Stars are viewers' guide to worldwide adventure

"If we only open our door to a certain type of traveler, it's not open-minded," she said at a pre-screening of the show in Beijing. "As long as the guests are curious to explore the world, they are welcomed.

"Due to their well-groomed image, people, including me, often have preconceived ideas about their life and their personalities, but the truth is that they are not always as you imagine them," she adds.

In the first episode of the new season, actress and model Yang Ying, aka Angelababy, joins Xu Yukun-the 72-year-old who 12 years ago embarked on a global cycling odyssey-en route to Vancouver for the final stage of his ride across Canada.

Meanwhile, Feng Shaofeng, an actor most frequently seen in historical dramas, joins a team making a crop circle in the United Kingdom and supermodel Liu Wen joins Norwegian locals as they go prospecting for gold in Svalbard.

Her perfectly coiffured public persona slips a little while she is navigating the archipelago by boat, which results in an unfortunate bout of seasickness.

"It's my first time camping," Liu says in the program. "All the public know about me is the image that has been portrayed through cameras. But, during the shoot for the show, when there was no phone signal of any kind, I stayed true to myself."

The program's producer, Li Xiao, explains that while the first season focused on the relationship between people and nature, represented by the harsh environments and extreme destinations, the second season seeks to highlight the interpersonal relationships between people when traveling.

Li says: "We want to get close to people that live different lives and listen to their ideas."

For example, Aya and Feng managed to mediate between farm owners and crop circle artists in the UK to create a piece of work which is dedicated to a woman who spent her life studying mysterious crop circles that still remain unexplained phenomena.

The program hopes to demonstrate that love and warmth can overcome disagreements among people, Aya says.

It also shows concern for social issues, such as Alzheimer's sufferers, or children left behind in rural areas when their parents migrate to big cities for work, by having celebrity guests travel with them.