===
[{"type":"0","id":"vsDa7EGEL_4","title":"Kimio & Zhensheng - Encounters in China | A China Icons Video - trial","author":"","author2":"","duration":"5:52","description":"Kimio Iwamoto (Japan) first travelled to Beijing in 1995 to study art. His tutor was Ma Zhensheng who was the Professor of Art at the Beijing Language and Culture University. In his spare time, Kimio would cycle around Beijing and noticed the rich variety of ornate pillar decorations found in the doorways in Beijing’s historic Hutongs, referred to as `Mendun` in Chinese. Kimio felt they were an important artefact of Chinese culture, but noticed they were being lost and destroyed during Beijing’s rapid development. He began to photograph them, and also to collect ones that were due to be demolished. He convinced his tutor Ma Zhensheng that these were important and worth saving, and together they got the university to look after the ‘Mendun’ they collected. They created a courtyard which still holds many of those they found today. Kimio and Zhensheng shared their story for the 70th anniversary of the founding of modern China. Check out more about the restorations of Beijing`s Hutongs in recent years here: https:\\\\/\\\\/news.cgtn.com\\\\/news\\\\/3d596a4e34634464776c6d636a4e6e62684a4856\\\\/share_p.html Click here for our video with Mary-Ann Ochota when she explored the Hutongs of Beijing: https:\\\\/\\\\/www.youtube.com\\\\/watch?v=hroZqzdxahs For more heartwarming stories and information on China subscribe to China Icons. Join in the conversation on our Facebook site https:\\\\/\\\\/facebook.com\\\\/ChinaIcons Get the latest news as it happens from our Twitter page https:\\\\/\\\\/twitter.com\\\\/chinaicons We`re also on Instagram! Follow us for exclusive behind-the-scenes photography and more. https:\\\\/\\\\/instagram.com\\\\/china_icons Remember to check out our official website too! https:\\\\/\\\\/chinaicons.com","sdescription":" sddefault maxresdefault","date":"2020-02-11","thumbnail":"","hd":"yes","hits":"","likes":"","start":"0","stop":"","status":"1","views":"78 k","total":"169"},{"type":"0","id":"9wsFVdjpMII","title":"Jian & Piri - Encounters in China | A China Icons Video - trial","author":"","author2":"","duration":"5:43","description":"Mauricio Javier Martinez Neira, aka ‘Piri’ is a professional football player and coach from Chile. In 2019 he was offered the chance to play for Guizhou Fengyun Football Club, in the fourth tier of Chinese football, and to be a coach for their youth teams. Although the club is small, he was attracted to their big ambitions; they wanted build a football culture by having a successful adult team, but also by inspiring local kids to play to a high level. In Guizhou he met Chen Jian, a young coach who had recently started working at the club. Chen Jian was quiet but very friendly, and they became good friends as they worked together training the youth teams. He helped make Piri’s life in China much more successful. Piri estimates that together he and Chen Jian have reached around 15,000 players – and the club aims to become the best football school in China. Jian is proud of China’s recent motivation to become world leaders in football. The sport has become compulsory in schools, and there has been a lot of investment in the top leagues. Jian and Piri both think Guizhou’s approach of working at grassroots levels to encourage high standards in football will have a huge positive impact on Chinese football. Piri and Chen Jian shared their story for the 70th anniversary of the founding of modern China. For more heartwarming stories and information on China subscribe to China Icons. Join in the conversation on our Facebook site https:\\\\/\\\\/facebook.com\\\\/ChinaIcons Get the latest news as it happens from our Twitter page https:\\\\/\\\\/twitter.com\\\\/chinaicons We`re also on Instagram! Follow us for exclusive behind-the-scenes photography and more. https:\\\\/\\\\/instagram.com\\\\/china_icons Remember to check out our official website too! https:\\\\/\\\\/chinaicons.com","sdescription":" sddefault maxresdefault","date":"2020-02-07","thumbnail":"","hd":"yes","hits":"","likes":"","start":"0","stop":"","status":"1","views":"82 k","total":"169"},{"type":"0","id":"LvWGhUD9QO8","title":"Whitney & Karro - Encounters in China | A China Icons Video - trial","author":"","author2":"","duration":"5:10","description":"Karoline Karro (Lithuania) is fashion designer planning to make it big in China. In 2016 she applied to enter the Humen Cup, an international Womenswear Design Contest held in Humen city in Guangdong. Over 30,000 people applied, and Karro was selected as one of only 30 designers to show her designs on the catwalk. When Karro arrived in Humen she met Whitney (Huang Yingyi, from Dongguan), who was there to show her around the site and explain how the competition would work. On first sight Whitney could tell Karro was a true designer, with an authentic style, and Karro could tell Whitney would be a good friend. Whitney helped Karro deal with the stress of the competition, and was pleased when Karro won a bronze medal at the competition. For Karro it was just the start of her work in China, she has returned again to take part in the Humen Cup and see Whitney, and has been selected to show her work at many other Chinese fashion shows. Karro and Whitney became good friends, and now Whitney gives advice and help to Karro to help her make her designs more successful in China. Whitney and Karro shared their story for the 70th anniversary of the founding of modern China. For more info on Karro`s designs: https:\\\\/\\\\/studiokarro.com\\\\/ For more heartwarming stories and information on China subscribe to China Icons. Join in the conversation on our Facebook site https:\\\\/\\\\/facebook.com\\\\/ChinaIcons Get the latest news as it happens from our Twitter page https:\\\\/\\\\/twitter.com\\\\/chinaicons We`re also on Instagram! Follow us for exclusive behind-the-scenes photography and more. https:\\\\/\\\\/instagram.com\\\\/china_icons Remember to check out our official website too! https:\\\\/\\\\/chinaicons.com","sdescription":" sddefault maxresdefault","date":"2020-02-04","thumbnail":"","hd":"yes","hits":"","likes":"","start":"0","stop":"","status":"1","views":"89 k","total":"169"},{"type":"0","id":"BTT5_35COjI","title":"Michael & Shuyi - Encounters in China | A China Icons Video - trial","author":"","author2":"","duration":"6:58","description":"Michael Zollweg (Germany) is an enthusiastic researcher into Chinese Crocodile Lizard, an endangered species of crocodile that lives only in certain subtropical regions of China. In 2011 he met Luo Shuyi (China) of the Daguishan Crocodile National Nature Reserve and they have been collaborating ever since. To help the survival of the rare Crocodile Lizard they have surveyed the creatures in the their natural habitat, and even developed a type of radio tracker so they could monitor where these creatures lived in the Crocodile reserve. In 2012 many of the crocodile lizards became ill, and Michael was share his experience dealing with a similar problem and helped She get the necessary medication to deal with the illness. They have also worked together to help breed these rare lizards. Michael and Shuyi shared their story for the 70th anniversary of the founding of modern China. For more heartwarming stories and information on China subscribe to China Icons. Join in the conversation on our Facebook site https:\\\\/\\\\/facebook.com\\\\/ChinaIcons Get the latest news as it happens from our Twitter page https:\\\\/\\\\/twitter.com\\\\/chinaicons We`re also on Instagram! Follow us for exclusive behind-the-scenes photography and more. https:\\\\/\\\\/instagram.com\\\\/china_icons Remember to check out our official website too! https:\\\\/\\\\/chinaicons.com","sdescription":" sddefault maxresdefault","date":"2020-02-04","thumbnail":"","hd":"yes","hits":"","likes":"","start":"0","stop":"","status":"1","views":"17 k","total":"169"},{"type":"0","id":"dC7Lb5CQbdI","title":"Ekaterina & Daisy - Encounters in China | A China Icons Video - trial","author":"","author2":"","duration":"5:12","description":"Ekaterina Shelehova (Canada) and Daisy Zhong (China) are the next generation of opera singers. In 2019 they met in Suzhou, China, at an academy for young singers from around the world and immediately hit it off. Daisy and Ekaterina were learning to perform both western and Chinese operas - because they were performing in lots of different languages they had to help each other to understand the others` languages. Singing in Chinese was difficult for Ekaterina because – even with Chinese language tutors – it was still difficult for her to identify the correct moments in the music to come in or continue. Daisy helped her recognise the tones of Chinese language, and gave hand signals to help her timing. During the workshop Ekaterina performed in an opera flashmob that celebrated the 70th anniversary of the founding of new China. At the end of their time at the academy, the whole group took part in a finale performance in Suzhou. Daisy and Ekaterina sang both Chinese and Western pieces as part of the ensemble. Daisy is now studying music in New York, and Ekaterina is working as singer in Milan, Italy. Ekaterina and Daisy shared their story for the 70th anniversary of the founding of modern China. For more heartwarming stories and information on China subscribe to China Icons. Join in the conversation on our Facebook site https:\\\\/\\\\/facebook.com\\\\/ChinaIcons Get the latest news as it happens from our Twitter page https:\\\\/\\\\/twitter.com\\\\/chinaicons We`re also on Instagram! Follow us for exclusive behind-the-scenes photography and more. https:\\\\/\\\\/instagram.com\\\\/china_icons Remember to check out our official website too! https:\\\\/\\\\/chinaicons.com","sdescription":" sddefault maxresdefault","date":"2020-02-04","thumbnail":"","hd":"yes","hits":"","likes":"","start":"0","stop":"","status":"1","views":"90 k","total":"169"},{"type":"0","id":"0FbghcXwq_Y","title":"Lei & Jovana & Chris - Encounters in China | A China Icons Video - trial","author":"","author2":"","duration":"6:41","description":"In 2010 designers Zhang Lei (China), Jovana Bogdanovic (Serbia) and Christoph John (Germany) set up a studio in Hangzhou. They had met at art school in Milan, and Lei convinced Jovana and Christoph of make the move to China. One weekend Lei, Christoph and Jovana rode their bikes into the countryside surrounding Hangzhou and found a paper-umbrella workshop. They were fascinated by the workshop, and spent a long time speaking with the craftspeople working there. They arranged to come back and spend a week at the workshop, being taught the process of making the paper and creating the umbrellas. They were inspired by what they learnt, and wanted to incorporate it into their own designs. Lei first said “let’s use this to make a paper chair!”, after initially being skeptical Jovana and Chris used the umbrella-gluing techniques they had learnt to create a modern style chair. The paper chair was a great success, it was featured on the front of magazines around the world and they still produce it to this day. The team decided to research more Chinese traditional crafts, and use the materials and processes to create new designs for furniture. Studying porcelain production in Jingdezhen led inspired them to make a range of porcelain tables; paper workshops inspired vases; an enamel factory inspired a range of tableware. They decided they wanted people around the world to have access to the amazing traditional Chinese crafts they had studied, so they materials and processes could inspire more people. Together they set up a Design Library in their village, where everything they have learnt is displayed and designers from any country can come and visit and find out more about China’s crafts. Lei, Jovana and Chris shared their story on the 70th anniversary of the modern China. For more information about their design studio, Pinwu: http:\\\\/\\\\/www.pinwu.net\\\\/ For more information about the Design Library of Chinese crafts: http:\\\\/\\\\/www.designlibrary.cn\\\\/ For more heartwarming stories and information on China subscribe to China Icons. Join in the conversation on our Facebook site https:\\\\/\\\\/facebook.com\\\\/ChinaIcons Get the latest news as it happens from our Twitter page https:\\\\/\\\\/twitter.com\\\\/chinaicons We`re also on Instagram! Follow us for exclusive behind-the-scenes photography and more. https:\\\\/\\\\/instagram.com\\\\/china_icons Remember to check out our official website too! https:\\\\/\\\\/chinaicons.com","sdescription":" ","date":"2020-01-20","thumbnail":"","hd":"yes","hits":"","likes":"","start":"0","stop":"","status":"1","views":"75 k","total":"169"},{"type":"0","id":"D7DNvjw1SA4","title":"Hao & Binke - Encounters in China | A China Icons Video - trial","author":"","author2":"","duration":"5:36","description":"Hao Dong (China) and Binke Lenhardt (Germany) met in New York in 1999 whilst studying architecture at the Pratt Institute. Their approaches to work were very different - Hao was very conceptual and Binke was very practical - but they shared key values in their ideas about architecture. They became a couple in New York, and when they graduated they needed to decide where to live. New York, Germany or China? Beijing had just been awarded the 2008 Olympics, so Hao and Binke decided to pack up and move to China. They both got work at a large government planning institute, working with foreign firm who were building for the Olympics. Hao and Binke realised that their relationship gave them a unique understanding of both Chinese and western culture. Together they decided to set up their own architecture firm called `Crossboundaries` that would bridge the gap between Chinese and foreign thinking in architecture, and enjoy the benefits of both approaches. They employ half Chinese and half foreign workers to ensure the unique quality of their relationship is replicated throughout their work. `Crossboundaries` has been very successful, and one of their interesting commissions came from a rural area of Jiangsu province. They were asked to design to kindergartens for small villages. Together with their team, Hao and Binke decided that instead of building a typical large, enclosed building for each kindergarten, they would create a clusters of low buildings. This creates more of a village feel for the kindergartens, allows different age groups to mix, and create more playful spaces. It`s an idea that partly comes from the European Montessori style of nurseries, but adapted to the specific needs of these rural Chinese villages. The kindergartens have been successful - well used in by the people of these rural villages, and acclaimed internationally by architecture experts. Hao and Binke shared their story for the 70th anniversary of the founding of modern China. For more information on Crossboundaries` unique work and projects: http:\\\\/\\\\/crossboundaries.com\\\\/ For more heartwarming stories and information on China subscribe to China Icons. Join in the conversation on our Facebook site https:\\\\/\\\\/facebook.com\\\\/ChinaIcons Get the latest news as it happens from our Twitter page https:\\\\/\\\\/twitter.com\\\\/chinaicons We`re also on Instagram! Follow us for exclusive behind-the-scenes photography and more. https:\\\\/\\\\/instagram.com\\\\/china_icons Remember to check out our official website too! https:\\\\/\\\\/chinaicons.com","sdescription":" sddefault maxresdefault","date":"2020-01-20","thumbnail":"","hd":"yes","hits":"","likes":"","start":"0","stop":"","status":"1","views":"77 k","total":"169"},{"type":"0","id":"dF1kGKfwzaI","title":"Keith & Ding - Encounters in China | A China Icons Video - trial","author":"","author2":"","duration":"5:52","description":"Keith Williams (Victoria, Canada) and Ding Zai Gang (Guangdong, China) came together through their shared goal of creating a downhill mountain bike course around the rural village of Xia Bao near Hangzhou in China. Mountain biking is a young sport in China with biking often seen as a way of getting around rather than a recreational activity. With few places to mountain bike, both Keith and Ding were excited to create a new downhill track. There were many challenges to overcome. Language was as issue as Ding knew little English, and Keith wasn’t great at Chinese. There were no roads to the mountain, so they had to hump barrels of diesel up the mountain to power the machinery and dig sections of the track by hand. They spent two years hiking the mountains together, marking out exciting courses, building them and taking treacherous first rides themselves. It was exhausting work but their shared love of riding pulled them through, making them close friends. Now the park is finished it has become one of the finest downhill mountain biking courses in China and Keith and Ding’s aim to engage more people in the sport has been realised. Keith predicts that China will soon be one of the biggest countries in the world for downhill mountain biking. Keith and Ding shared their story for the 70th anniversary of the founding of modern China. For more heartwarming stories and information on China subscribe to China Icons. Join in the conversation on our Facebook site https:\\\\/\\\\/facebook.com\\\\/ChinaIcons Get the latest news as it happens from our Twitter page https:\\\\/\\\\/twitter.com\\\\/chinaicons We`re also on Instagram! Follow us for exclusive behind-the-scenes photography and more. https:\\\\/\\\\/instagram.com\\\\/china_icons Remember to check out our official website too! https:\\\\/\\\\/chinaicons.com","sdescription":" sddefault maxresdefault","date":"2020-01-06","thumbnail":"","hd":"yes","hits":"","likes":"","start":"0","stop":"","status":"1","views":"73 k","total":"169"},{"type":"0","id":"S6qUp8pgJAk","title":"Robert & Qingfeng - Encounters in China | A China Icons Video - trial","author":"","author2":"","duration":"5:10","description":"Robert Gituru (Kenya) wanted to study for a PhD in Botany in China. Many universities rejected his application because he could not speak Chinese. But when he applied to Wuhan university and Prof Wang Qingfeng read his application. Wang had a passion for Africa after a research trip to Kenya, so accepted his application. In Wuhan, Robert and Wang worked closely together for three years. Robert researched aquatic plants, and that meant lots of fieldwork in rural areas of China. Often Wang and Robert would do this fieldwork together. On one occasion they were working in Hunan Province, and Robert saw a patch of grass that looked just like the grass in the highlands of Kenya – he was just thinking that a few African cows would be able to graze happily on this grass when he stepped on it. He found out it was not grass but a green water plant that had grown to cover an entire pool of water. He fell in, and Wang quickly and calmly worked to haul him out of the water. Robert remembers being scared – and drinking a lot of Baijiu that night to shake the memory of it! Robert completed his PhD in Wuhan and returned to Kenya. But he has kept his friendship with Wang – they work together on a project called the Sino-Africa Joint Research Centre, based at the Robert’s university in Nairobi. They often do fieldwork together in Kenya, working to catalogue and describe all the plant life in Africa. To do this, Robert and Wang have had to deal with flash-floods, cold weather and wild animals. Robert remembers them being chased by buffalo in the lowlands surrounding mountains, and Wang remembers having to put socks on his hands to keep warm. So far they have already described many species that are new to science. Robert and Qingfeng continue to work together and collaborate. They shared there story on the 70th anniversary of the founding of modern China. For more heartwarming stories and information on China subscribe to China Icons. Join in the conversation on our Facebook site https:\\\\/\\\\/facebook.com\\\\/ChinaIcons Get the latest news as it happens from our Twitter page https:\\\\/\\\\/twitter.com\\\\/chinaicons We`re also on Instagram! Follow us for exclusive behind-the-scenes photography and more. https:\\\\/\\\\/instagram.com\\\\/china_icons Remember to check out our official website too! https:\\\\/\\\\/chinaicons.com","sdescription":" sddefault maxresdefault","date":"2019-12-19","thumbnail":"","hd":"yes","hits":"","likes":"","start":"0","stop":"","status":"1","views":"87 k","total":"169"},{"type":"0","id":"lFbaAks_NAA","title":"Richard & Liu - Encounters in China | A China Icons Video - trial","author":"","author2":"","duration":"5:14","description":"Dr Richard Jonas first travelled to China in 1984 to develop a paediatric heart surgery programme in Shanghai. There he met surgeon Dr Liu Jinfen, they became firm friends and today they are two of the world`s leading and most respected paediatric congenital heart surgeons. In the 1990s they collaborated to raise money and build Shanghai Children`s Medical Centre - Richard was at first confused by the choice of site they chose for the centre, it was built in an empty vegetable field far from people. Today, it`s in the heart of busy Pudong because Shanghai has grown up around it. It is now now of the most renowned centres of treating paediatric heart conditions. Richard and Jinfen continue to work together and collaborate. They shared there story on the 70th anniversary of the founding of modern China. Richard first travelled to China working for humanitarian organisation Project Hope: https:\\\\/\\\\/www.projecthope.org\\\\/ For more heartwarming stories and information on China subscribe to China Icons. Join in the conversation on our Facebook site https:\\\\/\\\\/facebook.com\\\\/ChinaIcons Get the latest news as it happens from our Twitter page https:\\\\/\\\\/twitter.com\\\\/chinaicons We`re also on Instagram! Follow us for exclusive behind-the-scenes photography and more. https:\\\\/\\\\/instagram.com\\\\/china_icons Remember to check out our official website too! https:\\\\/\\\\/chinaicons.com","sdescription":" sddefault maxresdefault","date":"2019-12-19","thumbnail":"","hd":"yes","hits":"","likes":"","start":"0","stop":"","status":"1","views":"71 k","total":"169"},{"type":"0","id":"DeKCmqRoOTs","title":"Colin & Mingliang - Encounters in China | A China Icons Video - trial","author":"","author2":"","duration":"5:02","description":"Renowned neuroscientist Colin Blakemore (UK) was one of the first western scientists to work in China after reform and opening up. In the laboratory in Beijing he met Pu Mingliang (Beijing), a young technician who was excited to meet a foreign scientist. They were investigating potential treatments for a disorder called amblyopia, also known as lazy eye. After working closely together in the lab Colin could tell Mingliang was capable of becoming an important neurologist. Their work in Beijing was published under both of their names. Mingliang has gone on to become an acclaimed professor, equal in status to Colin. And they continue to collaborate, most recently on very promising methods for treating amblyopia in young children. Colin and Mingliang told their story on the 70th anniversary of the founding of modern China. For more heartwarming stories and information on China subscribe to China Icons. Join in the conversation on our Facebook site https:\\\\/\\\\/facebook.com\\\\/ChinaIcons Get the latest news as it happens from our Twitter page https:\\\\/\\\\/twitter.com\\\\/chinaicons We`re also on Instagram! Follow us for exclusive behind-the-scenes photography and more. https:\\\\/\\\\/instagram.com\\\\/china_icons Remember to check out our official website too! https:\\\\/\\\\/chinaicons.com","sdescription":" sddefault maxresdefault","date":"2019-12-13","thumbnail":"","hd":"yes","hits":"","likes":"","start":"0","stop":"","status":"1","views":"53 k","total":"169"},{"type":"0","id":"_YJSs4ZkPwI","title":"Dick & Dannis - Encounters in China | A China Icons Video - trial","author":"","author2":"","duration":"6:52","description":"Dick Hollifield (USA) moved to Shenzhen in 1993 to manage a chemical plant, and he`s witnessed the city become a metropolis. When he needed to construct a new factory, he hired Dannis Deng (Shanghai) to manage it. Dick and Dannis became firm friends, and together have seen Shenzhen`s transformation. The plant they originally built in the countryside is now the centre of an urban area. Dick and Dannis told their story for the 70th anniversary of the founding of modern China. For more heartwarming stories and information on China subscribe to China Icons. Shenzhen Photos from Leroy W Demery Jr: https:\\\\/\\\\/www.flickr.com\\\\/photos\\\\/lwdemery\\\\/albums\\\\/72157611154071370 Join in the conversation on our Facebook site https:\\\\/\\\\/facebook.com\\\\/ChinaIcons Get the latest news as it happens from our Twitter page https:\\\\/\\\\/twitter.com\\\\/chinaicons We`re also on Instagram! Follow us for exclusive behind-the-scenes photography and more. https:\\\\/\\\\/instagram.com\\\\/china_icons Remember to check out our official website too! https:\\\\/\\\\/chinaicons.com","sdescription":" sddefault maxresdefault","date":"2019-12-10","thumbnail":"","hd":"yes","hits":"","likes":"","start":"0","stop":"","status":"1","views":"85 k","total":"169"}]