In our last episode, we discussed how Prince Henrique of Portugal started his career at a time when European was lagging behind in maritime technology. 一 One of his main contributions was improving seafaring ships, making them bigger, safer and cleaner. Since he was wealthy, he equipped several exploration fleets with these standards. Even more importantly, he established a pioneering…
February 14, 2025
In our last episode, we discussed how Medieval Europeans tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep due to a lack of spices. Fortunately, throughout history, when there were problems, there were always heroes coming to the rescue. 一 To Europe at that time, the heroes were the sea voyagers who decided to cross the vast ocean to find another…
February 14, 2025
In our last episode, we discussed how Europeans relied on spices from Asia for dining and ceremonial purposes. In addition to this, Europeans at the time had very poor personal hygiene habits. Many people went years without bathing. For example, Louis XIV, the Sun King of France, is said to have bathed only once in his 64 years of life. You might wonder how we get to…
February 10, 2025
Mr. Gao Xiaosong, a famous musician and talk show host from China, once produced a program series featuring a unique book from the ancient China—The Plum in the Golden Vase or Chin Ping Mei, also known as The Golden Lotus. Most Chinese men, upon hearing the name of this book, will give a knowing smile, but I bet most of them…
February 10, 2025
