Passing the Imperial Exam: The World’s First Standardized Test

In this episode, we talk about what it's like being LGBTQ in China. We are joined by Peng Hao, who shares his experience being a gay foreigner in China. We cover LGBTQ culture in China, LGBTQ media, language, literature, movies, and gay celebrities. We hear about his experience disclosing his sexuality and his views on the future of the gay community in China. 你最早是什么时候了解到中国同性恋的人群？ 李银河 为什么同性恋被称为“同志”，还有“同志”在中文里还有其他什么意思。 除了同志还有哪些别和LGBTQ有关的流行语呢？ · 拉拉 · 直男/直女 · 跨性别 · 性少数群体 · 酷儿 · 出柜 · 深柜 我们聊到了gay的词汇，那你觉得中国的同性恋人群有什么特点？ 你还关注哪些中国LGBT圈子里的公众人物？ 北京的LGBTQ人群是什么样的？他们喜欢去哪里？ Gay的酒吧 软件 Blue的 你在中国公开过自己的同志身份吗？ 中美对待同性恋的态度的问题？ 中国人更容易接受还是美国人更容易接受？ 你觉得中国人对同性恋的接受程度怎么样？同性恋是不是一个在中国可以被公开讨论的话题？ 你觉得中国人一般来说会公开自己的同性恋身份吗？

On this episode, we have special guest, Eveline Chao. Eveline will share stories from the past and the present about Chinese immigrants in America. We will also talk about the challenges and discrimination early Chinese immigrants faced and what the social landscape looks like for today’s Asian American community. Eveline Chao is a freelance journalist who often writes about China and Chinatowns across America. Her stories have appeared in the New York Times, BBC, Foreign Policy, and many other major media outlets. Episode Summary: 台湾裔美国人在美国成长的经历 是什么原因让台山人在19世纪中期大批移民美国？ 早期华裔移民的主要工作是什么？ 为什么早期华裔移民大多数都成为了餐馆和洗衣店老板？ 19世纪美国淘金热后的反华歧视现象 为什么中国城的洗衣店习惯用牛皮纸包衣服？ 为什么20世纪50年代很多中国人被叫做“查理”？ 傅满洲是谁？ Kai Doy在台上话里是什么意思？ 三合会和其他中国城的帮派是怎么一回事？ 什么是Bamboo Ceiling? 20世纪中后期亚裔美国人的歧视问题 近年来美国人对中国人态度的转变 李小龙是如何影响美国人对中国人的看法 Chinese Exclusion Act Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 Book & Movie Recommendations： The Chinese in America: A Narrative History by Iris Chang Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People by Helen Zia Warrior，《唐人街战士》，又译《战士》，于2019年在Cinemax首播

A loanword is a word adopted from a foreign language. On this episode of MandarinPod, Kathya will not only be discussing why some loanwords aren't directly translated according to pronunciation into Chinese, but also the four main methods used in translating foreign words.

Chinese New Year is here! 新年快樂! On this episode, we talk about the traditions and customs surrounding Chinese New Year. We also discuss how ancient traditions have changed in recent years. Let's get started!

The Lunar New Year (中国新年) or the Spring Festival (春节) is coming up. 2021 is the year of the Ox, starting on February 12th. The Ox is both the second animal in the Chinese zodiac and a highly regarded animal in Chinese culture. It’s often associated with positive virtues, such as being hardworking, honest, and reliable. In this episode, you will hear some Chinese legends and customs of the Ox passed down for generations. We will also share words, phrases, and Chinese idioms that have ox (牛) in them, and many of these words have some interesting stories behind them. Now, let’s find out why the ox has played such an important role in Chinese culture. Chinese: 中国的农历新年（春节）即将到来。 2021年是牛年，农历新年会在2月12日开始。牛既是在十二生肖中的排行第二的动物，又是中国文化中备受推崇的动物。牛的性格常常与良好的美德相关联，例如勤奋，诚实和可靠。在这一集中，您会听到一些关于牛的中国传说和习俗从。我们还将分享一些带有牛字的单词，词组和汉语成语，其中许多单词背后都有一些有趣的故事。如果你对为什么牛在中国文化中发挥如此重要的作用感兴趣，一定不要错过这期播客内容！

On this episode, we will be talking with special guest Kathya Avila. Kathya is from New York and is currently studying at Peking University in Beijing. Kathya talks about her experience with social and cultural assimilation as an American international student in China. She also shares some practical tips, such as how to open a bank account and how to rent an apartment in China. 

What do the phrases, “No can do”, “Chop, Chop!",  and “brainwashed!” have in common? They all originated from Chinese language. Chinese words have been influencing English and European languages for hundreds of years. On today’s episode of MandarinPod, we talk about a few english words with Chinese origins and how Chinese words migrated west. Stick around for new Chinese vocab, Chinese idioms, and lots of listening practice!

China was doing standardized tests long before the SAT’s. Like a thousand years. Today, we are talking about the world’s original test- the imperial examination. We will talk about how it worked, its origins, its role in Chinese society, and how long this system was used. We raise the truly important question- is it possible to cheat on the imperial exam?! We finish up with thoughts about the most modern version of the imperial exam in today's China.

November 3rd was Election Day in the United States. In the spirit of this historic week, we are going to be talking about presidential elections in China. In this episode, we ask and discuss… What is democratic centralism? What is the line of succession in China’s government? What are some state institutions in China? How is power distributed in the Chinese political system?

In this episode, we'll be talking about how Chinese people currently living in America are dealing with the wave of American hostility towards China. We will also be looking into how the recent social media bans, travel/work restrictions, and mass closures of Chinese restaurants have been affecting these Chinese people currently residing in the states.