Beijing Calling

Welcome to the season finale of Beijing Calling and we're taking you somewhere really special! If you were to bring one stuffed animal for a young friend back home from China, what would it be? Let me take a wild guess and say: a panda?  There is no better place to get that toy than from the Giant Panda Breeding Center in Chengdu city of Southwest China and that's where we're heading today. Will they let you bring home a real baby panda?  Well...let's see what Shenting and Mohan have to say about that!

Mirror Mirror on the Wall Who is the wisest one of all?   Is it the King? Is it the Queen? Is it the fair lady who is writing this thing?   Close, but no!   For a lot of Chinese people, the answer is very likely to be: my Grandmother!   Grandmas are packed with decades with wisdom and bosoms full of love!   What are the words of wisdom that Chinese Grandmas try to pass down to their much-pampered grandchildren?   Join us and have a listen!

​Li Yuan brings you the latest from China's contemporary music scene. In this week's show, we listen to two new singles just released by alternative band FAZI from the historic city Xi'An, and hear the band's lead vocalist Liu Peng introducing their latest work. Let's take a listen!

Mirror Mirror on the Wall Who is the wisest one of all? Is it the King? Is it the Queen? Is it the fair lady who is writing this thing? Close, but no! For a lot of Chinese people, the answer is very likely to be: my Grandmother! Grandmas are packed with decades with wisdom and bosoms full of love! What are the words of wisdom that Chinese Grandmas try to pass down to their much-pampered grandchildren? Join us and have a listen!

Just two decades ago, pets were still rather rare in China when people were busy just managing their children, but nowadays, more and more people, even young adults who have just learned to take care of themselves, are becoming pet owners. The pet industry has been growing rapidly, with dogs and cats being the most popular choices.  What other animals are favored by the Chinese people?  Lizards’? Turtles? Snails? (Whisper: A panda would be nice, but only in my dreams...) Mohan and Shen Ting will tell you more!

People from China have quite different standards than people from the West when it comes to defining beauty. A recent advertisement from Zara featuring a Chinese model with freckles triggered rage from some people on social media, who saw it as an affront to Chinese women.

There are many symbols of good luck around the world. Some are very well known, such as four-leaf clovers in Ireland; dream catchers in Native American culture; the North Star for sailors and a pot of gold for...well say, you and me? What are considered lucky in the Chinese culture? Will people's eyes light up if you give them, let's say, a live turtle for present? What fruit is the most appropriate for birthdays for the elderly? Click "Play" and find out!

There are many symbols of good luck around the world. Some are very well known, such as four-leaf clovers in Ireland; dream catchers in Native American culture; the North Star for sailors and a pot of gold for...well say, you and me? What are considered lucky in the Chinese culture? Will people's eyes light up if you give them, let's say, a live turtle for present? What fruit is the most appropriate for birthdays for the elderly? Click "Play" and find out!

​Li Yuan brings you the latest from China's contemporary music scene. In this week's show, we have a romantic duo by Li Quan and Dutch jazz singer Laura Fygi, specially released on ST. Valentine's Day. Let's take a listen!

If there a time NOT suitable for traveling to China?   Yes, there sure is!   No one wants you here during the month-long Spring Festival celebration, no matter how handsome, beautiful and nice you are. Just stay away!   We don't want to find you crushed, crumpled, flattened, or squashed, trying to find your footing among the millions, wait, maybe billions of travelers on the move at the train stations, airports, bus stops... Oh wait! We shouldn't worry. You won't be able to get tickets to go anywhere anyways, ha!    Is it that serious? Yep! Believe you me!   Find out more in this episode!

China is in the midst of the post-Spring Festival travel rush.While people planning to catch public transport home battle to find a ticket, people who are driving are facing a struggle of their own: trying to fit all their gifts from their families into their trunk!

When you've finally taken down your holiday lights and put away your Christmas tree, the Chinese people are getting ready to roll up their sleeves to prepare for the most important festival of the year-the Chinese Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year. But it's not as simple as putting out some milk and cookies for Santa and wrapping up presents to put under the tree, there is a series of activities that lead to the last night of the winter and the first day of the spring. And by then you've only got to the middle of it. If you don't believe me just click "Play" and have a listen!

Li Yuan brings you the latest from China's contemporary music scene. In this week's show, we meet Haowei Guo, a record producer and film composer who just finished composing the score for the animated film "White Snake". He spoke with us about the creation of the film's original music. Let's take a listen!

With the Chinese Zodiac Year of the Pig fast approaching, Peppa Pig has once again captured the public's attention in China, thanks to a video released online to promote the new Peppa Pig film that will hit the screens in China during the Spring Festival holiday. The video, called "What Is Peppa?", tells the story of a grandfather living in a small rural village trying to work out what "Peppa" means, so he can give his grandson a New Year gift to remember.

​Seriously, are you a Pig?    You are if you were born in 2007, 1995, 1983, 1959, 1947, 1935, 1923, 1911 or 1899 (and what's your secret for longevity?)   Don't be sad if you are, I'm only talking about the Zodiac sign and the Chinese consider the sign of the Pig to be prosperous and lucky. I mean, a lifetime of rolling in the mud and basking in the sun without ever worrying about where the next meal will come from sounds mighty desirable for the toiling masses.     The Zodiac signs have a ubiquitous presence in Chinese people's lives. The signs are checked before marriage proposals are made (most likely in secret by the parents and the grandparents). And couples skip certain years to avoid having babies of a sign they don't like.  Speaking of which, many couples have been saving up their eggs and sperms to make a Golden Pig baby, how precious!   Don't believe in the power of the Zodiac signs? Why don't you click on "Play" and let us win you over.

Today we are going to talk about some words that you will hear from nowhere else. These are slang, phrases, buzzwords that have emerged in the past year from online and offline. They have become part of everyday talk, popular especially among the younger generations in China. The first five we're sharing in this episode are: soul gaze, Buddha-like, official announcement, cheesy pick-up lines, and prankish. Do they mean what you think they mean? Tune in and find out!

Three Moms and three kids make a video that gets millions of hits! Yeah, that rhymes! Four generations living under one roof might sound two to three generations too much to you, but for centuries in China, it's been a symbol of heavenly bliss.  Though no longer common in today's China it's still looked upon with fondness and warmth.  Recently, a series of videos with this theme have been garnering the hits overseas. One child, her parents, then the grandparents and then the great grandparents come into the scene one by one and call the other "Mom", simple as that. But’s that’s enough to get the tears flowing. Click “Play” and let the story melt your heart too!

Today we are going to talk about some words that you will hear from nowhere else. These are slang, phrases, buzzwords that have emerged in the past year from online and offline. They have become part of everyday talk, popular especially among the younger generations in China. The first five we're sharing in this episode are: Koi fish, argumentative person, skr, center position and burn my calories. Do they mean what you think they mean? Tune in and find out!

Hello and it's Li Yuan here, bringing you the latest from China's contemporary music scene! In this week's show, we meet Xu Wei, a nationally renowned pop-rock musician here in China. He just released his seventh album and in today's show, he reveals the creation of the new songs and his philosophy on life and music. Join me and take a listen!

For us Chinese people, no matter where we live, be it the North Pole or smack on the Equator, there are certain things that we simply must have, maybe not right away if they are not readily available, but these items will slowly creep back into our lives. What are they and why are they so essential? Here is a sneaky peek: Plastic basins. As ugly as they look, these are part of our lives. You will find them in our bathrooms, not just one or two, but a whole stack of various appalling colors. The butcher knives with a flat cutting edge. Yep, don't mess with a Chinese cook, our knives can hack anything to pieces, slice right through the bone like feathers. The electrical heating blankets. When winter comes around, most people living in Southern China will choose these babies over their spouses in bed, not joking at all. Click "Play" and let us show you the rest!