Round Table China

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

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 [email protected] (17:17). On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

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

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 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

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

What do you do when you don't speak the same language but still want to connect? For a group of students from Yale University, the answer was simple: you sing. This March, The Whiffenpoofs acappella choir set out on a tour across China. Round Table's Yushan talked to three members of the team about their journey, the experiences they had, and the stories they want to share.

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

May 4th marks Youth Day in China, and to mark the occasion, Round Table's Yushun sat down with Alex Lamb, an AI professor at Tsinghua University. Their topic? How young people are engaging with AI these days.

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