Stories from China (Part 4)

This entry is part 4 of 40 in the series Stories from China

May 18, 2023

Stories from China (Part 4)

By Simon J. Lau

I had the pleasure of meeting Kou Aizhe, the producer behind GushiFM, or “Story FM,” one of China’s most popular podcasts. Similar to This American Life, GushiFM shares authentic stories from everyday people across the country.

As a Mandarin learner, I discovered Aizhe’s work years ago. The content is still a bit advanced for me, but I use it to push my listening comprehension and learn more about China. His storytelling has earned wide acclaim, including recognition in The New York Times.

Over tea, we talked about censorship, political correctness, monetization, and their impact on GushiFM. The stories are authentic, but at times controversial, and I walked away with a better understanding of the challenges involved in sharing them in China. Despite the obstacles, Aizhe carries himself with a calm persistence, the kind that makes you believe these stories will continue to find a way to be told.

With that conversation still on my mind, I headed to the bus station to catch a ride to Chengde, a city four hours outside of Beijing. I missed the last bus but managed to track down a dubious underground bus broker. After some haggling over the price, as is customary in China, I climbed onto his small e-bike with my luggage strapped awkwardly to the front.

We must have looked ridiculous weaving through traffic like that, my bag bouncing in front while I gripped the sides and tried not to picture myself getting flattened by a city bus. To make things worse, he kept chatting on his phone the entire time, as if I wasn’t clinging on behind him.

The van was unregulated, filled mostly with poor migrant workers. For one reason or another, they either couldn’t buy official tickets, perhaps due to restrictions from China’s social credit system, or simply didn’t want to hand over their IDs, which are required for official travel. It was definitely a little shady.

That said, say what you will about China’s surveillance state, but one downstream effect is that the country feels incredibly safe. Violent crime is rare, and even petty theft is uncommon. So I took my chances, and I’m glad I did. This was one ride I won’t forget.

Midway through the trip, we stopped in a rural village for a restroom break. It was my first time in a Chinese village, so I wandered around to see the chickens, ducks, and the small vegetable gardens before reluctantly heading to the bathroom. It was filthy, and a small part of me died inside.

When I returned to the van, drama had erupted. One sketchy passenger was trying to get out of paying and demanded to be let off at the rest stop. The driver was furious, shouting back at him, and for a moment I thought a brawl might break out. Fortunately, the man paid in the end, and we continued on our way.

In the end, I made it safely, and I came back with an unforgettable story. I’ll share a proper introduction to Chengde in my next post, but I can already tell I’m going to love it here. The weather is perfect, the city is beautiful, and it already feels like my kind of place.