Ep. 298 | Homer Lea

This episode is another listener request. In fact, Homer Lea's been requested regularly throughout the years. He's more of a footnote from history than actual history itself. Homer's story is kind of unique because of the stumbling blocks life threw his way. He didn't live long but in his short life he got to witness a lot and be a sort of "fly on the wall" to some of the great moments in Revolutionary Chinese history that we're all so familiar with. So let's go relive those years from 1908 to 1912 and the walk-on roles Homer Lea got to play as history unfolded.

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Terms in Episode

Pinyin/TermChineseEnglish/Meaning
Qing清朝The last dynasty of Imperial Chinese history: 1644-1911
Sun Yat-sen孙逸仙1866-1925, Chinese statesman, physician, and political philosopher, served as the first provisional president of the Republic of China and the first leader of the Kuomintang. He is called the "Father of the Nation" in the Republic of China, and the "Forerunner of the Revolution" in the People's Republic of China for his instrumental role in the overthrow of the Qing dynasty during the Xinhai Revolution.
Guāngxù Emperor光绪帝The penultimate emperor of the Qing Dynasty. Nephew of the Empress Dowager Cixi
Yèhè Nàlā Wǎnzhēn葉赫那拉 婉貞Younger sister to the Empress Dowager Cíxǐ. Mother of the Guangxi Emperor
Empress Dowager Cíxǐ慈禧太后1835-1908, Ruler of China for more than 40 years, mother of one emperor and aunt to another
Yuán Shìkǎi袁世凯1859-1916, Major military and government official during the waning years of the Qing and the early years of the Republocan era
Rónglù荣禄1836-1903, poilitical and military leader during the late Qing. He was one of the Empress Dowager Cixi's favorites. His grandson was Puyi, the last Qing emperor.
Kāng Yǒuwéi康有为1858-1927, major political figure during the reform era who tried to enact all kinds of social and political reforms in China during the reign of the Guangxu Emperor
Liáng Qǐchāo梁启超1873-1929, Major politician, social and political actyivist, journalist, intellectual and educator of the late Qing early Republican period
Ng Poon Chew伍盘照1866-1931, major figure in Chinese-American history. Author, fighter of Chinesde civil rights, and publisher of the first Chinese language daily newspaper outside of China
Toi San台山Coastal city on the western side of the Pearl River Delta. A lot of Chinese from that city and the surrounding counties to the north of them, migrated to cities all over the world.
Bǎo Huáng Huì保皇会Chinese Empire Reform Association
Zhūgě Liàng诸葛亮181-234 AD, Chinese statesman, military strategist and politican during the Three Kingdoms period
Sūnzǐ孙子544-496 BC, tradition hails him as China's greatest military strategist, The book which bears his name is a guide to military strategy
lǎo wài老外A foreigner
Yung Wing容闳1828-1912, Chinese-American diplomat and businessman, first Chinese graduate of Yale in 1854
Wǔchāng武昌City in Hubei province. Part of the metropolis of Wuhan
Xīnhài Revolution辛亥革命The uprising that brought down the Qing Dynasty. It began in Wuchang on October 10, 1911 and lasted four months and two days. It led to the establishment of the Republic of China
Emperor Pǔyí溥仪The final emperor of the Qing Dynasty, immortalized in the West in the Bertolucci movie The Last Emperor
Sūn Fó孙佛1891-1973, major official in the KMT and Republic of China government. His father was Sun Yat-sen

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Ep. 299 | The History of Chinese Alchemy (Part 1)

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Ep. 297 | Austro-German Jewish Musicians in Wartime Shanghai