There are more ways than ever to listen to history daily ad-free.

Listen with Wondry Plus in the Wondari app,

or you can get all of history daily plus other fantastic history podcasts at intohistory.com.

The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there.

That's what LP Hartley wrote in his 1953 novel The Go Between,

and that's one of the allures of studying history. You're also doing some travel.

But for us Americans and many of you Canadians, Australians and Brits,

much of the history we're exposed to becomes a well-traveled land.

These are places we've been to many times before, and though they're enjoyable to visit,

maybe we should look for more exotic locales for our next vacation in time.

How about China? Very few other nations had as big an impact on Western history,

and even fewer have as large an impact on today's first draft of history, the news.

And while there are a lot of points of connection, the Opian Wars, the Silk Road,

the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Cold War Proxy Battles, few in the West really know that much

about China's multi-millennia of history. I know I don't. So let's learn something together

on today's Saturday, Matinee, with an episode from the History of China podcast.

Host Chris Stewart introduces us to the early life and rise to prominence of a chieftain

of the Georgian, also known as the Manchuse. This young warlord will seek to reunite

fractures tribes after centuries of disunity, and lay challenge to the weak and

tottering Chinese regime to his south in order to claim its vast wealth and resources for himself.

It's a tale of conquest and courage, and I hope you enjoy.

While you're listening, search for and follow the History of China podcast for more.

...