Hou Yi shooting down suns
Did you know there were once ten suns in the sky? At least according to Chinese mythology. That couldn't have been good. Who saved the day? It was a hero named Hou Yi.
Nov 02, 2020•10 min
Chinese Folk Tales
Immerse yourself in the enchanting narrative of Chinese Cinderella, the romantic tale of the cowherd and the fairy, and the heroic legend of the fearless female general, Mulan...... These mythical stories blur the lines of reality, featuring epic protagonists. Join us on a wondrous journey into a new world, imbued with tradition, mythology, and enduring wisdom. Subscribe and listen now.
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Episodes
The end of fairyland in the sea
Today's story is about some Chinese fairies, who look nothing like Tinker Bell. What do they look like and what do they do all day?
Oct 29, 2020•10 min
The God of Spring and the God of Autumn
This story is mainly about the God of Spring and the God of Autumn, but it's much more than that. The God of one thing in ancient China could be the God of so many things.
Oct 26, 2020•11 min
The god of water with a short fuse
There is a saying in China that all the major rivers flow to the east. Why is that? Are there magical powers that draw them to the sea? Well, the story has to start with the Chinese God of Water and all the fights that he managed to get into. Click on the play button to listen to his stories.
Oct 22, 2020•9 min
The Sun Goddess and her ten sons
People everywhere worship the sun, but maybe only the Chinese once had ten suns instead of one. How did that work out? The story starts with their Sun Goddess, the mother of the ten suns.
Oct 19, 2020•8 min
The Foolish Old Man
Every child in China has heard of Yu Gong, the Foolish Old Man. I mean, he was 90 years old when he decided to remove the two mountains in front of his house. Hmm...so how did that go？You might be surprised to hear how that ended.
Oct 15, 2020•9 min
The giant who chased the sun
Today I want to tell you about the Forest Gump of ancient China, a man not really known for his sharp wits but revered for his courage and persistence. Why did he chase the sun? Did he get there? Let me tell you all about it!
Oct 12, 2020•9 min
The bird who tried to fill the ocean
Growing up in China, I often heard of the story of a little bird named Jing Wei that tried to fill the ocean, one beakful of rocks and twigs at a time. But not until I was grown did I fully understand the fury and spirit of that legendary bird. Why did she want to fill the ocean? Let's listen and find out.
Oct 08, 2020•7 min
The invention of the written characters
The difficulty of learning Chinese characters might be frustrating for foreigners, but you got to admit, it's better than drawing everything out in pictures like they used to do during the cave-dwelling days. How were Chinese characters invented? And by whom? We'll find out today. And, if it's of any comfort, they are not easy for Chinese to learn neither.
Oct 05, 2020•8 min
The Fashionista Goddess of Silk
For some odd reason, raising silkworms as a "pet" was in fashion when I was in second grade and for someone who gets goose bumps from seeing worms, it was a difficult time. But, I have no problem with wearing silk, so shiny, smooth and cool to the touch. Who first made the connection between silkworm cocoons and the making of silk? You will find out in this episode.
Oct 01, 2020•10 min
Mr. Curious the Botanist
With better housing and fire for cooking, life was a lot better. As a result of that, population grew and food supply ran short. Hunting and berry picking couldn't cut it anymore. Luckily, Mr. Curious the Botanist came along. What did he discover? Well, much more than you can imagine!
Sep 28, 2020•10 min
Mr. Courageous and Fire
What would you say to sashimi everyday? Sounds fantastic! But wait, what if it's sashimi roots, vegetables, bloody raw kills, everything except salmon and tuna and the other yummy stuff? Then I think having fire would be a grand idea! So how was fire discovered according to Chinese mythology? Let me introduce Mr. Courageous!
Sep 24, 2020•12 min
Mr. Handyman the Chinese Baron on the Trees
It's no surprise that humans lived in caves back in the ancient times. But did you know that some also lived on trees? They were not quite tree houses but at least human nests. Join us on this episode and get to know the first architect in Chinese history, Mr. Youchao.
Sep 21, 2020•7 min
Fu Xi and the Eight Diagrams
Have you heard of the Eight Diagram from ancient China that contains the secrets of the universe? Do you know who invented nets and brought about the domesticating of animals? They all have to do with an ancient Chinese God called Fu Xi, who had the body of a human but the tail of a serpent. Intrigued?
Sep 17, 2020•8 min
Goddess Nv Wa saving her human babies
With the creation of humans, Goddess Nv Wa was no longer lonely, but the future was not all rosy for the little human creatures. One day, without warning, the sky crackled open and fire rained down. The earth rumbled with the coming of a flood. What to do? Who could save them?
Sep 14, 2020•10 min
Goddess Nv Wa and her human babies
The world that the Giant Pan Gu had created was beautiful, with the sun and the moon, mountains and rivers. But something was missing, something that's the source of cries and laughter, of arts and imagination, of science and culture. That's right! I'm talking about humans. How were humans created, the Chinese way?
Sep 10, 2020•9 min
The giant Pan Gu and the beginning of the world
We all know about the Big Bang Theory, but to say that our world was created from a big explosion sounds a bit too catastrophic for the taste of the ancient Chinese. So how did the world start the Chinese way? We will have to start with the giant named Pan Gu.
Sep 07, 2020•9 min
Season 2 Trailer
A million, a billion or maybe a gazillion years ago, a giant hacked open an egg. Then there was the sky, the earth, and the world as we know……Welcome to season 2 of Chinese Folk Tales and we will explore the ancient mystical world together, available in September.
Sep 03, 2020•34 sec
The story of the three Ganjiers
Today we have a story from the Tibetan people who live in southwest China. Once upon a time, there lived three men who all had the same name, Ganjier. One was the tribal chief, one a carpenter, and the other the chief steward.
Aug 31, 2020•5 min
The treasure of treasures
The Tibetans have a special festival called Linka. It begins on May 15 and last several days. During this period, people leave their homes and stay in the countryside. Once, a group of people went to celebrate Linka in a very beautiful villa. It was located in an out-of-the-way area. The group included an aristocrat, an official, a merchant and a landlord. There was also a cook and four servants.
Aug 27, 2020•5 min
The story of Ling Dang
Ling Dang was the name of a poor boy who lost his mother when he was only five. Seven years later, his father also died. His stepmother, very much fond of her own son, Bao Dan, treated Ling Dang badly. Fortunately, the two brothers themselves loved each other. Whenever Ling Dang was in trouble, Bao Dan would lend a hand. But that further annoyed the stepmother who reacted by being more cruel to Ling Dang.
Aug 24, 2020•5 min
She outwitted the greedy
On the grasslands of northwestern China, there lived a girl named Ageyisha and her old father. The poor family’s only possession was an ancient cow that no longer produced milk. One day, the father planned to sell a bunch of firewood for five coins so he loaded his cow and drove it to the market.
Aug 20, 2020•5 min
The county magistrate and his three servants
In old China, when a new county magistrate took office, it was customary for him to do three good deeds to win the support of the local people. In this episode, we have the story of one magistrate who handled matters a little differently. This new court official issued the unusual order that three men be arrested: A quick-tempered man, a lazy slowpoke and a con artist.
Aug 17, 2020•5 min
The clever farmer (part 2)
Meet the clever farmer Fan Qiangshan who is hero of wisdom and courage among the Miao people of southwest China.
Aug 13, 2020•5 min
The clever farmer (part 1)
Once there was a farmer whose name was Fan Qiangshan. He worked for a landlord. Every day he got up at dawn and returned from the fields at dusk. He was very hard-working but was given only the poorest kind of food.
Aug 10, 2020•5 min
Third Sister Liu
The Zhuang people of China have a festival called “the third day of the third month.” The Zhuang celebrate it by holding song fests in the mountains near their villages. They also wait for the arrival of Third Sister Liu. Who is Third Sister Liu?
Aug 06, 2020•5 min
The good hunter
Many years ago, there lived an excellent hunter and trapper. He was kind and gentle and was always ready to share what he caught with others. He was loved and respected by everybody in his village. One day he was out hunting in the forest. Suddenly a cry for help came from above him. Looking up. He saw a crane is getting by with a little white snake in its claws.
Aug 03, 2020•5 min
The good wife (part 2)
The princess' husband was left with nothing after exchanging his scarf for a horse, the horse for a goat, the goat for a duck and the duck for a whetstone, which he had also lost while trying to catch some wild ducks to give to his wife.
Jul 30, 2020•5 min
The good wife (part 1)
The king of an ancient land was puzzled because a white swan flying about his palace seemed to be calling to him. He sent two courtiers to determine the meaning of the phenomenon. “Give me a satisfactory answer in three days,” the king said, “or you will be killed.” The two men racked their brains for two days and two nights without success.
Jul 27, 2020•5 min
Mola, son of the grasslands
Long, long ago, herdsmen of the grasslands were often forced to suffer through harsh winters. After weeks of violent storms, thick snows covered everything. There will be no firewood. There would be no food for the animals. Many lambs and calves froze to death, if they were not killed by hunger. All these, people said, were the work of the snow demon living at the foot of the QiLian Mountains. To save the grasslands, a young man called Mola volunteered to go to the Sun God for help.
Jul 23, 2020•5 min
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