What’s it like for a foreigner to perform Xiangsheng—China’s traditional crosstalk comedy—on the biggest stage in the Sinophone world, the CCTV Spring Festival Gala?

In 1999, David Moser did just that. Now an Associate Professor at Beijing Capital Normal University, David had already spent a decade in China by then, studying Xiangsheng under Master Ding Guangquan, translating books, and helping seed China’s underground jazz scene.Yet, despite his intimidating list of talents, when you meet him, you can’t help but call him ‘Lao Mo’ (老莫). He’s a jolly, funny, dynamic friend to spend time with. I will say no more than that this is the most entertaining chat I’ve done for Peking Hotel. I hope you feel the same too.

For quick navigation to the specific sections:

* What is it like to perform Xiangsheng in front of a billion Chinese people?

* A musician wanders into the Sinophone world through tongue-twisters and translation

* Translating one of the first books on AI in China with half-baked Chinese

* When Ancient Greek meets Ancient Chinese

* Apprenticing under Ding Guangquan, a Xinagsheng Master

Music: High Rollin, Stefano Mastronardi, Artlist Original Music

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About Peking Hotel

The Peking Hotel podcast and newsletter are digital publications in which Liu He interviews China specialists about their first-hand experiences and observations from decades past. The project grew out of Liu’s research at Hoover Institution collecting oral history of China experts living in the U.S. Their stories are a reminder of what China used to be and what it is capable of becoming.

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When Four Foreigners Walked Onto the Chunwan Stage — with David Moser

Peking Hotel with Liu He