Islamic China with Rian Thum

Islamic China with Rian Thum

From China Books Podcast by China Books Review

February 3, 2026 · 38 min · Episode 29

About this episode

The episode discusses the historical and cultural significance of Islam in China, challenging the perception of it as a foreign element.

Islam has been part of China’s religious and cultural fabric for over a millennium, yet often it is seen as a foreign element. The author of a new study explains just how wrong that is. The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books Review, a project of Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations and The Wire China. For any queries or comments, please write to info@chinabooksreview.com.

People in this episode

Host: China Books Review

Guest: Rian Thum

Topics covered

  • Islam in China
  • Cultural history
  • Religious studies
  • Society
  • Cultural fabric

Keywords

  • Islam
  • China
  • cultural history
  • religion
  • Rian Thum
  • society
  • cultural fabric

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: China Books Review, Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations, The Wire China

More episodes of China Books Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the China Books Podcast podcast page.