Empress Wu Zetian - LIES - Chinese History - Extra History

Comments · 110

• EX

  @extrahistory · 2 years ago · pinned

  Want to vote on future episodes? Or make your own Extra History suggestions? Then why not join Patreon? <a href="http://patreon.com/extracredits">http://patreon.com/extracredits</a> &nbsp;<br>You&apos;ll get MORE exclusive content like early access to our episodes, wallpapers, and Discord access along with helping support the show!<br>- Thanks so much for watching! :_ExtraEmojiWalpole:

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• TR

  @trevinbeattie4888 · 2 years ago

  When you talked about having to read between the lines to interpret what officials were saying compared to how the Tang dynasty was doing, that sounds exactly like my approach when watching current government press conferences. &nbsp;You know that even when politicians tell the truth they’re going to spin it to make themselves look good and may be omitting details that make them look bad, so you have to take it with a proverbial grain of salt and compare their statements with what investigative journalists turn up.

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• ME

  @melnoli · 2 years ago

  Late to the party but I ADORE the new segment, global context is so easy to miss and so often absent

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• RO

  @rogerogue7226 · 1 year ago

  I would like to add a few things regarding the books about Judge Dee. <br><br>They were written by Robert van Gulik, a man i would consider worth his own series in regards to all the interesting things that happened in his life, even if he&apos;s not a worldshaking figure. He had a very interesting life and career, as a diplomat, scholar and writer among others. And even here in the Netherlands, he&apos;s not well enough known.<br><br>Secondly, the Dee books are explicitly NOT written as western gumshoe books. Van Gulik wrote them because he noticed a lot of gumshoes set in the east and China popping up, but Chinese characters, culture and history weren&apos;t being represented well and didn&apos;t get much attention. So as a studious scholar and sinologist, he wrote them in classical Chinese style, drew classical Chinese art for the first covers and in the books. He also added sections at the end where he explained a bit about the culture or history that was particularly relevant to that book&apos;s plot.<br><br>I personally really love the books. I read quite a few of them when i was younger, because my mom owns a bunch of second edition prints in fairly good condition. I&apos;ve collected most of the missing titles from the collection myself. <br><br>I particularly love how the books are simultaneously written from a clearly classic Confusion Chinese view, but in such a way a western reader gets a very clear look at the cultural assumptions, traditions and the human elements that would all be present in the society the story comes from. It shows a lot of the good and the bad of historical China, i&apos;d say.<br><br>I think such a nuanced and empathetic view towards other cultures and people is something we can always all do with a bit more of.

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• AN

  @anilmanepalli6029 · 2 years ago

  Series ideas<br>1. Indian rebellion of 1857<br>2. The Mughal empire<br>3. Wars of the roses<br>4. Or a small video on Thomas Alexandre dumas

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• KE

  @kevinchong5424 · 2 years ago

  Wu Zetian and Tama no Mai have no connection with each other. The reason people compare the two is also not as simple as them both strong female characters in the royal court in East-Asia. Another contributing factor is probably because the term &apos;狐狸精&apos; or &apos;fox spirit/demon&apos; is slang (in Cantonese at least) for a seductress, a sexually promiscuous woman who seduces (married) men and lead them astray. Basically, any woman who has a man wrapped around their little finger, will get that term thrown at them. So, Wu Zetian being called 狐狸精 and Tama no Mai being a kitsune (狐) is probably why people think the to are somehow connected

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• WI

  @wilsonli5642 · 2 years ago (edited)

  I do wish that we learned more about the substantive changes of her reign, but considering her rise to power is unique in Chinese history, I&apos;m glad that you did as deep a dive as you did.

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• KY

  @KyleRayner12 · 2 years ago

  I remember &quot;The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee&quot;! It&apos;s a fascinating collection for anyone interested in the society of the time, or anyone who just loves detective stories.

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• KL

  @klconlin · 2 years ago

  Welcome to the new researcher—enjoy! <br>Hope you get over your cold soon.

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• WY

  @wynnright4538 · 2 years ago

  Welcome to the new team member! Looking forward to what you bring!

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• OS

  @OshadhaRanawaka · 2 years ago

  Hey guys, I really love your serirs on Wu Zentien, but I would really appreciate it if you guys could do one on the Pelopanisian war. It&apos;s really interesting, and I hope you guys consider it on a future series. Good luck, guys.

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• ST

  @stormy7745 · 2 years ago

  Really enjoy the context fairy segment - looking forward to more of those!

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