China may have 5,000 years of history, but now it has to compete for clicks and eyeballs with short videos on Douyin. From martial arts to Confucian classics to architecture, find out how businesses focused on Chinese traditional culture marketing themselves for young consumers in the modern day. Featuring AJ Donelly : Co-founder of Cultural Keys Chinese Culture CompanyMatthew Hu : Co-founder of The Courtyard InstituteCarol Yin : Project Manager at the Beijing Institute of Yangming Philosophy 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. 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. 

Middle earth - China's cultural industry podcast

#57 How is “Chinese traditional culture” now consumed in China?

Though streaming is on the rise, film festivals are still an important channel for creators to showcase their work. If you’re an indie filmmaker in China, the Xining FIRST Youth Film Exhibition has become the place to see and be seen. Started in 2006, it is now known as the “Sundance of China,” and it is where directors like Wen Muye, director of 2018’s Dying To Survive (the third-highest grossing film at the Chinese box office), was discovered. In 2011, the festival moved to the remote Qinghai province, a Tibetan region better known for its green pastures than its film industry. We invite three attendees from this year’s festival, which just wrapped up in July, on how FIRST helped them find their voice, the challenges of putting on an indie film festival in China, and how FIRST became a standard-bearer of quality for the industry?  Featuring Vivian Bao: Independent Producer Khashem Gyal: Director Tina Xu: Culture Editor at The World of Chinese  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. 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. 

#56 FIRST: Behind the Scenes at China’s Sundance

A bonus episode where we will delve into the making of the movie Leap, which came out in September 2020 on the Chinese national women’s volleyball team. Director Peter Ho-Sun Chan and Academy governor-at-large Janet Yang, an award-winning producer, will talk about the incredible journey of the team, the evolution of China over the past few decades, and what it’s like working with acclaimed Chinese actress Gong Li. This episode was originally produced by the Asia Society Museum and Asia Society Southern California. Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions. If you have a China-themed cultural project, please get in touch! This show is part of the World of Chinese Magazine’s podcast network. Order your latest copy at www.theworldofchinese.com or follow them on Wechat (ID : Theworldofchinese). With thanks to Sean Calvo for music support. 

(Bonus episode) LEAP : Behind the scenes with director Peter Ho-Sun Chan

The Communist Party of China celebrating its 100th year anniversary this year, driving up tourism to revolutionary sites around the country. The “red tourism” sector has seen significant growth from 140 million visit in 2004 to 1.15 billion in 2019, and now the “Gen Z” is following the trend. How do red tourism sites stay relevant for a new generation? Featuring  Dr. Mimi Li : associate professor at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (PolyU) Michael Wang : VP of Content Dragon Trail International Made in partnership with The Chinese Tourism Podcast 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. 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. 

#55 Why is red tourism trending beyond the golden generation? (cross-over episode with The Chinese Tourism Podcast)

With a market that will quadruple between 2013 and 2025, China’s animation industry is getting more and more assertive with success stories like Ne Zha (2019), currently the third highest-grossing films in Chinese box office. But what challenges do Chinese animators, producers, and storytellers still face? And how can animated Chinese stories find an audience abroad? Featuring Lulu Hansen: Creative producer Yi Yan: General Manager of Ju Pin Pictures Dalton Grant Jr.: Co-Founder Floating World Animation Studio 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. 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. 

#54 What is the future of China’s animation industry?

In February 2021 China’s cinemas sold more ticket than the USA—a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, but also of a population more and more eager to see quality movies on the big screen. Yet for every movie that comes to the silver screen, several others are released over the internet at the same time. Called e-movies, or wǎngdà (网大), they became a massive pop-culture phenomenon in China with a production peak of over 2,200 films in 2017. How did this industry evolve over the last decade, and what does it say about the growth of Chinese cinema? 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. 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. 

#53 B-Movies to E-Movies: China's 100M online film industry

Not far from the Forbidden City lies Temple Dongjingyuan (Temple 东景缘), formerly knowed as the Zhizhu Temple. It was founded at the beginning of the 15th century, and the current buildings date from 1700. Centuries after it was founded, and decades after it was decommissioned for religious services in the 1950s, the place is miraculously still standing and is a center of culture in the neighborhood. In 2007, Juan van Wassenhove and Lin fan (林凡) decided to restore the place and run it as a cultural heritage enterprise. How do they manage to keep the place afloat and find a balance between preserving the history and making a profit ? 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. 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. 

#52 Temple Dongjingyuan: How to bring a Ancient Temple Back to Life?

If you are on this side of the Great Wall, you might have seen their shops and vending machines in malls: Pop Mart. This public company worth 11 billion USD sells “mystery” toy boxes containing a single cute figurine from a potential set of several characters. Buyers do not know which figurine they have bought until they open the box. The company is widely successful in China and has even led other companies to copy their marketing methods.Joining Middle Earth Podcast are creative director Juan Tan, Pop Mart&apos;s representative Amaia Perea, and business journalist Jiang Yaling, who will talk about how Pop Mart became so successful, the process of creating their IP, and the dark sides of the mystery box craze. 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. 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.

#51 Pop Mart : How to Make an Addictive Toy

Middle Earth is now joining The World of Chinese magazine podcast network.The World of Chinese (TWOC) is a bi-monthly English magazine and website dedicated to Chinese society, language, and culture. 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. As Middle Earth focuses on the creation and distribution of art and content in China, we saw some common values and topics, that’s why we decided to join forces. More to come in the coming weeks. To find out more about The World of Chinese, go to www.theworldofchinese.com, link in the podcast description, and subscribe to the print or digital issue of the magazine.

Middle Earth joins “The World of Chinese” magazine’s network

Joining Aladin Farré on this episode of Middle Earth are Miro Li (founder of Double V. Consulting and CHINAble Academy) and Rose Zhu (Xiaohongshu lifestyle influencer). The three discuss the ecommerce/short-video app Xiaohongshu, what distinguishes this app from its competitor Douyin, how the nature of short videos has changed as a result of the pandemic, and more. Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions. If you have a China-themed cultural project, please get in touch!With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design and Sean Calvo for music support.Recommendations: The brand HEYTEA, which provides recipes and teaches followers how to make milk tea at home.The social influencer Alex 绝对是个妞儿.Answers to the quiz:Xiaohongshu’s founders are Miranda Qu and Charlwin Mao.Because of some adult content, Xiaohongshu got the nickname Xiaohuangshu. Fàn Bīngbīng 范冰冰 has the biggest account on Xiaohongshu.

#50 RED : Marrying content and e-commerce

Last year, as COVID-19 cases spiked around the world, many thought cinemas would die. China’s box office sales from the past few months tell a different story. The country’s film market broke several world records in 2021, selling roughly $1.2 billion in tickets. Although theaters in the U.S., which are the primary competitors of theaters in China, have been closed, more and more Chinese people continue to head to the movies. One of the secret weapons is the production of a “Chinese New Year film” for the whole family. Ye Qing, a culture reporter at CGTN, and Cheng Rui, a producer at Wanda Studios, joined Aladin to talk about the winning recipe for success at this year&apos;s box office and discuss how these films are made.Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions. If you have a China-themed cultural project, please get in touch!With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design and Sean Calvo for music support.Recommendations: The 1997 movie The Dream Factory (甲方乙方 jiǎfāng yǐfāng).The 2002 movie Fat Choi Spirit (呖咕呖咕新年财 lìgū lìgū xīnnián cái).Answers to the quiz:Detective Chinatown 2 made only 0.4% of its box office sales outside of China.The 1981 movie In-Laws (喜盈门 xǐ yíngmén) sold 469 million tickets.  The 2008 movie If You Are the One (非诚勿扰 fēichéng wùrǎo) shares the same name as the Jiangsu TV dating show. 

#49 China's New Year box office bonanza

A few years ago, the stand-up comedy scene in China was largely considered to be alternative culture, with few venues for comedians and patrons. This stands in stark contrast to today, with over 100 comedy clubs nationwide, even outside of major cities like Beijing and Shanghai. Format shows like Roast! (tùcáo dàhuì 吐槽大会) have pushed stand-up into the mainstream. Anney Liao and Jerry Kim, cofounders of Run Wild Comedy Club Beijing (wántuō xǐjù 玩脱喜剧), tell Aladin Farré and Hank Liu about their journey coming up in the industry and how it’s evolving. Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions. If you have a China-themed cultural project, please get in touch!With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design and Sean Calvo for music support.Recommendations: The comedians Wùfàn 悟饭 and Xiǎo Lù 小鹿.

#48 China's burgeoning stand-up scene

#48 China’s burgeoning stand-up scene

China’s cultural industry is not often the topic of a book. However, the newly released Red Creative: Culture and Modernity in China tackles questions about how the government sees its cultural industry and how the domestic cultural industry has evolved over time. The book’s authors, Dr. Justin O’Connor and Dr. Xin Gu, joined Aladin Farré to discuss their findings and to reflect on cultural policy in China.Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions. If you have a China-themed cultural project, please get in touch!With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design and Sean Calvo for music support.Recommendations: The music label Maybe Mars.The movie Platform (2000).Answers to the quiz:The first time the word culture (文化 wénhuà) appeared in China was in The Book of Changes (易经 yì jīng). In 2018, the Chinese Ministry of Culture merged with the China National Tourism Agency to create the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.According to the Global Soft Power Index, China is ranked fifth in the world.

#47 Red creatives

As much as everyone would love to claim that they enjoy “highly refined” art and movies, many people enjoy the guilty pleasure of watching reality shows featuring celebrities making a fool of themselves. China has a lot of these shows, and they drive an infinite number of online debates and memes. These cultural products are a vibrant part of China&apos;s entertainment industry and also help push the sale of VIP memberships on a variety of internet platforms. Shirley Cheng (chief creative officer and partner, CNEX) and Luca Zhao (CEO, Dao Media) join Aladin Farré to give an insider’s view of the industry, and explain the latest trends as well as who you should pitch your project to.Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions. If you have a China-themed cultural project, please get in touch!With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design and Sean Calvo for music support.Recommendations: The show The Big Band (乐队的夏天 yuèduì de xiàtiān).The show Let’s Go Time Traveler (咱们穿越吧 zánmen chuānyuè ba).

#46 China's TV format industry

Your source for insight into China's culture industry: Listen to those creating and producing content in the world's second-biggest cultural market. Hosted by Aladin Farré, and co-produced by SupChina.

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Middle earth - China's cultural industry podcast

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