Middle Earth - China's Cultural Industry Podcast

Send us a textFor a decade or more, rural Chinese have been setting up online stores in their homes, hoping to make a living through e-commerce rather than factory work or farming. But any easy money there was in online selling is beginning to dry up. Village neighbors have been pitted against each other in competition for customers, unscrupulous merchants copy products and images from competitors with impunity, while rural residents also struggle to keep up with evolving trends like livestreaming. For over 10 years Dr Lin Zhang followed several of these rural entrepreneurs and their families, culminating in her latest book The Labor of Reinvention - Entrepreneurship in the New Chinese Digital Economy.Featuring- Dr Lin Zhang : University of New Hampshire Professor, author of The Labor of Reinvention - Entrepreneurship in the New Chinese Digital EconomyWhere to buy the book -  The Labor of Reinvention, published by Columbia University Presshttps://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-labor-of-reinvention/9780231551298 To

Send us a textAs China becomes more assertive on the global stage with its diplomacy and state media, “patriotic KOLs” have appeared on domestic Chinese social media platforms, influencing the political opinions of their millions of fans. But how do KOLs craft their message to be successful, and who’s paying their bills?Featuring- Fang Kecheng : The Chinese University of Hong Kong - Assistant Professor- Miro Li : Double V. Consulting - Founder To go further- Middle Earth episode #50 Xiaohongshu : Marrying content and e-commerce- Nikkei Asia's article : China’s online nationalist army- 孤烟暮蝉 (Guyanmuchan ) on Weibo- 心医林霖 (xīnyīlínlín) on Bilibili- 周小平 (Zhou Xiaoping), WeChat ID : 平局- 占豪 (Zhan Hao), WeChat ID : 占豪- 北美留学生观察, WeChat ID : 北美留学生观察 Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影With t

Send us a textNFTS are legal to be bought in China, but reselling them is an all other matters. Yet a local scene of buyers and artists keeps growing, while some lost a great amount of money as they were hoping for a quick return on investment. How does the scene keep growing while local regulations are put into place?Featuring - Ellwood Chen : Digital Artist & Pills Labs Founder - Rory Mencin : Curator & Art Critic- Reva : Crypto artistTo go further with Chinese art collectors - Middle Earth episode #80 Contemporary art in Greater China- Middle Earth episode #77 Antiques: China first cultural industryMiddle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影With thanks to Wen Jiayin for production assistance, and Sean Calvo for music support. The World of Chinese MagazineA magazine about Chinese soc

Send us a textWhile China struggles to export its cultural abroad, neighbors like Korea and Japan seem immune to this problem. Apart from local regulations in art, what are the issues creators from China face when trying to take their cultural products abroad, and what are some products that actually became hits? Featuring - Li Jianbin: Beijing Inmost Media - Senior BD Director- Alex Taggart: Outdustry - Head of International - Vivian Ying: Film International SalesTo go further- Middle Earth episode #67 Creating Games for the West- Middle Earth episode #26 China’s soft power in Africa Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! With thanks to Wen Jiayin for production assistance, Wendy Wei for illustration and Sean Calvo for music support. The World of Chinese MagazineA magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.

Send us a textIn 2021, there were 2 billion visits to China’s outdoor tourism sites, such as nature reserves and natural scenic areas. How is this part of the tourism industry coping with a growing demand for outdoor experiences, and did that influence the creation of the country’s national park system? Featuring - Justin Culkin : A Trails - Business Development Director- Rose Niu 牛红卫 : Paulson Institute - Chief Conservation Officer - Yefren Nye : TWOC contributor & innovative Green Development Program communications specialist To go further - The Trails and Tribulations of China's Outdoors Boom article by Yefren Nye - Right to Roam article by Yefren Nye - The Myth of the Chinese Wilderness by Tina Xu (徐盈盈) - #55 Why is red tourism trending beyond the golden generation? By the Middle Earth Podcast - #60 The Golden Age of China's Museums? By the Middle Earth Podcast  Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shoo

Send us a textAs the year 2023 starts, we review our top 3 stories from 2022 and make a few predictions for trends in China’s culture industries in 2023. Featuring - Aladin Farré : Founder of Middle Earth Podcast - Hatty Liu : Managing editor at TWOC - Jesse Appel, Sara Huang, Yang Yu, & Jingtong ZhuTo go further- our podcast top 3 stories of the year #79 Exploring Wuxia #67 Creating Games for the West #64 Gambling in China : How Covid-19 helped the industry grow - Peter Chan's interview about his movie LEAP (2020)- The article Land of Milk and Honey: The Story of China’s Most Profitable Milk Tea Brand by TWOC- The article Boom, Bluff, Bust by TWOC- Wuxia novels published on TWOC:  Restaurant of The Thousand Arms, Martial Tea and Night Moves, by author Hu Yuesheng (胡月生).Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! With thanks to Wen Jiay

Send us a textGreater China is now the biggest art-market in the world, but thousands of galleries in the middle kingdom have closed up, while many artists are struggling to make a living. How are gallery curators, artists, and tech companies keeping up with this ultra-competitive art market? Featuring - Ashley Qin – YITIAO Art Director- Lin Zi – SANTO HALL Gallery curator - Sima Yuan – Artist To go further- The article Photo Shop: Art in the Age of the Influencer by TWOC- The article Zhao Xiaoli Blurs the Line Between Online Influencer and Artist by TWOC- Middle Earth episode 60 The Golden Age of China’s Museums?- Artists Wang Xingwei & Jia AiliMiddle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! With thanks to Wen Jiayin for production assistance and Sean Calvo for music support. The World of Chinese MagazineA magazine about Chinese society, culture

Send us a textWuxia, martial arts stories about heroes and outlaws, used to be one of the most popular genres of literature in the Chinese-speaking world. After countless novels, films and video games, how are the people creating China’s “knight errant” stories modernizing the genre? Featuring - Gigi Chang: wuxia translator - Lai Jingping: Wuxiaworld founder and CEO - Felix Lou: former vice-managing director of Xiangshan Film Studio & Skywood Founder To go further- Wuxia novels published on TWOC:  Restaurant of The Thousand Arms, Martial Tea and Night Moves, by author Hu Yuesheng (胡月生).Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! With thanks to Wen Jiayin for production assistance and Sean Calvo for music support. The World of Chinese MagazineA magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.

Send us a textAfter being ostracized for years, motorbike culture is slowly building momentum among Chinese youths. Between 2016 and 2019, the number of bike sales doubled, and since the pandemic especially, a lot of entrepreneurs are jumping on new business opportunities provided by people craving the open road. Featuring Steven Tsui :  BG Performance - CEO Zhang Shuren : Pansaki North Station - FounderLi Huaqi : Student & EntrepreneurMiddle Earth is distributed by The World of Chinese (www.theworldofchinese.com). Every two months, both in print and online, the team at TWOC takes a contemporary issue in Chinese society and culture and looks behind the headlines to share how it affects people on the ground. Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! With thanks to Wen Jiayin for production assistance, Sean Calvo for music support and Forrest

Send us a textWith over 1 billion internet users, China’s online video and music platforms are the place to be for every creator trying to grow their audience. What does it take for international talent to make it in this cutthroat market? Featuring Tinko Georgiev: Kanjian - VP of Int'l Business Raffi Kamalian: Collab Asia - Head of Greater ChinaMiddle Earth is distributed by The World of Chinese (www.theworldofchinese.com). Every two months, both in print and online, the team at TWOC takes a contemporary issue in Chinese society and culture and looks behind the headlines to share how it affects people on the ground. Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! With thanks to Sean Calvo for music support. The World of Chinese MagazineA magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more. The World of Chinese MagazineA m

Send us a textThanks to its rich history, China’s has plenty of artifacts that are being sold and exposed in museums. And there is a market for it, a huge one, where some pieces can be sold for several thousand yuan. How did that market evolve, and what are the dark corners of this industry? Featuring Isaac Duffy : Collector Sun Jiahui : Freelance writer Zhang Bo : Architect & Collector Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! With thanks to Wen Jiayin for production assistance, Stephan Lambadaris for the voice-over & Sean Calvo for music support.The World of Chinese MagazineA magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more. The World of Chinese MagazineA magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, and more. Support the pod by buying a copy ;)Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a

Send us a textAfter being underground for decades, the Chinese rap scene got a sudden boost in 2017 thanks to the reality show The Rap of China on the online streaming platform IQiyi. How has the scene evolved since then, and what lies ahead?  Featuring Dojo Shaolin: Producer & Dj JFever :  Hip pop artist Stanley Yang : Zhong TV – Founder Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! With thanks to Sean Calvo for music support. The World of Chinese MagazineA magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more. The World of Chinese MagazineA magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, and more. Support the pod by buying a copy ;)Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Send us a textC-Dramas have certainly changed over the years as the competitions grew fierce for eyeballs. Why did such changes happen, and what's the future for Chinese TV series industry? Featuring Sara Huang : Scriptwriter Jia Liu : TV Producer Middle Earth is distributed by The World of Chinese (www.theworldofchinese.com). Every two months, both in print and online, the team at TWOC takes a contemporary issue in Chinese society and culture and looks behind the headlines to share how it affects people on the ground.  Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! With thanks to Sean Calvo for music support. The World of Chinese MagazineA magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.

Send us a textWith 400 million fans watching over 5000 professional team competing over many games, China’s e-sports industry is one of the most vivid area of China’s cultural industry. How come this industry keeps growing, and what are the recent issues that e-sports players and companies had to face?  Featuring - Josh Lee: Perfect World Esports & tournaments director - Zeng Wensen : Riot China Action Genre Publishing Lead - Lucy Zhu : BSC Esports Lecturer & Module Leader Middle Earth is distributed by The World of Chinese (www.theworldofchinese.com). Every two months, both in print and online, the team at TWOC takes a contemporary issue in Chinese society and culture and looks behind the headlines to share how it affects people on the ground.  Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! With thanks to Sean Calvo for music support.The Wo

Send us a textChina has become the biggest film’s market in the world after Covid-19, with 82,000 screens, so distributing a movie in Chinese cinemas seems like it would be an easy task. But with dozens of films coming out each week, what are the tricks for film distributors to find their audience?  Featuring - Cai Yuchen : UEP Media film distributor - Fan Lixin : Director & InHope Pictures cofounder Middle Earth is distributed by The World of Chinese (www.theworldofchinese.com). Every two months, both in print and online, the team at TWOC takes a contemporary issue in Chinese society and culture and looks behind the headlines to share how it affects people on the ground.  Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! With thanks to Sean Calvo for music support and Chu Siyi for live translation. The World of Chinese MagazineA magazine about Chi

Send us a textMusic festivals have only been around for two decades in China, but have increased exponentially—even leading some to worry about a bubble—until the Covid-19 outbreak. Since then, how has the industry tried to make a comeback for Chinese music-lovers? Featuring - Eric de Fontenay - MusicDish 独立小炒 President- Yang Yu - Midi Festival Head of International Middle Earth is distributed by The World of Chinese (www.theworldofchinese.com). Every two months, both in print and online, the team at TWOC takes a contemporary issue in Chinese society and culture and looks behind the headlines to share how it affects people on the ground.  Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! With thanks to Sean Calvo for music support.The World of Chinese MagazineA magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more. The World of Chi

Send us a textChina’s video game industry is huge, but most of the games are made for the mass market of online mobile players. But what about the niche market of indie games, often focused more on single player story or particular game mechanics? How do Chinese creators find their audience, and do they have an audience outside of China?  Featuring - Jin Yu : Wanba Studio Founder & Game Producer - Zog Zhu : Indie Games Publishing Manager Middle Earth is distributed by The World of Chinese (www.theworldofchinese.com). Every two months, both in print and online, the team at TWOC takes a contemporary issue in Chinese society and culture and looks behind the headlines to share how it affects people on the ground.  Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! With thanks to Sean Calvo for music support and Li Muyuan for live translation. The World

Send us a textAs China’s cultural market becomes more and more competitive, some content producers are looking for the silver bullet to avoid failure: IP. What does IP mean in the Chinese market, and what’s the best way to create one?  Featuring - Kevin Feng : Stars Collective China Executive Officer - Li Danlei : Story FM Podcast Copyright Manager - Xu Xinyi : Bridging the Dragon Sales Coordinator  Middle Earth is distributed by The World of Chinese (www.theworldofchinese.com). Every two months, both in print and online, the team at TWOC takes a contemporary issue in Chinese society and culture and looks behind the headlines to share how it affects people on the ground.  Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! With thanks to Sean Calvo for music support and Chu Siyi for live translation. The World of Chinese MagazineA magazine about Chinese

Send us a textChinese literature is generating an increasing amount of interest overseas. More and more books are getting translated, while Chinese authors are winning international prizes. Yet are the authors and stories being translated representative of what China’s general public is reading?  Featuring - Yan Ge : author - Daniel Li: production manager at ACA Publishing & Sinoist Books - Emily Xueni Jin : Translator & PhD candidate in East Asian Literature Middle Earth is distributed by The World of Chinese (www.theworldofchinese.com). Every two months, both in print and online, the team at TWOC takes a contemporary issue in Chinese society and culture and looks behind the headlines to share how it affects people on the ground.  Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! With thanks to Sean Calvo for music support and Hatty Liu for co

Send us a textIf China has some issues exporting its music & film, did you know that video games often meet success on the international market? What kind of games meet success abroad, what kind of strategy Chinese companies have to use, and what are the issues inherent to game localization?  Featuring - Chen Jia - Oasis Game COO - Joshua Ogden-Davis - Video Game Localizer - Stacey Lee - Video Game consultant  Middle Earth is distributed by The World of Chinese (www.theworldofchinese.com). Every two months, both in print and online, the team at TWOC takes a contemporary issue in Chinese society and culture and looks behind the headlines to share how it affects people on the ground.  Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! With thanks to Sean Calvo for music support and Chu Siyi for live translation. The World of Chinese MagazineA magazine