26 Peter Hessler : My Year Living in Chengdu

In this episode, we hear from He Wei, an American writer whose transformative journey in China reveals the intricate changes within its society. Starting as a Peace Corps volunteer and evolving into a celebrated author, He Wei recounts his experiences teaching in Chengdu and contrasts how the two countries handled the pandemic. He discusses the shifts in Chinese culture, literature, and infrastructure, highlighting the value of long-term observation. Through tales of everyday life, self-help reading, and road trips, he illustrates the challenges faced in modern China and underscores the importance of understanding cultures from an insider's perspective.