Drum Tower: The sounds of old Beijing

Drum Tower: The sounds of old Beijing

In some ways, Beijing now sounds like a lot of other mega cities. Yet, back in imperial times, sound was used in creative ways to display wealth, to conduct everyday business and, most importantly, to keep order. David Rennie, our Beijing bureau chief, takes us on a sonic journey through the places where Beijing’s ancient soundscape is being kept alive. He meets Colin Chinnery, a sound artist and archivist, to find out why sound has long been a vital part of Beijing’s spirit, and the ways in which it still is today.


Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+


Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avsnitt(1961)

On warhead be it: Saudi Arabia and Pakistan

On warhead be it: Saudi Arabia and Pakistan

A long-suspected defence partnership between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan has burst into the open. We ask what Pakistan’s extension of its nuclear umbrella will mean. As Chinese brands sweep the world, s...

24 Sep 202522min

States of disarray: the UN at 80

States of disarray: the UN at 80

Coffers running low and an increasingly absent principal member: the United Nations has never looked so precarious. We discuss its future amid uncertain geopolitics. The generative-AI explosion has mo...

23 Sep 202525min

One nation, under God, divisible: Charlie Kirk’s memorial

One nation, under God, divisible: Charlie Kirk’s memorial

Part commemoration, part megachurch meeting, largely political rally—the memorial service for Charlie Kirk revealed much about how the Trump administration intends to respond to his killing. Sunlight ...

22 Sep 202524min

JAIpur to MumbAI: US firms invest in India

JAIpur to MumbAI: US firms invest in India

India is becoming one of the largest markets for Artificial Intelligence and shaping how the technology develops. Our correspondent assesses what type of AI superpower the country could be. Tracking t...

19 Sep 202519min

Wary pharma: AstraZeneca sours on UK

Wary pharma: AstraZeneca sours on UK

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has paused a £200m investment in Britain and could move its primary listing to America. Can the UK maintain its status as a “life-science superpower”? Why autonomous a...

18 Sep 202522min

Offensive: UN calls it genocide, Israel persists

Offensive: UN calls it genocide, Israel persists

A new United Nations report says Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute “genocide”. That has not deterred Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, from mounting a ground offensive on Gaza City. The s...

17 Sep 202524min

Honey, we shrunk the kids: population fall

Honey, we shrunk the kids: population fall

Falling fertility makes a global decline in population inevitable. That will change the shape and make up of societies. But it may not make us poorer. Are large language models really woke? And readin...

16 Sep 202523min

Losing the plot: Brazil-US relations tested

Losing the plot: Brazil-US relations tested

After Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison for trying to organise a coup in 2023, Donald Trump accused Brazil of staging a “witch hunt”. How will America respond? Niche sports like padel...

15 Sep 202524min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

svenska-fall
p3-krim
rss-krimstad
fordomspodden
aftonbladet-krim
spar
flashback-forever
rss-sanning-konsekvens
aftonbladet-daily
rss-vad-fan-hande
motiv
rss-krimreportrarna
politiken
rss-klubbland-en-podd-mest-om-frolunda
rss-frandfors-horna
rss-aftonbladet-krim
krimmagasinet
dagens-eko
rss-flodet
blenda-2