He survived Mao’s worst disasters… and secretly saved millions. 

Then he invited Richard Nixon to China and changed the world. 

This is **Zhou Enlai** — China’s quiet premier for 27 years. 

From famine to Cultural Revolution to ping-pong diplomacy, this *History Ignited* episode tells the complicated true story behind Billy Joel’s lyric. 

**Timestamps:** 

0:00 – Intro 

1:20 – Who Was Zhou Enlai? 

3:10 – Great Leap Forward Disaster 

5:40 – Protecting Lives in the Cultural Revolution 

8:15 – Ping-Pong Diplomacy & Nixon’s Visit 

11:30 – Legacy & Why China Still Mourns Him 

13:40 – Tea-riffic Joke! 

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