Footprints

In central China's Henan Province lies the small county of Lankao. Today it is a well-known production center for traditional Chinese musical instruments. Historically, however, Lankao was known for something quite different: poverty. In this edition of Footprints, we journey back to a challenging chapter in Lankao's history to meet the man who helped change the course of Lankao's future. His name...

This year marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). In this episode, we revisit the life and legacy of Huang Wenxiu, a young CPC member and grassroots official who devoted herself to helping lift a remote village out of poverty. In 2019, she lost her life in a flash flood at the age of 30. But her story did not end there. Today, in Baini Village, Baise City...

Ai Aiguo, a master welder, has largely defined China's welding industry. For more than five decades, he has overcome hundreds of technical challenges and served major national projects, advancing China's manufacturing prowess.

In this episode, we explore the remarkable journey of Lu Hong, a businessman from Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, who has spent a lifetime defying expectations. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a child, Lu faced discrimination and repeated setbacks. Yet rather than letting those experiences define him, he forged his own path.

Faris Rebronja, a Serbian trader of daily goods based in north China’s Shanxi Province, sees himself as a bridge between Serbia and China. After years of living in China, the young businessman has gained not just market experience but a deeper understanding of the country. Optimistic about China’s future, he’s eager to seize more opportunities the world’s second-largest economy has to offer.

"Whenever we need help, we think of the 'Good Guys.'" On Gulangyu, the pedestrian-only UNESCO World Heritage island off the coast of Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province, a group of couriers has become far more than delivery workers. In their spare time, they become companions and helpers for those in need. At the heart of the team is Xiao Meibin, who has spent three decades navigating the island'...

After a chance trip to China in 1998, engineer Ben Watson from the United States abandoned car design for teaching. Now in his 50s, he calls the northeast Chinese city of Harbin his second hometown, helping local university students navigate cultural differences with wisdom, humor and deep respect.

Join Footprints for an exclusive interview with American healing musician Andy Tubman. His music once awakened a friend from a coma and soothed many troubled, depressed hearts.

In this episode, we are going to learn about the ZXMOTO boss's entrepreneurial adventures in Chongqing, where, with the same grit and can-do spirit, he rolled out his high-performance motorcycles, which helped French rider Valentin Debise and ZXMOTO secure three race wins during the brand's debut WorldSSP season in the Superbike World Championship.

This March, Chinese homegrown motorcycle maker ZXMOTO made history on the racetrack, scoring a spectacular back-to-back double win with French rider Valentin Debise in the WorldSSP category at the Portuguese round of the Superbike World Championship. In this episode, we bring you the extraordinary personal journey of ZXMOTO founder Zhang Xue, a self-made entrepreneur whose journey goes beyond the...

In the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, even as lives are saved and homes begin to rise again, hidden wounds linger for many survivors long after the ground stops shaking. In Dingri County, Xigaze, in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, a group of psychological aid workers is helping people mend hearts marked by loss and fear. Through biting cold and thin air, across language barrier...

For award-winning architect Xue Feng, success is measured in laughter. He designs with people, not just for them. His holistic approach weaves speed, sustainability and soul into every project, transforming ordinary places into vibrant stages for everyday life.

In populous first tier cities in China, visiting a doctor at major hospitals can sometimes be exhausting. One often has to maneuver through crowds to get around in big hospitals, where various medical functions are scattered in different corners of the premise. Long queues and not enough seats to rest on in waiting rooms just add to the fatigue. But architects for today's modern hospitals are inno...

For more than two decades, a dedicated juvenile protection team within the Chongqing procuratorates has been working to safeguard the rights and futures of minors. What began as a small group of prosecutors has grown into a citywide network of 45 juvenile protection posts, supported by over 500 prosecutors and 1,600 volunteers. Together, they handle cases involving minors, provide support and guid...

​For 30 years, engineer Xue Zhifei has led China's tractor revolution. From power-shift to unmanned, his breakthroughs have broken foreign monopolies, achieved centimeter-level precision, and transformed Chinese farming.

Chinese paleontologist Ji Qiang proved that birds evolved from dinosaurs based on three fossil discoveries in the 1990s. Initially met with skepticism, his persistence finally led to international recognition and solved a long-standing evolutionary mystery.

Dr. Ruan Xiangyan introduced the emerging medical technique of ovarian tissue cryo-preservation and transplantation to China, giving female patients an option to preserve vital reproductive and endocrine functions. Hear her remarkable story on this episode of Footprints.

​NPC deputy Yang Baoxin, a cotton breeder for over three decades, has developed nearly 20 new cotton varieties, successfully battling a disease known as “cotton cancer” and boosting farmers’ income. From humble beginnings to national awards, he tirelessly bridges grassroots agricultural research with farmers' needs, embodying the perseverance and innovation at the heart of China's rural developmen...

For 14 years, Li Nannan has devoted her life to elderly care in Nantong, east China's Jiangsu Province. By day, she's a head nurse, tending to residents' medical and daily needs. Each spring, she walks into the Great Hall of the People in Beijing as a deputy to the National People's Congress. Bridging caregiving and policymaking, Li strives to push for reforms to improve the country's aging societ...

Horses have long been a powerful and enduring motif in artistic expression across cultures and centuries. In the modern history of Chinese art, Xu Beihong stands as the most iconic master of horse painting. By seamlessly blending traditional Chinese brushwork with Western artistic techniques, his galloping horses came to embody freedom, resilience, and an indomitable fighting spirit. In this podca...

In the plains of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region's Junggar Basin, a lost species gallops home. Once extinct in the wild, Przewalski's horses now reclaim the steppe, their wild hearts beating free. Decades of quiet dedication, tireless care, and unwavering hope have made this return possible.

In this episode, the hooves are replaced by horse-hair: the Morin Khuur speaks, sighs and gallops in the hands of the soloist Morin Khuur performer Chaoke Jiletu. You'll feel 180 nylon filaments tremble like prairie grass, and learn why the bow is called the instrument's "two legs." Just let the steppe gallop straight into your headphones.

In Beijing's Shunyi District, a nonprofit organization called HOPE (Horses Offering People Enrichment) is bringing children with special needs together with horses, and changing lives in the process. Founded in 2009 by American physical therapist Priscilla Lightsey, HOPE began as a personal mission and has grown into a community of dedicated staff members and hundreds of volunteers. This episode e...

For archaeologist Dong Ningning, horse bones are historical archives. Through scientific analysis, she interprets their clues to reconstruct the animal's profound impact on ancient Chinese transportation, language, social hierarchy and other aspects of lives and culture.

Dong Lina is the first visually impaired person in China to earn a master's degree in broadcasting. With quiet perseverance, she has charted an unconventional path, opening new possibilities for others like her to pursue their life goals.