Middle Earth - China’s cultural industry podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Technical and general information from the podcast's RSS feed.

Middle Earth - China’s cultural industry podcast

The World of Chinese

Tv & Film

Arts

Society & Culture

Frequency: 1 episode/23d. Total Eps: 119

Your source of insight into China's culture industry: Hear from people creating and producing content in the world's second biggest cultural market. Hosted by Aladin Farré, and presented by The World of Chinese magazine.

Read moreCollapse

Site

RSS

Apple

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇫🇷 France - tvAndFilm
15/07/2026
#95

Spotify

No recent rankings available

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.

See all

https://www.theworldofchinese.com/
106 shares
http://www.ramoncalvomusic.com/
93 shares
https://space.bilibili.com/3494368990202288
29 shares

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aladin-production-services-china-news/
104 shares
https://www.linkedin.com/in/siyi-chu/
1 share
http://www.linkedin.com/in/amaia-perea-51a6ab85/
1 share

RSS feed quality and score

Technical evaluation of the podcast's RSS feed quality and structure.

See all

RSS feed quality

To improve

Score global : 37%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

Year

Latest published episodes

Recent episodes with titles, durations, and descriptions.

See all

#112 - The rise of Fangyan (local dialect)'s content

Thursday, July 30, 2026 • Duration 45:30

Send us Fan Mail

Recently, a Chinese film DEAR YOU (給阿嬤的情書 - 2026) broke the country box office. This historical / family / period drama was shot on a mere 14 million yuan budget ($2 million), and yet made over 1.8 billion yuan ($265 millions). But what’s interesting about that story is that it’s not so much about the money itself, or that the director was quite unknown ; it is that this story that spam from the end of 1940s to today is primary spoken in Teochew dialect.

And those types of movies, alongside side any kind of cultural content for the matter, has a hard time finding its place in Chinese cultural consumption as there is a strong emphasis on using Putonghua. Yet, things are brewing.

Featuring
- LAM Can-zhao : Filmmaker
- Yaling JIANG : Consultant
- Sam Debell : Sea of Wood Records - Co-founder

To go further
- Middle Earth episode #102 Remote Creatives
- TWOC's series Fangyan Friday
- TWOC's article Speaking Up: Can Social Media Save China’s Dialects? by Chu Siyi
- TWOC's article Dongbei Survival Guide by Ginger Huang
- Yaling JIANG's recommendation :
卖凉茶只狗 (A corgi who sells herbal tea)
Giger Hu了 (Thighs are numb)

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 are looking for a specific talent, please get in touch!

Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影 or RedNote (阿拉丁说电影)

The World of Chinese Magazine
A magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.

Read moreCollapse

#111 - Are filmmakers still going to have a job? The latest on Chinese A.I. filmmaking's leapfrog advance

Wednesday, December 24, 2025 • Duration 49:25

Send us Fan Mail

18 months ago, we released our episode #99 examining how AI was being used in films, documentaries, and advertising. At the time, most of the more compelling AI-driven work was confined to short-form content. But Chinese content creator and storyteller are doing leapfrog on that area.

As AI tools advance rapidly, they are increasingly taking on more complex roles in filmmaking, including generating entire features and even documentaries. But as reliance on the technology grows, the industry is still grappling with unresolved ethical questions around consent and copyright.

Featuring
- CHEN Zhuo (Pax) : FizzDragon - Founder & CEO
- Tina JIA : Wing Sight - Founder & President
- FAN Lixin : Emmy Award Documentary & AI Filmmaker

To go further
- Middle Earth episode #99 How AI is disrupting China’s cultural industry
- TWOC's article Smart Earth: How AI Is Rewriting Rural China by Yang Tingting
- TWOC's article ChatGPT Gold Rush: How AI Business (and Crime) Is Taking Shape in China by Wang Jiawei
- Wing Sight's documentary series on iQIYI: Prominent Figures in Chinese History (华夏风云人物) (7x22')
- Wing Sight's official website | Wing Sight's Instagram | Wing Sight's Weibo

Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by . If you have a China-themed cultural project, like shooting your next documentary, or are looking for a specific talent, please get in touch!

#104 Importing Foreign Content & Experiences

Tuesday, October 8, 2024 • Duration 40:34

Send us Fan Mail

Despite China's reputation for having difficulty selling cultural products due to local regulations and the audience's taste, some do manage to bridge the Chinese audience with international content. Where do such opportunities lie, and how has the Chinese audience evolved over the years?

Featuring
- Marion Bertagna: MB Projects - Founder & Director
- Sun Wenxin (aka Yoyo): Global Concert Organizer

To go further
- Middle Earth episode #87 How local government & foundations sponsor culture in China
- Middle Earth episode #77 Big in China: Bringing Foreign Creators Onto Chinese Platforms
- Middle Earth episode #60 The Golden Age of China's Museums?
- TWOC's article Can China’s Detective Novels Finally Make Crime Pay? by Jesse Young
- International dancers mentioned : Rachid Ouramdane, Pina Bausch

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 are looking for a specific talent, please get in touch!

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

With thanks Li Muyuan for research, and Sean Calvo for music support.

A magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.

#19 From Broadway to Beijing: Western Theater in the Middle Kingdom

Tuesday, September 17, 2019 • Duration 31:06

Send us Fan Mail

Lured by a potentially large and lucrative market, major theater productions are increasingly making the jump from the bright lights of Broadway or the West End to the less familiar but no less lively avenues by the Bund or the Second Ring Road. Yet, according to Gaultier Létourneau-Ross, director of operations at a Canadian company that assists foreign theater troupes seeking to perform in China, much remains to be worked out in terms of effectively producing these types of international productions — from marketing and filling seats to staging and censorship.

Featuring:
Gaultier Létourneau-Ross: Director of Operations at Saimen

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!

Recommended watching and listening:
Sleep No More: An English-language immersive play that has been staged in Shanghai for the past two years.
- Team Lab: A Japanese group that creates interactive art.
- Shen Yun: A U.S.-based performing arts and entertainment company (closely linked to Falun Gong).
- Wuzhen Theater Festival: One of the biggest Chinese theater festivals, which was launched in 2013.

With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.

#18 It Pays to Play: The Economy that Runs on Whimsy

Tuesday, September 3, 2019 • Duration 53:42

Send us Fan Mail

Children’s entertainment is a growing industry in China, with many opportunities for flexible and innovative creators to produce marketable content. Prospects are particularly bright for those working at the intersection of children’s entertainment and education, which has long been an important source of revenue in a country where 93 percent of families pay out-of-pocket for tuition and related fees, according to a 2017 HSBC study. On this episode we discuss the economics of children’s entertainment in China, and how creators can engage in this corner of the market.

Featuring:
Kevin Geiger: Partner, Magic Dumpling Entertainment
Natasha Shetye: Studio Manager, Thinkwell Group
April Wang: Manager at Beijing Playhouse

Recommended watching and listening:
-White Snake 白蛇: 缘起 (2019), a Chinese animated film.
- Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf 喜羊羊与灰太狼, a popular Chinese animated TV series launched in 2005.

Answers to the episode quiz:
- Kung Fu Panda is the hit American animated film that, given the content, made many Chinese netizens openly question why China had not produced anything similar.
- Honor of Kings (王者荣耀) is the video game that now features a time limit for children and teenagers playing it.
-Wáng Fúmǎn (王福满), the real name of the schoolboy who braved an ice storm to walk to school and whose photo, complete with icicles in his hair, went viral on the Chinese internet — earning him the nickname “Ice Boy.”
- Only 30 percent of proceeds at the Chinese box office went to animated films produced in China between 2011 and 2017.With thanks to for graphic design & for music support.

#17 Artful Entrepreneurs: Running a Cultural Venue in Beijing

Wednesday, August 21, 2019 • Duration 21:46

Send us Fan Mail

This week on the Middle Earth Podcast, Aladin sits down over a pint with Sun Yao (孙遥), the proprietor of his favorite local cultural venue-cum-cafe, to talk about the business end of the cultural industry in China. Like the owners of many niche bars and cafes across China, Sun seeks to turn a profit at his hutong establishment, Camera Stylo, by screening films, hosting live events, and otherwise trying to make art pay.

A film buff and dedicated entrepreneur, Sun shares his four years of experience running a small business in the hutongs of Beijing trying to bring films and cultural conversations to his diverse clientele. In spite of a rough early start — some of which he spent sleeping in the cafe itself — Sun has managed to ensure Camera Stylo has been able to survive and thrive in a challenging environment.

Featuring:
Sun Yao | 孙遥 : Proprietor of Camera Stylo

Recommended watching and listening:
- Aotu Space 凹凸空间 (WeChat Account: aotuspace_bj)
- China Film Archive 中国电影资料馆 | Website

With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.

Read moreCollapse

#16 Metacast: A Podcast Episode about Podcasts

Wednesday, July 31, 2019 • Duration 59:29

Send us Fan Mail

Podcasting is rapidly becoming the next boom industry in China, with approximately 80 million daily downloads of podcasts and a projected audience of 486 million total. When it comes to putting a number on the industry, however, things get less clear. Some estimate that China’s podcast industry is worth upward of $7 billion, citing a report by China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television. However, this figure is likely somewhat off the mark — the $7 billion figure refers only to “pay for knowledge” programming, that is, educational shows that consumers pay for directly. A more comprehensive number that takes into account free content or podcasts supported by advertisements remains elusive. By comparison, podcasters based in the U.S. made an estimated $314 million in 2017, a number that is projected to double by 2020. Meanwhile, the U.S. “pay for knowledge” industry is estimated to have earned $12 billion in 2016, according to our peer podcast also available on the Sinica Network, TechBuzz China by Pandaily.

Featuring
Joshua Thomas Ogden-Davis : Writer & Podcaster at Ximalaya (喜马拉雅)
Kou Aizhe | 寇爱哲 : Founder & Host of Story FM (故事FM)
Yu Wanying | 于婉莹 : Founder & Host of Museelogue( 博物志)

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!

Recommended watching and listening
- "Digitally China", a podcast about China’s tech innovation.
- "Chinese Cooking Demystified", a YouTube cooking show.
- 日谈公园, a Chinese podcast about China’s culture today.
- 忽左忽右, another Chinese podcast about China’s culture today.

Quiz's answers
- Ximalaya claimed $100 million dollars of revenue in 2017.
- Cai Kangyong (蔡康永) earned 35 million RMB with his podcast "Good Talk" (好好说话).
- Zeng Pengyu (曾鹏宇) had his book content shamelessly stolen by the podcast "Peaceful Goddess" (平安娘娘).With thanks to for graphic design & for music support.

#15 Center stage in China: Live Performances Today

Tuesday, July 16, 2019 • Duration 52:31

Send us Fan Mail

Live art is one of the few mediums that hasn’t been radically transformed by the digital age. No screen is yet able to capture the magic of in-person performance, be it a comedy show, theater, or even Peking opera. The live performance scene is particularly vibrant in contemporary Beijing, where comedy and theater offerings are as diverse as they are popular. In this episode, Aladin interviews some of Beijing’s emerging live performers to discuss what happens on the stage — and behind the scenes.

Featuring
Jesse Appell : Comedian and Director of the US-China Comedy Center
Raimund Rosarius : Director, Author & Curator
Xie Peifan | 謝配釩 : Director, Actor & Teacher

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!

Recommended watching and listening
- Lao She (老舍) : Chinese novelist and dramatist.
- Penghao Theatre : Beijing’s first private theater in Beijing.
- Mahua FunAge (开心麻花): Chinese private comedy enterprise that develops and produces plays, films, stand-up comedy, and TV shows.
- Zhao Benshan( 赵本山) : Chinese actor and director best known for his frequent appearances on the CCTV New Year’s Gala. He has produced less work in recent years, possibly as a result of political attacks.

Quiz's answers
- Xiangsheng (相声), also known as “crosstalk,” is a centuries-old traditional form of Chinese comedic art, usually featuring two performers.
- During the Cultural Revolution, only eight revolutionary operas (样板戏) were allowed to be staged.
- The white mask in Peking Opera signifies treachery and stupidity.

With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.

#14 Art from the edges: LGBT and feminist contributions to contemporary Chinese art

Monday, July 8, 2019 • Duration 56:37

Send us Fan Mail

Voices from China’s large but marginalized LGBTQ and feminist communities are increasingly making themselves heard in contemporary culture. In particular, artists and activists from these groups are creating content around the idea of “nontraditional love,” which is resonating strongly even with mainstream Chinese audiences. So how have the stories of creators from historically silenced and censored groups found footholds in contemporary culture?

Featuring
Qin Sachi : Manager, Transgender Rights Program, Beijing LGBT Center Beijing
Wei Xiaogang : Executive Director, Producer, Beijing GENDER (同志亦凡人)
Evangeline Z: Feminist activist and comedian

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!

Recommended watching and listening
- Farewell My Concubine (霸王别姬 - 1993)
- East Palace, West Palace (东宫西宫 - 1996)
- Home With Kids (家有儿女 - 2004–2007)
- Mama Rainbow (彩虹伴我心 - 2012)
- Addicted (上瘾 - 2016)
- Chinese Dating With the Parents (中国式相亲), hosted by one of China’s most famous transgender people, Jin Xing (金星)

With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.

Read moreCollapse

#13 Crowded clubs and fancy festivals: The live music industry in China

Tuesday, June 18, 2019 • Duration 40:59

Send us Fan Mail

Clubs and live performances featuring international music started taking off in China in the 1980s. Initially, the scene was very focused on foreign diplomats, journalists, and students who rented out restaurants and other spaces on the weekends. Gradually, as policies governing public radio broadcasts underwent reforms that allowed the performance of international music, a broader audience had access to the genre. Fast-forward to the present day: There is no shortage of music festivals, clubs, and other venues in China that feature performances by artists from around the world — to the extent that, if current trends continue, electronic music will be the most popular genre on Chinese radio airwaves by the early 2020s. In this live recording of the Middle Earth Podcast at the 2019 WISE festival, a few industry insiders discuss the current trends in this lively line of work.

Featuring
Philipp Grefer : Founder, WISE and Fake Music Media
Isla Angus : Booking Agent, ATC Live
Paul Neuteboom : Managing Director, Brother Hood Music
Fay Haixuan Wang : Vice President at China Minsheng Cultural Media Development
Chang Liu –: Chief Operating Officer, Pillz Records
Chang Youdai : Radio and Club DJ

Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and usually 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!

Recommended watching and listening
- Cui Jian (崔健) the “Father of Chinese Rock”
- Tang Dynasty (唐朝乐队) often credited as the first Chinese heavy metal band

With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.

Middle Earth - China’s cultural industry podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Middle Earth - China’s cultural industry podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other99+

Buzzsprout43

LinkedIn12

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other99+

Buzzsprout43

LinkedIn12