Footprints

Young Kazakhstani Ruslan Tulenov is the first non-Chinese Global Media Officer for Trade and Investment Promotion in China’s tropical island province of Hainan. He is affectionately known across China as the “Panda Man” or the “Panda Hero.” In this podcast, Ruslan takes us behind the scenes of how he became one of the most famous foreign faces in Hainan. How did he earn those endearing monikers an...

In this episode of "Friendship in War Fires" series, we honor the extraordinary courage of Minnie Vautrin – an American educator who risked her life to protect over 10,000 women and children during one of history's darkest chapters in Nanjing. Her harrowing diary entries provide an unflinching record of the Nanjing Massacre – a testament to both the cruelty of war and the resilience of humanity.

For 14 grueling years (1931-1945), the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army stood as China's northernmost force of resistance against Japanese aggression. Deep in the forests of Jilin Province, their first guerrilla base was set up in a remote area called Hongshilazi. Spanning 32 square kilometers, this battlefield has become an active archaeological site, revealing more than 3,300 ruins and 900 ar...

More than 460 million metric tons of plastic are produced every year, and around 20 million tons end up polluting our environment. It’s in our oceans, our soil, even the air we breathe. But what if that waste could become more than just pollution? In Pakistan, Dr. Waqas Ahmed Khan is transforming discarded plastic into sustainable eco-bricks, and in the process, reshaping how communities think abo...

This July, Thomas Rabe, Chairman of the John Rabe Communication Center, was granted the Friendship Envoy Award at the second Orchid Awards in Beijing for promoting cultural understanding and friendship between China and Germany. Eighty-eight years ago, his grandfather John Rabe, a German businessman stationed in Nanjing in 1937, managed to shelter and save 250,000 Chinese civilians from atrocities...

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931–1945) and the World Anti-Fascist War. In Nanjing, a city forever etched in history by the horrors of the Nanjing Massacre, memorials and museums stand as solemn reminders of a painful past. Among them is a private museum founded by an ordinary citizen – Wu Xianbin. Throug...

​For decades, tower crane operator Wang Chao has overcome one challenge after another with innovative solutions—developing a lightening protection system for rocky terrain and establishing a critical 3-meter braking standard to prevent collisions. His exceptional skills and uncompromising commitment to safety has ensured the success of numerous major construction projects, earning him recognition...

Professor Jiao Nianzhi is a pioneering Chinese marine scientist. He developed the revolutionary Microbial Carbon Pump theory, explaining how marine microbes capture and help store carbon dioxide. His work bridges scientific discovery with sustainable development, offering nature-based approaches to climate challenges.

For Egyptian Hany Sobhy Makary Guirguis Hanna, coming to China was totally accidental. But staying here for ten years has definitely been a deliberate choice for him. So, what’s it like when an Egyptian ventures to the Middle Kingdom? And what happens when he tries to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors and grow his trade business in China?

In this podcast, we meet Anyu Agga, an independent fashion designer of Yi ethnicity who has risen to fame from the grassroots of the deep mountains.

Vikash Kumar Singh is an Indian expatriate who currently teaches Hindi, Indian culture, history and literature at Beijing Foreign Studies University. With 18 years of residence in China, Vikash speaks fluent Chinese and is dedicated to fostering Sino-Indian cultural exchanges through teaching and literary translation. In this episode, we delve into Vikash's remarkable journey and insights.

In this episode, we explore the journey of Evandro Menezes de Carvalho, a Brazilian scholar and professor of international law with a deep passion for China studies. Since his first visit to China in 2013, Evandro has immersed himself in research and teaching, building bridges between China and Brazil. In recognition of his unwavering commitment to fostering cross-cultural dialogue, he was awarded...

​For more than three decades, educator Li Xuemei has transformed from a struggling Chinese immigrant to award-winning cultural ambassador through her promotion of Chinese language and culture in Italy. Her innovative educational model and study programs promise to reshape cultural understanding between the East and the West.

Martial arts master Wang Deqing has spent decades promoting Shaolin Kung Fu in Hungary. His work, blending combat, the tea ceremony and etiquette, has made Shaolin Kung Fu a living bridge between people with different cultural backgrounds.

Meet Annie and Leo Schur Chen – French-Chinese siblings who have fallen deeply in love with kung fu. Born and raised in China, the 11- and 9-year-olds have spent the past three years immersed in the world of Chinese martial arts. Today, they're not only mastering complex techniques but also competing on the global stage. Through every punch and kick, these young martial artists are forging a power...

In this episode, we follow the journey of Pietro De Laurentis – an Italian Sinologist whose deep passion for Chinese calligraphy has turned him into a bridge between East and West. From his first trip to China in 1998 to his current role of teaching Chinese calligraphy history at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Pietro has spent more than two decades immersed in the rhythms of Chinese culture....

Natalya from Kazakhstan has made her home—and launched her startup—in Zibo, a city in China’s Shandong province. A confident and ambitious young woman, Natalya shares her entrepreneurial journey and explains why living in China feels like a natural choice for her.

Yellow, scarlet, purple, and green—under the heat of a blowtorch, slender rods of glass melt and transform into dazzling works of art. With what seem like effortless pulls, twists, and rolls, a pair of skillful hands breathes life into vibrant creations. In this podcast, we meet Sun Fengjun, a colored glaze artist whose magical hands and enduring passion for flame fire have allowed him to preserve...

Meet Guillaume Bog, better known as Guibog – or to Chinese people, Gui Da Ye (Uncle Ghost). A Frenchman who has spent two decades in Beijing, Guibog lives a life powered by code and creativity. By day, he's a programmer; by night, a robot maker and an upcycler. From scrap circuit boards and mechanical odds and ends, he conjures up quirky, whirring sound machines that are as unpredictable as they a...

In southwestern China’s Sichuan province, there is an ancient town called Qingshen. The Minjiang River flows through the city, and a sea of bamboo forests covers the nearby hills and mountains in lush green. In this podcast, we go southwest to this ancient town and see how the local people have revitalized their villages by protecting and making good use of their bamboo forest resources.

The origins of agriculture continue to be one of archaeology's great mysteries. Chinese archaeologist Jiang Leping may hold a crucial piece of the puzzle, thanks to his groundbreaking discoveries at an archaeological site in Zhejiang Province, east China. This prehistoric settlement, known as Shangshan, dates back 10,000 years and is recognized for being home to the earliest cultivated rice in the...

In this episode, we dive into the musical journey of Anastasia Fridman, a violinist from the Netherlands who fell in love with the traditional Chinese string instrument – the erhu. Her passion led her to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where she immersed herself in the world of traditional Chinese repertoire. Through the fusion of Eastern and Western sounds, Anastasia strives to build musical...

A healer by day, a warrior by night – can these two worlds coexist? For Shi Ming, they don't just coexist – they collide. The 30-year-old is both a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioner and an MMA fighter. In November 2024, she stunned the world with a crushing head kick at the Road to UFC finals, sending the crowd into a frenzy. What drives her to both heal and conquer? How does she bal...

​Agri-scientist Liao Hong has promoted eco-friendly tea farming in the Wuyi Mountains in southeast China’s Fujian Province by intercropping tea with soybeans and rapeseed. Humble in character and daring in research, this “hoe-wielding” woman reshapes agricultural science through her groundbreaking discovery of aluminum’s role in tea root growth.

China’s southwestern Yunnan province is famous for its mild climate, beautiful landscape, and diverse ethnic culture. Its close proximity to Southeast Asian countries makes this province a hot destination for overseas students from those nations. In this podcast, we get to know a Cambodian student, Phorng Sreyphoung, who is studying medicine in Kunming, the provincial capital, to learn how she fin...