Round Table is a premier English radio/podcast show, straight from Beijing. Hear what's buzzing on the Internet and the main streets, see the latest lifestyle trends, and feel the pulse of life in China, Round Table is your golden ticket. With dynamic cultural exchanges between hosts from diverse backgrounds, we take you on a journey deep into modern China. We invite you to join our conversation! Shoot us an email or a voice memo at [email protected]. Let the fun begin!
The Sixth Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China, transforms the coastal city into a global stage for elite competition, featuring 1,790 athletes from 45 countries across 14 major sport categories. Beyond standard athletic performance, the event highlights unique disciplines tailored to the environment, such as ocean-based ...
National Reading Week in China serves as the backdrop for immersive excerpts from two distinct contemporary novels, Dinner for Six by Lu Min and Dear Fengmi by Di An. Lu Min’s narrative follows Marina, an expectant mother walking through a decaying factory zone, where the physical environment serves as a "slender axis ...
China’s online literature sector has evolved into a significant economic and cultural powerhouse, with market value surpassing 50 billion yuan and experiencing over 16% annual growth. This digital landscape attracts a diverse array of contributors, ranging from university researchers to food delivery workers, effective...
Ride-hailing platforms in China, including Didi and Alibaba’s Qianwen, are integrating generative AI to transform the booking experience into a one-sentence, personalized interaction. Users can now specify complex requirements—such as needing a car with fresh air, accommodating pets, or providing a smooth ride for elde...
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) serve as critical, life-saving tools for treating sudden cardiac arrest, yet their widespread deployment remains hindered by significant logistical and psychological barriers. A recent incident in Weihai, where a citizen broke a car window to access an AED, underscores the urgen...
World Book Day marks a nationwide celebration in China, emphasizing the evolution of reading through the Fifth National Reading Conference in Nanchang. This event showcases how cutting-edge technology, such as AI reading companions, blends with traditional culture to create immersive experiences. While digital reading ...
World Book Day serves as a catalyst for exploring the intentionality of reading in a digital age dominated by short-form content. Writer Di An recommends her novel Dear Feng Mi, which shifts from her traditional youth literature roots to a sociological and compassionate exploration of a 36-year-old man’s healing journe...
Urban environmental conservation is shifting from physical planting to digital adoption as cities face land scarcity and maintenance challenges. Beijing’s 2026 Tree Adoption Initiative exemplifies this trend, enabling residents to sponsor the care of ancient and landscape trees through a dedicated WeChat mini-program. ...
Science fiction writer Chen Qiufan explores the intersection of climate change, artificial intelligence, and human ethics through his novel Ocean Break. Set in a near-future "green utopia" in the Indian Ocean, the narrative exposes the hidden sacrifices and technological dependencies underlying modern progress. The dis...
China is fundamentally redefining the role of educators through a national action plan that integrates artificial intelligence across all levels of schooling. Rather than merely serving as knowledge providers, teachers are being retrained as learning designers and ethical guides who utilize AI to personalize homework, ...
World Book Day serves as the backdrop for a series highlighting Chinese authors and their influential works, beginning with Qi Jinnian’s Wandering the Hengduan Mountains. This non-fiction account chronicles her three-year journey through a geologically dynamic and biodiverse region of southwestern China, emphasizing th...
The 2026 Beijing e-town humanoid robot half marathon serves as a critical testbed for autonomous navigation and mechanical endurance in real-world conditions. This year’s event marked a significant leap in performance, with over 100 teams participating and robots demonstrating vastly improved stability and speed compar...
France’s recent legislative shift to simplify the restitution of looted colonial-era artifacts marks a significant development in the global movement to address historical injustices. By moving from a case-by-case, law-intensive process to a more streamlined administrative framework, France is establishing a precedent ...
Cities across China are implementing new parking management regulations to address severe vehicle congestion and high costs for drivers. By introducing precise billing, extending free parking periods, and lowering hourly rates, local governments aim to improve space turnover and reduce the prevalence of illegal parking...
The viral Chinese personality quiz known as the SBTI test has emerged as a popular, non-scientific alternative to traditional psychological profiling. Originally created by a social media user to playfully persuade a friend to quit drinking, the quiz mimics the structure of the MBTI while utilizing deliberately absurd ...
The Beijing International Film Festival transforms the city into an immersive cinematic experience, blending high-profile industry events with broad public engagement. This year’s edition features a record-breaking 1,826 film submissions and a prestigious international jury led by Juliette Binoche. Beyond the competiti...
The "Travel China through Film" series highlights the intersection of cinema and urban exploration, focusing on the upcoming Beijing International Film Festival. The film Crossing a Dawn serves as a lens for examining modern relationships in Beijing, specifically the concept of a "limited time couple" that prioritizes ...
Long-stay travel, or "Lychee," is emerging as a significant lifestyle shift where individuals, particularly retirees and remote workers, settle temporarily in different regions to blend travel with daily life. This migratory trend, now recognized in government reports, fosters community and local cultural immersion, th...
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the entertainment industry by introducing digital performers with distinct personalities and social media identities, sparking a debate over the future of storytelling versus the displacement of human actors. While producers view AI as a cost-effective tool to manage prod...
"Admin Night" has emerged as a social productivity trend where individuals gather in communal spaces to tackle long-procrastinated personal tasks, leveraging the psychological concept of "body doubling" to foster focus and accountability. While proponents view these sessions as a necessary ritual to overcome domestic i...
Follow this podcast in Podwise
Sign in to get AI summaries, transcripts and mind maps for any episode, including new ones.
