In this archival edition of Barbarians at the Gate, we examine the 1860 destruction of the Old Summer Palace in Beijing and how history and narrative are used and misused today.

jeremiahjenne.substack.com/p/the-destru...

On the latest episode of Barbarians at the Gate, we look at the 15th-century voyages of the Chinese admiral Zheng He. It’s giraffes, medieval globalization, and what might have been if Zheng He had decided Europe was worth the trip.

jeremiahjenne.substack.com/p/barbarians...

Talking about Sima Qian with Alexander Boyd leads to the uncomfortable realization that a belief in cosmic consequences for bad leadership feels like a quaint notion in 2025.

Link to the full episode: jeremiahjenne.substack.com/p/barbarians...

Does technology enhance language learning or is it cheating? In this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, David and Jeremiah consider the evolution of digital aids to studying Chinese from looking up radicals in paper dictionaries to Pleco to AI.

jeremiahjenne.substack.com/p/ai-laoshi-...

On the latest Barbarians at the Gate episode, David Chaffetz—author of Raiders, Rulers, and Traders—explains why he thinks the “Silk Road” is better understood as the “Horse Road.”

On this classic episode of Barbarians at the Gate, we ask:

"What is the purpose of Putonghua 普通话?

Is it to bridge the dialect divide, or to eventually replace regional languages and dialects?

Listen to the full episode "Mandarin Mayhem" at the link below:

open.substack.com/pub/jeremiah...

Had a great discussion with Alexander Boyd, Associate Editor of China Books Review, about “Beijing Jeep.” James Mann's classic account of what happens when enthusiasm for the China market and low-cost manufacturing triumph over common sense and basic math.

chinabooksreview.com/2025/06/10/b...

Emergency Podcast from Barbarians at the Gate:
@davidmoserbeijing.bsky.social and I discuss the future of US-China educational exchanges and the Trump Administration's actions against Harvard University and Chinese students in America.

jeremiahjenne.substack.com/p/emergency-...

In "The Six," explorer and writer Steven Schwankert challenges a century of misinformation surrounding six Chinese survivors of the Titanic. Why were these men vilified while members of other groups were celebrated? An investigation into a forgotten history. #Titanic #history #UntoldStories

In the latest episode of Barbarians at the Gate, David Moser and I discuss culture shock and our experiences helping students navigate the journey from "newbie" to "niubi" in China.

In this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, @davidmoserbeijing.bsky.social and I speak with @emilyzfeng.bsky.social about her new book, Let Only Red Flowers Bloom: Identity and Belonging in Xi Jinping’s China.

An insightful book and a wonderful conversation!

blubrry.com/barbarians/1...

In this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, @davidmoserbeijing.bsky.social and I catch up with Manya Koetse, creator of @whatsonweibo.bsky.social, a platform curating trends and providing in-depth insights into events, memes, and social phenomena on the Chinese Internet.

blubrry.com/barbarians/1...