Pure poetry that has China achatter

As tens of millions marvel at a 16-year-old's prowess with verse, questions are raised about where country is getting it wrong in teaching culture

Soon after the program Rendezvous With Chinese Poetry returned to television screens two months ago, it was pulling in the kinds of audiences that you would normally only associate with a top-notch reality TV show.

Indeed, after its 10-episode run during the Spring Festival period, the China Central Television show's producers were able to boast that it had attracted an aggregate of more than 1.2 billion viewers.