'The Big Picture' Season 7, Episode 1: 'The Doughnut'

The seventh season of "The Big Picture" turns its attention to north China's Hebei Province. Through the stories of cities, businesses and ordinary people, the program explores how the province surrounding Beijing is drawing on its manufacturing base, specialized industrial clusters and continually improving infrastructure to connect with China's domestic market and the wider international business network.

In the opening episode, "The Doughnut," host Mark Llewellyn and his team travel from Sydney to Beijing before driving into Hebei, embarking on a unique road journey. As Hebei geographically surrounds Beijing, the program uses the distinctive image of a "doughnut" as a theme, offering audiences a new perspective on the province.

The first episode focuses on Tangshan, an important industrial city. As 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the Tangshan Earthquake, the program looks back at the enormous disaster the city experienced, as well as its reconstruction and development in the decades that followed, through the personal memories of local people and the city's appearance today. Fifty years later, Tangshan has been transformed, rebuilt from the devastation into a modern city known as the "Phoenix City."

The story of Australian entrepreneur Bob Burak offers a unique perspective on China-Australia business cooperation. In the late 1990s, Bob came to China in search of manufacturing opportunities. At the time, he spoke no Chinese and knew very little about China or Hebei, but eventually found a local business partner in Tangshan. Over the past 26 years, he has continued to develop his business in China, building long-standing and stable relationships with local employees and business partners. His company's products have also expanded from initially serving mainly the Australian market to reaching more than 20 countries around the world.

"The Big Picture" is a business documentary series produced by People's Daily Online Australia and Sticky Toffee Media, highlighting collaborations between China and Australia in economics, science, education, and business. With in-depth reporting and on-site insights, it delivers authoritative analysis while promoting cross-culture understanding.

Season seven of "The Big Picture" airs in September 2026 on the global news website Ticker News, People's Daily Online, and international podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.