff work themselves, with staff officers serving primarily as military secretaries who drafted orders, reports, and maps. Many staff officers had no formal military training, and as a whole, the branch lacked respect, causing the most talented officers to avoid serving in it. The situation was even more dire for staff officer departments within local forces. For example, in March 1937, Liu Ziqing, a graduate of the Whampoa Military Academy, was appointed as the director of political instruction in the Forty-fourth Army, a unit under Sichuan warlord Liu Xiang. Liu Ziqing's account illustrates the dysfunction within the ranks: “The commander in chief was not supposed to manage the army and even did not know its whereabouts... But he could appoint relatives and former subordinates—who were officials and businessmen as well—to the army. Each month they would receive a small stipend. At headquarters, there was a long table and two rows of chairs. Around ten o'clock in the morning, senior officers signed in to indicate their presence. Those with other business would leave, while the remaining officers sat down to leisurely discuss star actresses, fortune-telling, business projects, mah-jongg, and opium. Occasionally they would touch on national affairs, chat about news articles, or share local gossip. In the afternoons, they primarily played mah-jongg, held banquets, and visited madams. Most mornings, the commander usually presided over these activities, and at first, I reported for duty as well. But I soon realized it was a waste of time and came very rarely. At headquarters, most staff members wore long gowns or Western-style suits, while military uniforms were a rare sight.” Most senior military personnel were trained at the Baoding Military Academy during the early republic. 2/3rds of commanders in chief, 37 %of army commanders, and 20 % of division commanders were Baoding graduates. Higher-ranking officers were more likely to have launched their careers there. In contrast, only 10 % of division commanders and a few army commanders were graduates of the Whampoa Military Academy. Additionally, commanders trained in local military schools and those with combat experience accounted for 1/3rd of all commanders. While the prevalence of civil war provided opportunities for rapid promotion, it also hindered officers' ability to update their training or gain experience in different military branches. German advisors expressed their concerns to Chiang Kai-shek, emphasizing that officers should first serve in junior roles before taking command. During one battle in 1938, Chiang noted, “Our commanders in chief are equivalent only to our enemy's regiment commanders, and our army and division commanders are only as competent as our enemy's battalion and company commanders.” Despite not viewing high-ranking Japanese officers as great strategists, Nationalist officers respected them as highly competent, diligent, and professional commanders who rarely made critical errors. The infantry was the primary component of the Nationalist army, with middle and junior infantry officers constituting over 80 %of all army officers. A 1936 registry of military officers listed 1,105 colonels and 2,159 lieutenant colonels within the infantry, demonstrating a significant outnumbering of Baoding graduates at ranks below lieutenant colonel. However, the quality of middle and junior infantry officers declined during the Sino-Japanese War; by 1944, only 27.3 % of these officers were from formal military academies, while those promoted from the ranks increased to 28.1 %. In 1937, 80 % of officers in an ordinary infantry battalion were military academy graduates, but this percentage dropped to 20 % during the war. Its hard to tell how educated soldiers were before the war, but it is generally believed that most were illiterate. In 1929, sociologist Tao Menghe surveyed 946 soldiers from a Shanxi garrison brigade and found that only 13 percent could compose a letter independently, while the rest had either never learned to read or were unable to write. In contrast, in August 1938, General Feng Yuxiang found that 80 percent of a regiment in Hunan were literate. Regardless, during the Sino-Japanese War, the quality of recruits steadily declined. More than 90 percent of soldiers were illiterate, and few possessed any basic scientific knowledge, which hindered their ability to master their weapons. On the battlefield, they heavily relied on middle and junior officers for guidance.  In autumn 1933, General Hans von Seeckt, the architect of the post World War I German army, visited China at the personal invitation of Chiang Kai-shek. In his recommendations for military reform, he identified China's greatest problem as its excessively large forces drawn from diverse backgrounds. He stated, “At present, the most pressing goal is to... establish a small, well-equipped army with high morale and combat effectiveness to replace the numerous poorly armed and trained forces.” He suggested forming an army of sixty divisions and recommended the establishment of a training regiment for military officers to equip them with the skills needed for modern warfare. Chiang Kai-shek accepted von Seeckt's proposals, and on January 26, 1935, he convened a National Military Reorganization Conference in Nanjing. On March 1, the Army Reorganization Bureau was established in Wuchang, under the leadership of General Chen Cheng. In the same month, General Alexander von Falkenhausen took charge of the German Military Advisors Group. Before war broke out, around nineteen divisions, roughly 300,000 troops received training from German advisors and were equipped with German-style weapons. At the onset of the Sino-Japanese War, the forces stemming from the First Army of the National Revolutionary Army and the Whampoa cadets, who had fought in the Northern Expedition, held the highest reputation and were referred to as the “core central forces” by the Japanese. Other notable forces included the Guangxi Army, Northwestern Army, Northeastern Army, some Uyghur units, the Guangdong Army, and the Shanxi Army. In contrast, provincial forces such as the Yunnan Army and Sichuan Army were viewed less favorably. Nationalist forces were generally far inferior to those of the Japanese enemy. In 1937, General He Yingqin noted that Nationalist forces had failed to prevail in 1932 and 1933, even when outnumbering the Japanese by 4-1.  In November 1937, during a national defense conference, Chiang Kai-shek stated, "In recent years we have worked hard, prepared actively, and achieved national unification. By the time of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, we were in a better domestic situation and had improved military preparedness compared to before. Since 1935, our strength has doubled. It increased by more than two to three times since January 1932 or September 1931 [when Japan attacked Shanghai and Mukden]. If peace had been achievable, we should have delayed the war for two or three years. Given an additional three years, our defensive capabilities would have been drastically different... Now, if we merely compare the military strength of China and Japan, we are certainly inferior." However, such assessments were overly optimistic, as Chiang failed to recognize that Japan's military capabilities would not have stagnated. 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. Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek certainly was dealt a difficult hand of cards for the upcoming poker match he was to play. Yet the Chinese were resilient and they had to be for the absolute horror that would be inflicted upon them from 1937-1945. Until this point, their enemies had been far more lenient, the Empire of Japan would show no mercy.

Episode 165 Chapter 25, Electronic Music from Japan, China, and The Asia-Pacific, Part 2. Works Recommended from my book, Electronic and Experimental Music  Welcome to the Archive of Electronic Music. This is Thom Holmes. This podcast is produced as a companion to my book, Electronic and Experimental Music, published by Routledge. Each of these episodes corresponds to a chapter in the text and an associated list of recommended works, also called Listen in the text. They provide listening examples of vintage electronic works featured in the text. The works themselves can be enjoyed without the book and I hope that they stand as a chronological survey of important works in the history of electronic music. Be sure to tune-in to other episodes of the podcast where we explore a wide range of electronic music in many styles and genres, all drawn from my archive of vintage recordings. There is a complete playlist for this episode on the website for the podcast. Let's get started with the listening guide to Chapter 25, Electronic Music from Japan, China, and The Asia-Pacific, Part 2.  from my book Electronic and Experimental music. In the playlist, the musical works are in chronological order by region (e.g., China, Taiwan).   Playlist: ELECTRONIC MUSIC FROM CHINA AND THE ASIA-PACIFIC   Time Track Time Start Introduction –Thom Holmes 01:39 00:00 China     1.     Fengjiangzou, “败臼,” (2021). From a survey of contemporary Chinese electronic music produced by the Unexplained Sounds Group. 03:36 01:40 2.     Yan Jun, “In A Sense That Yet To Be Made” (2022). From a cassette release. Yan Jun, musician and poet, born in Lanzhou and based in Beijing. 46:44 05:16 3.     Zhu Wenbo, Zhao Cong, Li Song, "3 lines" (live recording 2023 in Wujing, Beijing). “Sounds from transducer feedback, elastic ropes and other objects (foil, paper…).” Trio of improvising electronic musicians. 08:59 52:00 Taiwan     4.     Scattered Purgatory, “破城入山” (Ramming the Town, Roaming the Mountain) (2014). Experimental drone/folk/rock band from Taipei, Taiwan comprised of members Lu Li-Yang and Lu Jiachi. 07:48 01:00:58 5.     Mong Tong, “介紹 (Jiè Shào)” and “地府 (Dì Fǔ)” (2021). Mong Tong is a Taiwanese psychedelic music band formed by brothers Hom Yu and Jiun Chi. From the album, Music From Taiwan Mystery. 06:27 01:08:44 6.     Mong Tong, “天庭 (Tiān Tíng)” (2021). From the album, Music From Taiwan Mystery. 07:38 01:15:08 Thailand     7.     Rik Wachirapilun, “สังวาส (Fuck)” (1999). Rik is a Thai musician whose music combines elements from Thai, Indian, Arabic and Western New Wave/Indie Rock cultures. 04:15 01:22:46 Indonesia     8.     Otto Sidharta, “Gamelan” (1980). From the album, Otto Sidharta, Indonesian Electronic Music 1979-1992. 11:28 01:27:02 9.     Melcyd, “Hellephant” (2015). From the cassette compilation, Pekak! Indonesian Noise 1995-2015: 20 Years of Experimental Music from Indonesia. “Melcyd is an experimental music group that was born in the indie-pop scene of Yogyakarta city and shifted to a more experimental form in their later period as a music group.” 06:12 01:38:24 10.   Theonugraha, “Ngayau” (2015). From the cassette compilation, Pekak! Indonesian Noise 1995-2015: 20 Years of Experimental Music from Indonesia. 04:01 01:44:36 11.   To Die, “Di Lautan Kegamangan” (2015). From the cassette compilation, Pekak! Indonesian Noise 1995-2015: 20 Years of Experimental Music from Indonesia. A list of recordings can be found here. 04:25 01:48:38 Philippines     12.   Jose Maceda, “Ugnayan” excerpt (1973/2009). Ugnayan, music for 20 radio stations. This release is a stereo mix of the original twenty tracks recorded under the supervision of the composer in 1973 in the Philippines. 22:21 01:53:02 13.   Jose Maceda, “Strata” (1987). 19:42 02:15:22 New Zealand     14.   Douglas Lilburn, “The Return” (1965). Narrator, Tim Elliott; Technical Supervision, Willi Gailer; Maori Voice, Mahi Potiki. Tape work with voices. Douglas Lilburn (1915-2001) has been described as the "grandfather of New Zealand music," having worked in both conventional classical styles as well as pioneering electro-acoustic music in New Zealand. 17:00 02:34:58 15.   Annea Lockwood, “Tiger Balm” (1970/1987). Revised Tape, Annea Lockwood; Engineering Assistance, Peter Grogono. “Tiger Balm was originally mixed in 1970 at Peter Zinovieff's Putney Studio in London. It was revised by the composer in her own studio a number of years later. This is the revised version.” Born in New Zealand, Annea Lockwood moved to England in 1961, studying composition at the Royal College of Music, London and followed courses in electronic music with Gottfried Michael Koenig. 10:26 02:51:56 16.   Douglas Lilburn, “Soundscape with Lake and River” (1979). 11:01 03:02:22 17.   Ros Bandt, “Stack (Red Rhythmic Pulses In Red Paint and Electrified Steel)” (2000). Concept, composed, performed, sound design, art direction, design, photography, Ros Bandt. Bandt is a musicologist, sound sculptor and instrument designer. 09:57 03:13:22 18.   Rory Storm, “My Little Sun” (2005). Sound artist from New Zealand. Electric guitar, drum loop, bass guitar, keyboards, samples, acoustic guitar, field recording, vocals, tape, piano, ocarina, Metasynth, Rory Storm. 05:41 03:23:16   Opening and closing voicings, Anne Benkovitz. Additional opening, closing, and other incidental music by Thom Holmes. My Books/eBooks: Electronic and Experimental Music, sixth edition, Routledge 2020. Also, Sound Art: Concepts and Practices, first edition, Routledge 2022. See my companion blog that I write for the Bob Moog Foundation. For a transcript, please see my blog, Noise and Notations. Original music by Thom Holmes can be found on iTunes and Bandcamp.

We start with this week’s China propaganda update (2:27), followed by a look at a 112 y/o letter from Borden in Cairo (34:05). Next, we look at how to Pray for China this week (39:19) followed by an insane team schedule that I unearthed from exactly 12 years ago in NW China (46:06). Follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I post daily reminders to pray for China (PrayforChina.us). If you enjoy this podcast, follow or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also email any questions or comments to contact @ PrayforChina dot us. And don’t forget to check out all the things we are doing at PrayGiveGo.us. Luke 10:2! China/Russia vs Ukraine/USA: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202502/1329289.shtml The “Real China” Breaks Through: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202502/1329281.shtml Death Sentence for Child Trafficker: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202502/1329258.shtml China: US Violates Human Rights: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202503/1329294.shtml Borden’s Arab Homestay: https://open.substack.com/pub/chinacall/p/arab-homestay Pray for China (PrayforChina.us) Mar 1 (Sat) - Pray for Tongling in Anhui Province, which is paired with Iowa for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us Anhui Podcast: Beheaded https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/audio/podcasts/30293/episodes/31 Mar 2 (Sun) - Pray for Siming District in Xiamen Prefecture of SE China's Fujian Province, which is paired with South Carolina for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us Fujian podcast and more info…https://prayforchina.us/index.php/fujian/ Mar 3 (Mon) - Pray for Chengguan (“CityGate”) District, the urban core of Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province, which is paired for prayer with its sister state of Oklahoma: www.Pray4Gansu.com Here's my Gansu podcast (and more)... https://prayforchina.us/index.php/gansu/ Mar 4 (Tue) - Pray for Shijingshan District in the suburbs of west-central Beijing, which is paired with Washington DC (and MD) for prayer: prayforchina.us/index.php/maryland/ My Tiananmen Crosspolitic interview: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/the-pub/videos/30786 Mar 5 (Wed) - Pray for Kaili City, the most populated in Qiandongnan Prefecture in Guizhou Province, which is paired with Missouri for prayer: www.prayforchina.us/states/missouri.html Here's the Guizhou podcast (and more)... https://prayforchina.us/index.php/guizhou/ Mar 6 (Thu) - Pray for landlocked Nada Town, the largest in Danzhou Prefecture on Hainan Island, which is paired with Hawaii for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us Here's the Hainan pod: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/the-pub/podcasts/30293/episodes/37 Mar 7 (Fri) - Pray for Yongnian District in Handan City, in southern Hebei Province. “Huh-bay” is paired with both Wisconsin and Michigan for prayer: https://prayforchina.us/index.php/michigan/ Here's my Hebei pod: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/the-pub/podcasts/30293/episodes/39 Mar 8 (Sat) - Pray for Nangang District, the most populated in Harbin City, the capital of Heilongjiang, which is paired with MN and the UP of MI for prayer: https://prayforchina.us/index.php/michigan/ My Heilongjiang podcast: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/the-pub/podcasts/30293/episodes/20 Listen to hear the "Insane Adventures" I share at the end of today's podcast...

We start with this week’s China propaganda update (2:27), followed by a look at a 112 y/o letter from Borden in Cairo (34:05). Next, we look at how to Pray for China this week (39:19) followed by an insane team schedule that I unearthed from exactly 12 years ago in NW China (46:06). Follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I post daily reminders to pray for China (PrayforChina.us). If you enjoy this podcast, follow or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also email any questions or comments to contact @ PrayforChina dot us. And don’t forget to check out all the things we are doing at PrayGiveGo.us. Luke 10:2! China/Russia vs Ukraine/USA: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202502/1329289.shtml The “Real China” Breaks Through: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202502/1329281.shtml Death Sentence for Child Trafficker: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202502/1329258.shtml China: US Violates Human Rights: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202503/1329294.shtml Borden’s Arab Homestay: https://open.substack.com/pub/chinacall/p/arab-homestay Pray for China (PrayforChina.us) Mar 1 (Sat) - Pray for Tongling in Anhui Province, which is paired with Iowa for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us Anhui Podcast: Beheaded https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/audio/podcasts/30293/episodes/31 Mar 2 (Sun) - Pray for Siming District in Xiamen Prefecture of SE China's Fujian Province, which is paired with South Carolina for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us Fujian podcast and more info…https://prayforchina.us/index.php/fujian/ Mar 3 (Mon) - Pray for Chengguan (“CityGate”) District, the urban core of Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province, which is paired for prayer with its sister state of Oklahoma: www.Pray4Gansu.com Here's my Gansu podcast (and more)... https://prayforchina.us/index.php/gansu/ Mar 4 (Tue) - Pray for Shijingshan District in the suburbs of west-central Beijing, which is paired with Washington DC (and MD) for prayer: prayforchina.us/index.php/maryland/ My Tiananmen Crosspolitic interview: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/the-pub/videos/30786 Mar 5 (Wed) - Pray for Kaili City, the most populated in Qiandongnan Prefecture in Guizhou Province, which is paired with Missouri for prayer: www.prayforchina.us/states/missouri.html Here's the Guizhou podcast (and more)... https://prayforchina.us/index.php/guizhou/ Mar 6 (Thu) - Pray for landlocked Nada Town, the largest in Danzhou Prefecture on Hainan Island, which is paired with Hawaii for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us Here's the Hainan pod: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/the-pub/podcasts/30293/episodes/37 Mar 7 (Fri) - Pray for Yongnian District in Handan City, in southern Hebei Province. “Huh-bay” is paired with both Wisconsin and Michigan for prayer: https://prayforchina.us/index.php/michigan/ Here's my Hebei pod: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/the-pub/podcasts/30293/episodes/39 Mar 8 (Sat) - Pray for Nangang District, the most populated in Harbin City, the capital of Heilongjiang, which is paired with MN and the UP of MI for prayer: https://prayforchina.us/index.php/michigan/ My Heilongjiang podcast: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/the-pub/podcasts/30293/episodes/20 Listen to hear the "Insane Adventures" I share at the end of today's podcast...

The Lowest Moral Denominator.By FinalStand. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.Those who declare war are willing to kill as many as it takes to reach their goal.(The Lowest Moral Denominator)My first week at Havenstone, I'd biked to work alone on most days and I'd enjoyed that. I'd have treasure it more if I had glimpsed my future. I loved people, not crowds. I knew about violence, yet I had no affection for it. I was a confirmed bachelor. Now I was staring down both barrels of marriage. I had had also become a walking arsenal with a lethal omnipresent entourage.This situation was so fucked up that I had to stop by Caitlin's place just to see Aya. My favorite sprite gave me a hug and reminded me that I had to do what I could, not worry about what I couldn't do. She was my 9 year old Svengali. She was my little Valkyrie. In truth, she was the only woman knew I loved and that was the love of a father for his daughter.On the elevator ride up to the penthouse suite of the Midtown Hilton, I thought about Dad. What would Ferko Nyilas do in my shoes? It would be easy for someone who didn't know him to imagine my dad getting up on his high moral horse and telling me to just do the right thing, except that wasn't him. What he'd tell me was to not pass the buck. I had to deal with this, unless I knew someone else who could and would do it better.It wasn't about 'being a man'; it was being a member of the Human Race. We all pitched in and got the job done, or it didn't get done, and millions died because we refused to accept any responsibility for what was going on. That was my Dad, 'do what you can' and 'never be afraid to ask for help if you need it'. After the age of ten, he never told me I had to do anything. He'd tell me what needed to be done and leave it at that.So I wouldn't forget the pictures I knew I'd be seeing before too long, the innocent dead. If the sorrow broke me, it broke me. Until it did, I could not turn away. I had to 'do what I could'. That put me heading to a meeting at three o'clock in the afternoon in the penthouse suite.After my non-breakfast with Iskender, we had driven straight to Havenstone, where I demanded an immediate, private meeting with Katrina. This wasn't an info-dump and then out the door. No, I was part of the process now, one of those fools who were responsible for the lives of others. Katrina and I had argued about compartmentalizing my terrifying news.Her reasoning was clear. We were at war with the Seven Pillars. The basis of the 7P strength was China, so anything bad that happened to China was good for the Amazon Host. I nixed that. It was Katrina's job to think about our security. It was mine to juggle how we related to the rest of the planet. Absent the Golden Mare's opposition, Katrina couldn't stop me from doing my job as I saw fit.The Golden Mare was out of immediate contact, so we moved forward on my proposal. Katrina called Javiera, validated Vincent's call, and then suggested she bring in someone from the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) at Ft. Detrick. Katrina wouldn't tell her why.I dispatched Delilah to talk to her MI-6 guy while I made my way to Nicole Lawless's law offices. I need to talk to my Aunts. An hour later, I dismissed a somewhat piqued Nicole from the room, then laid out the upcoming crisis to my Mom's clones. I hesitated a minute before dropping the other bomb, Grandpa Cáel was back.Was I sure? I countered with, "Do you know who Shammuramat was?"Why, yes they did; Grandpa had a bust of her in his main office."Well, she's back, in the flesh and that spells all kinds of problems".The six aunts present agreed. They invited me to fly to Europe with five of them. Much to their surprise and joy, I agreed. I told them I would be a party of twelve with plenty of firepower. They were less pleased about that.I exited that scene, only to engage in another, somewhat unrelated, bit of diplomacy. I met with Brooke and Libra for lunch. They brought Casper, who was seeing a specialist in New York and had expressed an interest in seeing me again. Into that volatile mix, I placed my request: 'Could Brooke put up a friend for a couple of weeks while I made other arrangements?'Yes, this was a 'bizarre' friend. Yes, this was a violently bizarre friend. Yes, she walked around with enough weaponry to scare a seasoned SWAT officer. And yes, she was a mass murderer. Cool,, if I agreed to stop by and see how this 'friend' was doing, and gave Libra advance notice too, then they were fine with it.Thus Shammuramat, Sakuniyas, Saku became Brooke's roommate. Insane? Not really. Putting Saku inside Havenstone on a regular basis was going to result in a blood bath. Saku was abrasive and she was a criminal in the minds of her 'sisters'. This gave her an 'out', some space and time with a civilized person who she couldn't emotionally bowl over.If Saku got physical with Brooke, we both understood that House Ishara was going to cancel her return performance. Amazons could defend themselves, so we were fair game for her rude behavior. Brooke couldn't, so she was hopefully out of bounds. Saku had agreed to the arrangement without comment.She'd already figured out that no other Amazons wanted her around and there simply wasn't room at my place. With that chore done, I was able to see Miyako off before her flight to Tokyo by way of Seattle. Selena was with her, but not going. Miyako did have three Amazons in case things got rough.The Marda House guard woman looked mature and humorless. Her age wasn't a problem. She was a grandmother, yet if she thought she couldn't keep up, she'd have taken herself to the cliffs before now. It turned out she had been in Executive Services before returning to House Marda. My diplomat, I didn't know her, but she seemed eager enough. The member of House Ishara was a brand new recruit named Jenna.She was from Acquisitions and spoke seven Asian languages, including Japanese. She looked absolutely thrilled to be heading off into danger. I instructed the younger two to obey the Mardan. In private, I 'advised' the Mardan that our main mission was to be of aid to the ninja. Information gathering would be secondary. More Amazons were on the way. She gave me a nod.For this critical mid-afternoon meeting at the Midtown Hilton, Wiesława lead the way off the elevator. Buffy went next, then me and finally Saku. Delilah and Vincent had already arrived with their appropriate factions. Katrina took a separate elevator, with Elsa and Desiree. Pamela was, somewhere. After she'd pointed out a half-dozen people from four different agencies in the lobby, she told me to not wait while she went to the bathroom.At the door of the Penthouse were two familiar faces from the NYPD, Nikita Kutuzov and her partner, Skylar Montero. When Javiera's investigation followed me to New York, they had been drafted into the taskforce."Hey ladies," I smiled. My last meeting with Nikita hadn't gone well."Cáel," Nikita smiled back. "How have you been?""More trouble than normal," I shook her hand."We can tell," Skylar relaxed somewhat. As Nikita's partner, she had to know that our relationship had soured when she started investigating me. Katrina's group came up."I think you are the last to arrive," Nikita informed us. This time, Desiree was the first one through the door. I could hear the conversation trail off. Wiesława went next, then Katrina, me, Buffy, Saku and finally Elsa. I decided to toss 'civilized' behavior out the window seconds after entering. Virginia Maddox of the FBI, the initiator of the Amazon children's airlift, was here.I hugged her and after a moment, she hugged me back."Priya says hey and," she blushed slightly, "she's counting the days, all forty-five of them.""Don't forget, I owe you," I grinned then patted her shoulder. Javiera was next."Cáel," she headed my familiarity off. She was a Federal Prosecutor after all."This is the head of this taskforce, Jonas Baker (deep breath) Associate Deputy Undersecretary of Analysis for Homeland Security {ADUAHS} (deep breath)." I extended my hand, so he shook it. He looked somewhat annoyed by this whole encounter. Javiera was duly nervous because of his poor initial attitude. The introductions went around.Half way through it, Pamela showed up, from where, I didn't know. Delilah, her MI-6 boss and the British professional killer Chaz were there, much to the chagrin of the Americans. Vincent was there with Javiera. Cresky was representing the CIA plus there was ATF, ICE, Riki Martin (?) from the State Department and a man in a civil servant's salary suit and a military demeanor, Captain Moe Mistriano."Fine," Mr. Baker began. "I hope you aren't wasting our time." His gaze flicked between Katrina and me."May the Blessed Isis bring understanding to our meeting," I intoned, in old Egyptian."What was that?" Baker turned on me."Praying for guidance," I replied. Isis wasn't in the Amazon pantheon, but I could sure use her help at this point. Baker was going from put-out to pissed-off. If that is how they wanted to play it, their choice. "Are you the specialist from Ft. Detrick?" I asked the Captain."Yes, I am and I hope this is worth my time as well," he gave me a steady gaze. Oh, I really needed that."Anthrax, China," I stated and weighed his response. Oh yeah, I had his attention now, which meant his bio-warfare unit had some idea about what was happening in China."Care to enlighten me?" Baker inquired. He had gauged his medical expert's reactions as well and he didn't like what the biological warfare specialist was not saying."Mr. Baker," the Captain decided to go first. "Roughly fifty-five hours ago, we got wind that there was a massive Anthrax outbreak in Western China. Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia and Nei Mongol administrative regions have all reported outbreaks."Holy Shit!" Riki Martin gasped. Her dark, whip-like, Hispanic features noticeably paled."That sounds suspiciously like bio-terrorism," Jonas Baker turned on me."You'd be right about that," I refused to evade. "It is and it is about to get a whole lot worse.""The PRC has a robust vaccine program," the Captain stated. "That is why they aren't making a public stink about it. They have the problem well under control.""Damn, " I closed my eyes and lowered my head. In some deep section of my mind, I had fanned the feeble flames of hope that somehow, the Earth  and  Sky program had derailed. "That is the 'whole lot worse' I was talking about. The terrorists aren't terrorists. They, ""What do you mean they are not terrorists," Baker snapped. "They, ""Shut up and let the man speak," Katrina said calmly."Who are you again?" he glared at Katrina. "If you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem and I'm here to make sure this problem is dealt with. I am not here to play footsie with you. I am going to be asking some tough questions and you had better answer them.""I'm Cáel's boss," Katrina smiled. "Since we came here to help you and you don't want to let us speak, we are leaving. Cáel."The Amazons didn't turn and leave. No, we backed up toward the door."You can't start talking about an ongoing terrorist threat and then walk out the door," Baker argued."Javiera, I apologize," I looked her way. "Mr. Baker, Javiera's a smart cookie. I'm sure she's given you every bit of information that has come across her desk. That means you know we consider ourselves an independent nation-state without borders. You can't intimidate us. We feel no obligation to obey your legal system and we operate internationally," I kept going."Now, as we are trying to repay Javiera's kindness in our time of need, you are treating us like criminals currying favors. Blow it out your ass, you pompous bureaucrat" I concluded. "We aren't the problem here.""If that's the way you want it," he shrugged. "Javiera, arrest them." Pause."Sir, you do realize that if I give that order, there is a good likelihood they will resist with force?" Javiera replied calmly. Baker looked around the room."We outnumber them and these are law enforcement officers," he insisted. "Now, ""I wouldn't count on that 'outnumbered' thing," Delilah chimed in.Chaz and MI-6 dude didn't seem to be onboard with his plan. "I have reason to believe Cáel has information on a highly virulent weaponized Anthrax program. If our US allies aren't interested, Her Majesty's government certainly will be." That did interest the MI-6 senior officer."That is all the more reason to put these people into federal custody," Baker stated."Then what, Mr. Associate Deputy?" Chaz said. "Are you going to torture them for time sensitive data? In my military service, I've met some truly hard characters. Some people you can put a gun to their child's head and they'll tell you what you want to know. Not this group. They'll memorize your face and wait for a chance to make you pay, whether you kill the kid, or not.""That's my read on them as well," Agent Vincent Loire added."Mr. Baker, I worked under you when we were both in Counter-terrorism," Virginia spoke up. "I think you are mishandling this. Invoke the Patriot Act and all we get is a roomful of statues. I've fought beside these, Amazons and I'm reaffirming my report to Ms. Castello (Javiera), they do not believe their behavior is wrong.At some point in their fifties, they commit ritual suicide. They make their twelve year old daughters fight for their lives. They murder their male infants. Sir, they are an alien society, indoctrinated at birth to believe they are spiritual inheritors of the ancient Amazons mentioned by Homer during the time of the Iliad.They fanatically believe in a pantheon of goddesses and possess very little inclination for integration. They think they are superior to everyone in this room, except for Cáel, he's an oddity," Virginia pleaded."That legion of crimes is yet another reason to arrest them," Baker just wouldn't give up."What you have described, Agent Maddox is a right wing nut cult, like the Branch-Davidians at Waco. Arrest them.""What are the charges?" Javiera's face blanked out."Conspiracy to commit terrorist acts; aiding and abetting an international terrorist organization," Baker snapped."Everyone, put down your firearms and blades," Katrina ordered. I didn't have the status to give that order except to my own. For that matter,"Team, disarm," Elsa commanded her Security Detail people. Technically, Katrina couldn't order those girls to forego their primary mission, defend the Host. Out came the guns.The group of us went over to one wall, put our backs to it and sat down. Pro forma, Virginia, Vincent and the ATF guy drew their firearms. By this time, both Riki and the Captain looked ready to explode."Tell us what you know about this terrorist conspiracy and, " Baker said."We invoke our Right to Council," I raised my hand."You are being charged under the Patriot Act, smart-ass," Baker sneered. "We can hold you indefinitely if we can show a risk to National Security, such as a terrorist attack in China.""I apologize for dragging you into this," I turned to Katrina. "You too, Saku." Saku shrugged."I told you there is no benefit in helping 'these people'," Katrina comforted me. She meant non-Amazons and it was rather sad that it was looking like she was right and I was wrong."Unless you want to grow old and grey in Guantanamo, I suggest you start talking now," Baker threatened.There was no bravado on our part. We didn't zone out, or ignore him. We looked at him the same way we would a yappy dog while continuing to scan the room. Being disarmed didn't make us defenseless. It merely limited our options."Sir," Riki tapped Baker."If the People's Republic of China finds out we withheld details of a terrorist attack on their soil, that would be BAD, with a capital 'B'.""I have to call this in," the Captain shook his head."Wait until we have active intelligence," Baker said. The Captain completed his call."I don't work for you, Sir. I work for the Department of Defense and that man," the Captain pointed at me, "strung two words together he shouldn't have. Now, I don't know any of you people. I was told to come here, so here I am. I do know, Sir, that you are ignoring the advice from your experts about the expected results of standard interrogation techniques.You are acting on two assumptions which I find to be fictitious," the Captain was clearly furious. "First, you seem to think this won't get out, and you are wrong. Why? We have no idea who these people have talked with. We can only believe that any person outside of their organization can use that revelation for their own ends. Secondly, you haven't grasped the extent of the emergency.Chinese citizens are already starting to drop dead as we speak. This variant of Anthrax is highly contagious, fast-acting, and appears to be incredibly fatal. No nation on Earth has enough Anthrax vaccine on hand to protect their entire population, and that still implies that the vaccines we currently have will work on this new bacteria. Need I go on?"Then Captain Mistriano went back to talking softly with his companions back at Ft. Detrick. The MI-6 chief made his own call. This was his job after all. Before Baker could even start to threaten the Brit, Delilah and Chaz had their guns out, though pointed down. The US law enforcement operatives were far more leery of challenging agents of a friendly foreign power."I will make sure to tack on charges for all those deaths you are facilitating," Baker piled it on. "The US government might find it necessary to send you to the People's Republic of China to face charges there. After all, you claim to not be US citizens." None of us responded verbally. We looked at him. We certainly heard him speak, but his '

Last time we spoke about the first Encirclement Campaign against the CCP. Amidst ongoing attacks, the communist movement thrived in rural Jiangxi, even as urban support dwindled. Li Lisan championed urban uprisings, opposing Mao Zedong's focus on rural encirclement. Failed assaults on Nanchang and Changsha highlighted their discord. The Red Army's strategy shifted after capturing Ji'an, bolstered by peasant support. As the NRA prepared an encirclement, Mao proposed luring them deep before striking. Internal strife peaked with the Futian Incident, leading to a purge that solidified Mao's power but weakened the Red Army's defenses. Amidst internal strife, the NRA launched attacks on the Reds but faced fierce resistance. Lu Diping's forces encircled Donggu, leading to heavy losses as artillery mistakenly struck their own troops. The Reds capitalized on local support and guerrilla tactics, inflicting significant defeats on the NRA in Longgang and Dongshao. Despite Chiang Kai-Shek's attempts to reclaim territory, the Reds successfully executed a series of ambushes and strategic retreats. By the end of the campaign, the Jiangxi Soviet expanded significantly, validating Mao's strategies and shifting public favor towards the communists.   #124 Sino-Tibetan War of 1930–1932 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. For those who know their Sino history, we are drawing close to the year of 1931. This is arguably the year WW2 actually began, some of you might be confused by that statement, but I assure you mainland Chinese would argue this point very much. Once we breach that door its going to be a very long time before we can talk about the multiple other things going on in China. For example, a lot happens in China's northwest. So I thought it would be best to tackle some of that before we jump into the 15 year China War. Do forgive me for being a tease. So the first thing I wanted to talk about is the Second Sino-Tibetan War of 1930-1932. Now this is a huge can of worms as they say and to truly understand it we need to cover a lot of history. There has always been conflict between whatever we consider historically China and Tibet. Historians have often broken things down into three major conflicts during the early 20th century that led directly to the second Sino-Tibetan War. After the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution, the 13th Dalai Lama closely monitored the political changes in mainland China and the situation of the central government's officials and military stationed in Tibet, preparing to organize Tibetan forces and initiate an anti-Han Incident movement. In March 1912, the Dalai Lama issued a "Public Letter" through the Ganden Palace via the Kashag. The Kashag was the governing council of Tibet during the rule of the Qing  all the way to the 1950s. Following the release of this letter, the 13th Dalai Lama immediately formed a "Tibetan People's Army" of over ten thousand troops, deciding to use force to expel the Sichuanese army. The Tibetan forces first dealt with the Sichuan troops stationed in Yadong, Jiangzi, and Shigatse, and then besieged the Sichuan troops in Lhasa. Fearing being attacked from both within and outside, the Tibetan forces hastened to eliminate the Sichuan troops already within Tibet. The local Tibetan authorities also initiated an offensive against the region known as the Kham in the west of Sichuan. After 1939 this would be called Xikang, so to make things easier I will refer to it as such. The extensive eastward expansion of the Tibetan army shocked the entire nation, prompting military and political figures from Sichuan, Yunnan, and other areas to issue telegrams or contact the central government, demanding military action to quell the unrest and stabilize Tibet. In response to the chaotic situation in Tibet and Xikang, the Yuan Shikai government adopted a strategy of sending troops to suppress it. On May 25, 1912, Yuan Shikai issued an order for a westward expedition, and on June 14, the Beiyang government directed Governor of Sichuan,Yin Changheng to lead the troops westward. On July 10  Yin Changheng led 2,500 Sichuan troops westward from Chengdu. At the same time, Cai E also dispatched Yunnanese troops northward to meet the Sichuan army in Tibet. In August, the Sichuan army split into two routes: the southern route led by Zhu Senlin attacked Hekou, modern day Yajiang and Litang, defeating the Tibetan troops and capturing the key strongholds of Maguizong, Jianzibay, and Xie Luoluo, subsequently laying siege to Litang; the northern route was led by Liu Ruilin, who provided assistance to Chengdu and Batang. Meanwhile, the Yunnanese troops entered Tibet via the Nu River, capturing the gateway of Yanjing in northern Yunnan. At the end of August, Liu Ruilin attacked the eastern Tibetan stronghold of Chengdu. On September 3, Zhu Senlin's forces captured Litang and recaptured Gongjue, Sanyan, and Tongpu; shortly thereafter, the areas of Zhanhua, Baiyu, Daocheng, Xiangcheng, and Zha Ya also surrendered. On September 16, the western expeditionary army advanced westward from Chengdu, attacking Jiangda. By the end of September, the western expeditionary army had recovered all territories belonging to the late Qing dynasty's Sichuan-Yunnan border affairs department, except for the counties of Kema and Chayu in the southern route, and Dingqing represented by roughly 39 clans, Shobanduo, Lari, and Jiangda in the northern route.  On September 12, the Beijing government ordered the change of Jiangda in Tibet to Taizhou Prefecture, Lari to Jiali Prefecture, and Shobanduo to Shodu Prefecture. On the 25th, Yin Changheng was appointed as the pacification envoy at the Sichuan border, overseeing the Xikang region, which was divided into the eastern and western border areas, governing the six prefectures of Kangding, Lihua, Ba'an, Dengke, Chengdu, and Jiahe, as well as the two states of Dehua and Ganzi. Just as the western expeditionary army was achieving victory and preparing to enter Tibet from Kangding, the British colonial authorities publicly intervened, trying to prevent the expeditionary army from entering Tibet. Under British pressure, Yuan Shikai was forced to order the Sichuan and Yunnan armies to delay their advance, effectively halting their progress at the Nu River line. At the same time, the Beiyang government's policy towards Tibet shifted from suppression to pacification. Although the Sichuan and Yunnan armies ceased their military actions against Tibet, the significance of the western expedition was profound, as it enabled the central government to basically recover Xikang and played a significant role in curbing the British colonizers and Tibetan separatist forces, preventing Tibet from repeating the fate of Outer Mongolia. Thus ended the first period of conflict. What proceeded was known as the Simla Convention, we actually covered that event in some detail a long time ago in this series. More or less the convention divided Tibet into Outer and Inner Tibet, which also were referred to as U-Tsang and western Kham, ie: Xikang. With the support and assistance of Britain, the Tibetan local government gathered troops in Eastern Tibet to confront the Sichuan army, aiming to use military force to advance the control area of the Tibetan government to Dajianlu. In September 1917, two Tibetan soldiers from the Lhoka area invaded the Sichuan army's defense zone and were captured and sent to Chengdu by the border troops. After questioning by Commander Peng Risheng, it was made clear that the captured Tibetans would have to be detained. Tibet sent a letter to negotiate, requesting the return of the captured Tibetans, to be handled by Tibetan officials. Peng, without assessing the situation, executed the captured individuals and sent their heads back, which obviously infuriated the Tibetans, leading them to mobilize a large force to attack En and Lhoka. The British immediately supplied the Tibetan army with 5,000 quick-firing rifles and 5 million rounds of ammunition to support a large-scale offensive against Enda County and Lhoka. By January 1918, Enda County had fallen, and the counties of Chaya, Ningjing, and Changdu were all under attack from the well-armed Tibetan army. In March, Ningjing County was lost, and the Chengdu garrison, who were quote “surrounded on all sides, though there was plenty of food in the city, had run out of ammunition.” In June, the Tibetan army captured Chengdu, and after accepting Peng Risheng's surrender, advanced rapidly eastward across the Ningjing Mountains and the Jinsha River, capturing the counties of Dege, Dengke, Shiqu, Baiyu, Gongxian, Wucheng, and Ningjing, until they were stopped by fierce fighting from the border troops at Ganzi.  On August 8, 1918, the Dalai Lama expressed his unwillingness to oppose what he called “the Chinese benefactor” but agreed to ceasefire negotiations. On August 21, a ceasefire agreement consisting of thirteen articles was reached in Chengdu among Liu Zanting, a representative of the Sichuan border troops, Jiangbadan, a representative of the Tibetan side, and a representative of the British government. They agreed that the Tibetan army would withdraw from the recently occupied counties of Zhanhua and Ganzi and return them to the Sichuan border, while the remaining occupied counties would be managed by Tibetan officials. They also agreed to a ceasefire for one year starting from October 17, 1918, awaiting a resolution to the Tibetan issue from the central government and the Dalai Lama. This “Thirteen-Article Agreement” effectively recognized the Tibetan army's occupation of the border areas in legal terms. After this, Chengdu and the aforementioned seven counties west of the Jinsha River came under the control of the Tibetan local government. Thus ended the second period of conflict.  Here we come to the year of 1930. Now a lot had occurred during the 1920's. The Beiyang government had tried to maintain the indirect administrative structures of the former Qing Dynasty. In the absence of effective Chinese political control over Tibet, implementation of national policy fell onto regional actors, in this case Fu Zuoyi in Suiyuan and Liu Wenhui in Xikang. Along the Qinghai/Amdo frontier, Sino-Muslim leaders like Ma Bufang projected military authority from the provincial capital of Xining. Now a lot of what we are about to talk about revolves around a place called Yushu. Yushu is a mountainous region of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. The Tanggula Mountains form the southwestern boundary of Yushu, bordering Tibet. In the largely uninhabitable northwestern region of Yushu, you'll find the renowned Kekexili nature reserve and the railway connecting Xining to Lhasa. The main branch of the Kunlun Mountains, which splits Qinghai province into northern and southern regions, forms Yushu's northern boundary, while a branch of the Kunlun range, the Bayanhar Mountains, defines its northeastern edge. Yushu is the source of three of Asia's major rivers. The northeasternmost section of Yushu drains into the Yellow River as it flows towards Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu. Central and southeastern Yushu give rise to the headwaters of the Mekong and Yangzi, known locally as the Zhaqu and Tongtian rivers. The Qinghai provincial government emphasized the region's prominent topographical features—mountain ranges and river systems. Provincial reports meticulously described the mountain passes that link Yushu to key areas such as Lhasa, Chengdu in Xikang, Sichuan, Xinjiang, and Xining, along with the challenging passes within Yushu. Yushu is a very difficult terrain for communication and transportation, quite the obstacle for governance. The journey between the provincial capital and Yushu totaled over 1620 li, a highway connecting such a path would not be built until 1944. A strong local governance was found in the form of Tibetan tribes known as the 25 peoples of Yushu. Yet the Qinghai provincial government sought to govern the land and those in Xining viewed Yushu as a barbarian region, where pastoral nomadism reigned. They would speak of Yushu as being an endless steppe inhabited by barbaric people who wandered aimlessly. Yushu had a complicated economic geography with monasteries occupying the richest land and concentrating monetary, spiritual, and political power on the local scale and pastoral tribes migrating in the areas in between. The monasteries acted as sites for periodic markets of trade, throughout Yushu. As much as they were Tibetan Buddhist monasteries for religious devotion, they were also landowners with powers of taxation. The hereditary tribal ladders of the 25 peoples of Yushu were thus a secondary network of political and economic authority in Yushu. The pastoral tribes who traversed the borderless region of Yushu, Xikang and Kham confused outsiders. The Beiyang government, as I have said, tried to simply adopt the former Qing policies. For Yushu they were ruling through an indirect system of local headmen. Each tribe determined their title, either company commander or battalion commander and were responsible for bi-annual taxes and periodic military conscription to the government in Xining. One of these tribal leaders, Cai Zuozhen, the leader of the Buqing tribe came from Huangyuan, lying between Xining and the Riyue mountains. His father worked as a translator for the Xining tribute tax collection missions. The 1920's were continuous years of strife, especially between the tribes. No governing body really understood or had any real control over the region. In 1929 Yusuhu became an official county and on August 6th of that year, Ma Qi advocated an 8 point plan for calming her border problems. The plan included reconstructing a civilian government, promoting Tibetan Buddhism, opening more land for agriculture, training troops, establishing factories and mills, improving transportation and securing borders. He sought to implement all of this through the Yushu county government. However in the same year the Civil Affairs Bureau recommended adding 7 new counties some of which would carve chunks out of Yushu. The plan never materialized due to ongoing government difficulties, but remained on the table. In the meantime the government began a provincial level training program for self-government regions within Qinghai. 50 graduates came out of this program, none came from or were sent to Yushu. By the late 1920's the region was being fought over by multiple parties for multiple reasons. There were 3 overarching reasons for why war would break out. Number 1 was because of the border disputes between Tibet and China. The Tibetans claimed areas inhabited by their people in the neighboring provinces of Qinghai and Sichuan were being ruled by warlords with loose connections to the Nanjing government. 2) There was a dispute between the 13th Dalai Lama and 9th Panchen Lama. To clarify the Panchen Lama is second to the Dalai Lama, to be more specific “the Panchen Lama is the reincarnation of Amithaba, the Buddha of Boundless Light, while the Dalai Lama is the reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig in Tibetan), the Buddha of Compassion. Traditionally, each acts as mentor to the other, and plays a key role in identifying the other's reincarnation”. Anyways the 9th Panchen Lama had been exiled and seen to be quite pro Chinese. 3) was the complex disputes of the people in regions like Yushu. Now the catalyst for the war was a chieftain from the town of Beri, which is in Yushu but is in an area claimed by Tibet, but under control of Sichuan. This chieftain whose name I cannot for the life of me find, seized items from the Targye Monastery. It is alleged the 9th Panchen Lama incited this action. The monks of the monastery rallied forces and took back the properties. The chieftain then asked for help from the governor of Sichuan, Liu Wenhui. Liu Wenhui unleashed forces into the area, forcing the Targye monks to ask for help from the Tibetan government who drove his men out. Thus began a series of clashes. The KMT Muslim official Tang Kesan was dispatched to negotiate an end to the conflict. Muslim General Ma Fuxiang, as head of the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission, sent a telegram instructing Tang Kesan to break the agreement with Tibet, fearing political rivals in Nanjing were exploiting the situation. In the following years, Tibetan forces launched repeated attacks on Liu Wenhui's troops but were defeated multiple times. In 1932, the Tibetans rallied 6000 troops along the Jinsha river, an area that acted as the boundary between Yushu and Xikang. In response to the Tibetan threat, in March the Qing government established the Qinghai Southern Border Region garrison under Ma Bufang. Two brigades deployed in Yushu; the first brigade was led by Ma Xun and the 2nd by Ma Biao. The Tibetans invaded, but only Ma Biao's men were ready at the border as Ma Xun's were still enroute from the provincial capital. At the time of the attack Ma Biao had one camp of cavalry, alongside some headquarters personnel for a combined total of 400 men. He dispatched his secretary Wang Jiamei to Tibet to try and negotiate a peaceful settlement. It is believe he did this simply to delay the enemy as he immediately telegrammed Ma Bufang for reinforcements, but they would not arrive until mid-june. On March 24th the Tibetans attacked Lesser Surmang, gradually forcing their way into southern Qinghai. After 8 hours of battle, both sides suffered tremendous casualties. During that night within the county seat of Jiegu, Ma Biao convened a conference attended by chieftains, merchants and important town leaders. At the meeting, Ma Biao asserted “our strength is sufficient to protect the lives and property of Yushu's residents. Not only will we resist Tibetan incursions, but in the future we will tie our war horses at the gate of the Tibetan government compound!” However Ma Biao would find it quite difficult to make due on these promises. On March 26th, the Greater Surmang contingent of his forces met 500 Tibetans on the battlefield just southeast of Jiegu. As told to us by Cai Zuozhen “the Tibetans simply overwhelmed the undermanned provincial forces by at least five to one”. They retreated to a camp near Duolongduo where they quickly became surrounded by Tibetan forces. At the same time a detachment of other provincial forces at Lesser Surman, just 30 men were encircled by 100 Tibetans. The provincial forces continuously retreated in the face of an enemy 5-10 times larger than them. The Tibetans methodically seized territory heading north to encircle the county seat of Jiegu. At the same time a contingent of 300 troops from Xikang forded the Tongtian river to attack the monasteries at Labu and Xiewu situated on the two vital thoroughfares heading north to Jiegu. The Tibetans held a strong military position and in one incredible move sweeped and occupied all the areas surrounding Jiegu's southern portion, severing the county seats communication with Xining. Jiegu was the site of Yushu's county government and nominally held the headquarters of the southern Qinghai garrison, thus it was the key holding Xining's position in the southern borderlands. Now outnumbered 10 to 1 by the Tibetans and with their communications severed, the situation for Xining and the Qinghai forces was quite dire. It seemed likely the Tibetans would shut the door, locking Xining out. The Southern Qinghai border region garrison, a mouthful to be sure, under Ma Biao were digging in for a long drawn out defense of the Yushu county seat while Xining went into a frenzy of actions. On April 19th, Ma Lin and Ma Bufang telegrammed the Military affairs commission in Nanjing with strong recommendations for improving the situation. They wanted to move the Southern Qinghai garrison roughly 20 li west of Jiegu and station a regiment between Jiegu and Xining at Daheba to protect the lines of communication. They also requested 2000 rifles, 20,000 rounds of ammunition, 40,000 yuan and 5 wireless telegraphs. While this sounds like peanuts, but do remember Japan is currently full blown invading Manchuria. On the last day of april, Ma Bufang requested Ma Lin dispatch the Southern Qing Border Region garrison's 1st brigade commander Ma Xun, cause everyone's a Ma in this episode, to the southern front as Yushu's Pacification Commissioner. He also again stated he wanted a peaceful settlement to the conflict. 4 days later, Ma Bufang and Ma Lin telegrammed Xi'an announcing Ma Xun's appointment as “Yushu xuanwei shi”, the Yushu Pacification Commissioner. Yet it was not until May 24th, that Nanjing's response reached Xining via Xi'an. Within the communique, Chiang Kai-Shek approved their suggestions and would meet their requests for military aid although at lower levels than requested. Only one wireless telegraph set was sent by Nanjing, but it dramatically improved communications.  On May 26th, Ma Xun departed Xining for Yushu with others stating “regardless of whether peace can be maintained, the communications route between the provincial capital and Jiegu must be protected at all costs”. Ma Xun departed with roughly a regiment of 100 troops, some provincial officials with Mongolian and Tibetan language skills, and a surveyor. Meanwhile Ma Bufang led another expeditionary force as far as Daheba, the site of a proposed garrison between Xining and Jiegu. Ma Xun's Mongolian and Tibetan specialists had orders from Nanjing to visit Qinghai and awe the “barbarians” into loyalty to the new government by offering them doctors, dentists, botanists and anyone who could dazzle the “backward superstitious locals”.  For two months, Ma Biao and his men struggled to maintain Jiegu's defenses, till finally on June 18th, Ma Xun's group arrived. He would soon be followed up by 2 waves of reinforcements on August 20th and September 20th. Despite efforts made by Cai Zuozhen and other small contingents of Qinghai troops, the Tibetans simply have overwhelming numbers. The Qinghai troops however inflicted much more casualties upon them when they fought. A battle broke out on June 27th at the Changu Monastery, 5 li south of the county seat, where Qinghai forces led by Ma Biao defeated a Tibetan force twice their side who also enjoyed high ground advantage. The same forces also fought again near the Tongtian River due north of Jiegu where the Tibetans were forced to withdraw. It also seemed the Tibetans lacked adequate artillery, as was evident with their inability to take Jiegu. Many of the civilians within Jiegu noted the Tibetans fired over forty cannon rounds into the city, but none of the rounds exploded. On July 23rd, Ma Bufang dispatched a regiment led by La Pingfu to Yushu. Despite the combined forces of Ma Biao and Ma Xun engaging the Tibetans three times, they had still not seen the full strength of the Tibetans. There was a great concern on the Chinese side that the Tibetans were trying to lure as many in as possible before overwhelming them with numbers. Ma Bufang also dispatched reinforcements led by Ma Lu to the southern borderlands. On August 20th, La Pingfu arrived at Jiegu and freed the city of a Tibetan encirclement. La Pingfu's troops were exhausted from the incredible 20 day march through insane terrain, they quickly took up defensive positions. This allowed the forces of Ma Biao and Ma Xun to depart south with 800 local militiamen to attack the Tibetans. They found Tibetans in the dead of night. The Qinghai forces used Dadao dui swords to hack them during hand to hand combat. The Tibetans dispersed, but reorganized themselves the next morning. The Qinghai forces took some high ground and met the counter attack, this time decisively defeating the Tibetans who suffered tremendous casualties. After four months, the Jiegu encirclement seemed to finally be broken. Afterwards the Qinghai forces formed three groups to advance south to retake lost territory. Ma Biao and Ma Xun led route armies while La Pingfu followed behind. Ma Bufang ordered a punitive mission against the local Tibetans, hoping they would simply withdraw from Yushu peacefully. He also ordered law and order to be brought back to the region. Military commanders were to gather local religious and political elites who could deal with the inevitable issues like refugee waves. To further push the Tibetans to pull out orders were mandated that medical care be given to wounded Tibetan soldiers with promises of funding for their return journey to Tibet as POW's. Me Bufang also issued communiques to all the inhabitants of Yushu asking them to get their local leaders and militia to expel Tibetan soldiers, promising rewards. Cai Zuozhen's reports differed greatly from Ma Bufang's orders. Cai Zuozhen received reports for example that Ma Biao's men routinely killed POW's, attacked Tibetan civilians and robbed Tibetan merchants. Cai Zuozhen would go on the record to accuse Qinghai forces of burning entire villages, looting monasteries, raping women and even nuns. During this time folk songs emerged in Qinghai talking about bitter lives under the oppression of Xining overlords who conscripted soldiers, stole horses and property to feed themselves on “human soup” while the common people ate husks and chafe. It was often sung “the sun doesn't rise in the Ma Family's Qinghai” As the Qinghai troops continued advancing south they punished locals for helping Tibetans. One local headman in Nangqian who had helped Tibetans had 10,000 jin of Tsampa, 20,000 jin of barley, 3000 jin of yak butter, 200 head of cattle and 40 sheep commandeered by Ma Biao. Many headmen would be forced to give goods to Ma Xun, Ma Biao and La Pingfu, such things as pelts, antlers, horses and money. It was said Ma Biao took enough to be worth 2000 silver dollars from the nomads of Laxiu. During late August and early September, the Qinghai forces fought the Tibetans for the Surman region and the southeastern part of Yushu. They unleashed artillery on their enemy, trapping 2000 Tibetans soldiers into a confined area. They encircled them and systematically annihilated them, massacring 200. Little Surmang quickly came back under Xining's control as the Tibetans fled to Greater Surmang. On September 2nd, La Pingfu led 300 men to occupy the rear exit of Greater Surmang. Despite a valiant defense led by two of Tibet's best generals, they suffered a string of defeats and were forced to relinquish Greater Surmang.  Then the third wave of reinforcements arrived from Xining, Ma Lu's brigade who came to Jiegu on September 20th. This effectively solidified the Qinghai position. Ma Lu, Ma Xun, Ma Biao and Ma Biao all met south of Jiegu at Batang where they agreed they would set out for the Jinsha River which marked the border between Yushu and Xikang. There they would decisively defeat the enemy upon the western shore at Xidengke. At the Qingke monastery, facing the Dengke river, a major connecting point to Changde was the Tibetan powerbase in the region. The monastery's defenses were very solid, 3 lines of over 5000 troops. On October 15th, the Qinghai artillery began raining hell upon the monastery as the infantry encircled the area. The Qinghai forces split their approaches attacking and moving while encircling. They were aided by Xikang troops who also bombarded the monastery from across the Jinsha river. The Tibetans could not withstand the joint attacks and gradually gave up their positions. The Qinghai and Xikang armies then connected across the river. Liu Wenhui led the Xikang forces and was communicating with Ma Bufang who ordered his forces to accept orders from the Xikang army.  Many historians believed Liu Wenhui had coordinated this joint military campaign against the Tibetans, taking advantage of the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. It seems Liu Wenhui thought it was an opportune time to “solve the Tibet problem once and for all”, this would have been a hell of an escalation. Liu Wenhui sent word to Ma Bufang who notified Chiang Kai-Shek of their joint operation. However Chiang Kai-Shek demanded they halt hostilities and try negotiations with the Dalai Lama. Meanwhile the Dalai Lama received reports of their string of defeats and the loss of territory east of the Jinsha river, so he agreed to begin negotiations. What came from this was the Qinghai-Tibetan Peace Treaty, which more or less just set everything back to pre-war status quo. The Tibetans would never again pose a serious threat to Qinghai's domination of Yushu. Yushu's strategic passes would remain in Qinghais control well into the founding of the Peoples Republic of China. 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. While it would appear as a major side quest in the greater scheme of things, the small war between Tibet and Sichuan was just another example of how not unified China still was. Despite all the grand claims, the new Nanjing government was still overseeing quite a fractured nation, who were about to face the full might of the Empire of the rising sun.   

Les villes de Chengdu et de Chongqing restent en alerte rouge à la canicule ;La Chine développe un programme d'enseignement aérospatial pour les élèves des écoles primaires et secondaires;La Chine a délivré 16.000 licences d'essais pour véhicules autonomes;Le Gansu lance des politiques de soutien pour l'industrie des nouilles au bœuf de Lanzhou;La finale d'un concours d'innovation en IA pour les jeunes attire 7.000 participants;30 meilleurs candidats sélectionnés pour la finale du « Pont vers le chinois » 2024;Boeing prévoit un doublement de la flotte d'avions commerciaux de la Chine d'ici 20 ans;Les recettes du box-office estival dépassent les 11 milliards de yuans

https://www.patreon.com/windah Transkrip: https://www.patreon.com/posts/high-liburan-di-108156610?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Terjemahan: https://www.patreon.com/posts/eng-liburan-di-108157740?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Di episode ini, aku bercerita tentang berbagai hal menarik tentang tempat-tempat yang aku kunjungi (Yangshuo, Chongqing, Chengdu, Songpan, dan Lanzhou) selama berlibur di Tiongkok selama 2 minggu. Selamat mendengarkan! Terima kasih banyak atas dukungannya untuk: SAHABAT WINDAH AkiramJayNyong Jago Bob GenericJohn nyMartin JankovskýWilliam ChenDawid GerstelDRamzan BAlex Pepin Kevin McCormicknsSebastianAlexander ScholtesMichael SpagonJrobabuja11 RoboNicholai LidowTim SomervilleErnaColmAliteKymJack William Husbands TEMAN WINDAH John McBride  Kristofer Nivens  P. Clayton D. Causey, CT  Vanessa HackJohn ShumLuis PaezChloe ArianaCraig RedriffMariusCharlotteJonny 5Jose LorenzoJeremyLulunMadeleine MillerAngelo CaonRossi von der BorchRussell OgdenSicily FiennesEm McDermottMeredith R NormanTom Simamora ThatcherWill HendersonBjornrappangeTim DoolingNicoleDevin NailERIKOAlissa Sjuryadi-TrowbridgeBillEric EmerAsakoTarquam James McKennaAmanda BlossStephen MSusan & Ben SetiawanJensBen HarrisonNaota YanagiharaHans WagnerPham VyJustin WilsonNadiaJayElfin MoningkaZane RubaiiBenjaminJoonas KDerynAlexH HHans F. QuaYUKIMatt WintersGuilhermeHong WantingAlec MitchellVinceDanielJulien DUBOZTomokoBertiSugiyamaMaki UtsumiAtsuko MaenoMosaStephen GrahamHannah Rowntreey zhPing PribadiCallum TrainorHildaAndre ChampouxColleen Thornton-WardAilise Sweeney-LoweJimmyTan Jing Yi PENDENGAR SETIAHarvey JoColumba TierneyLuciano HespanholHH JorgensenChingyu yang PAYPAL/OVO/dll. BaimuIsidore KawayaQinYaszalix

A high-speed railway line from Lanzhou, Gansu's provincial capital, to Wuwei, a city in central Gansu, commenced operations on Saturday, further improving the high-speed rail network in Northwest China.6月29日，兰州至张掖高铁中川机场至武威东段（以下简称兰张高铁兰武段）正式开通运营，对于助力西部大开发形成新格局具有重要意义。The line runs from Lanzhou's Zhongchuan Airport Station and passes through Lanzhou's Yongdeng county and Wuwei's Tianzhu Tibetan autonomous county and Gulang county before ending at Wuwei East Station, China Railway Lanzhou Bureau Group said.中国铁路兰州局集团表示，兰张高铁兰武段自兰州新区中川机场站引出，途经甘肃兰州市永登县，武威市天祝县、古浪县至武威市区，接入武威东站。It serves six stations, spans 193 kilometers and has a maximum operating speed of 250 kilometers per hour. During the initial phase of operation, railway authorities will schedule a maximum of 20 passenger trains a day.中川机场至武威东段正线全长193公里，共设6个站点，开通运营初期，每日开行动车组列车最高达20列。The travel time from Wuwei East Station to Lanzhou West Station will be 1 hour and 56 minutes, shaving 58 minutes from the journey on conventional trains, the group said.To improve service quality and meet diverse travel needs, railway authorities have implemented flexible discounts and market-based fare mechanisms, offering more travel options. Specific fares can be checked on the 12306 ticket booking system.武威东至兰州西站最快1小时56分可达，较目前普速旅客列车压缩58分钟；武威东至中川机场最快1小时11分可达。为提升运营品质、满足旅客不同出行需求，铁路部门实施灵活折扣、差异化的市场化票价机制，为旅客出行提供更多选择，具体票价可通过铁路12306查询。Wuwei resident Han Wenting, who rode the inaugural high-speed train with her two daughters, said she had been eagerly awaiting the opening of the high-speed line in her hometown for a long time.与两个女儿一起乘坐这列高铁的武威居民韩文婷说，她一直热切期待着着家乡高铁的开通。Han said that whenever she had traveled on other high-speed lines for work in the past, she had envied those regions and wondered whether Wuwei would ever have one. Now that her dream has come true, she said she felt excited and proud.韩女士说，之前高铁出差时，她很羡慕那些地区，不知道武威是否有一天能开通高铁。现在她的梦想成真了，她说她（为武威）感到兴奋和自豪。"The new high-speed train will make traveling with my children for vacations and other activities much more convenient, and I am delighted and happy about the rapid development of my hometown," she said.她说：“新的高铁让我和孩子们出去旅游变得更加方便，我对家乡的快速发展感到非常高兴。”Long Haishan, a 28-year-old member of the Tibetan ethnic group born and raised in Tianzhu, is now a high-speed train attendant for China Railway Lanzhou Bureau Group. She said she was honored to take part in the inaugural run of the route through her hometown."The opening of the high-speed railway has brought my hometown and other cities closer, making our travel faster and more convenient," she said. "When I learned that this route would undergo testing, I applied to join it because I wanted to witness the moment that the high-speed railway goes through my hometown."28岁的龙海珊，这名在天祝出生和长大的藏族姑娘，现在是兰州铁路局兰州客运段高铁二队列车员。她表示很荣幸能参与这条线路的首发。她说：“高铁的开通拉近了我的家乡和其他城市，让我们的出行更快捷、更方便。当我得知这条路线要进行测试运营时，我申请主动参加，因为我想见证高铁经过我家乡的那一刻。”Gao Yongsheng, deputy director of Wuwei's Regional Economic Development Research Center, said the new line can further optimize the business environment, expand distribution channels and encourage more enterprises to invest in and develop Wuwei.威市区域经济发展研究中心副主任高勇生在接受记者采访时说，兰张高铁兰武段的开通运营能够有效带动人流物流，进一步优化营商环境，拓宽流通渠道，吸引更多企业来武威投资兴业。The opening of the high-speed railway will also significantly enhance the urban image of Wuwei and surrounding cities and better leverage Wuwei's role as a passenger transport hub, he said.他表示，高铁的开通将大大提升武威及周边城市的城市形象，更好地发挥武威作为客运枢纽的作用。Lanzhou's Zhongchuan Airport Stationn. 兰州中川机场Wuwei's Regional Economic Development Research Centern. 威市区域经济发展研究中心

Join China Daily reporters Nathan and Stephanie as they uncover the secrets of Lanzhou's famous hand-pulled beef noodles. Discover the rich history, intricate noodle-making techniques, and mouth-watering flavors of this beloved dish. Don't miss this delicious adventure! #PotsideChats #Lanzhou #BeefNoodles

Last time we spoke about the modernization efforts of China, Japan and the Hermit Kingdom of Korea. China and Japan undertook very different paths to modernization, and little Korea was stuck in between them. Yet there was even another play joining the mix, the empire of Russia who was threatening all 3 of the Asian nations with her encroachment. The 3 Asian nations attempted to cooperate against the common threat, but Japan and China were growing ever more and more hostile towards another, particularly over the issue of who should influence Korea more. Yet today we are actually doing something a bit different, this will be sort of a side episode, for China had too many events going on during the 19th century to cohesively tell. One story goes often forgotten, yet it encompassed numerous groups, vast amounts of territory and a lot of bloodshed.   #38 This episode is the Dungan Revolt   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.   I am not going to lie, I have no idea where to even start with this one. Originally I wanted to write a single episode, perhaps a two parter, explaining how China and Japan find themselves going to war in the 1890's largely over Korea. Yet the late 19th century is probably one of the most jam packed time periods for Chinese history. So many uprisings, rebellions, wars with foreign states occurs for the Qing dynasty, there's simply no way to tell them all, but here I want to touch upon just a few. Now I keep bringing up but barely talk about, the Dungan Revolt of 1862-1877. If you go right now and please do, to the wikipedia article on the Dungan Revolt, check out the list of Belligerents. You will see the Qing, the Russian Empire, a short lived state called the Kashgaria, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire and an unbelievable number of Muslim rebel groups from all over the place. Events like this do not live in a bubble, as we say in the research world of neuroscience, this requires multivariable analysis. Well that's what I hope to accomplish, in a single episode. Now I expect when I say the Dungan Revolt, the first question that comes to mind for many of you is, who are Dungans? Its complicated. They can be described as Turkic or Chinese speaking, Hui Muslim people who inhabitant Xinjiang province, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Tajikistan and parts of modern Russia. Now you are saying, wait are they Turks or Chinese, thats a very politically motivated question haha. Today you could call them, Hui, Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyzs, Uzbeks, Tatars, etc. In essence they inhibit a part of the world that has so many different groups around and their history goes very deep, before the time of the Qing dynasty. When the Qianlong Emperor hit the scene in the early 18th century, he named the province Xinjiang, meaning “new frontier” and the people there were known by many as Hui, but specifically for those Chinese speaking muslims in the northwest, well they were often referred to as Dungans. Prior to the Qing rule, Xinjiang was ruled by the Oirat Mongols of the Dzungar Khanate. I am sure you veteran listeners before I came to this podcast know much of these peoples and their history, you probably could teach me a thing or two, as this is very much so out of my specialization. One thing you might remember that I touched upon I believe in the very first episode of this podcast series was the Dzungar genocide. As ordered by the Qianlong Emperor  “"Show no mercy at all to these rebels. Only the old and weak should be saved. Our previous military campaigns were too lenient. If we act as before, our troops will withdraw, and further trouble will occur. If a rebel is captured and his followers wish to surrender, he must personally come to the garrison, prostrate himself before the commander, and request surrender. If he only sends someone to request submission, it is undoubtedly a trick. Tell Tsengünjav to massacre these crafty Zunghars. Do not believe what they say." It is estimated perhaps 80 percent of the 600,000 or so Dzungars were killed through war and disease between 1755-1758, enough to argue the annihilation of them as a people. Now with Xinjiang so devastated and depopulated, the Qing sponsored a large-scale settlement of Han, Hui, Uyghur, Manchu and other Chinese. Thus the demographics of the region changed dramatically, Xinjiang became mostly Uyghurs around 60% or so, followed by 30% Han and Hui and the rest of various minority groups like Manchu. The Qing did their best to unify Xinjiang, and one of their policies was to turn over 17,000 acres of steppe grassland over to Han Chinese to farm and colonize. Some historians point this out to be an attempt to replace Uyghurs, but in truth its messier than just that, as the Qing also banned Han Chinese from settled in Uyghur concentrated areas of the province. Now the Oirat Mongol's come back to the scene, this time in the form of the Kalmyk Khanate. They were mostly Tibetan Buddhists and in 1770, over 300,000 of them tried to seize control of parts of Xinjiang from the Qing. However when they began their great expedition, their traditional rivals the Kazakhs and Kyrgyz attacked them the entire way leading them to show up to Xinjiang, worn out, starving and ridden with disease. Many of them simply came and surrendered to the Qing upon arrival and managed to settle within Qing territory. Now these were nomadic people, but the Qing demanded they give up the nomadic lifestyle to take up farming, which was a deliberate policy to break them as a people. They utterly failed at becoming farmers and quickly fell into poverty, undergoing such horrors as selling their own children into slavery, becoming prostitutes, bandits, and such, terrible times. Alongside the terrible treatment of the new coming Kalmyks, Uyghurs were being abused by Manchu officials. It is said Manchu officials were gang raping Uyghur women, such as the official Su-cheng. A rebellion occurred, and the Qing violently quelled. There were reports of mass rape by Manchu troops causing even more hatred from the Uyghur population.  Now fast forward to the Taiping Rebellion, during 1862 as Taiping forces approached Shaanxi province, the local population began to form militias known as the Yong Ying. The Yong Ying or “brave camps” were similar to our friend Zeng Guofans “Yung-Ying” Xiang army, just less well structured and terribly under equipped. If they were lucky the Qing government would hand over some Jingalls, but more or less the old sword and spear were their choice of weapon. Now the Yong Ying's being propped up by the Qing were Han Chinese, but around them were large populations of Muslim Chinese who, well lets just say were having PTSD episodes from the countless atrocities performed upon them by these same people for centuries now. So the Muslim groups formed their own Yong Ying's and this is where our story really begins.  In 1862 sporadic conflicts such as skirmishes between groups, riots, smaller uprisings and such. They ran the gambit for reasons, could be just a barroom brawl as they saw, trivial type of stuff. During this time any rebel groups that emerged drew attention from the Qing and by proxy association were believed to be possibly working with the Taiping. To add some more chaos to the situation, the Green Standard army as you would assume took its recruits from populaces all over China. Their job much more as a police force than a real army was to keep things running smoothly in all the provinces of the Qing dynasty. In northwest China this meant numerous Hui and other muslim chinese groups were amongst their ranks and thus training for combat and armed, so keep that in mind. There were numerous incidents that sprung the Dungan revolt, but one in particular involved of all things the price of bamboo poles. Some Han merchants were overcharging Hui and this led to a major fight. Bamboo poles were traditionally used to make spears. During a time of major conflict and open rebellion suddenly the Hui communities began to buy large quantities of bamboo poles and this led to the belief they were planning to set up an Islamic state in northwestern China. Organized mosques run by popular mullahs in Shaanxi were purchasing more and more bamboo poles, which they were indeed making into spears. The Hui communities were worried about their safety, seeing all these local militias pop up meant there would be fighting over resources and such. Well the non muslim merchants, mostly Han saw the paint on the wall and were obviously worried about selling bamboo poles to people who might attack them, or better said might defend themselves. Thus many merchants began to increase the prices on bamboo poles and this led to a major uprising known as the Shengshan bamboo incident.  Manchu general Duolongga, the same man we talked about during the Taiping Rebellion was leading a cavalry unit in the north when the Hui revolt suddenly turned into a siege laid against Xi'an in Shaanxi province. Duolongga led a campaign against the muslim bands and by 1863 the siege was lifted and the rebels were pushed out of Shaanxi into neighboring Gansu province. In Gansu the Muslim leaders began to spread rumors of an impending Qing crackdown on muslims. They spread fear that the Qing would soon massacre many and this allowed them to organize another siege, this time against Ling-chou, a large city 40 miles north from Jinjipu. Jinjipu happened to be the HQ of a major Muslim leader named Ma Hualong, more about him later. While Lingzhou was laid siege, another strategic city was also attacked by Muslim forces, the city of Lanchow. The Governor General at Lanchow, En-lin reacted by trying to apply a policy of reconciliation. He advocated to the Qing court to not alienate the Muslims and began sending edicts in Gansu reiterating non-discrimination policies towards Muslims. His efforts seem to have been all for naught, as the rumors of a Qing massacre upon the muslims won out the day and large scale violence just grew. Within Eastern Gangsu, many of the Shaanxi Muslim refugees formed the what became known as the “18 great battalions”. Their purpose was to train and arm themselves to take back their homes in Shaanxi. Now while Gansu and Shaanxi were kicking off the beginnings of the Dungan revolt, this also opened the door to more groups to join in. Yaqub Bek, was born in the town of Pskente in the Khanate of Kokand, today's Uzbekistan. There region he lived in was drawn into conflict continuously with outsiders like the Russian and from within as it was deeply factionalized. Yaqub Bek claimed to be a descendant of Timur Gurkani the Turco-Mongol conqueror of the Timurid Empire, probably a ruse to give himself more credibility as a great ruler. He conspired against factions such as the Qipchaqs, taking part in a horrible event known as the Qipchaq massacre. Eventually in the 1860's he fought for the Kokand khanate as a General against the Russians, but they defeated them in 1866 resulting in the major loss of Tashkent. The ruler of Khokand, Sadik Beg dispatched Yakub Beg to Kashgar to raise and find new troops amongst Muslim allies. Yaqub Beg instead invaded Kashgar, defeated its Chinese defenders and declared himself ruler. Now Yaqub Beh was stuck between the forces of the Russian, British and Chinese empires who were all vying for control of the surrounding area, this was part of something called “the great game” which I simply cannot get into for it is too great, pun intended. Thus Yaqub Beg began a campaign that basically saw him conquer Xinjiang province, and this drew the ire of the Qing as you can imagine.  So the Qing were now dealing with multiple Muslim rebel groups in the northwest and on top of this some of them were foreigners, who held considerable backing. The Qing dynasty sent one of their most formidable Generals, Zuo Zongtang in 1867 to Shaanxi to pacify the region. Zuo Zongtang as you already know was instrumental in the downfall of the Taiping, working closely with Zeng Guofan. Zuo Zongtangs task was to restore the peace, promote agricultural output particularly that of grain and cotton and to promote Confucian education. As we have seen throughout the series, northwestern China is a rough place to live, stricken with poverty and thus Zuo Zongtang would not be able to rely on the resources of the territory he would have to look elsewhere. This led Zuo Zongtang to immediately demand the Qing court help fund the expedition as he personally began to take out major loans worth millions of taels from foreigners. Zuo Zongtang wanted to prepare massive amounts of supplies before going on the offensive, a smart move. Zeng Guofan likewise helped his subordinate by allocating him 10,000 Xiang forces, led by General Liu Songshan to bolster Zuo Zongtang's 55,000 man army. Zuo Zongtang's forces were mostly Hunanese, but there were also men from Henan, Anhui and Sichuan as well. Because of the Taiping Rebellion, Zuo Zongtang was a proficient army raiser now and he did his best to train the men in a western fashion and outfit them with western arms. As I had mentioned, Zuo Zongtang was one of the champions of modernization and established the Lanzhou arsenal in 1872 which produced Remington breech loading type rifles for his forces alongside artillery and munitions. Now that name, Ma Hualong I had mentioned comes up here a bit. He was the leader of the Jahriyya, known also as “the new teaching”. They were something of a Muslim sect in Gansu province and had been around since the 1760s.They periodically rebelled as a group and caused conflict with other groups, including muslim ones. When Ma Hualong took the leadership position in 1849 he gradually began to build up their forces and to do so he created a vast trade network using a caravan trade through Inner Mongolia and Beijing. His group became extremely wealthy and when the Dungan revolt heated up he began to use his trade network to purchase guns. Zuo Zongtang understandably was suspicious of the gun purchasing activity and deduced Ma Hualong sought to conquer parts of Inner Mongolia and rebel. Ma Hualong began collaborating with Muslim refugees fleeing Shaanxi for Gansu and this led to conflicts with the Qing. General Liu Songshan ended up dying in combat while campaigning against multiple Muslim militia groups, some of which were controlled by Ma Haulong. Meanwhile Zuo Zongtang was finishing up suppressing Shaanxi and establishing control over the province when he finally had a free hand to deal with Ma Hualong who had heavily fortified Jinjipu into a stronghold. Zuo Zongtang's forces erected a siege upon Jinjipu using Krupps field guns, the good old fashion sappers tunneling with mines tactic and the age old classic of starving out the enemy. After 16 months of siege, starvation took its toll upon the defenders prompting Ma Hualong to surrender his forces in January of 1871. Ma Hualong hoped to save the majority of his people, but Jinjipu saw a massacre, thousands lose their lives and the town was rape, plundered and raized. Zuo Zongtang ordered the execution of Ma Hualong, his son Ma Yaobang and 80 Muslim rebel leaders via “Lingchi / death by slicing”. This was a horrible form of execution where a sharp object like a knife was used to slowly remove portions of ones body over long periods of time until the person died. Once done with Ma Hualong, Zuo Zongtang set his eyes upon another Muslim rebel leader named Ma Zhan'ao. Ma Zhan'ao worked loosely with Ma Hualong, but his stronghold was at Hezhou, present day Linxia. He controlled the region west of Lanzhou and benefited from Ma Hualong's vast trade network managing to arm his rebel forces. Unlike Ma Hualong who was of the “new teaching” sect, Ma Zhan'ao was of the “Khafiya / old teaching” sect and they proscribing trying to peacefully exist amongst the non muslim Qing population. When the Dungan revolt began, Ma Zhan'ao escorted numerous Han Chinese to the nearest safe area of Yixin and he did not attempt to conquer the area nor molest them. Regardless he was one of the major muslim leaders purchasing arms and earned the attention of Zuo Zongtang who began an offensive against his forces in 1872. Initially his muslim defenders inflicted heavy losses upon Zuo Zongtang's army much to the frustration of Zuo Zongtang. But Ma Zhan'ao did not want war and he dispatched his General Ma Chun to try and negotiate with General Zuo Zongtang. He offered to surrender his stronghold to the Qing and provide assistance to the Qing dynasty in quelling the Dungan revolt. Zuo Zongtang suspected this all to be a ruse, but the Qing ordered him to abide by the mutual assistance and indeed Ma Zhan'ao did assist the Qing. Zuo Zongtang began to pacify other areas, while Ma Zhan'ao basically saved his people from annihilation. To this very day the area he controlled holds a muslim population who control the Linxia Hui autonomous prefecture. Many of Ma Zhan'ao's generals like Ma Qianling and Ma Haiyan defected to the Qing, including his son Ma Anliang who proved themselves instrumental to helping Zuo Zongtangs campaign. As Zuo Zongtang pacified the areas he was soon awarded governor generalship over Shaanxi and Gansu. At this point Zuo Zongtang loosely followed a strategy of divide and conquer. Those Muslim groups part of the New Teaching he violently massacred, but those of the old teachings he tried to persuade defection to the Qing. The Qing government likewise began to make edicts stating the Muslim rebels did not represent all muslim chinese, just as all the White Lotus rebels back in the early part of the century did not represent all buddhists. They advocated the Muslim community take up the old teachings over the new teachings.  With the help of the Dungan people of Hezhou Zuo Zongtang then turned his gaze west towards Xinjiang to defeat the forces of Yaqub Beg. Zuo Zongtang was now joined by defected Dungan armies led by Generals like Ma Anliang, Dong Fuxiang. By 1875 Zuo Zongtang had assembled men and supplies along the Gansu corridor and the next year began his campaign by attacking Urumchi where he massacres their garrison. Next he besieged Manas for over a month until they surrendered. Allegedly the garrison were allowed to march out of the city with weapons, but it seemed to Zuo Zongtang's commanders in the field they were planning an armed break out so they were all put to the sword as well. The women and children were spared luckily. Zuo Zongtang established a HQ at Gucheng while the Russian Empire annexed the Khanate of Kokand, squeezing Yakub Beg further. In September of 1876, Yakub Beh received reports a Chinese army was on the march 700 miles to the east and he began to prepare his defenses. He built up fortifications at Turfan and in 1877 he was visited by Aleksey Kuropatkin. Kuropatkin was sent on a diplomatic mission to Yaqub Beg to try and resolve some Russian border claims over the Fergana Valley. Kuropatkin told him he had around 17,000 troops spread over the Fergana Valley region and that he could not hope to match them. Yaqub Beg was in a very bad situation. The Chinese army had entered Urumqi pretty much unopposed, many of his eastern forces were defecting over to the Qing and in the west they were defecting to the Russians. In the spring the Chinese attacked the fort of Davanchi which lay between Urumchi and Turfan. Simultaneously an army led by Chang Yao seized Pichuan just 50 miles east of Turfan. Yaqub Beg's forces were shrinking from lost battles, desertions and defections. The Qing forces attacked Turfan where Yaqub Beg's men were beaten badly, so he fled to Toksun. At Toksun the Qing pursued him quickly and defeated him again, so he fled to Karashar, and then Korla. All of the fleeing demoralized his troops causing further desertions and defections. It would be at Korla where Yaqub Beg died and historians are uncertain as to exactly how or when. The Qing claimed he died on May 22, while Aleksey Kuropatkin claimed it was May 29th. What he died of is a bit of a mystery. The Russians state he died of illness, multiple historians think it was poisoning. Some modern historians think it could have been a stroke. Regardless with Yaqub Beg dead this pretty much closed the curtain on his forces control over the area. In autumn of 1877, Zuo Zongtang had kept his forces around Turfan as it was the hot season and he wished to gather further supplies, when he received news of the death of Yaqub Beg. Yaqub Begs forces disorganized into multiple rebel groups without a real leader consolidating anything. Zuo Zongtang sent advance parties to occupy Karashar and Korla meeting limited resistance. Zuo Zongtans army pushed the rebels further west until he eventually seized Kashgar with barely a fight and this led notable cities like Yarkand and Kohtan to submit. Xinjiang was officially reconquered by the Qing. The rebel groups dissolved gradually and no large scale revolts would occur for some time in the northwest. In 1884 Xinjiang was established as a province officially again. Zuo Zongtangs Xiang army and other Han Chinese troops began purchasing Uyghur girls from their parents to take as wives, relying often on their Hui allies to work as translators. Countless Uyghur muslim women would be married off to Han Chinese in Xinjiang during the late 19th to early 20th century. This was not limited to Han Chinese under the Qing as plenty of Hindu, Armenians, Jews and Russians also did the same. A large rationale for the situation was the amount of male depopulation from the area which caused a vacuum of single women.  The punishments for the leaders who caused the Dungan revolt were harsh. Many of the songs of the Muslim leaders were castrated by the Qing imperial household department once they hit 11 years of age and they were sent to work as eunuch slaves for Qing held garrisons in Xinjiang. Many of the wives of the Muslim leaders were likewise enslaved. To give you an idea of how prevalent this was, the Muslim leader Ma Guiyuan had 9 of his sons castrated by the Qing. The Muslim leaders themselves were mostly executed by Lingchi. Yaqub Beg and his son Ishana's corpses were burned in public view. Yaqub had 4 other sons who died imprisoned at Lanzhou, Gansu or were killed by the Qing authorities upon discovery. Even Yaqub Beg's grandchildren were hunted for, many of which were caught and executed or castrated.  The Dungan revolt led to mass migration all over the place. Some Hui people fled to Russia, settling in places like Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Within the Qing dynasty, the Hui Generals who defected were all promoted by the Emperor such as Dong Fuxiang and Ma Anliang. The power of these pro Qing Hui forces would become quite important to the Qing military further down the road, particularly during the Boxer Rebellion.    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. Well I hope you enjoyed my butchering of the Dungan Revolt, again I did my best to tell it in regards to its significance to the history of China. In reality it was part of something known as the “great game” that had had a long lasting impact on many other nations history.

This week on Druktalk Podcast, ‘The intelligence Tibet', Drukthar welcome Dr. Gyal Lo, a Tibetan educationist and the author of Social Structuration in Tibetan Society: Education, Society, and Spirituality. Now based in Canada, advocating Tibetan education policy in Tibet, particularly focus on the colonial boarding school in Tibet. On this episode, we discussed China's education policy in Tibet and its impacts on Tibetan language, culture, and identity. China's education policy in Tibet What is colonial boarding school? What are the challenges of education policy implementation in Tibet. Comparative discussion of education policy in and outside of Tibet Prospects of Tibetan education policy, particularly focus on the Tibetan language and identity. About Dr. Gyal Lo Dr. Gyal Lo was born in Amdo, Tibet, or what China calls Gansu Province, and attended school in his home region and then did a Master's Degree in Tibetan Language and Culture Department at Northwestern University for Nationalities in Lanzhou, China. In 1995, he was appointed Assistant Professor in the same department, where he taught for the next decade and undertook extensive research into Tibetan education. After leaving to obtain a PhD in Educational Sociology at the University of Toronto, he returned to China but was refused employment at his former department due to political sensitivities over his time studying in the West. He was then appointed a full professor at the Yunnan Normal University Institute for Studies in Education from 2017-2020. Dr. Gyal Lo left China on December 31, 2020 and has decided not to return because it has become too risky to make a meaningful contribution to the field of Tibetan education, and in order to alert the international community to the dire threats posed to the collective well being of the Tibetan people and society and the survival of Tibet's language, religion, and culture. Dr. Gyal Lo is the author of Social Structuration in Tibetan Society: Education, Society, and Spirituality (Lexington Books, 2016). --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/drukthar-gyal/support

Videos : Those who speak out are shouted down until they are proved right, says Neil Oliver – 10:06 Gad Saad: Why Rational People Fall for ‘Parasitic' Ideas | American Thought Leaders CLIP – 9:11 Scientist Carl Sagan testifying to the U.S. Senate in 1985 on the greenhouse effect: – 2:44 Parent Eviscerates School Board Over Censorship– 4:59 Vitamin C supplementation associated with improved lung function in COPD Medical College of Lanzhou University (China), September 23 2022. The International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease published a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials that found improvement in lung function among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients who received vitamin C. The disease is characterized by airflow limitation and persistent respiratory symptoms. Ting Lei of Medical College of Lanzhou University in Lanzhou, China and associates identified 10 randomized, controlled trials that included a total of 487 adults with COPD for the meta-analysis. The trials compared lung function and/or antioxidant enzyme or nutrient levels of COPD patients who received vitamin C to a placebo or control group. The meta-analysis found improvement in forced expiratory volume in one second as a percentage (FEV1%, a measure of lung function) in association with vitamin C supplementation. When dosage was analyzed, it was determined that consuming more than 400 milligrams vitamin C per day was needed experience a significant benefit. The ratio of FEV1 to forced vital capacity (another lung function assessment), and levels of vitamin C and glutathione, both of which are antioxidants, also improved among participants who received vitamin C supplements. The authors remarked that oxidative stress, which is a disturbance of the oxidant to antioxidant balance, has been suggested as playing a role in the development of COPD. The current investigation is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effect of vitamin C supplementation in people with COPD. “We found that supplementing vitamin C to patients with COPD demonstrated vital clinical significance,” Lei and associates concluded. “Vitamin C supplementation could increase the levels of antioxidation in serum (vitamin C and glutathione) and improve lung function (FEV1% and FEV1/FVC), especially in patients treated with vitamin C supplementation greater than 400 mg/day.” Single Flavanoid (Found in 6 Foods) Reduces Cognitive Impairment Drastically Fourth Military Medical University (China), September 19, 2022 A singular flavanoid can protect the brain against cognitive deficit and other cellular damage, according to studies from the Fourth Military Medical University. The news comes from Xi'an, People's Republic of China, and shows great promise for those suffering from mental impairment due to Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and other debilitating cognitive conditions. The study abstract concludes: “Our results provide new insights into the pharmacological actions of rutin and suggest that rutin has multi-targeted therapeutical potential on cognitive deficits associated with conditions with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion such as vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease.” Rutin is a biologically active flavonoid found in the following foods:  Buckwheat – Possibly the best source of rutin, and much better than boiled oats, uncooked buckwheat leaf flower offers about 675 mg in a 1.1 cup serving. Uncooked buckwheat groats contain 230 mg of rutin per 1 kg, dark buckwheat flour has 218 mg per 1 kg and buckwheat noodles provide 78 mg. Elderflower Tea – When dried, the white flowers of the elderflower make a delicious and rutin-filled tea. According to the Czech Journal of Food Science, elderflower tea contains approximately 10.9g/kg of rutin per brewed cup. Amaranth Leaves – In Western cultures, most people are familiar with the edible seeds of amaranth, though in Chinese and Southeast Asian cooking the leaves are also gaining traction, partly due to their high rutin content. You can expect around 24.5g/kg from the dried leaves. Seeds only contain trace amounts of the important nutrient. Unpeeled Apples – Keep the peel on your apples to enjoy lots of rutin. Just be sure that they are organic, since apple peels are especially prone to pesticide build-up. Apple skins are 6x as powerful as the flesh at preventing high blood pressure due to this flavanoid, too. • Unfermented Rooibos Tea – While rooibos tea contains fewer antioxidants than black or green teas, it is a good source of rutin, providing around 1.69 mg/g. • Figs – These little gems contain about the same amount of rutin as apples, so be sure to add them to your diet. The scientists found that rutin works primarily through anti-inflammatory mechanisms, and reducing hypofusion in the brain. Resistance-breathing training found to lower blood pressure University of Colorado and University of Arizona, September 23, 2022 A team of researchers with members from the University of Colorado, the University of Arizona and Alma College, has found that resistance-breathing training can lower blood pressure as much as some medicines and/or exercises. The study is published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Hypertension, also known as chronic high blood pressure, can lead to a wide variety of health problems, from loss of vision to strokes and heart attacks. For that reason, doctors take it seriously. Typically, patients are directed to modify their diet and to exercise more. If that does not fix the problem, medications are prescribed. In this new effort, the researchers looked into a new type of therapy to reduce blood pressure levels—resistance-breathing training. Resistance-breathing training involves breathing in and out of a small device, called, quite naturally, a POWERbreathe, every day for several minutes. The device forces the patient to use their breathing muscles to push and pull air through it, making them stronger. And that, the researchers found, also reduces blood pressure. The device has been in use for several years as a means to assist athletes, singers and people with weak lung muscles. Several groups of healthy volunteers practiced the training for a few minutes every day for six weeks. Each was breathed in and out with the device 30 times each session. Each of the volunteers had their blood pressure measured before and after the training. The researchers found a sustained average drop of 9 mmHg in systolic blood pressure (the top number in blood pressure readings)—normal pressure is defined as 120/80. They describe the change as significant, as much as some patients see with medication. They also note that it is similar to changes in many patients who begin an aerobic exercise regimen, such as walking, cycling or running. They suggest such training could be used by patients of all ages who are unable to exercise to lower their blood pressure. How To Maintain Peak Brain Health: Scientists Say It Comes Down To These 3 Factors Norwegian University of Science and Technology, September 23, 2022 What's the best way to maintain peak brain health as we age? There are countless studies detailing ways to prevent cognitive decline, so scientists in Norway sought to simplify the science of managing strong brain health to three recommendations. This report is something of a summation covering modern science's current understanding of how best to cultivate robust brain health. The team at NTNU cite 101 references to prior articles in this latest theoretical perspective paper. “Three factors stand out if you want to keep your brain at its best,” Prof. Sigmundsson adds. The three identified keys to strong brain health are: Physical exercise Social activity Strong, passionate interests and hobbies It's common knowledge that spending all day on the couch isn't healthy for the body, but physical activity is also key to brain health. “An active lifestyle helps to develop the central nervous system and to counteract the aging of the brain,” according to study authors. Researchers add that consistency is essential. Do your best to get in at least a little movement each and every day. Even if you work a sedentary job that requires lots of sitting, get moving every hour or so for just a few minutes at the very least. Some people are naturally more social than others, but researchers stress that no one is an island. Even if you prefer a quiet night in to attending a party, make an effort to stay in touch with the people who matter to you. Our brains thrive on social interactions and connections. “Relationships with other people, and interacting with them, contribute to a number of complex biological factors that can prevent the brain from slowing down,” Prof. Sigmundsson explains. Just like bicep curls help us build muscle, keeping the brain active promotes strong lifelong cognition. Consider taking up a new hobby, or learning a new skill. Perhaps most importantly, though, don't force it; find something you're actually passionate about. It's never too late in life to learn something new! “Passion, or having a strong interest in something, can be the decisive, driving factor that leads us to learn new things. Over time, this impacts the development and maintenance of our neural networks,” Prof. Sigmundsson says. “Brain development is closely linked to lifestyle. Physical exercise, relationships and passion help to develop and maintain the basic structures of our brain as we get older,” Prof. Sigmundsson concludes. Calcium supplements may support a healthy colon: Harvard study Harvard School of Public Health, September 18, 2022 Supplements of calcium or non-dairy products fortified with the mineral may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, according to meta-analysis of prospective observational studies by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health. For every 300 mg increase in calcium from supplements was associated with a 9% reduction in risk, wrote NaNa Keum and her co-authors in the International Journal of Cancer . Every 300 mg increase in total calcium was associated with a similar reduction in risk (8%), they added. “Our findings have several important clinical and public health implications,” they explained. “First, according to the 2003 to 2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey in the U.S., median total calcium intake of adults aged over 50 years was approximately 650 mg/day for no calcium-supplement users and 1,000 mg/day for calcium-supplement users. “As the benefit of calcium intake on CRC is expected to continue beyond 1,000 mg/day, not only non-supplement users but also supplement users may further reduce their CRC risk through additional calcium intake.” “Second, while dairy products, especially milk, are the major sources of calcium in many countries, they are a substantial source of calories and contain potentially harmful factors such as saturated fat, hormones, and casein proteins. Since our analyses provide evidence for an equivalent benefit of dietary and supplementary calcium, the benefit of calcium on CRC risk may be obtained through supplements and non-dairy products fortified with calcium.” The Boston-based scientists conducted dose-response meta-analyses of 15 studies involving 12,305 cases of colorectal cancer and calcium intakes ranging from 250-1,900 mg/day. The studies varied in duration from 3.3 to 16 years. The data indicated that both total and supplemental calcium were associated with reductions in the risk of colorectal cancer. “In conclusion, both dietary and supplementary calcium intake may continue to decrease colorectal cancer risk beyond 1,000 mg/day,” wrote Keum and her co-authors. Yoga's Age-Defying Effects Confirmed by Science Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (India), September 21st 2022 While yoga's longevity promoting effects have been the subject of legend for millennia, increasingly modern science is confirming this ancient technology for spiritual and physical well-being actually can slow aging and stimulate our regenerative potential. One particularly powerful study published lin the journal Age titled, “Age-related changes in cardiovascular system, autonomic functions, and levels of BDNF of healthy active males: role of yogic practice”, found that a brief yoga intervention (3 months) resulted in widespread improvements in cardiovascular and neurological function. Indian researchers studied healthy active males of three age groups (20-29, 30-39, and 40-49 years) by randomly assigning them to practice one hour of yoga daily for 3 months. The observed significant differences between the younger and older participants in the study, specifically: “Significantly higher values of heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), load in heart (DoP), myocardial oxygen consumption (RPP), and total cholesterol (TC) were noted in senior age group.” The yogic practice resulted in significant reductions in all of these parameters (HR, BP, DoP, RPP and TC). Also observed in the older participants were decreases in high frequency (HF), total power (TP), all time domain variables of heart rate variability (HRV), and skin conductance (SC) — all of which increased following yogic practice. Higher levels of catecholamines (“stress hormones”) and low frequency (LF) power of HRV were noted in advancement of age, both of which decreased following yogic practice. Additionally, the senior age group had highest levels of cortisol and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), both of which decreased following yogic practice. Finally, brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), serotonin, and dopamine were low in higher age group, but these increased following yogic practice; an indication of improved brain function and cognition. The researchers concluded: ‘This study revealed that yogic practices might help in the prevention of age-related degeneration by changing cardiometabolic risk factors, autonomic function, and BDNF in healthy male.” There are a number of promising studies revealing the age-defying potential of this ancient practice. Here are some additional benefits confirmed in 2014 alone: Age-Related Respiratory Problems: A 2014 study from the journal of Human Kinetics found that a 3 month yoga intervention in 36 elderly women (average age 63.1) significantly improved pulmonary (respiratory) function. Age-Related Brain Cognitive Decline: A review in the Journals of Gerontology, involving a two month Hatha yoga intervention in the elderly (average age 62.0) resulted in significant improvements in “executive function measures of working memory capacity and efficiency of mental set shifting and flexibility compared with their stretching-strengthening counterparts.” Age-Related Hormone Insufficiency: A study published in Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that a 3 month yogic intervention in men (average age 42.8) and women (average age 44.75) resulted in improvements in the level of growth hormone and DHEAS, two essential hormones that drop off precipitously as we age. Age-Related Sleep Problems: Astudy published in Alternatives Therapies in Health and Medicine found a 12 week yogic intervention (yoga 2x a week) resulted in significant improvements in the quality of sleep in older individuals (average age 60). Age-Related Depression: From the Chinese Journal of Nursing found that not only did yoga improve sleep as found in the study above but also significantly reduced the depressive symptoms of elderly participants…after 6 months. “ This is just a small sampling of the literature. There is older research revealing that yoga has even more benefits for aging populations.

Last time we spoke, the Ming Dynasty had finally come to an end. After years of fighting, Li Zicheng had finally broken the Ming Dynasty and assumed the Dragon Throne, or sort of. As his rebel forces pillaged Beijing and Li Zicheng sought to establish his Shun Dynasty a rather large issue loomed, that of the Qing invaders. The Qing had bided their time waiting for the Ming Dynasty to rot from the inside before making their move. Li Zicheng took his army to go meet the foreign invader, but unbeknownst to him the remnants of the northern Ming military prefered to throw their lot in with the Qing rather than with him. Li Zicheng's army was smashed at the battle of Shanhai pass. Prince Dorgon took the dragon throne to serve as regent for the infant Qing Emperor Shunzhi marking the emergence of a new Dynasty over China, and they all lived happily ever after. Of course not.    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 the 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.   #6 This episode is the rise of the South Ming Regime   So perhaps a short recap of the end of the last series of episodes. The bandit army of Li Zicheng believed after taking Beijing that their revolution had succeeded and that they could all “live happily ever after”. They did not consider the threat in the north that was the Qing invaders. They had committed the mistake of arrogance and it cost them their newfound Shun Dynasty, it also would have future political and military consequences. The first Qing emperor was titled Shunzhi, meaning “smoothly ruling emperor”, however Prince Dorgon would act as his regent as he was only 5 years old. Thus at the offset, Prince Dorgon ordered the Han chinese civilians to leave inner Beijing city so he could resettle it was Manchu bannermen and establish some sort of order. Exceptions were made of course, remember countless Han defectors aided the Qing conquest and many would take up titles and positions within the new government. The Qing rulers were not naive, they knew opposition would be fierce if they did not incorporate Han chinese within their new hierarchy and thus the loyal Han Bannermen became the great administrators that allowed for the transition to run sort of smoothly. Some of the greatest Han bannermen that would aid the new administration would be Kong Youde, a long time defector, Shang Kexi and Geng Zhongming, who both would play very crucial roles much further into this story. Until 1658 the Qing would intentionally not install any Manchu or Mongol governors so as to make sure the transition worked. Yet also at the offset, the Qing did ruffle some feathers with a particular decision. In 1645 Prince Dorgon issued the infamous head shaving proclamation. Basically he ordered all subjects in China to shave their hair in the style of the Manchu, which is that of a long braided queue. You probably have seen countless movies showcasing this hairstyle, usually the men have a hat on and you see the long braid trailing under it. Now he proclaimed the punishment for those who did not perform the head shaving as that of any other rebel to the Qing, a death sentence. Now a ton of Han chinese shaved their head immediately to curry favor with Prince Dorgon and the new Qing dynasty. They were showered with titles and positions and such.The policy was something of a symbolic submission to the new dynasty and helped the Manchu from telling who was friend or foe. It also evoked the Confucian notion that the subjects of the Dynasty were like the adopted children of the Emperor and that they should look like their adoptive father. Regardless for many Han Chinese the head shaving order was humiliating, some sources I read deemed it a “loss of their manhood”. So as much as it helped the Qing see friend or foe, it also would be used as a symbol of resistance by those who refused to submit. As you can imagine it was inevitable that anti-Qing struggles would break out. From June of 1644 to the end of 1646, the remnants of the Dashun army of Li Zicheng and the Daxi army of Zhang Xianzhong spearheaded anti-qing movements. But unlike the failed Ming state, the Qing Dynasty possessed a powerful army, with high morale.    Politically it made sense to go after Li Zicheng first, for one thing he was the closest. Hell Li Zicheng actually handed the Qing a great situation if you think about it, they could now avenge the regicide of Emperor Chongzhen and be seen as saviors. Thus from the get-go their top priority was to eradicate the Dashun army. Now I did briefly mention the fate of Li Zicheng in the last series, but I will need to reiterate it here again a bit so the story is cohesive. The Dashun army and Li Zicheng fled the west of the Beijing area and lost a ton of territory, but there was a deep anti-qing feeling in the population leading to overwhelming support for them. The Dashun army took up defensive positions in Taiyuan, Yan'an and Suide led by the commanders Chen Youngfu, Li Guo and Hao Yao respectifully. Li Zicheng retreated to Xi'an and decided to seize Hanchung, Gansu and Lanzhou to the south, ensuring the safety of the central Shaanxi area. From there he hoped to have a base of operations for anti-qing action. The Qing army went south along the Taihang Mountain range and occupied Pianguan where they planned to seize Taiyuan.The Dashun army resisted them and managed to defeat the Qing army in Jingjian, Xuanhua and Weizhou. But despite the Dasun army's valiant efforts, it had a problem. The peasant regime in various areas had destroyed much land and resulted in a logistical nightmare.    By November of 1644, the Qing army broke up into 2 forces, one was led by Prince Ajige who was appointed as the Jinyuan general, assisted by Generals Wu Sangui and Shang Kexi. Wu Sangui as you might remember is the man who literally opened the door to the Qing in order to defeat Li Zicheng and Shang Kexi was Ming general who defected and would prove to be quite the loyal ally. They marched through Datong enroute for Xi'an. The other force was led by Prince Dodo also known as Prince Yu assisted by Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming marched on Tonguan. Both armies planned to meet up at Xi'an  where Li Zicheng had fled and defeat his Dashun army there. Ajige's army managed to capture Taiyuan, Pingyan and other cities, but paid heavily for it. Prince Yu's army fought a vigorous battle with the Dashun in the area of Luoyang, Shaanzhou and Baoling until they reached the outskirts of Tongguan. The siege of Tongguan lasted a month with Li Zicheng commanding the troops personally, but to no avail. Meanwhile Ajige's army conquered Yan'an and Shaanzhou and as a result Xi'an became the focal point for the Qing army to produce a hammer and anvil attack. By february 9th, Li Zicheng had to abandon Xi'an running south for the mountains of Shangluo. The Dashun army experienced tremendous defeats at the hands of the Qing, but still hundreds of thousands came rallying to the cause of resistance. Dashun armies led by Li Guo, Gao Yigong and Hao Yaoqi were stationed in the areas of Jing and Xiang while Li Zicheng and Liu Zongmin took up positions in Chengtian. The Dashun army also held Wuchang and at this point Li Zicheng knew the north-east was unstable, but he could ill afford to allow the southeast to fall into disarray. Li Zicheng south to seize the eastern part of Zhoudong and the Xuan areas to establish a base of operations against the Qing armies. By the end of May as the Dashun armies prepared to leave, the Qing army suddenly surprise attacked them from both land and sea. As a result the Dashun army had to abandon Wuchang and run further south to Tongshan. The battle was a grave one and Liu Zongmin was severely injured before being captured and died in battle. Morale broke down for the peasants as more and more Han officials began to collude with the Qing against the peasants. The Dashun army faced enemies from all sides and the anti-qing movement was deteriorating. Then as I stated in the previous episode, by June of 1645, Li Zicheng was ambushed when he tried to cross the Jiugong Mountains. How Li died is not exactly known, some say he hung himself after being surrounded by some angry peasants. Others say peasants beat him to death looking for food. What is known is that his corpse was badly mutilated when it was found. Li Zichengs body was sent south to Ming authorities who decaptitied it.    Now Just a few weeks after Emperor Congzhen had committed suicide in Beijing, one of his Ming clasnmen Zhu Yousong known as Prince Fu arrived in Nanjing. Now there were a ton of Ming princes lying all about China, but it just so happened most of the surviving high court officials were in Nanjing and thus they began to debate who should take up the Dragon Throne. They eventually came to the conclusion Zhu Yousong would be best and asked him to step up. So with the support of Ming loyalist bureaucrats and generals, Zhu Yongsong proclaimed himself an Emperor in Nanjing with the reign title of Hongguang meaning “great light”. This marked the creation of what is known as the South Ming Dynasty. Now Zhu Yongsong was chosen mostly because of his bloodline rather than character or ability. He was the eldest son of Wanli's favorite son, a guy that Li Zicheng et al killed and ate if you remember rather gruesome stuff. His son Zhu Yongsong shared many of his fathers defects and he did not even really want the throne, he just happened to be in Nanjing and a prime candidate.   The original aim Hongguangs regime was to take revenge and suppress the bandit armies. Indeed Emperor Hongguangs court proclaimed the regime was formed to “ally with the Tartars to pacify the bandits”. Hongguang's new regime possessed quite a lot of military power. There was the grand secretary, Ma Shiying who  was the greatest pusher of Zhu Yongsong onto the throne and held a powerful war fleet. There was Shi Kefa the minister of war in Nanjing who further appointed the “sizhen” “Four guardian bastions” who would defend 4 territories; Huang Degong would defend Luzhou, Gao Jie held Sizhou, Liu Liangzuo held Fenyang and Liu Zeqing held Huan'an. All 4 were vested in titles of nobility, which would create a dangerous precedent for our entire story. Each man had an army of 20-30 thousands soldiers. All of this was established to protect the area of Nanjing from the Dashun armies. They also were preparing a northern expedition to eradicate the Dashun forces once and for all. The Hongguang regime seemed to not view the entrance of the Qing invaders as the main threat, most likely because the Qing went straight to work quelling the peasant rebels. In response to the Nanjing regime springing up out of nowhere, the Qing Dynasty chose to compromise for the time being while they consolidated further support for their own regime. They also quickly realized the Nanjing regime was extremely incompetent.    When the news spread of the death of Li Zicheng to Nanjing, the ruler proclaimed Wu Sangui as Ji lord protector. The Nanjing regime even sought to send Wu Sangui millions of taels of silver by sea as reward for “borrowing the Qing army” to defeat the peasant army, yes burrow. It seems the court of Nanjing thought that Wu Sangui could be bought back over to the Ming side. It is alleged that regent Dorgon proclaimed in July that the country should not belong to one person and thus the Hongguan regime made an imperial edict declaring its existence to Hebei and Shandong. They became known as the South Ming regime and they immediately began to send emissaries to Beijing for peace talks. They sent countless gold, silver as tribute and ceded territory to try and earn pledges that the Qing army would not march southwards upon them. They also strongly suggested cooperative action against the bandit armies.    The Hongguang regime was a product of conflict amongst big Ming warlords. There was a Zuo Liangyu bloc which began a campaign of suppression against Daxi bandit armies in Wuhan. Gao Jie, Huang Degong and Liu Liangzuo each held their respective areas north of the Yangtze River in the Jianghuai area. Each warlord had territory and an army, they began to snatch land from each other and this all hurt the common people. In each territory, 30 thousand soldiers needed to be drafted, 200 thousand kg's of rice handed over, 400 thousand liangs of silver turned in. The soldiers and civilians often fell into conflict with another, the civilians saw the military as thieves and the military saw the civilians as rebels, a vicious cycle. While some of the warlords proclaimed they were stamping out bandit armies, they were in truth attacking fellow warlords.    Meanwhile the South Ming regime was placing its entire hope in compromising with the Qing and only when messengers began to arrive who were sent to the Qing back, stating that peace talks were going nowhere and that a Qing army was preparing to march south did some officials begin to make other plans. Shi Kefa amongst many others began to realize that if peace could not be secured, warfare would be the only course of action. Emperor Hongguang for his part was nothing more than a puppet, being controlled by the warlords. He was busy drinking, eating and spending time with his harem without thinking too much about how to deal with the Qing threat seriously.    One serious problem Shi Kefa faced was the bickering amongst the warlords such as the 4 guardian generals. Shi Kefa went to Yangzhou in 1645 to try and smooth relations between the guardian generals. Yet as he began talks with them they did not stop their plundering of another's territories. Then in 1645 the Qing army began to move south occupying Tongguan and Xi'an forcing Dashun armies to flee south requiring the Ming warlord Zuo Liangyu to be dispatched out to suppress them. As the Qing kept moving, this pushed the Dashun armies, which Ming armies like Zuo Liangyu's would have to chase, and thus the Ming were further weakened. On top of this issue, Zuo Liangyu hated Grand Secretary Mu Shiying and for good reason the man was clearly using the emperor like a puppet and taking more power each day. Thus Zuo proclaimed he would get rid of Ma Shiying's influence in the court. All of this internal bickering is happening with the Qing literally pounding on the door of their regime.   Ming forces began to be attacked by the Qing as they marched south and many simply surrendered.The Qing sent Prince Yu to lead his army out of Xi'an to the east and his force soon captured Xuzhou, a strategically important Ming territory and word soon came to Hongguang. The court of Hongguang freaked out looking to their strongmen to resist the Qing invaders, but the warlords of the South Ming Regime were so corrupt and too busy attacking another to pay attention. Gao Jie who possessed the largest army out of the guardian generals was assassinated by another Ming general named Xu Dingguo who tricked him using the oldest trick in the book, a banquet. Xu Dingguo was planning on surrendering to the Qing and invited Gao Jie to a dinner, got him very drunk and using some very beautiful prostitutes managed to kill him during the night. The army of Gao Jie retaliated against the city of Suizhou, but by that time the army of Xu Dingguo had fled and surrendered to the Qing army. When word spread of Gao Jie's death, the other warlords stormed into his territory to divide up his army. In the meantime grand secretary Ma Shiying wanted to continue his dominance of the South Ming Court and was struggling against Zuo Liangyu for power. On may 8th, Zuo's army began a battle agaisn't Ma Shiying's in Anqing, while the Qing army crossed the Huai River and marched on Suizhou. The 2 warlords were shocked by the news and forced to flee south, leaving poor Shi Kefa with the untenable position of defending against the Qing.   You see, Shi Kefa early on had asked to be dispatched to the north to supervise defenses on the border. But due to the warlords fighting another, the Ming general was unable to establish a strong defense. Then Emperor Hongguang ordered, cough cough it is actually Ma Shiying, ordered Shi Kefa to divert his forces from the northern border which the Qing were about to attack, to instead go west and attack Zuo Liangyu. Ironically at this point Zuo Liangyu had died of illness unbeknownst to Ma Shiying, and his son Zuo Menggeng was engaging the enemy. Because of all this anarchy, the Qing saw the route was open to Yangzhou which was something of a bulwark for Nanjing and marched towards it.    Facing the Qing invaders completely alone, the Shi Kefa army was forced to retreat from their northern positions to Yangzhou. His army only made it within days of the city becoming besieged by Prince Yu's army on the 13th of april. Thus Yangzhou was besieged and Emperor Hongguang called on all his officials as to what should be done. Yet many of the officials were too busy attacking another. Some in the court said they had to send reinforcements to help Shi Kefa and pointed fingers at Ma Shiying for intentionally retreating his forces from the Qing areas to retaliate against Zuo Liangyu. It was at that moment that Allegedly Ma sent proclaimed that he would rather the Qing killed the emperor and all the Ming officials rather than they all be killed by the treacherous Zuo Liangui. Ma went on to make edicts that anyone who dared talk about guarding the Huai area would be sentenced to death by him. Apparently even the Emperor dared not speak up. Thus Shi Kefa who was pleading for help was completely ignored. The warlords continued their fight as the Qing were literally banging on the gates. Prince Yu sent a letter to Shi Kefa asking for his surrender, but Shi Kefa replied “My life is tied to the city. I would rather die than betray my heart”.  On April 24th the Qing army's cannons had broken the walls of Yangzhou and the city fell during the night. Shi Kefa attempted suicide by slitting his own throat, but failed to do so. It is alleged, he asked his subordinate Shi Dewei to kill him, but Shi Dewei refused even when Shi Kefa screamed “Im the military inspector Si, quickly Kill me!”. Thus Shi Kefa was captured by Prince Yu who tried to persuade him to surrender and serve him stating “we sent you a letter politely asking for your surrender, but you refused. Now that you've fulfilled your loyalty and righteousness, you should take on a new important responsibility, help me conquer Jiangnan”. Shi Kefa responded "I fall together with the city. My decision will not change. Even if I'm torn to pieces, my feelings will be as sweet as maltose. But do not harm the thousands of lives in Yangzhou!" Thus Shi Kefa was put to death, as his subordinate Liu Zhaoji led the rest of the soldiers and civilians of the city to resist the Qing, pelting them with arrows.   Prince Yu, furious about the heavy casualties his force took upon entering the city, ordered the entire city put to the sword. The tale of this is known as the Yangzhou massacre and according to an account given by the contemporary Wang Xiuchu, the event was a 10 day massacre in which up to 800,000 people were killed. Most modern scholars consider that number to be an exaggeration, but what is not an exaggeration is the hardship felt by the poor souls of the city. Here is an excerpt from Wang Xiuchu's account:   “Several dozen people were herded like sheep or goats. Any who lagged were flogged or killed outright. The women were bound together at the necks with a heavy rope—strung one to another like pearls. Stumbling with each step, they were covered with mud. Babies lay everywhere on the ground. The organs of those trampled like turf under horses' hooves or people's feet were smeared in the dirt, and the crying of those still alive filled the whole outdoors. Every gutter or pond we passed was stacked with corpses, pillowing each others arms and legs. Their blood had flowed into the water, and the combination of green and red was producing a spectrum of colours. The canals, too, had been filled to level with dead bodies. Then fires started everywhere, and the thatched houses...caught fire and were soon engulfed in flames...Those who had hidden themselves beneath the houses were forced to rush out from the heat of the fire, and as soon as they came out, in nine cases out of ten, they were put to death on the spot. On the other hand, those who had stayed in the houses—were burned to death within the closely shuttered doors and no one could tell how many had died from the pile of charred bones that remained afterwards” After the Qing were finished pillaging Yangzhou, they crossed the Yangtze River and captured Zhenjing which was one of the last gateway's to Nanjing. Apparently in the dead of night, a very drunk Emperor Hongguang then fled from Nanjing to Wuhu under the protection of Huang Degong, his chief general. This left the South Ming court in chaos, some officials fled, while others prepared to pay tribute and surrender to the Qing. Li Chengdong and Liu Liangzuo surrendered to the Qing early on, Zuo Liangyu and Gao Jie were both dead leaving 23,000 defenders to guard Nanjing without any real leadership.    The betrayal and deaths of the warlords handed over the entire northwestern zone of the South Ming regime to the Qing. Ma Shiying then brought to Nanjing troops from the western provinces made out of non-Han Chinese indigenous fierce tribal warriors called the "Sichuan" soldiers to defend Nanjing against the Qing. Rather ironically the tribal warriors were deemed "barbarians" and slaughtered by the Han Chinese citizens of Nanjing. Mind you the person who was in charge of defending Nanjing was Zuo Liangyu so as you can imagine he probably had a heavy hand to play turning everyone against Ma Shiyang. It also turns out Zuo Liangyu and many citizens of Nanjing had decided to peacefully defect and turn over the city to the Qing when Emperor Hongguang abandoned them. Allegedly the citizens screamed out "These are the son and daughter-in-law of the traitorous minister Ma Shiying!" while parading the daughter-in-law and son of Ma Shiying as they stormed Ma Shiying's house. Thus when the Qing marched upon the city of Nanjing the defenders mostly threw down their weapons and by June 8th the South Ming Regime of Emperor Hongguang had collapsed. Zho Menggeng surrendered to the Qing, Huang Degong was killed fighting the Qing and for all it was on paper, perhaps upto a million men strong, the regime simply fell to pieces. Liu Zuoliang who had surrendered to the Qing managed to capture the fleeing Emperor Hongguang and sent him under escort back to Nanjing. It is said the citizens spat on him and cursed him and even threw rocks at him as he made his way along the street. Emperor Hongguang would die a year later in Beijing. The South Ming regime of Hongguang had not even lasted a full year and made one of the most pitiful attempts at trying to resist the Qing army.  It also exploited its own people and caused a ton of suffering, which will be the main theme of this entire story.   Within a year of their new Dynasty, the Qing armies had defeated Li Zicheng and his Dashun armies. They had destroyed the South Ming regime of Hongguang and had taken over the northern  half of China. Yet this was just to be the beginning of the seizure of national power. The bloody suppression of the bandit armies, the plundering and killing, alongside the coercive policies led the Manchu people into a lot of conflict with the Han majority. As the Qing armies continued to march south many Han rose up in defiance still. The Qing had a powerful and skillful military, but even they could not hope to control all of China with just military force. Emperor Hongguang was not going to be the last guy to proclaim himself an emperor and try to rally the Ming to his cause, not by a long shot.   In July of 1645 Prince Lu established a power base in Shaoxing and even proclaimed himself a regent. From there he created his own regime that soon held control over Shoxing, Ningbo, Wenzhou and Taizhou. With the support of the local populace and taking advantage of the rough terrain of the Qiantang River, his forces led by Fang Guo'an and Wang Zhiren fought the Qing off. However they were merely defending their territory, not seeking to confront the Qing army.  So  unfortunately for Prince Lu, before he could even toss around any reign title or proclaim a new Dynasty, the Qing showed up to the gates of Shaoxing and he had to surrender.    Much like the warlords, Prince Lu was too busy actively fighting against imperial family members such as the Prince of Tang, Zhu Yujian. When the Qing captured Nanjing, Zhu Yujian had fled to Hangzhou and at the behest of many of his officials ascended to the Ming throne in Fuzhou proclaiming himself Emperor Longwu meaning “plentiful and martial”. Now neither Prince Lu nor Emperor Longwu were even aware of another at first, it just so happens they figured out their situation when Emperor Longwu had sent regency letters to Shaoxing. Upon hearing of the regency of Prince Lu, Emperor Longwu demanded he step down, but the court of Prince Lu demanded he stand up to the challenge. Now neither side actually sent armies to fight another, instead they simply bickered about who needed to step down. Regardless this meant they were not cooperating or coordinating with another and who benefits from that, the Qing ofcourse. Bickering against Emperor Longwu deeply impacted Prince Lu's forces capability at defending against the Qing and alongside this in July of 1646 because of a drought the Qiantang river became shallow allowing the Qing army to simply cross it and march on Shaoxing. The army of Fang Guo'an fled at the mere sight of the Qing and soon everything fell into chaos. Fang Guo'an and his forces surrendered to the Qing and Prince Lu tried to flee for his life, but the Qing literally got to his gates by that point. The quasi regime if you can call it that had not even existed for a year before its collapse.    Meanwhile Emperor Longwu held control over Jianning, Tianxing, Yanping, Xinghua, Zhangzhou, Quanzhou, Shaowu and Tingzhou. This was the region of Fujian and luckily for the new regime, its geographical position was on the margin of the Qing's empire, cut off from the heartland by several mountain ranges. His military sent 100,000 troops to defender the towns with another 100,000 set to suppress the enemy. Unfortunately for Emperor Longwu the military was not fully under his control. A large part of his military forces were loyal to the powerful warlord named Zheng Zhilong. Zheng also went by the name Yiguan, he used to be a pirate leader and was offered amnesty by the Ming dynasty. He had been a governor and military officer possessing up to 30000 troops while controlling significant maritime trade. Merchant ships coming and going from Japan and SouthEast Asia had to obtain his permission and pay taxes to him. This had made him the formidable warlord of Fujian by the time the Qing were spreading through China. The reason he chose to support the Longwu regime was because he wanted to take this opportunity to gain political influence and expand his own power further inland. So needless to say, Zheng Zhilong was not the most devout Ming loyalist. The Longwu emperor would have another ace up his sleeve, though like Zhen Zhilong not a very trustworthy one. A group known as the Loyal and True Brigades emerged. They were former Dashun leaders who had wandered leaderless after Li Zicheng died. They ran into the army of He Tengjiao who instead of simply smashing them, shared wine with the bandit leaders and asked them to join the Ming loyalists. They agreed to do so under his banner, greatly increasing his numbers, up to an estimated 200,000. He Tengjiao was showered with titles and gifts from Emperor Longwu for bringing so many to the cause, but as you can imagine taking in bandit leaders would have dire side effects. In reality, these bandit leaders and their armies were not really submitting under the Ming, nor were any really that loyal. It was just a means to an end, an allegiance and many of these bandit armies would simply go on to become bandits again. The precedent however was set, the South Ming Regime would continuously employ former bandit leaders, even installing some with titles which would hurt them further down the road.    While so many Ming loyalist armies fought the Qing armies on the border territory of Fujian and other areas, Zheng Zhilong made sure to hold back near the coast, despite having the most formidable force with abundant provisions. When the Qing armies approached Zhejiang and Fujian, Zheng Zhilong thought the Longwu regime could do him no more good. In order to maintain his power in Fujian and keep his tremendous wealth he decided to simply defect to the Qing. On top of this, something that is said all too often but gets disregarded occurred. Terrible weather led to terrible harvests which lead to starvation affected the troops and civilians alike.   Still in places like western Huguang the Loyal and True were unleashed upon the Qing invaders and they won several battles. But when the Qing crossed the Xianxia Mountains, Zheng Zhilong withdrew all his forces. The Qing army marched straight through the area encountering no defense and entered Fuzhou with ease. The civil and military officials of the Longwu regime fled for their lives or surrendered, no one really put up a fight. Zheng Zhilong shaved his hair for the Manchu queue and surrendered. He was sent to Beijing. A foreign missionary who witnessed the collapse of the Longwu regime stated “Emperor Longwu acted as if he was a cowardly sheep and fled with his mighty army. The word mighty here referred to the large number of the callous people. But his escape could not save his life. When the swift Qing army caught up with him, they shot these stupid sheep with arrows”. Longwu had no children and had adopted Zheng Zhilong's son Zheng Chenggong and when Zheng Zhilong surrendered and left for Beijing, this left his army to be inherited by Zheng Chenggong and his uncle. Zheng Chenggong goes by another name in the west, Koxinga and will play a crucial role in this story later.   In December of 1646 the little brother of Emperor Longwu, the new Prince of Tang, Zhu Yuyue, proclaimed himself Emperor in Guangzhou, his title of reign was Shaowu. When the Qing forces captured Fuzhou and killed the Longwu Emperor, Zhu Yuyue had fled to Guangzhou and several high officials pressured him to take the throne. Unfortunately for him just a few days later the Prince of Yongming, Zhu Youlang also proclaimed himself emperor at Zhaoqing taking the title of Yongli which means perpetual calendar. Zhu Youlang was the grandson of Wanli and held a stronger claim to the throne than Zhu Yuyue. The Ming provincial governor of Guangxi, Qu Shisi who had served under both Hongguang and Longwu, championed Zhu Youlang early on claiming he had “dragon countenance” and a great character for rule.  Yet,according to some surviving sources, Zhu Youlang was said to be quite weak of body and spirit, and even his own mother urged against his enthronement “My son is soft and benevolent and lacks the talent to bring order to chaos. I wish you could choose someone else” ouch, Jeb Bush much? But as usually occurs, bloodlines won out over merit.   Now of all the Ming Princes to take up the dragon throne, Yongli's tenure would be the longest during this period. Yet it was also characterized by the same problems as the rest, rampant factionalism, indecisive leadership and an overreliance upon warlord military figures whose interests would more often than naught trump over his own. One of Emperor Yongli's first actions was to put He Tengjiao in charge of military affairs hoping he could rein in the Loyal and True who were not full on looting the hell out of the country side, bandits will be bandits afterall. Emperor Yongli then went a step further and began instilling titles upon the former bandit leaders, most likely fearing if he did not persuade them to his side they would join Emperor Shaowu or the Qing. This precedent would further hurt his reign down the road.   As you can imagine both new regimes began claiming to be the legitimate successor to the South Ming Dynasty as a whole and inevitably fell into war with another. They would be so consumed by this that neither regime would do much of anything to thwart the Qing invaders. Well as the war between the 2 emperors raged, in only 40 days of proclamation, Shaowu's forces were completely smashed at Guangzhou by the Qing and Emperor Shaowu was captured in January and committed suicide. Thus to start off his new regime, just a month or so after taking the throne Emperor Yongli would flee, not a good start. The Qing who smashed Emperor Shaowu had marched onwards and entered Guangzhou, prompting Emperor Yongli to fear for his life and flee from Zhaoqing going 170 kilometers upriver to Wuzhou. Emperor Yongli was abandoned by many members of his court and I would say rightfully so given his cowardly actions. Would you know it, the Qing army simply kept marching, as one does closer and closer to Wuzhou and guess what Emperor Yongli did, yes he fled again, this time to Guilin and even more court officials abandoned him. It was at Guilin where he made a distant relative, Zhu Rongfan Vice Minister of War and vice censor in chief and supreme commander of Sichuan and Huguang, yes the old practice of tossing a ton of different hats onto a single person. In 1647 Zhu Rongan would soon declare himself regent and cause a ton of chaos in Sichuan.    The Qing having blown right through Guangdong with incredible speed were fast approaching Guilin, prompting, you guessed it, Yongli to flee now to Quanzhou. Many in Yongli's court had reasoned that Quanzhou was an ideal area to have better access to the war efforts of the Loyal and True brigades. But Qu Shishi repeatedly argued they should make a stand at Guilin. ““If you want to defend Yue, you should stay in Yue. If you abandon Yue, then Yue will be imperiled. If we take one step forward, then the people will take one step forward. But if we flee far away in a single day, the people will also flee far in a day. If we run, then we cannot defend [territory]. How can we attract people to our cause?”. Qu Shishi believed they needed a stable base of operations in order to attract troops for more broad based support. He also kept arguing the previous south Ming regimes had all abandoned bases too swiftly and thus undermined their causes. We will come back to this, but now we need to look at another large aspect of the war for unification, the problem of the bandit armies and how suppressing them causes further problems. This is sort of a more micro look at how at the more local levels, certain groups of people would rise up to fight off the Qing invaders.    The Qing army scored a series of victories south of the Yangtze River and the southeast coastal regions. They defeated quite a few South Ming regimes and Dashun and Daxi armies. But with each victory came cities being burned, plundering, murder all contributing to the further suffering of the common people. With so many people suffering came more and more revolts. People south of the Yangtze and southeast coast regions continued to resist the Qing. Peasant revolutionary organizations which had developed even before the Qing were growing exponentially. In august and september of 1646, 20,000 strong peasant armies from Liyan, Jintan and Xinghua began to cooperate with the South Ming regime to besiege Nanjing. This was quite an incredible feat, it was the secondary capital after all. The peasant armies launched several attacks causing quite a lot of anxiety for the Qing rulers, but they never managed to take Nanjing. These anti-qing actions however spread like wildfire to the Taihu area. There under the leadership of Zhang San, a mass of poor farmers, and fishermen began an organized insurrection. They kidnapped the children of rich families, hid them in the mountains and began demanding ransoms which they took to pay for soldiers and provisions. This type of uprising then sprang in the area of Suzhou and Songjiang encouraged more and more people to struggle against the Qing rule. One Taihu peasant army that participated was named the “White Head Army”, because they wore white headcloths. They managed to overthrow Wujiang, attacked Haiyan, Zhejiang and Jiashan gaining considerable fame. But like so many, they were eventually smashed by the Qing armies and their leader Wu Risheng was killed. Still under the overall leadership of Zhang San, farmers and fishermen of Taihu continued to fight and captured Yixing and fought forces in Suzhou and Changzhou. The Qing kept defeating their forces again and again, but more kept springing up and thus the White Head Army became a banner of resistance in the area south of the Yangtze River.   When the imperial edict was given out by the Qing government that everyone should style their hair in the Manchu fashion it was stipulated that in 10 days of the edict that all should comply. The order was basically “keep your hair or your head”. Several anti-qing forces rose up claiming they would rather die than shave their heads and they began a campaign of anti hair shaving. Movements were seen in countless cities, but the anti-shaving movement became most violent in Jiangyin. Jiangyin was a prosperous city with 3 rivers and 5 lakes. It was also the gateway to Suzhou, Songjiang, Zhejiang, Fujian and Nanjing. Yan Yingyuan, a low level Ming official and a historical grapher was appointed as a commander of a rebel army in Jiangyin. Yan organized the army and deployed a pretty effective defense. The Qing sent up to 240,000 soldiers to fight the rebels, but peasants from over 18 miles away were coming to the city to fight and when they did they abandoned their farm work, hurting the overall agriculture production of the area. The peasants were quite disorganized and many times had no idea what they were doing, but they did not give up, and the Qing began to seriously worry about this.  Jiangyin held out against about 10,000 Qing troops for 83 days during a fierce siege. When the city wall was finally breached on 9 October 1645, the Qing army led by the northern Chinese Ming defector Liu Liangzuo, was  ordered to "fill the city with corpses before you sheathe your swords," It is estimated his army massacred a entire population, of  between 74,000 and 100,000 people. Despite the brutality, local people in nearby areas did not stop. The city of Jiading which was southeast of Jiangyin had a large scale anti hair shaving revolt rise up led by Huang Chunyao and Hou Tongzeng. The Jianding people firmly guarded their city from 3 successive Qing attacks. At Songjiang armies led by Chen Zilong and Xia Yunyi began to rebel. Both cities would see similar massacres like Jiangyin. More uprising sprang up in Kunshan, Maoshan, Huizhou and countless other places. The Qing dynasty hated these revolts because the outcome was always going to be the same thing, dead potential subjects, ruined cities and devastated agricultural production.    So as you can see, local level organizations, IE: rebel uprisings were honestly Dynasty breaking mechanisms if they were allowed to continuously grow. Perhaps you as the Qing dynasty, smash a few of these before they get too big, but what happens if one does get too big? As the Qing quelled more and more peasant uprisings and moved further south of the Yangtze river, an old enemy of the Ming was becoming more and more powerful. As a result of Li Zicheng's death, the Qing brutal suppression of peasants and the incompetent disorganized state of the South Ming Dynasty, many peasants fled into the arms of Zhang Xianzhong.    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.  Alrighty so we've gotten a taste of the situation right after Beijing fell to the Qing, things did not go so “happily ever after”. Yet the Qing smashed Li Zicheng and quite a few self proclaimed Emperors to the new South Ming Dynasty. The fleeing emperor Yongli was still kicking, but who next could possibly hope to challenge the Qing at this point? One of the arguably most evil men in history could, just you wait.  

Immáron hatvannyolcadik alkalommal merülünk alá. Fölé.   00.30: Az online gyógyszerfeliratás dicsérete. 02.30: Bede Márton öt kedvenc McDonald's-e, nem ironikusan. 14.00: A Lanzhou az a Wangé volt?! A Wang-életmű dicsérete. 18.00: Címgyanú 1: Gizella utcai Wang: upper-class ópiumbarlang. 19.30: Wang Mozium: még a kiszolgálás is jó, nem csak a pekingi kacsa. 23.40: Titkos tipp: KFC-s hambi. 25.30: Görög Zita felforgatja a taknyoszabpehely-piacot. 27.00: Az olasz kajaadat, ami miatt Bede Márton napokig hápogott. 28.10: 1961, a presszókávé feltalálása. 32.00: Az európai kávékultúra bölcsője: Bécs török ostroma. 33.00: Olvasói levél és helyreigazítás Bud Spencer- és Terence Hill-ügyben. 34.15: Permanens vizes vébé helyett kivételesen egy kis magyar Giro d'Italia. A szerző tartja, amit 2019-ben írt. 42.00: Valter Attila meg fogja próbálni. 45.40: Jó Girónk lesz… 46.40: Hogy szivárgott be ötvenezer frankfurti a katalán szentélybe? 48.00: Winkler életében először előfizetett egy újságra. 49.00: UP az atomháborún derpegett. Fogarasi Árpád rehabilitálása. 52.00: A taktikai atomfegyver csak egy hülyeség. 55.40: Miért fontosabb Ukrajna Nagy Britanniának? 57.00: Mit akar ez a Lúdfakk? Ez egy professzor?! Csinálja jobban a kínai császárságot! 60.00: Követitek Kaja Kallast? 61.45: Ellentrollfarmok a Lakmuszon.

La Chine élargit sa liste de semences autorisées par l'État. L'annonce du ministère chinois de l'Agriculture vise à réduire la dépendance aux importations, dans un contexte alimentaire incertain avec la résurgence Covid et la guerre en Ukraine.  C'est le maillon faible de la chaîne alimentaire en Chine. Pour les experts comme pour les décideurs chinois, le développement des semenciers nationaux est un élément essentiel à l'augmentation de la production céréalière et une étape obligée vers l'autosuffisance. La guerre en Ukraine et la résurgence Covid ont sonné l'alarme chez les dirigeants chinois, à commencer par le chef de l'État. « Ce n'est qu'en tenant les graines chinoises dans nos propres mains que nous pourrons stabiliser le bol des Chinois et atteindre la sécurité alimentaire », a déclaré Xi Jinping au début du mois. La pandémie de Covid a bouleversé les chaînes d'approvisionnement mondiales, même chose pour la guerre en Ukraine. Or la Chine dépend encore largement des semences étrangères pour de nombreux légumes, les épinards, le chou-fleur et les carottes notamment, même chose pour le maïs. D'où cette décision d'élargir la liste de base des sélectionneurs et producteurs de semences parrainées par l'état. Course contre la montre L'annonce du ministère chinois de l'Agriculture et des Affaires rurales est une première depuis neuf ans, le gouvernement central espère que cette base nationale élargie fournira plus de 80 % des graines nécessaires à la production agricole d'ici à 2025, contre 70 % avant la pandémie. « Il s'agit d'une mesure concrète pour revitaliser le secteur », a affirmé Li Guoxiang dans des propos rapportés par le South China Morning Post. « Les ressources agricoles chinoises sont limitées, ajoute cet expert au sein de l'institut de développement rural au sein de l'Académie des sciences sociales, le seul domaine qui peut se développer est celui des semences. » Le dire, c'est le faire en Chine, sauf que cela peut prendre du temps. « Il faut dix ans pour élever une nouvelle espèce de trèfle, 7 ou 8 ans pour l'avoine (deux composants essentiels de l'alimentation du bétail, ndlr) », confie Yang Hongshan, expert à l'institut de l'élevage de Lanzhou de l'Académie chinoise des sciences agricoles cité par le Global Times et la Chine importe plus de 1,3 million de tonnes de trèfles chaque année. Sélectionner de meilleures semences passe par la recherche et développement ; elle passe aussi par l'espace. L'équipage de la mission spatiale Shenzhou 13 est revenu sur terre le 16 avril dernier, avec dans ses bagages des semences de trèfles justement, d'avoine, de riz, de champignons et de chou. « Les graines étant aussi importantes que les puces dans l'industrie des semi-conducteurs », rappelait ces derniers jours un professeur de l'université agricole de Chine.

La Chine a décidé de reconfiner les 4 millions d'habitants de la ville de Lanzhou avec un contrôle strict des déplacements. Dans Europe midi, Sébastien Le Belzic, journaliste et correspondant en Chine pour Europe 1, nous explique cette décision des autorités chinoises face au rebond épidémique. 

COVID : LA CHINE RECONFINE... – 26/10/21 Invités Pr ANNE-CLAUDE CRÉMIEUX Professeure en maladies infectieuses - Hôpital Saint-Louis Membre de l'Académie de médecine Pr DIDIER PITTET Épidémiologiste, chef du service de contrôle des infections Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève NICOLAS BERROD Journaliste santé – « Le Parisien » SOAZIG QUÉMÉNER Rédactrice en chef du service politique – « Marianne » Pr BRUNO LINA - En direct de Lyon Virologue - CHU de Lyon Membre du Conseil scientifique Après un été presque insouciant, l'ambiance se refroidit sur le front de l'épidémie. Alors que les mesures sanitaires se sont relâchées un peu partout sur fond de vaccination, la pandémie repart à la hausse en Europe qui représente actuellement plus de 55 % des nouvelles contaminations dans le monde. C'est le cas au Royaume-Uni où près de 50 000 cas sont comptabilisés chaque jour. Plusieurs pays sont également déjà en grande difficulté, à l'instar de la Bulgarie où la hausse des cas de Covid-19 submerge le système hospitalier. « Notre capacité en termes d'effectifs et de ventilateurs est presque épuisée, nous allons devoir chercher de l'aide à l'étranger », a alerté le ministre de la santé, évoquant également la possibilité d'un confinement dans le pays, qui a le plus faible taux de vaccination de l'Union européenne. Seuls 24 % de Bulgares sont actuellement totalement vaccinés. En Russie, où l'on compte plus de 1000 morts quotidiens, un niveau inédit depuis le début de l'épidémie, Vladimir Poutine a décrété la quasi-mise à l'arrêt du pays pendant onze jours. Le président russe a également appelé les nombreux récalcitrants à se faire vacciner pour tenter de circonscrire une flambée de Covid-19 hors de contrôle. Au pays des inventeurs du vaccin Spoutnik V, seulement 31 % des Russes sont immunisés. Un échec de la campagne de vaccination reconnu par le Kremlin qui pointe du doigt la responsabilité de la population. Alors qu'en Chine, qui avait quasiment éradiqué l'épidémie sur son sol depuis le printemps 2020, les autorités viennent, elles aussi, de décider le confinement des quatre millions d'habitants de la ville de Lanzhou dans le nord du pays et de demander aux résidents de Pékin de réduire leurs déplacements, en raison d'un rebond des cas d'infection. Attribuée au variant Delta, hautement contagieux, la nouvelle poussée épidémique se serait déjà propagée dans onze provinces ainsi que dans la capitale qui se prépare à organiser les JO d'hiver dans une centaine de jours. Et en France, quelle est la situation ? La courbe est-elle en train de s'inverser ? Après des semaines de baisse, « on assiste à une petite poussée » de l'épidémie en Europe, et donc dans l'Hexagone, a expliqué vendredi le ministre de la Santé. Olivier Véran a une nouvelle fois rappelé la nécessité de maintenir les gestes barrières pour contenir la pandémie, malgré les bénéfices de la vaccination, mais aussi l'importance pour les personnes de plus de 65 ans ou immunodéprimées de faire une 3ème dose de rappel. Selon les chiffres communiqués par le ministre, seulement 100 000 doses de rappel sont effectuées quotidiennement. Un chiffre insuffisant d'après le gouvernement qui s'interroge sur les moyens de convaincre les Français éligibles à une 3ème dose et n'écarte pas la possibilité de l'intégrer au pass sanitaire. Interrogé sur le sujet, Jean Castex a ainsi expliqué que la décision était soumise à la Haute Autorité de Santé. « A la HAS de nous dire si nous devons ou non étendre l'éligibilité du pass à la troisième dose. L'avis est sollicité » a affirmé le Premier ministre en marge d'un déplacement au Vatican le 18 octobre dernier. Mais d'ici là, le pass sanitaire devrait faire l'objet d'une âpre bataille au Palais du Luxembourg. Car si à l'issue de débats souvent électriques, marqués par des divisions au sein même de la majorité, l'Assemblée nationale a donné un premier feu vert au projet de loi "vigilance sanitaire", avec la possibilité de recourir au pass sanitaire jusqu'au 31 juillet 2022, au Sénat, Sénateurs LR et PS entendent restreindre l'utilisation du pass aux départements où moins de 75 % de la population totale est vaccinée. Le dispositif ainsi encadré ne durerait que jusqu'au 28 février, et non au 31 juillet comme le demande le gouvernement. Alors assiste-t-on à une reprise de l'épidémie ? Faut-il craindre une 5ème vague généralisée ? Enfin à l'heure où l'OMS s'agace de l'iniquité vaccinale dans le monde, où en est le mécanisme de distribution des vaccins Covax ? DIFFUSION : du lundi au samedi à 17h45 FORMAT : 65 minutes PRÉSENTATION : Caroline Roux - Axel de Tarlé REDIFFUSION : du lundi au vendredi vers 23h40 RÉALISATION : Nicolas Ferraro, Bruno Piney, Franck Broqua, Alexandre Langeard PRODUCTION : France Télévisions / Maximal Productions Retrouvez C DANS L'AIR sur internet & les réseaux : INTERNET : francetv.fr FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/Cdanslairf5 TWITTER : https://twitter.com/cdanslair INSTAGRAM : https://www.instagram.com/cdanslair/

AMONG the headlines for Tuesday, October 26th, 2021, The government has approved 40 projects related to the aerospace industry with a total investment value of RM3.8 billion from 2017 until June 2021, which created 4,563 job opportunities. Also, China placed a city of four million under lockdown today in a bid to stamp out a domestic coronavirus spike, with residents told not to leave home except in emergencies. The restrictions came as China reported 29 new domestic infections — including six cases in Lanzhou, the provincial capital of northwestern province Gansu. Listen to the top stories of the day, reporting from Astro AWANI newsroom — all in 3 minutes. We bring you the headlines, weekdays at 5 pm. Stay informed on astroawani.com for these news and more.

本次疫情波及11省份丨COVID-19 outbreak hits nationThe recent resurgence of COVID-19, which has hit 11 provincial regions and has lead to at least 106 infections in 13 tour groups, is believed to have been caused by an imported case, health officials revealed on Sunday.卫生官员周日透露，本轮疫情已经袭击了11个省级地区，并造成13个旅行团中至少106人感染。据信本次疫情是由境外输入源头引起。"Most cases reported in the recent wave were caused by the Delta variant and related to tourism. The origin of the virus is still under investigation," said Wu Liangyou, deputy director of the National Health Commission's disease prevention and control bureau.国家卫健委疾控局副局长吴良有说：“最近一波疫情中报告的大多数病例是由德尔塔变异毒株引起的，与旅游有关。疫情源头仍在调查中。”"Gene sequencing revealed the cases were imported from overseas," he said at a news conference held on Sunday by China's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council, which was founded in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.周日，吴良有在国务院联防联控机制发布会上表示：“基因测序显示本轮疫情病例是由境外输入的。”该机制是为应对新冠肺炎疫情突发公共卫生事件而成立的。"The latest resurgence developed fast, with a growing number of cases that were not related to the tour groups. And cases have kept growing," Wu added.吴良有补充说：“最新一轮疫情发展很快，与旅行团无关的病例越来越多，且病例还在不断增加。”He estimated that cases will continue to grow in the next few days and spread to more areas.吴良有估计，未来几天病例还会继续增加，并蔓延至更多地区。So far, the new wave has hit 11 provinces and regions, including the Ningxia Hui and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions, Shaanxi, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces and Beijing. A total of 133 cases are so far involved－including the 106 from the tour groups－most in Gansu province and Inner Mongolia.目前，本轮疫情已波及宁夏回族、内蒙古自治区、陕西、云贵、北京等11个省区。目前共报告133例感染者，病例主要集中在甘肃和内蒙古，其中106例与旅行团传播链有关。By Saturday, Northwest China's Gansu province had logged 41 confirmed locally transmitted cases. Of them, 30 are in Lanzhou, seven in Zhangye, two in Jiayuguan, one in Tianshui and one in Longnan.截至周六，中国甘肃省已报告41例本地感染病例（兰州市30例，张掖市7例，嘉峪关市2例，天水市1例，陇南市1例）。The province has suspended all tourist activities in a circuit-breaker measure after the spike in cases, with all tourists in Lanzhou, where most cases were reported, required to stay wherever they are under quarantine.病例激增后，甘肃省采取熔断措施，暂停了所有旅游活动。报告病例数最多的兰州市要求所有游客就地隔离。The measure is in line with requirements released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Saturday. It requires travel agencies to suspend cross-provincial tourism activities in regions that contain medium- or high-risk areas.该措施符合文化和旅游部周六发布的要求。根据该要求，旅行社须暂停中高风险地区跨省旅游活动。Anti-epidemic measures in Gansu also include the suspension of cultural activities, exhibitions and mass gatherings.甘肃省防疫措施还包括暂停举办各种文艺演出、展览和聚集性群众性文化活动。Stranded tourists in the province are required to take no less than two nucleic acid tests during an interval of no less than 24 hours. Only those with negative results will be allowed to leave.甘肃省内滞留游客须在不少于24小时的时间间隔内接受不少于2次核酸检测。核酸结果呈阴性才可离开。Beijing reported five confirmed locally transmitted cases between 12 am Saturday and 3 pm Sunday, local health authorities said on Sunday. All of the cases have been sent to a designated hospital for treatment, and an epidemiological investigation is underway.当地卫生部门周日表示，周六上午 12点至周日下午3点，北京报告了五例本地确诊病例。所有病例均已送往定点医院进行救治，流行病学调查也正在进行中。Beijing's public security department announced on Sunday that people from counties with new infections or travelers who have visited the counties with new cases within 14 days are not allowed to enter to Beijing. Exceptions will only be given to those with a green health code and a negative nucleic acid test taken within 48 hours.周日，北京公安部门宣布，来自新感染县区的人员或在14天内到过新增病例所在的县区的旅客不得进入北京。其他无新增病例但属于新增病例所在城市的人员，建议不要来京。仅对持绿色健康码且48小时内核酸检测阴性人员例外。North China's Inner Mongolia reported 10 confirmed locally transmitted cases between 10:30 am on Saturday and 11 am on Sunday, according to the regional health commission.据地区卫生委员会称，周六上午10点30分至周日上午11点，内蒙古报告了10例本地感染的确诊病例。All 10 cases have been sent to designated hospitals for treatment, and an epidemiological investigation is underway.10例病例已全部送往定点医院救治，流行病学调查正在进行中。According to Wu, teams of experts have been dispatched to Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Shaanxi.据吴良有介绍，已向甘肃、内蒙古、宁夏、陕西等地派出专家组。In order to prevent the outbreak from expanding, public transportation in regions with new infections is being strictly controlled, said Zhou Min, deputy director of the Ministry of Transport's emergency control office.交通运输部应急办副主任周旻说，为防止疫情扩大，新发感染地区的公共交通正在进行严格控制。In medium- and high-risk regions, public transportation to and from outside places has been suspended, while services within those regions will be under strict surveillance.中高风险地区暂停对外公共交通运输，严格控制区内服务。"Emergency services will run 24 hours a day, and we will cooperate with related departments to guarantee necessary transportation services for important supplies, such as vaccines and food," he said.他说：“应急服务将24小时不间断运行，我们将与有关部门合作，保障疫苗、食品等重要物资的必要运输服务。”

Uno spartitoè una partitura “semplice”, in cui è indicato come va suonato un brano dal solo pianoforte o da uno strumento solista accompagnato dal pianoforte. La partituraè la versione completa di una composizione per orchestra, in cui sono indicate le “parti” che saranno eseguite da ogni strumento. Comunque, fino al XVI secolo non si faceva nessuna distinzione fra i due termini (cosa che, spesso, succede ancora oggi). Anche se si potrebbe pensare che la trascrizione con le note sia abbastanza “recente”, risalente allo stesso periodo in cui si stabilirono i nomi delle note, cioè un migliaio di anni fa, in realtà la storia ha tramando partiture più antiche. Per esempio, nel 1920 fu ritrovato uno dei più antichi spartiti della storia. Un frammento di legno inciso con notazioni musicali scritte per uno strumento a cinque corde è stato datato a circa 1.800 anni fa. Purtroppo, però, dopo il suo ritrovamento, fu dimenticato e accantonato per oltre 60 anni, finché Niu Longfei, storico dell'Università di Lanzhou, non lo ha esaminato. Dopo avere trascritto la partitura, disse che la melodia era elegante e bella. Questa è la partitura cinese più antica finora scoperta. Ma la storia del Medioriente ci dice che esiste una partitura ancora più antica. È stata trovata incisa su una tavoletta cuneiforme realizzata nella città sumera di Nippur, nell'odierno Iraq. La tavoletta è stata datata un paio di secoli prima del frammento di legno cinese. La tavoletta contiene istruzioni su come suonare e mostra un sistema di notazione polifonico ad almeno tre voci con una scala diatonica (simile alla scala di Do). A differenza del frammento di legno, però, la tavoletta cuneiforme non è completa. Un'altra tavoletta, più recente di circa 7-8 cento anni, mostra che nel territorio sumero la musica fece un certo progresso. Purtroppo, però, anche questa seconda tavoletta è arrivata incompleta. Fino a circa 500 anni fa, è stato difficile tramandare le partiture, perché erano copiate a mano. Ma dal XV secolo, si sono iniziate a stampare, e oggi abbiamo a disposizione almeno 500 anni di musica che possiamo suonare proprio come i compositori originali volevano. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/corgiov/message

Thứ Bảy, 29/05/2021, Philippines lại gởi công hàm ngoại giao phản đối « sự hiện diện và các hoạt động bất hợp pháp » của Trung Quốc tại Biển Đông. Trước đó hai hôm, ngày 27/05/2021, Nhật Bản và Liên Hiệp Châu Âu trong cuộc họp cấp cao trực tuyến, kêu gọi « duy trì hòa bình và ổn định tại eo biển Đài Loan ». Căng thẳng gia tăng tại Biển Đông và biển Hoa Đông và ẩn sau đó là những rủi ro xung đột giữa Mỹ và Trung Quốc. Làm thế nào đánh giá được những rủi ro đó ? Nhà báo Joris Zylberman trên trang mạng RFI lần lượt phân tích những nguy cơ có thể dẫn đến đối đầu quân sự Mỹ - Trung tại ba điểm nóng ở châu Á – Thái Bình Dương : Eo biển Đài Loan, biển Hoa Đông và Biển Đông. Đài Loan và chiến lược mập mờ Từ năm 2019, Trung Quốc không ngừng gia tăng sức ép không - hải quân đối với Đài Loan. Ông Tập Cận Bình và đảng Cộng Sản Trung Quốc tuyên bố hạ gục « tỉnh nổi loạn » bằng cuộc chiến tiêu hao hay bằng vũ lực nếu thấy cần thiết. Đối với ông Tập, không thể để gánh nặng hợp nhất này cho thế hệ tiếp theo. Kế hoạch tái chiếm có thể được hình dung theo hai bước. Đầu tiên là phá hủy các trung tâm chỉ huy, căn cứ không quân và hải quân sau khi tấn công tin học để vô hiệu hóa hệ thống phòng thủ và chiếm lấy kiểm soát không phận. Rồi tiếp đến mới cho đổ bộ. Nhà nghiên cứu Mathieu Duchatel, giám đốc chương trình châu Á, Viện Montaigne lưu ý trong cuộc chiến này Trung Quốc chưa chắc gì nắm lấy phần thắng. Đó sẽ là một cuộc chiến hao tốn nhân lực. Và nhất là Bắc Kinh chưa làm chủ được một yếu tố quan trọng : Phản ứng của Mỹ. Thế nên, theo ông Mathieu Duchatel, « kịch bản khả dĩ nhất, chính là hai hay ba thời điểm khủng hoảng trong 10 năm, đưa Trung Quốc dần dần tiến đến mục tiêu của mình. Mỗi một cuộc khủng hoảng sẽ mang lại một chút lợi thế. Điều quan trọng là Bắc Kinh cần trắc nghiệm quyết tâm kháng cự của Đài Loan và Hoa Kỳ ». Nước Mỹ của Joe Biden sẽ làm gì ? Với đạo luật 1979, « Taiwan Relations Act », Hoa Kỳ cam kết cung cấp vũ khí để Đài Bắc có thể tự vệ trước những hành động gây hấn của Bắc Kinh, nhưng đồng thời vẫn tôn trọng « nguyên tắc một nước Trung Hoa duy nhất ». Vậy khi Đài Loan bị xâm chiếm, liệu Mỹ có sẽ đến ứng cứu hay không ? Về điểm này, nước Mỹ vẫn tỏ thái độ nước đôi, đến mức có cả một chính sách : « Mập mờ về chiến lược » Hiện tại, tổng thống Joe Biden không đoạn tuyệt với chính sách của Donald Trump. Ông cũng gởi các đặc sứ cấp cao đến gặp tổng thống Đài Loan Thái Anh Văn. Tháng 4/2021, Joe Biden cho dỡ bỏ những hạn chế các cuộc tiếp xúc cấp cao với chính quyền Đài Bắc. Ông thậm chí còn vận động được G7 lên án « những hành động quấy rối của Trung Quốc nhắm vào Đài Loan ». Phải chăng chủ nhân Nhà Trắng hiện nay sắp làm rõ chính sách của mình về Đài Loan ? Đây cũng chính là những gì mà nhiều tướng lĩnh cấp cao Mỹ đòi hỏi từ ba tháng qua. Đối với cựu đô đốc James Stavridis, sự mập mờ về chiến lược « rất có thể dẫn đến những đánh giá sai lầm từ phía Trung Quốc (hay từ Đài Loan) và khơi dậy một cuộc xung đột diện rộng. » Thế nhưng, đó không phải là quan điểm của chính quyền Biden, nhất là với bà Avril Haines, giám đốc tình báo quốc gia (cố vấn của tổng thống về tình báo). Theo bà, « việc từ bỏ chiếc lược nước đôi có lẽ gây bất ổn sâu sắc cho Trung Quốc. Điều này sẽ còn củng cố ý tưởng của Trung Quốc cho rằng Hoa Kỳ quyết tâm ngăn chặn sự trỗi dậy của Trung Quốc, kể cả thông qua sức mạnh quân sự. Điều này chắc chắn sẽ đẩy Bắc Kinh tìm cách gây cản trở các lợi ích của Mỹ trên toàn thế giới. » Cũng theo bà Avril Haines, việc tỏ rõ lập trường còn thúc đẩy thêm những mầm mống tuyên bố độc lập chính thức của Đài Loan, vốn dĩ là một điều tối kỵ đối với Bắc Kinh. Theo nhà nghiên cứu Antoine Bondaz, Quỹ Nghiên cứu Chiến lược (FRS), « với Đài Loan, những bảo đảm an ninh đó là không rõ ràng. » Quan điểm này đã được ông Kurt Campbell, điều phối viên của Nhà Trắng về chính sách Ấn Độ - Thái Bình Dương khẳng định. Ông cho rằng Washington và Bắc Kinh chia sẻ cùng lập trường : Duy trì nguyên trạng xung quanh đảo này ở một mức độ nào đó, là nằm trong lợi ích của cả hai cường quốc. Biển Đông và yếu tố Philippines bất định Tại Biển Đông, vùng biển này có diện tích rộng bằng một nửa châu Mỹ, có nhiều nguồn khoáng sản, dầu khí và còn là con đường giao thương huyết mạch, nơi trung chuyển của 1/3 thương mại toàn cầu, Trung Quốc đòi hỏi chủ quyền đến 80% diện tích khu vực. Một đòi hỏi khó thể chấp nhận được đối với nhiều nước sở hữu và cũng có các đòi hỏi chủ quyền với nhiều đảo như Việt Nam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei và Indonesia. Hồi tháng 2/2021, Trung Quốc ban hành một đạo luật mới cho phép « tầu tuần duyên Trung Quốc có trang bị vũ khí » được phép đáp trả « những sự cố bạo lực nghiêm trọng » tại những vùng lãnh hải mà Trung Quốc cho là có chủ quyền. Bởi vì tầu chiến nước ngoài ngày càng hiện diện đông đảo. Hạm đội Mỹ đặc biệt còn tiến hành các chiến dịch « tự do lưu thông » ở Biển Đông, vì Washington không muốn để Bắc Kinh độc quyền kiểm soát cả một khu vực chiến lược rộng lớn. Rủi ro xảy ra sự cố hiện hữu khắp vùng. Người ta còn nhớ vụ va chạm trên không giữa một tiêm kích Trung Quốc và chiếc máy bay trinh sát của Mỹ năm 2001 đã làm thiệt mạng một phi công Trung Quốc. Năm 2018, hàng không mẫu hạm USS Decatur và tầu khu trục hạm Lan Châu (Lanzhou) xuýt nữa va nhau khi chỉ cách có 41 mét. Nhà nghiên cứu François-Xavier Bonnet, Viện Nghiên cứu về Đông Nam Á đương đại (Irasec), nhận định : « Rủi ro ở đây chính là một sai lầm. Nếu một tầu chiến Mỹ bị radar Trung Quốc chiếu sáng và một chiếc tên lửa được trực tiếp bắn đi sau khi bị rọi, Hoa Kỳ có thể có phản ứng. Chiến tranh cục bộ có thể trở nên lan rộng ». Ngoài ra, Hoa Kỳ còn phải đối mặt với một rủi ro khác : Bị lôi kéo vào một cuộc đối đầu giữa Trung Quốc và một trong số các nước đồng minh của Mỹ, những nước đang có tranh chấp chủ quyền, đặc biệt là Philippines. Theo yêu cầu của Manila, Tòa Trọng Tài Thường Trực La Haye năm 2016 ra phán quyết cho rằng những đòi hỏi « chủ quyền lịch sử » của Bắc Kinh ở Biển Đông là không có cơ sở pháp lý. Vì hy vọng thu hút nhiều đầu tư Trung Quốc, tổng thống Philippines đã gạt phán quyết của La Haye sang một bên, cho đấy chỉ là « một mớ giấy lộn » đáng « ném vào sọt rác ». Thái độ nhún nhường này của ông Rodrigo Duterte cũng không ngăn cản được 200 tầu đánh cá Trung Quốc ngang nhiên neo đậu tại bãi Đá Ba Đầu hồi tháng 3/2021. Trên thực tế, đó là những đội tầu dân quân biển, có nhiệm vụ làm tiền đồn cho hải quân Trung Quốc. Theo nhà địa lý học François-Xavier Bonnet, bãi Đá Ba Đầu là phần đông bắc của Cụm Sinh Tồn, « cụm đảo quan trọng nhất tại Biển Đông ». Trung Quốc đã chiếm hai bãi đá ngầm và giờ nếu có được cả bãi Đá Ba Đầu, nước này có thể xây dựng một khu căn cứ hải quân lớn cùng với oanh tạc cơ, có khả năng tấn công đến đảo Guam của Mỹ. Một điểm khác cũng khiến Hoa Kỳ lo lắng : Căn cứ không quân trên bãi đá Chữ Thập, trong quần đảo Trường Sa. Tại đây, Bắc Kinh cho xây dựng một đường băng dài 3.000 mét và đang chuẩn bị mở rộng thêm căn cứ. Từ điểm này, một chiếc oanh tạc cơ Trung Quốc cùng với máy bay tiếp liệu có thể đi tới các bờ biển của Úc. Ông Francois-Xavier Bonnet tóm lược như sau :« Scarborough, Đá Chữ Thập (Fiery Cross), Cụm Sinh Tồn (Union Banks) và bãi Đá Vành Khăn (Mischief), khi nối tất cả các nhóm đảo này lại, Bắc Kinh có thể sẽ kiểm soát được Biển Đông, cả trên bình diện không quân, hải quân lẫn tầu ngầm. » Để hiểu rõ toàn cảnh vấn đề, chuyên gia Antoine Bondaz còn cho rằng người ta nên chú ý đến độ sâu của các vùng biển :« Biển Đông là vùng biển ngoại vi duy nhất của Trung Quốc có độ sâu lớn, ở đó người ta có thể làm cho các chiếc tầu ngầm không bị phát hiện, một điều quan trọng cho khả năng răn đe hạt nhân của Trung Quốc. Hiện tại, tầu ngầm tên lửa hạt nhân của Trung Quốc chưa thể đi tới đến bờ tây của nước Mỹ. Bởi vì, Trung Quốc còn phải đối mặt với một chuỗi các điểm không an toàn : nước này cảm thấy bị bao vây bởi hệ thống liên minh của Mỹ theo hình chữ "J" bắt đầu từ Nhật Bản, sang Đài Loan, Philippines rồi Úc. Do vậy, việc phá vỡ vòng vây này, thu hồi Đài Loan, cũng như biến Biển Đông thành một thành trì kiên cố là điều cần thiết ». Trước đà trỗi dậy mạnh mẽ về chiến lược của Trung Quốc, Washington mong muốn có thể dựa vào tất cả các đồng minh trong khu vực. Chính ở điểm này Philippines của ông Duterte lộ rõ là một yếu tố bất ổn. Vị tổng thống tính khí thất thường đe dọa hủy thỏa thuận thăm viếng quân sự (VFA) ký kết từ năm 1999. François-Xavier Bonnetgiải thích : « Thỏa thuận này cho phép các binh sĩ Mỹ tiếp cận dễ dàng hơn các khu căn cứ quân sự Philippines mà không cần hiện diện thường trực vào lúc mà Hoa Kỳ đang dần triệt thoái khỏi Afghanistan. Hoa Kỳ còn có thể đối phó với một đòn tấn công mạnh tại khu vực trong trường hợp xung đột với Đài Loan. » Trong bối cảnh này, Hoa Kỳ đã đề nghị tái đàm phán thỏa thuận. Nhưng ông Duterte tìm cách cản trở tối đa. Đối với nguyên thủ Philippines, không có chuyện chọc giận Bắc Kinh và có nguy cơ dẫn đến một cuộc xâm chiếm phía bắc Philippines từ Trung Quốc. Biển Hoa Đông : Vùng xám Nhìn sang Biển Hoa Đông, cách nay vài năm, căng thẳng giữa Nhật Bản và Trung Quốc tưởng chừng đi đến một cuộc xung đột lớn. Việc chính quyền Tokyo mua lại quần đảo Senkaku – mà Bắc Kinh gọi là Điếu Ngư và có đòi hỏi chủ quyền – nhằm ngăn cản Shintaro Ishihara, thị trưởng Tokyo mang tư tưởng chủ nghĩa dân tộc mua lại quần đảo, đã làm cho mối quan hệ với Bắc Kinh trở nên xấu đi. Từ đó, Trung Quốc không ngừng đưa tầu chiến xâm nhập vùng lãnh hải này và dẫn đến nhiều vụ chạm trán may thay không để lại các hậu quả. Đỉnh điểm căng thẳng là năm 2013. Hiện tại, tuy đã giảm hẳn nhưng các cuộc xâm nhập vẫn còn tiếp diễn. Giả như xung đột xảy ra, Hoa Kỳ sẽ có phản ứng ra sao ? Theo đánh giá của ông Mathieu Duchâtel, mọi việc ở vùng biển này rõ ràng hơn ở những nơi khác : Hoa Kỳ công nhận quần đảo có tranh chấp là một phần lãnh thổ không thể tách rời của Nhật Bản. Một hành động gây hấn của Trung Quốc sẽ tức thì kích hoạt Hiệp ước Phòng thủ Hỗ tương Mỹ - Nhật. « Nguy cơ xảy ra sự cố giữa Mỹ và Trung Quốc ở biển Hoa Đông hiện nay là rất thấp. Khả năng răn đe của Nhật Bản là khả tín, dù rằng các cuộc xâm nhập của Trung Quốc vào vùng 12 hải lý ở quần đảo Senkaku/Điếu Ngư là một "thách thức vùng xám » khó kiểm soát vì đó là những lực lượng tuần duyên chứ không phải là hải quân Trung Quốc. Thế răn đe của Nhật Bản đã được củng cố thêm do lập trường rõ ràng của Mỹ trong việc bảo đảm an ninh, được áp dụng cho cả quần đảo Senkaku. Chuyện đi lại của hải quân và không quân Trung Quốc tại eo biển Miyako ở giai đoạn này mới chỉ là một chủ đề song phương Trung – Nhật. Nếu so với Biển Đông, trường hợp biển Hoa Đông cho thấy rõ Trung Quốc ít dám mạo hiểm hơn khi mối tương quan lực lượng rõ ràng là bất lợi cho Trung Quốc. Đây chính là trường hợp liên minh Mỹ - Nhật ».

In China, a leak from a vaccine plant has left thousands of local residents with chronic illness. Nikkei reports that in Northwest China’s Lanzhou city, a biopharmaceutical plant exposed residents to an animal-borne bacterial disease that’s highly contagious and difficult to treat, known as brucellosis. The cause of the outbreak was contaminated exhaust from the Lanzhou Biopharmaceutical Plant, which is under the state-owned China Animal Husbandry Industry. Symptoms of the disease include recurring fever, severe headaches, joint pain, and other symptoms that can last years. Meanwhile, it’s been revealed that the Chinese regime has a database of around 2.4 million people and 650,000 institutions that heavily targets influential people overseas. Financial Review reported that a Chinese military contractor was boasting about spreading disinformation and promoting conflicts. We'll go in-depth into this. These stories and more in this episode of Crossroads. ⭕️ Subscribe for updates : http://bit.ly/CrossroadsYT ⭕️ Donate to support our work: https://www.bestgift.tv/crossroads ⭕️ Join Patreon to Support Crossroads: https://www.patreon.com/Crossroads_Josh

In today’s episode: wages surge as domestic semiconductor companies compete for workers; Covid-19 nasal spray vaccine candidate starts clinical trials; and what’s up with the nation’s sweeping regulatory changes for financial holding companies. SPECIAL OFFER: Great News! Caixin Podcast listeners can now enjoy a 7-day complimentary access pass to caixinglobal.com and Caixin app. This is a limited-time offer. Get your pass by heading to: https://www.caixinglobal.com/institutional-activity/?code=J3XVJC

In today’s episode: Locals in the Gansu provincial capital continue to suffer from various symptoms after contagion spread from state-owned factory last year; Kaifu Lee’s comments on facial recognition sparks a PR disaster; and how China and the EU are pushing to finalize critical investment treaty talks. SPECIAL OFFER: Great News! Caixin Podcast listeners can now enjoy a 7-day complimentary access pass to caixinglobal.com and Caixin app. This is a limited-time offer. Get your pass by heading to: https://www.caixinglobal.com/institutional-activity/?code=J3XVJC

China issues new rules for financial holding firms. The country looks to be the biggest buyer of 5G smartphones this year. JD.com’s billionaire CEO Richard Liu will get richer. TikTok rejects Microsoft and picks Oracle. Plus, one year later, a quieter outbreak still sickens thousands in China's Lanzhou city.

Our celebration of our One Year Anniversary continues this week as Mandie Carter interviews me about my trips to the Far East. Twice I've been to China, visiting universities and working in conjunction with English professors to serve as a guest speaker in English classes. From my first time as a guest to primarily Mongolian, first year English students in Lanzhou, Northern China, to my second trip, working alongside English students studying to attain their Masters degree in Zhuzhou, Southern China, I've got some wild tales to tell. I so enjoyed remembering these stories and I hope you'll enjoy hearing them too. Thanks for all your support and thanks for listening!

Hadudu.. Lanzhou Lamian!

The provincial government released a list of the top baby names from the past ten years in Ontario, and it's business as usual. Have you ever wondered why those seats on the new TTC streetcars face each other? A local wildlife company posted a video of a recent rescue mission, where eleven massive raccoons were trapped in an enclosed porch. Plus, Chinese chain, Mogouyan Hand-Pulled Noodles just opened their first ever international location near Yonge and Bloor in Toronto.

The sky is hidden by smog in Lanzhou on the Yellow River; this transport and manufacturing hub is pumping Chinese goods out to the world. In this last programme, we find out how the Belt and Road Initiative has brought new people into this growing metropolis and how businesses are benefiting from the new infrastructure. Presenter: Peter Shevlin and Martin Yip

This is episode 14, “Health Care in Rural America,” My guest, Dina van der Zalm, discusses health care problems faced by rural Americans. Ms. van der Zahm has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from New York University. After a brief stint with corporate America, she joined the Peace Corps. She worked in Lanzhou, China teaching English for two years on the edge of the Gobi Desert. When she completed her Peace Corps service, she moved to Missouri where sheattended the University of Missouri and received her MSW and Masters of Public Health in 2016. She has been working as a Health Care Organizer at the Missouri Rural Crisis Center for three years. Do not miss episode 14 as it discusses the unique and common problems that rural Americans have obtaining and affording health care.

Jared gives a review of the 2019 National Chinese Language Conference in San Diego, California, and John & Jared discuss the different stages of learning Chinese. As usual, you’ll get a rant and a rave, including a rant that goes into a unique tangent. Guest interview is with John D’Andrea who began learning Chinese back in the 70’s and teaches Chinese today. You’ll discover how much the methods of learning Chinese have progressed to what we have today. A fascinating perspective that will engender gratitude for everyone learning Chinese today. If you like the show, write us a review on Apple Podcasts! We are also taking questions from our listeners. If you have a question, reach us at feedback@mandarincompanion.com or leave us a note on our Facebook page. Links referenced in this Episode. National Chinese Language Conference The 5 Stages To Learning Chinese The China History Podcast| Laszlo Montgomery John DeFrancis - American linguist, sinologist, author of early Chinese language textbooks Lanzhou (兰州) – Capital city of the Gansu province

Lanzhou e un centro nevralgico dei trasporti, nonché punto di partenza degli epici viaggi via terra alla volta del Xinjiang e del Tibet. Prima importante città sulle sponde del Fiume Giallo (Huang Hé), abitata da quasi tre milioni di persone, fin dai tempi antichi il capoluogo del Gansù ha svolto un ruolo fondamentale come sede di presidio militare. Scopritela con noi in questa puntata di WeTravel!

Andrew, Gunnar, and Miles find obscure game titles from (now defunct) Steam Greenlight and guess what they are without knowing a single thing about them.

Roel heeft heerlijk rondgelopen op het Spellenspektakel 2016 in Eindhoven. Uiteraard had hij zijn microfoontje bij zich en wist hij een aantal mensen op de virtuele geluidsband vast te leggen. 00:10 Nicky (999 Games) en Gerritjan bij Keer op Keer / 05:00 Carina (Identity Games) Escape Room / 08:38 Anne Ponk (Enigma) Arkham Horror Cardgame, Bezzerwisser, Concept / 11:27 Piet (Bordspelmania) Cottage Garden, Glück Auf das Große Kartenspiel / 13:20 Jhonny de Vries en Johan Kuipers (White Goblin Games) Lampionnen van Lanzhou, Carcassonne Starwars, Carcassonne Berg en Dal, Odin, Qwixx, Codenames, Machi Kori, Istanbul, Brugge, Terra Mystica, Ubongo / 21:40 Rowdy, Celine en Esben, De Ark is Vol, Great Western Trail, Hanamikoji, Fabled Fruit / 25:03 Jessie / 25:40 Anton (M44Brigade) Memoir 44 / 28:20 Sandra, Gangup / 29:31 Gunter, Haba (Belong) Avonturenland, Karuba, Spookies, Picassimo, Lady Richmond, Meduris, Dier op Dier, De Boomgaard / 38:25 Henk Rolleman (Nederlandse Spellenprijs) Dino Battle / 40:47 Axel (House of Monk Games) Cosmic Encounter / 44:32 Sandra, Gekke Guppies, Roar, First Class, Escape Room / 47:08 Patrick Draad (White Goblin Games) Lampionnen van Lanzhou, Codenames Pictures, Moddervarkens, De Glasstraat, Keltis, Imhotep, Ubongo / 51:07 Rodger van Braak (Enigma) Arkham Horror Cardgame, Mansion of Madness / 54:17 Michiel Hendricks (Chroncle Games) Droomhuis, What's up / 56:42 Jeroen van Emde Boas (Ducosim) Alhambra, Mahjongg / 58:56 Bas (Bordspelmania) Ganzenbord Meer details op onze Facebook pagina: https://www.facebook.com/HetLudiekeGezelschap Reageren? Mail ons op hetludiekegezelschap@gmail.com

每天关注微信NewsPlus第二条，有慢英学~ 英语大神也可以关注我们的全英微信公众号cri_english噢~~A hydropower plant in Qinghai Province, northwest China, has been fined for releasing dirty floodwater and contaminating the tap water of a city in a neighboring province.The power plant was fined 100,000 yuan, roughly 16,000 U.S. dollars, and its executive was detained for ten days for obstructing the investigation.In early March, complaints were lodged about the strange odor and taste of tap water in Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu Province.Environment departments found that floodwater released into the Huangshui River by the power plant contained mud, sand and other deposits.Eight officials from Qinghai and Gansu were punished, one of which was dismissed from post.hydropower plant n. 水电发电厂，水电站tap water n. 自来水来自tap（自来水龙头）的水，自然就是tap water。这是比较典型的英式英语。在美式英语里，自来水龙头叫water faucet，而自来水叫running water。odor n. 味道，气味odor和smell基本上是同义词，细微的区别在于，odor总是指不好的味道（怪味，臭味），smell则相对中性（虽然也是不好的味道居多）。例句：Eww, what's that smell/odor? （唉哟，那是什么怪味啊？）此处smell和odor可互换。I really dig this new perfume. It has such a pleasant smell. （我可喜欢这款新香水了，味道真好闻。）此处只能用smell，不能用odor。Huangshui River n. 湟水黄河上游重要支流，位于中国青海省东部，全长374公里，流域面积3200多平方公里。湟水流域孕育出了灿烂的马家窑、齐家、卡约文化，养育了青海省约60%的人口，被称为“青海的母亲河”。deposit n. 沉淀物大家一般来说只熟悉deposit跟钱有关的意思：储蓄、存款、押金、保证金等等。在日常对话中，这些意思也确实比“沉淀物”更有用武之地。但一般在涉及到地理、地质等相对专业的话题时，deposit往往表示“沉淀物”。例句： Judging by the soil deposits on his shoes, he must have been out in the field. There's no way he was having a meeting in the conference room. He's hiding something. （从他鞋上的泥渍来看，他之前肯定在室外活动，绝不可能在会议室里开会。他在隐瞒某些事情。）

Ciao, questa settimana ti porto ad esplorare una delle due mete che io mi ero proposta di raggiungere: io a Pechino ci volevo proprio andare. Ti porto con me nella Pechino vecchia, quella delle case tradizionali e dei vicoli. In questa puntata parleremo di:* cagnolini famelici,* strade che scompaiono, * dolci con sopresa, *e del perché la gente in centro a Pechino vada in giro in pigiamaNon dimenticare di iscriverti su www.accidentallyinjoburg.com e di diffondere il podcast!C'è anche una pagina facebook: https://www.facebook.com/accidentallyinjoburg Buon ascolto e buon viaggio, Gaia Music credit: il jingle di apertura è "jane and dave" di Julian Fox www.julianfox.wordpress.comLe musiche della puntata sono state registrate da me all'Università di Lanzhou, nel Gansu: sono gli studenti di musica tradizionale cinese che fanno le prove.

Chinese food is launching its second attempt to join UNESCO's cultural heritage list. Representatives of the eight major Chinese cuisines recently gathered in Beijing to discuss how to win UNESCO recognition. Will Chinese food succeed now, after its first attempt was rejected three years ago? How are the preparations going? And what development opportunities will a successful UNESCO world heritage listing bring to the Chinese restaurant industry overseas? We now go to Luo Wen for answers to these questions. Reporter: China's millennia of cuisine are world famous. Many Chinese dishes--Peking duck, hotpot and Sichuan beef--are popular both in and out of the country. But none of them has yet made it onto the UNESCO list. In 2011, the first bid was made for recognition... but the attempt was rejected at the UNESCO meeting held in Bali, Indonesia. Bian Jiang is the deputy director of the Chinese Cuisine Association, the main body for the UNESCO application designated by China's Ministry of Culture. He sums up why Chinese food failed to convince the international judges three years ago. "First of all, we weren't very familiar with the evaluation principle and bidding procedure of food-related intangible cultural heritage; Secondly, the application failed to present the food's cultural impact to the judges." In 2013, South Korea's Kimjang, the making and sharing of kimchi, won a spot on the list of UNESCO's world intangible cultural heritages. Washoku, or traditional Japanese cuisine, and ancient Georgian traditional wine-making were added to the list during UNESCO's 8th intergovernmental council in Azerbaijan - the same meeting where Chinese zhusuan, abacus calculation, was listed. UNESCO experts say South Korea's Kimjang made it to the list mostly for its impact on people and society, like improved relations within the community when people share kimchi, the solidarity and joy it brings, the different ways of making it and how it's eaten. So based on China's neighbor's success, Bian Jiang says this time the Chinese Cuisine Association will shift its emphasis from food to the more intangible ingredients, such as cooking skills, cuisine styles, methods of eating, the stories behind the food and the culture it promotes. According to Secretary General of the China Cuisine Association Feng Enyuan, it could be very hard for China to select one single dish to represent the whole country's food culture. "Chinese food culture is extensive and profound, it's not an easy job to select only one or two dishes that represent the best of Chinese food. So far, eight cuisines have gained the most votes, including Peking duck, traditional New Year's dinner, dumplings, moon cakes, tofu, Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles, hotpot and Zongzi, or glutinous rice dumplings. We are still selecting the best ones. Another challenge is how to explain the food to the world. The Chinese way of cooking is so complicated that even the Chinese can't understand it, so we have to find a universal language to strike a chord with judges who come from different cultures." Recognition for food-related items is not new. France's multi-course gastronomic meal, with its rites and presentation, was one of the first to make the list in 2010. Earning UNESCO status at the same time was traditional Mexican cuisine, and the Mediterranean diet of Cyprus, Croatia, Spain, Greece, Italy, Morocco and Portugal. China currently has 29 items on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and seven on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. But none of them is food related. Bian Jiang believes that's a great pity. He says that the development of Chinese civilization somehow evolved around gourmet culture. For example, ding, an ancient cooking vessel with two loop handles and three or four legs, was also a symbol of the dynasties of ancient China. Many important festivals in China are marked by food. Spring Festival starts traditionally with a bowl of "eight treasure" congee, followed by the making and eating of Jiaozi or boiled dumplings, on Spring Festival Eve and Spring Festival Day. It ends with the eating of rice balls called Yuanxiao on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year. Bian adds that good food is heartwarming, and is often part of the memories one has of the place where he or she grew up. That opinion is echoed by this lady in Wuhan, who says she couldn't start a day without a bowl of reganmian, hot dry noodles. "We Wuhan people love Reganmian. It's an important part of our breakfast. It is what we grow up eating. I miss the taste if I don't eat it for two days. It is an eating habit that's passed down several generations." She says Reganmian noodles contain sodium carbonate. They have a special flavour because they are dried and then boiled, and served with fragrant sesame oil and sesame paste. Bian notes that there are already 50 food-related intangible cultural heritage items recognized on a national level. Many of these are liquors like Mouta and Wuliangye, and tea-making techniques, such as green tea, black tea, oolong and Pu'er. Peking duck, like the Quanjude and Bianyifang restaurants, are on the list. Luoyang's "water banquet" preparations, Sichuan Fuling's zhacai, and Confucius family cuisine preparations are all listed as national intangible cultural heritage. Bian Jiang says intangible cultural heritage status will help raise the international image of Chinese cuisine, and promote development in the Chinese food industry. Andrew Chiu owns a Chinese restaurant chain in Wellington, New Zealand. "No doubt a successful entry onto the world heritage list will help westerners learn more about Chinese cuisine. China has so much great food that it deserves more international recognition."

John: Chinese food is launching its second attempt to join UNESCO's cultural heritage list. The China Cuisine Association (CCA) has formed a team of 30 to travel across the country in search of the most promising candidates. So far, eight types of cuisine have gained the most votes, including Peking duck, traditional New Year's dinner, dumplings, moon cakes, tofu, Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles, hotpot and zongzi. So I guess really the only question we are talking about here, I think, is why. Does China need recognition from UNESCO? Heyang: Oh, just it seems like people are dying to get them, like we already have 29 items on the list. That’s a lot. It just seems like if only you get one of these UNESCO titles are you justified and qualified to be the star of the province kind of attraction. Liuyan: Yeah, reminds me of the Chinese joke: only if this happens, then your life is complete. That’s the impression I get, and also I think another big factor is when you get on the list, money comes. Heyang: Yeah, I wonder if that’s just a Chinese thing. John: But where does the money come from? The thing is you know, we look at Mexico, their cuisine, is UNESCO, France and Italy, I believe, and also Turkey, I’m not sure about Turkey, but India as well is in UNESCO’s cultural heritage list. And I think I mean the reason that they are there is, partly because people already love their cuisine. Mexican food is amazing. Indian food is amazing. French food is amazing. Heyang: Okay, the same argument can be used for Chinese food in that line of thinking. Chinese food is great, and then I think Chinese people don’t… John: is it? Heyang: Of course, it’s glorious, delicious. I love it so much, proud to be Chinese at the moment. And anyway so the point is it just attracts a lot of prestige within the country mostly I feel. John: So it’s kind of like another version of the Olympics, we have to have it, because we have to have it, because everyone else is doing it. Liuyan: And I also agree that the Chinese food, all those different genres, all those different cuisines, they are fabulous already, but if they get on the list, you can bet your bottom dollar, when you go to those restaurants, they will proudly display the placard and say we are listed among the UNESCO, blah, blah, blah… Heyang: Yeah, you need to pay more for them. John: But I think it’s strange, because listing all types of cuisine, but I always thought cuisine is regional, like we talk about, you know, southern like yuecai or dongbeicai, or sichuancai, or something like that. I thought that’s what they would be looking at, that’s what they would be applying. But they are singling out certain types of foods, not certain types of general ingredients and preparation methods. Heyang: Right, I think my impression of this is actually, they are lumping all that what John saying together. So it’s the eight systems or styles of Chinese cuisine cooking. They are lumping it together and applying for a special name for it. Liuyang: Yeah, I think that’s their strategy, because they tried it the first time in 2011, and they failed. So this time they want to list all those most famous ones, so that they have a bigger chance.

Xiaohua: Increasing attention is being given to the “livability” of Chinese cities as their environment becomes less polluted. An Asian Development Bank study has ranked 33 Chinese cities in China according to their environmental livability through a pioneering series of indexes. And the most livable city on the Chinese mainland goes to……Chengdu. Does that surprise you? Heyang: Anyway, not so much, because when you look at the index factors, they include the quality of urban aquatic environments, water resources, air and the management of solid waste and the environment. So I think a lot of it is about the environment that one lives and Chengdu is a place with natural advantages when it comes, you know, it has the water around it, it has quite a nice environment that has preserved for it, and also on top of that I think with the pace of life being quite slow, quite, the kind of you can take your leisure time to slow down and enjoy life, that kind of atmosphere. I would say yes. I’m not really that surprised that Chengdu snatches the crown on this one. John: Yeah. The thing that we are not looking at economic opportunity, we are not looking at the job market, we are not even necessary looking at the cost of living. All we are looking at is very much environmental factors as Heyang said. So I’m not surprised to find out that Beijing ranked 18th. Xiaohua: I think it should rank lower. John: Yeah. It’s only 33 cities. All right? I mean compared to Lanzhou, Taiyuan, it’s a lot more livable. That’s for darn sure. But I’m not surprised that Beijing and Shanghai don’t rank the top ten, because especially Beijing with the air pollution, also with just the amount of sprawl, the urban sprawls, that we see commute time are huge pain in the ass. So really I would not classify Beijing as all that livable. Now looking at Chengdu, I mean I’ve never been there, but if we look at some of its history, it’s supposed to be the place where… Sichuan is the place where the tea culture got started in China. It’s been the capital of Daoism for a long long time. There is a lot of Daoist temples and holy sites around the area. So looking at those influences at least I think it’s easy to see how Chengdu is the most livable. Xiaohua: So let’s don’t forget the availability of food, which is very important. Good food and snacks. John: Or spicy food. Xiaohua: You can get the non spicy ones I suppose in Chengdu as well. So if we look at this report, a lot of it has to do with natural conditions, you know, location as well. What do you think will constitute very livable cities? Heyang: Well, I think the natural condition is only one part of the whole story. As we know, we are kind of already on a road to distract a lot of the environment advantages that we used to have. So I think the more important discussion is how can we stop this or maintain sustainable growth. And a lot of it has to do with better urban planning, better…. being very strict with following some of very good rules that we already have. John: Some places are gonna be more naturally inclined to be more livable, which I think is why that Chengdu ranks at the top, because naturally it just has a lot of resources to make life a bit easier. Whereas, the place like Beijing basically in the desert, so it’s kind be a lot more difficult. But again in Beijing, the reason I would not say livable it has a lot to do with city planning. To be honest, the city just was not planned very well. And also it has not done a good job of incorporating any aspects of its natural environment. It’s just basically glass and concrete everywhere. I mean I was thinking the best place to live, the place like Seattle, for example, but again still have a lot of things to do with environment. But also I mean just the layout of the city, I feel, is a bit more organic and a bit more natural. Xiaohua: Yeah. It’s probably too late for Beijing and some of those existing cities to change, apart from to improve the air quality, I guess, or water resources things like that.

This is NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Ding Lulu in Beijing. Here is the news. China has unveiled an urbanization plan for the next six years in an effort to steer the country's urbanization onto a human-centered and environmentally friendly path. The plan says urbanization is the road that China must take in its modernization drive, and it serves as a strong engine for sustainable and healthy economic growth. The National New-type Urbanization Plan 2014 to 2020 was released by the party central committee and the State Council, China's cabinet. It says domestic demand is the fundamental impetus for China's development, and the greatest potential for expanding domestic demand lies in urbanization. At present, the proportion of permanent urban residents to China's total population stands at 54 percent. The figure is lower than developed countries' average of 80 percent, and 60 percent for developing countries. Registered urban population, or those who hold a "hukou" under China's household registration system, accounted for only 36 percent in total population by the end of last year. An increasing urbanization ratio will help raise the income of rural residents through employment in cities and unleash the consumption potential. It will also bring about large demands for investment in urban infrastructure, public service facilities and housing construction, thus providing continuous impetus for economic development. This is NEWS Plus Special English. China plans to develop new energy vehicles as one of the multi-strategy to tackle air pollution. New energy vehicles are becoming a new trend, after the number of smoggy days in the country hit a record 52 days last year. Industry experts have predicted this year will witness a surge in the sale of new energy cars. But daunting challenges abound. Shenzhen city in southern China boasts the biggest electric public transport system in the world. It has 3,000 electric buses and over 800 electric taxies. But the city only has less than 100 private electric cars, and most of them are being used outside the city. The reason is that different cities use different battery charging standards, and some electric cars in Shenzhen can only be charged at the nearby city Dongguan. Shenzhen officials say institutional barriers and legal impediments are issues that hinder the construction of charging infrastructure in Shenzhen. You're listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Ding Lulu in Beijing. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has decided to begin its initial public offering process in the United States. The company says the move is to make Alibaba more global, as well as allowing it to enhance its transparency. Analysts have predicted that Alibaba's initial public offering will raise billions of U.S. dollars, making it the largest IPO in the United States in recent years. Alibaba has showed more aggressive ambitions for international expansion and plans to extend its public status in the Chinese capital market. Alibaba operates two of China's most popular online shopping services, Taobao.com and T-Mall. The two platforms' total transaction value exceeded one trillion yuan, or more than 160 billion U.S. dollars in the last fiscal year. This is NEWS Plus Special English. In-home nursing is emerging as a new choice in easing the pressure of China's aging population. A nursing home in Lanzhou City of northwest China has announced it will incorporate more healthcare options, as the services of this in-home care agency enjoy growing popularity. According to local government data, by the end of 2012, more than 200,000 seniors in Lanzhou had accessed the services of the agency since it began operating in 2009. In-home care agencies, also dubbed as "virtual nursing homes," guarantee similar services as brick-and-mortar nursing homes. But they are delivered directly to people's homes instead of in residential nursing facilities, which are generally very crowded. The trend is taking on prominence as China grays more rapidly, and conventional homes for the elderly face a shortfall in resources. It is in this context that virtual nursing homes have sprung up in many provinces in eastern and central China. They offer convenience, and slashed demand on resources. The first such service opened in Suzhou near Shanghai in 2007. You're listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Ding Lulu in Beijing. China has set up a special committee to supervise organ donations and transplants. The new committee will help to improve donation rules, coordinate between related agencies, and motivate organ donation. It will also evaluate and review clinical and managerial ability in medical institutions, and submit the results to the National Health and Family Planning Commission. China has the world's second-largest demand for organ transplant. About 300,000 patients suffer from organ failure each year, but only around 10,000 organ transplants are performed due to a lack of donors. China adopted an organ donation system in 2010, with the non-governmental Red Cross Society serving as an independent third party for supervising and facilitating donation procedures. Last year, the National Health and Family Planning Commission issued a new rule to prevent human intervention, and ensure fairness and transparency in the sector. The rule stipulates that donor organs must be distributed automatically through a national system. This is NEWS Plus Special English. You're listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Ding Lulu in Beijing. You can access our program by logging onto NEWSPlusRadio.cn. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by e-mailing us at mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. That's mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. Now the news continues. The British inventor of the World Wide Web wants a digital bill of rights to protect Internet users from surveil

* Part One * No.3 Toughest job hunting year in Chinese history The year 2013 is considered as the toughest job hunting year in Chinese history by many college graduates. The title of "college student", a shining halo① for Chinese people in the 1980s and 1990s, is now considered by the students themselves as synonymous② with "soon-to-be unemployed." "I passed the first round of interviews, then the second, but finally failed." "I've sent out 200 resumes③ but only two companies responded to me. About 800 candidates took the interview and we are all graduated from well-known universities." "12 girls and 4 boys took the interview and only 3 boys received offers." In 2013, there are nearly 700 million college graduates. Never before has the nation had so many graduates competing for jobs, particularly when so few are available. The number of vacant positions offered by employers has shrunk by 15 percent. No.2 Campus poisoning case at Fudan University The strange and tragic death by poisoning of a postgraduate student by his roommate at Fudan University in Shanghai prompted editorials across the nation. Graduate student Lin Senhao confessed to poisoning his roommate Huang Yang with a toxic chemical, but he claimed that he had no intention of killing him and denied that he did it over "trivial④ daily matters". "April Fool's was coming, and Huang Yang said he was planning to play tricks on others, so I thought, fine, I will give you one first." No.1 China announces plans to reform the college entrance examination China's Ministry of Education released plans to reform the gaokao, the national college entrance exam to make it more balanced. Further details of the reforms have not been released. At the moment, it appears clear that the English test will be removed from the main Gaokao. The announced change in testing for English proficiency⑤ has been highly anticipated and much discussed. "To some extent, it can help alleviate⑥ students' academic burdens⑦" "I think the policy aims to encourage students to take an interest in learning English." Rather than the single testing opportunity available under the unified exam, the English test will now be offered to students separately and several times during the year. 1. shining halo 光环 2. synonymous 等同的 3. resume 简历 4. trivial 琐碎的 5. proficiency 熟练度 6. alleviate 减轻 7. burdens 负担 * Part Two * No 3: China to Raise Retirement Age in Progressive① Steps A senior official says China will raise the retirement age little by little. This comes amid heated discussion on the working year cap after the central government announced its plan to reform the current retirement age. Hu Xiaoyi the deputy head of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security announced that the retirement age will not be raised all of a sudden. "We might begin with the groups who enjoy the lowest retirement age, mainly professional workers, such as doctors, teachers, scientists, engineers etc. We will start with them, and then expand the policy to include other groups." Many people have expressed their concerns about the social insurance and pension② issues which could also be affected if the working year cap is raised. "I don't really care about work year limits. I'm OK with raising the retirement age. What really matters is the dispensing③ of the pension. I may pay a lot for it now, but receive little in the future. This is what I worry about." "I work in Beijing but hold no Beijing Hukou, and may not stay in Beijing in the future. The biggest problem is if social insurances can be linked nationwide." The current retirement age in China is 55 to 60 for men, and 50 to 55 for women, according to their professions. No.2 China to ease one-child policy After implementing family planning policy for several decades, China has announced recently it would loosen④ it. It says the family planning policy will be adjusted and improved step-by-step to promote the "long-term balanced development of the population in China. The decision has sparked⑤ heated discussion across China. "I have no plans to have a second child. I think one child is enough and we can put out all our efforts into taking care of him." "Most of my peers were born after the 1980s as the only child in their families. This means that as their parents get older, they can only be taken care of by one child. So if we can have a second child, not only will the child have a companion, the parents can also receive more care from their children as they age." According to the decision on major issues concerning comprehensively⑥ deepening reforms, which was approved at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, China will implement this new policy while adhering to the basic state policy of family planning. No.1 China's anti-smog drive a hard battle The spread of smog to more Chinese cities this winter came as another warning for the country to intensify its campaign against environmental damage caused by three decades of rapid growth. There are almost nine million new graduates in China every year. It used to be the dream of many to go to big cities like Beijing and Shanghai for a white collar job. But this trend is now gradually changing, in part, because of people's concerns about their health. Zhou Shangling, who graduated with a master's degree in Beijing says the sky looks much brighter in her hometown, Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu. "Though Beijing has a lot of opportunities, the environment - and particularly the air quality - is far below a healthy standard. So I decided to come back home." 1. Progressive 循序渐进的 2. pension 养老 3. dispensing 执行 4. loosen 放松 5. sparked 引发 6. comprehensively 包含一切的

Meet Sam and Ryan. Sam is from Lanzhou, China. Ryan is from Bordentown, New Jersey. Sam is poised for a fulfilling college experience. Ryan is scared of his own shadow. Though an unlikely pair, Sam and Ryan help each other through a rewarding freshman year at Drexel University's LeBow College of Business. Not only do they earn successful co-ops, they become a fine pair of LeBros.