WildChina Travel - Podcast Details

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The China Travel PodcastEpisode 31: Educating Girls of Rural China with Ching TienFor this episode we’re delving into the mission of EGRC (Educating Girls of Rural China), an NGO supporting the educational pursuits of girls in China’s underprivileged regions. Our guest is the founder of EGRC, Ching Tien, who shares with us her personal story of growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution. Her path strays from an educated family background and setting, to relocation in Gansu, the poorest province in China at the time, where she worked in a factory. Several decades later, Ching found herself at a children’s concert in Vancouver, thinking of the girls she bu...2023-02-0137 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 30: Ecolodges and Restoration in Yangshuo and ShaxiFor this episode we’re exploring Yangshuo, Guangxi and Shaxi, Yunnan with Chris Barclay. Who is Chris Barclay? Well, if you’ve been to Yangshuo anytime in the last 20 years, you’ve probably heard of the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat, a long-standing ecolodge on the banks of the Yulong River. This Yangshuo staple was Chris’ first foray into the hospitality industry, in 2001. Since then Chris has opened two more boutique hotels in China: the Yangshuo Village Inn and the Old Theatre Inn. In this episode we explore Chris’ journey as an entrepreneur, hotelier, designer and preservationist in China....2022-08-3034 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 29: Chinese Social Media with Influencer Mei ZhangFor this episode we’re exploring the world of Chinese social media with WildChina founder and Chinese social media influencer, Mei Zhang. Despite having the world’s largest social media market with over a billion users, to rest of the world, the Chinese social media sphere is largely considered an enigma, with language and geo-barriers effectively shrouding it in mystery to those outside China. In late 2020 Mei started posting on China’s social media platform Little Red Book and has since gained influencer status with over 270k followers and counting. In this episode we cover China’s...2022-07-1947 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 28: Chinese Culinary History & Culture with Fuchsia DunlopFor this episode we’re back to one of our all-time favorite topics - Chinese food – and we’re discussing it with world-famous Chinese food writer and chef, Fuchsia Dunlop. Fuchsia’s love with Chinese food traces back to Chengdu in 1992, where she was studying full-time, spending her free hours dipping into the kitchens of willing local restaurants, and eventually invited to train as a chef at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine, the first westerner to do so. Today, Fuchsia has published six books (and counting) on Chinese cooking and culture. During the chat, Mei and Fuchsia...2022-07-0535 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 27: The Apprentice with Jacques Pépin (Book Club)For this episode we explore culinary traditions with US-based French chef, Jacques Pépin. Jacques has authored over 30 books, received honorary doctorate degrees from five American universities, as well as 16 James Beard Foundation Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005, and an Emmy Award for his TV show with Julia Child, “Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home” – one of numerous TV shows that he starred in. Mei and Jacques compare French and Chinese cuisine and the journeys each have taken to their respective places in global societies today. -----2022-06-2140 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 26: Out of Eden Walk with Paul SalopekFor this episode we embark on a story of ancient human migration with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and National Geographic fellow, Paul Salopek. Paul is currently on year nine of his 24,000-mile foot-journey tracing the ancient human migration from Africa across the globe. He started in January 2013 in Ethiopia and is making his way to the southern tip of South America. This odyssey, as it is commonly referred to, is Out of Eden Walk. In late 2021, Mei joined Paul in Yunnan for a first-hand experience of what day-to-day on the ground with Out of Eden Walk l...2022-06-0749 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 25: Joan Is Okay with Weike Wang (Book Club)For this episode we chat with author Weike Wang on her book Joan Is Okay. This book platforms a new generation of Chinese Americans and the struggle with identity faced in everyday life. Prepare for a read where one second, witty dry humor has you giggling out loud, and the next, you’re hit hard with a notion so deeply profound it resonates in your bones. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2022-05-2445 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 24: The Tea Horse Road as a Continuous Hiking TrailFor this episode we explore the possibility of making the Tea Horse Road a continuous hiking trail by looking at the Rails-To-Trails project in the US with Ed Norton, Founding Chair of the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy. Mei and Ed discuss the Rails-To-Trails project, from infancy to its present day 25,005 miles of trails, as well other historic trails around the globe, as models for a continuous trail along the Tea Horse Road in Yunnan (and beyond). ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our...2022-05-1033 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 23: Contemporary Art with Philip TinariFor this episode we dive into the contemporary art scene in China with director of UCCA Center for Contemporary Art and CEO of the UCCA Group, Philip Tinari. Mei and Philip cover an array of topics, from influential Chinese artists to the architectural masterpieces that house the country’s growing number of art museums, talking all things contemporary art in today’s China. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2022-04-2750 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 22: Buses & Bicycles in GuangzhouFor this episode we explore the transportation systems and local luster of Guangzhou, with Cycle Canton founder, Bram van Ooijen. From an award-winning bus rapid transit system that couriers over 800,000 people every day to quiet back alleys and green river-side promenades perfect for traversing by bike, Mei and Bram cover the many ways to explore the southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2022-04-1231 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 21: Birds & Biodiversity in BeijingFor this episode we explore the birds and biodiversity of the nation’s capital with Beijing-based conservationist, Terry Townshend. Mei and Terry talk about the remarkable Beijing swift, China’s birding boom and a rising awareness of conservation in the country’s public and political spheres. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2022-03-2951 min

Curito ConnectsThe Essence of Travel with Mei ZhangJenn speaks to Mei Zhang, founder of WildChina, the inbound luxury travel company in China, HBS graduate, Aspen Institute China Fellow, Conde Nast Travel Expert, author, daughter, wife, and mother! A pioneer in the China travel landscape, Mei shares her most impactful moment that changed her world from a Yunnan girl to an HBS graduate, to returning home to China to start her own business. She talks about how the essence of travel has not changed and why everyone should have the "just do it" mentality because it is never too early or late to start something! (Recorded on...2022-03-2845 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 20: Joseph Esherick on Teaching & LearningFor our twentieth episode we explore the world of studying China and Chinese language with UCSD emeritus professor of modern Chinese history, Dr. Joseph Esherick. From the athlete and academic superstar Eileen Gu to the history and modern implications of the grueling imperial examinations, Mei and Joe cover a range of education topics comparing the past and present, America and China. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2022-03-1550 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 19: Catholic Missionaries in YunnanFor our nineteenth episode we chat with existential wellness counselor, Michelle Mope Andersson. Michelle brings her expertise in ministry to the ground in Yunnan, studying the history of missionaries in China by tracing the routes they took and meeting the people and structures who keep the faith in these Catholic communities alive today. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2022-02-0145 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 18: Dunhuang & the Mogao GrottoesFor our eighteenth episode we chat with Dunhuang Academy Scholar-in-Residence, Dr. Neil Schmid. As one of the world’s leading authorities on medieval Buddhism’s visual culture, Neil covers the importance and implications of the grotto art – from seasonal fruits pictured to social and political inferences. He also gives us his recommendations as a Dunhuang resident, on what to see, do, eat and drink in the city. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2022-01-1845 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 17: Rock Climbing & Conservation in ChinaFor our seventeenth episode we cover the evolution of rock climbing in China and its crossover with growing conservation awareness in the country. Our guest for this episode is lifetime conservationist and Yunnan climbing pioneer, Bob Moseley. The episode is hosted by WildChina’s Mei Zhang, and previously Beijing-based, climber Kendra Tombolato. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2021-11-1640 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 16: Cycling in ChinaFor our sixteenth episode, we talk cycling in China with Ken Goh, founder of Shanghai-based RideNow Cycle Club. Ken is a Singapore native who now lives and works, and of course, cycles, in Shanghai, as well as all over China and the rest of Asia. In this episode we cover the basics of cycling in China, what logistics are involved in planning a group cycling trip, and Ken’s favorite cycling destination – Tibet. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our we...2021-11-0337 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 15: Beijing Ghost Stories & Chinese Supernatural BeliefsFor our fifteenth episode we asked Jim Nobles, founder of Bizarre Beijing, to chat with us on some of China’s more haunting facets. We cover a range of afterlife and ghoulish topics, from joss paper burnings going virtual due to growing awareness of environmental impacts to Chinese Ouija boards and supernatural beliefs, and of course there’s a smattering of local ghost stories woven in along the way. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2021-10-1931 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 14: Sanxingdui and Archaeology in SichuanFor our fourteenth episode we head to the to the Sanxingdui archaeological site in Sichuan province with Harvard’s anthropology department professor of archaeology, Rowan Flad. Dr. Flad shares insights on the importance of the Sanxingdui findings, an overview on archaeological sites across China within the context of Chinese history, and of course recommendations for archaeological sites in China open to visitors. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2021-10-0544 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 13: Jingdezhen Ceramics and Sponge CitiesFor our thirteenth episode we head to Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province were ceramics artist and expert Caroline Cheng is joining us from her workshop. Outside an ongoing street-side porcelain fair is in the works. During the episode we hear about the fair, Caroline’s project Prosperity, and also recycling ceramic waste into sponge cities, her new venture called Regeneration Tree. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2021-09-2235 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 12: Inner MongoliaFor our twelfth episode, we head to Inner Mongolia with WildChina’s own, Susan Li. Inner Mongolia is a long province stretching along China’s northern border. It’s home to vast swathes of grasslands and deserts, and now, cities as well. For this episode Mei interviews Susan on what it was like growing up in rural Inner Mongolia and how the province is positioned as a modern-day travel destination. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2021-09-0721 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 11: A Chengdu Way of LifeFor our eleventh episode we chat with Michelle Zhang and Pat Tietgen, a couple who first met in Chengdu and now live and work together in California where they run The Society of Heart’s Delight, an organization based out of a stunning historic landmark building in San Jose which facilitates events and discussions for the Bay Area Chinese professionals community. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2021-08-1726 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 10: Chongqing and Sichuan PeppersFor our tenth episode, we head to Chongqing with native Yao Zhao. We talk about Yao’s Sichuan pepper oil company, 50Hertz, his favorite dishes and restaurants in Chongqing, and, of course, local tips on unique points of interest and the best hotels in the area. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2021-08-0336 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 9: Beijing Architecture Past and PresentFor our ninth episode, we head to Beijing. As the imperial and modern-day capital, Beijing offers an eclectic array of old and new, visible in the lifestyles of its citizens but also in its buildings. Mei chats with Beijing-based architect, Diana Chan Chieng on Beijing’s wide variety of architectural offerings, from the traditional siheyuan homes of the hutongs, to the gilded roofs of the Forbidden City, to the sleek modern curves of the 2008 Olympic center and the 2019 Daxing airport. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to...2021-07-2722 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 8: Back to the Countryside (in collaboration with TONG)For our eighth episode we collaborated with TONG to discuss China’s countryside and the blooming trend of reverse migration from city to countryside. Across the country disillusioned city-dwellers are seeking solace, relaxation, and adventure in the previously forgotten haven of China’s countryside. Mei Zhang from WildChina speaks with Jenny Zhang and Stefan Harvey from TONG on why this is happening, who it encompasses and implications for the future. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2021-07-2039 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 7: TibetFor our seventh episode, we head to Tibet. A region on the western reaches of China, commonly referred to as the last frontier, the roof of the world. Home to the sparkling Potala Palace, the vast expanse of the Tibetan plateau, the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, the North and Eastern faces of Mount Everest, the seat of Tibetan Buddhism. It also happens to be where WildChina’s first sparks of existence came to be, on the autumn slopes of Mount Kailash. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including link...2021-07-1426 min

Tracing the Trend, A TONG PodcastCamping and the Chinese CountrysideThe past few decades of economic growth has impacted China’s countryside, characterised by the mass migration of people to cities and metroplexes that represent wealth, aspiration, and greater opportunities. While there is a prevailing image amongst many urbanites of the countryside as being disconnected and stagnant, attitudinal shifts and growing mobility instigated by Covid-19 are transforming these views. In this episode, we examine China’s young people returning to nature in the short and long term seeking adventure, solace, and escapism from their working city lives. Our guest speaker for this episode is Mei Zhang, founder of W...2021-06-2941 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 6: Tea in ChinaFor our sixth episode, we talk with Jeff Fuchs, a long-time WildChina friend, and a globally-recognized expert on tea. Jeff is also a pioneering explorer being the first Westerner to walk the 6000 some miles of the ancient tea horse road through the Himalayas. Today we’ll be talking with him about tea in China. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2021-06-2224 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 5: ShanghaiFor our fifth episode, we travel to the cosmopolitan metropolis of Shanghai to chat with WildChina guide, and Shanghai native, Florence Ma. From the ballroom dancing aunties of Fuxing park to the hottest Michelin-star restaurant in city, Flo guides us through the many facets of this dazzling city. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2021-06-0826 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 4: Planning a Trip to ChinaFor our fourth episode, we zoom out to look at China as a whole. We address many of the questions we’ve been asked over the years on “How to plan a trip to China" and give information on where to go based on your interests, how to get there, and what to expect. If you have further questions after listening, please reach out to us at info@wildchina.com so we can help you get started planning your China journey. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including link...2021-05-1835 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 3: Shangri-La, YunnanFor our third episode, we travel to Shangri-La and the surrounding regions, in Yunnan province. Home to Tibetan culture, lamaseries, national parks, Snub-Nosed Monkeys, and the great Salween, Yangtze, and Mekong rivers. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2021-05-0424 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 2: NingxiaFor our second episode, we travel to Ningxia province, a lesser-visited region, home to prehistoric petroglyphs, the Tengger desert, the Hui ethnic minority group, and, China’s burgeoning wine industry. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2021-04-2726 min

The China Travel PodcastEpisode 1: Dali, YunnanFor our first episode, we travel to Dali, Yunnan, hometown of WildChina founder Mei Zhang. Mei shares her favorite places to stay, foods to try (including wild mushroom foraging), as well as her local tips for seeing the real Dali. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com 2021-04-2029 min

China Voices: The AmCham Shanghai PodcastWildChina's Albert Ng: The State of China's Tourism IndustryThis week we're discussing the recovery of China's travel industry with Albert Ng, co-founder and executive director of the travel company WildChina. We dig into how tourism companies are adapting to the currently solely domestic travel market in China, and what forms of travel consumers are looking for these days. We also discuss the new health and safety standards being used in the industry. Finally, Albert offers his take on what the future of China's tourism industry could look like, including when he thinks inbound foreign tourism will rebound. 2020-09-2222 min

Ta for Ta: Women, Success, ChinaEpisode 17: Mei ZhangMei Zhang, a native of Yunnan Province, is the founder and CEO of WildChina, an award-winning luxury sustainable travel company based in Beijing. Mei holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Company until she found her true passion during an arduous pilgrimage on a Tibetan mountain: sustainable travel. Mei subsequently founded WildChina in 2000. A few years later, in 2009, WildChina was recognized as one of the world’s best adventure travel companies by National Geographic Adventure magazine. That same year, Mei was named as one of Travel + Leisure’s A-List of Top Trav...2019-04-1859 min

Gin & SpiritsEpisode 12 - Why Moths?Hello, scary scoundrels! Welcome to Gin & Spirits! In this episode, we share a listener's story about a creepy cab ride in our new Tales From the Great Beyond segment! We also discuss the history behind China's Forbidden Forest as well as Serbia's rich vampiric history! Want to tell us about a ghostly encounter? Have a drink recommendation? Let us know at ginandspiritspodcast@gmail.com ! You can also find us on: Twitter: @ginandspiritspc Instagram: @ginandspiritspodcast Facebook: Gin & Spirits SoundCloud: Gin & Spirits iTunes: Gin & Spirits Google Podcasts: Gin & Spirits Forbidden City Sources: - https://www.wildchina.com/blog/2016/10/the-most-haunted-places-in-china/ - https://www...2018-09-0900 min

National Committee on U.S.-China RelationsJames Stent: China's Banking: The Untold StoryChina watchers have long predicted the imminent collapse of China’s banking system. Between increased reliance on unstable funding sources, and an expanding credit to GDP gap, experts’ concerns are not unwarranted. Yet the collapse has not happened. In China’s Banking Transformation: The Untold Story, former banking director James Stent looks at what the experts have been missing, and why their predictions have not materialized. On June 5, 2017, Mr. Stent joined National Committee President Stephen Orlins for a discussion of his book, his views on the Chinese banking sector, and what they mean for our understanding of China’s political economy...2018-03-0714 min

National Committee on U.S.-China RelationsChina's Banking: The Untold Story - James StentChina watchers have long predicted the imminent collapse of China’s banking system. Between increased reliance on unstable funding sources, and an expanding credit to GDP gap, experts’ concerns are not unwarranted. Yet the collapse has not happened. In China’s Banking Transformation: The Untold Story, former banking director James Stent looks at what the experts have been missing, and why their predictions have not materialized. On June 5, 2017, Mr. Stent joined National Committee President Stephen Orlins for a discussion of his book, his views on the Chinese banking sector, and what they mean for our understanding of China’s political economy...2018-03-071h 11

Skydeck | Harvard Business SchoolCurating the Cuisine of Southwest China - Zhang MeiAuthor and WildChina founder Zhang Mei takes us inside the kitchens of her native Dali.2017-06-0917 min

一席YiXi【一席】张玫：革命生产两不误“我总是能在人生抛物线的峰顶看到它向下走的样子，这也成为我做出选择的起点。”哈佛商学院MBA毕业后，她加入了麦肯锡咨询，后创建旅游定制品牌@碧山WildChina 。女性创业者成功之后，总要在家庭和事业之中做出一些取舍，@云南张玫讲述她是如何找到两者之间的平衡点。 “公司有危机，想生小孩，丈夫要去做战地记者，我觉得那一年，就好像用指头尖、指甲盖，挂在悬崖上，随时都有可能掉下去，幸亏在这段时间里孕育了一个新的生命。”看顾三个孩子，同时经营着一家“世界上最好的探险旅游公司”（《美国国家地理》评）。2014-03-0828 min

一席【一席】张玫：革命生产两不误“我总是能在人生抛物线的峰顶看到它向下走的样子，这也成为我做出选择的起点。”哈佛商学院MBA毕业后，她加入了麦肯锡咨询，后创建旅游定制品牌@碧山WildChina 。女性创业者成功之后，总要在家庭和事业之中做出一些取舍，@云南张玫讲述她是如何找到两者之间的平衡点。 “公司有危机，想生小孩，丈夫要去做战地记者，我觉得那一年，就好像用指头尖、指甲盖，挂在悬崖上，随时都有可能掉下去，幸亏在这段时间里孕育了一个新的生命。”看顾三个孩子，同时经营着一家“世界上最好的探险旅游公司”（《美国国家地理》评）。2014-02-2628 min