Barbarians At The Gate

In this episode, we chat with Andrew Stokols, who is currently a Ph.D. candidate at MIT researching varieties of digital urbanism globally, with an emphasis on China. On the podcast, we briefly compare notes on the urban development of Beijing in the 21st century, including the contradictions between Beijing as a technologically advanced urban center and an ancient capital city. Andrew also provides updates on the progress of Xiong’an, the digital “smart city” being constructed in Hebei province, as a showcase for Xi Jinping’s vision for urban development. The urban plan was initially unveiled in 2017 to relieve pressure on Beijing and promote the coordinated regional development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, but what Xi has called a “thousand-year plan of national significance” has run into numerous setbacks and controversy. We also hear from Andrew about how the Party is merging Marxist ideology with traditional Chinese culture in recent urban architectural projects, particularly the mammoth National

Has the Chinese government killed stand-up comedy in China? In May of 2023, a popular standup comedian made an innocuous joke in which he mentioned a phrase used to laud the fighting spirit of the People’s Liberation Army. The next day, a complaint from a nationalistic netizen resulted in the Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media Company being fined a whopping $2 million and the temporary shutdown of virtually all the standup TV shows and comedy clubs in China’s major cities. The immediate aftermath of the incident also cast a pall over other entertainment venues, leading to increased scrutiny of music and live entertainment in clubs and bars. In this episode, we talk with reporter and freelance writer Chang Che, who initially reported this incident and has been interviewing comedians and promoters grappling with the repercussions in the entertainment industry. Chang Che provides insights into how comedians, musicians, and creative media workers must function within a system where the lines for acceptable discourse

On this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, I talk to Kristel Ouwehand, also known by her Tibetan language name, Tenzin Dolma, the founder of Snowland Academy in Gansu province where she lives with and teaches young Tibetan artists. Beginning at age 17, Tenzin traveled across Central America, Europe, parts of the Middle East, and the east coast of Africa before settling in India. She stayed in India for 11 years, mastering the traditional art of thangka painting. She also learned to craft butter sculptures and sand mandalas, contributed as one of 30 artists painting a new prayer hall, and even organized and translated for a year-long fundraising arts tour in North America from 2005-2006. In 2007, Kristel relocated to China, initially living in Sichuan until the earthquake in 2008, and then in Qinghai. In 2010, a pivotal moment occurred when a monk approached her, seeking art lessons. In the summer of 2014, she settled in Labrang (Xiahe), Gansu, where Snowland continues to operate today.Link to Snowland Art:htt

Jeremiah kicks off the podcast with news that the decades-long Qing History Projectn being carried out by, among other institutions, Renmin University and the Chinese Academy of Social Science(CASS) seems to have been "put on ice" after the draft document produced by the team of Chinese historians was deemed as “politically unacceptable” by the authorities. One of the specific objections to the project’s content was that it was “overly influenced by the New Qing History,” referring to a group of prominent Western historians who have used Manchu-language sources and new perspectives to offer an interpretation of Qing history that departs from earlier narratives that emphasized the "Sinicization" of the Qing Empire. In the podcast, we discuss how the PRC government attempts to rewrite history to promote current-day political narratives, including revisionist attempts to downplay Mongol and Manchu influences in the story of China.Mentioned in the podcast:China Digital Times, Qing History another front against We

In today’s episode, we talk with journalist and travel writer Thomas Bird about his latest book, The Harmony Express. Entering an uncertain new chapter of his life several years ago, Bird decided to embark on an exploration of the People’s Republic of China via the country’s vast web of railroad lines. In the spiritual footsteps of travel writers such as Paul Theroux (Riding the Iron Rooster and The Great Railway Bazaar), Bird took the trains as his trajectory, exploring and documenting the diverse ethnic, geographical, linguistic, and culinary worlds of China by rail.With solid Mandarin skills, an intrepid, often foolhardy willingness to immerse himself into unfamiliar surroundings, and an ethnographer’s voracious intellectual appetite for detail, Bird gives the reader vivid accounts of the diverse places and personalities he encounters in his journey.We also talk about his impetus for writing the book, the evolution of train travel from the 绿皮火车 lüpi huoche “green trains” to the new sci-fi-style bullet tra

Warning: GEEKY CONTENTHosting solo in this week’s episode, David takes a geeky deep dive into the digital revolution in Chinese language learning in conversation with Chinese language pedagogy expert Matt Coss. The Sisyphean task of learning to write hundreds of Chinese characters has long been the bête noire of Chinese language students. The explosion of digital devices and apps for processing Chinese characters is giving rise to a radical rethinking (no pun intended) of the handwriting and dictation components of Chinese language curricula. Matt Coss is on the front line of a new generation of Chinese language educators who advocate a drastic reduction, if not outright elimination, of the handwriting requirement for Chinese language learners. Topics covered include the disturbing drop in the number of American students studying Mandarin, the implications of AI tools such as ChatGPT for Chinese language learning, and the escalating problem of native Chinese speakers forgetting how to write common characters

Isabel Nepstad’s passion for nature, food, and agriculture can be traced back to her childhood growing up in Belém, a city on the mouth of the Amazon River in Brazil. Her connection to China dates to Isabel’s experience studying Chinese at the Beijing Foreign Studies University and economic development and environmental science at Yunnan University while still an undergraduate. For over 11 years, Isabel has worked in the food and agriculture industry in the United States, Brazil, the Netherlands, and China. From 2011 to 2012, she worked as an Analyst for a Brazilian NGO, Alliança da Terra, in Cuiaba, Brazil, and as a Program Manager for Solidaridad Network based in Beijing. In 2021, she founded BellaTerra Consulting to provide sustainability consulting in the food and agriculture supply chains, bridging China and the world. Isabel takes time out of her busy schedule to drop by the Barbarians at the Gate studio to share her career journey, give advice to those looking to pursue their professional lives in Chin

On this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, Jeremiah talks to Brian “DJ Bo” Offenther. From being the FKFDJ (First Known Foreign DJ) to play in Pyongyang since 1945 to putting together the first Elvis Festival in Mainland China, DJ Bo has been at the center of China’s music scene for over a decade. The self-proclaimed "Shanghai's #2 DJ" is a DJ and event producer based in Shanghai who has performed in 29 countries and 42 cities around China. He’s involved in many cultural activities, including lecturing at universities, hosting the streaming The Critical Music Club, producing ARTGER, presenting public domain events, writing/editing, and more. DJ Bo also created a wonderfully curated Spotify playlist that accompanied past BATG guest Andrew Field’s book Rocking China. With David off on summer shenanigans, Jeremiah flies solo as DJ Bo, in town for a couple of gigs, regales us with his adventures performing across China, what drives his passion for music, and makes a case for Shanghai, that other city, as the true

David and Jeremiah are on holiday this week, but we hope you enjoy this encore episode with educator Jiang Xueqin, originally released in February 2022.Contrary to the common stereotype that Chinese education is regimented and mired in tradition, the education system in China is actually one of the most dynamic sectors of Chinese society, with core aspects such as the gaokao college entrance exam constantly in flux. On the podcast, this week to discuss the evolution of Chinese education is Jiang Xueqin, an educational consultant who has worked with schools throughout China to promote the ideas of creativity and critical thinking skills. Topics include the new emphasis on ideology in the curriculum since the ascent of Xi Jinping, the massive effort to turn elite Chinese universities into “world-class” institutions to compete with schools such as Harvard and Oxford, and the plight of cross-national educational projects and international schools in these years of Covid-19 shutdowns and US-China “decoupling.” Jia

This episode of the podcast addresses a worrisome question: Is China’s “cultural space” shrinking? The recent crackdown on stand-up comedy content and the scrutiny of foreign musicians performing in bars have raised worries that other artistic domains will soon be targeted. Over the past decade, there has been a perception of a “death by a thousand cuts,” as increasing scrutiny and tightening regulations have slowly sanitized, squelched, or strangled many areas of artistic and cultural expression. The once vibrant LGBTQ scene in Beijing, characterized by thriving queer film festivals and active “tongzhi” websites, is now virtually moribund. Venues such as the Bookworm, where freewheeling literary festivals and public talks were tacitly allowed, are now a thing of the past. And the numerous academic exchanges that collapsed during the COVID-19 years do not show signs of reviving soon. In the podcast, we discuss questions such as: What are the implications of this trend for Chinese soft power? Can alternative “

In this episode, we welcome back Andrew Field to discuss his new book Rocking China: Rock Music Scenes in Beijing, Shanghai and Beyond.  While having already conducted valuable research into the history of Shanghai jazz, in 2007, Andrew began a deep dive into the nascent Chinese underground rock scene of the early 2000s with the passion of a rock fan and the intellectual fascination of an anthropologist. He spent years haunting the indie rock bars and performance venues of Beijing and other cities, interviewing the performers, observing the audience reactions, and taking extensive “field notes” (pun intended), all documenting this explosive chapter in the evolution of rock music in the PRC.  Andrew followed seminal groups such as the Carsick Cars, Subs, and Hedgehog, giving first-hand accounts of the performance ambiance and providing fascinating portraits of performers like Yang Haisong, Kang Mao, and Wu Hao.  Andrew has become one of the go-to documentarians of popular music in China: Rocking China: Rock Mu

Fueled by too many red bulls (Jeremiah) and some pretty good pharmaceuticals following an emergency root canal (David), our intrepid cohosts throw caution to the wind and attempt to fix US-China Relations in a single podcast. For those outside of China, the ups and downs of this troubled bilateral relationship are sometimes felt as a rather abstract quandary. Still, for those of us who have invested decades of our lives in this China, the often juvenile skirmishes between the two superpowers have existential consequences. In this episode of BATG, Jeremiah and David describe the deterioration of US-China relations brought about by an ongoing series of reciprocal clashes. The conversation includes media bias, tit-for-tat sanctions and expulsions, what-about-ism, ideological silos, historical grudges, diplomatic standoffs, national humiliation, and “face,” -- all problems for which we provide absolutely no solutions, but for which ranting can be cathartic. Grab a red bull (or four) and/or your favorite pharmaceu

This week we catch up with Jesse Appell, an English-Chinese standup comedy star better known to his more than 3 million Chinese followers as Ai Jiexi 艾杰西. Jesse talks about how he parlayed his Fulbright Fellowship research on Chinese humor into a stellar comedy career in China. Stuck in the US for several years during the Covid-19 crisis, Jesse had to find ways to continue his successful comedy career outside China. Jesse recounts how he began to make a name for himself in the media environment of the vast number of diaspora Chinese living and working in America and other countries. We explore the cultural differences between these more Westernized diaspora audiences and those of mainland China. We also hear about the struggles of maintaining a successful career as a standup comedian in the world of Chinese media.Jesse on Instagram (comedy): @whatxisaid Jesse on Instagram (tea): @jessesteahouseJesse's Tea HouseJesse's World Podcast

In this episode, we are delighted to talk with James Zimmerman about his new book, Peking Express: The Bandits who Stole a Train, Stunned the West, and Broke the Republic of China. The book is an enthralling account of a largely forgotten chapter in Chinese history, the harrowing 1923 raid on a luxury train by Chinese bandits and the ensuing 37-day hostage standoff. Jim fills us in on the backstory of the incident, based on the treasure trove of diaries, newspaper accounts, and personal testimony, which he skillfully knits together into a fascinating narrative of a China in turmoil, contrasting the poverty-stricken villages caught in the crossfire between bandits and warlords with the opulent lifestyles of the elite group of western tourists.Jim Zimmerman is a lawyer who has lived and worked in Beijing for over 25 years and served four terms as the chairman of the Beijing American Chamber of Commerce.

In this episode, we are joined by Ben Cubbage, who calls in from the lofty heights of Xining, the capital of Qinghai province. Ben co-founded Elevated Trips, an organization that offers specialized tours in the remote regions of Tibet, Qinghai, Mongolia, and Gansu provinces. As a passionate advocate for eco-friendly tourism, Ben emphasizes principles such as respect for local cultures, providing sustainable economic value to local communities, minimizing visitor impact, and prioritizing biodiversity. We explore Ben's mission to offer travelers life-changing experiences, whether it's gaining a deeper understanding of Buddhist philosophy and material culture, admiring the breathtaking beauty of the Qinghai and Tibetan landscapes, or catching a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse of the elusive snow leopard that calls the Tibetan plateau home.https://www.elevatedtrips.com/The Official Elevated Trips Intro Video, Eco-tourism on the Tibetan PlateauAn Interview with Ben Cubbage from Elevated Trips

This week’s topic is the Forbidden City, and our tour guide once again is Matthew Hu Xinyu, Trustee of the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center (CHP) and founder of the Courtyard Institute. Matthew provides us with updates on recently renovated sections of the Palace Museum previously inaccessible to tourists, such as the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility (Cining Gong 慈宁宫), where the Empress Dowager celebrated her birthdays and worshipped the Buddha, and the living quarters of the imperial concubines located north and west of Longzong Gate. Matthew also gives us a fascinating overview of the complex task of renovating the centuries-old compound and the challenges faced by the Palace Museum in restoring, protecting, and exhibiting the museum’s 1.8 million artifacts. Palaces, artifacts historical figures mentioned on the podcast: Hall of Mental Cultivation, Yangxin Dian养心殿 Palace of Established Happiness建福宮Jianfu Gong jinzhuan金砖 ”metal/gold bricks” Dr. Shan Jixiang 单霁翔, curator of the Palace Museum fr

In this episode, we welcome to the podcast journalist Philip Cunningham, freelance writer for newspapers such as South China Morning Post and Japan Times, and was a former Knight Fellow and Harvard Nieman Fellowship recipient. Philip is currently posting a daily Substack entitled CCTV Follies, which provides a visual chronicle of the daily CCTV evening news report Xinwen Lianbo《新闻联播》, accompanied with running commentary that is illuminating and humorous. Phil talks about the program’s quasi-ritual role in defining the boundaries of political discourse and its overt and subliminal influence on the framing of news stories in the Chinese information environment. Philip is also the author of the book Tiananmen Moon, a first-hand account of the 1989 protests in Beijing.

In this episode, recorded on Jan 13, 2023, Jeremiah in Florida and David in Taiwan touch base and exchange updates on the evolving Covid-19 situation in China and elsewhere. We compare and contrast the foreign media accounts of China’s current Covid struggles with the reports from friends and family within China. David gives an account of his wife’s bout with Covid-19 in Taiwan. We also offer a quick update on the gradual opening of student visas for study in China and provide prognostications on the prospects for restoring academic exchanges with Chinese universities and educational institutions.

David and Jeremiah are both traveling this week, and in that spirit, we offer a rebroadcast of one of our favorite episodes from the archives. In this episode from March 2022, we spoke with historian and author Mo Yajun about her book Touring China: A History of Travel Culture, 1912-1949. Enjoy, and Happy New Year!As Covid-19 gradually recedes and China resumes domestic travel, we are pleased to interview Mo Yajun about her book Touring China: A History of Travel Culture, 1912-1949, a fascinating history of the development of China’s travel industry during the Republican period. Professor Mo recounts how early tourism guides and photographic travel journals enabled Chinese people to expand the concept of quanguo 全国 ”the nation as a whole,” providing the public with an enhanced mental image of the vast scope and diversity of their “national space.” We also hear the story of Chen Guangfu, the father of China’s modern travel industry. He founded the China Travel Service during the tumultuous warlord period, part

In an abrupt reversal, On December 7, China announced a rollback of most of its most draconian anti-COVID-19 restrictions, including limiting lockdowns, mass testing, and health app requirements for public transportation. About that same time – it had to happen sooner or later – Jeremiah caught COVID-19. In this episode, we talk about what it's like to deal with the virus at this historic juncture, joined by our frequent guest Zhang Yajun – who also has COVID-19. In addition to the first-hand experiences of Jeremiah and Yajun, we also discuss the possible consequences of the explosion of cases, the public uncertainty and anxiety about the reversal, and the motivations of the Chinese government in making this sudden change from the "zero-COVID" policy to a ZERO "COVID policy."Zhang Yajun is an executive living and working in Beijing and co-host of the WǑMEN PODCAST, an English podcast featuring Chinese people's daily lives from a female perspective.