Aug 25, 2026 · 16 min · 8 segments
*Today, we’ll talk about one of the largest and most overlooked migrations in modern history, a movement of millions from China’s coast to Southeast Asia that lasted for centuries, driven by hunger…
Scott PruittHost
In older Chinese records, this area went by names like the Southern Sea, the Southwest Sea, or the Eastern and Western Seas.
By the Qing Dynasty, lasting from 1644 to 1911, the name Nanyang became standard and stayed in use until the mid-20th century.
Geographically close to China and connected by both land and sea routes, Southeast Asia had long been a natural destination for people from the coastal provinces.
More than 2,000 years ago, Chinese merchants were already sailing into Southeast Asian waters.
During the Tang and Song dynasties, Chinese traders could be found all along the coasts of the region, and movement back and forth was common.
Even when the Ming government later tried to restrict overseas travel, the pull of trade was so strong that the number of people heading south continued to grow.
But it was not until the modern era that this movement turned into a massive wave of migration, the one we now call Going to Nanyang.
In older Chinese records, this area went by names like the Southern Sea, the Southwest Sea, or the Eastern and Western Seas.
By the Qing Dynasty, lasting from 1644 to 1911, the name Nanyang became standard and stayed in use until the mid-20th century.
Geographically close to China and connected by both land and sea routes, Southeast Asia had long been a natural destination for people from the coastal provinces.
More than 2,000 years ago, Chinese merchants were already sailing into Southeast Asian waters.
During the Tang and Song dynasties, Chinese traders could be found all along the coasts of the region, and movement back and forth was common.
Even when the Ming government later tried to restrict overseas travel, the pull of trade was so strong that the number of people heading south continued to grow.
But it was not until the modern era that this movement turned into a massive wave of migration, the one we now call Going to Nanyang.
The rest of this transcript — segmented and speaker-labeled, so you land on the exact moment something was said
Search every transcript — by keyword, by phrase, or by meaning, across every show Radar indexes
Trends — what is surging across podcasts, measured against its own baseline
Alerts — when a name you follow appears in a newly indexed episode
No account is needed to search Radar.