2.4 The Carp and the Dragon

Bij Gin in Beijing

In this English translation version of my episode on education, you will hear from a student, a teacher and a mother about their experiences in the Chinese education system. In China, it is widely accepted that dedication and hard work will lead to greatness. But is it really still the case that discipline will guarantee success?

🧑‍🎨📚 Find out who the Chinese literary Van Gogh is in the 🌟Chinese Pop Culture section🌟

Follow my Chinese adventures and Chinese (literary) stars on Instagram: ⁠@bijgininbeijingdepodcast⁠.

In this episode: Jessica Sun (孙慧), Chen Chen, Catherine (张婧) en Chén Jiéhào (陈洁昊).

Want to find out more? ⤵️

Listen:

• Chinese Whispers: ⁠The sacrifices and rewards of a Chinese-style education⁠ (8 maart 2021). Insightful conversation with an American mother whose son went to school in China and then Germany, and about different perspectives on creativity.

• On the ‘slacking’ subculture and the government response: NPR Rough Translation, ⁠Slackers@Work: A Song for the Exhausted⁠. Wonderful, narrative episode featuring a blocked interview in a Chinese restaurant.
• The Economist, ⁠Drum Tower: A, B, Xi⁠ (paywall) on rising patriotism in Chinese education.

Read:

• ⁠The Economist: China’s defeated youth⁠
• ⁠The Economist: China’s economic malaise is causing disillusion among the young⁠
• Wikipedia-page of the book ⁠Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother⁠
• CSIS: ⁠China’s Hukou Reform in 2022: Do They Mean it this Time?⁠

Watch:

Documentary ⁠Wang Yang "China Gate" (2011) ⁠

Pop culture section:

• Wikipedia ⁠Mo Yan⁠
• Wikipedia ⁠Wang Xiaobo⁠
• Golden Age by Wang Xiaobo review – revolution in the bed – in ⁠The Guardian⁠.
• Trailer ⁠Three Body Problem⁠

Not in this section, but very important in Chinese literature:

• Article on ⁠The Four Great Classic Novels 四大名著 (sì dà míngzhù)⁠.

Music credits:

Jaco van den Berg (intro & outro);

The Caspian Sea by ⁠Blue Dot Sessions⁠;

FasterFasterBrighter by ⁠Blue Dot Sessions⁠;

Eggs and Powder by ⁠Blue Dot Sessions⁠;

Pxl Eventuat by ⁠Blue Dot Sessions⁠;

Idle Ways by ⁠Blue Dot Sessions⁠;

Trois Gnoissiennes 3 by ⁠Blue Dot Sessions⁠;

A Path Unwinding by ⁠Blue Dot Sessions⁠;

⁠Countdown News Intro⁠ by Chimerical.

Via Verre by ⁠Blue Dot Sessions⁠;

Artwork: Timo Verheij