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Synopsis
An in-depth portrait of Asia today, covering its dynamism as a center of growth as well as its traditions tossed around by the advance of globalization.
Episode 37 : Trouble on the New Silk Road - Myanmar
December. 14,2018
Rakhine, one of the poorest states in Myanmar, is receiving huge investment as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. A pipeline to China is already in place. A special economic zone, including new ports and an industrial park, is also planned. However, land acquisitions for these new links between Myanmar and China are sparking opposition. Reporting from a region that's out of bounds to most news organizations, we look at the massive impact of China's growing economic power on the lives of Rakhine people.
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Episode 36 : China's Internet Plus and Laborers
December. 07,2018
China's Internet Plus Initiative has improved convenience and availability of technology nationwide, supposedly boosting quality of life through new industries such as bike sharing and internet food delivery. However, in the shadow of this growth, serious problems have become visible. Abandoned bikes litter cities, and food delivery workers are expected to rush food out at a dangerous pace. In this episode, we look at the difficulties of the Chinese workforce during the Internet Plus era.
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Episode 34 : The Philippines: The People's Mayor
November. 09,2018
In the Philippines, regional economic disparity drives people to the cities, where many live in slums. Mayor Johnielle Keith Pasion Nieto is taking a hands-on approach to improving people's lives in his municipality near Manila. His programs include loans to promote homeownership, job creation schemes and the foundation of a free university. And whenever residents have a problem, his office door is always open. We follow the mayor's groundbreaking attempts to make a difference.
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Episode 33 : Hotline of Hope in Tianjin, China
November. 02,2018
One Tianjin-based call center receives contact from over 10,000 people a year, spanning various ages and social groups. Known as the Hope Line, its counselors provide free advice to those who struggle with issues such as clinical depression or personal loss. Recently increasing are callers in their 20's, who have grown up financially stable but burdened by the many pressures of modern society. In this episode, we reach out to a call center that serves as a ray of light to the residents of northern China.
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Episode 32 : A Sign of Hope: Indonesia's Rainbow Village
October. 26,2018
In 2016 a new tourist hotspot was born in Malang, Indonesia: Rainbow Village. Once a poor slum, residents began painting their homes vibrant colors, creating trick art and handmade props. Today, both Indonesian and foreign tourists flock to the neighborhood to take selfies and upload photos to social media, creating new jobs for residents and increasing quality of life in the village. The project's success has prompted other villages across Indonesia to use paint to boost their quality of life.
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Episode 31 : Changing Status of Bachelorettes in China
October. 19,2018
Traditionally, single Chinese women over the age of 27 were made fun of and regarded as "being left on the shelf". But now, with healthy incomes, single women are financially independent and have started to find a voice of their own. In spite of pressure from their parents, they don't have to marry and rely on their husbands. On this episode of Asia Insight, we follow the lifestyles of 3 young women who are enjoying their single lives in the city of Beijing.
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Episode 30 : Fighting for Peace - Myanmar
September. 28,2018
Myanmar's government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, is trying to end long-standing conflicts with ethnic armed groups. Talks are based on the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement reached under the prior government. We speak to 2 of the men involved in drafting the historic agreement, Aung Min, a former military man and Min Zaw Oo, a former student demonstrator and rebel fighter who is now an expert in peace studies. Together, they bear witness to the recent history of peacemaking in Myanmar.
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Episode 29 : Dreaming of a Diploma - South Korea
September. 21,2018
Ilsung Women's Middle and High School is not an ordinary school. The average age of the students is 61. Many of these women missed out on the chance of an education during childhood because of poverty. Learning to read and write so late in life presents many challenges, but the students make up for that with hard work and a hunger to learn. In this program, we join them as they pursue their dreams of higher education.
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Episode 28 : Searching for Freedom of Speech in Taiwan
September. 14,2018
Taiwan began its democratization in the 1990's, paving the way for freedom of expression greater than in any other Chinese-speaking region. Now, Taiwan has grown into a haven for creators who seek to spread views disapproved of by the mainland Chinese government. Lam Wing-kee is one among them, a former bookstore owner who suffered months of imprisonment in China for selling politically sensitive books. In this episode, we hear from the free thinkers who have left their homelands so that they may begin new lives free from creative persecution.
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Episode 23 : The Long Road to Recovery - China's Sichuan Earthquake
August. 03,2018
It is 10 years since the Great Sichuan Earthquake of 2008, which left 87,000 people dead or missing. The Beijing government has invested heavily in recovery efforts and according to official figures, Sichuan's GDP has tripled from pre-quake levels. However, survivors who lost loved ones in the disaster still struggle with their grief and not all of the recovery efforts have been successful. In this episode of Asia Insight, we revisit people we interviewed 10 years ago and see how far they have traveled on the road to recovery.
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Episode 22 : City Running Dry - Kathmandu, Nepal
July. 27,2018
Nepal is famed for its many mountains, which include part of the Himalayan Range. But despite an abundance of crystal-clear snowmelt, and over 6,000 rivers and streams nationwide, the capital, Kathmandu, and its surrounding valley are beset by severe water shortages. With over 100,000 rural migrants arriving in the city each year, water infrastructure is unable to keep up. As various businesses and schemes step in to fill this gap, we examine a city battling to secure the water it needs.
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Episode 18 : Mongolians Set Sights on South Korea
June. 29,2018
In the 25 years since Mongolia introduced a market economy at the beginning of the 1990's, the country saw growth fueled by rich mineral wealth, but since 2012 a fall in mineral value and government restriction of foreign investment has led to a stalled economy. Few jobs offer enough to live on and a third of the population are living in poverty. Many have turned to jobs in South Korea. In 2017 there were 135,000 visa applications, a four-fold rise in just 3 years. Meet the people seeking a better life at home by working in South Korea.
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Episode 17 : The Amazing Electric Phin - Thailand
June. 08,2018
The electric phin -- a modern adaption of a traditional stringed instrument -- is an essential part of any festivity in the villages of northeast Thailand. Inspired by the introduction of American music during the Vietnam War, electric phin bands offer a unique -- some say psychedelic -- take on folk culture. We look at the history of the instrument, and the pioneering musicians who hooked up a song-and-dance revolution.
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Episode 16 : Defector Video Creators: Young North Koreans with Dreams
May. 18,2018
In recent years, video sharing service YouTube has grown increasingly popular for the freedom it provides users in expressing their views. Through it, these "YouTubers" often communicate the latest trends on their channels. But a surprising group has emerged among video creators: North Korean defectors who, having fled to South Korea, now seek to educate other young people on the truths of their homeland, while dispelling the deep-seated prejudices many hold towards them. These so-called "Defector YouTubers" consider what it means to be born North Korean, as they seek their own futures in a land so near to and yet so far from where they were born.
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Episode 11 : Bhutan's Hurdle to Happiness
March. 30,2018
An in-depth portrait of Asia today, covering its dynamism as a center of growth as well as its traditions tossed around by the advance of globalization. Today: Bhutan's Hurdle to Happiness.
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Episode 10 : Harvesting Hope in the Golden Triangle - Thailand
March. 23,2018
The Golden Triangle, overlapping the borders of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos, is a major production center for opium poppies. In one area, however, the illicit trade has fallen sharply thanks to a project started by the Princess Mother Srinagarindra. Her foundation's work in Doi Tung, northern Thailand, has focused on supporting ethnic minorities through forest regeneration and promoting alternative crops such as coffee and nuts. This program looks at how a three-decade royal project eliminated poppy growing – and transformed lives.
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Episode 9 : A Dying Art: Taiwanese Ceremonial Performance Troupes
March. 16,2018
One of the most vivid and unique forms of performance to be found in Taiwan is at risk of vanishing altogether. Taiwan's traditionally colorful processions, coupled with energetic song and dance performances, are designed to celebrate the important milestones of life. The acts come equipped with massive stage trucks and elaborate floats, but as young people opt for more subdued, modern weddings and funerals, performers and business owners are having trouble continuing the spectacle. In this episode, we follow along with the last remnants of this beautiful but endangered art.
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Episode 8 : Preserving the Hanji Tradition of South Korea
March. 09,2018
Traditional Korean paper, or hanji, was first made around 2,000 years ago. Made from paper mulberry bark, research suggests it is durable enough to last for over 8,000 years. It is especially coveted for its properties by those restoring cultural treasures. However, aging masters and a lack of successors has put the tradition's future into question. This time on Asia Insight, we meet 4th-generation hanji maker Jang Sung-woo, who resolutely adheres to traditional techniques, and is determined to pass on the wealth of his family's tradition to a new young apprentice -- and the next generation of papermakers.
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Episode 7 : Cambodian Migrant Workers: Searching for Hope amidst Uncertainty
March. 02,2018
Each morning, Cambodian day laborers in Phnom Penh line up to seek work for the day, hoping that they may find enough for them to eke out a living. But in recent years, the laborers have been pursuing a new option: Traveling abroad to work in countries such as Thailand, Japan and South Korea. Several years of work in any of these countries could net them enough to live comfortably in Cambodia. With help from new businesses such as language schools and mediation companies, these pioneers set off on their own journeys to unfamiliar lands, all in hopes of bringing home better lives to their families.
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Episode 5 : The Next China: Young Perspectives on China's Role in the World
February. 16,2018
Continuing on from his first term, Chinese President Xi Jinping began his second term with popularity rivaling that of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, and stated that he would make China into a greater global leader. Despite China's strict monitoring of political gatherings and debate, the growth and change of the country has inspired groups of young people to exchange heated views on their country's politics and morality. To the new generation, what is the ideal form of global leadership? In this episode, we speak with the young people of China to hear their opinions on the global future of their nation.
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Episode 4 : Vietnam: Reviving the Water Puppets
February. 09,2018
Water puppet theater is a folk art unique to Vietnam. Puppeteers use poles to move their wooden dolls over a water "stage". This centuries-old tradition nearly died out during the Vietnam War, but the village of Dao Thuc, Hanoi, kept the skills alive. Despite losing half their puppeteers during the war, the village started a campaign in the mid-1980's to revive the troupe and restart performances. Villagers rediscovered old stories and added a new one, drawing on their war-time experiences. We follow their efforts to protect this important cultural heritage.
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Episode 3 : Counting on Red Fruit: China's One Belt One Road Initiative
February. 02,2018
China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, located deep inland, is one of the nation's poorest. Despite being left behind the country's swift economic development, the region has been able to make use of its long tradition of goji berry farming. Under China's One Belt One Road initiative, a united trade infrastructure has been developed, propelling Ningxia to agricultural prominence through the goji berry trade. In this episode, we meet the farmers and businessmen who have staked their dreams on the tiny red fruits.
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Episode 1 : Poachers Turned Eco-Guides in Cambodia
January. 19,2018
After the fall of the Pol Pot regime, Chi Phat Village became known as a center of illegal poaching and logging as its residents grew desperate among the declining economy. One day, an NGO offered them an unexpected option: Poachers could give up their hunt and instead turn their knowledge of the trails to guiding tourists. In this episode, we travel alongside the men working to revitalize their village in a new industry that has allowed visitors and residents alike to gain a newfound appreciation for man's harmony with nature.
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