Podcasts about Shanghai

The BanterThe Guys raise a glass to honor an iconic cocktail bar that has recently closed its doors.The ConversationThe Restaurant Guys catch up with world-renown bar operator Steve Schneider. Steve talks about his experiences working in and running various types of bars and how a few chance encounters catapulted his career. He describes how he strives to create the perfect vibe in his bar and tells how a night off at the theatre altered his perspective. The Inside TrackThe Guys have been long-time fans of Steve. Francis even had a brief appearance in Steve's movie Hey Bartender!Steve waxes sentimental about one little wish he has that many experienced bartenders probably share.“If I could have one more shift in my twenties at EO (Employees Only), I would go back. That's what I would do. I would go back to freaking like 2012 and I would work one more shift with my old team and just be debaucherous,” Steve Schneider on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025BioSteve Schneider has more than 20 years of bar experience in New York, Singapore, Shanghai and Panama City, earning a reputation as one of the most respected and inspiring bartenders in the industry. Steve is a Partner at Employees Only Singapore, The Odd Couple in Shanghai and The Elysian Café in Hoboken, N.J. These positions followed a long-time stint as a Principal Bartender at Employees Only in New York when it earned “The World's Best Cocktail Bar” Award at Tales of the Cocktail.Steve is Bar Manager and Head Bartender at Guzzle.InfoSip & Guzzlehttps://www.sipandguzzlenyc.com/Hey Bartender! Movie trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLHdqCXe-OMOur Sponsors The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Centerhttps://www.theheldrich.com/ Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/ Withum Accountinghttps://www.withum.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ To hear more about food, wine and the finer things in life:https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/https://www.facebook.com/restaurantguysReach Out to The Guys!TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com**Become a Restaurant Guys Regular and get two bonus episodes per month, bonus content and Regulars Only events.**Click Below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401692/subscribe

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Last time we spoke about a major Chinese counter offensive at Shanghai. "Black Saturday," saw over a thousand civilians killed. In response, Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek launched Operation Iron Fist on August 17, aiming to exploit weaknesses in Japanese defenses but failing due to disarray and entrenched opposition. Amid mounting pressure, Chinese commanders redirected their strategy toward Yangshupu, seeking to breach Japanese lines along the Huangpu River. The 36th Infantry Division, newly trained by German advisers, launched a surprise assault on August 19, but inexperienced troops faced relentless Japanese fire, struggling to hold their positions. As casualties mounted, the Japanese executed strategic landings at Chuanshakou and Wusong, capturing key points with minimal resistance. The battle at Baoshan became emblematic of their resistance, where a handful of defenders vowed to fight to the last man, encapsulating the desperation and bravery of those battling under the shadow of impending defeat.    #159 The Battle of Shanghai Part 4: The Battle for Luodian Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. In the early days of September, a profound sense of resignation descended upon the senior Chinese commanders as the Japanese troops captured stronghold after stronghold along the riverbank, first Shizilin, then Wusong, and finally Baoshan. Despite the resignation among their leaders, the rank and file remained resolute in their determination to defend every inch of Chinese soil. The fighting along Wusong Creek, extending west from Wusong, became particularly brutal. “There were huge numbers of deaths on both sides, and the water of the creek turned red,” wrote Chinese official Wang Jieshi in his diary. “The saying about ‘rivers of blood' became a grim reality.” Meanwhile the Japanese were landing more reinforcements, such as the Tida detachment on September 6. The next day Tokyo HQ authorized the dispatch of the 9th, 13th and 101st divisions and the Shigeto Detachment to Shanghai. That same day over 10 Japanese infantry battalions were ordered to advance from Northeast China to Shanghai. The situation was dire for the Chinese. Not only were their frontline units struggling in battle, but they were also sustaining exceptionally high casualties. By early September, Yao Ziqing's 98th Infantry Division had suffered 4,960 casualties, including a regimental commander killed and another wounded. Throughout the battle for Shanghai, various units within the division received reinforcements up to four times. Upon arrival, these reinforcements were quickly armed and sent directly to the front lines. As recalled by Fang Jing “Some were injured almost immediately after arriving. When they reached the hospital, they had no idea which unit they belonged to.” The string of defeats and setbacks significantly affected morale within the Chinese Army, particularly among senior officers. While the lower ranks generally showed a willingness to continue the fight, high-ranking officials exhibited waning resolve. “All my soldiers have been sacrificed. There's nobody left,” Xia Chuzhong, commander of the 79th Division, lamented in a phone call to Luo Zhuoying, head of the 18th Army, part of the 15th Army Group. In response, Luo Zhuoying urged, “Aren't you still standing? Hold your ground and fight.” Having lost Baoshan the next defensive position was the small town of Luodian, the transportation center connecting Baoshan, downtown Shanghai, Jiading, Songjiang and several other towns via highways. The successful defense of Luodian was crucial for the security of Suzhou and Shanghai. On August 29, German adviser Alexander von Falkenhausen warned Chiang Kai-shek that the town needed to be held at all costs, describing it as "the most crucial strategic point.”. Chiang Kai-shek was determined to hold on to Luodian. He personally summoned senior commanders to the 3rd War Zone headquarters in Suzhou, emphasizing that the town must be retaken at all costs. In response, the commanders deployed entire divisions to the battle for Luodian. During one of several Chinese assaults, Qiu Weida, a regimental commander in the 51st Infantry Division, led a night attack on the southern part of Luodian. Moving quietly through the darkness, the Chinese force, about two companies strong, approached a Japanese camp, most of whose soldiers were asleep. The Chinese launched a swift attack, giving the Japanese no chance to react. They shot and bayoneted soldiers while they were still lying down, successfully taking over the camp and preparing for a counterattack. When the Japanese responded, the Chinese staged a fighting retreat, deliberately luring the enemy into an open area where well-armed soldiers lay in ambush. As the Japanese advanced, Qiu Weida signaled with a flare, a pre-arranged signal to open fire. Infantry weapons of various calibers joined in the assault. As dawn broke, Qiu raised his binoculars to survey the scene, which was a disturbing sight, covered with a tangled mass of dead and dying bodies. The Japanese commanders launched what they hoped would be the decisive blow to break out from the Baoshan perimeter. Elements of the 3rd Division were tasked with moving down the road toward Liuhang and occupying Yanghang. Meanwhile, the 11th Division's Amaya Detachment, which had arrived in Wusong on September 2, was to seize Yuepu, a village on the other strategic road leading west from Baoshan that blocked access to Luodian and the opportunity to link up with other units of the 11th Division fighting in the area. This operation aimed to create the necessary space for a full assault on Shanghai, and the Japanese dedicated every available resource to the effort. The artillery barrage began before dawn on September 1, with Japanese guns of all calibers participating. For more than two weeks, the Japanese had been able to disembark supplies at landing sites along the Yangtze and Huangpu Rivers. After daybreak, air raids intensified unusually, with the Japanese seemingly deploying all available aircraft in this narrow part of the front. Eventually, the Japanese infantry prepared to launch their attack. While this was simply the latest in a series of Japanese assaults, the sheer tenacity displayed indicated to the Chinese that this time was different. However, after an entire day of fighting, little territorial gain was made. The defenders fought with a determination bordering on fanaticism, despite a total lack of air and artillery support, effectively utilizing the obstacles created by canals that cut through the heavily cultivated area. By sunset, the Japanese had advanced no further than the eastern edge of Yuepu, although the village had been completely destroyed by artillery fire. Yanghang remained firmly in Chinese hands. In the countryside between the two western roads leading from Baoshan, Japanese units had only managed to occupy territory where their artillery and aircraft had utterly obliterated the defenders. To an outsider, it might seem that the Chinese could breathe a sigh of relief. However, from the perspective of Chinese commanders, the situation was vastly different. Their primary concern was the Japanese superiority in artillery. The contested area north of Shanghai consisted mainly of low-lying rice and cotton fields with relatively few trees, offering insufficient camouflage for all but the smallest units. This allowed Japanese naval gunners on the elevated waters of the Yangtze and Huangpu to sometimes directly observe Chinese troops. Even when there was no direct line of sight from the ships in the rivers, they were aided by the directions of observers patrolling in aircraft or hovering in balloons over the horizon. The Chinese had long realized that exposing their units to continuous attack from naval guns played directly into the Japanese hands. They understood that they needed to move away from the riverbank and the lethal fire of the IJN Although the decision to withdraw would have been made sooner or later, it was hastened by the relentless Japanese pressure on the two roads from Baoshan, as their loss would create a breach between Zhang Zhizhong's 9th Army Group in the Shanghai area and Chen Cheng's 15th Army Group to the left. General Gu Zhutong, a member of Chiang Kai-shek's inner circle who had recently been appointed deputy commander of the 3rd War Zone, witnessed how some of the best divisions were being decimated in the defense of Yuepu and Yanghang. Meanwhile, Zhang Zhizhong was pushing for the withdrawal of troops in Yangshupu, which risked becoming a dangerously exposed salient if a breach occurred. The order for the two Chinese army groups to withdraw came late on September 11. Under the cover of darkness, the bulk of the divisions pulled back to positions reinforced by reserves in the preceding days. As thousands of soldiers moved several miles to the rear, the Japanese remained unaware that anything unusual was occurring, and the entire movement took place without enemy harassment. Only skeleton crews remained in the original Chinese positions. By the morning of September 12, the new frontline stretched from the North Railway Station to the eastern edge of Jiangwan, bent west of Yanghang and Luodian, and extended north to the banks of the Yangtze. Unbeknownst to them, the Japanese had become masters of heavily contested areas from Yangshupu in the south to Yuepu in the north. The Chinese military leadership attempted to explain to the public that it had no choice but to withdraw and had never seriously expected to be able to push the Japanese back into the Yangtze, given the hundreds of naval guns at their disposal. A military spokesman said “The objective of the Chinese command was to delay and harass the landing. It was never hoped that we would permanently repel the landing.” The Chinese expressed confidence in their new positions, even comparing them to the Maginot Line along the French border with Germany, which of course would become rather ironic. The Japanese now controlled the entire left bank of the Huangpu River from Yangshupu to the mouth of the Yangtze. They had access to several good roads, some interconnected, which could serve as supply lines for future attacks. Additionally, they could exploit a large number of modern Chinese wharfs and docks, setting the stage for a steady flow of reinforcements.  On the 12th, Matsui received word from the Amaya Detachment that it had finally captured Yuepu. After driving the Chinese out of the village, the detachment established a defensive perimeter in a semicircle 500 yards around the western edge. Nearly simultaneously, the Ueno Detachment, a unit attached to the 3rd Division, reported that it had occupied Yanghang and pursued the enemy to a position about two miles west of the village. In both cases, it appeared that the enemy had abandoned their positions under the cover of night. Yet despite the victories Matsui desperately needed more men. In the three weeks leading up to September 11, the Japanese had managed to land 40,000 soldiers and establish a bridgehead measuring roughly 25 miles in length and over five miles in depth. Together with the troops already present in Shanghai, Japan had about 50,000 soldiers in the area. While this was a significant force, it was still insufficient to ensure the conquest of Shanghai, especially given the rapid attrition faced. As of September 9, the 3rd Division had reported losses of 589 killed and 1,539 injured, while the 11th Division recorded 616 dead and 1,336 wounded. But Tokyo was very reluctant to dispatch troops to Shanghai. From the viewpoint of the IJA leadership, Shanghai and Central China were a sideshow to the north china theater, which they alongside the Kwantung Army argued was more essential, given the proximity of the USSR. This belief was strongly reinforced when the Sino-Soviet agreement was signed in late August. Shanghai also heavily favored the Chinese terrain wise, it was basically like the battle of Thermopylae, instead of a mountain pass it was an extremely concentrated urban area. Then there was one of the main advocates opposing the China War altogether, Kanji Ishiwara. The entire time he was screaming and lecturing non-expansion and advised diplomacy and to even form an alliance with China against the USSR. Concentrating on China and ignoring the Soviet menace was, in his eyes, like “chasing the dogs away from the front door while forgetting the wolves approaching the back door.” However, Ishiwara's reluctance to send more troops to Shanghai was overruled. On September 4, a meeting of officers in Tokyo concluded that the battle in the Shanghai area should be completed by late October or early November, and to that end, sufficient troops should be deployed. Three days later, Emperor Hirohito approved reinforcements for the Shanghai front, including the dispatch of three additional infantry divisions from the home islands, along with units from the garrison forces in Taiwan. Ishiwara was so upset by this decision that he submitted his resignation, although he was later appointed to a position in the army in northeastern China. There was little doubt among Japanese leaders that the deployment of these reinforcements marked a significant escalation in the war. The situation was unlike anything Japan had ever experienced before. Army Minister Sugiyama Hajime remarked in a statement to his commanders, “This war has become total war.” A junior Japanese officer inspecting the Shanghai front reported upon his return to Tokyo “The enemy resistance is undeniably strong. Whether they are bombed out or surrounded, they do not retreat.” Luodian had remained under Japanese control since late August, but the surrounding countryside largely remained Chinese territory. Despite increasing pressure after the Chinese withdrawal to the south on September 12, the Japanese advanced only slowly and hesitantly. Taken aback by the sudden gains at Yuepu and Yanghang, and revealing their typical tardiness in responding to unforeseen events, it took them several days to even dispatch patrols for probing attacks against the new Chinese defenses. This delay provided Chinese commanders with extra time to reinforce their positions near Luodian, particularly on both sides of the road from Yuepu, which they correctly assumed would be the primary route for the Japanese attackers. Chinese preparations were just one reason Japan's mid-September assault was only moderately successful. Like the Chinese, the Japanese had yet to develop much skill in coordinating infantry and armor operations. The road connecting Yuepu and Luodian was of relatively good quality, enabling the Japanese to deploy about 25 tanks as the spearhead of their thrust. These armored vehicles quickly eliminated the Chinese positions closest to the road and advanced rapidly toward Luodian. However, the accompanying infantry from the Amaya Detachment was unable to keep pace. The Japanese only held a few yards of terrain on either side of the road. Beyond that narrow strip, the area was swarming with Chinese soldiers, making the advancing Japanese infantry easy targets. The Japanese infantry became bogged down, and it was only after dark, when the Chinese defenders north of the road chose to withdraw westward, that the Japanese had a chance to reach Luodian. The debacle on the road to Luodian was not solely a result of flawed training within the Japanese ranks. The area around Shanghai, a patchwork of small farm plots divided by creeks and canals, was ill-suited for tank warfare. This terrain had previously been a key argument against large-scale deployments by the Japanese Army. Nevertheless, once the decision was made in Tokyo to send enough troops to win the battle for the city, the generals had to strategize ways to overcome these terrain challenges. One proposed solution was to deploy amphibious tanks. However, the tactics employed called for using the tanks in a supportive role rather than leading the attacks across waterways. If a creek needed to be crossed, Japanese commanders would first order a small infantry unit to wade or swim to the opposite bank and prepare it for the tanks to land under the cover of darkness. While it was still dark, the tanks would cross and provide support to the infantry by daybreak. This cumbersome procedure often felt like putting the cart before the horse, but the Japanese executed it precisely as prescribed, time and again. This predictability allowed their Chinese opponents to acclimate to Japanese tactics to such an extent that they could usually anticipate what the Japanese would do next. While flawed tactics prevented either side from breaking the stalemate at the Luodian front, both continued to pour in reinforcements. The Shigeto Detachment arrived from Taiwan and was attached to the 11th Division on September 14, the same day the Amaya Detachment made its way up the road from Yuepu to return to the division's direct command. By mid-September, the division had grown into a sizeable fighting force. However, the enemy it faced around Luodian was also growing stronger by the day, posing a significant threat to the division's right flank if it were to rush south toward Dachang to link up with the 3rd Division. Therefore, on September 18, the Shanghai commanders ordered the division to focus initially on eliminating the Chinese troops amassed around Luodian. By this time, heavy rain had already fallen in the Shanghai region for three days, gradually slowing the fighting. The Japanese disliked the rain, as it turned the roads into muddy rivers, making transportation difficult, if not impossible, while also grounding most of their aircraft. In contrast, the Chinese welcomed the lull, as it provided them with an opportunity to improve their positions. The challenge of breaking through the Chinese defenses was only becoming more difficult as time passed. The Chinese Army's performance during the initial stage of the fighting in Shanghai altered the world's perception of the nation's military capabilities. China, which had lost every war over the past century, invariably to nations much smaller than itself, had suddenly taken a stand. At Shanghai, the Chinese Army experienced more intense fighting than anyone could have anticipated, suffering losses that had taken years to build up. However, it had gained prestige and respect, even among its Japanese adversaries. Even the withdrawal on September 12 was met with sympathy and admiration in capitals around the world. Every journalist in Shanghai during the fall of 1937 had a story to tell about the remarkable Chinese soldier. American journalist Carroll Alcott spent many hours in dugouts in Zhabei. “While Japanese shells pelted down over their heads, the Chinese soldiers sat unfazed in their self-made caves, cooking rice, vegetables, and occasionally a small bit of pork over a charcoal brazier. They dispelled the inevitable boredom with games of checkers and mahjong and wrote letters home to their families. In the Chinese trenches, there was a sense of safety and a primitive kind of comfort”. Chiang Kai-shek had decided as early as September 15 that changes were needed at the top of the command in the 3rd War Zone. What this meant became clear six days later when Chiang sent two separate cables to the zone's senior officers. In the first cable, he announced that he would take over command of the 3rd War Zone from Feng Yuxiang, and dispatched him to the 6th War Zone further north. This was a sideways move rather than a direct demotion, but it undeniably removed Feng Yuxiang from the most crucial theater at the time. Despite this, the decision seemed logical to most senior officers in Suzhou. Feng Yuxiang had never effectively managed the 3rd War Zone during his time in command. None of his direct subordinates truly considered him to be in charge; instead, they continued to view Chiang as their actual commander. In the second cable of the day, Chiang Kai-shek went a step further by relieving Zhang Zhizhong of his duties as commander of the 9th Army Group. He replaced him with General Zhu Shaoliang, a staunch ally and, if possible, an even more vehement opponent of communism than himself. For Zhang Zhizhong, the decision was no major surprise, as he had faced Chiang Kai-shek's constant reproaches since the early days of the battle. Although Chiang initially selected Zhang due to his close connections with the divisional commanders he led, he grew increasingly disenchanted with Zhang's style of command characterized by “much talk and little action” and expressed his irritation both publicly and privately. There may have been an additional reason for this. Disagreements among the top echelons of the 3rd War Zone threatened to bring about paralysis. Zhang Zhizhong had not gotten along well with Chen Cheng, the commander of the neighboring 11th Army Group. Zhang had told anyone who would listen, “Chen Cheng isn't capable enough,”to which Chen retorted, “Zhang Zhizhong loves to show off.”  The strain that Shanghai was under also had an economic aspect. Although it had been a bumper year for both rice and cotton,  the two most popular crops in the area and many farmers were unable to harvest due to the continued heavy fighting around the city. Labor disputes simmered and occasionally erupted into open conflict. On September 14, a group of workers hired on short-term contracts by the Fou Foong Flour Mill in the western part of the International Settlement locked themselves inside and refused to leave until their demand for ten months' salary was met. Police and members of the Reserve Unit, a special anti-riot outfit, attacked the premises with tear gas and managed to disperse the protesters. Subsequently, ambulances transported 25 injured individuals to various hospitals from the mill. As if the city was not already suffering enough hardship, a cholera epidemic broke out, taking a particularly heavy toll on the poorest inhabitants. As of September 13, the outbreak had lasted for a month, with 119 confirmed cases and nine deaths. Less than a fortnight later, it had infected 646 people and resulted in 97 deaths. By early October, when the outbreak peaked, it had claimed a total of 355 lives. These statistics marked only the tip of the iceberg, as they accounted only for patients at hospitals in the International Settlement, excluding the likely much larger numbers in the Chinese part of the city. In a way, these individuals were collateral damage. A doctor who worked with the patients stated with a high degree of certainty that the disease had likely been brought to Shanghai by troops from the south. There existed a large villa overlooking Luodian they Japanese termed “the white house”. The Chinese forces had held the white house for four weeks, demonstrating fierce resistance. Encamped outside, the Japanese Army's 44th Regiment, known as the Kochi Regiment, was gradually being worn down, as their repeated attempts to storm the stronghold had failed. During their time at Luodian, the regiment had made numerous unsuccessful attempts to seize the villa. Limited artillery support hampered their efforts; logistical challenges meant each artillery piece received only one-fifth of its normal daily ammunition supply. On September 19, engineers began digging a tunnel from the trenches toward the White House. Four days later, they had excavated exactly 35 yards, effectively halving the distance the infantry would need to cross exposed ground before reaching the villa's defenses. A new attack was launched on the 23rd, beginning with an artillery bombardment, followed by air raids. Next, tanks advanced toward the walls, with small clusters of soldiers trailing behind. This attack included a surprise element for the Chinese defenders: as the offensive unfolded, a tunnel's entrance erupted open, allowing soldiers to emerge in single file close to the wall too quickly for the Chinese machine gunners to adjust their aim. The soldiers rushed forward, bearing heavy satchels of explosives. Pressing against the wall, they ignited the fuses and sought cover as loud explosions rang out. When the dust settled, the Japanese surged through the new openings in the walls, spreading out within the compound. After a fierce battle lasting two and a half hours, the building was captured by the Japanese troops. Despite losing the "White House," Lin Yindong, the commander of the 1st Battalion, was awarded an A-2 grade for the "Medal of the Armed Forces." He was also promoted to lieutenant colonel and appointed as the regimental attaché of the 66th Regiment for successfully defending the "White House" against a numerically superior enemy for nearly a month. The capture of the White House was part of a significant offensive launched by the 11th Division in the Luodian area. Initially scheduled for September 20, the operation faced delays of several days due to prolonged preparations, a common issue in the challenging countryside surrounding Shanghai. The division chose to attack south of the town with a narrow front to concentrate enough forces to deliver a powerful, unified strike against Chinese positions. The Japanese employed massed armor in their assault, deploying aircraft to neutralize any anti-tank weapons that emerged. These tactics proved effective, as the Chinese were pushed back in multiple sections of the front. To marshal sufficient troops for the attack, the division assigned the Shigeto Detachment to cover its right flank north and west of Luodian. However, the newly arrived detachment, full of morale, exceeded its mandate by launching a vigorous counterattack against the Chinese in its sector. Unfortunately, their efforts yielded little significant progress, and they suffered heavy casualties. As Matsui would report "The detachment has already had 200 casualties. They can't keep attacking blindly like this."  Further south, the 3rd Japanese Division also mounted attacks against Chinese forces, primarily around Liuhang. The fighting revealed Japan's material superiority, which was so pronounced that the Chinese refrained from deploying heavy artillery, even when available. Anti-aircraft guns were strategically positioned near artillery batteries, but the Chinese were reluctant to use them for fear of revealing their locations. Consequently, the Chinese Army found itself with virtually no air defense. Overall, local Chinese reserves struggled to repel the Japanese advances, leading to a shift from the see-saw battles that had characterized the front since early September. The Japanese gradually maintained their positions even after nightfall.  Despite their numerical superiority, defending Luodian proved nearly impossible for the Chinese forces. The Japanese's overwhelming firepower forced the Chinese into a defensive posture, preventing them from launching counterattacks until the enemy was almost upon them. Consequently, the decision was made to hold the entire town at all costs, a tactic that significantly increased the attrition rate within Chinese ranks. General Chen Cheng's army group experienced a casualty rate exceeding fifty percent, resulting in more than 15,000 losses. Additionally, units from Xue Yue's 19th Army Group participated in the combat southwest of Luodian and suffered severe casualties. The 59th and 90th divisions of the 4th Corps endured seventy to eighty percent losses within just five days. The training brigade of the 66th Corps reported 3,003 casualties after several days of fighting. Faced with these circumstances, Chinese commanders decided to execute another major retreat along the entire front north of Shanghai. They took advantage of a lull in Japanese assaults on September 25 to withdraw approximately one mile to a new defensive line. As before, this retreat was conducted with great discipline, and it took the Japanese two more days to fully comprehend that the Chinese forces had disappeared from their positions.  In the wake of these Japanese successes, significant changes began to unfold. The three divisions that the Japanese high command had dispatched to the Shanghai area in early September gradually arrived. First to land was the 101st Division, which started disembarking on September 22 and was ordered to position itself on the left flank of the 3rd Division. The 9th Division arrived in the same area on September 27, followed by the 13th Division on October 1. With these reinforcements, Japan now had five divisions stationed in Shanghai, compared to more than 25 divisions fielded by the Chinese. While China's numerical superiority was undeniable, the disparity was not as stark as it appeared. A typical Japanese division consisted of 15,000 men. Combined with the marines and infantry defending Hongkou, Japan had approximately 90,000 soldiers at its disposal in and around the city. In contrast, Chinese divisions often had as few as 5,000 men, making it unlikely that China deployed more than 200,000 soldiers in Shanghai at that time. Furthermore, the Japanese compensated for their numerical disadvantage with significant superiority in materials, aircraft, and naval artillery, which could still reach key areas within the Chinese front. Overall, the addition of the three new divisions significantly bolstered the Japanese forces, prompting Matsui and his staff to begin preparations for what they hoped would be the decisive strike against the Chinese defenders. Their plan was straightforward: they intended to execute a powerful thrust across Wusong Creek and advance toward Suzhou Creek. The goal was to encircle and annihilate the main Chinese force in a maneuver they had envisioned since their arrival in China. After all, encirclement was the cornerstone of Japanese military doctrine. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In August 1937, the Battle of Luodian raged as Chinese forces faced relentless Japanese attacks. After initial successes, the Chinese struggled under heavy casualties and dwindling morale. They fought fiercely to retain the critical town of Luodian, a vital transportation hub. Despite courageous defensive efforts, including a surprise night assault, the Japanese overwhelmed the Chinese with superior numbers and artillery. Encounters turned devastating, with both sides suffering severe losses. By late September, as the Japanese received reinforcements, the situation forced the Chinese to retreat, marking the beginning of a dire struggle for Shanghai's control.

A new proposed deal could reshape freight railroading, with Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern reportedly in merger talks to create the first true transcontinental railroad. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, owning Union Pacific's primary competitor BNSF Railway, looms large with over $347 billion in cash, sparking speculation of a bidding war that could involve other major railroads like CSX. We also cover the U.S. moves to restrict Mexican airlines over cargo and competition concerns, threatening the long-standing partnership between Delta and Aeromexico. This action by the Trump administration is a direct response to the Mexican government's mandate forcing all cargo flights from Mexico City's main airport to a more distant new airport, a move the U.S. asserts violates their trade agreement. Finally, get an update on ocean rates falling for the fifth straight week, according to Drewry's World Container Index. The key route from Shanghai to Los Angeles saw rates decrease by 4%, while Shanghai to New York dipped 6%, reflecting what analysts describe as a clear sign of weakening global demand for goods after a volatile spike caused by U.S. tariffs on Chinese products earlier this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you like Shanghai? There may only be one right answer to this question (depending on who's asking), but there are also plenty of viable non-answers. Learn how to navigate this verbal minefield in this Chinese lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1828

Chrissie and Jack are back after their holidays and Jack apparently smells poor! We go through a DIML with Chrissie if it were like the millionaire investor's day in Shanghai she saw...Plus, there's up to $500 on the line because we bring back 'Who Am I?'See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

①Shanghai unveils visa, cash incentives for global content creators②China's first bachelor's program in AI education to address teacher shortage③"Silver trains" gain speed in China's booming elderly travel market④Green sea turtle nesting site found at South China Sea reef

Today’s illegal immigration focuses podcast begins with a couple reminders and updates (0:18), followed by a lengthy conversation (me, myself, and I) about hoping to give more context to the overall immigration topic (4:18), including some interesting stories about my wife and I, and my 36 hours as an illegal migrant in the country that shall not be named (12:41), as well as the story of my illegal migrant (at least, for a time) Cuban friend, Mitchell. (39:40) Welcome to China Compass on the Fight Laugh Feast Network! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. Follow and/or message me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I post (among other things) daily reminders to pray for China.You can also email me @ bfwesten at gmail dot com or find everything we are involved in at PrayGiveGo.us! Unbeaten: Confronting the Lies (and Laughter) of the Chinese Communist Police The Story of My Arrest, Interrogation, and Deportation from China Unbeaten.vip A few quick updates: Pray4China.us is now an alternative to our usual domain: PrayforChina.us Chinacompass.vip takes you to our podcast home page on the FLF network Let me know if you want your own PrayforChina link! (OKSisterState.com, Praymo.org) Pray for China provinces of the week (follow @chinaadventures to see which city daily): Sun, July 20 - Yunnan is paired with Arkansas and Louisiana for prayer. Learn more and listen to my Yunnan podcast: https://prayforchina.us/index.php/yunnan/ Mon, July 21 - Zhejiang is paired with NC for prayer: https://prayforchina.us/index.php/zhejiang/ Hudson Taylor fell in love with Maria here in Zhejiang. Check out the podcast. Tue, July 22 - Tropical Guangdong is paired with Florida for prayer. For more info (and podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/guangdong/ Wed, July 23 - Chongqing is paired with SE Texas for prayer: https://prayforchina.us/index.php/texas/ Thu, July 24 - Shanghai is paired with NYC for prayer. For more info, and the Shanghai podcast: https://prayforchina.us/index.php/shanghai/ Fri, July 25 - Tianjin, just east of China’s capital, is paired with Maryland for prayer. For my moving podcast about the many martyrs of Tianjin: https://prayforchina.us/index.php/tianjin/ Sat, July 26 - Guangxi is paired with Mississippi and Alabama for prayer. For the Guangxi podcast, Mountain Chief: I Don't Want Your Jesus… https://prayforchina.us/index.php/guangxi/ Follow or subscribe to China Compass and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Don’t forget: Follow @chinaadventures on X, and find everything else @ PrayGiveGo.us. Luke 10, verse 2, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few!

In this episode of Sean White's Solar and Energy Storage Podcast, Sean interviews Nabih Cherradi, a longtime industry expert with over 34 years of experience. The interview takes place at the SNEC conference in Shanghai, the world's largest solar and storage event. Nabih discusses his extensive career, including his PhD work, involvement in manufacturing solar panels, and his current projects in Saudi Arabia. They also touch on the impact of new technologies like simultaneous translation earbuds and the global expansion of solar energy. The conversation highlights the importance of local manufacturing in the solar industry and the positive future trends for solar energy deployment. >   Topics Covered: SNEC China Intersolar Germany 34 years in the industry Dessert Technology Madam Mi Blockchain Technology Simultaneous Translator Tool GPS CTO = Chief Technology Officer Yingli Solar   Reach out Nabih Cherradi here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nabih-cherradi-b9b4157 Empowersun Website: www.empowersun.com   Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean's classes at www.heatspring.com/sean

Reino Unido y Alemania estrechan lazos, sobre todo en materia de seguridad y defensa. Keir Starmer ha recibido hoy en Londres al canciller alemán Friedrich Merz y ambos han firmado el denominado Tratado de Kensington.Vamos a estar en Ucrania porque el presidente Volodimir Zelenski ha remodelado su gabinete. Vamos a saber quiénes son las nuevas caras. También en Islandia donde se han reunido la primera ministra del país y la presidenta de la Comisión Europea para hablar sobre la geopolítica del Ártico. Además sabremos más sobre la ley de tierras en Sudáfrica y tendremos una entrevista sobre la Organización de Cooperación de Shanghai.Escuchar audio

这是陈凯的第三次上我的电台，Episodes 215 和250，之前也是聊攀岩和一些比较哲学的想法。今天他来聊做攀岩教练的一些观点，然后对沟通的一些看法。 想学攀岩的可以在 微信视频号和小红书搜：陈摩诘，穿黑色的头像。

The number of foreigners coming to China visa-free has increased significantly in the first six months of the year, as the nation continues to open its doors wider for international travelers.随着中国持续向国际游客进一步开放，今年上半年入境中国的免签外国人数大幅增加。From January to June, immigration management authorities across China recorded a total of 13.64 million visa-free inbound trips made by foreigners, up 53.9 percent year-on-year, Lyu Ning, a spokeswoman for the National Immigration Administration, said on Wednesday.国家移民管理局发言人吕宁周三表示，1 月至 6 月，全国移民管理机构共记录外国免签入境人次 1364 万，同比增长 53.9%。These trips accounted for 71.2 percent of all inbound trips made by foreigners in the first half of the year, Lyu said.吕宁称，这些免签入境人次占上半年外国人入境总人次的 71.2%。During the first six months, foreigners made more than 38 million trips to and from China, up 30.2 percent year-on-year. Authorities also recorded a total of 333 million cross-border trips, up 15.8 percent compared with the same period last year.上半年，外国人出入境超 3800 万人次，同比增长 30.2%；全国共记录跨境出行 3.33 亿人次，同比增长 15.8%。This year, China introduced additional favorable policies to facilitate cross-border travel and attract more foreign visitors.今年，中国推出了更多利好政策，以便利跨境出行并吸引更多外国游客。In June, it added Indonesia to the list of countries whose citizens are eligible for visa-free transit, allowing Indonesians traveling to a third country to enter China visa-free through designated ports, and stay for up to 10 days.6 月，中国将印度尼西亚纳入免签过境国家名单，允许前往第三国的印尼公民经指定口岸免签入境中国，停留最长 10 天。In February, China allowed tourist groups from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to stay in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, for up to six days after entering the country visa-free through designated ports.2 月，中国允许东南亚国家联盟成员国旅游团经指定口岸免签入境后，在云南省西双版纳停留最长 6 天。China has also adopted unilateral visa-free policies for nine other countries, including Brazil, Argentina and Chile, and signed comprehensive mutual visa-free agreements with Uzbekistan, Malaysia and Azerbaijan.中国还对巴西、阿根廷、智利等另外 9 个国家实施单方面免签政策，并与乌兹别克斯坦、马来西亚、阿塞拜疆签署了全面互免签证协定。Furthermore, Lyu said that China's immigration management authorities issue visas to foreign ordinary passport holders who arrive at the country's ports for emergency or humanitarian reasons, but didn't have time to apply for a visa at Chinese embassies.此外，吕宁表示，对于因紧急或人道主义原因抵达中国口岸、但来不及在驻华使领馆申请签证的外国普通护照持有人，中国移民管理机构会为其签发签证。"These visa facilitation measures have encouraged a large number of foreign friends to come to China for tourism and business, boosted inbound consumption, and further enhanced understanding and friendship between people in China and other countries," she said.她说：“这些签证便利化措施鼓励了大批外国朋友来华旅游、经商，带动了入境消费，进一步增进了中国与世界各国人民之间的了解和友谊。”A 22-year-old woman from Poland, who asked to be identified by only her first name, Julia, is in China with a friend to attend a summer camp on Chinese language and culture, as well as for sightseeing. The duo, who arrived on Tuesday, will visit Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.一名 22 岁的波兰女子（仅愿透露名字为朱莉娅）正与朋友在中国参加汉语和中国文化夏令营，并进行观光。这对搭档于周二抵达，将游览北京、上海和香港。"We are very excited for the time that we will spend here," said Julia, who is on her second trip to China but entered the country visa-free for the first time.朱莉娅说：“我们对即将在这里度过的时光感到非常兴奋。” 这是她第二次来中国，但却是第一次免签入境。Poland was among countries whose citizens were granted visa-free entry to China in 2024.波兰是 2024 年获得中国免签入境待遇的国家之一。"It's a very nice policy," Julia said, adding that the policy spared her the potentially cumbersome documentation process needed for getting a visa.朱莉娅说：“这是一项非常好的政策。” 她还表示，这项政策省去了她申请签证时可能繁琐的文件准备流程。Yang Jinsong, a researcher at the China Tourism Academy, said the figures released on Wednesday reflect the positive effect of the country's measures for stimulating cross-border travel.中国旅游研究院研究员杨劲松表示，周三公布的数据反映了中国刺激跨境旅游措施的积极效果。These measures have increased China's popularity among international travelers, he said, noting that the country's inbound tourism market has shown strong recovery momentum in recent years.他说，这些措施提高了中国在国际游客中的受欢迎程度，并指出近年来中国入境旅游市场呈现出强劲的复苏势头。Lyu, the spokeswoman for the National Immigration Administration, said the administration will come up with more diversified and effective measures for cross-border travel and foreigners' stays in China.国家移民管理局发言人吕宁表示，该局将推出更多元、更有效的措施，便利跨境出行和外国人在华停留。facilitation /fəˌsɪlɪˈteɪʃn/ 便利化，促进inbound /ˈɪnbaʊnd/ 入境的，进来的transit /ˈtrænzɪt/ 过境，中转cumbersome /ˈkʌmbəsəm/ 繁琐的，麻烦的

Another in our series of Themed Podcasts focussing on GU Oncology in China. We are joined by our China Editor, Dr Yao Zhu (Fudan University, Shanghai), and Prof Xuedong Wei (Soochow University, Jiangsu). to find out what the current treatment landscape is for mHSPC in China. Is it ADT/ARPI doublets for all?? Anyone still give chemo? Who gets a PSMA PET/CT? And what is the current status and role for radioligand therapy at progression? Plus, when are we taking GU Cast to Chin again?! All this and more! Thanks to our Gold Partner, Bayer China, for supporting our China Themed Episode Series, and for supporting all our GU Cast Conference Highlights. Even better on our YouTube channel 

En Chine, l'intelligence artificielle n'est plus un simple sujet d'innovation, mais une réalité industrielle structurée. Challenges et le cabinet Trajectry ont organisé, début juillet un voyage d'étude à Shanghai, au cœur de ce tourbillon technologique. Là-bas, des “quartiers de l'IA” concentrent start-up, laboratoires, infrastructures GPU, plateformes de robotique et modèles open source. Objectif : autonomie technologique totale, de la puce au modèle. Loin des débats sur la régulation, la Chine passe à l'exécution. L'IA générative y est massivement utilisée : dans l'e-commerce, le marketing, la production de contenus vidéo ou la conception de produits. La robotique humanoïde, intégrée à des modèles de langage, sort des labos pour entrer dans les entrepôts et les hôpitaux.Face à cette accélération, l'Europe semble larguée. Manque d'infrastructures, dispersion des efforts, lourdeurs réglementaires… Le contraste est saisissant. Et inquiétant. Car si la Chine avance sans garde-fous éthiques, elle avance vite. Très vite. Et pose, par la seule force de son exécution, une question stratégique à l'Occident : que reste-t-il du temps long, quand d'autres courent déjà ? Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

La banda barcelonesa El Diablo de Shanghai es una de las apuestas nacionales del cartel de la decimoséptima edición del Canela Party, que este año se celebra del 20 al 23 de agosto en el recinto ferial de Torremolinos. Hablamos con el batería de la banda, Albert Muñoz, de la que será su primer presencia en el festival malagueño y de su segundo disco de estudio tras '113 Pasos Adelante en el Ensanche'. Ya lo han grabado y esperan publicarlo entre este otoño e invierno. Escuchar audio

I'm in Shaxi, a wonderful little town in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, and I was joined here by the Columbia economic historian Adam Tooze, who shared his thoughts on what he sees happening on the ground in China. Adam's been in China for the last month and reflects on his experiences learning about the country — and even attempting the language!03:49 - The economic situation in China10:42 - Patterns of consumption in China14:38 - China's industrial policy and renewable energy 18:52 - China vs. the U.S. on renewables26:15 - China's economic engagement with the Global South33:13- Beijing's strategic shift and Europe's rethinking37:49- The recent European Parliament paper42:43 - Learning about China as an “Outsider” 51:31 - Adam's evolving views on China 59:30 - Paying it Forward01:01:07 - Recommendations Paying it Forward: Kyle Chan, Pekingology.Recommendations: Adam: Caught by the Tide, Jia Zhangke (movie).Kaiser: Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI, Karen Hao (book), Vera, or Faith, Gary Shteyngart (book).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

China ranks second globally in STEM education development, trailing only the United States, according to a new index released on Sunday by the Tongji University STEM Education think tank in Shanghai. 上海同济大学 STEM 教育智库周日发布的一项新指数显示，中国在 STEM 教育发展方面位居全球第二，仅次于美国。 The Global STEM Education Development Index 2025, billed as the world's first comprehensive evaluation tool for national and regional science, technology, engineering and mathematics education development, placed the US in the top position with 86.50 points. China followed closely with 85.46 points. Switzerland, Singapore and Denmark rounded out the top five countries. 《2025 全球 STEM 教育发展指数》被誉为全球首个针对国家和地区科学、技术、工程与数学教育发展的综合评估工具。该指数中，美国以 86.50 分位居榜首，中国以 85.46 分紧随其后，瑞士、新加坡和丹麦跻身前五。 The index, developed with academic guidance from the Chinese Society of Educational Development Strategy and data from Elsevier, systematically assessed the STEM education development levels of 40 major countries and regions worldwide. It established 22 indicators across three dimensions: policy and resources, educational processes, and outcomes and impacts, aiming to provide a scientific benchmark for optimizing national STEM education strategies.该指数在全国教育发展战略学会的学术指导下编制，数据来源于爱思唯尔（Elsevier），系统评估了全球 40 个主要国家和地区的 STEM 教育发展水平。指数从政策与资源、教育过程、成果与影响三个维度设置了 22 项指标，旨在为优化各国 STEM 教育战略提供科学基准。 A representative from Tongji University highlighted the increasing global technological competition, stating that STEM education has become a core pillar supporting national innovation capacity and high-quality development. 同济大学一位代表强调，全球科技竞争日益激烈，STEM 教育已成为支撑国家创新能力和高质量发展的核心支柱。 The release of the index is a direct response to a guideline jointly published in January by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, which called for deepening international STEM education cooperation and creating internationally influential indexes and reports. 该指数的发布是对今年 1 月中共中央、国务院联合印发的一份指导意见的直接响应，意见中呼吁深化 STEM 教育国际合作，打造具有国际影响力的指数和报告。 Further underscoring international recognition of China's STEM practices is the establishment of UNESCO's first Category 1 Center outside Europe and North America — the International Institute for STEM Education — in Shanghai. 联合国教科文组织在上海设立了国际 STEM 教育研究所，这是该组织在欧美以外地区设立的首个一类中心，进一步彰显了国际社会对中国 STEM 教育实践的认可。 The US' top ranking was attributed to its strong institutional and resource advantages, particularly in education funding as a percentage of GDP, its per-student expenditure and abundant education resources. 美国之所以位居榜首，得益于其强大的制度和资源优势，尤其是在教育经费占 GDP 比例、生均教育支出以及丰富的教育资源方面。 China, despite a relative gap in per capita resources, excelled in the "educational processes"dimension. Its outstanding performance in teachers' STEM competency scores, results from the Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA, competition achievements and large-scale STEM graduate output helped offset these resource disparities. 中国尽管在人均资源方面存在相对差距，但在 “教育过程” 维度表现突出。其在教师 STEM 能力评分、国际学生评估项目（PISA）成绩、竞赛成果以及大规模 STEM 毕业生输出等方面的优异表现，弥补了这些资源差距。 Among emerging economies, India produced the world's largest number of STEM graduates at 3.34 million. However, its per-student funding amounted to only 17 percent of US levels, leading to a lower overall ranking of 30th place. 在新兴经济体中，印度的 STEM 毕业生数量全球最多，达 334 万人。但该国生均教育经费仅为美国的 17%，导致其总体排名较低，位列第 30 位。 The report emphasized that high proportions of education funding in GDP and per-student expenditure provide ample hardware support for research and teaching, fostering a virtuous cycle between basic research and talent cultivation. It also validated the significant impact of industry-academia-research collaboration and open international cooperation on the efficiency of STEM research output translation. 报告强调，教育经费占 GDP 比例高、生均教育支出高，能为科研和教学提供充足的硬件支持，促进基础研究与人才培养之间的良性循环。报告还证实，产学研合作以及开放的国际合作对 STEM 研究成果转化效率具有显著影响。 In past international assessments, Chinese students have demonstrated strong performance. The 2018 PISA, hosted every three years by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, found that 15-year-olds in Beijing, Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang ranked No 1 in all three core subjects — reading, science and mathematics — achieving the highest Level 4 rating. While China did not participate in the 2022 PISA test, it has consistently been among the top scorers. 在过去的国际评估中，中国学生表现优异。经济合作与发展组织每三年举办一次 PISA 测试，2018 年的测试显示，北京、上海、江苏、浙江的 15 岁学生在阅读、科学、数学三个核心科目中均排名第一，达到最高的 4 级水平。尽管中国未参加 2022 年 PISA 测试，但此前一直位居高分行列。 Domestically, China is prioritizing AI education. A recent document issued by the Ministry of Education outlines a tiered AI education system covering all levels of primary and secondary education. The system will guide students from basic cognitive understanding in primary school to deeper analysis in middle school and applied innovation in high school. At the higher education level, the development of artificial intelligence education at universities has been a priority. 在国内，中国正优先发展人工智能教育。教育部近期发布的一份文件规划了覆盖中小学各学段的分级人工智能教育体系。该体系将引导学生在小学阶段形成基础认知，初中阶段进行深入分析，高中阶段开展应用创新。在高等教育层面，高校人工智能教育的发展已成为重点。 Since 2018, when the first 35 Chinese universities introduced undergraduate AI programs, the field has expanded significantly, with over 626 institutions nationwide now offering AI-related degrees. 自 2018 年中国首批 35 所高校开设人工智能本科专业以来，该领域发展显著，目前全国已有 626 所院校开设人工智能相关专业。 STEM /stem/ 科学（Science）、技术（Technology）、工程（Engineering）、数学（Mathematics）的缩写 index /ˈɪndeks/ 指数，指标 competency /ˈkɒmpɪtənsi/ 能力，胜任力 collaboration /kəˌlæbəˈreɪʃn/ 合作，协作

Disney CEO Bob Iger has officially announced Disneyland Abu Dhabi, the most technologically advanced Disney park ever built!

Deborah, Sophee's mother, "is in her own world and she's happy there and I come in and out of that world and that's ok," continues Payne who's never felt that she's had to live near  to her parents.  Payne is comfortable saying, "I care for them deeply, I just feel that closeness to them is not a priority."  A Florida native, now living in Vancouver, CA,  Sophee is happily ensconced in her full time career, helping other's fulfill their dreams.After six years, getting straight A's and doing all that she was 'supposed to do,'  completing her bachelors degree and getting a Master's Degree in Industrial Design, she realized that she wasn't happy. My guest loved the design work but really missed the one one one interaction with people. After watching her mother struggle in an attempt  to start her own business and fail, Sophee felt so much 'self doubt' that she never thought she'd be capable of  starting her own.  Again, interesting dynamics between the two women often got in the way. Payne feels that her mom likes having people around so they can do things for her that she doesn't necessarily like to do. "She demands a lot from the people closest to her," admits Sophee. "I think of her as a sun, even from a distance I can feel this warmth, she gives direction, but at the same time, the closer you get the more uncomfortably warm you get  and also the more you're kind of forced to evolve around her," reflects Payne.Sophee is comfortable saying what works for her now regarding her relationship with her mom.  It's about "showing my mom compassion, compassion with boundaries." WEBSITE: BEST LIFE COACH COLLECTIVEhttps://bestlifecoachcollective.com/coach/sophee-payne/ WEBSITE:https://www.sopheepayne.com/Hi, I'm sophee.connect with me hereI'm an ICF-accredited, international career coach based in Vancouver, Canada and Seattle who uses positive psychology, ontology, and strength-based analysis to help people identify what they are looking for — and how to find long-term happiness, growth and fulfillment in their professional and personal lives.I have worked with people from Seattle to Shanghai, and my international career counseling practice is multidisciplinary and champions people of all backgrounds. It doesn't matter who you are because if you're willing to do the work, career counseling will give you the career of your dreams.Want to connect? Apply for a complimentary 25-minute intro call! Discover Morehttps://www.instagram.com/sopheepaynecareercoaching/https://www.sopheepayne.com/bloghttps://www.tiktok.com/@purposewithmoney "Should Have Listened To My Mother" is an ongoing conversation about mothers/female role models and the roles they play in our lives. Jackie's guests are open and honest and answer the question, are you who you are today because of, or in spite of, your mother and so much more. You'll be amazed at what the responses are.Gina Kunadian wrote this 5 Star review on Apple Podcast:SHLTMM TESTIMONIAL GINA KUNADIAN JUNE 18, 2024“A Heartfelt and Insightful Exploration of Maternal Love”Jackie Tantillo's “Should Have Listened To My Mother” Podcast is a treasure and it's clear why it's a 2023 People's Choice Podcast Award Nominee. This show delves into the profound impact mother and maternal role models have on our lives through personal stories and reflections.Each episode offers a chance to learn how different individuals have been shaped by their mothers' actions and words. Jackie skillfully guides these conversations, revealing why guests with similar backgrounds have forged different paths.This podcast is a collection of timeless stories that highlight the powerful role of maternal figures in our society. Whether your mother influenced you positively or you thrived despite challenges, this show resonates deeply.I highly recommend “Should Have Listened To My Mother” Podcast for its insightful, heartfelt and enriching content.Gina Kunadian"Should Have Listened To My Mother" would not be possible without the generosity, sincerity and insight from my guests. In 2018/2019, in getting ready to launch my podcast, so many were willing to give their time and share their personal stories of their relationship with their mother, for better or worse and what they learned from that maternal relationship. Some of my guests include Nationally and Internationally recognized authors, Journalists, Columbia University Professors, Health Practitioners, Scientists, Artists, Attorneys, Baritone Singer, Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist, Activists, Freighter Sea Captain, Film Production Manager, Professor of Writing Montclair State University, Attorney and family advocate @CUNY Law; NYC First Responder/NYC Firefighter, Child and Adult Special Needs Activist, Property Manager, Chefs, Self Help Advocates, therapists and so many more talented and insightful women and men.Jackie has worked in the broadcasting industry for over four decades. She has interviewed many fascinating people including musicians, celebrities, authors, activists, entrepreneurs, politicians and more.A big thank you goes to Ricky Soto, NYC based Graphic Designer, who created the logo for "Should Have Listened To My Mother".Check out our website for more background information: https://www.jackietantillo.com/Or more demos of what's to come at https://soundcloud.com/jackie-tantilloLink to website and show notes: https://shltmm.simplecast.com/Or Find SHLTMM Website here: https://shltmm.simplecast.com/Listen wherever you find podcasts: https://www.facebook.com/ShouldHaveListenedToMyMotherhttps://www.facebook.com/jackietantilloInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/shouldhavelistenedtomymother/https://www.instagram.com/jackietantillo7/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-tantillo/YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@ShouldHaveListenedToMyMother

Asia was expected to become the new theme park capital of the world—then the pandemic hit.  IAAPA Asia drew 7,000+ attendees to Shanghai, but is that enough to signal Asia's tourism comeback? Philip reports from the show floor, including takeaways from Disney executive Jill Estorino's keynote, where she credited young adult women with shaping the guest culture at Shanghai Disneyland—impacting everything from merchandise and mobile content creation to how F&B is presented across the park. Meanwhile, Legoland Shanghai, including its eight themed lands, 85 million bricks, and resort-wide creative choices, has set a new quality bar for IP-driven family parks in the region. With the Chinese park market projected to nearly double by 2028, we ask: Is the APAC surge real—and what lessons should operators everywhere take from Shanghai's blend of detail, service, and social-savvy design? Listen to weekly BONUS episodes on our Patreon.

Victorian detectives have identified a further four childcare centres which employed a male worker accused of 70 offences against children; Coalition frontbencher James Patterson says Australia shouldn't legislate a controversial definition of anti-Semitism or impose penalties for breaching it; Australia's central bank wants to remove surcharge fees on both debit and credit cards; Women and children escaping family violence are being "ping-ponged" between services, as support sectors try to manage inadequate resources and critical underfunding; Kanye West's fans chanted for a refund at his concert in the Chinese city of Shanghai after he turned up more than 40 minutes late. The Quicky is the easiest and most enjoyable way to get across the news every day. And it’s delivered straight to your ears in a daily podcast so you can listen whenever you want, wherever you want...at the gym, on the train, in the playground or at night while you're making dinner. Support independent women's media CREDITS Host/Producer: Nicole Madigan Audio Production: Lu HillBecome a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's show, Jase is tossing wombats, Mike's had another family loss, and Keyzie revives Shat Chat. TIMING IS EVERYTHING:(00:00) Intro: Ol' long shirt Mogey(02:47) Sad news from Old Mogey(07:27) WOF CHAT(12:06) Car offers for old Mogey(15:35) TV??(22:00) Intro: Ravens V Crows(24:15) What would you do?(28:30) SHOW MEETING(32:50) Shark Surfing(35:56) Intro: Mogey Update(38:22) The Keyzie Shanghai Steamer (42:23) What's On The Dinner?(47:09) TEAM LIST TUESDAY(50:40) Farewell! Follow The Big Show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haurakibigshow Subscribe to the podcast now on iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Featuring Jason Hoyte, Mike Minogue, and Keyzie, "The Big Show" drive you home weekdays from 4pm on Radio Hauraki. Providing a hilarious escape from reality for those ‘backbone’ New Zealanders with plenty of laughs and out-the-gate yarns. Download the full podcast here: iHeartRadio: www.iheart.com/podcast/1049-the-hauraki-big-show-71532051/?follow=true Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hauraki-big-show/id1531952388 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/20OF8YadmJmvzWa7TGRnDI See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Der Georg-Büchner-Preis, der angesehenste deutsche Literaturpreis, geht an Ursula Krechel. Die Dichterin, die über NS-Kontinuitäten, Exil und Freiheit schreibt, wurde mit Werken wie "Shanghai fern von wo", "Landgericht" oder "Geisterbahn" populär. Böttiger, Helmut www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Lesart

China's parcel delivery industry reached a new milestone in the first half of 2025, handling over 95 billion parcels, up 19 percent year-on-year, as the sector continues to play a growing role in boosting domestic demand and supporting the real economy, the State Post Bureau of China said on Monday.中国国家邮政局周一表示，中国包裹递送行业在2025年上半年达到了一个新的里程碑，处理了950多亿个包裹，同比增长19%，因为该行业在促进内需和支持实体经济方面继续发挥着越来越大的作用。The country's delivery network processed more than 520 million parcels per day on average, surpassing the 50-billion mark 18 days earlier than it did last year. The robust growth reflects China's steady economic momentum and the accelerating rollout of policies supporting consumption and domestic demand, officials said.该国的快递网络平均每天处理超过5.2亿个包裹，比去年提前18天超过500亿大关。官员们表示，强劲的增长反映了中国稳定的经济势头以及支持消费和内需的政策的加速推出。"The express delivery sector is becoming a stronger engine for stimulating consumption, energizing the real economy and serving rural and western regions," said Zhu Li, deputy director of the industrial economy department at the bureau's Development and Research Center. "It has laid a solid foundation for achieving the industry's annual growth goals."“快递行业正在成为刺激消费、振兴实体经济、服务农村和西部地区的强大引擎，”该局发展研究中心工业经济部副主任朱力说。“它为实现行业的年度增长目标奠定了坚实的基础。”The expanding reach of the delivery network has brought remarkable changes to everyday life across the country — from the highlands of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to the grasslands of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.从新疆维吾尔自治区的高原到内蒙古自治区的草原，配送网络的不断扩大给全国各地的日常生活带来了显著的变化。In Yarkant county of Xinjiang, Ayinur, a young Uygur woman, easily retrieved a parcel from a local pickup station. Inside were school supplies for her younger brother and pastries for her grandmother.在新疆叶尔羌县，年轻的维吾尔族妇女阿依努尔（Ayinur）轻松地从当地的一个取货站取回了一个包裹。里面有她弟弟的学习用品和她祖母的糕点。"We used to travel all the way to the city for this," she said. "Now it's just at our doorstep."她说：“我们过去常常一路去城里。”。“现在它就在我们家门口。”In the southern city of Maoming in Guangdong province, known as the "hometown of lychees", freshly picked fruits glistening with morning dew are packed and shipped through priority cold-chain logistics by air and high-speed rail.在被称为“荔枝之乡”的广东省南部城市茂名，新鲜采摘的水果闪耀着晨露，通过优先的冷链物流——航空和高铁进行包装和运输。"We race against the clock," said a fruit farmer, surnamed Lin, while watching workers load boxes. "Customers in Beijing or Shanghai who place orders today can eat the lychees tomorrow."“我们争分夺秒，”一位姓林的果农看着工人们装箱子时说。“今天在北京或上海下订单的顾客明天就可以吃荔枝了。”To keep up with soaring demand and cut delivery times, courier companies have stepped up investment in infrastructure and smart logistics. That included expanding airfreight fleets, adding rail-air transportation routes, automating sorting hubs, building unmanned vertical warehouses, and deploying drones and driverless delivery vehicles, said Zhu, from the State Post Bureau's Development and Research Center.为了跟上飙升的需求并缩短交货时间，快递公司加大了对基础设施和智能物流的投资。国家邮政局发展研究中心的朱表示，这包括扩大空运机队，增加铁路航空运输路线，自动化分拣中心，建造无人垂直仓库，以及部署无人机和无人驾驶送货车。In Rui'an, Zhejiang provincewhich is famous for its delicate and highly perishable bayberries,a new drone-based branch line has opened up nationwide distribution opportunities.在浙江省瑞安市，以其精致易腐烂的杨梅而闻名，一条新的无人机支线在全国范围内开辟了分销机会。"Now, it only takes two hours for the berries to go from the tree to tables in Wenzhou, a neighboring city," said Gu Zhihao, head of operations at SF Express' Longhu station in Rui'an.顺丰速运瑞安龙湖站运营负责人顾志浩表示：“现在，在温州，浆果从树上到餐桌只需要两个小时。”。At 7:30 am, harvesters finish the first round of picking. A drone loaded with 50 kilograms of freshly picked bayberries lifts off, descending two minutes later at the foot of the hill at the Zhennan Bayberry Market.早上7:30，收割者完成了第一轮采摘。一架载有50公斤新鲜采摘的杨梅的无人机起飞，两分钟后降落在镇南杨梅市场的山脚下。From there, the berries either go to same-day delivery points within Wenzhou — shipped in blue baskets without excessive packaging — or to a nearby cold-chain facility where they are packed for nationwide overnight shipping.从那里，浆果要么被送到温州境内的当天交货点——装在蓝色篮子里，没有过度包装——要么被送到附近的冷链工厂，在那里被包装成全国隔夜运输。"No need for fancy boxes; just pure flavor," Gu said, adding that local orders exceed 1,500 kilograms per day.顾说：“不需要花哨的盒子，只需要纯正的味道。”他补充说，当地订单每天超过1500公斤。At the SF Express' Longhu operations center, just 600 meters from the Zhennan market, the race to deliver fresh produce nationwide is in full swing. Vacuum sealers hum, ice-packing stations work at full speed, and dedicated logistics lines ensure that bayberries will reach customers across the country the next day. For local farmer He Duanzhi, cold-chain orders now make up a staggering 90 percent of his daily sales.在距离镇南市场仅600米的顺丰速运龙湖运营中心，全国各地的新鲜农产品配送竞争正如火如荼。真空封口机嗡嗡作响，冰块包装站全速运转，专用物流线确保杨梅第二天就能送达全国各地的客户。对于当地农民何端志来说，冷链订单现在占他日销售额的90%，这一数字令人震惊。Behind the scenes, technology is driving transformation. From artificial intelligence-powered sorting to intelligent dispatch systems, automation is improving efficiency and enhancing the customer experience.在幕后，技术正在推动转型。从人工智能驱动的分拣到智能调度系统，自动化正在提高效率，增强客户体验。"Unmanned stations, autonomous vehicles and wider application of AI are not only optimizing operations, but also improving service quality and expanding what postal services can offer," said Zhu, from the State Post Bureau's Development and Research Center.“无人车站、自动驾驶汽车和人工智能的广泛应用不仅优化了运营，还提高了服务质量，扩大了邮政服务的范围，”国家邮政局发展研究中心的朱说。cold-chain logisticsn.冷链物流/kəʊld ˈtʃeɪn ləˈdʒɪstɪks/bayberryn.月桂果；杨梅/ˈbeɪbɛri/

In this episode we chat with Shanghai-based author and editor Jacob Dreyer, a China watcher who writes with great insight and nuance about the shifting landscape of China-US relations. We touch on questions such as: Is the China model of governance outperforming Western liberal democracy? Is China winning the AI and technology wars? (Spoiler alert: That ship has sailed.) How do the architecture and logic of surveillance and information control systems differ between the U.S. and China? Is the current China-US geopolitical chill drifting toward a hot war? And finally, we unpack the question posed in Jacob's guest op-ed in the New York Times: Is Trump's America beginning to look more like China?

Der Georg-Büchner-Preis, der angesehenste deutsche Literaturpreis, geht an Ursula Krechel. Die Dichterin, die über NS-Kontinuitäten, Exil und Freiheit schreibt, wurde mit Werken wie "Shanghai fern von wo", "Landgericht" oder "Geisterbahn" populär. Böttiger, Helmut www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Lesart

Last time we spoke about Black Saterday and Operation Iron Fist. Conflict erupted in Shanghai on August 13, when Japanese marines disguised as civilians provoked Chinese guards, resulting in fierce gunfire and urban warfare. Both sides engaged in skirmishes around vital locations, with the Eight Character Bridge becoming a focal point. On August 14, air raids misfired catastrophically, killing over a thousand civilians in what became known as "Black Saturday." In an attempt to regain control, Chiang Kai-shek authorized Operation Iron Fist, a bold offensive targeting Japanese strongholds. The attack commenced early on August 17, involving coordinated assaults aimed at exploiting weak points in the enemy defenses. However, poor coordination, entrenched opposition, and the complexity of urban combat resulted in further devastating losses for the Chinese troops. By August 18, Operation Iron Fist had failed, with the Japanese reinforcing their positions and announcing a strategic shift towards expanded military engagement.   #158 The Battle of Shanghai Part 3: The Chinese Counteroffensive “Drive them into the Sea!” Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. On August 18, the Japanese military reinforced their presence in Shanghai, shipping an additional 1,400 marines from Manchuria to bolster the ranks of the Japanese Shanghai Special Naval Landing Force or “SNLF”. Yes, all of you who don't listen to my Pacific War week by week podcast are going to get a lot of acronym lessons soon. And yes, they are not quote en quote real marines, but like most telling these stories its easier to refer to them this way. This influx of troops was a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, heightening tensions as the battle for control intensified. As the battle in Shanghai raged on, a growing sentiment emerged among Chinese leaders that crucial chances had been squandered. On August 18, Chiang Kai-shek sent his trusted aide, Deputy War Minister Chen Cheng, to confer with General Zhang Zhizhong at the front lines. They assessed the situation and agreed that instead of attacking the heavily fortified Hongkou area, they should redirect their focus to the Yangshupu district. The aim was to breach the defenses and split the Japanese forces along the Huangpu River. This strategic shift was precisely what the German military advisers and frontline commanders had anticipated, signaling a decisive move away from their earlier hesitance to engage within settlement boundaries. As attrition took its toll on the Chinese troops already committed in Shanghai, the responsibility for the offensive was placed on the newly arrived 36th Infantry Division, a unit highly trained by German forces. They were positioned to advance from the eastern edge of Hongkou, with two regiments tasked to march south toward the Huangpu. In the early hours of the 19th, two regiments of the 36th launched their long-planned attack, moving swiftly towards the front lines. The night was illuminated by the flames of sabotage and incendiary bombs, aiding visibility amid the chaos. However, the assault quickly faced significant challenges. Many of the Chinese soldiers were inexperienced, becoming easy targets for Japanese infantry positioned in rooftops and upper-story windows. In the absence of cover, some troops were forced to take shelter behind the fallen bodies of their comrades. For a moment, the Chinese troops felt a surge of hope, believing they could push the Japanese into the Huangpu River. General Zhang Fakui, observing from the opposite bank, envisioned a breakthrough. However, upon reaching Broadway, parallel to the river, they confronted a formidable barrier. High walls guarded the wharves, and even the largest artillery pieces struggled to breach the defenses. Attempts to scale the steel gate resulted in devastating fire from entrenched Japanese machine gunners, while fortified factories like the Gong Da Cotton Mill proved equally impenetrable. As the Chinese forces suffered under relentless bombardment, their momentum diminished. The 88th Infantry Division, previously effective, showed signs of disarray and hesitated to engage. Compounding their woes, Japanese reinforcements arrived, swelling their ranks to 6,300 well equipped marines. Despite these challenges, the Chinese committed to deploying their newly acquired British built Vickers tanks, a symbol of their efforts to modernize their military over the years. But with each hour, the balance of power tilted further in favor of the Japanese forces. Meanwhile the 87th Infantry Division was assigned two armored companies, yet it suffered catastrophic losses. The tanks, recently shipped from Nanjing, had crews untrained in coordinated assaults, and many were left without infantry support. The Chinese forces struggled to secure adjacent streets, allowing Japanese armor to outflank and destroy their tanks. The Japanese, too, faced coordination challenges between their armor and infantry, resulting in some of their tanks being annihilated by Chinese anti-tank weapons. On the 20th, General Zhang Zhizhong inspected the Yangshupu front and encountered a former student leading a tank company ready to attack the wharves. The tanks, hastily repaired and ill equipped for battle, faced fierce enemy fire, and the young officer expressed concern about the infantry's ability to keep pace. Despite Zhang's insistence that the assault must proceed, the attack ended in disaster as the tank company was decimated by shells from anchored vessels. The battle blended modern warfare with tactics reminiscent of earlier centuries. An officer named Wu Yujun managed a position during a Japanese cavalry attack on the 18th. After two unsuccessful assaults, Wu set an ambush that resulted in the annihilation of the Japanese riders. This incident illustrated the stark contrast on the battlefield where Chinese soldiers often confronted a technologically superior enemy while grappling with their own inexperience.  Many of the Chinese units arriving in Shanghai were very green, countless having never faced battle before, and their lack of experience proved costly in the initial days of fighting. Brigade Commander Fang Jing of the 98th Division observed that his soldiers constructed inadequate fortifications that crumbled under the Japanese 150mm howitzers. He lamented, “Often, the positions they built were too weak and couldn't withstand the enemy's artillery,”. On the 20th, 5 Chinese aircraft returned after yet another unsuccessful attack on the Japanese battleship Izumo, which remained anchored in the Huangpu. During their flight over western Zhabei, they encountered two Japanese seaplanes. One Chinese pilot broke formation, diving steeply to fire a brief machine-gun salvo, but his plane was quickly shot down, bursting into flames before crashing. The Chinese attacks had posed a significant threat to Japanese bombers, particularly the vulnerable Mitsubishi G3M medium aircraft targeting Shanghai and central China. Japan's First Combined Air Group suffered heavy losses, with half of its medium attack planes damaged or destroyed within the first three days of fighting. However, the Chinese pilots, largely inexperienced and inadequately trained, began to falter against the superior Japanese fighters, eventually withdrawing from the skies over Shanghai. Ground troops expressed frustration over the lack of effective air support, as they rarely saw their planes after the 20th, instead carrying out major troop movements only under the cover of darkness. The Japanese air superiority drastically affected operations on the ground, dictating when Chinese soldiers could eat and transport supplies. Without effective fighter protection and limited anti-aircraft capabilities, the Chinese troops were left exposed. Most of their anti-aircraft weaponry consisted of 20mm Solothurn guns that were ineffective against aircraft and were more often used against infantry. Officers hesitated to use these guns for fear of revealing their positions to the enemy.  By the morning of the 21st, the 36th Division had been relentlessly attacking the wharf area for over 48 hours, yet victory remained elusive. Although some tanks had infiltrated the wharf, they were met with dishearteningly strong Japanese defenses and a well-manned enemy presence. The commanders recognized that they had advanced too quickly without securing their flanks, and their reserves, which could have provided crucial support, remained in the rear. Reluctantly, they concluded that a withdrawal was necessary. The retreat was a painful acknowledgment that pushing the Japanese into the Huangpu River would not be as straightforward as hoped. Part of the Chinese failure stemmed from an inability to execute joint operations across different military branches. German advisors noted that artillery support for the forces in Yangshupu from the Pudong side was limited. In contrast, Japanese naval guns were actively providing support, significantly relieving the pressure on their marines. This imbalance resulted in heavy losses for the Chinese, with the 36th Division suffering over 2,000 casualties by the late 22nd. Meanwhile, Japanese naval aircraft attempted to impede the movement of additional Chinese troops to Shanghai by bombing the railway from Suzhou. Although several bridges were destroyed and railway stations sustained damage, the delays were minimal, offering some reassurance to Chinese commanders who understood that reinforcements were essential for a successful continuation of the battle. The light cruiser Jintsu, carrying the 3rd Division, set to land six miles north of Shanghai, while the 11th Division would disembark a dozen miles further up the Yangtze River. By the evening of the 21st, the task force arrived at the Yangtze River and the Saddle Islands off the river estuary. The soldiers had to transfer to smaller vessels capable of navigating the shallow waters of the Huangpu River.  On the 23rd, Matsui Iwane got aboard the light cruiser Yura and was greeted by Rear Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, then the commander of the 8th cruiser division. Yes, the same man who would be blamed for losing at Midway in 1942. The Japanese fleet had made a strategic sweep as far south as Hangzhou Bay the previous day to disrupt Chinese troop movements and force them to spread thin along the coast. However, with the landings imminent, it was clear the assault would happen at Wusong and Chuanshakou. Initially, Matsui preferred landing both divisions at Chuanshakou for a sweeping advance into the lightly defended countryside west of Shanghai, which would encircle tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers. The 3rd Fleet, however, proposed a bolder strategy: the 11th Infantry Division would proceed with the landing at Chuanshakou, while the 3rd Infantry Division would land at Wusong, directly confronting the heavily concentrated Chinese forces around Shanghai. This plan aimed to exert pressure from both the front and the rear, a tactic that could yield success but risked high casualties if faced with stiff Chinese resistance. Aware of the operation's risks, the naval officers sought to ease potential tensions with their army counterparts by offering over 500 elite marines to support the assault, preparing for what could be a pivotal moment in the campaign. Shortly after midnight on the 23rd, the marines designated as the primary assault wave at Wusong arrived in a convoy of steamers from Shanghai. Their arrival was eagerly anticipated, as they would spare the 3rd Division from being the first to land. As the naval artillery barrage reached a deafening climax, the boats glided across the smooth water towards the shore. Any time a Chinese machine gun opened fire, it drew immediate response from the Japanese gunners, swiftly silencing the threat. Meanwhile, trench mortars onshore targeted the advancing vessels, but their rounds fell harmlessly into the water without causing any damage. At 3:00 am, the first landing craft reached the bank, dropped anchor, and lowered its ramp. The marines waded ashore, climbing the 15 foot high dike to survey the terrain. Suddenly, machine gun fire erupted from a Chinese position just 50 yards away, cutting down several marines. Undeterred, the marines charged with fixed bayonets across the open field. An explosion marked the spot where a soldier had triggered a landmine, followed by more detonations, but there was no retreat; they pressed on, swarming over the Chinese trench and engaging in a brief yet fierce hand-to-hand struggle. Within moments, they had taken the position. The marines quickly cleared the area, paving a path to their immediate objective, a military road running parallel to the Huangpu River. While setting up defensive positions, the 3rd Division began to disembark at the water's edge. By 8:00 a.m, the divisional command stepped ashore as the last unit to arrive. Meanwhile, naval pilots were busy bombing and strafing roads further inland to impede any enemy reinforcements. The landing had unfolded with remarkable success, marking a significant moment in the operation and setting the stage for greater advances by Japanese forces. Meanwhile the 11th division began setting foot on the beach north of Chuanshakou at 3:50 am. As the soldiers advanced towards the town's outskirts, they encountered only minimal resistance as Chuanshakou was defended by a single Chinese company.  Matsui was pleased with the outcome; everything had unfolded according to plan and, in fact, better than he had dared to hope. Casualties in both divisions were surprisingly low, amounting to little more than 40 soldiers. At 5:30 am, Zhang Zhizhong received an urgent phone call at his new headquarters in a small village near Nanxiang. On the line was Liu Heding, commander of the 56th Infantry Division, reporting that an enemy force of unknown size had landed near Chuanshakou. With heavy bombardment disrupting communications, details were scarce, but Zhang immediately recognized the gravity of the situation: a new front was opening, complicating his command significantly. Realizing he could not effectively manage the situation from Nanxiang with communications down, Zhang decided to head to the command post of the 87th Infantry Division in Jiangwan, a town closer to the landing area. By the time he arrived at the 87th Division's base, it was nearly 9:00 am. He was informed that the Japanese had not only landed at Chuanshakou but also at Wusong. Recognizing the urgency, he quickly dispatched half of the 87th Infantry Division and a regiment from the recently arrived Training Brigade, an elite unit fresh from Nanjing, to respond to the threat. Given that the 56th Infantry Division alone could not secure the area around Chuanshakou, Zhang assigned the 98th Infantry Division to defend most of the Yangtze riverbank under threat. He also dispatched the 11th Division, which had just arrived in the Shanghai area with Deputy War Minister Chen Cheng to move toward Luodian, a town just a few miles from the landing zone at Chuanshakou.  Meanwhile, the Japanese forces were advancing swiftly. While the main landing contingent engaged in fierce fighting for control of Chuanshakou, a small unit of a few hundred soldiers was dispatched down the road to Luodian. Marching under the scorching August sun, the reservists, weary from the trek, found little resistance upon reaching Luodian. They hastily set up camp without adequately preparing defenses, making them vulnerable targets. Later that afternoon, advance units of the 11th Infantry Division reached Luodian, shaken but determined to attack even after facing air raids on their journey. The ensuing skirmish was swift; within an hour, the Japanese were repelled. Back over at Wusong Hu Guobing received orders to push back the Japanese on August 21st. He led his regiment towards the Japanese lines, as his platoons dispersed further, dividing into smaller squads. Soon, the sharp crack and rattle of small arms fire resonated along the regiment's front. Battalion Commander Qin Shiquan, a graduate of the Central Military Academy, led two companies toward the enemy positions, taking care to remain unnoticed. When they drew close enough, he ordered his bugler to sound the charge. Then, raising his Mauser pistol, he turned to face his men and shouted, “Attack! Attack!” This sudden noise revealed his position, making it vulnerable. Japanese observers hidden nearby quickly relayed his coordinates to warships offshore. Within minutes, shells began to rain down on the unit with alarming accuracy. Amidst the storm of fire unleashed by the Japanese, all semblance of order disintegrated, and chaos ensued as each unit fought to survive. Hu Guobing spent most of the day dodging Japanese aircraft that circled overhead, waiting for targets to emerge. As Hu Guobing recalled “It felt as though the enemy could see everything. It was crucial not to act rashly. Our only real options were to take cover in a hole or hide behind a ridge”. The gunfire continued throughout the afternoon and did not relent until darkness began to fall. Only then could the soldiers breathe a little easier, grab a few bites of their field rations, and quench their parched throats with sips from their water canteens. Seizing the relative safety of night, they hurried to improve their positions, knowing that once dawn arrived, it would be too late; a shallow trench or inadequate camouflage could spell doom. Although it had been Chiang Kai-Shek's decision to place Zhang Zhizhong and Feng Yuxiang in charge of Shanghai, now designated the 3rd War Zone, he was having regrets. In a telephone conversation with Feng Yuxiang shortly after the Japanese landings, Chiang emphasized the importance of monitoring the younger front-line commanders. He urged “Don't hesitate to give them advice,”. Feng assured him that he would not hold back. He then recounted an anecdote about General Nogi Maresuke, who, during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, allegedly delegated all major decisions to his chief of staff. Feng told him “The frontline commanders possess courage and a fighting spirit. Their role is to take orders and engage in battle. Mine is to stay back, like Nogi, write a few poems, and wait for the inevitable,”. Chiang persistently insisted, “Regardless of the situation, don't be shy. Share your insights with them.” “Of course,” Feng responded. “If I notice something amiss, I'll address it without hesitation. You can count on me.” However, this assurance did little to calm Chiang's concerns. A great concern was Zhang Zhizhong. Much of his rhetoric about fighting the Japanese seemed to lack substance. Zhang had not demonstrated the necessary resolve to launch attacks against the small Japanese forces in the city when decisive action could have turned the tide of the battle. With Japanese reinforcements firmly entrenched in two locations within the greater Shanghai area, it was now too late to pursue a quick victory over the enemy. Compounding the issue, Zhang appeared to spend an excessive amount of time making grandiose statements to the newspapers rather than focusing on the ground situation. Chiang's frustration was palpable, and it was shared by his German advisors, who concurred that Zhang lacked the requisite “toughness” to confront Japanese resistance effectively. The decision to send Deputy War Minister Chen Cheng to the front was an early indication that Chiang was considering replacing Zhang. In a particularly humiliating twist, Zhang was not even informed of Chen Cheng's appointment and learned about it indirectly through other field commanders. Fearing that he was being sidelined, Zhang Zhizhong hurried to the 3rd War Zone headquarters in Suzhou to assess the situation. While in Suzhou, called Chiang, whom began harshly criticizing him for being so far behind the front lines. “What are you doing in Suzhou? What are you doing in Suzhou?”. Zhang Zhizhong replied “Mr. Chairman, I'm back in Suzhou to discuss important strategic matters. Otherwise, I'm constantly at the front What's the matter with you?” Chiang was incensed by this perceived disrespect. “What's the matter with me? You ask me what's the matter with me!” His voice rising to a hoarse shriek, Chiang Kai-shek abruptly hung up. At this point, Zhang must have had little doubt that his days as the chief field commander were numbered. The Japanese landings had accomplished their immediate objective of relieving pressure on the small marine forces holed up in Shanghai. As a result, the Chinese were forced to halt their attacks on Hongkou and Yangshupu and had to reconsider how to allocate their resources across various fronts. If the Japanese landing party grew large enough, the Chinese forces could risk becoming the target of a Japanese pincer movement. In essence, within a few days, they had shifted from an offensive posture to a defensive one. Against this backdrop, Chen Cheng,  leading the 15th Army Group, arrived in Suzhou on August 24th. His presence aimed to bolster resistance, and he was also there to familiarize himself with local conditions, as he was expected to take on a greater role at the front shortly. Chen's confident demeanor and readiness to overrule local commanders indicated that real authority already resided with him. While he agreed with Zhang Zhizhong's plans from the previous day to counter the landings, he deemed them insufficient given the threat posed by the fresh Japanese troops. Consequently, he ordered that more soldiers be redeployed from Shanghai proper to the landing zones. To counter the dire situation, Falkenhausen devised a plan aimed at reigniting enthusiasm for the offensive among the Chinese forces. During a meeting on the 25th, he proposed rallying all troops in the Luodian area to mount a coordinated attack from all sides against the Japanese landing force. Emphasizing the German preference for a decisive strike, he aimed to push the invaders back into the Yangtze. The assembled officers expressed their agreement with the plan. However, as dawn broke, the optimism from the night's discussions began to wane. It had been 48 hours since the landings, and the Japanese army had solidified its foothold at Chuanshakou, rapidly approaching a point of strength that would make it nearly impossible to dislodge them. Tanks and artillery were assembled along the riverbank, while engineers constructed a pier to facilitate the faster unloading of troops and supplies. They had already established a bridgehead that extended 10 miles in length and reached a depth of five miles, initiating the construction of a road heading inland, an evident preparation for a major offensive. In a secret report to Chiang Kai-shek, Falkenhausen outlined the challenging situation as the Japanese consolidated their material advantages. “It should be noted that the enemy's army and navy operate in close coordination. Although their land-based artillery is still relatively weak, this is offset by their robust naval artillery and ship-based aircraft,”. He further noted that the airfields on Chongming Island contributed to Japan's now “complete air superiority, as a result, the main operations on our side should be executed after dark.”  From late August onward, most Chinese movements occurred after sunset. Only then could Chinese and Japanese infantry engage on more equal footing, without the overwhelming advantage provided by air support. Night became the great equalizer in the uneven battle for Shanghai. During the day, the relentlessly active Japanese forces seemed to be everywhere. They deployed rubber boats up small rivers to scout and disrupt. Their observation balloons hovered on the horizon, keeping a vigilant watch on the Chinese and swiftly scrambling aircraft upon detecting any movement. They combined technological superiority with a bravery that bordered on the suicidal; when faced with the prospect of capture, many Japanese soldiers preferred death. Following a fierce battle in the vicinity of Luodian, the Chinese retrieved the body of a sergeant major who had committed hara-kiri, while a gravely injured private was found attempting to slit his own throat with his bayonet. Luodian remained the immediate target for nearly all the Japanese forces in the area, facing the same Chinese units that had driven them out on August 23rd. The Chinese were well entrenched in and around the town, but they lacked the numbers to consider launching offensive operations against the Japanese at Chuanshakou. Instead, their priority was to strengthen their defenses. While waiting for the Japanese to resume the assault, they endured massive and sustained bombardment. Among the Chinese officers, there was a growing sense of crisis and a palpable fear that their defensive line could collapse at any moment. From their perspective, the Japanese appeared to be gaining momentum. However, the situation looked quite different from the Japanese invaders' point of view. Japanese casualties began to rise as the Chinese reinforcements sent to the Luodian area started to make an impact. Two days after the landings, the number of dead and injured from the 11th Division had exceeded 400, and the toll continued to climb. Among the casualties was a senior staff officer who was killed moments after stepping off his landing craft at Chuanshakou, struck down by a Chinese aircraft that had evaded Japanese fighter cover. The death toll escalated so quickly that not all bodies could be cremated, as was customary for the Japanese; privates and junior officers were hastily buried instead. For an army that prided itself on honoring its fallen soldiers more than those left alive, this was a significant blow to morale. The 3rd Division faced different challenges in its sector. It was subjected to relentless attacks on the first day of the landing and had to repel two further major enemy assaults on the second day. Additionally, it experienced occasional shelling from Chinese artillery located on the Pudong side. The greatest threat, however, came from the division's right flank. North of the landing zone lay Wusong Fortress, which had been guarding the approach to Shanghai since the wars against British and French forces in the mid-19th century. From their fortifications, Chinese infantry and artillery continuously targeted the Japanese as they disembarked from their boats and advanced inland. They also fired upon small vessels navigating up the Huangpu River, delivering supplies to the division. As the 3rd Division expanded its bridgehead in the days following the landing, Wusong Fortress remained a persistent threat, impeding the buildup of Japanese forces on shore. Compounding the Japanese sense of being encircled, the village of Yinhang to the south was also under Chinese control. This, combined with the steadily increasing number of Chinese defenders in front of the landing zone, created a challenging tactical situation for the Japanese. Although initial casualties had been lighter than the planners had feared, the number of Japanese losses began to rise. By the 25th, the 3rd Division, often referred to as the “Lucky” Division, reported over 300 accumulated casualties. Two days later, that number had escalated to 500, the majority of whom were killed in action. On the 28th, the 3rd Division was finally able to capture the village of Yinhang, freeing itself somewhat from the tactical constraints it had faced up to that point. On the same day, following an intense naval bombardment, the 11th Division launched an assault on Luodian. Leading the charge was Wachi Takaji, a 44-year-old regimental commander who surged forward with his sword drawn, personally dispatching several enemies along the way. The Chinese defenders were driven out of the town and fled down the roads leading inland. By noon, Luodian was firmly under Japanese control.  However August 29th marked a significant triumph for Chinese diplomacy, as Chiang Kai-shek's signed a non-aggression treaty with the Soviet Union. The pact between Nanjing and Moscow laid the political and diplomatic groundwork for Soviet military aid to China while ensuring that the Soviet Union would not reach an agreement with Japan as long as hostilities continued. Initially, Chiang Kai-shek had been wary of Soviet intentions, expressing concerns in his diary on August 1st, when the diplomats were preparing the treaty, that he feared the Kremlin might use the agreement to pressure Japan into signing a similar pact with Moscow. However, following the signing, skepticism gave way to optimism. Three days after announcing the treaty, Chiang confidently predicted in a speech that the Soviet Union would eventually enter the war against Japan. Chiang would not be wrong about that, but it would only come in 1945, officially. Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin had a clear reason to encourage China to engage in a full-scale war with Japan: it would secure Russia's western flank while he focused on the strategic challenges posed by a Europe dominated by Hitler. A conflict with China could drain Japanese resources, thereby reducing the threat from Asia in the long term. Exasperated British diplomats attempted to warn Chiang Kai-shek about what they perceived as a Soviet ruse, advising that the Russians “only have their own interests in mind.” Nevertheless, this did little to undermine the Chinese leader's belief in the Soviet Union's willingness to help. At a deeper cognitive level, there was a reason why Chiang Kai-shek and his associates clung to the belief that not only Soviet aid but also direct Soviet participation in the hostilities was imminent. This aligned with their expectations of how a war with Japan would unfold. The Chinese General Staff's War Plan A, drafted in 1937, was based on the premise that a conflict with Japan would soon trigger a larger conflict involving either the Soviet Union or the United States. Thus, the key objective for China was to withstand the superior Japanese forces until relief could arrive from a more powerful ally, whether that be Russian or American. This strategy was not as naive as it might seem; it was based on the understanding that neither Moscow nor Washington would want to see Japanese power grow too strong on the Asian mainland. Despite the capture of Luodian and Yinhang, the Japanese continued to face significant challenges. Their grip on the Shanghai region remained highly precarious, relying on control of two isolated pockets north of Shanghai and a beleaguered garrison within the city. Due to their numerical inferiority, they were under intense pressure from Chinese forces. The landings at Wusong and Chuanshakou had initially bolstered the manpower in the Shanghai area by fewer than 8,000 troops, and although reinforcements were gradually arriving, the pace was slow. Matsui Iwane recognized the need for a more radical increase in troop levels to achieve a decisive outcome. By the end of August, he cabled Tokyo, arguing that to complete the operation successfully, he required a total of five divisions or at a minimum the release of the 11th Division's Amaya Detachment, currently stationed in northeast China, to reunite with the division at Chuanshakou. The Japanese imperial staff and navy command responded mostly favorably, agreeing to redirect the detachment to Shanghai alongside several units of the elite marines. One week after the landings, Wusong Fort continued to pose a significant problem for the 3rd Division and the navy, which was responsible for supplying the division. Chinese artillery fire made anchoring near the landing zone a perilous endeavor, resulting in several naval officers being killed when caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. At times, the shelling was so severe that vessels had to interrupt their operations and retreat to a berth in the middle of the Huangpu River, unloading only part of their supplies. Matsui now planned for the 3rd Division to launch a frontal assault on Wusong, while the 11th Division would maintain a support role, dispatching only one regiment to assist. The attack commenced at 10:00 am on August 31rd. Following an intensive naval and aerial bombardment involving 30 planes, a regiment from the 3rd Division boarded landing craft, sailed down the Huangpu River, and landed on the riverbank north of Wusong. Throughout the afternoon and into the evening, the soldiers engaged in fierce skirmishes with scattered Chinese units in front of Wusong in preparation for a final entry into the city. Meanwhile, the Asama Detachment from the 11th Division initiated its part of the offensive by marching along the bank of the Yangtze toward Shizilin. On the morning of September 1st, the Japanese tightened their grip on Wusong. The regiment from the 3rd Division seized a hamlet west of Wusong and readied for an assault on the town itself. The defending Chinese forces put up strong resistance, and it was not until late afternoon that the Japanese made any significant progress, aided by artillery fire from their ships. The Asama Detachment experienced somewhat greater success that day, successfully capturing the fort at Shizilin in the afternoon. The Japanese launched their final offensive against Wusong at dawn on the 2nd. To their surprise, the fort fell with relative ease. By 10:00 am, Matsui saw the Rising Sun flag hoisted over Wusong. “I felt boundless gratification,” he noted in his diary.  With the fall of Wusong, the town of Baoshan became the last major obstacle to uninterrupted Japanese control of the riverbank, stretching from Chuanshakou to the outskirts of Shanghai. The fort at Baoshan also posed a significant threat to Japanese naval operations due to its strategic location at the confluence of the Yangtze and Huangpu rivers. Chiang Kai-shek fully recognized the importance of Baoshan and ordered a battalion of the 98th Infantry Division to hold the town at all costs. Baoshan had one notable advantage: like many ancient Chinese towns, it was encircled by a thick city wall that had historically helped fend off invaders and still served its defensive purpose well. The Japanese were acutely aware that Baoshan favored defense, and even a small contingent of Chinese forces could potentially hold out for an extended period.  On the 4th, the 3rd Division sluggishly advanced toward Baoshan. Around mid-afternoon, an artillery unit arrived to assist by bombarding the city wall. Despite this support, the Japanese soldiers, sent in waves to scale the wall, suffered significant casualties and failed to penetrate the defenses by nightfall. At noon on September 5, Japanese bombers launched an air raid on Baoshan, while naval artillery rained shells indiscriminately over the town's gray roofs. The land attack began an hour later when Japanese tanks advanced toward the town gates. The Japanese pressed the Chinese defenders into a shrinking perimeter. By sunset, the defenders were left with only 100 soldiers. The night passed without incident, as the Japanese refrained from attacking without air support, but everyone knew that dawn would herald the end. Just as the sun rose above the horizon, the assault resumed. As the city neared its fall, the defending commander Yao Ziqing ordered a soldier to escape and report the situation to his superiors. Unnoticed by the Japanese, the soldier scaled a wall and fled into the surrounding countryside, becoming the sole survivor of the battle. He carried with him a message from the battalion: “We are determined to stay at our posts and to continue fighting the enemy until each and every one of us is killed.” 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. Despite initial Chinese hopes for a counteroffensive by the newly arrived 36th Infantry Division, their inexperience and poor coordination led to heavy losses. As the Japanese gained reinforcements, they executed strategic landings at Chuanshakou and Wusong, overwhelming Chinese defenses. Amidst escalating casualties, Chinese troops struggled to maintain morale. However, their resolve to fight persisted, even as defeat loomed over the besieged city and its defenders.

Tomas Pinheiro explores how the millennia-old settlement of Shanghai has grown into China’s most populous urban area.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Regional security and trade have taken centre stage during Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's visit to China, spanning three cities – Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. Trade ministers from the European Union are meeting in Brussels to discuss relations with the United States following Donald Trump's threat to impose 30% tariffs against the bloc. Will Bain hears of European worries over what that will mean for their industries. And Miller Lite, the company that created the light beer category in 1975, is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

On this episode, we sit down with author Allison King to chat about her debut novel The Phoenix Pencil Company, a novel that's part historical fiction, part magical realism, and part sapphic romance about a young woman who discovers her family's secret magical power to reconstruct anything written by a pencil while taking care of her ailing grandmother and learning about her own family's history from Shanghai to Taiwan to the States. Follow Allison on Instagram at @allisonkingwrites and check out her debut novel The Phoenix Pencil Company available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba July 2025 pick is Bingsu for Two by Sujin WitherspoonThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

*** Australia's economic relationship with China on the Prime Minister's agenda during his visit to Shanghai... *** Blood and plasma donation rules in Australia changed to be more inclusive of LGBTIQ+ individuals... - ***中国を訪問中のアンソニー・アルバニージー首相は、貿易・経済において、中国との関係改善の余地があるとしています。 ***今日から、オーストラリア住民のうち62万5千人が血漿成分献血を行うことができるようになります。 ***連邦裁判所は、自分の土地の将来を危惧する、トレス海峡諸島の長老たちが提起した、オーストラリアの気候変動訴訟について、7月15日（火）に判決を下す予定です。

Meet legendary improviser Tim Orr based in San Francisco. We had a fabulous chat about his life in improv, international travels and favorite movie. We spoke about his philosophy on improv and the importance of connections. He even gave me a tour of his home! He has been improvising since 1988 with many San Francisco and international groups, including BATS Improv, True Fiction Magazine, Awkward Dinner Party, and with the acclaimed troupe 3 For All. In 2009, he founded Improv Playhouse of San Francisco. Since 2015, he has toured Europe with Inbal Lori from Berlin performing their duo show Click. Tim has also appeared in numerous plays in the San Francisco Bay Area, and received critical acclaim for his leading roles in the improvised feature films, Suckerfish and Security. Nationally, Tim has performed and taught improvisation at the American Conservatory Theatre, BATS Improv, Stanford University, and many other venues (Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Austin, Louisville, Atlanta, etc.). Internationally, he has performed and taught at numerous festivals and/or as an invited guest artist in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Beijing, Beirut, Belgium, Berlin, Bucharest, Dubai, Hamburg, Helsinki, Lisbon, London, Lyon, Mallorca, Oslo, Paris, Saudi Arabia, Shanghai, Sofia, Stockholm, Tel Aviv and more. Tim has consulted with numerous groups both nationally and internationally in their formation of improvisation groups and also the development of new improvisation formats.

Anthony Albanese meets with business leaders in China, with a high-level roundtable on green steel in Shanghai.

Australia's economic relationship with China on the Prime Minister's agenda during his visit to Shanghai; blood and plasma donation rules in Australia changed to be more inclusive of LGBTIQ+ individuals; and, in cycling, Belgian Tim Merlier [[Merl-lee-air]] wins stage nine of the Tour de France.

Anthony Albanese telah mendarat di Shanghai untuk memulai kunjungan diplomatik selama seminggu ke China, di mana perdana menteri berharap untuk memperkuat hubungan dengan mitra dagang terbesar Australia.

Anthony Albanese meets with business leaders in China, with a high-level roundtable on green steel in Shanghai.

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

The Prime Minister has struggled to avoid a US-sized elephant in the room on the first full day of his visit to China, with questions of military allegiance arising from the strategist conducting the US AUKUS review. Despite these tensions, the start of his six-day tour has been spent launching a brand new campaign to encourage Chinese tourists to visit Australia, and a morning walk along Shanghai's historic Bund promenade to promote the two nations' interpersonal links.

In this episode of the Sean White Solar and Energy Storage Podcast, Sean White is joined by two of his good friends, both named Juan Carlos, in Shanghai. The discussion revolves around their experiences in the solar industry, particularly in Panama, where they have implemented solar and storage systems. They share their journey of achieving NABCEP certification, their choice of microinverters for Panama's conditions, and the benefits of net metering. The conversation also touches upon attending various conferences and a factory visit in Shanghai, and their plans for solar technology in Panama. Sean highlights the importance of ethical practices in the solar industry and emphasizes gradual policy changes.   Topics Discussed: Solar and Storage NABCEP Certification Las Vegas Computer-based exam Juan Carlos Microinverters Solar Bros Ethical Sales Casco Viejo San Jose Island Hacienda Delmar C250 Enphase Yingli Solar Modules PV Technical Sales Net Metering Policy Change Shanghai Maglev train = Magnetic Levitation Train Microinverter Glasses with thin film BIPV Racks Panama Canal   Solar in Panama with Juan Andrés Navarro of NSolar Podcast Link: www.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/solar-in-panama-with-juan-andre-s-navarro-of-nsolar/id1441958371?i=1000685533681     Reach out Juan Carlos Navarro Barb & Juan Carlos Arango de Dianous here: Juan Carlos Navarro Barb LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/juan-carlos-navarro-barb Juan Carlos Arango de Dianous LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/juan-carlos-arango-de-dianous NSolar Website: www.nsolar.net     Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean's classes at www.heatspring.com/sean.

Macau–onetime Portuguese colony, now casino hotspot–has long captured the imaginations of travelers, reporters, artists and writers. The city served as the only gateway to China for centuries; then, after the rise of Hong Kong, its slightly seedier vibe made it a popular setting for books, articles and movies exploring the more criminal elements of society. Paul French joins us, once again, to talk about his new book Destination Macao (Blacksmith Books: 2024) the latest book in his Destination series. We chat about colonies and casinos, but also some of the lesser-known parts of Macau's history, like an aborted British attempt to invade Macau in 1808; furious media rumors in 1935 about Japan's interest in buying the colony, and the city's brief time as an aviation hub for the Pan Am Clipper. Paul French was born in London and lived and worked in Shanghai for many years. His book Midnight in Peking was a New York Times Bestseller and a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week. He received the Mystery Writers' of America Edgar award for Best Fact Crime and a Crime Writers' Association (UK) Dagger award for non-fiction. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Destination Macao. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at@nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Macau–onetime Portuguese colony, now casino hotspot–has long captured the imaginations of travelers, reporters, artists and writers. The city served as the only gateway to China for centuries; then, after the rise of Hong Kong, its slightly seedier vibe made it a popular setting for books, articles and movies exploring the more criminal elements of society. Paul French joins us, once again, to talk about his new book Destination Macao (Blacksmith Books: 2024) the latest book in his Destination series. We chat about colonies and casinos, but also some of the lesser-known parts of Macau's history, like an aborted British attempt to invade Macau in 1808; furious media rumors in 1935 about Japan's interest in buying the colony, and the city's brief time as an aviation hub for the Pan Am Clipper. Paul French was born in London and lived and worked in Shanghai for many years. His book Midnight in Peking was a New York Times Bestseller and a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week. He received the Mystery Writers' of America Edgar award for Best Fact Crime and a Crime Writers' Association (UK) Dagger award for non-fiction. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Destination Macao. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at@nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/east-asian-studies

Multidisciplinary artist, researcher, and educator Joseph Cochran II returns for his second appearance on The Truth In This Art. Born and raised in East Harlem, Joseph's practice spans photography, video, and archival work, focusing on the systems that define industrialized societies and the emotional toll of late capitalism.In this conversation, Joseph opens up about the years he spent living and working in China, rebuilding from personal loss, and how maintaining his identity shaped the way he navigates spaces abroad and at home. He reflects on the tension between financial survival and creative ethics, why he refuses to distance himself from the communities he comes from, and the emotional weight behind many of his images.This is a raw, thoughtful, and often funny dialogue about legacy, creative freedom, and what it means to stay grounded while moving through a world that often demands compromise.Highlights include:Learning to live without depending on art to make a living—and why that helped his practiceWhy staying connected to the streets isn't just about authenticity, but accountabilityThe power of memory in his photographs—and why he remembers every shotThoughts on working in Shanghai, Brussels, and the Balkans while staying rooted in NYCUpcoming exhibition Public Work opening July 10 in New York

PREVIEW PRC: Colleague Anne Stevenson-Yang presents a clever gaming of the deflation fighting that moved Beijing to shower the consumers with discounts that can lead to profiting from self-dealing. More. 1890 SHANGHAI

Jake Newby, author of the China music substack Concrete Avalanche, presents his official playlist of China's best new music. It includes ADHD-inspired hip hop, experimental ambient music from rural China, and Shanghai cold wave, finishing off with a “mind-blowing” hyperpop track. Tracklist: 00:00 ‘Rhyme' – Rubey Hu 01:02 ‘The Last of the Mohicans' – SMZB 生命之饼 04:46 ‘秋茄子之味' – 红发少年杀人事件 09:04 ‘The Wanderer of Renfengli 仁丰里的闲逛者‘ – DaYe 大叶 12:08 ‘back to the pond 1' – Jian Cui 15:57 ‘Chapter II' (excerpt) – Chen Mulian et al for xuán yīn 21:13 ‘月光爱人 De Luna Amour' – 黑木 Heimu 27:27 ‘Ⱪorⱪetteng ⱪobeze / The Kobyz of Korkut 霍尔赫特的库布孜‘ (excerpt) – Mamer 马木尔 35:38 ‘སྒྲོལ་མའི་བསྟོད་པ་། Praise to Tara 度母赞' – Kalzang Samdrub 37:08 ‘我不知不觉不伦不类' – 小老虎 J-Fever 39:56 ‘1911 4th Mov. (live) 一九一一 第四回' (excerpt) – Zhaoze 沼泽 46:55 ‘本该走神的(Should've Been Lost)‘ – 张醒婵 Nono 49:28 ‘失乐园' – DJ小女孩 DJ Gurl Some of these tracks are available on YouTube! We've aggregated those links on the ChinaTalk Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chaniece Chen didn't just study Chinese, she built her own major, battled burnout in an intensive language program, and came back for more. In this episode, Jared talks with Chaniece about her 12-year journey in China, from struggling with tones to thriving in Shanghai as a translator, community organizer, and content creator.Chaniece opens up about the highs and lows of immersion: how her college program led to burnout, how thinking in Chinese helped her improve, and why perfectionism can be a hidden danger for motivated learners. She also reflects on what it's like being a Black woman in China, her experience in Xinjiang, and how she built a life, and family, abroad.Links from the episode:@ThisIsChaniece | InstagramDo you have a story to share? Reach out to us

Interview date: November 17, 2022Episode Summary:Kyle Ponte, a dancer, choreographer, and international model who started his journey as a competitive dancer in Massachusetts. Kyle shares his incredible story, from winning a scholarship to the Hollywood Summer Tour at 17 to becoming a professional dancer in Los Angeles. He opens up about his experiences working with artists like Alicia Keys and touring with Lady Gaga, as well as his time living and working in China.Kyle reflects on his journey and offers invaluable advice for aspiring dancers, emphasizing the importance of networking, self-promotion, and staying grounded. He discusses the balance between teaching and performing, explaining how building strong relationships in the dance community helped him secure stability in a gig-driven industry. Kyle also highlights the importance of mental health, the need to overcome self-doubt, and the power of being a genuinely good person in an often-competitive environment.With insights on handling setbacks, pursuing choreography, and maintaining confidence, Kyle's story serves as a powerful reminder that success in dance requires hard work, perseverance, and a positive attitude. Tune in for a dose of inspiration and practical advice on how to build a sustainable career in dance.Show Notes:(1:00) Kyle Ponte's journey from competitive dancer to choreographer and model(5:00) How the Hollywood Summer Tour scholarship shaped his career(10:00) Working with Alicia Keys and Lady Gaga(15:00) Living and working in China(20:00) Balancing teaching, choreography, and performing(25:00) Networking and building relationships in the dance industry(30:00) Overcoming rejection and staying motivated(35:00) The importance of mental health and positive self-talk(40:00) Managing social media presence(45:00) Final advice: Be kind, stay prepared, and enjoy the journeyBiography:Kyle Ponte is an internationally recognized dancer, model, and choreographer, known for his dynamic presence in both the fashion and entertainment industries. Recently, he joined Lady Gaga's Chromatica Ball tour as one of the featured dancers, marking a major milestone in his career as part of Gaga's highly anticipated 6th world tour.Kyle's career spans across multiple continents and elite events, with performances in Shanghai alongside global icons such as Alicia Keys, Karlie Kloss, Jolin Cai, and Bella Hadid. He has also collaborated with prestigious brands including Cartier, Adidas, Aston Martin, Bvlgari, and Martell, showcasing his versatility not only as a performer but also as a sought-after model.In addition to his live performances, Kyle starred in the Moschino Musical, Lightning Strikes, a groundbreaking production that earned a featured spotlight on Vogue online. His unique combination of dance, choreography, and modeling has made him a standout in the global entertainment scene, continuing to inspire audiences worldwide with his artistry and commitment to excellence.Connect on Social Media:https://www.instagram.com/kyleponte_https://www.facebook.com/kyle.ponte.5

It's the 150th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps! How did that happen?  Thanks, as always, for being a part of the world's finest call-in tube amp repair show. Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.  Some of the topics discussed this week:  1:26 The Esparto fireworks storage facility explosion (link); salvaging organ pedals  6:22 Jason's life updates: Issue 57; Fretboard Summit (link); trail running; watching the 2025 Western States Endurance Run 11:46 Standel amplifier quirks, voltage regulator tubes, Dave's Hot Chicken kale slaw 16:36 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts! Amplified Parts is having a Fourth of July sale right now (act fast) 19:17 The Fretboard Summit Pinewood Derby race 22:03 Honorary sponsor: Tin Can Valley Letterpress (link) 23:10 Recommended reading: Matthew Zapruder's 'Story of a Poem' (Amazon link) 25:22 An Ampeg V4 / V4B bias circuit baffler 28:07 Single-ended amp 101; Stouffer's Hotel cherry chocolate cake 41:19 Channel jumping on a Silvertone 1482 and other amps; Neil Young 46:00 Music recommendation: Round Eye from Shanghai 47:11 Why do these homebrew 5F1 clones have blackened input jacks? 49:31 The Fender 400PS schematic 54:18 Harmony 420 amps, making a pre-amp out of a Heathkit volt meter 1:00:05 The Fretboard Journal's Dumble short film with Ben Harper (YouTube link) 1:01:46 Dave Hill at the 2025 Fretboard Summit! 1:02:34 Redwood cabinets on Gibson Falcons; Lima, Peru's Los Saicos band 1:12:21 A-Z Darts in Sacramento (link) 1:16:04 Getting a mono tube hi-fi for music playback 1:23:56 Listener Yann at Body and Soul Instruments (Instagram); the new Robert Johnson book (Amazon link)  1:25:24 Keeping the 12v DC power supply on old PA amps? Doug Hoffman 1:30:54 How far should I mod this 1980 Fender Deluxe Reverb? 1:37:24 Ishi in Two Worlds (Amazon link) Recorded July 4, 2025.  Want amp tech Skip Simmons' advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.  Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.  Don't forget, we have a Patreon page. Support the show, get behind-the-scenes updates and get to the front of the line with your questions.