A Chinese travel program following encounters with Māori culture shows how ritual, food, performance and shared participation can deepen curiosity and cross-cultural understanding.

As a Chinese viewer, after watching the latest season, I became deeply interested in Wow the World 2, a Chinese travel and food reality show. What began as simple curiosity soon turned into something more profound. As the program unfolded, scenes transcended the usual travel documentary format.

In Rotorua, New Zealand, Chinese actors Sun Honglei and Li Naiwen, along with their companions, stood solemnly during a Māori pōwhiri, the traditional welcome ceremony. Their respectful demeanour – attentive, restrained, and sincere – struck me deeply. As a cultural observer, I recognised this not as performative politeness but as a quiet acknowledgment that true engagement begins with deference to another way of life.

The program follows the Chinese guests as they immerse themselves in Māori culture. They watched the haka, feeling the ground shake under the collective stomps and experiencing the surge of power in the chants. They wore traditional garments woven by their hosts as a mark of honour and shared hāngī meals cooked slowly in the earth. These moments carried a particular resonance. China’s own culture also places great value on........

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