

The 2026 gray zone of modern romanceIn a relationship, we used to know what crossed the line. Now it is a hidden text, a dating app you are still on, or a friend your partner has never heard of. A new survey of 2,000 people reveals just how blurry the boundaries have become. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yangyang
The 60,000 km path to discoveryChina's highways were once built for function alone. But a new 60,000-kilometer national plan is now tailoring routes specifically for road trips, threading together the Great Wall, the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, and dozens of World Heritage sites into one immersive network. Rest stops are becoming cultural outposts, and overlooks invite quiet reflection, turning the journey into something far more than just a way to get somewhere. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yangyang
The internet cafe 2.0The old internet cafe is dead. Dim lights, sticky floors, and cheap instant noodles are gone. In their place are sleek lounges with premium seating, gourmet food, private pods, and showers. These new spaces are just as much about gaming as they are getting away. For a growing number of people, they are a second home, or maybe a better one. On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushun
Train hard, heal harderWe are more active than ever, but our bodies are paying the price. A fitness boom is fueling a massive surge in sports rehabilitation, from boutique clinics to high-tech recovery tools. The business of healing is growing fast, and a culture of pushing our bodies to the limit is forcing a new conversation about what it really means to be healthy. On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushun
Generation Global: where East meets the Arab worldChina and Egypt, two ancient civilizations, share deep cultural and historical roots. Today, a new generation is building on that foundation through culture, business, trade, and technology. Round Table's Yushan sat down with CGTN reporter Mèrna Al Nasser and Egyptian PhD student Sherif Abdelsamie. They share what it's like to live between these worlds, the unexpected ties they have uncovered, and the energy that sparks when ancient traditions meet a rapidly changing era.
The CD comeback: a feel-good music industry storyVinyl gets all the attention, but CDs are actually the ones growing faster, and it's not nostalgic collectors buying them. It's a generation that grew up streaming everything and never owned a CD player in their life. So what's pulling them toward plastic cases and liner notes? Is this a real comeback, or just a moment that fades as fast as it showed up? On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun
When science class gets realForget the textbook. This fall, science class in China begins outside, where students are running real experiments, hitting real dead ends, and rethinking their approach when things do not go as planned. The goal is not landing on the right answer but learning to ask a good question in the first place. This is science treated as something you do, not something you memorize, grounded in the everyday. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun
China Finds: how a compass shapes a cultureIn Chinese, the cardinal directions are woven into everyday language in ways that often go unnoticed. Ordinary expressions carry traces of an older worldview, one that assigned meaning to every point on the horizon. These are not random quirks, but remnants of a way of thinking that has endured for centuries. / How does a nap right after work sound to you (18:07)? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
AI for everyone, one class at a timeA new divide is emerging in China between those who know how to use AI and those who don't. Office workers are adapting quickly, but what about the street vendor, the retiree, or someone who's never touched a computer? The answer comes from an unexpected place: night school. Community centers across the country are offering free or low-cost evening classes to make sure no one gets left behind. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
Can culture keep you young?A new study suggests that regular museum visits and theater outings could slow the biological aging process. The idea is enticing because it requires no prescriptions and no gym time. But researchers are still working to pinpoint the true cause. Is it the art itself that delivers the benefit, or is it the walking, the social connection, and the cognitive engagement that naturally accompany a night at the theater? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
Why does everyone suddenly want to go to trade school?China's top Gaokao scorers are now choosing vocational undergraduate programs over elite universities, drawn by higher starting salaries and job security in an automated economy. The surge in popularity is a clear sign of changing perceptions, but the system must adapt to meet new challenges. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
Do you "pre-prepare" your kids for school?A two-month summer break sounds like freedom. But for many children in China, it comes with a new set of assignments: previewing lessons, completing workbooks, and preparing for the semester ahead. Parents see it as a way to get a head start, while experts warn that too much academic pressure can come at a cost. So how much preparation is helpful? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushun
One-person companies, small-town dreamsSolo founders are leaving China's biggest cities for county towns, where the cost of living is a fraction of what they paid. AI has made location less relevant, and smaller counties are wroking to attract these one-person companies with real incentives and real-world testing grounds. Is this a smarter way to build a business, or a step backward? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushun
Is reading dying? Spoiler: it's complicatedThe obituaries for reading are written every week. Young people scroll past books, grades dip, professors mourn a lost age of deep thought. But the data refuses to cooperate with the gloom. In some corners of the world, reading is surging. Maybe the problem is not that reading is dying, but that we are looking for it in all the wrong places. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun
The second World Humanoid Robot GamesAt the World Humanoid Robot Games, machines run, dance, fight, and even play football. The spectacle is futuristic, but watching them compete is as awkward as it is impressive. For every graceful motion, there is a stumble, a missed grip, or a kick that goes nowhere. Each failure reveals exactly where the technology falls short, and that is precisely what makes these games valuable. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun