In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Deng Xiaoping's pivotal decision in 1977 to restore the national college entrance examination, the gaokao, after a decade of suspension during the Cultural Revolution. They delve into the political maneuvering required to overturn Maoist-era policies, the dramatic scene of 5.7 million applicants taking the exam in December 1977, and the profound impact on Chinese society. The conversation covers key figures like Fang Yi, the Minister of Education; Liu Xiya...
May 17, 2026•6 min•Season 1Ep. 44
In October 1983, Deng Xiaoping launched the Anti-Spiritual Pollution Campaign, a brief but intense ideological crackdown targeting Western cultural influences, from pop music to literature. This episode explores how the campaign unfolded, its key targets—like the 'obscene' book 'The Lover' by Marguerite Duras and the jazz performances at Shanghai's Peace Hotel—and its swift curtailment by Deng himself when it threatened economic reforms. We delve into the roles of figures like Hu Yaobang and Che...
May 17, 2026•8 min•Season 1Ep. 43
In 1984, as Shanghai's first coastal city reforms took hold, a quiet cultural battle erupted in the backstreets of the French Concession. Deng Xiaoping, fresh from opening 14 coastal cities, faced a challenge he hadn't anticipated: jazz. The Peace Hotel's Old Jazz Band, led by blind pianist Jimmy Wang, had become a symbol of cosmopolitan longing. But hardliners like Chen Yun saw it as bourgeois decadence. This episode follows the clash between Shanghai's emerging nightlife and Party ideologues, ...
May 16, 2026•6 min•Season 1Ep. 42
In 1985, Deng Xiaoping announced the reduction of the People's Liberation Army by one million personnel, a decision that reshaped China's military and economy. This episode focuses on the controversial demobilization of 100,000 officers—the core of the PLA's command structure—and the creation of a new reserve force, the People's Armed Police. We explore the resistance from senior generals like Yang Dezhi, the challenges of retraining officers for civilian life, and the establishment of military-...
May 15, 2026•8 min•Season 1Ep. 41
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Deng Xiaoping's often-overlooked 1986 reform of China's civil aviation industry. They discuss how the once-military-run CAAC was broken up into six regional airlines, the role of then–Vice Premier Li Peng in pushing the reforms, the introduction of Boeing 737s and 747s into the Chinese fleet, and the establishment of the Civil Aviation Administration of China as a regulator. They also touch on the controversy over opening domestic routes to foreign carrier...
May 13, 2026•6 min•Season 1Ep. 40
In 1988, Shanghai was choking — traffic, population, and decay. Deng Xiaoping bet on an underground solution that defied the city's famously swampy geology. This episode follows the battle between Shanghai's pragmatic mayor Zhu Rongji and skeptical geologists who warned that tunneling through Shanghai's soft silt was impossible. We trace the forgotten French engineering team that pulled it off, the Chinese workers who dug by hand through ancient riverbeds, and the political gambit that tied metr...
May 12, 2026•6 min•Season 1Ep. 39
In 1977, Deng Xiaoping reinstated China's national college entrance exam, the gaokao, after a decade-long suspension during the Cultural Revolution. This episode explores how Deng and his education minister, Liu Xiyao, navigated fierce political opposition to revive merit-based admissions. We follow the story of Zhang Yuzhen, a factory worker who, at age 27, became the first in her family to pass the exam and attend Peking University. The episode delves into the logistics of printing test papers...
May 12, 2026•7 min•Season 1Ep. 38
In 1988, Deng Xiaoping made Hainan Island China's newest province and its largest special economic zone, sparking a frenzy of speculation known as 'Hainan fever'. This episode dives into the Yangpu land controversy, where a plan to lease 30 square kilometers of land to Japanese development giant Kumagai Gumi ignited a fierce debate about sovereignty, foreign investment, and economic reform. Lucas and Luna explore the roles of key figures like Hainan Party Secretary Lin Ruo, Vice Premier Yao Yili...
May 11, 2026•5 min•Season 1Ep. 37
In 1980, Deng Xiaoping turned his attention to the creeping deserts of Ningxia, where the Tengger Desert was swallowing farmland and villages. This episode follows the unlikely partnership between Deng's reformist government and a Chinese scientist named Zhu Zhenda, who pioneered the 'straw checkerboard' technique to stabilize dunes. We explore how the Three-North Shelter Forest Program (the 'Great Green Wall') began, the role of the responsibility system in land reclamation, and the human cost ...
May 11, 2026•6 min•Season 1Ep. 36
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a pivotal but often overlooked chapter of Deng Xiaoping's leadership: the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War. Just months after the US normalization and his secret visit to Japan, Deng ordered a punitive strike against Vietnam to teach a lesson over Cambodia and to test China's military reforms. They discuss the brief but brutal conflict along the border, the role of General Yang Dezhi, the impact on China's relations with the Soviet Union and ASEAN, and how the war...
May 10, 2026•6 min•Season 1Ep. 35
In 1985, Deng Xiaoping made a bold decision to transform Hainan Island from a neglected military frontier into China's largest special economic zone. This episode follows the intense debates between reformist Lin Ruo and conservative Yao Yilin, the failed Yangpu land-lease deal with Japan's Kumagai Gumi that sparked nationalistic fury, and the 'Hainan fever' that saw thousands of fortune-seekers flood the island. We explore how Deng's vision turned a remote tropical backwater into a laboratory f...
May 10, 2026•5 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Deng Xiaoping's 1980s Family Planning Campaign. In the early 1980s, China faced a demographic crisis: rapid population growth threatened economic reforms. Deng Xiaoping, alongside Chen Yun and Zhao Ziyang, pushed for strict family planning policies. The 1980 'Open Letter' to Communist Party members urged one child per couple. The campaign intensified in 1982 with the 'One Child Policy', enforced by local cadres like Qian Xinzhong. This episode explores the policy's origins, enforcement, and huma...
May 09, 2026•5 min•Season 1Ep. 33
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a lesser-known facet of Deng Xiaoping's reform era: the ambitious 1980s campaign to halt desertification in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. They uncover how Deng's government mobilized millions of villagers to plant drought-resistant shrubs and trees in the Tengger Desert, using a 'responsibility system' that tied reforestation to household income. Lucas details the role of scientist Zhu Zhenda, who pioneered sand-fixing techniques like straw checkerboards,...
May 09, 2026•5 min•Season 1Ep. 32
In this episode of Deng Xiaoping: The Man Who Rebuilt China, hosts Lucas and Luna explore a pivotal but often overlooked policy: the decision to send thousands of Chinese students overseas in 1978. Fresh from his secret visit to Japan, Deng Xiaoping understood that China's modernization depended on acquiring foreign knowledge. The episode details the first delegation of 52 students sent to the United States, the bureaucratic battles led by Fang Yi and the State Science and Technology Commission,...
May 08, 2026•7 min•Season 1Ep. 31
In 1979, Deng Xiaoping approved a landmark exhibition of traditional ink paintings by Li Keran, a master who had been vilified during the Cultural Revolution. This episode explores the political tightrope Deng walked as he rehabilitated artists to signal a cultural thaw. We discuss the role of the Chinese Artists Association, the 1979 National Art Exhibition, and the revival of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles. Li Keran's landscape 'Red Mountains and Green Valleys' became a symbo...
May 08, 2026•6 min•Season 1Ep. 30
In 1986, China passed its first bankruptcy law — an extraordinary gamble that tested the boundaries of socialism. This episode explores the political battle behind the Enterprise Bankruptcy Law of the People's Republic of China, from the unlikely case of the Shenyang Explosion-Proof Equipment Factory to the fierce opposition led by Peng Zhen and Chen Yun. Lucas and Luna dive into how Deng Xiaoping used the bankruptcy experiment as a lever to push market reforms, the constitutional questions it r...
May 07, 2026•7 min•Season 1Ep. 29
In 1986, China passed its first Bankruptcy Law, a radical experiment that tested the limits of socialist ideology and market reform. Lucas and Luna explore the law's origins, the fierce debates it sparked, and the surprising case of the Shenyang Explosion-Proof Equipment Factory—the first state-owned enterprise forced into bankruptcy. They examine how Deng Xiaoping and reformers like Zhao Ziyang pushed the law through against opposition from conservatives who saw bankruptcy as a betrayal of soci...
May 07, 2026•9 min•Season 1Ep. 28
In October 1978, Deng Xiaoping made a secret eight-day visit to Japan that would reshape China's economic future. This episode dives into the details of that trip: how Deng toured factories in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, rode Japan's bullet train (Shinkansen), and negotiated with Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda. We explore the behind-the-scenes diplomacy, the cultural exchanges, and the specific technologies Deng sought—from steelmaking to electronics. Learn how Deng's observations of Japanese industri...
May 06, 2026•7 min•Season 1Ep. 27
In 1992, at age 87, Deng Xiaoping embarked on a secret tour of southern China that would reshape the nation's economic trajectory. After the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown and the collapse of the Soviet Union, China's reform movement had stalled under conservative backlash. Deng traveled by special train to Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Guangzhou, and Shanghai, delivering extemporaneous speeches that would become legendary. He famously declared that 'development is the absolute principle' and warned against those...
May 06, 2026•6 min•Season 1Ep. 26
In 1980, Deng Xiaoping established four Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou, and Xiamen, a bold experiment to attract foreign investment and technology. This episode explores the origins of the SEZ policy, inspired by the export processing zones of other Asian economies. We delve into the roles of key figures like Xi Zhongxun and Gu Mu, the early struggles in Shenzhen—from a small fishing village to a boomtown—and the fierce internal debates over capitalism versus socialis...
May 05, 2026•4 min•Season 1Ep. 25
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Deng Xiaoping's ambitious 1989 project to build massive flood pumps in Shanghai's Suzhou Creek. They discuss the devastating 1988 floods that prompted the project, the engineering challenges of constructing the world's largest drainage pump station in a densely populated city, and the political maneuvering behind the scenes. The episode also touches on Shanghai's long history of flooding, the role of mayor Zhu Rongji, and the project's legacy in China's ur...
May 05, 2026•4 min•Season 1Ep. 24
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Deng Xiaoping's 1984 decision to open 14 coastal cities to foreign investment, a pivotal moment in China's economic reform. They discuss Gu Mu's role, the establishment of 经济技术开发区 (economic and technological development zones), and the impact on cities like Dalian, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. The episode also touches on the earlier Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and how the coastal opening strategy expanded China's integration into the global economy....
May 04, 2026•6 min•Season 1Ep. 23
In 1984, Deng Xiaoping expanded China's economic opening beyond the original Special Economic Zones by authorizing 14 coastal cities to adopt foreign investment incentives. This episode follows the internal debates between reformers like Gu Mu and conservatives wary of capitalist influence. We look at the specific cities—from Dalian to Beihai—and how each navigated the new policies. The creation of Economic and Technological Development Zones (ETDZs) is examined, along with the eventual mega-pro...
May 04, 2026•7 min•Season 1Ep. 22
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Deng Xiaoping's often-overlooked push for intellectual property reform in the 1980s. They dive into the 1984 Patent Law—China's first—and the debates it sparked among ideologues and pragmatists. The conversation covers the role of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) advisors, the controversial Article 25 excluding pharmaceutical patents, and the landmark case of Zhangzhou's ginseng patent. Lucas explains how Deng saw IP protection as essential ...
May 03, 2026•6 min•Season 1Ep. 21
In the mid-1980s, China's transition from a planned economy to a market-oriented one hit a dangerous bottleneck: price reform. Deng Xiaoping and his allies, including Premier Zhao Ziyang, faced the daunting task of liberalizing prices without triggering runaway inflation or social unrest. This episode dives into the two-track price system, the disastrous 1988 price shock that sparked panic buying across Chinese cities, and the tough lessons that shaped China's gradualist approach to reform. We e...
May 03, 2026•5 min•Season 1Ep. 20
In 1985, Deng Xiaoping turned his attention to a tropical island off China's southern coast: Hainan. This episode explores how Hainan, then a backwater known for its beaches and rubber plantations, became the country's largest special economic zone. We trace the lobbying efforts of Guangdong party secretary Lin Ruo, the resistance from conservative officials like Yao Yilin, and the dramatic 1988 declaration that made Hainan a province and a testbed for market reforms. Discover how the island's u...
May 02, 2026•8 min•Season 1Ep. 19
In the wake of the Cultural Revolution, China's railways were in a state of disrepair, with aging infrastructure and inefficiencies hindering economic recovery. This episode explores Deng Xiaoping's push to modernize the rail network, focusing on the 1978 decision to import advanced technology from Japan and West Germany, the construction of the Daqin Railway to transport coal from Shanxi, and the pivotal role of Minister of Railways Duan Junyi. We discuss the challenges of electrification, doub...
May 02, 2026•6 min•Season 1Ep. 18
In 1985, Deng Xiaoping announced a massive reduction of the People's Liberation Army by one million troops, reshaping China's military into a leaner, more technologically advanced force. This episode explores the strategic reasoning behind the cuts, the internal debates between hardliners and reformers, and the challenges of transitioning hundreds of thousands of soldiers into civilian life. We delve into the role of key figures like Yang Shangkun and Zhang Aiping, the shift from 'people's war' ...
May 01, 2026•6 min•Season 1Ep. 17
In 1984, Deng Xiaoping expanded China's reform and opening-up beyond Shenzhen, designating 14 coastal cities as new economic engines. This episode explores the strategic logic behind that decision, the cities chosen—from Dalian to Beihai—and how they became laboratories for market reforms. Lucas and Luna discuss the role of technocrats like Gu Mu, the creation of Economic and Technological Development Zones, and the tensions between central planning and local experimentation. They also examine t...
May 01, 2026•5 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In 1980, Deng Xiaoping faced a daunting task: rewriting China's constitution after the chaos of the Cultural Revolution. This episode explores the drafting of the 1982 Constitution, focusing on the key figures involved, such as Peng Zhen and Hu Qiaomu, and the fierce debates over presidential term limits, the role of the Communist Party, and the inclusion of basic rights. We examine how the constitution balanced liberal reforms with party control, and its lasting impact on China's legal system. ...
Apr 30, 2026•7 min•Season 1Ep. 15
