The Context

Today, we’ll talk about the Taibao Ding, a remarkable bronze vessel from the early Zhou dynasty whose story reveals the origins of the ancient state of Yan, the struggles of a frontier kingdom that survived for more than eight centuries, and the early historical roots of the city that would eventually become modern Beijing.

Today, we’ll talk about how a sacred tree in ancient China was deliberately destroyed by its own worshippers, thus marking the end of divine kingship and the rise of secular rule, and contrast that with the ancient history of American theocracies whose world trees fell instead to foreign conquest.

Today, we’ll talk about a 5,000-year-old grave in eastern China and learn about the man with three identities buried inside it: he was an astronomer who measured the solstices with stunning accuracy, a shaman who placed the universe over his own heart, and a warrior who carried a giant stone axe.

Today, we’ll talk about the Sun and Immortal Bird, a delicate gold ornament that unlocked the secrets of a lost Bronze Age civilization and, in doing so, became a symbol of China’s cultural heritage.

Today, we’ll talk about Yellow Crane Tower, Wuhan’s iconic landmark with a story stretching back 1,800 years. It’s been a military watchtower, the subject of Chinese poetry, it’s even been rebuilt several times, and is now a modern symbol of the city’s history and culture.