A retired TV host walks through the seasons of life

For many Chinese viewers, Jing Yidan is inseparable from Focus Report and its motto, "Let facts speak".

As the host of the influential television news commentary program, known for in-depth reporting and public oversight, Jing spent more than two decades cultivating an image synonymous with seriousness, objectivity and reliability.

She even joked that "whenever my face appeared on-screen, something bad was about to happen."

Yet a decade into retirement, the 70-year-old hopes to reveal a softer side of herself beyond the television screen.

On the afternoon of Jan 8, at the Beijing Book Fair, Jing met readers to share her newly published 2025 essay collection, Between Steps. Structured around China's "24 solar terms", the book captures her reflections on life across different times and places.

Jing's favorite solar term is xiaoman (Grain Buds). She even named her adopted stray cat Xiaoman.

At the event, she read aloud a passage from the book: "Traditional Chinese culture values moderation, and ordinary people speak of contentment. There is xiaoman, literally 'a little fullness', but no such thing as complete fullness."

"There is no better way to write than through the solar terms," Jing said. Rooted in traditional agrarian culture, this way of marking time awakened long-buried memories for her. With her background in journalism, she was equally inclined to record the people she met as the seasons unfolded.

At jingzhe (Awakening of Insects), villagers living near the Great Wall told her that the ground was still frozen and planting had to wait until the next term.

"I write because I'm afraid of forgetting," she said, believing that the written word has an irreplaceable depth compared with spoken language.

Since retiring, Jing has published several books — memoirs of her youth, reflections on her media career, and collections of family letters spanning generations.

She admitted that the things she least wants to forget are often those that carry pain. As a result, her earlier books felt heavy. After writing them, what remained in life became "gentler" and "lighter", allowing her to express herself with greater calm.

In one essay titled Pretending to Be Middle-Aged, Jing wrote that she has always felt as if she were stuck at 40. "When young, pretending to be middle-aged was a desire to mature faster; when old, pretending to be middle-aged is a wish to age more slowly." For things beyond her ability, she now embraces an attitude of letting things take their course.

For example, years of skiing practice never took her beyond the intermediate slopes. Then she came to realize that even without conquering more challenging runs, simply admiring the birch trees lining the ski slopes was good enough.

All these small insights are recorded in Between Steps. Opening the book, readers first see blank pages in four colors representing different seasons. Jing encourages readers to jot down their own thoughts there if her words spark inspiration.

Over the past year, Between Steps has given Jing more opportunities to meet readers face-to-face. She recalled that as a TV host, she communicates with people through the screen, whereas at events like this, she can see their eyes and hear their voices.

At the event, one audience member voiced concerns about the future of television, noting that fewer people watch TV today. Jing responded that when television first emerged, she felt it might be the ultimate medium. Now, the diversity of communication channels simply offers more choices.

"As long as the content is good, it can be delivered in any form," she said.

Looking back on year-end buzzwords, Jing learned one of 2025's most popular phrases: "So what?" It perfectly captures her current mindset — allowing herself to wander, and even to pause for a while.

Bai Shuhao contributed to this story.