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The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · 23h

Shamanism has become a tourist draw as a form of cultural and religious heritage, with a shamanic theme park existing in northeast China until 2021. To explore the diversity of shamanic practices across China and their survival in the face of official scepticism, Louisa and Graeme are joined...(2/3)

The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · 23h

In the latest episode in our series on belief, we’re exploring the surprising revival of shamanism in China, which has made a comeback despite Mao's best efforts at eradication. Ritual healers and spirit mediums are tapping into online believers and a public thirst for authentic spirituality. (1/3)

The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · 9d

Our episode on China’s incel community explored discourse on gender expectations in Chinese society. @qianhuang.bsky.social from the University of Groningen weighs in on how state and incel perspectives differ on articulating women’s roles.

Listen to the full episode: omny.fm/shows/the-li...

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The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · 18d

Listen to the full episode here: omny.fm/shows/the-li... or on our new YT channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYwD...

The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · 18d

In our most recent episode, we examine the history and development of incel culture on China’s internet. Guests Ling Tang, @qianhuang.bsky.social and Yihuan Zhang provide insights into where online misogyny takes place and give us an introduction to terminology from China’s manosphere.

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The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · 26d

In our episode on the Chinese manosphere, guests @qianhuang.bsky.social and Ling Tang answer the question, is there a Chinese Andrew Tate? How does Chinese online misogyny compare to Tate’s arguments?

Listen to the full episode: omny.fm/shows/the-li...

Man Up: The Rise and Rise of China’s Manosphere - The Little Red Podcast

The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · Sep 4

How does the Chinese manosphere compare to the Western one? In our latest episode, guests @qianhuang.bsky.social and Ling Tang weigh up on similarities and differences between incel discourse across cultures.

Listen to the full episode: omny.fm/shows/the-li...

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The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · Aug 21

and @qianhuang.bsky.social from the University of Groningen's Centre for Media and Journalism Studies.

Listen to the full episode: omny.fm/shows/the-li... (3/3)

In the latest in our series on belief, we’re examining the emergence of incels in the world’s largest manosphere. China’s growing incel community is fuelled by state-approved nationalism and simple d...

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The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · Aug 21

To find out why so many Chinese men believe that women are the source of their problems, Louisa and Graeme are joined by Yihuan Zhang, graduate researcher at the University of Macau, Ling Tang, cultural studies lecturer at the University of Melbourne... (2/3)

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The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · Aug 21

In the latest in our series on belief, we’re examining the emergence of incels in the world’s largest manosphere. China’s growing incel community is fuelled by state-approved nationalism and simple demographics—by one estimate, 30 million Chinese men won’t find a life partner. (1/3)

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The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · Aug 18

Listen to the full episode: omny.fm/shows/the-li... (2/2)

“The Chinese government has been trying to co-opt Buddhism for diplomatic purposes, as a tool for nationalism. It is a salient, a national characteristic of Chinese culture. You can monitor it, you can control it. You can co-opt powerful, wealthier monks within the party leadership.” - Chung on Buddhism and nationalism

“The state is in a good position for young people turning to Buddhism because religion is very invisible in public space. If you're going to the temple to channel your discontent, you're not channelling it other ways. Buddhism is part of the solution for the state.” - Fisher on Buddhism and the potential for social discontent

The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · Aug 18

In our most recent episode, guests Gareth Fisher and Chien-Peng Chung contemplate the intersection of Buddhism and power in both China today and in the past. (1/2)

"This is not something new, it's the scale. In the Republic of China, there was an interest in using religious heritage to promote soft power. Even during the (Mao) era, there was interest in opening up temple sites for foreign visitors, especially from Buddhist countries, as diplomacy." - Fisher on whether Buddhism as soft power is new for China

“Overseas temples is a diplomatic tool. It's not just selling Buddhism, it's promoting Chinese culture.
The learning of Chinese language for chanting, of course. People are attracted to the temple because they can learn Chinese and maybe get some free food.” - Chung on Shaolin temples as soft power or a business tool?

“There are many lay practitioners, nuns, monks who desire to missionize Buddhism in China and overseas. It's very difficult to tell to what extent someone in the Chinese Buddhist Association is simply doing what the government wants, and how much that's what they want to do.” - Fisher on the Chinese Buddhist Association’s autonomy

Karma Chameleon: The CCP turns to Buddhism - The Little Red Podcast

The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · Aug 8

In our latest episode, guests Chien-Peng Chung and Gareth Fisher speculate as to what Buddhism means to China's leader.

Listen to the full episode: omny.fm/shows/the-li... (2/2)

Continuing our series on belief in China, we look at the revival of Buddhism, which is being embraced by citizens and the Chinese state. While temple visits increase, the state is funding temples and ...

The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · Aug 8

What does President Xi Jinping think about Buddhism? With the rise of Buddhism in China, this question looms large. Back in 2014, Xi gave a speech at UNESCO speaking to the impact of Buddhism on China, the first time a PRC leader had given a pro-religious speech. (1/2)

Bringing you China from beyond the Beijing beltway. Hosted by Louisa Lim and Graeme Smith, with support from the Australian Centre for China in the World at the ANU.

The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · Aug 1

Looking for a new way to catch up on the Little Red Podcast? We are now on YouTube, where you can stream our episodes for free.

youtube.com/@littleredpo...

Little Red Podcast

youtube.com

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The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · Jul 29

Host @graemeksmith.bsky.social and guest Gareth Fisher ponder how Shi Yong Xin has maintained his role until now in spite of scandals.

Listen to the full episode: omny.fm/shows/the-li... (2/2)

Karma Chameleon: The CCP turns to Buddhism - The Little Red Podcast

Continuing our series on belief in China, we look at the revival of Buddhism, which is being embraced by citizens and the Chinese state. While temple visits increase, the state is funding temples and ...

Karma Chameleon: The CCP turns to Buddhism

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The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · Jul 29

In our latest episode, we examine Buddhism's adoption by China's people and the state. Shaolin Temples have been built overseas to promote Buddhism, authorised by its leader Shi Yong Xin. Yet Shi has caught global media attention this week with news he is under investigation for corruption. (1/2)

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Reposted by The Little Red Podcast

Wing Kuang @wingkuang.bsky.social · Jul 22

China watchers: here’s a must-listen episode for you from @littleredpodcast.bsky.social, it’s incredibly fascinating. You will be shocked.

podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/t...

Podcast Episode · The Little Red Podcast · 22/07/2025 · 49m

podcasts.apple.com

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Reposted by The Little Red Podcast

Andy Hazel @andyhazel.bsky.social · Jul 22

A great, and quietly shocking, episode of @littleredpodcast.bsky.social.

@louisalim.bsky.social, @graemeksmith.bsky.social @wingkuang.bsky.social

Karma Chameleon: The CCP turns to Buddhism

Podcast Episode · The Little Red Podcast · 22/07/2025 · 49m

podcasts.apple.com

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The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · Jul 23

… and political scientist Chien-Peng Chung from Lingnan University in Hong Kong.

Image: c/- Bitter Winter. Weibo image of Xi Jinping visiting Hongjue Temple, 18 June 2024.

Listen to the full episode: omny.fm/shows/the-li... (3/3)

Karma Chameleon: The CCP turns to Buddhism - The Little Red Podcast

Continuing our series on belief in China, we look at the revival of Buddhism, which is being embraced by citizens and the Chinese state. While temple visits increase, the state is funding temples and ...

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The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · Jul 23

As Xi Jinping extols Buddhism with Chinese characteristics, the Chinese state is leveraging Buddhism diplomacy to its advantage. To find out more, Louisa and Graeme are joined by anthropologist Gareth Fisher from Syracuse University, the author of From Comrades to Bodhisattvas… (2/3)

The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · Jul 23

Continuing our series on belief in China, we look at the revival of Buddhism, which is being embraced by citizens and the Chinese state. While temple visits increase, the state is funding temples and martial arts academies from Nepal to Tanzania. (1/3)

The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · Jul 16

From our latest episode, a different opinion on the status of ideology, specifically Marxism, in today’s China. Alison Sile Chen Zhao questions how prominent Marxism ever was to the PRC to start with.

Listen to the full episode: omny.fm/shows/the-li...

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The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · Jul 14

What does Marxism mean in today’s China? How can the Chinese Communist Party’s ideology be described in 2025? Professor @chenggang-xu.bsky.social of Standford University attempts to answer this question in this excerpt from our latest episode.

For the full episode: omny.fm/shows/the-li...