S9E10 | Finished behind the last place guy

S9E10 | Finished behind the last place guy

Author: Laszlo Montgomery June 30, 2024 Duration: 6:39

Firstly, hats off to Emma and her 团队 at the CYZ for all their hard work, all season-long. We close out the season 9 with an amusing story from a source, as yet never featured on this long-running educational program, called the Guòtínglù 过庭录. The author was Song literary figure Fàn Gōngchēng 范公偁 who had the misfortune to be born during the exact time when the Northern Song ended and the Southern Song began. In this tale, our young hero Sūn Shān 孙山 heads off to the capital to take the imperial exam. Another villager tagged along who also registered to take the test. One passed the test and the other was Míng Luò Sūn Shān 名落孙山. It's a nice little story infused with some of the best of Chinese culture and a dollop of human decency. That's it for Season 9. I may post a few director's cuts of previous CSP episodes during the off-season. All these CSP episodes will soon be published in the Summer catalog of Earnshaw Books. There will be vocabulary lists, tone marks, and characters. Just sayin. Thanks, everyone and drink plenty of water this summer. Keep yourself hydrated!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


For more than a decade, Laszlo Montgomery has been guiding audiences through the vast and intricate tapestry of Chinese civilization on The China History Podcast. This isn't a dry recitation of dates and dynasties, but a deeply researched exploration of the people, ideas, and events that have shaped one of the world's oldest continuous cultures. Each episode feels like a focused conversation, unpacking a specific theme, figure, or era with a clarity that makes complex history accessible. You'll find episodes delving into the philosophical foundations laid by Confucius and Laozi, the machinations of imperial courts, the transformative impact of the Silk Road, and the profound changes of the modern age. With a catalog surpassing 350 episodes, the journey spans from deepest antiquity to contemporary times, offering a comprehensive resource for both newcomers and seasoned enthusiasts. Laszlo's steady narration and careful curation build connections across centuries, revealing how the past continuously informs the present. Tuning into this podcast is an ongoing education, revealing the incredible depth and diversity of Chinese history, society, and culture, one story at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The China History Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Ep. 364 | Wade and Giles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:30
Here's a nice little standalone episode on the life and work of Thomas Wade and Herbert Giles. And you can't mention Herbert Giles without mentioning his son, Lionel Giles. And of course, Robert Morrison must be mentione…
Ep. 363 | The Lin Biao Incident (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:27
This is only a 2-parter, so this exciting episode will bring the curtain down on Lin Biao and his famous "Incident." We resume the story following the 1970 Lushan Plenum. Lin, or Lin's ambitious manipulators, pushed Chai…
Ep. 362 | The Lin Biao Incident (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:50
This is Part 1 of a 2-Part series looking at the life of Lin Biao and the actual Lin Biao Incident itself. This bit of history is documented to death. I downloaded a dozen scholarly papers, read a few books, went through…
Ep. 361 | McKinley, Tariffs, and the Open Door Policy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:49
Just in time for Liberation Day, I'm presenting this timely episode. Back in 1890, with the aim of protecting American companies from foreign competition, tariffs were jacked up significantly. With all the advances in tr…
Ep. 360 | Plant Hunters during the Qing Dynasty (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:18
This is the second of a two-part mini-series introducing the world of European plant hunting in China. In this episode, we look at some of the more noteworthy names and their accomplishments. After the exploits of Robert…
Ep. 359 | Plant Hunters during the Qing Dynasty (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:32
I was afraid I'd barely be able to scrape together enough material for a short episode. Instead, this one is gonna take almost two hours to tell. I hope no one minds that I opted not to drown anyone with Latin names and…
Introducing: History Daily [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:39
Calling all fans of podcast great, Lindsay Graham! Here's a sampling of the very popular podcast, History Daily. On History Daily, they do history, daily. Every weekday, host Lindsay Graham (American Scandal, American Hi…
Laszlo and Andrew Shaw discuss the History of Jade [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:08
Former BBC reporter and master jade carver Andrew Shaw is back. What an informative interview this one turned out to be! I hope you all enjoy this discussion of the history and legends behind jade. I learned quite a bit…