Discussion keeps the world turning.
This is Round Table.
From the heart of Beijing to the edges of the global stage, you are at Round Table.
I'm Niu Huling and Happy Chinese New Years!
Yay!
Well, Spring Festival has never stood still.
Across history, it has unfolded in at least three distinct rhythms.
The journey home, the way people gather, and the form celebration takes.
From today on,
Brown Table will follow these three transformations through a sustained dialogue between ancient and modern China.
By placing the ancient and modern into conversation,
we trace how going home Celebrating festivals together and having fun during holidays have been continuously redefined across dynasties,
technologies, and generations.
Through this, we hope to see how Chinese culture continues to regenerate itself,
responding to the times while remaining recognizably its own.
For today's show, the focus is on the journey home,
or in today's term, the Spring Festival Trouble Rush.
I'm joined by J-Fa and Steve Hatherly now pull up a chair and join the conversation.
From Tang Dynasty officials requesting leave months in advance,
to today's travelers refreshing ticket apps at midnight,