BEIJING: A five-day storytelling event bringing together nearly a dozen international journalists and content creators kicked off in Zhengzhou, Henan province, on Monday, with participants sharing expectations for deeper firsthand engagement with Chinese culture, industry and new media trends during the trip.
The “Meet in Zhongyuan, Discover China Through Henan – 2026 China Storyteller Partnerships Henan Tour”, which runs through Friday, is jointly organized by China Daily, the Information Office of the Henan Provincial Government, and Henan Daily.
Journalists, experts and content creators from countries including the United States, Luxembourg, Vietnam, South Korea, Spain, Russia, Lithuania and Egypt are taking part in the event.
According to organizers, the tour will take participants along two main routes across Henan — one tracing the backbone of China’s manufacturing industry and technological innovation, and the other exploring the ancient capitals. “The essence of China is held within the people and the culture they are eager to share, something that can only be appreciated through firsthand experience,” said Thomas Jay Hopkins, who came to China about eight months ago.
Hopkins, a reporter with China Daily, also noted the rapid rise of China’s micro-drama industry, describing it as an emerging media format distinct from traditional television and film. “It’s a major economic driver right now, attracting huge audiences and generating substantial revenue,” he said.
“I know AI is also widely used in micro-drama production, and this is definitely a growing trend,” he added.
At the launch ceremony, some participants also shared their views on the use of artificial intelligence in media production.
Geoff Thompson, editor-in-chief of G-Media Sarl in Luxembourg, said he has instructed staff members to view AI as an aid but not to rely on it for writing tasks. “We can use AI translation tools like Google Translate just to understand reference materials,” Thompson said. “But when it comes to creating original content, we do not use AI, and we do not use any AI content generation tools.” –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
