Footprints

Five kids, two cities, one microbrewery. Daniel Dumbrill's 18-year China journey reveals a government system that actually serves its people – and a hotline that proves it, even when you never use it.

What is 12345? It's a government hotline that actually delivers. It listens, responds and solves real problems—for locals and foreigners alike. One Colombian expat in China calls it his unhired assistant. Join us for this episode of Footprints to hear his story.

A bridge to solutions. That's what Beijing's 12345 hotline has become for its roughly 20 million residents.

Handling millions of calls each year, the hotline tackles problems both big and small.

Through rapid response and genuine follow-up, this "bridge" transforms complaints into outcomes and brings citizens and government closer together.

From Australia to Chengdu, Andre's journey in China has been a tale of discovery, connection, and breaking stereotypes. In this episode, we sit down with Australian vlogger Andre Longginou who has spent the past two years documenting his life in China. From the warmth of Chengdu's people to his surprising experiences with the 12345 government service hotline, Andre shares his journey of coming to understand China.

How do technology and public services shape our everyday lives? In this episode, we sit down with Scott Pruett, an American who moved to China 18 years ago and has spent the past six years in Hangzhou, one of China's most innovative cities. Scott takes us through his journey from arriving in Beijing to watching Hangzhou evolve with technologies such as the AI-powered "City Brain," and shares his observations about urban life and public services.

American expat Francis Stonier has called Chongqing, China, home for nearly a decade. He first captured widespread public attention in 2022, when devastating wildfires broke out on Chongqing’s Jinyun Mountain, where he joined local volunteers in efforts to contain the blaze.

In this edition of Footprints, Francis Stonier, a professor at Southwest University in Chongqing, joins us to reflect on that extraordinary experience and share how it deepened his connection to Chongqing—its people, its culture, and the vibrant community he now proudly calls home.

In central China's Henan Province lies the small county of Lankao. Today it is a well-known production center for traditional Chinese musical instruments.

Historically, however, Lankao was known for something quite different: poverty.

In this edition of Footprints, we journey back to a challenging chapter in Lankao's history to meet the man who helped change the course of Lankao's future. His name was Jiao Yulu.

This year marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). In this episode, we revisit the life and legacy of Huang Wenxiu, a young CPC member and grassroots official who devoted herself to helping lift a remote village out of poverty. In 2019, she lost her life in a flash flood at the age of 30. But her story did not end there. Today, in Baini Village, Baise City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, young officials like Chen Hongren are continuing the path she helped to shape.

Ai Aiguo, a master welder, has largely defined China's welding industry. For more than five decades, he has overcome hundreds of technical challenges and served major national projects, advancing China's manufacturing prowess.

In this episode, we explore the remarkable journey of Lu Hong, a businessman from Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, who has spent a lifetime defying expectations. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a child, Lu faced discrimination and repeated setbacks. Yet rather than letting those experiences define him, he forged his own path.