Young creators tell cross-border stories

During severe typhoons, Chinese and Vietnamese doctors have joined forces to transport patients through the "1369 Life Express", a real-life medical rescue channel operating between China's Dongxing and Vietnam's Mong Cai.

Their cross-border cooperation has now found its way onto the screen.

Drawing on the rescue channel, Saving Lives at the Border follows young Chinese and Vietnamese doctors as they move from disagreements to working hand in hand in a hospital. It is one of many micro dramas taking center stage at the 8th ASEAN-China Media Week.

Opening on Oct 19 this year in Beihai, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, the media week has been a platform for audio-visual exchanges between China and ASEAN countries since 2019.

This year, it introduced a new segment: the 2026 ASEAN-China Micro Drama Contest.

The competition has attracted 1,370 entries, including Saving Lives at the Border and works from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and more.

Though their subjects vary widely, many explore traditions, shared histories and people-to-people exchanges between China and ASEAN nations, turning broad regional ties into stories told through individual lives.

Bonding through drama

Before production began, Chen Haixia, producer of Saving Lives at the Border, and her team identified many cultural overlaps between China and Vietnam in healthcare.

"We incorporated these shared cultural elements into the drama through the sets, props and other details, allowing viewers to notice them naturally rather than drawing too much attention to them," Chen said.

In one scene, the show's heroine, Chinese doctor Hua Ximu, tries to use acupuncture needles for emergency treatment.

"TCM is popular in ASEAN nations. As one of its key symbols, showing acupuncture on screen can quickly grab the audience's attention," Chen noted.

Healthcare is only one layer of the cross-border ties woven into the drama.

With lively music and dance, there is a scene that depicts the grand Ha Festival of the Jing people, the only maritime ethnic group in China. Now largely based in Guangxi, the Jing people's ancestors migrated from Vietnam in ancient times.

By having the Chinese and Vietnamese leads join the festival together, the drama brings the historical bond between the two countries into the characters' story.

"People-to-people closeness between China and ASEAN nations is a broad theme, yet these small vignettes make this big idea easier to grasp and feel," Chen said.

She added that the team hopes the "lighter, highly shareable audio-visual format" can bring stories of ordinary people and the connections between China and Vietnam to a wider audience.

Creators from ASEAN countries are also using the format to explore ties with China through shared history.

Focusing on qiaopi, letters and remittance documents sent by overseas Chinese, Malaysian creator Michael Jan Ngien Ho was excited to learn that his work The 101st Qiaopi had been shortlisted for this year's contest.

The drama follows two young women tracing the qiaopi letters from Yongchun, China, to Selangor, Malaysia, as they seek their roots, while also uncovering touching stories behind Chinese education in Malaysia.

"At its heart, it shows the continuous kinship between China and Malaysia," Ho noted.

For Ho, however, that connection does not have to end on the screen. He hopes the micro drama can also encourage audiences to experience the ties between China and Malaysia firsthand.

With the support of Tourism Selangor, Ho's team turned The 101st Qiaopi into an offline tourism trail featuring Selangor landmarks including Klang's old town, inviting audiences to travel along with the drama.

Beyond the screen

For Chua Yee Ling, chief executive officer of Tourism Selangor, the media week offers a stage to amplify the project's influence. Meanwhile, the Chinese micro drama industry's cross-sector innovations, including "micro drama + cultural tourism" and "micro drama + e-commerce", can provide inspiration for ASEAN creators.

"Creators across ASEAN can tap into micro dramas' strengths to showcase Southeast Asia's tropical landscapes, diverse cultures and local highlights, including Malaysia's durian and qiaopi history, to viewers worldwide," Chua said.

The exchanges at the media week also extend beyond its programs and productions, bringing young participants from China and ASEAN countries together.

The event features the "ASEAN-China Youth Hosts Camp", which brings together 31 young participants from China and ASEAN countries for exchanges in Beijing, Nanning and other destinations.

Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai, a 24-year-old Vietnamese student, is one of them.

Nguyen, who dreams of becoming a media host and online influencer, toured the studios of China's top media outlets in Beijing. There, she tried a smart VR headset for the first time, virtually visiting China's heritage sites. The experience allowed her to explore the sites immersively while learning how technology is integrated into China's audiovisual industry.

Yet it was not the technology that left the deepest impression on Nguyen. What she remembers most are the friendships she formed with fellow hosts from China and Malaysia.

During the pressure of video production, she recalled, a Chinese participant encouraged her when she became frustrated — one of the small exchanges through which the young participants grew closer.

For Nguyen, an event centered on media and storytelling ultimately became something more personal: a chance to meet young people from neighboring countries and build friendships while learning to tell stories together.

Contact the writers at liyuche@i21st.cn