logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2015
27m 2s

Stand Up for China

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Comedian Des Bishop finds out what makes the chinese laugh. He has learnt Mandarin to take his jokes to China. He finds that there is a long tradition of comedy in China called Xiangsheng, or Crosstalk, often in the form of two comedians playing off each other. Join him in a comedy club in Beijing to find out what goes down well - and what doesn't!

Up next
Dec 2015
The Battered Champions of Aleppo
A fuzzy team photo from the 1980s sends Tim Whewell on a journey to track down football players from a small town in northern Syria who were once the champions of Aleppo province. In the last four years of war their hometown, Mare'a, has become a war zone – bombed by the Assad re ... Show More
26m 57s
Dec 2015
A New Life 2 - Crossing the Continent
The Dhnie family find themselves sleeping rough, getting caught up in riots and being detained as they try to reach Europe after their flight from Syria. 
23m 31s
Dec 2015
My Mother's Sari
Shahidha traces the story of the sari, explores how it feels to wear one and asks what it meant for women like her mother. She discovers the unexpected ways in which clothing can be imprinted with feelings of nostalgia, love and loss. 
27m 4s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2023
Covid in China
When it came to tackling Covid, China has been among the strictest on the planet. There have been almost three years of travel restrictions, testing and lockdowns. Host James Reynolds also chats with Yanni, Lex and David, who discuss what it has been like to live under China’s ‘z ... Show More
24 m
Feb 2024
The New Mao
Xi Xinping, the leader of China, has dramatically consolidated power and extended his reign indefinitely. What does he think and what does he want? Steve Tsang is the Director of the SOAS China Institute at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. He is the author of ... Show More
49m 53s
Jun 2024
Chinese Podcast EP101: Can You Learn Chinese Better in China? 在中国就一定能学好中文吗?
His experience in China has two completely different phases: starting with zero Chinese language skills for the first few years, then becoming fluent in Chinese and able to communicate with locals. How did he achieve this transformation? Today, we have a special guest on our show ... Show More
46m 52s
Feb 2023
La Chine et les Chinois dans le monde
Géopolitique en partenariat avec Questions internationales autour de son numéro «La Chine et les Chinois dans le monde». Les différentes diasporas chinoises sont-elles considérées par Pékin comme des instruments de puissance, des relais stratégiques dans sa quête d’hégémonie régi ... Show More
50 m
Aug 2020
Pre-intermediate | International Women's Day: 2020 China Edition
It's International Women's Day again! What are the current attitudes toward women in Chinese society? How much do we recognize women's achievements in Chinese society? In this special podcast, Chi and Michelle first look at traditional Chinese viewpoints regarding women and their ... Show More
17m 47s
Aug 2023
Upper-intermediate | SBTG: Sun Yatsen
So much more than just the name of your favorite Chinese garden in Vancouver. Sun Yatsen is often considered the founder of modern China. With such an impressive title, surely us Chinese learners should learn a little more about him and what he stood for. You can, in this podcast ... Show More
15m 20s
Mar 2021
Chinese American Adoptee
A Chinese American woman shares her thoughts on the uptick in violence against Asians in the U.S. She also talks with Geth about what it’s like having white, adoptive parents, and the layer of complexity it adds to the topic of race. Check out our show and many hilarious other po ... Show More
1h 5m
Aug 2020
13. Ronny Chieng: Asian Comedian Destroys America…and Mike Birbiglia!
Ronny Chieng is most well known for his roles in Crazy Rich Asians and on The Daily Show, but he is also one of the finest stand-up comedians today. Ronny joins Mike to collaborate on entirely new jokes about Mike’s secret superhero identity “Mildew Man,” why presidents need to l ... Show More
46m 23s
May 2023
Women rewiring the comedy circuit in Hollywood
Kim Chakanetsa is in the heart of Los Angeles' comedy district to meet two stand-up comedians who recently opened their own venues. Jiaoying Summers is a stand-up comedian, a social media star and the owner of The Hollywood Comedy Club and the Pasadena Comedy Club. Originally fro ... Show More
27m 50s