Sun Yat-Sen is regarded today by both the PRC (People's Republic of China) and the ROC (Republic of China) as the founder of the modern nation. He was the first to break the imperial system, and set a path for something new and revolutionary.

However, before he was the founder of the nation, he was simply a failed revolutionary, with a head full of ideas. Perhaps one of his most famous stories from these early days is when he was 'Kidnapped' by agents of the Qing empire while in London.

Join us as we discuss Dr Sun Yat-Sen, his early life, his kidnapping, and how he might not really have been cut out for the revolutionary life.

From the very beginning, the Chinese Communist party took entertainment seriously. By drawing crowds to see plays, dances, songs, and other shows, they were able to spread their political messages and create new followers to the cause.

Perhaps the culmination of this, Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy (智取威虎山) was one of the 8 Model Plays promoted by Mao's Wife Jiang Qing (江青), as an attempt to modernize Beijing Opera for a Revolutionary Audience. Telling the story of a PLA detachment fighting a Bandit warlord, it was played dozens of times a year in almost ever town and village across China during the cultural revolution.

In this episode we discuss its content, its legacy, and and the brutal irony that many of the people who made this ultimate propaganda piece, were they themselves victims of the Cultural Revolution.

1870s Los Angeles was a lawless town where violence ruled and life was cheap. Gunfights were an almost daily occurrence, and rival gangs dueled in the street.

Despite that, the country was still shocked by the dramatic mass lynching of Chinese immigrants which occurred there in 1871. Often described as the largest mass lynching in the US, it has in many ways faded from our public consciousness.

In this companion episode to the Pigtail Ordinance, we discuss the face of anti-asian racism outside of the law, mob violence, and the legacy of vigilante justice in the US today.

In what is likely to be their most controversial episode, Natalie and Cherrie discuss how the terms Facist, and 'Chinazi' have become particularly common in heated online arguments about China.

However, despite the flaws of the Chinese government, is it really correct to call it Fascist? What exactly is Fascism, and how has it been defined over the years, and by whom?

In this episode we discuss 4 different definitions of Fascism (Including the CCCP definition) to see if the modern Chinese state meets any of them.

Some references:

The Wages of Destruction: Adam Tooze

Facism: Roger Griffon

Five Moral Pieces: Umberto Eco

Ever since the introduction of 'Western' medicine to China in the late Imperial period, the role of Doctor in China has been a perilous one. Often blamed for circumstances outside their control, and viewed as agents of corruption, greed, and incompetence, they are an easy target for anger, violence, and murder.

While it is somewhat a world-wide problem, in this episode we discuss the uniquely Chinese ways violence affects the medical system, from its history in Mao's China, to the current day.

These can range from Medical Disturbances ( 医闹 ) to Revenge Attacks against Society ( 报复社会 ), and while they have paused somewhat due to Covid-19, it is an open question what the future will bring for Chinese Medical Professionals.

This week, we've brought you 4 more famous rebellions. 3 of which are from more distant memories: Daizexiang Rebellion, White Lotus Rebellion and Yellow Turban Rebellion. And 1 from modern Chinese history - Mao's grass-roots, mass-mobilizing revolution.

Join us to discover how the self-fulling prophecy of the mandate of the heaven plays a part in these rebellions and how the clique of "History has a tendency to repeat itself" does check out sometimes.

55 Days at Peking is a 1963 Hollywood movie which dramatizes the events of the 1900 Boxer Rebellion/Uprising, and the siege of the foreign legations in Peking.

One of the few western movies to depict late Imperial China, it spent lavishly on elaborate sets, thousands of extras, and huge battles. While it was a commercial and critical failure, and has its problems, such as white actors playing as Chinese royalty, and a bloated and boring script, it is still worth examining.

In this Episode we discuss what the movie gets right, what it gets wrong, and how the events of 1960 impacted its depiction of 1900 China.

In China, an Imperial Dynasty can rule only as long as the Mandate of Heaven allows. Such a mandate has never been permanent however, and weak rulers face famine, plagues, war, and banditry.

Almost without fail in such times, disaffected Chinese peasants mass in giant rebellious armies, fighting and dying in attempt to overthrow the old regime and install a new dynasty. If they succeed, they have inherited the Mandate of Heaven, and all the riches and honors that entails. If they fail, they will be tortured and put down like and other bandit. After all in China:

成者為王，敗者為寇: "The winner is king, the loser an outlaw."

In this episode we discuss 4 of the most famous rebellions, The Boxer, The Taiping, the Red Turban, and Li Zicheng's Rebellion.

In this episode Natalie and Cherrie discuss how Christmas stole Confucius's holiday, where the world's holiday decorations are made, and Mao's Korean war holiday party.

Learn about the history of Christmas in China, and how it has taken on its own set of Chinese Characteristics.

Natalie and Cherrie discuss the highest grossing movie ever in China's box office - Wolf Warrior 2, a patriotic action blockbuster.

Started as a passion project by director, co-writer, co-producer and Wolf Warrior himself -Wu Jing, the movie's success came as a surprise to him and everyone else. It came at the right time. China's nationalist propaganda is becoming more and more aggressive. Through this movie, we see China's image to its own people, and China through the world's eyes.

Aside from many of its flaws and the re-enacting of the white (now Chinese) savior narrative, we can say that it's a very entertaining movie.

Follow along in fictional Africa and see how Wolf Warrior carries China and the world on his shoulders. Let us know what you think!

Chinese families (and asian families in general) have a reputation for being close, and for listening to parents and grandparents well into adulthood.

In China itself however, respect for your ancestors isn't just culture, it's the law!

Natalie and Cherrie discuss the origin of these filial piety laws, their impact on society, and their net effects. Like most things we talk about, it ends up being Confucius and Mao's fault.

The US Presidential Elections are always a spectacle, but this year interest from China was at an all time high.

Despite censorship, it has been the most popular topic on the web for weeks, dominating discussion there are much as it does in the US itself.

Join us as we discuss the Chinese Internet's reactions and hot takes, from State Media using it for Propaganda, to Chinese Netizen's championing worker rights.

In 1949 as a result of the Chinese Civil War, Chiang Kai Shek (蔣介石) and his Nationalist government had retreated to the Island of Taiwan, and Mao Tse Tung and his Chinese Communist Party funded the new People's Republic of China.

Normally the story ends there, however in reality, Chiang Kai Shek and his Nationalists never considered the civil war to be over.

Using one of the largest navies in Asia, US technology, and bitter determination, they almost brought the new nation of China to its knees, and the rest of the world into nuclear warfare.

n this episode we discuss the history and cultural significance of what is now known as 'The Great Wall of China'. When it was started, what it was for, and what role did it actually take in the defense of China.

More than that, though, we discuss the concept of the Great Wall, which ended up being more powerful and long lasting than any actual part of the structure. How it defined China both at home and abroad, and how through its age, it became not just a symbol of any particular dynasty, but of China itself.

Would there even be a China as we know it without the Great Wall? Let us know what you think.

Natalie and Cherrie discuss the wildly entertaining 1975 CCP Propaganda Film Breaking with Old Ideas. Made at the end of China's Cultural Revolution, the film is a naked justification of both the goals and methods of Maoist education. Come see what the hard line Maoists claimed they wanted in their own word (it's crazy).

Just 100 years ago in China, concubinage was not an uncommon sight and did not raise many eyebrows. Fast forward to today, from the ending of the last Imperial Dynasty in Chinese history, to the Republic of China, to the People’s Republic of China, Chinese society was turned upside down and with it, the tradition, culture and practice of the institution of Marriages. In this episode, we explore changes in Chinese Marriages in the last 100 years and how Chinese women’s standing in society transforms alongside with the institution of marriage.

The 1800s were a time of great humiliation and loss for the Chinese people, usually remembered now as the 'Century of Shame'. However among that, resistance to colonial pressure came from the most unlikely of sources.

In this episode, Natalie discusses the life of Liu Yongfu and his Black Flag army. Their origin from rebels and bandits, and their evolution into a guerrilla army that resisted two imperial powers.

Nearly sixty years ago, China declared an all out war on the bird of capitalism: sparrows. In this episode, we discuss the goals, the reality, the hysteria, the environmental impact of the legendary Four Pests Campaign. What started off as a health campaign to combat allegations of American biological warfare quickly evolved into one of the first of Mao's great social mass mobilizations - and the near distinction of sparrows in China. We also discuss the legacy and the historical memory of this event in China, and how it features in the country’s 2020 Coronavirus response.

Today, September 20th 2020, the US Goverment is set to ban certain aspects of both TikTok and WeChat. While TikTok obviously is more popular in the US, the banning of WeChat has a much greater impact on the lives of Chinese People both here in the US, and back in China.