Chinese names are important for one’s identity, and commoners in ancient China had up to three names. But the Emperor was extra special, and they had a few more names up their sleeve to confuse modern day people like you and me. No fear! TUNE IN to today’s episode as I explain how to read the names of ancient Chinese emperors. ********** Please SUB…

MOUNTAIN HISTORY SPECIAL! Today we will talking about one of the most famous Chinese mountains, which holds great cultural and historical significance, Tai Shan or Mt. Tai. TUNE IN to discover a mountain of…peak importance to China! Mountains have been very important in Chinese and East Asian history, so will continue posting up episodes about famo…

When we think of Chinese trade routes we usually think about the Silk Road, but there was another important trade route that ran inconspicuously through the southwestern Chinese regions of Sichuan and Yunnan into Tibet (Xizang). Spanning breathtaking mountains, raging rivers and thick forests, today’s episode will about the Tea Horse Road. TUNE IN …

On 29 March 1974, Yang Zhifa, a farmer living in northwest China, was digging holes with his brothers, trying to find water to help them survive a brutal drought that had swept over the land. Yang did not find any water that day, but he found something worth ten thousand times more. What was it? (Well the episode title gives it away…) But tune in a…

Hi everyone, this is an announcement that the Bamboo History Podcast will be taking a break and will return in October 2024. After we come back in October, episodes will be posted until the end of the year. Thank you everyone again for your continued support and see y’all very soon! ********** Please SUBSCRIBE to my podcast, FOLLOW my Instagram and…

The Mexican Chinese community is a small but resilient community that has existed in Mexico for hundreds of years. However, the Chinese arrival to Mexico was not well received by the locals, and anti-Chinese sentiment reached a boiling point, culminating into a tragedy which occurred in 1911. What happened? Tune in to find out! ********** Please SU…

Shui Hu Zhuan, or Water Margin in English, is one of ancient China’s greatest novels, with its plot centred around a group of outlaws who rebel against the Song Dynasty government in the 12th century. Today, we will talk about the story of the famous Lin Chong (nickname Panther Head) and how he went from an influential law -abiding citizen to a mur…

All of us know about soy sauce and most of us have tasted it before. We know that it is used for cooking, used as a dipping sauce, and used as a condiment in general to give food a bit of extra flavour. But do any of you know about the origins of soy sauce? Well, tune in to find out! This episode will be… soy good. ********** Please SUBSCRIBE to my…

If you inspire your people to fight for freedom and independence, then it no one cares if you have murdered your sister-in-law. That’s what happened to Lady Trieu, an ancient Vietnamese heroine who fought the Chinese in the 3rd Century CE. We are back with a Vietnamese history special! Tune in to learn some history and to make fun of my bad Vietnam…

Last episode, we talked about the events leading up to the First Opium War (1839-1842). This week, we will talk about how the actual conflict unfolded and how the British completely dominated China in the war. What happened? Tune in to find out!. ********** Please SUBSCRIBE to my podcast, FOLLOW my Instagram and VISIT my website! Details all below,…

Hi everyone, Bamboo History is back with another banger! Today we will be talking about the causes of the First Opium War (1839 – 1842) which triggered the Qing Dynasty’s long decline and ushered in China’s modern era. Tune in to see how it all unfolded! ********** Please SUBSCRIBE to my podcast, FOLLOW my Instagram and VISIT my website! Details al…

Hi all, this is an announcement that the Bamboo History Podcast will be going on a short break and will be back in June 2024! Don’t worry, we’ll be back soon with more exciting history content. Until then, take care! ********** Please SUBSCRIBE to my podcast, FOLLOW my Instagram and VISIT my website! Details all below, thanks heaps :) CONNECT WITH …

On the topic of great Chinese emperors, no one really thinks about the Hongzhi Emperor (r. 1487 CE – 1505 CE), who is more famously known for being the only Chinese emperor that took only ONE wife his entire life! But today’s episode will also focus on the achievements of the Hongzhi Emperor, and why he is one of China’s most underrated emperors. T…

Story of the stupid! Chengyu are famous Chinese idioms that are expressed usually in just four characters and are commonly used in conversation. The origins of many of these chengyu come from stories passed down from ancient times, and today we will talk about two of them: Han Dan Xue Bu (Learning the Handan Walk) and Xue Zu Shi Lu (Cutting one’s f…

“Dae Jang Geum” or “Jewel in the Palace” is a 2003 Korean TV Drama based on the life of Jang Geum, a girl who rose up to become Joseon Korea’s most famous physician. This TV show is one of the most famous Korean Dramas of all time. However, in part two of this two part series, we will instead focus on the life of the real life Jang Geum, and how be…

During the ancient times in East Asia, people had conservative mindsets which extended to the treatment of female patients – many male doctors did not want to treat female patients! This meant it was important to have female doctors, and Tan Yunxian was the most famous ancient Chinese female doctor out there. A Chinese TV show “The Imperial Doctres…

Happy Lunar New Year everyone! Today’s episode will be about one of the most famous ancient Chinese paintings, sometimes known as the Chinese “Mona Lisa”. This painting is called the “Qing Ming Shang He Tu (清明上河图)”, or “Along the River During the Qingming Festival” in English and was originally painted during the Song Dynasty. What makes this paint…

Yangqu county in Taiyuan is a peaceful and chill place, until a fateful day in 1840, when the county is hit by two mysterious cases that changes the lives of its residents forever…. What happened? Tune in to find out. Happy New Year everyone, the Bamboo History Podcast is back to take on 2024. Promising another year of hectic Chinese and East Asian…

G’day folks, the Bamboo History Podcast will be wrapping up for 2023 and will not be back until February 2024. Not to worry, now is the time to catchup on my podcast by listening to my existing episodes. A big thank you to everyone for tuning in to the podcast and giving me feedback and messages of support. Couldn’t have done it without ya. Have a …

Li Shimin became the emperor of China in the year 626 CE, and became known as the Emperor Taizong of Tang, arguably China’s greatest emperor in history. His older brother, Li Jiancheng, was originally the successor to the throne… which meant in order for him to become emperor, there was one thing Li Shimin needed to do… Tune in to discover one of C…

Time for another Japanese history special! Today we are diving into the mythical and real-life origins on a unique and famous Japanese sport, sumo wrestling. Pound your feet, slap your belly and tune in to this amazing episode! Credits for clip in the beginning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbtd5iUpu34&t=245s&ab_channel=GentilDonna ********** Do…

Going to school, playing computer games, going to cricket training, playing stacks on with the bois… that’s the life of a regular 13 year old teenager. Not for Xun Guan, a girl from 4th century CE China who led an army when was 13 years old! Woah what? Why? How? Tune in to find out! ********** Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my podcast! CONNECT WITH U…

Are you lost and have no clue where you are? No worries, because the ancient China will hook you up with the compass, one of their famous “4 great inventions”. Tune in to see how the compass developed from a fortune telling device to an important tool for people today. ********** Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my podcast! CONNECT WITH US! Email: enqu…

In the mid-1800s, gold was discovered in Australia. Many people flocked from all around the world to Australia to mine for gold, hoping to get rich. These people included: local white Australians, Americans, Europeans…and Chinese. Tune in to hear a famous (or infamous) story about how some specks of gold started a racial riot. ********** Don’t forg…

What you hear normally are only the good bits, the bad bits are edited out. Well, today you will get a sneak peek at the mess ups I have made. Enjoy! This content may be confrontational to some listeners, you have been warned. ALSO, I'm proud to say I've been featured in an article written by The China Boss as a top Chinese history podcast. The art…

According to medical websites online, stress can cause your hair to lose colour and go white. But it is scientifically impossible for all your hair to go white in a single day. Well, ancient Chinese military strategist Wu Zixu would prove science wrong. Tune in to a fascinating story about loyalty, vengeance, and a head of white hair. ********** Do…

King Gwanghaegun of Joseon Korea had a dilemma… ally with their closest friend the Ming Chinese and risk getting destroyed by the Manchus, or ally with the enemy Manchus and risk being dishonoured for being traitorous by the Chinese. What did he do? Tune in to a Korean history special on one of the most controversial Korean kings in history. ******…

Has the dentist ever told you that having black teeth is a good thing? Probably not, but that’s not what the ancient Japanese thought when they dyed their teeth black. Tune in to today’s episode as I uncover an ancient Japanese tradition of teeth blackening, Ohaguro. Btw, this is my first ever Japanese history special, courtesy of my Instagram foll…

Have you ever heard of a Jewish community that has lived in China for almost 1000 years? Join me in today’s episode, where I speak with Anson Laytner - the president of the Sino-Judaic Institute and a retired programs manager at Seattle University - about the history of Kaifeng Jews, a Jewish community that has resided in the city of Kaifeng since …

What is one thing that a king, salty seaweed and Mongolians have in common? Tofu! Today, we will be bringing a wonderful (if not slightly smelly) history of an Asian delicacy and a banger vegetarian/vegan dish, tofu. Tune in to hear more about the history of tofu. ********** Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my podcast! CONNECT WITH US! Email: enquiries…

Today I will be interviewing and chatting with my good mate Davo about the development of Malaysian Chinese identity through history. Peranakans, clan houses, discrimination and a bit of cake on top, tune in to discover more about the history of Malaysian Chinese! We have a website now - check it out! Link below. ********** Don’t forget to SUBSCRIB…

Ancient China was not the most liberal place in the world, which meant it blew my mind that there was an ancient Chinese emperor that pursued a romantic relationship with another man! Tune in to hear more about this story. ********** Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my podcast! We also have a website now! Where you can find our blog that will feature e…

We are in our final part of our 3 part series, focusing on 3 decisive military campaigns won by the Chinese Communists over the Nationalist Kuomintang government in the Chinese Civil War, resulting in the Chinese Communists’ control of mainland China. Today’s episode will focus on the final of the 3 military campaigns, the Pingjin Campaign, fought …

We are in part 2 of our 3 part series, focusing on 3 decisive military campaigns won by the Chinese Communists over the Nationalist Kuomintang government in the Chinese Civil War, resulting in the Chinese Communists’ control of mainland China. Today’s episode will focus on the second of the 3 military campaigns, the Huaihai Campaign, fought between…

The podcast is back with a 3 part series on China’s modern history! The 3 part series will focus on 3 decisive military campaigns won by the Chinese Communists over the Nationalist Kuomintang government in the Chinese Civil War, resulting in the Chinese Communists’ control of mainland China. Today’s episode will focus on the first of the 3 military…

The Bamboo History Podcast will be taking a short break for Easter. That means we won’t be posting for a few weeks but no sweat, we will back with more exciting content from 2 May. Have a Happy Easter everyone! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my podcast! And FOLLOW my Instagram @bamboohistorypodcast. Please DM me on Insta for any feedback, topic sugge…

When the first king of the Zhou Dynasty overthrew the Shang Dynasty king in 1046 BCE, he needed to legitimise his claim to the throne. He had to tell the people why he had taken the throne from someone else. Enter ancient China’s everlasting ideology, the Mandate of Heaven. TUNE IN to find out more! I will be going on Easter break after today’s epi…

Imagine seeing a white guy in China walking on the street wearing Chinese robes, speaking Chinese and reciting Chinese poems…in the 16th century. Yep, that was Matteo Ricci, the famous (not Marco Polo) Italian man and Jesuit priest who made his home in China for over 20 years as he tried to convert Chinese people to Catholicism. Did he succeed? TUN…

The peace and quiet of the city of Huzhou was disturbed when something was discovered floating in the nearby lake, which turned out to be a rotting human corpse… What happened? Who did it? TUNE IN to find out. I’m dabbling in ancient Chinese true crime now, I will definitely find more interesting cases like this for future episodes. Don’t forget to…

A story that features: a river that gets you pregnant, a country with only women and no men, and a man that gets sexually assaulted by a scorpion! Set in the famous Chinese novel ‘Journey to the West’ (or Xi You Ji in Chinese), this story is a cracker! So what are you waiting for, TUNE IN to hear this story! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my podcast!…

At first glance, it is hard to distinguish an ethnic Hui Chinese person with an ethnic Han Chinese person (the majority ethnic group in China). Hui Chinese physically look like Han Chinese and speak the same language as Han Chinese (Mandarin). But unlike Han Chinese people, the Hui Chinese are mostly Muslims with ancestors from the Middle East. How…

Korean barbeque is one of Korea’s most famous exports, and it is eaten commonly in the Korean peninsula and around the world. Today we will dive into the history of Korean barbeque, and how a craving for meat on a grilled turned into a world famous cuisine! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my podcast! And FOLLOW my Instagram @bamboohistorypodcast. Plea…

In the second part of our 2 part series on the Kangxi Emperor (1654 – 1722), we unravel more on his reign outside of his military exploits, and explore his peacetime rule over China. We will also delve into the succession crisis that marred his later years. It was hard to put his 61 year reign all into 1 episode, but that means you all get to enjoy…

The Kangxi Emperor (1654 – 1722) reigned China for 61 years, and is China’s longest reigning emperor ever. Today’s first part of a 2 part series will focus on Kangxi’s early reign, with a focus on his military achievements. Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my podcast! And FOLLOW my Instagram @bamboohistorypodcast. Please DM me on Insta for any feedback…

There have been claims on the internet that Chinese maritime explorer Wang Dayuan visited Australia in the 1300s, 300 years before the first European set their sights on the continent. Today we will dive into Wang Dayuan’s life and travels, and explore this claim: did Wang Dayuan visit Australia? Or is this purely fictional? The Bamboo History Podc…

Last week's episode 40 was our last episode for the year. The Bamboo History Podcast will be taking a break over the Christmas and New Year holidays and will be back with more exciting content from February 2023. Stay on the lookout for extra history content that will be posted on Instagram during the break. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Y…

Korean history special for episode 40! When King Suro of the Gaya Kingdom was 6 years old, his people told him that it was time to find a wife. He was picky, and instead of choosing a Korean girl to be his wife, decided to find someone far far away, as far as the Indian subcontinent… Tune in to find out more about this Indian girl who became a Kore…

Money has always been a big part of a Chinese person's life, both in modern and ancient times. Such a big part, that when the coins started to pile up, they needed to find somewhere to store it... What did they come up with? Tune in to discover ancient Chinese money storage and banking methods! (Spoiler, it involves a Buddhist temple... hehe) Don’t…

Ancient stories have portrayed Daji, a concubine of King Zhou of Shang, as one of, if not the most evil female figure in ancient Chinese history. Just how evil was Daji? Tune in to find out! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my podcast! And FOLLOW my Instagram @bamboohistorypodcast. Please DM me on Insta for any feedback, topic suggestions and/or genera…

A stereotype of Asian parents in Western countries is that they place emphasis on their children’s education, so much so that the pressure they place on their children has been labelled as “tiger parenting”. Today's story is about an ancient Chinese Asian tiger parent, the mother of the famous Chinese philosopher Mencius. Tune in! (Remember, give y…