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Many parts of the world are currently experiencing record heatwaves. In this episode of Takeaway Chinese, let's learn how to describe the scorching sun in Mandarin and talk about fun ways to help you cool down. On the show: Fei Fei & Steve. (01:57) Essential vocabulary related to summer heat. (12:24) How do you avoid the scorching sun?
It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell It was the night she almost died. Jane Trevally, newly divorced and feeling a little lost, agrees to accompany a man she doesn't know to his house in the darkest corner of Hampstead Heath. She's offered a drink, goes in, and then - a scream and the sound of something falling upstairs - and Jane senses she's in a bad place and in danger. She runs. Twenty-five years later, Jane finds herself outside the same house, this time to return a small white dog who's been found near her home in the country; a dog whose owner has just been reported missing. A fleeting glimpse of a haunted looking woman through the window sends Jane on a mission to uncover the house's secrets - secrets more terrifying than she could have ever imagined, especially when she realises it could have been her... A missing woman, a dysfunctional family and dark, dark secrets... Nothing To My Name by Kangkang Li Kovacs Inspired by the author's own family history, and spanning the past hundred years of Chinese history, this multi-generational family saga explores how women survive the tsunamis of history Nothing to My Name chronicles the intertwined fates of three generations of Chinese women: Ah Xue, Mimosa, and Fei. The Grandmother, Ah Xue, witnesses the rise of the Communist Revolution while earning a meager living combing the hair of the few wealthy ladies in her small fishing village. Mimosa, the Mother, grows up in the shadow of her parents' struggles as the growing tension of the Cultural Revolution threatens to pull their family apart. And Fei Fei, the Daughter, brought up as a “boy” by her activist father, grapples with gender identity in the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Awash in the tides of societal upheaval, Ah Xue, Mimosa, and Fei Fei are all driven by the instinct to survive, weathering hardship that splinters the boundary between the personal and the political. For readers of sweeping upmarket book club fiction like Pachinko and Homegoing, Nothing to My Name is a braided history of suffering and dignity, of loss and reckoning, and of the unexpected joy that sustains family bonds. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
China's ice cream market has gone cold, but not in the way you might think. Warehouses are quiet. Distributors are on edge. The familiar summer frenzy for frozen treats is losing its grip. It is no longer just about escaping the heat. It is about changing tastes, rising prices, and a generation that views indulgence differently. / When was the last time you updated your social media profile photo (18:40)? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushan
Hainan just pulled the plug on gasoline cars. By 2030, no new sales, period. For some, it's a bold leap forward. For others, it raises hard questions. What happens to millions of drivers still filling up at the pump? Can an all-electric future really work on the road, with charging, grid strain, and a massive mindset shift all in play? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushan
One traveler, one taxi ride, and 21 million likes later, a viral video earned its creator a life-changing payday from Xizang's tourism officials. But that check came with a catch. When a government pays for your "authentic" story, is it still genuine? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
Every generation worries about what young people do with their time, but today's screens are designed to never let go. As a result, governments stepped in with various measures to solve the problem. Now a newly released Tsinghua University report questions if all the bans and regulations have helped to make things better. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
For years, Chinese-foreign cooperative programs were seen as backup options for students who missed their top choice universities. Inflated tuition fees only fueled the perception that families were buying degrees from easy schools. But attitudes are changing. These programs are raising their game with cutting-edge majors and better quality. So are they finally shedding that reputation, and is the dual degree now worth the price? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushun
For years, China's "Fei Dao" system let rural hospitals fly in top city surgeons for a few thousand yuan extra. It saved lives, but it was a legal gray zone. Now new rules mandate hospital-to-hospital payments and establish clear rules on who pays when things go wrong. Will these changes ultimately drive away the very specialists who made the system work in the first place? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushun
China reshaped the global auto industry with electric cars. Now it is targeting the heavy-duty trucks that move the world's goods. But truckers respond to hard numbers, not hype. If the math works, the price of everything from groceries to gadgets could drop. Will China pull off the same magic twice? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
We are in the thick of summer, cranking the AC and reaching for anything cold. But for thousands of years, people survived blazing heat without a single modern convenience. China's traditional playbook was full of clever, low-tech fixes that kept things bearable. As temperatures keep rising, can these ancient hacks actually be smarter than our energy-guzzling gadgets? / Can you wear last year's sunscreen (12:29)? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
When it comes to how cities use land, what is the right formula? China is reimagining urban land use by looking inward, not outward. We are talking about turning empty warehouses into senior care centers, building vertical factories, and more. The future is about making every inch of the land we already have count. On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushan
Temperatures have soared past forty degrees across Europe. Schools have sent children home. Outdoor work has been banned. A famous landmark closed its doors. A continent built for cold winters now bakes under relentless heat. Air conditioning seems obvious, but the solution is more complicated than installing more units. On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushan
「海外孩子學中文」: 這系列是海外父母一直都很關注的話題,這次請來Fei Fei 老師來聊聊注音在海外孩子學中文扮演的角色!老師的網站: Fei Fei KidsGrace 創立的仁雅學坊: 跨越課本與教室,仁雅透過共讀與藝術工作坊,培養孩子深層的文化歸屬感! I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to DM me on IG. 一直很好奇到底是誰在聽我的 podcast,來跟我打個招呼吧!歡迎私訊我
Prices are rising across the entire consumer electronics sector, yet this surge does not follow the usual pattern. The driving force is neither a raw material crunch nor a logistics breakdown. A far larger transformation is recalibrating the cost of every gadget in your home. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun
We tend to picture Chinese cities as endless expansion machines. But the next five years are about retrofitting, not rebuilding. The national strategy has pivoted to upgrading existing neighborhoods. By 2030, your street might not look radically different, but it could function like a completely new place. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun
Artificial intelligence is a useful tool for many people, but what does it mean for writers? A prize-winning sci-fi author has admitted that part of her new book came from AI. A bestselling novelist now uses AI chat bot for research. Platforms are promising million-word novels with a single click. So what exactly are readers paying for? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushan
The Class of 2026 is entering a job market that no longer follows the old rules. The megacity dream is fading, and patents are replacing theses for a growing number of graduates. Success is being redefined by a generation that is choosing careers which barely existed a decade ago. On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushan
We celebrated the work-from-home revolution with no traffic, no commute, and total freedom. But the research is in, and the findings are unsettling. Days without face-to-face contact are taking a real toll. Isolation is rising, relationships are fraying, and the digital leash keeps tightening. So what are we actually trading for that extra hour in bed? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
The Gaokao is over, but a new pressure has just begun. What to study? What to become? This year, Chinese universities are rewriting the rules with flexible tracks and unconventional majors. Their message is simple. Your major is not your destiny. So how do you pick a path in a job market that refuses to stand still? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
In early June 2026, a cruise slipped out of Shanghai. The Adora Magic City steamed into open water with no foreign dock in sight, then looped back to where it began. They call it a 'voyage to nowhere,' and travelers are booking. Why is this non-trip the most buzzed-about experiment in Chinese tourism? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
Smart glasses promise to translate any language, recognize every face, and capture life hands-free, all without a phone in sight. But when a device can see, store, and remember everything you do, the line between helpful and invasive starts to blur. / Should you come down hard when a child lies (23:00)? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
Finding a place to live in a new city is supposed to be exciting. Then you start scrolling listings and realizing those perfect photos are probably from a decade ago. Renting in China has changed. Young renters want something their parents never expected. The market is shifting, hidden pitfalls catch first-timers off guard, and turning a lease into a home takes more than just signing. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Xingyu
If you have ever watched a drama and wondered why fans lose their minds over the opening credits, it all comes down to billing order. In China's entertainment industry, a name's position is everything. But new rules arriving this summer will standardize billing across all dramas. What does this mean for your favorite stars, and is the fight for top billing really over? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Xingyu
China welcomed more than 150 million international visitors in 2025, and the usual postcard sights are only part of the story. Easier visa rules and a new wave of discovery driven by social media are flipping the old narrative on its head. From reimagined heritage sites to experiences that blend tradition with modern flair, the country is offering something fresh at every turn. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
Open a music app in China and you might find a poet from a thousand years ago sitting alongside today's biggest pop stars. Ancient lyrics are being set to fresh new melodies, and young listeners are trading textbooks for playlists. This is how the past goes viral in the present. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
China's new policy allows you to share your health insurance wallet with parents, grandparents, siblings, and children across the country. One app and one tap create a national safety net for your entire family. That digital connection bridges the distance when the people you love live provinces away. On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushun
We trust online reviews. We buy what influencers recommend. But what happens when those reviews are faked or secretly paid for? China just rolled out new rules targeting influencers who rig demos, hide sponsorships, and fabricate test results. The era of fake reviews may finally be ending. / What is a "mango pineapple" (21:35)? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushun
Our ancestors built the Parthenon and the Forbidden City. We are scrolling screens. Turns out, both can coexist. In China and elsewhere in the world, brands are selling ancient philosophical ideas as lifestyle, and museums are turning temples into selfie backdrops. Are young people looking backward to move forward? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushun
China lifted nearly 100 million people out of poverty, a feat praised worldwide. But the real test begins now. How do you keep poverty from coming back? The country built a digital net that spots disaster before it strikes, tracking medical bills, income drops, and housing risks. But early warnings alone aren't enough. The deeper challenge is building lives that are stable and worth staying for. On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushun
Do you still fold your own laundry? That might feel very 2025. In some cities across China, household robots are already working alongside human cleaners, handling repetitive tasks while people focus on more delicate work. The future of housework is arriving faster than you think! / China's internet finds its mascot: A tired opossum (15:18). On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun
Between the down payment, the mortgage, and the repairs, owning a home is never as simple as getting the keys. The government is proposing broader use of housing provident fund. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun
The Gaokao is here. In 2026, with AI and smart classrooms reshaping education, what has become of this tradition? Forget the scores for a minute. What does this ritual actually reveal about hope, struggle, and coming of age in today's China? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
Take a deep breath. Half the oxygen you just inhaled came from one place, the ocean. But right now, that invisible life support system is sending distress signals. Warmer waters. Emptying nets. Coastlines that no longer look familiar. This World Oceans Day, we explore what happens when the thing we've taken for granted begins to shift and how we can rise to meet that challenge. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
From pickleball to Hyrox, the way China is getting fit is changing. Across the country, 800 million people took part in outdoor sports last year. Retirees. Office workers. Mothers. They are turning courts and trails into offline social platforms. They are not here to win or get attention. They are here for the experience. On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushan
For decades, Chinese factories and families saved money by waiting until midnight to use bulk electricity. But as solar power floods the grid, the cheapest electricity is not necessarily at midnight anymore. With record heat driving up power usage, operators are rethinking how to design the system in a smarter way with a more flexible pricing system. On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushan
Vegetable anxiety is trending. Young diners feel "anxious" if there isn't enough produce on the plate. That's a strange twist, because getting anyone to eat their leafy greens used to be the hard part. Somewhere along the way, the script flipped. So what changed? And what happens when a generation can no longer trust a meal that's missing the greens? / Heart to Heart - please send your audio questions to roundtablepodcast@qq.com (13:22). On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun
You remember when the internet just handed everything over for free. Maps, music, random facts at three in the morning. Nobody asked who was really paying for it. Now AI is flipping the script. The same tools that save time and think alongside people are starting to ask for money. So was free always a trap? Or have we just never considered what it costs to pay for our own intelligence? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun
What stories do you remember from your childhood? Maybe they were magical fairy tales, comforting bedtime stories, or folk tales that someone in your family told you over and over until you knew them by heart. No matter where we grow up, stories are often one of the first ways we learn about courage, kindness, honesty, and imagination. In this episode of Takeaway Chinese, we explore two beloved tales that generations of Chinese children have grown up with. On the show: Fei Fei & Steve. (07:26) The story of Ne Zha. (15:44) The story of Mulan.
AI chatbots, storytelling robots, and companion apps are entertaining, comforting, and teaching kids earlier than ever. But China's Ministry of Education is now pushing back. They want families to swap screens for playgrounds and apps for real play. In a world flooded with smart technology, how do we make sure our kids are still being kids? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Xingyu
A mother wants to protect her child from bullying. So she files a complaint. Then another. Then she goes after a university professor. The problem? No one seems to agree with her bullying claim. When protecting your child becomes a crusade, who decides where to draw the line? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Xingyu
AI doesn't just eat data. It devours power, water, and land. So what happens when you run out of all three? China answered by going underwater. Off Shanghai, one of the country's first commercial ocean-floor data centers has gone live. It is powered by offshore wind and cooled by the sea itself. Could it be a smart solution to the world's data center controversy? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushun
Think about something you held onto for too long. A job, a project, a goal that just wasn't working. We all love stories about people who never gave up, but staying with the wrong thing can drain years from your life. So how can we know when it's time to let go? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushun
Tourists wander into lecture halls. Students grumble about lost seats. All because one university in China decided to open its campus to the public. Suddenly, a simple question becomes complicated: who actually gets to use a university? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Niu Honglin.
There comes a moment when the person who taught you to tie your shoes asks you how to open an app. For many young people, that moment repeats itself. Teaching parents to use phones, avoid scams, and navigate apps has become part of family life. It's not just about technology. It's about patience, role reversal, and watching the people who raised you grow older. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Niu Honglin.
Gen Z in the United States has taken up a new self-care hobby. For those who suffer from anxiety, people are packing small comfort bags to help them get through a tough moment. Smart planning, or a touch of self-indulgence? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
Flood season is hitting harder than ever. This year, China isn't just waiting for disasters to happen. It's seeing them coming. Faster warnings. Smarter tech. Less guesswork. The fight against extreme weather is getting an upgrade. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
Hotpot. A dish with dozens of regional forms across China alone. It has gotten so big that entire industries have grown up around the stove. Now we're seeing standards for everything from cooking methods to ingredients. Chongqing just released a fresh set, and we dig into what these new rules mean for the broth we all love. On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Niu Honglin.
To some, Xizang is considered sacred, remote, untouched by modernity. A postcard frozen in time. But 75 years ago, peaceful liberation set in motion a transformation that shattered that image. Today, we're peeling back the labels and demystifying the region for what it really is. On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Niu Honglin.
Zero celebrities. Zero big budget. Zero marketing push. And somehow, a tiny short drama named 'Enemy' exploded across Chinese social media in days. What happened? And with AI and the giants changing everything, what will people actually want to watch next? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun.
Motorcycles in China were once just cheap, utilitarian transport. But today? They represent freedom, adventure, and identity. So what changed? Championship bikes, a new generation of riders, and the engineering behind the roar. Welcome to China's motorcycle boom. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun.