Why did American explorer Paul hike in China?, Forever Walk from Yunnan to Heilongjiang: Meeting China | Documentary | Paul
The offline exhibition of the documentary series "Forever Walking: Meeting China" produced by the Documentary Center of Shanghai Radio and Television Station was recently held at New York University in Shanghai, with nearly 300 viewers registering to participate. On site, the creative team led by Zhu Xiaoqian, Deputy Director of the Documentary Center and Chief Producer of the program, and anthropologist Zhang Liangliang shared the story behind the scenes.
Activity site map.
"Forever Walk: Meeting China" is jointly created by Shanghai Broadcasting and Television Documentary Center and National Geographic of the United States. It includes a series of long documentaries and daily updates and short videos on overseas social media platforms. The documentary revolves around the hiking journey of American explorer and writer Paul Salopeko through China, showcasing a trustworthy, adorable, and respectable image of China to the world through his unique observations and hiking experiences.
In January 2013, Paul Salopeko embarked on his global hiking journey from Ethiopia, Africa. He plans to spend more than a decade following the human journey out of Africa, crossing four continents, and walking all the way to Tierra del Fuego in South America. In September 2021, Paul embarked on his hiking journey in China in Yunnan. He plans to walk through Yunnan, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, all the way to the China Russia border.
"Paul's global hiking is an unprecedented feat, and before entering China, there was no comprehensive media record of his hiking." Zhu Xiaoqian said, "'Forever Walk: Meeting China' is the first time that Paul's entire process of hiking in China has been captured in real time, and it has been produced into a documentary and short to medium videos, which are presented to the public through a multimedia matrix."
Documentary poster.
The first season of the documentary, "Start," "Partners," and "Encounter," has been broadcasted on Oriental TV and Documentary Humanities Channel, and is aimed at hundreds of millions of households in over 170 countries and regions covered by National Geographic Channel in the United States. During Paul's travels in China, Shanghai Broadcasting and Television Documentary Center, National Geographic of the United States, and Paul's 14 overseas social media accounts also simultaneously posted hiking content on overseas social media. Currently, they have sent over 1000 tweets, received over 400000 interactions, reached hundreds of millions of overseas users, and had a 100% positive review rate. The documentary also won awards such as the 32nd Shanghai News Award, the 2022 Shanghai Radio and Television Award, and the 2022 National Documentary Excellent Series Short Film by the State Administration.
The screening of this exhibition is the third episode of the first season, "Encounter," which tells the ecology and history of the Sichuan section of the Tea Horse Ancient Road, showcasing the wisdom of ancient working people, China's governance and protection of wildlife and ecological environment, and the preservation of traditional tea picking and tea making techniques.
In Zhu Xiaoqian's view, Paul is not a host, but an experienced person. Through his footsteps, documentaries discover the diverse beauty of China; Also, through his sincere and friendly interaction with the Chinese people, it reflects the enthusiasm and simplicity of the Chinese people; Through his unique perspective, he records the local history, culture, and ecology, allowing people around the world to see the development and changes of China and understand the lives of ordinary Chinese people.
Anthropologist Zhang Liangliang was deeply moved by the equal and trusting communication between Paul and the Chinese people after watching the program, and was deeply moved by the program's ability to portray these touching stories in a true and delicate way. As a researcher at Qixi Ecological Village and also a documentary director, she cited a quote from Satis Kumar, "Same and diverse dance together", to express her recognition of the documentary.
How this observational documentary was born has also aroused the curiosity of students. Some viewers asked, "How many members are there in the early stages of filming? How can we capture the necessary content without disturbing Paul's interaction with the people as much as possible?" Others were puzzled by the massive amount of material in follow-up documentaries. How can we filter and combine them into a program with a distinct theme and rich content. Even some viewers have expressed their desire to take a walk with Paul and appreciate the beautiful scenery of their homeland through the rhythm of walking. "Due to the various uncertainties involved in Paul's hiking, it posed a great challenge to filming." Zhu Xiaoqian said that this also gave "Forever Walk: Meeting China" its unique advantages, "making it more return to the essence of documentary film - authenticity, objectivity, and liveliness."
It is reported that the production of the second season documentary has also started, and the filming team will continue to follow and record Paul's hiking journey from Sichuan to the northernmost part of China. The second season plans to be launched on Eastern TV, Documentary Humanities Channel, and National Geographic Channel within this year, and will feature supporting short videos and graphic content on social media accounts.
