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PODCAST

The History of China Podcast

History Podcasts & Josh Linsk

Explore thousands of years of Chinese history, from the earliest dynasties and ancient kingdoms to imperial expansion, revolution, modernization, and the development of contemporary China. The History of China Podcast examines the rulers, philosophers, generals, inventions, wars, political movements, religions, and cultural traditions that shaped one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations. Episodes journey through the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the rise of Confucianism and Daoism, the Qin

history documentary

All Episodes

16:09

When the Forbidden City Almost Fell: The 1813 Eight...

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/08

Explore how a millenarian sect’s audacious plan to storm Beijing in 1813 exposed cracks in Qing power, revealing the hidden networks of faith and intrigue that foreshadowed later rebellions. We trace the Tianli Sect, its leaders Lin Qing and Li Wencheng, and the empire’s brutal response under Emperor Jiaqing.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

18:59

Chang’an: Tang Dynasty’s Global City – The First...

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/08

Explore the grid‑planned capital that drew traders, monks, and diplomats from across Eurasia; see how its markets, temples, and technology shaped a model for Chinese urbanism and set the stage for modern megacities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

18:00

Yangshao Painted Pottery: China’s First Village Art

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/08

Explore the origins of Yangshao painted pottery—bright reds and bold fish motifs that reveal early Chinese village life, cultural values, and technological innovation. The episode traces regional variations, artistic techniques, and how these artifacts connect Bronze Age societies to later Chinese civilization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

17:34

Li Si: Qin’s Architect of Centralized Law & Bureaucracy

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/08

From the ashes of fragmented tribes to a single imperial state, Li Si engineered Qin’s sweeping legal code and standardization that laid China’s bureaucratic foundations. His reforms unified language, weights, and governance across a 70‑million population—an experiment that reverberated through Han, Tang, and modern central planning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

15:41

The Jingkang Incident: How Kaifeng’s Fall Shaped...

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/08

Explore the 1127 capture of Kaifeng by Jin forces, its devastating impact on the Song dynasty, and how this event became a lasting symbol of humiliation and resilience in Chinese history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

17:11

The Nestorian Stele: Tang China's Bilingual Bridge

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/08

Explore how the 8th‑century Xi'an stele bridges Chinese characters and Syriac scripture, revealing how Christianity was translated, adapted, and integrated into Tang society. The episode examines linguistic innovation, imperial politics, and cultural exchange that left a lasting bilingual legacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

19:52

The Eight Banners: How Color Became Power in Qing China

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/08

From Nurhaci’s innovative banner system to the sprawling social hierarchy of the Qing, this episode dives into how a military organization turned into an empire‑wide institution that shaped identity, politics, and economics for centuries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

16:15

The Burning of the Old Summer Palace: China’s...

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/08

In 1860, British and French forces razed Beijing’s Yuanmingyuan, a vast imperial garden that had symbolized Chinese artistic glory for five millennia. The episode traces how this destruction sparked anti‑foreign sentiment, reshaped national memory, and set the stage for modern heritage debates and digital reconstructions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

16:24

Hong Taiji and the Birth of the Qing Dynasty: From...

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/08

Explore how Hong Taiji transformed a tribal coalition into China’s last imperial dynasty by blending Manchu military power with Ming administrative models, setting the stage for centuries of rule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

15:50

Northern vs Southern Song Landscape Painting: Power,...

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/08

This episode unpacks how Song dynasty landscape painters used mountains to project imperial ambition in the North and introspective reflection in the South. By examining key artists like Fan Kuan and Dong Yuan, we trace how visual style mirrored shifts in court patronage, philosophy, and regional identity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

18:17

Taizong’s ‘Heavenly Khan’: Tang Diplomacy on the Steppe

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/08

This episode traces how Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty adopted the title “Heavenly Khan” to legitimize his rule over Turkic nomads, blending imperial authority with tribal politics. It explores the cultural and political legacy of this hybrid identity and its long‑term influence on frontier governance in China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

15:59

Yuan Dynasty Exam Reform: Reshaping China's Bureaucracy

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/08

Discover how the Yuan dynasty revived and re‑engineered the imperial examination system with a strict quota for Han scholars. This episode traces Kublai Khan’s attempt to legitimize Mongol rule while keeping the scholar class in check, and shows how the reforms influenced later dynasties. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

19:08

Han Dynasty’s Southern Push: Conquest, Culture, and...

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/08

Explore Emperor Wu’s 141 BCE campaign that annexed Guangdong, Guangxi, and parts of Vietnam, the role of Zhao Tuo and Nanyue, and how military victory blended with legal codes, migration, and trade to reshape southern China’s social fabric. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

15:42

From Longshan Walls to Ming Laws: The Roots of...

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/08

We examine how Longshan stoneware and fortified settlements laid foundations for Chinese statecraft, how the Ming dynasty codified law into a living document, and how Emperor Taizong’s Zhenguan reign balanced power and benevolence—revealing the threads that weave modern China's legal and cultural fabric. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

16:30

From Red Guards to Tianjing: Ideology, Power, and the...

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/08

Explore how ideology has shaped power across Chinese history—from the 1960s student uprising of the Red Guards, through Han Fei’s legalist blueprint for state control, to the internal purge that split a rebellion in the 1850s. This episode uncovers key figures, political shifts, and enduring lessons about the limits of zeal and the need for balance between charisma and law. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

14:37

From Wei Zheng’s Voice to Erlitou Dragons: Tracing...

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/08

This episode follows the thread of power in China—from Tang dynasty adviser Wei Zheng’s bold remonstrations, through the turquoise dragon of Erlitou that symbolized early state legitimacy, to the 1900 Beijing siege that reshaped imperial rule. It shows how critique, symbolism, and crisis have repeatedly rewritten Chinese governance and culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

17:21

Yuan Dynasty’s Ethnic Hierarchy: How Kublai Khan...

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/08

The episode unpacks the Yuan dynasty’s ethnic hierarchy established by Kublai Khan in 1271. From Mongol nobility at the top to Central Asian traders and Chinese gentry below, we explore how this stratified system shaped power dynamics, trade policies, cultural exchanges, and set precedents that echoed into the Ming and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

17:51

Nanjing’s Fall: The End of the Taiping Rebellion

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/08

The episode unpacks how Qing forces, led by Zeng Guofan’s Xiang Army and the brutal Hunan militia, captured Nanjing in 1864, ending the Taiping Rebellion. It examines the human toll, the rise of regional armies, and how this collapse sparked China’s Self‑Strengthening Movement and reshaped central‑provincial power relations for decades to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

16:05

Ban Zhao: The Han Dynasty’s First Female Historian

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/03

Explore how Ban Zhao, a pioneering scholar from the Han dynasty, edited the official annals, authored moral instruction for women, and wielded subtle influence over imperial ideology—revealing the complex interplay of gender, historiography, and power in ancient China.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

18:50

The Great Southward Migration: How China’s Heartland...

The History of China Podcast ·

2026/10/03

From the late Han exodus to Tang and Song state‑driven settlement, this episode traces the centuries‑long southward movement that moved China’s political center from the Yellow River basin to the Yangtze Delta, reshaping its economy, culture, and national identity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

42 results

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