Round Table China
China Plus
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 roundtablepodcast@qq.com. Let the fun begin!
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 roundtablepodcast@qq.com. Let the fun begin!
Episodes
Mentioned books
13 snips
Feb 24, 2026 • 17min
Is post-Chinese New Year syndrome a thing?
They explore the post-holiday slowdown after Spring Festival and common symptoms like fatigue and brain fog. Personal return-to-work stories highlight disrupted routines, late nights and overeating. Conversation covers biological effects like sleep shifts, cortisol rebound and leisure sickness. Practical pacing and sleep strategies for easing back into work are also discussed.
10 snips
Feb 24, 2026 • 34min
The numbers behind the Chinese New Year
They unpack Spring Festival data on tourism, box office and consumer spending. Travel statistics and transport shifts get close attention, from 1.6 billion trips to rail and air trends. Cultural tourism and gala surprises, including robots and surprise performers, are highlighted. Big-ticket purchases, duty-free growth and rising inbound tourism round out the discussion.
17 snips
Feb 23, 2026 • 22min
Should loyalty be paid?
An ancient Zhuangzi tale sparks a debate about whether refusing honors or accepting rewards shows true merit. Conversations probe loyalty, management tactics, and how praise can recruit or motivate. They weigh potential unlocked by opportunity against long practice, modern consumer desires, and the tradeoffs between ordinary life and higher office.
16 snips
Feb 23, 2026 • 32min
Year of the Horse Drama Ep.3: The unexpected guest
A mistaken delivery turns into a robot horse joining the crew and changing plans. The team debates whether to keep the equine assistant and runs a live trial. Urban walking, herd metaphors, and apps-as-leaders spark playful comparisons and surprise viral success.
16 snips
Feb 20, 2026 • 20min
The secret of effortless skill
A famous butcher’s effortless technique sparks a debate about whether mastery means flowing with hidden patterns or brute-force practice. They explore how long practice reshapes perception and why simplicity can emerge from core principles. Tension rises over whether single-skill depth works in a rapidly changing world and how creativity and adaptability must be balanced.
7 snips
Feb 20, 2026 • 35min
Year of the Horse Drama Ep.2: Bo Le and the thousand-li horse
A retelling of Bo Le’s hunt for a legendary thousand-li horse. A neglected cart horse is bought and nursed back to world-conquering strength. Drama about patience, hidden talent, and the trust it takes to see potential. Behind-the-scenes chatter about historical liberties and a quick quiz on fact versus fiction.
15 snips
Feb 19, 2026 • 24min
Can success be copied?
A retelling of a Zhuangzi tale about a man who copies others and loses his own way. Short debates on whether imitation leads to true progress or quiet self-betrayal. Conversations about risks of online glamour, the hidden grind behind success, and when copying proven models can save time. A focus on learning selectively: borrow useful methods but stay committed to your own path.
10 snips
Feb 19, 2026 • 31min
Year of the Horse Drama Ep.1: The quest for the heavenly horse
A playful audio drama retells Emperor Wu's hunt for the legendary Tian Ma and the political stakes behind it. Listeners hear scouts, omens, and a doomed diplomatic mission that sparks a harsh military campaign. The narrative follows perilous marches across deserts and mountains, a tense siege and bargaining in Fergana, and the dramatic return with the famed blood-sweating horses.
14 snips
Feb 18, 2026 • 27min
Freedom or power?
A lively debate about whether true freedom comes from rejecting power or from engaging in politics. Stories include Zhuangzi turning down a prime minister post and the turtle parable about honor versus living freely. Contrasting views explore detachment, inner peace, civic responsibility, and when decisive action or patience is better.
11 snips
Feb 18, 2026 • 27min
Spring Festival fun: firecrackers to livestreams
A lively look at how Spring Festival rituals shift from private family rites to public celebrations. They explore regional customs like welcoming sons-in-law, lucky gift numbers, and festive foods such as dumplings and cold noodles. The conversation traces temple fairs turning into pop-up carnivals, lantern and shadow-puppet traditions, and how livestreams, movies, and winter sports reshape holiday life.
