
Hosted by China Plus · EN

We are in the thick of summer, cranking the AC and reaching for anything cold. But for thousands of years, people survived blazing heat without a single modern convenience. China's traditional playbook was full of clever, low-tech fixes that kept things bearable. As temperatures keep rising, can these ancient hacks actually be smarter than our energy-guzzling gadgets? / Can you wear last year's sunscreen (12:29)? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

China reshaped the global auto industry with electric cars. Now it is targeting the heavy-duty trucks that move the world's goods. But truckers respond to hard numbers, not hype. If the math works, the price of everything from groceries to gadgets could drop. Will China pull off the same magic twice? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

The average worker spends more than an entire workday each week in meetings. Calendars are overflowing, focus is fractured, and meaningful work keeps getting pushed aside. Meetings are necessary at times, but the real question is whether we are simply holding too many or whether we have forgotten what a good one actually looks like. / Do you need more oxygen (18:28)? On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu

China is turning eldercare into a licensed occupation. A new national certification is formalizing the workforce that will shape how millions of seniors are cared for. This is not about expanding beds or abstract policy. It is about who delivers care, how they are trained, and what that means for the future of growing old in China's cities. On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu

You know that nagging feeling that follows you through the day: what if a sixty-second mental move could dissolve it? Behavioral scientists have uncovered a practice called mental subtraction. It's not about positive thinking. It's a subtle repositioning that lets relief surface on its own. Will it work for you? / Burgers, burgers everywhere (15:30). On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu

Older cities are facing a new question, where preserving buildings and streets is no longer enough. Across China, historic neighborhoods are becoming living spaces where people don't just observe the past but actually experience it. So when ancient streets meet a new generation, what is it that makes young people want to stay? On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu

Temperatures have soared past forty degrees across Europe. Schools have sent children home. Outdoor work has been banned. A famous landmark closed its doors. A continent built for cold winters now bakes under relentless heat. Air conditioning seems obvious, but the solution is more complicated than installing more units. On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushan

When it comes to how cities use land, what is the right formula? China is reimagining urban land use by looking inward, not outward. We are talking about turning empty warehouses into senior care centers, building vertical factories, and more. The future is about making every inch of the land we already have count. On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushan

Two decades after the Qinghai–Xizang Railway first sliced across the plateau, the tracks tell a story bigger than engineering. At 4,000 meters, they've rewired daily life, shifting supply chains, redirecting tourism, and speeding the flow of ideas. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Guo Yan

You have heard of gig work, but this is different. There are no apps and no ratings. There is just a camera strapped to your head while you fold laundry, care for children, or operate a sewing machine. Your daily life is recorded and sold to the biggest tech companies on Earth. This is the story of the invisible workforce training the machines that could one day replace them, and the trade we may not realize we are making. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun