Footprints

Blossoms Shanghai is an epic that depicts the profound social and economic transformations that Shanghai saw from the 1960s to the 1990s. Its popularity also brings 91-year-old actor You Benchang back to the spotlight. His supporting role as “Uncle”, a sharp, witty and charismatic business veteran, captivated audience young and old.

​Margaret Chen, originally from China, is a successful businesswoman based in Spain. Over the past several decades, she has been dedicated to promoting economic and cultural ties between the two countries. Having made a name for herself in both Spain and China, Chen says that she has simply been riding the waves of the times.

He is a dreamer. He wants to make his dream car. And he succeeded. In this edition of Footprints we meet Yang Yongxiu, the developer of a famous Chinese car brand and learn his story of making his dream car.

“It is my hope to use the form of a bridge as a symbol of China's commitment to the common prosperity of the world," says Shu Yong, renowned Chinese Modern and Contemporary artist and a member of China's Top political advisory body. Through his artwork and governmental proposals, Shu Yong aims to establish a series of Chinese national cultural symbols to help the world better understand China.

​Chen Huai, in his early 40s, is a renowned ecologist based in the city of Chengdu, southwest China. Over the past two decades, he has devoted himself to the research of wetlands and his findings have helped people better protect the wetlands and biodiversity. Also serving as a member of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC, Chen has drawn from his expertise to make suggestions for Chinese aut...

"Nowadays, artificial intelligence has become the pinnacle of the current technological and industrial development," says Professor Li Dongni of the School of Computer Science, Beijing Institute of Technology. As a scientific researcher and deputy of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, AI has been a major focus of her teaching, research, and policy suggestions. Hear Li Dongni's perspectives o...

Enjoying lanterns is a custom of Chinese New Year celebrations observed nationwide. Xiashi Lanterns are well known for their unique pinholes technique, elegant shapes and vibrant colors. In this podcast, meet Hu Jinlong, master of this unique lantern art from Haining, Zhejiang province.

Yin Qi is an art collector and promoter of a particular genre of traditional Chinese art called Chinese New Year Paintings. Having an experience of almost two decades in the field, Yin takes us to explore the fascinating world of this traditional Chinese folk art to enjoy its beauty, culture and legends.

“I can make my brush travel thousands of miles, or within spitting distance. It’s all in my brushstrokes.” Says 86-year-old Fan Zeng, a contemporary master of traditional Chinese ink and wash painting whose works have received critical acclaim globally. Combining Chinese free-hand ink spattering style with western realistic painting techniques, Fan Zeng weaves aesthetic harmony with his brushstrok...

​This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. Over the past six decades, people from the two countries have developed profound friendship and conducted fruitful cultural exchanges. One of the examples is Xu Rong, who has been promoting a traditional Chinese martial art called Tai Chi in France for nearly 20 years. But what really is Ta...

Face changing is an important feature of Sichuan Opera, one of China's oldest regional operas. It is the art of changing vividly colored masks on an opera performer’s face within a split of a second, multiple times. If it’s magical to see how they do it in lightning speed, it becomes unimaginable to see puppets and their puppeteers do face changing at the same time on stage. But to retired Chengdu...

A group of students from University of Virginia, the United States, visited China on a tour of youth exchanges and sports diplomacy in January 2024. Playing ping-pong (table tennis) games with their Chinese counterparts, visiting the Great Wall, and watching Peking Opera, the students are seen as re-enacting the historic 1971 Ping-Pong Diplomacy between China and the United States. Follow Footprin...

Forty-nine year-old Zhang Jianna is part of the refuse collection crews working in the bustling embassy area of Beijing. The sanitation worker shot to fame as she turns mundane moments in her work into opportunities for kindness and inspiration. But what has she actually done to make her stand out? Join this edition of Footprints to find out.

​Cen Feng, a veteran railway engineer, is building the world’s longest-span cross-sea dual-use bridge, which will be able to carry both high-speed trains and road vehicles. Being head of the project’s building team, Cen shoulders huge responsibility as the project involves massive engineering complexities and challenges. Over the past 12 months, he and his fellow builders have made steady progress...

The Chime Bells of Marquis Yi, a set of well-tuned carillon of sixty-five bronze bells unearthed in today’s Hubei province, is considered one of the most astonishing archaeological discoveries in recent history. How does this ancient instrument sound like? And how does it feel to play the 2,400-year-old giant musical instrument? As one of very few who had played music on the famed chime bells, Tan...

22-year-old Cen Huaxiu is a fourth-year Vietnamese undergraduate student. She is presently studying Chinese at Zhejiang University, but her interest extends beyond the language. Growing up immersed in traditional Chinese cartoons and stories, Cen Huaxiu is profoundly drawn to Chinese culture and intends to pursue her dream of establishing a career in China while fostering friendships that transcen...

​For nearly two decades, Chen Zhenghua has been riding on a wave of the boom of Chinese online literature, which includes fantasy novels, sci-fi, history, and other kinds of writings. His signature online novel Sword Snow Stride, which has been adapted into various cultural products, has brought him fame and fortune. Now having succeeded with domestic readers, Chen intends to bring his novels to t...

“My mom and dad are guardians of the earth!” Says Hu Jiaojiao's 4-year-old daughter. Both Hu and her husband are Chinese explorers and glacier researchers who are invited to the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP28, to share their experiences about glacier conservation in China. As an environmentalist and a mother, Hu Jiaojiao calls for people to cultivate a love for Nature in t...

67-years-old Nicolaas Kaaijk is the Dutch tulip expert behind the Dafeng Holland Flower Park---a place that's widely acclaimed as China’s “No.1 Tulip Flower Park”. Having focused on cultivating tulips in China for nearly 10 years, Nico's passion goes beyond merely growing and selling the flowers but has also inspired local flower farmers to join in and make a difference to the local environment.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has said people are the cornerstones of the development of state-to-state relations in a letter to a forum titled "Bond with Kuliang” held in the city of Fuzhou. He encourages people from both China and the U.S. to carry forward the special bonds forged in Kuliang, so that friendship between the two peoples can stay forever strong and robust. Where is Kuliang and what...

​Wu Zunyou was one of China’s most renowned public health experts. He passed away on October 27th, aged 60. He became a household name as he frequently appeared on mass media giving his expertise on containing the COVID-19 pandemic over the past three years. His dedication to public health while battling cancer himself has become widely recognized and has invoked sympathy and admiration from many...

At the age of 66, Zhu Feng, a senior photographer from Haining, Zhejiang province, recounts his in-depth conversation with his "soul mate": The Qiantang River. He's been following the river tides with his camera for almost 20 years, documenting the famous Qiantang River tidal bore as well as the lives of the locals. To Zhu Feng, acquainting the world to the tidal bore and his hometown Haining has...

​Nantong, a midsize city in the rich Yangtze River Delta, has the oldest population in China. With a third of its population aged sixty and above, the city northwest of Shanghai is a microcosm of China's aging challenge. CGTN Radio reporters visited the city and explored how Nantong is taking care of its senior citizens.

Professor Shen Hong of Zhejiang University delves deep into China's history through international perspectives. Venturing into prestigious global institutions, Shen unearthed vintage photographs that depict China from the late 1800s to the early 20th century, which offer a unique perspective into the intersections of China's history and its ties with the world. Dive into this edition of "Footprint...

​Chen Jinzhang is a master of painting who blends traditional Chinese ink techniques with Western aesthetics. Since the 1950s, he has created a large number of landscape paintings capturing the beauties of China. In this edition of Footprints, let’s delve into his lifelong dedication to painting meticulous landscapes, where every stroke tells a tale of immersion, observation, and unwavering passio...