Discussion keeps the world turning.
This is Round Table.
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I'm Steve Hatherly today with Fei Fei and Yushan.
Coming up, 21 million likes in 24 hours.
That's pretty good.
That's the power of a spontaneous road trip.
But when Xizang's authorities handed that vlogger a half a million yuan check,
the line between organic diary and paid advertisement completely vanished.
Now, governments are turning everyday travelers into paid influencers.
But can you buy authenticity?
And if audiences find out, does the magic disappear?
Today, the high-stakes gamble of turning social media into the new tourist trap.
What started as a spontaneous seven-day taxi ride from Chongqing to Lhasa
turned into one of China's biggest viral travel stories.
A vlogger's video attracted more than 21 million likes in less than a day,
and it also earned him a 500,000 yuan reward from Xizang's tourism authorities.
That's about $74,000.
But this isn't about one person only.
It's happening across China where local governments are beginning to reward ordinary travelers