International travel memories, musical collaborations, family traditions, and cross-cultural encounters took center stage at the latest Meet Panda International Friendship Micro-Video Competition, where creators from Australia and the United Kingdom received top recognition for short-form digital storytelling.
The 2025–26 competition drew more than 100 video entries, culminating in an awards ceremony in London that celebrated diverse perspectives on personal connections with China.
Among the Australian award winners:
- Dong Min, a traditional Chinese musician, won the Best Story Award for A Journey of Chinese-Western Cultural Exchange in Sydney.
- Ian Grace, an Australian musician, received the Best Editing Award for Australian Youth Music Team’s Journey to China.
UK-based creators also earned major honors across multiple categories:
- Alex Randall, who spent a decade living in Hangzhou, secured both the Best Impact Award and the Most Popular in China Award for a comedic short highlighting Chinese cultural influences throughout his home.
- The Confucius Institute at Ulster University in Northern Ireland earned the Best Collaboration Award.
- Yunshu Ba, 13, received an Excellence Award for a submission centered on family travel memories and cultural heritage.
The micro-video initiative comes during a period of sustained growth in China’s inbound tourism, bolstered by expanded visa-free access. Ordinary passport holders from 50 nations—including Australia, the UK, France, Germany, Canada, and Switzerland—can enter China visa-free for stays of up to 30 days.
Official figures from China’s National Bureau of Statistics show the country recorded 35.17 million foreign visits in 2025, with visa-free entries rising 49.5% to reach 30.08 million. Growth continued into the first half of 2026, with foreign arrivals reaching 22.91 million—a 20.4% increase year over year—placing Australia among the top 10 source countries.
Jointly organized by People’s Daily Online Australia and People’s Daily Online UK, the competition builds on the When Koala Meets Panda initiative originally launched in Australia in 2017. Over its eight-year history, the series has generated nearly 1,000 video submissions and accumulated more than 100 million views online.
Organizers are already preparing for the next edition, encouraging future participants to capture and share their own authentic travel experiences in China.
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