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 authorities to better protect the ecological environment.

"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 on current AI development, as well as her passion in cultivating the next generation researchers and computer scientists.

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 brushstrokes.

​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 Tai Chi? And how has this Chinese woman been promoting it among people who previously knew nothing about it? Join this edition of Footprints to find out.

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 Footprints’ reporter Yushan and hear what these U.S. students have to say about their experiences in China.

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 rod puppet performing artist Wei Zuochun, it’s just something she has always done.

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 with the project thanks to their diligence, perseverance and creativity.

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 Jun knows the answers to all these questions.

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 transcend borders.

​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 the global market and he is confident international readers will also be drawn to the distinct contents of Chinese online literature.

“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 the next generation.

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 are its stories? Why do these stories matter to us today? Let’s follow Elyn MacInnis, lead researcher of the Kuliang Tourism and Culture Association, to find out.

​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 Chinese.

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 been his lifelong goal.

​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 "Footprints" as we join Shen Hong's quest to retrieve China's memories from Western archives.

​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 passion.

In this edition of Footprints, we learn the story of sign language interpreter Mao Donglai, a young woman from Hangzhou who tries her best to remove the communication barriers for the hearing impaired in the city. She and her team of volunteers also try innovative ways to help the disabled start up in business.

Rajni Aggarwal co-owns an Indian restaurant in Hangzhou, China. She has been living in Hangzhou for nearly 20 years and calls herself a "Xin Hangzhou Ren", or the "new Hangzhou local". Why did she choose Hangzhou and what motivated her to stay? Join our story today and hear about Rajni's deep bond with this city!

Here comes the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games! Joining the chat are four Zhejiang University students who are volunteers at the Games. Coming from various Asian countries and cultural backgrounds, what motivated them to become volunteers? What types of work are they tasked with? Join us on this heart-to-heart trip to see how Tong Yan, Cen Huaxiu, Zhang Shuiyun, and Chun Tian are contributing to make the 19th Asian Games a genuine celebration of unity via sports.

“Never too early, never too late” -- that’s the theme of the 30th World Alzheimer’s Day, observed worldwide this year on Thursday, September 21st, focusing on risk factors and risk reduction for the disease. Yet the disease still has no cure, and an estimated two thirds of the people globally have little awareness of the Alzheimer’s. However, with aging as a great risk factor for the development of the disease, it has become an increasing challenge for fast aging countries like China. CGTN Radio reporters visited a nursing home in southwest China earlier this year and provide an in-depth coverage of the lives of those living with Alzheimer’s and the challenges in the country’s fight against the disease.

​Thirty-year-old Joseph Olivier Mendo’o is an expat living in China from the African country of Cameroon, who has finished his master’s and doctor’s degree studies at one of China’s most prestigious universities. Over the past seven years, he has travelled across the country and mingled with ordinary Chinese on his self-imposed mission to learn about China and promote China-Africa exchanges and cooperation.

Featuring the China-Europe Railway Express, or the CR Express, the Ganzhou International Inland Port in China’s Jiangxi Province has grown into a comprehensive trading hub for exporters and importers around the world. Since April 2017, over 1,300 freight trains have been sent out from here to over 100 cities across Central Asia and Europe, unlocking enormous potential along the route. Join us in this episode as we explore how this once humble port has developed into a global gateway.

Eighty year-old Lin Zhanxi is a Chinese agro-scientist who has invented the technology of growing mushrooms with grass. Since the birth of this technology in 1986, it has played an important role in helping farmers increase their income and environmental conservation both in China and in many other developing countries. At present, this technology, called Juncao, has been adopted in more than 100 developing countries such as Papua New Guinea, Rwanda and the Central African Republic.

Togolese national Léon Kossivi, also known as Su Xin, has found both professional fulfillment and personal happiness through his involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative's infrastructure projects in Senegal in west Africa. Over his 12 years with the China Road and Bridge Corporation, he has contributed significantly to vital projects like the Dakar Bus Rapid Transit system, making a tangible difference in the lives of local communities.

Gabriella Bonino is known as the “Contemporary female Marco Polo”. As an Italian, she has traveled far and wide in China and writes about the country emphatically. She even followed Marco Polo’s footsteps and retraced the Silk Road.

Dancers Simon Abbe from Cameroon and Jiang Keyu from China are not only partners on stage but also a loving couple in life. Over the past decade, they've actively bridged the cultural gap between the two countries with their love and art. Through performances and community projects, they've nurtured ties that bind people across generations and geography. Join us in this episode of 'Connected' to explore how their artistic journey has fostered a living bond between China and Africa.

​Thirty-nine year-old Zhang Yiqing is an infrastructure project builder. Over the past 13 years, he has helped build a series of projects in the Bahamas, Egypt and many other countries. Always ready to take challenges and passionate about his work, Zhang has demonstrated to the world the superb building prowess and excellent teamwork of Chinese builders.

Sharing a border of more than 4,700 kilometers, China and Mongolia have been deepening cultural and economic connections continuously within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. The bond between the two nations was strengthened in 2020 when exchanges of goods and medical supplies occurred, known as the "gifts of sheep and tea". As participants of this friendly gesture, Li Mengyang and Zhao Yun share from their personal perspectives of how this demonstrates a joint effort in fighting the pandemic while strengthening the vibrant trade between the two countries.

Dong Lili from China’s Jiangsu Province is an eye doctor with over twenty years of experience. She is also a member of the Chinese medical team dispatched to Zanzibar to provide health aid. This region has long been plagued by high rates of visual impairments. In this episode of ‘Connected’, we bring you the stories and challenges faced by a Chinese doctor in Africa, her motivation for joining the medical team, and her hopes and dreams for the future.

​Forty-five year-old Jin Zhaoyu is a Chinese restorer who has helped with the restoration of the splendid Ta Keo Temple, one of the major temples in the UNESCO world heritage site of Angkor in Cambodia. Serving as “doctors of the cultural relics,” Jin and his fellow Chinese restorers have revived the former glory of the Angkor monument after years of hard and smart work. But how exactly has he worked to restore the iconic ancient temple? And what has really driven him to travel thousands of miles in geography and hundreds of years in time to pursue and revive the glamour of the ancient Khmer Empire? Join us to find out.

"Footprints" presents "Connected," a gripping 10-episode series arriving on July 13th on all major podcast platforms. Join us on this wondrous journey that takes you into the lives of ordinary people whose destinies intertwine with the ancient Silk Road and the Belt and Road Initiative.

She is called “Princess of the Beavers”. She initiated the“Beaver’s Canteen”, “Guardians of the Beaver” and “Beaver’s Ark” programs to save the endangered Mengxin Beaver species. She is Chu Wenwen, a wildlife conservationist from China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Zheng Dongping is a renowned master of bronze casting. In this edition of Footprints, we'll hear about his journey of mastering and reviving the traditional lost wax casting method, and how he promotes bronze culture through his works.

Located in northwest China, Mu Us used to be a lifeless land plagued sandstorms all year round. Through decades of tireless efforts by the local people to fight against desertification, it has become a thriving place for plants and animals. In this episode, we meet a 100-year-old man who has dedicated his life to tree planting, playing a pivotal role in this extraordinary journey of restoration.

Eris, or Ling Yuhan, is the founder of an international voluntourism organization. As a blend of volunteering and tourism, voluntourism includes public welfare activities or social services as a part of a travel experience, allowing travellers to help others while enjoying the trip themselves. For almost a decade, Eris Ling has been dedicated to inspiring more travelers to contribute to local societies and the environment on their trips.

​How to innovate in traditional Chinese ink-wash painting is something many artists have been trying to figure out for centuries. Born into a family of art, Chinese painter Wang Xiaoyan has been making her own exploration since the 1980s. In her drawings, she has seamlessly fused Chinese tradition with Japanese and Western painting techniques.

Eighteen year old Shirin Abdullayeva is an Uzbek singer and actress. She has a sweet Chinese name -- Gu Tiantian. Today, she is still shuffling between Uzbekistan and China from time to time, pursuing her dreams of becoming a well-loved performing artist.

​Alai is a renowned contemporary writer in China. Many of his books, such as “Red Poppies” and “Empty Mountain,” have been translated into dozens of languages and published in many other countries. Although the background of each work is different, they all express his feelings towards his homeland and compel readers to think about the meaning of life.

In this edition of Footprints, we’ll meet a member of China’s new generation of farmers, and see how young people like him are transforming China’s farming and rural areas.

​Eighty-four year-old Peppino Cocozza is an Italian-born Swedish businessman. Ever since first visiting China in 1966, he has been a great fan and constant participant in the biannual Canton Fair. Through decades of association with the Fair and China, Cocozza has formed a deep love for and keen insight into the country.

53-year-old Tao Gongming was among the first group of Chinese engineers who were engaged in the research and design of the earliest domestically produced high-speed railway tracks. According to calculations from the World Bank, the construction cost of the Chinese high-speed rail network, at an average of $17 million to $21 million per km, is about two-thirds of the cost in other countries. Behind these data are the unwavering efforts from people like Tao Gongming, who have dedicated their careers to improving the quality and cost efficiency of high-speed rails.

​Fifty-five year-old Zhai Mo is one of the most renowned Chinese navigators, who made the world’s first non-stop circumnavigation of the Arctic Ocean with a sailboat between 2021 and 2022. His epic voyage was made possible due to the melting of icebergs in the high Arctic as a result of global warming. Seeing the effects of climate change with his own eyes, the Chinese seafarer has taken as his mission the challenge of reminding people living across the globe to preserve the environment and the planet through concerted efforts.

Wang Wenwang is a master craftsman in the art of woodworking with over 30 years of experience repairing antique furniture and restoring old wooden objects. He has also been dedicated to the collection and preservation of traditional Chinese woodcrafts. After years of efforts, he has amassed tens of thousands of wooden artifacts for display in the museum he established in 2017. Deep down, he believes that the root of the museum's soul is in its educational mission, and the passing down of traditional Chinese carpentry craftsmanship to future generations.

​Native Beijinger Xiao Zhanhang is a dough figurine master and a National Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor. How does he make a piece of dough an enduring work of art? In the process of inheriting and promoting the art of dough figurine making, what setbacks and challenges has he experienced? Find out more about Xiao Zhanhang’s art journey in this edition of Footprints.

​Sixty year-old Feng Ying is a world-renowned ballerina, choreographer and artistic director. For about five decades, she has overcome one difficulty after another to pursue her dream of dancing. Since 2009, she has served as director of the National Ballet of China, the country’s top ballet troupe. In this role, she has helped it to become a world renowned performing troupe.

Wen Xu is the first Chinese person to complete a solo trek to the South Pole. He has completed the "Three Poles Challenge," which involves reaching the North Pole, the South Pole, and the summit of Mount Qomolangma. As the co-founder of a non-governmental organization, Wen Xu dedicated his on-foot Antarctic journey to bringing greater public attention to the issue of climate change.

For nearly half a century, Yuan Xikun, one of China's most renowned contemporary artists, has devoted himself to promoting ecological and environmental protection through artistic creations. As the United Nations Environment Programme’s first “Patron for Arts and Environment”, Yuan Xikun calls on people all over the world to re-examine our relationship with our planet and work together to preserve the natural world.

​This March, fifty-nine year-old Zhang Yuqing has embarked on his second five-year term as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference or CPPCC—China’s top political advisory body. Also a professor and university president, Zhang has worked in the educational sector and the underdeveloped Jiangxi Province in central China for decades. Since he first became a national political advisor in 2018, he has drawn on his rich experience and expertise to make a series of proposals about educational reform and rural development.

Every year at the two sessions, female legislators and political advisors actively take part in the discussion of national affairs along with their male counterparts. Many of them work at the grassroots level and come to the two sessions with their own motions and proposals based on years of grassroots work. Today, we’ll get to know one of them, Huang Liping, who’s a member of this year’s National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

​Thirty-eight-year-old Lu Man is a farmer who runs a turkey business in east China’s Jiangsu Province. Determined, resourceful and warm-hearted, this university-educated agri-businesswoman has beaten enormous odds in order to succeed in her adventures in rural China. Having served as a deputy to the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislature, since 2018, Lu Man has drawn on her rich experience in agriculture and rural areas to make proposals for the government to develop the vast countryside.

Liu Cixin is one of China’s most prominent science fiction writers, who received the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Novel for his work The Three Body Problem, making him the first Asian writer to have won the award. As a writer, a sci-fi fan and a faithful family man, Liu Cixin has been carefully separating all three aspects of his life, while taking his readers on a journey through the vastness of space, the complexity of time, and the depth of human consciousness.

​Feng Dazhong, an artist from northeast China’s Liaoning Province, has been focusing on painting tigers for around six decades. The tigers outlined by his brush are leisurely, lively and sometimes lonely, becoming models for art students to imitate and widely known for being printed on calendars and stamps.

Fan Yang and Jia Guangjian are both renowned painters of traditional Chinese painting. For decades, Fan has portrayed major historical events and changes in the country, such as the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Meanwhile, Jia has used his outstanding painting skills to capture the natural beauty of China and turn it into fascinating flower-and-bird paintings.

Zheng Xiaoying is one of the most renowned Chinese conductors. At 93 years old, she still takes an active role in orchestra and music. For decades, she has devoted herself to enriching Chinese people's cultural life as well as telling the world Chinese stories through music.

Liu Lanfang, based in northwest China’s Gansu Province, is a craftswoman of Xiangbao or traditional Chinese sachets, which are handmade silk pouches stuffed with herbal medicines and embroidered with colorful patterns. With more than four decades’ experience in this craftsmanship, Liu says she has seen an increasing number of customers eager to buy this auspicious and decorative item in the run-up to and during this year’s Spring Festival. But why would this be? Join this edition of Footprints to find out.

Spring Festival, arguably the single most important festival in China. Millions of people take the opportunity to travel back to their hometowns, reuniting with their parents, children and old friends. In China, this travel boom is called the Spring Festival travel rush, also known as the largest annual human migration on earth. This homebound journey isn’t always easy for everyone. But luckily, there’re always kind strangers who’re willing to help.

Doctors Cao Hehuai and Ke Dongfeng are a couple working at a village clinic in central China’s Jiangxi Province. In recent weeks, they and their small clinic, which is only staffed by them, have become a lifeline for about 3,000 villagers amid a surge of COVID-19 cases. With their three decades of experience working as village doctors, the pair have been doing well in their battle against the pandemic, and thanks to them, the villagers have weathered an initial wave of infections well. While bracing for a new wave of cases during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday at the end of January, Dr. Cao says rural China “will soon see the light at the end of the tunnel” in the fight against COVID-19.

Twenty-three year-old Chen Han, wearing a pair of glasses, is an intern technician who has been working on an inter-city metro project in eastern China since July 2022. In late December, the young graduate was infected with the coronavirus amid a surge of COVID-19 cases in China. Wasting no time to improve himself and build infrastructure for the country’s future, he returned to work soon after his recovery just as many other fearless and resilient Chinese did.

The term “bespoke suits” usually evokes an image of sophistication and elegance overlying its renowned expensiveness. Here in China, 37-year-old business owner Cao Peng started his own custom-tailoring suit brand dedicated to bringing customized suits to the ordinary man in the street. After 7 years of unwavering efforts, he has weaved up a bespoke suit chain across the country. As China went through its Covid-19 prevention and control measures in the past three years, he led his company to achieve business growth and has remained positive for a bright post-pandemic future.

Chen Jialing and Wang Mingming both are renowned Chinese artists who have won wide acclaim through their ink and wash paintings. The former shot to fame for his ability to break through traditional norms to create master-pieces of scenic beauty while the latter has revived the elusive charm of classic Chinese literature with his ink and wash painting.

In this podcast, we meet the Guo family – presented by London-based vlogger Guo Toto, who describes himself as “a child of two heritages.” His father is a Chinese musician and his mother is British and a garden designer. As Toto says, his family has been on a self-imposed mission to bridge the gaps between Chinese and British cultures.

Fifty-five year-old Fang Chun is a ranger and bird protector working in a wetland reserve situated in the northwest suburb of Beijing. Over the past two decades, his faithful daily patrol and monitoring work for the birds, however tedious it may seem, has contributed to a significant improvement of the local ecology and biodiversity.

Michael Wood has been a TV historian for 40 years and is well-known for his knowledge and understanding of China’s fascinating heritage and culture. His Story of China films and documentary on Chinese poet Du Fu have charmed both Chinese and international audiences alike.

Frances Wood is a British linguist who has surrounded herself with ancient Chinese manuscripts and books for most of her life. In this podcast, she tells about what inspired her interest in Chinese culture and what it was like to restore the Diamond Sutra – an incredible scroll described as the world’s earliest-dated printed book.

Alex Hua Tian, the first ever Chinese eventing rider in Olympic history, says every competitive rider is in search of that elusive "perfect moment of harmony" with his or her horse. In addition to having his sights set on the Paris Olympics in 2024, he has other aspirations too. For example, he wants to ensure that more children in China have access to ponies and horses and he wants to further increase the profile of the equestrian industry.

"Footprints" will present "Bridge Builders," a four-episode series telling stories about people who have devoted themselves to promoting exchanges and understanding between China and Britain.

Footprints presents "The Incredibles" where you will meet ordinary but incredible individuals. For over two decades, Tang Yan has made efforts to strike a balance between innovative designs in silk figurine making and traditional cultural heritage preservation. The modified version of a silk figurine, also known as Tang Wawa was selected as one of the cultural gifts customized for the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Forty-eight year-old Fan Maorong is head of the Chinese medical team on an aid mission in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. An expert practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine or TCM, Fan has won the trust of her Cambodian patients through her outstanding medical expertise and devotion in treating patients and training local doctors.

Photos bring back memories. However, many of the elderly in rural China have never had a portrait photo taken for their loved ones to remember them after passing away. 37-year-old Yang Xin is a journalist turned photographer who has taken the initiative to make up for such regrets. Since 2018, she and her team have taken nearly 3,000 portrait photos for village seniors for free.

Fire lookout, one of the loneliest jobs in the world. For the past 40 years, Zhao Fuzhou and his wife Chen Xiuling have spent six months every year living deep in the no-man’s land watching over one of the world’s largest man-made forests in northern China’s Saihanba. Tune in for this edition of Footprints and hear about how three generations of foresters have contributed to the creation of China’s “green miracle”.

Footprints presents "The Incredibles" where you will meet ordinary but incredible individuals. For over a decade, Wang Jun has been dedicated to writing and posting about carbon-related topics online. His articles have inspired many to turn their attention to carbon neutrality, which echoes the low-carbon developing goal China is aiming to achieve.

Chen Wanghui, Yu Jihong and Fang Qin are among the more than 2,000 delegates to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. The trio—a village Party chief, a chemist and an archeologist—have all made great achievements and played a leading role in their respective fields through hard work, devotion and a willingness to help others.

Ancient books are important cultural heritage that help people understand history and civilization. Yet these historical records are on the verge of extinction due to the passage of time. To rescue the old books, a guild of craftspeople has appeared — the book restorers. In this episode of Footprints, we will hear the story of a Chinese book restorer who fell in love with ancient book conservation at the first sight and has since then devoted her life to the rare skill.

​Shi Guangyin and Tang Zhenya are two veteran model members of the Communist Party of China. Shi has been devoting his life to combating desertification in northwest China for about four decades while Tang has earned the trust from local fishermen in eastern China for his superb mail service and altruistic efforts to help them.

Luc Bendza is a Gabonese martial artist, actor and director. He came to China in 1983 for the first time and has since dedicated his life to Kung Fu. Against the odds, this Gabonese martial artist-turned-action hero has not only achieved his "Kung Fu dream" in China but also actively participated in cultural exchanges between China and Africa.

Dunhuang is a small city in the northwestern Chinese province of Gansu. It has a history of more than 2000 years and has been crowned as “a place born in legends.” Neil Schmid is the first full-time foreign researcher in the Dunhuang Academy. In this episode of Footprints, we’ll find out why an American has decided to settle down in this remote Chinese city and what Dunhuang truly means to him. Let’s together explore its relevance to China and the rest of the world today from an expat scholar’s perspective.

Footprints presents "The Incredibles" where you will meet ordinary but incredible individuals. Though spending a pleasant evening in the theatre and watching a world-class West End or Broadway musical is more than common for western audiences, it was quite an unusual pastime for the Chinese audiences until more than a decade ago. That was when Yang Jiamin, our guest for this episode, founded her own musical production company.

​Twenty-eight year old Tenzin Yeshi is a fervent performer, researcher and promoter of Tibetan opera, listed as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage in 2009. Born into a family of artists in Lhasa, he compares the traditional art as the “butter” of his life, meaning it’s in his genes and it’s his mission to pursue a career in it.

Using smartphones to deal with nearly everything in daily life has become a no-brainer for most of us, but for those who were born and grew up in a pre-digital era, technology often moves too fast for them to keep up. Post 90’s Zhang Jiaxin believes closing the gap between the elderly and new technology can be an effective way to solve many of the problems with aging. In this episode of Footprints, we’ll bring you the story of this young man who endeavors to help China’s non-tech savvy older population to go digital.

A space photographer, an astronomer-turned-influencer, a science writer and a programmer… The list goes on as we struggle to find the most appropriate way to introduce Liu Boyang, who has awed the country for “stalking” and capturing every important moment of the developing Tiangong Space Station. In this episode of Footprints, you’ll hear the story of a stargazer, who tirelessly explores every possibility to show people why we need to appreciate the starry sky and learn about space and the universe.

Footprints presents "The Incredibles" where you will meet ordinary but incredible individuals. Based on traditional Chinese thinking, our body is received as a gift from parents, and should not be damaged even after death. But for organ donation coordinators like Liu Yuan, doing their job is to walk against this belief. In this episode, Liu Yuan discloses on how he and his team push forward China's development in the cause of organ donation and transplants.

​Forty-four-year-old Mao Mingrui is a Beijing-based professional solving the problems occurring in public spaces within a city—traffic jams, poorly-designed or badly-maintained roads, street noise, and so on. Since 2016, he, calling himself “a city doctor”, has been leading a team which aims to create a better city environment using modern technologies.

30-year-old Xiao Jia is China’s first blind make-up artist. ‘Seeing’ and creating beauty herself, she makes it possible to live a life without limits, and her story is a challenge to people's preconceptions of the visually impaired.

With the boom in e-commerce, online reading and audio books, some say the future of brick-and-mortar bookstores looks bleak. A young Chinese bookseller, however, believes otherwise. By tapping into a niche market, she has managed to grow her business in the past decade and attracted many loyal customers. In this episode of Footprints, we’ll take you to a hidden-gem specialty bookstore in Beijing to meet its manager, Hong Xia, who has succeeded in beating all the odds to keep a physical bookstore alive.

Footprints presents "The Incredibles" where you will meet ordinary but incredible individuals. Wang Xuetao is the boss of a Beijing-based interior decoration company. In this episode, she shares with us how she became a house renovation contractor in an industry mostly dominated by men.

​Thirty-nine year old Lin Yaping runs a family farm based in a suburb of the city of Suzhou in eastern China, growing strawberries, corn and other kinds of fruit and vegetables. Describing herself as a new generation of farmers, the university-educated woman has overcome one obstacle after another to shatter long-standing stereotypes about farming and farmers in China.

More than a decade ago, Chen Jianxing quit his job as a diplomat. With a childhood dream of becoming friends with lions and cheetahs, he has since then chosen to devote himself to wildlife protection and ecosystem conservation in Africa. As the first Tanzania National Parks China Representative, Chen Jianxing hopes to challenge the stereotype many people in the West hold against China so that the world can understand China better through its efforts to protect the ecological environment.

More than a decade ago Chen Jianxing quit his job as a diplomat. Since then, he has devoted himself to wildlife protection and ecosystem conservation in Africa. For his life journey as the “green hills of Africa”, and for more stories on average but incredible Chinese people, please search for “Footprints” on your favorite podcast platforms.

​Hilda Mandigo is a Zimbabwean media professional and TV show host in the Chinese capital Beijing. Her work entails bridging the gaps in familiarity between China and her country, along with others in Africa. Lighthearted and charismatic, Hilda’s story inspires optimism, humor and resilience to those looking to take on new challenges in life, no matter how daunting they may be.

​Dr. Johnny Ng Kit-chong is a self-made entrepreneur and a national political advisor based in China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Having integrated his career path with the development of the country in the past 20 years, he has been actively encouraging Hong Kong youths to closely combine their personal growth with the development of the motherland. He also expresses much hope in building Hong Kong as a “cultural passport” of China in the future.