#73 Chinese E-sports (Part 3 – China’s video game industry)

Started as a grassroots movement in the early Chinese internet, web novels slowly became a powerhouse of China’s cultural industry by producing powerful IPs. How did this industry came to be?

Featuring
- Tage : Author 
- Wei Xiaoma : IP Licensing Manager
- Yang Zeyi : Technology Reporter 

To go further
- Middle Earth episode #92 How writers, bookstore owners, and printers survive in China’s publishing industry
- Middle Earth episode #69 The Seducing Power of IPs
- Middle Earth episode #90 Women in China’s Cultural Industries
- Middle Earth episode #79 Exploring Wuxia (think "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon")
- Bitter No More: How Young Chinese Became Obsessed With TCM, article by Shao Yefan
- China is reinventing the way the world reads, article by Yang Zeyi

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 film 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 Ren Jiayin for production assistant, Li Muyuan for voice over and Sean Calvo for music support.

With a 800 billion yuan market size and 1/5 of the doctor’s workforce, TCM is a force to be reckoned with in China. How did the field keeps reinventing itself and why does Chinese youth gets more attracted by it?

Featuring
- Martin Eriksson : TCM doctor 
- ShaoYefan (邵叶凡) : TWOC - freelancer
- Wu Yanmin : Ori-Bio - Co-founder

To go further
- Middle Earth episode #82 Understanding China’s national park & scenic areas
- Bitter No More: How Young Chinese Became Obsessed With TCM, article by Shao Yefan

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 film 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 Ren Jiayin for production assistant, Wu Daozhi for fact-checking, Kian2018 for picture illustration and Sean Calvo for music support.

New documentary Invisible Summit 《看不见的顶峰》tells the epic story of how Zhang Hong became the first blind Asian person to climb the world’s tallest mountain. On this podcast, director Fan Lixin (LAST TRAIN HOME) discusses how he filmed Zhang’s extraordinary journey and what he learned during the making of the movie.

 Featuring
- Fan Lixin (范立欣): Documentary Director
- Liu Yuan (刘元): Producer

To go further
- Middle Earth episode #78 Revving Up China’s New Biker Culture
- Middle Earth episode #72 Film Distribution: How to Succeed at China’s Box Office

How to support the film?
- Tell your friends living in China to buy a ticket for the week-end of the 27th of October
- Find the film on 猫眼 app and click on 想看
- And if you know an international TV commissioner that could be interested by the film, let's be in touch ;)

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 film 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 Sean Calvo for music support. 

China’s book market is the second largest in the world, with people reading around 6 billion books a year. But how easy is it for small publishers, bookstores, and writers to get a piece of this pie? And how are digital alternatives to physical books impacting writers and small businesses and writers?

 Featuring
- Chen Qiufan (陈楸帆): Writer & Futurist
- Liu Jue: TWOC – Managing editor
- Su Wan (苏皖): Maziren Bookstore (码字人书店) - Owner

To go further
- Middle Earth episode #95 Chinese Web Novels: The Hidden Golden Goose?
- Middle Earth episode #91 How to Publish a Magazine for 100 Issues
- Middle Earth episode #25 How to publish a book in China
- "The Dark Room Problem" short story written by Chen Qiufan (陈楸帆) and published by The World of Chinese Magazine
- How China’s Small-Town Bookstores Innovate to Survive, article by by The World of Chinese Magazine
- Bookish Dreams: The fantasy of owning an independent bookstore lingers for China’s idealists, article by by The World of Chinese Magazine

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 thanks to Sean Calvo for music support. 

Not sure if you could stand my broken Chinese, but I started a new show regarding China's latest box office called 票房指南 as a part of an ongoing effort to become a true 网红...

The Middle Earth Podcast will return next week.

Links
Subscribe to 票房指南 on podcast app 小宇宙 : Link
Subscribe to 票房指南 on social media Bilibili : Link

原本担心这会是一部古装特效烂片，看过后却成为今年暑期的一大惊喜。 但是，《封神第一部》还有哪些地方可以改进？号称30亿预算的封神三部曲能实现盈利吗？

涉及到的电影： 
《阿修罗》2018年
《指环王》2001-2003年
《蜘蛛巢城》1957年
《七武士》1954年

It's not every day that a magazine publishes its 100th issue—but Middle Earth's distributor, The World of Chinese, has reached this important milestone after 17 years of publication. We want to look at how an English-language magazine based in Beijing sustains itself and evolves into a multimedia platform (including podcasts) for human-centered stories from China.

Featuring
- Hatty Liu: TWOC - Former managing editor 2019-2023
- Liu Jue: TWOC - co-managing editor
- Doug Hughes: International education expert

Buy your ticket for The World of Chinese's 100th issue event in Beijing on the 31th of August : https://yoopay.cn/event/89241330 

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 thanks to Sean Calvo for music support.

Women perform up to 50 percent of the jobs in China's cultural industries, but are they getting equal opportunities and compensation as men? In this episode, guests from the world of film, TV, visual arts, and journalism discuss the barriers female leaders and employees still face in their industries, and the benefits of more gender diversity in the workplace.

Featuring
- Li Muyuan : Gushi FM - Producer
- Hatty Liu :  Journalist & Former TWOC Managing Editor
- Luka Yang : Visual Artist & Filmmaker

To Go Further
- "Women’s Work" article by The World of Chinese Magazine
- "Getting Rights Wrong" article by The World of Chinese Magazine
- "Hidden Harassment" article by The World of Chinese Magazine

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 looking for a specific talent, please get in touch!

Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影

With thanks to Sean Calvo for music support.

Today I plug in a new show that I'm working on where we interviewed Georges Berne, a true master in the art of lighting design who worked on the Mona Lisa. Today, he reflects on his long career and shares his thoughts on his work.

Winland Art Podcast
Architecture is solidified art, and art is the soul of architecture. Created by the Carte Blanche art team from in Beijing, Winland Art Podcast show focuses on the global art stage. In our show we discuss the challenges faced by those working in the art field with a focus on hot issues in the art world such as cross-cultural creation and China’s current art world scene.

The Carte Blanche space was founded in 2019 and is located at Winland IFC, 7 Finance Street, Beijing.

Subscribe to the Winland Art Podcast wherever you listen to your podcast or at : https://podcast.winlandcorp.com

To know more
Website: https://winlandcenter.com/en/here 
WeChat Account: 英蓝集团 Winland
Instagram: @WinlandCorp

A billion internet users means a lot of followers for some content creators in China. But with ad revenue dropping China’s economy is slowing down, are tips and patrons a viable alternative for creators?

Featuring
- Lulu | 璐璐 : LHH Speak Easy ( 璐璐的英文小酒馆 ) - Founder
- Luigi Liu :  BtoZ-Movie - Founder 

To go further
- "Career Fans" article by The World of Chinese Magazine
- Middle Earth episode #87 How local government & foundations sponsor culture in China
- Middle Earth episode #50 Xiaohongshu : Marrying content and e-commerce
- Middle Earth episode #29 Online KOL marketing in China

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 thanks to Sean Calvo for music support. 

Culture is expensive, and China makes no exception to that. Without the support of public and private entities, many artists could not create anything or be overly commercial. After getting through the regulations hurdle, what kind of art are supported by the big companies and local governments?

Featuring
- Yilin Chen : Winland Group - Art Project Director
- Elie Rosenberg : Impromptu - Co-Founder
 - He Xin : former real estate consultant

To go further
- "Dream Factory" article by The World of Chinese Magazine
- Middle Earth episode #36 Transforming a Chinese movie studio
- Middle Earth episode #60 The Golden Age of China's Museums?
- Middle Earth episode #82 Understanding China’s national park & scenic areas 

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 thanks to Ren Jiayin for production assistant,  Sean Calvo for music support, Eleven Labs for the AI voice and Leeluv for the poster picture.