Middle Earth - China’s cultural industry podcast

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. 

For 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 Economy

Where to buy the book
-  The Labor of Reinvention, published by Columbia University Press
https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-labor-of-reinvention/9780231551298

To go further
- Middle Earth episode #01 How to be internet famous in China (Part 1 of "China's internet and creation")
- 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. 

As 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 thanks to Wen Jiayin for production assistance, episode's picture by maono闪克 and Sean Calvo for music support. 

NFTS 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 artist

To go further with Chinese art collectors
- Middle Earth episode #80 Contemporary art in Greater China
- Middle Earth episode #77 Antiques: China first cultural industry

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 Wen Jiayin for production assistance, and Sean Calvo for music support. 

While 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 Sales

To 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. 

In 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 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. 

As 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 Zhu

To 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 Jiayin for production assistance and Sean Calvo for music support. 

Greater 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 Aili

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. 

Wuxia, 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. 

After 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 - Founder
Li Huaqi : Student & Entrepreneur

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 Wen Jiayin for production assistance, Sean Calvo for music support and Forrest Speyer for the translation.

With 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 China

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.