China in 5
Discover China through its Cities - One City Per Week
CITY SPOTLIGHT WEEK: QUANZHOU
July 23-29, 2025 • Fujian Province • City 4 of 707
Quanzhou, Fujian
Quanzhou - the "Eastern Port of the Maritime Silk Road" - where Song Dynasty stone pagodas watch over robotic textile factories, and Arab merchants' descendants still trade in the shadow of Qingyuan Mountain. This UNESCO World Heritage city blends 10th-century mosques with blockchain-enabled garment exports, its port handling 30% of China's sportswear shipments while preserving ancient puppet theater traditions.
Quanzhou on the MapMaritime Heritage Hub
Once the world's busiest port under the Yuan Dynasty, Quanzhou now leads China's smart textile revolution. Its "cloud factories" integrate AI design with traditional Minnan craftsmanship, producing 40% of global sportswear while maintaining Song-era water management systems. The Kaiyuan Temple's 1,300-year-old twin pagodas stand sentinel over drone-delivered tea ceremonies in the ancient city center.
UNESCO DocumentationQuanzhou's Silk Road Legacy
How a 10th-century trading empire shaped modern supply chains and cultural exchange across maritime Asia.
Read ArticleSmart Textile Revolution
Inside Quanzhou's AI-powered garment factories where ancient craftsmanship meets 21st-century automation.
Read ArticleWatch Last Week's Episode
Wanzhou: China's Vertical Capital on the Yangtze
Explore our 2025-2026 Season 1 featuring 34 Chinese cities from Hefei to Lishui.
UPCOMING CITY SPOTLIGHTS
Wanzhou, Chongqing
Green shipping in the Three Gorges
Quanzhou, Fujian
Living Heritage Port
Xiahe, Gansu
Monastery & Mountains
Jiangmen, Guangdong
Diaspora Heartland
🪪 About China in 5 | © 2025 China in 5
All rights reserved
🗂 The China in 5 City Archive
*A living encyclopedia of China's 707 cities, one 5-minute read at a time.*
CITY SPOTLIGHT WEEK: Xiong'an
July 9-15, 2025 • Hebei Province • City 2 of 707
XIong'an, Hebei
Xiong'an, China's "city of the future" rises from the wetlands of Hebei like a quantum chessboard where every move recalibrates urbanization itself. Here, AI optimized traffic lights sync with migratory bird flights, Ming dynasty cobblestones embed geothermal sensors, and Peking University's labs float above carbon-neutral housing blocks. A controlled experiment in post-industrial society, where "smart infrastructure" means algorithms replanting reeds to outpace rising waters.
Xiong'an on the MapThe City Blueprint
Born from the floodplains of Baiyangdian Lake, Xiong'an is China's living lab for water adaptive urban design, where algorithmic floodgates, permeable megastructures, and AI-monitored wetlands rewrite the rules of coexistence with nature. Beneath its soaring eco-skyscrapers lies a subterranean labyrinth of stormwater tunnels and geothermal grids, a system so precise it's dubbed "the quantum mechanics of urban survival." Yet the real magic is simpler: ancient fishing villages now flank reservoirs that double as public parks, proving resilience can be poetic.
Floodplain Planning StatusThe City Deep Dive
Explore China's most ambitious urban experiment where algorithms meet ancient wetlands, creating a blueprint for future cities worldwide.
Read ArticleThe City on X
Join the conversation about Xiong'an's development with real-time updates, expert analysis, and community discussions.
Follow ThreadCITY SPOTLIGHT WEEK: HEFEI
July 2-8, 2025 • Anhui Province • City 1 of 34
History of Hefei
How Hefei's Past Forged China's Future Innovation Hub. From ancient foundations to quantum leap, explore the city's remarkable transformation.
Read ArticleHefei: The City
Urban planning, business climate and hidden systems. Discover how Hefei's three rings shape its development and innovation ecosystem.
Read ArticleHefei, Anhui
Hefei - capital of Anhui Province and one of China's 707 designated cities - defies simple categorization. Here, quantum algorithms whisper in server farms beneath Tang Dynasty canals, and algae-scented steam rises from alleyway breakfast stalls where professors share tables with factory night-shift workers.
Hefei on the MapQuantum Capital
Once a modest agricultural hub, Hefei now pulses as a "Silicon Valley of the East," driven by institutions like USTC (University of Science and Technology of China) and industries from electric vehicles to AI. Yet beneath its tech-boom surface thrives an older heartbeat.
Quantum Tech ReportLife in Hefei
Why people come, the soul of the city, and power players. Experience the unique culture and daily rhythms of China's quantum capital.
Read ArticleThe Death of Risk Capital
How Hefei's investment model is rewriting the rules of venture capitalism in China and beyond. A deep dive into the city's unique approach to funding innovation.
Read Article🪪 About China in 5 | © 2025 China in 5
All rights reserved
Government-Verified Coverage
Our documentary work is actively shared by Chinese Government Authorities on X
Hefei Government
@HefeiChina Reposted our EV industry analysis
✅ Followed our Account & Liked 5+ posts
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Quanzhou Authorities
@VisitQuanzhou reposted Luoyang Bridge feature
✅ @iQuanzhou follows our maritime history series
✅ China Youth Daily endorsed content
Chongqing Province
@iChongqing_CIMC shared Wanzhou finale
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About China In 5
A decade-long expedition to document every city shaping the world's most complex nation
Our Mission
China has 707 officially designated cities. Each holds a piece of the country's transformation puzzle — and we're mapping them all.
China In 5 is dedicated to capturing the geographic, economic, and cultural extremes that define modern China beyond its well-known metropolises.
"We cut through hype with ground-truth reporting: no stereotypes, no guesswork."
Why We Exist
To understand modern China, you must look beyond Beijing and Shanghai. The real stories — and future signals — emerge in cities most narratives ignore.
We begin with one pivotal city from each of China's 34 provinces, capturing the full spectrum of urban experiences that shape this complex nation.
New cities released weekly. 707 is a marathon, not a sprint.
Explore Season One CitiesOur Methodology
Every week we spotlight one city through a documentary and 3 article deep dives covering:
- The City's History
- The City and its Infrastructure
- The City's Soul and Cultural Identity
By the end of each spotlight, you'll understand these five core principles about the city:
Power
Governance, institutions, and influence shaping the city's direction
People
Demographics, lifestyles, and social fabric of the community
Progress
Infrastructure, innovation, and development pain points
Patterns
The quiet rituals defining daily life and cultural rhythms
Portals
Trade corridors, transport hubs, and cultural bridges
Who We Serve
China In 5 provides valuable insights for diverse audiences seeking to understand China's urban transformation
Analysts & Academics
Urban intelligence for research and academic studies
Investors & Strategists
Tracking regional opportunities and market trends
Policy Makers
Governance model insights and urban planning
Global Corporations
Local market navigation and expansion strategies
Curious Minds
Understanding urban futures and cultural dynamics
Join the Expedition
Become part of China's most comprehensive urban archive and gain exclusive access to our weekly insights
Thanks! We'll contact you
Once Season 2 is finalised
CHINA CITIES: LIVED EXPERIENCES
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707 Cities • 34 Provinces • 1 Country
🪪 About China in 5
Telling China's story — one city at a time. © 2025 China in 5
Where Heritage Meets Horizon
Season 1
China's Cities. Bridges to the Future
WHY CITY SPOTLIGHTS MATTER
China's transformation unfolds city by city.
We dedicate each week to one urban center – not as isolated dots, but as interconnected nodes in China's story of progress. In our City Spotlight week, we decode one city using our signature framework to reveal China's urban evolution:
China's Transformation Through 6 Core Lenses
1. Origins & Inheritance
How history, geography, and memory shape each city's present
- Foundational crises or breakthroughs
- Cultural legacies, migrations, or buried infrastructures
- What the city remembers — and what it forgets
2. Models & Blueprints
How the city is designed, governed, and strategically positioned
- Administrative logic and urban hierarchy
- Planning models and governance experiments
- Physical layout vs. institutional control
3. Magnets & Movers
What draws people in — and who shapes what happens next
- Talent pipelines, flagship institutions, and iconic neighborhoods
- Gatekeepers and brokers (official, commercial, cultural)
- In-migration trends and population strategies
4. Engines of Wealth
What powers the economy — and what's quietly driving it
- Visible industries vs. stealth drivers
- Old money, new wealth, and enduring sectors
- Local firms, global linkages, and capital experiments
5. Human Rhythms
How people live, endure, and find meaning in the city
- Rituals, routines, and how spaces are used
- Friction and flow between social classes
- Scenes, escapes, and the emotional texture of daily life
6. Connective Tissues
How the city links across time, systems, and borders
- Digital grids and logistics networks
- Soft power: dialects, diasporas, and media
- Regional alliances, sister cities, and global positioning
THE JOURNEY AHEAD
Season 1: 2025-2026 Spotlight Schedule
Each week features: Documentary Premiere + 5 Feature Articles + Data Insights + Community Engagement
Hefei, Anhui
🧪 Quantum Capital
China's answer to Silicon Valley, where quantum satellite ground stations drive national tech sovereignty ambitions.
Xiong'an, Beijing
🏙️ Decentralization Lab
Beijing's strategic overflow zone testing integrated urban-rural governance for 5M+ commuters
Wanzhou, Chongqing
🚢 Eco-Logistics Hub
Critical Yangtze River node Ecologically balancing 40M tons/year cargo.
Quanzhou, Fujian
🏮Living Heritage Port
Multi-religious monuments & oyster-shell architecture. Yacht manufacturing
Xiahe, Gansu
🏔️ Monastery & Mountains
Labrang Monastery anchors Silk Road tourism while pioneering alpine solar tech.
Jiangmen, Guangdong
🌏 Diaspora Heartland
5M+ overseas Chinese trace roots here, funding ancestral village-industrial hybrids.
Chongzuo, Guangxi
🛃 ASEAN Gateway
Processes $12B/year in Vietnam-crossing trade through karst mountain e-zones.
Qiandongnan, Guizhou
🎭 Batik Kingdom
75% of China's batik artisans preserve Miao/Dong traditions in terraced highlands.
Qionghai (Boao), Hainan
🏝️ Tropical Fintech
Boao Forum's backyard piloting medical tourism and ASEAN investment corridors.
Hengshui, Hebei
🎓 Education Revolution
Gaokao powerhouse with 92% college admission rate driving national reforms.
Daxinganling, Heilongjiang
🌲 Boreal Frontier
Supplies 15% of national timber while piloting carbon-sink reforestation.
Anyang, Henan
🏺 Cradle of Civilization
Yinxu's oracle bones reveal 3,600-year-old writing origins through AI archaeology.
New Territories, Hong Kong
🏘️ HK's green innovation belt
Models sustainable expansion beyond cityscape.
Suizhou, Hubei
🍄 Fungal Economy
Global mushroom capital driving agricultural innovation and rural entrepreneurship.
Yongzhou, Hunan
⛰️ Ancient Ecology
Blends 2,000-year-old cultural heritage with modern ecological conservation.
Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia
🌾 Steppe Economies
Grassland tourism meets industrial potato production on Mongolian plains, reviving nomadic traditions.
Yancheng, Jiangsu
🐦 Wetland Sanctuary
UNESCO-protected coastal ecosystems sheltering endangered migratory birds.
Nanchang, Jiangxi
✈️ Aerospace Hub
Home to Hongdu Aircraft and China's growing defense aviation industry.
Yanbian, Jilin
🧑🎤 Korean Crossroads
Ethnic enclave preserving traditions while navigating North Korean border dynamics.
Yingkou, Liaoning
⚓ Maritime Powerhouse
Northern shipbuilding center driving export processing zone innovations
Cotai, Macau
🎰 Entertainment Engine
Casino resorts diversifying into family tourism and cultural experiences.
Wuzhong, Ningxia
💧 Desert Hydration
Yellow River irrigation engineering enabling agriculture in arid landscape
Golog, Qinghai
🐏 River Source
High-altitude nomadic traditions at the headwaters of the Yellow River.
Yulin, Shaanxi
⚡ Energy Basin
Coal/oil/gas production driving regional growth amid sustainability transitions.
Zibo, Shandong
🏺 Ceramics Capital
Centuries-old tradition in ceramics and glass meets modern manufacturing.
Huangpu, Shanghai
🏛️ Historic Core
Treaty port architecture revitalized as cultural and commercial hub.
Xinzhou, Shanxi
🚜 Agricultural Heartland
Grain production and rural revitalization in the Loess Plateau.
Ya'an, Sichuan
🐼 Biodiversity Corridor
Tea mountains and panda habitat conservation in mountain ecosystems.
Kinmen, Taiwan
🛡️ Frontline Islands
Military history meets Kaoliang liquor culture in the Taiwan Strait.
Tianjin, Tianjin
📦 Northern Gateway
Port city driving free trade experiments and financial innovation.
Ngari, Tibet
⛰️ High-Plateau Resilience
Remote communities adapting to extreme climate at 4,500m altitude.
Bayingolin, Xinjiang
🍐 Oasis Agriculture
Fragrant pear production reviving Silk Road trade routes.
Nujiang, Yunnan
🎶 Canyon Cultures
Lisu ethnic traditions thriving in dramatic river gorge ecosystems.
Lishui, Zhejiang
🍵 Eco-Tourism Model
Mountain villages pioneering sustainable travel and organic tea cultivation.
Where Heritage Meets Horizon
Season 1
China’s Cities. Bridges to the Future
34 Cities • 34 Provinces • 1 Journey
WHY CITY SPOTLIGHTS MATTER
China’s transformation unfolds city by city.
We dedicate each week to one urban center – not as isolated dots, but as interconnected nodes in China’s story of progress. In our City Spotlight week, we decode one city using our signature framework to reveal China's urban evolution:
China’s transformation unfolds through our 5×5 Lens
🎯 Layers of Discovery
Power & Governance • Made Here • Smart Solutions • Moments That Matter • Faces of the City
🏙️ Life in the City
Roofs & Roots • Classrooms & Futures • Beyond the Hospital • Moving the City • Unwinding in the City
🏆 Wealth Giants
Profiles of the 5 wealthiest individuals / institutions in that city
💼 Business Climate
Investor Takeaway • Fading Sector
Structural Shift • Emerging Company • Wealth Driver
🛠️ Hidden Levers
Institutional Gravity • Talent Pipeline • Urban Incentives •Infrastructure Reach • Quiet Power Brokers
THE JOURNEY AHEAD
Season 1: 2025-2026 Spotlight Schedule
Each week features: Documentary Premiere + 5 Feature Articles + Data Insights + Community Engagement
JULY SCHEDULE
Hefei, Anhui
📅 Jul 2-8, 2025
City 1
🧪 Quantum Capital
China's answer to Silicon Valley, where quantum satellite ground stations drive national tech sovereignty ambitions.
Xiong'an, Beijing
📅 Jul 9-15, 2025
City 2
🏙️ Decentralization Lab
Beijing's strategic overflow zone testing integrated urban-rural governance for 5M+ commuters
Wanzhou, Chongqing
📅 Jul 16-22, 2025 City 3
🚢 Eco-Logistics Hub
Critical Yangtze River node Ecologically balancing 40M tons/year cargo.
Quanzhou, Fujian
📅 Jul 23-29, 2025 City 4
🏮Living Heritage Port Multi-religious monuments & oyster-shell architecture. Yacht manufacturing
Xiahe, Gansu
📅 Jul 30-Aug 5, 2025 City 5
🏯 Monastery & Mountains
Labrang Monastery anchors Silk Road tourism while pioneering alpine solar tech.
AUGUST SCHEDULE
Jiangmen, Guangdong
📅 Aug 6-12, 2025 • City 6
🌏 Diaspora Heartland
5M+ overseas Chinese trace roots here, funding ancestral village-industrial hybrids.
Chongzuo, Guangxi
📅 Aug 13-19, 2025 • City 7
🛃 ASEAN Gateway
Processes $12B/year in Vietnam-crossing trade through karst mountain e-zones.
Qiandongnan, Guizhou
📅 Aug 20-26, 2025 • City 8
🎭 Batik Kingdom
75% of China's batik artisans preserve Miao/Dong traditions in terraced highlands.
Qionghai (Boao), Hainan
📅 Aug 27-Sep 2, 2025 • City 9
🏝️ Tropical Fintech
Boao Forum's backyard piloting medical tourism and ASEAN investment corridors.
SEPTEMBER SCHEDULE
Hengshui, Hebei
📅 Sep 3-9, 2025 • City 10
🎓 Education Revolution
Gaokao powerhouse with 92% college admission rate driving national reforms.
Daxinganling, Heilongjiang
📅 Sep 10-16, 2025 • City 11
🌲 Boreal Frontier
Supplies 15% of national timber while piloting carbon-sink reforestation.
Anyang, Henan
📅 Sep 17-23, 2025 • City 12
🏺 Cradle of Civilization
Yinxu's oracle bones reveal 3,600-year-old writing origins through AI archaeology.
New Territories, Hong Kong
📅 Sep 24-30, 2025 • City 13
🏘️ HK's green innovation belt:
Models sustainable expansion beyond cityscape.
OCTOBER SCHEDULE
Suizhou, Hubei
📅 Oct 1-7, 2025 City 14
🍄 Fungal Economy
Global mushroom capital driving agricultural innovation and rural entrepreneurship.
Yongzhou, Hunan
📅 Oct 8-14, 2025 City 15
⛰️ Ancient Ecology
Blends 2,000-year-old cultural heritage with modern ecological conservation.
Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia 📅 Oct 15-21, 2025
City 16
🌾 Steppe Economies
Grassland tourism meets industrial potato production on Mongolian plains. reviving nomadic traditions.
Yancheng, Jiangsu
📅 Oct 22-28, 2025 • City 17
🐦 Wetland Sanctuary
UNESCO-protected coastal ecosystems sheltering endangered migratory birds.
Nanchang, Jiangxi
📅 Oct 29-Nov 4, 2025 • City 18
✈️ Aerospace Hub
Home to Hongdu Aircraft and China's growing defense aviation industry.
NOVEMBER SCHEDULE
Yanbian, Jilin
📅 Nov 5-11, 2025 • City 19
🧑🎤 Korean Crossroads
Ethnic enclave preserving traditions while navigating North Korean border dynamics.
Yingkou, Liaoning
📅 Nov 12-18, 2025 • City 20
⚓ Maritime Powerhouse
Northern shipbuilding center driving export processing zone innovations
Cotai, Macau
📅 Nov 19-Nov 25, 2025 • City 22
🎰 Entertainment Engine
Casino resorts diversifying into family tourism and cultural experiences.
Wuzhong, Ningxia
📅 Nov 26-Dec 2, 2025 • City 22
💧 Desert Hydration
Yellow River irrigation engineering enabling agriculture in arid landscape
DECEMBER SCHEDULE
Golog, Qinghai
📅 Dec 3-9, 2025 • City 23
🐏 River Source
High-altitude nomadic traditions at the headwaters of the Yellow River.
Yulin, Shaanxi
📅 Dec 10-16, 2025 • City 24
⚡ Energy Basin
Coal/oil/gas production driving regional growth amid sustainability transitions.
Zibo, Shandong
📅 Dec 17-23, 2025 City 25
🏺 Ceramics Capital
Centuries-old tradition in ceramics and glass meets modern manufacturing.
Huangpu, Shanghai
📅 Dec 24-30, 2025 City 26
🏛️ Historic Core
Treaty port architecture revitalized as cultural and commercial hub.
Xinzhou, Shanxi
📅 Dec 31-Jan 6, 2026
City 27
🚜Agricultural Heartland
Grain production and rural revitalization in the Loess Plateau.
JANUARY SCHEDULE
Ya'an, Sichuan
📅 Jan 7-13, 2026 • City 28
🐼 Biodiversity Corridor
Tea mountains and panda habitat conservation in mountain ecosystems.
Kinmen, Taiwan
📅 Jan 14-20, 2026 • City 29
🛡️ Frontline Islands
Military history meets Kaoliang liquor culture in the Taiwan Strait.
Tianjin, Tianjin
📅 Jan 21-27, 2026 • City 30
📦 Northern Gateway
Port city driving free trade experiments and financial innovation.
Ngari, Tibet
📅 Jan 28-Feb 3, 2026 • City 31
⛰️ High-Plateau Resilience
Remote communities adapting to extreme climate at 4,500m altitude.
FEBRUARY SCHEDULE
Bayingolin, Xinjiang
📅 Feb 4-10, 2026 • City 32
🍐 Oasis Agriculture
Fragrant pear production reviving Silk Road trade routes.
Nujiang, Yunnan
📅 Feb 11-17, 2026 • City 33
🎶 Canyon Cultures
Lisu ethnic traditions thriving in dramatic river gorge ecosystems.
Lishui, Zhejiang
📅 Feb 18-24, 2026 • City 34
🍵 Eco-Tourism Model
Mountain villages pioneering sustainable travel and organic tea cultivation.
START EXPLORING
First spotlight begins July 2, 2025
🪪 About China in 5
Telling China's story — one city at a time. © 2025 China in 5
CHINA'S CITIES. CITY SPOTLIGHT
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34 Cities • 34 Provinces • 1 Journey
🪪 About China in 5
Telling China's story — one city at a time. © 2025 China in 5
CHINA CITIES. GLOBAL RISE
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CONNECT LOCAL INSIGHTS TO GLOBAL VIEWERS
🪪 About China in 5
Telling China's story — one city at a time. © 2025 China in 5
China’s Cities. Your Brand’s Stage
..................
Claim Your Place in the World's Fastest-Growing Urban Frontier
🪪 About China in 5
Telling China's story — one city at a time. © 2025 China in 5
🌟 Why These Cities Rewrite China’s Playbook
These aren't just cities. They're the blueprints of a new China — where innovation and tradition collide.
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About Our Tier System
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For Industry Leaders Shaping China's Innovation NarrativeOur comprehensive suite of exclusive advantages positions your brand at the forefront of China's next-generation city story
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📌 Why Sponsor the 707 City Episodes?
This isn't just another travel guide—it's China's first documentary chronicling all 707 cities as economic ecosystems. Your brand will be permanently enshrined , helping write the next chapter of China's urban innovation story.
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The only systematic record of China's urban evolution (beyond tourism)
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🌍 Audience & Impact
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Reach
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300K+ Members
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Our Model: The Nas Daily for Economic Cities
Target Audience- Global households curious about tech hubs
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Value Type
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🚀 Phase 1: Foundation Platforms (2025)
Building China’s Economic Storytelling Infrastructure
Platform
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Visibility Service Integration
Strategic Differentiators
📧 Substack
Weekly city deep-dives
Data-driven exclusives
Investor Q&A threads
• Tier-based visibility callouts
• Branded mentions in high-trust sections
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• Long-form trust and policy-friendly tone
• Visibility Perk: “Behind-the-Scenes” reports for city partners
• Example title: “Inside the Growth Engine of [City] (Visibility by [Logo])”
🎥 YouTube
• 8–12 minute documentary-style episodes
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• Local founder features, urban innovation showcases
• Structured storytelling built for global discovery
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• Chapter-specific tier branding
e.g., 📍Made Here, supported by [Logo]
• Call-to-action overlays at midpoints
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• Consistent content across 707 episodes — scalability for long-term exposure
• Urban policy brief carousels
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• Built-in virality among niche communities (e.g., Smart Mobility, Biotech Growth Hubs)
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▪ China-focused industry groups
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Metrics That Matter:- Not: "Total views"
- But: "% of viewers who watch >4mins" (decision-maker proxy)
📡 Phase 2: Strategic Platform Expansion (2026-27)
"Where Policy Meets Virality"
Platform
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Target Impact
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Segment sponsorships are first-come, first-served. Conflicts resolved within 24hrs.
🪪 About China in 5
Telling China's story — one city at a time. © 2025 China in 5
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If you're a collaborator, sponsor, storyteller, or simply curious, drop us a message below.
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🪪 About China in 5
Telling China's story — one city at a time. © 2025 China in 5
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Telling China's story — one city at a time. © 2025 China in 5