Listen "Back to the Land: Author Alec Ash on escaping to Dali, rural retreats, and a return to England"
Episode Synopsis
In this week’s episode, we catch up with our old friend Alec Ash, writer, journalist, and author of the Wish Lanterns, a portrait of six diverse members of China’s “post-80s” generation. Having resided in Beijing since 2008, Alec migrated to the mountain valley of Dali in Yunnan province in 2019, where he encountered other like-minded Chinese and ex-pats who had fled the big cities for the relative tranquility of the Chinese countryside. His experiences in Yunnan became his latest book project, which depicts the aspirations and lifestyles of this diverse group of migrants. The podcast conversation covers the results of the recent 20th Party Congress, the evolution of Beijing under Xi Jinping, and China’s ongoing Covid-19 policy (what else?).
More episodes of the podcast Barbarians at the Gate
The Voyages of Zheng He
16/10/2025
Barbarians Remix: Seeking News, Making China
16/09/2025
AI-Laoshi Will See You Now: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Chinese Language Learning
31/08/2025
Calling all China Nerds
14/08/2025
Barbarians Remix: Mandarin Mayhem I
17/06/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.