Podcasters explore hidden Xiapu

When Indonesian podcaster Rizky Ardi Nugroho arrived in Xiapu county, Fujian province, he expected to find the coastal scenery and distinctive sea erosion landforms that have made the area a favorite destination for photographers.

But during his three-day field trip, Nugroho discovered that Xiapu had much more to offer than picturesque landscapes. He was captivated by its maritime traditions, rich cultural heritage and vibrant community life.

"If you say Xiapu is a small county, I don't think so," he said. "The urban planning is very good, the city is very clean, and the people are very polite. It was beyond my expectations."

The creator of the Indonesian podcast Do You See What I See was among a group of domestic and international podcasters invited to a Xiapu field trip as part of the Second Gen Z International Podcast Festival from June 10 to 12. Nugroho's experience was exactly the kind of encounter the event hoped to create.

Themed "Xiapu: Where Mountains Meet the Sea", the festival aimed to encourage multilingual content creation through field visits and cultural exchanges, bringing together podcasters, communication professionals and young creators.

For nearly eight years, Nugroho has built a following through stories that bridge China and Indonesia, exploring culture, folklore and local traditions for Indonesian audiences.

During the trip, he was drawn not only to the county's natural views, but also to its efforts to preserve traditional culture, including wedding ceremonies, bamboostick dances, martial arts performances and historical artifacts.

One of his most memorable discoveries was the connection he saw between Xiapu and his homeland.

"As an archipelagic nation, Indonesia shares a long maritime tradition with China's southeastern coast. We share similar conditions in agriculture," he said.

Nugroho's discoveries, experts say, reflect a broader shift in international communication — from abstract national narratives to concrete local experiences.

"When storytelling reaches counties and smaller communities with distinctive local characteristics, it becomes more vivid and helps present a more comprehensive, authentic and multidimensional picture of China," said Zhang Yanqiu, deputy dean of the Institute for a Community with Shared Future at the Communication University of China.

She said podcasts are particularly suited to this kind of storytelling because they allow for sustained discussion and more focused exploration.

"If people want a deeper understanding of a topic, short videos are often not enough," she said. "Podcasts provide a more immersive experience and enable more precise communication."

This search for depth shaped the way many creators explored Xiapu.