Show overview
Romance of the Three Kingdoms Podcast has been publishing since 2014, and across the 10 years since has built a catalogue of 187 episodes. That works out to roughly 80 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a monthly cadence.
Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 28 min and 30 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language History show.
The catalogue appears to be on hiatus or wound down — the most recent episode landed 2.1 years ago, with no new episodes in over a year. The busiest year was 2017, with 44 episodes published. Published by John Zhu.
From the publisher
A retelling of the classic Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms in a way that’s more accessible to a Western audience. See 3kingdomspodcast.com for more.
Latest Episodes
View all 187 episodes
Ep 93Announcement: 10 Years of Podcasting
Ep 92Announcement: ”Investiture of the Gods” Launched
Hi everyone. I want to let you know that I have posted the first episodes of Investiture of the Gods on the Chinese Lore Podcast. If you are not yet subscribed to that show, go to chineselore.com. You will find links to the show on various podcast platforms and on YouTube, as well as links to find me on social media and to review and support the show. If you like the podcast, a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts would be much appreciated. As always, thanks for listening!
Ep 91Announcement: May 24 Live Interview
Hi everyone. I want to let you know that on May 24, I will be part of a panel of Asian podcasters on Podbean’s Storytelling Podcast Week Live show. It’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and this live show will be highlighting AAPI podcasters. We will be discussing our podcasts, the stories behind our stories, and our experiences as podcasters. I’m looking forward to it, and I hope you will tune in as well. The show will be live on May 24 at 3 p.m. eastern time. I have included the registration link with this announcement on my podcasts’ websites, outlawsofthemarsh.com and 3kingdomspodcast.com. See you there!
Ep 90Announcement: Interview on Asian Fantasy Fiction Podcast
Check out my recent conversation with Jeremy Bai, a translator and writer focusing on Chinese fantasy genres.
Ep 89Announcement: 2 Podcast Interviews
I recently did two interviews on other podcasts. The first is the Mandarin Slang Guide podcast, where we talked about some common Chinese expressions that had their roots in the characters and stories of the Three Kingdoms era. The second one is Journey to the West: The Podcast, where we had a long chat about classic Chinese novels and their cultural significance, including the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Water Margin, and of course, Journey to the West. Have a listen, and also check out the other episodes on those podcasts, too. If you like what I'm doing, you might be interested in those shows as well.
Ep 88Announcement: Ask Me Anything on Dec. 16
If you have questions about the how's and why's of this podcast, or my thoughts on podcasting in general, post them at the Ask Me Anything hosted by WhatPods on December 16 at https://whatpods.com/show-development/ama/john-zhu.
Ep 87Update: Videos on Three Kingdoms Warlords
I recently collaborated with the YouTube channel Invicta History on three videos about Three Kingdoms warlords. The videos were sponsored by Creative Assembly as part of the promotion for its new game Total War: Three Kingdoms. My role in the project was to provide research and record the narration for the videos. We covered Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao, and Liu Bei. It was a fun project. All three videos are out now, so have a look.
Ep 86Update: Appearance on "Total War" Podcast
Back in February, I took part in a podcast conversation on the Invicta History YouTube channel with the host, Julien, and Peter Stewart, a writer from the team producing the coming “Total War: Three Kingdoms” game. We chatted for more than an hour, geeking out over the history of the Three Kingdoms period, the novel based on it, and how all of that is handled in the game. It was a fun conversation, and it was interesting for me to hear how the team worked to capture the essence of the story in the game. Have a listen.
Ep 85Update: Water Margin Podcast Launch; Three Kingdoms Miscellany
An announcement about my new podcast project, and an update on a couple things I've been doing with the Three Kingdoms Podcast.
Ep 843 Kingdoms 154: Looking Back, Looking Ahead
A reflection on this four-year ride, and a glimpse of things to come.
Ep 833 Kingdoms Supplemental 020: Carousel of Characters
A rapid-fire look at a bunch of supporting players in the novel.
Ep 823 Kingdoms 153: Podcasts Under Heaven …
One hundred and fifty-three episodes later, we have finally reached the “long divided, must unite” part of the novel.
Ep 813 Kingdoms Supplemental 019: Food
A look at what they ate and drank during the Three Kingdoms era.
Ep 803 Kingdoms 152: Mutual Loathing and Admiration
While their respective states are sizing each other up for conquest, the Jin and Wu commanders at the borders are getting along famously.
Ep 793 Kingdoms 151: How Quickly They Forget
Sure I just lost my kingdom, but look at all the fun stuff they have in the Wei capital!
Ep 783 Kingdoms Supplemental 018: Sima Yi, Fact and Fiction
We look at the architect of the Sima clan's rise to power.
Ep 773 Kingdoms 150: Ulterior Motives
Everyone has a hidden agenda, except maybe for the guy suspected of hatching an insurrection. (Note: Special guest narrator this week)
Ep 763 Kingdoms 149: We Ain't No Fortunate Sons
A Shu commander tries to live up to his father's legacy, while a Shu prince refuses to follow his father's example.
Ep 753 Kingdoms Supplemental 017: Sun Quan, Fact and Fiction
A dive into the real life of the guy who ran the family business for 50-plus years.
Ep 743 Kingdoms 148: Ain't No Mountain High Enough
While Jiang Wei scrambles to mount a last-ditch defense, his old nemesis searches for a way to go around his roadblock.