In Conversation With...
Deep dive into a range of subjects on China - from Buddhist cave art to the mating rituals of China’s most loved animal. WildChina founder Mei Zhang will be interviewing some of China’s top experts and bringing their stories and knowledge straight to your homes, so that you can become the next destination expert on China.
Get to know our experts and catch up on event recordings here. To join our LIVE expert series, subscribe to our newsletter for upcoming events.
Recent Events
June 11 - In Conversation With... Michelle Garnaut and Ignace Lecleir
Chat with award-winning restaurateurs on their Western fine-dining establishments in China.
Michelle Garnaut
Ms Michelle Garnaut AO is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the M Restaurant Group. Ms Garnaut began her career as one of China's most celebrated restaurateurs in 1989, when she opened M at the Fringe in Hong Kong after studying for a Bachelor of Arts at Monash University. Her first restaurant swiftly grew into a city institution and remained at the helm of Hong Kong's dining scene for 20 years. In 1999, she opened M on the Bund, which was the first independent restaurant on the historic Shanghai waterfront and a few years later, the beloved Glamour Bar raised the bar of Shanghai's cocktail and clubbing scene. In 2009 she opened Capital M on Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
Ignace Lecleir
Ignace Lecleir, originally from Belgium, has worked in some of dining's most impressive establishments. He first moved to Beijing back in 2008, when he came to the city to open Maison Boulud – of Michelin-starred Daniel Boulud fame. Once that was up and running and firmly one of the best restaurants in the city, Ignace set himself another challenge and opened his own fine-dining restaurant: Temple Restaurant Beijing. TRB, now home to two different restaurants, a catering company, and an event space, is one of Beijing's best-known hospitality groups, winning awards year round for the food, atmosphere, and experience. Ignace's TRB concepts serve up modern takes on European haute cuisine in simple, elegant surrounds.
Discover the Mogao Caves on a private tour with Dr. Schmid
June 11 - In Conversation With... Dr. Neil Schmid
Discover China's largest collection of Buddhist fresco art at the Mogao Caves.
Dr. Neil Schmid
Neil Schmid is the Scholar-in-Residence at the Dunhuang Academy, and he is one of the world's leading authorities on medieval Buddhism's visual culture. He studied Chinese and East Asian Studies at Georgetown University, Waseda University in Tokyo, L'Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris, and finally earned a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. He specializes in Silk Road and Buddhist Studies with an emphasis on the archaeological sites of Dunhuang.
May 28 - In Conversation With... Fuchsia Dunlop
Embark on a culinary journey through China with award-winning food writer and cook, Fuchsia Dunlop.
Learn about our set menus for your clients' next visit to Beijing or Shanghai
Fuchsia Dunlop
Award-winning food writer and cookw
A chef and award-winning author from England, Fuchsia Dunlop became an expert in Sichuanese food after living in Chengdu and becoming the only foreigner to graduate from the prestigious Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine. The Cambridge graduate has written for publications including The Financial Times and The New Yorker and has published five books about her specialization in Chinese cuisine. Fuchsia also makes regular appearances on TV and radio and was named "Food Journalist of the Year" in 2006 by the British Guild of Food Writers. A die-hard foodie, Fuchsia has your taste buds in mind every step of the way, encouraging the expansion of palettes and challenging the scope of traditional cooking.
Explore China's cuisine on a gastronomic tour with Fuchsia Dunlop
April 29 - In Conversation With... Patrick Cranley
Learn about the history and development of China's economic powerhouse - Shanghai.
Patrick Cranley
Patrick Cranley is a widely published expert on the history and development of Shanghai. Having studied China's business, politics, and culture for over 30 years, Patrick frequently speaks on his areas of expertise. In recent years he has narrowed his focus to the history, architecture, and urban development of his home since 1997, Shanghai. Patrick ran China's operations in a Fortune 500 company, CIGNA Corporation, for five years and served as both Governor and a Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce. He is also one of three founders of the 1998 organization Historic Shanghai and was Managing Director of AsiaMedia until 2009. Currently a member of the National Council on U.S.-China Relations, Patrick continues to be heavily involved in the rapid development of Shanghai.
