Global insights

At the award ceremony, Zhang was surprised to see many international participants and felt a sense of pride when she discovered that they were telling stories about China through podcasts.

One such participant is Anurak Kitpaiboonthawee from Thailand, who has been exposed to Chinese literature since childhood and has worked as a Chinese-Thai translator for 20 years.

His podcast, "Mitrting Point", a term harmonized to mean "exchange of ideas" in Thai, is deeply rooted in his experiences as a translator and his passion for Chinese culture.

For example, in the first episode, Kitpaiboonthawee discussed Black Myth: Wukong, a Chinese game that went viral worldwide last year, including in Thailand.

To help Thai gamers better understand the game, Kitpaiboonthawee introduced the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West — the story that inspired the game — drawing on knowledge gained through his translation experience.

Kitpaiboonthawee said he was delighted to attend the award ceremony, where he met many creators and recognized the potential of podcasts.

"Podcasting is still in its early stage in Thailand, while in China, it is already well-developed and produced on a professional level. By exchanging ideas with podcast creators at this event, I see a great future for podcasting in Thailand," he said.

"Although we seem to be living in an era dominated by visuals, audio products have carved out a unique market in recent years, especially among young people," said Zhou Ting, the festival's program director and the executive director of CUC's Academy of International and Regional Communication Studies.

"By bringing young podcasters from around the world together, we aim to help them connect with one another and exchange insights on creativity and production. We also hope to link them with more resources, such as cutting-edge techniques, podcasting networks, and future opportunities," she added.