China Chronicles

A podcast telling stories from China’s past and present with depth, drama and a global perspective

Episodes

  • The ‘Iron Dam’ that became China’s deadliest secret

    The ‘Iron Dam’ that became China’s deadliest secret

    Fifty years ago, the Banqiao Dam in Henan collapsed, taking as many as 230,000 lives with it. This testament to Mao-era engineering hubris and political fanaticism was the worst structural failure and deadliest industrial disaster in human history, yet to this day, few inside or outside of China know anything about it.