POPULARITY
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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 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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Beijing for a state visit. Trade and education lead the headlines, but what is actually happening on the ground? Round Table's Fei Fei sat down with Pavel Kiparisov of the Russian-Chinese Guild of Commerce to find out what making deals looks like beyond the press releases. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun
On weekends in Beijing, a few subway lines are trying something new: letting cyclists bring their bikes onboard. You ride to the station, take the train, and get off right near some of the city's best greenways and cycling trails. No driving, no hassle. Just an easy connection between transit and the outdoors. So how's it working so far? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei and Yushan
You order food and it crosses the city with no problem. Then it hits the building entrance and just stops. That's the old problem. But a new handoff system is smoothing out that final choke point, and how well it works could reshape delivery in crowded cities. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
Governments around the world are all trying to answer a key question: How can digital commerce support the real economy — without replacing it? Well, in China, a new set of policy guidelines from several ministries is aiming to do just that. They want to improve global logistics, make better use of AI technology, lower barriers for exporters, and deepen the connection between e-commerce platforms and offline industries. On the show: Niu Honglin, Fei Fei & Yushun
Another "super league" is sweeping China's schools: the Class Super League. Sports contests are getting kids off screens and outdoors — but can a football match really teach a child more about failing better than a textbook ever could? / Do pets need 24/7 livestreams (18:17)? On the show: Niu Honglin, Fei Fei & Yushan
Have you heard of "boyfriend photography"? We spend so much time teaching our partners about angles and lighting that we actually start to believe we've turned them into unpaid content creators. But then comes the moment of truth: snap and the photo is still blurry! So what's the problem here? On the show: Niu Honglin, Fei Fei & Yushun
You didn't press record, but there you are, in someone's livestream, their vlog or their viral clip. No permission asked. No warning given. So when does being in public mean giving up the rights to your own face? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yangyang
Two ways to lose a virtual companion without saying goodbye. One, a software update rewrites their personality. Or the company goes bankrupt and pulls the plug. Users are holding digital funerals, calling themselves widows. These weren't just chatbots. They were "best friends", "mentors" or more. So who really controls your most intimate relationship, you or the company behind your partner? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yangyang
Internships were once a golden ticket, but now they are a financial burden. Students work for free while paying rent in expensive cities, where experience has become a luxury good. So who gets left behind when opportunity itself has a price tag? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve, & Yushan
What do an office worker, ten thousand livestream viewers, and a smart fishing rod have in common? They are all part of fishing's unexpected comeback in China. Only now, the anglers are getting younger and the gear is getting smarter. On the show: Fei Fei, Steve, & Yushan
Forget dusty storefronts. China's oldest brands are now crashing livestreams and racking up billions of views, making the "old-timers" cool again. But beneath the hype lies a brutal scramble for digital talent, a constant battle with the algorithm, and one lingering question about whether the magic survives when heritage chases trends. / Heart to Heart - please send your audio questions to roundtablepodcast@qq.com (17:17). On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
The Great Wall has survived centuries of wind and war. Now it also faces a new kind of challenge, not from nature, but from the millions who come to love it. Earlier this year, regulations to protect the Great Wall took effect in Beijing. Smarter technology. Tighter oversight. The question is whether these changes can save it from its own popularity. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
If you were heading to college today, what would you study? Computer science? Finance? Engineering? Now imagine having to choose between things like agricultural robotics, low-altitude economy management, or even brain-computer interfaces. These aren't niche experiments. They're actual majors here in China. And they're part of a bigger shift in how universities are getting students ready for a rapidly changing world. On the show: Niu Honglin, Fei Fei & Xingyu
Have you ever left a comment about a product online, thinking, "They'll probably never see this"? Well, turns out, sometimes they do and sometimes they actually act on it. From product features to marketing campaigns, brands are paying closer attention than ever. Somewhere along the way, consumers stopped being just buyers and started becoming collaborators. But… do we always love that idea? / Was your most memorable childhood umbrella super cool, or did it make you cringe (18:22)? On the show: Niu Honglin, Fei Fei & Xingyu
Every year, the May Day holiday gives us a little snapshot — how people travel, how they have fun, and how they spend in vacation mode. In 2026, the data tells us even more! Tourism isn't just about where you go anymore. It's about what you experience. From concerts and sports events to immersive performances, new kinds of cultural consumption are changing the game, reshaping how cities draw in visitors, and how travelers decide what's worth their time and money. On the show: Niu Honglin, Fei Fei & Yushun
Have you heard of "boyfriend photography"? We spend so much time teaching our partners about angles and lighting that we actually start to believe we've turned them into unpaid content creators. But then comes the moment of truth: snap and the photo is still blurry! So what's the problem here? On the show: Niu Honglin, Fei Fei & Yushun
You've just nailed an interview, and the offer is almost in your inbox. Then HR asks to call your former boss, your colleagues, maybe even your graduate advisor. Suddenly, it doesn't feel like you're just being hired. It feels like you're being investigated. So where's the line between a reasonable background check and an invasion of privacy? And if you say no, are you automatically out of the running? On the show: Niu Honglin, Fei Fei & Yushun
Fashion shows are easy to picture. The runways of Paris and Milan. The world's most beautiful people in the world's most beautiful clothing. Well, villagers in China have kept the runway, but they've swapped couture for cauliflower. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
Have you imagined your career in five years? This International Workers' Day, we examine human value in the age of automation. Who loses ground and who finds an unexpected path? The jobs that last might surprise you, because digital skills only go so far. The real advantage is something slower, messier, and deeply human. On the show: Fei Fei, Niu Honglin & Steve