The China History Podcast

Maybe this isn't the most "China history flavored" topic but The Honorable Company did play a somewhat starring role during the Qing Dynasty starting from about the Jiaqing Emperor. In this first of a two-part series, I am offering you an overview of who they were, where they came from and how they came to be so hated by so many. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Laszlo looks at U.S. Immigration during the bad old days of Chinese Exclusion. The subject will be examined through the telling of the stories of three rather plain and non-extraordinary brothers from Haiyang Village in Toi San (Taishan in Mandarin). These three Moy brothers were featured in Scott Seligman's 2013 book "Three Tough Chinamen" (Earnshaw Books). In addition to the Chinese Exclusion laws, Laszlo briefly introduces the life of another Toisanese, Ng Poon Chew. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Laszlo tries something new. This time we look at the life and times of Whitey Smith, an important figure in the context of not only Shanghai Jazz, but the entirety of jazz history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laszlo finishes off the overview of the Rape of Nanking as well as the stories of John Rabe, Robert O. Wilson, Minnie Vautrin, Rev. William Magee, and others who directed the Nanjing Safety Zone during the worst weeks of the atrocities. The aftermath of the Nanjing Massacre is also examined. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a very emotional, controversial, and sensitive subject for a whole lot of reasons. Over the next two episodes, Laszlo will review material from past episodes to discuss the lead-up to the Massacre. Then in Part 2 the actual event itself as well as the story of the Nanjing Safety Zone and some of the foreigners who became eyewitnesses to the horrors of the Nanjing Massacre, also known as The Rape of Nanking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At last, the early years of Russia-China relations can see the light of day. As you can see, this is another one of those hour-plus episodes that were not long enough for two episodes and a bit overly long for one. This episode primarily covers the beginnings back in the late Ming when they first met and mostly in the Qing where all the history happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many people don't know that the first preaching of Christianity in China pre-dated the Jesuits by more than nine centuries. We'll take a second cursory look at the Jesuits as part of a bigger story that includes Christianity in China during the Tang and Yuan dynasties. We'll see that prior to the arrival of Matteo Ricci, there were two other lesser-known attempts to grow Christianity in China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover the enchanting history of silk, tracing its roots over 5,000 years back to the Yangshuo culture in China. Learn about the legendary Leizu and the ancient mystique surrounding this luxurious fabric. Explore how silk shaped trade and culture alongside other treasures like tea and porcelain. Delve into the life cycle of silkworms and the transformation of silk from a rare commodity to a global phenomenon. Gain insights into China's dominance in silk production and its lasting legacy in both ancient and modern societies.

In part two of this series examining the forgotten life of William Mesny, we hear the second half of his story in China. We're mostly using author David Leffman's 2016 book "The Mercenary Mandarin". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this first part of a two-part series, we examine the forgotten life of William Mesny. Drawing from author David Leffman's 2016 book "The Mercenary Mandarin," Laszlo discusses an unknown character from the bad old days of late Qing Dynasty China. Though he never made it to the history books, he nonetheless witnessed and took part in a lot of it. Through Mesny we can once again wander through some of Imperial China's worst years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices