Applications for the WildChina Explorer Grant 2017 have now closed and we want to thank all of our applicants for their passion to Explore China Differently. Only 5 of this year’s applicants can make it through to the final and onto the judges’ table, so the time has come for you to have your say. We’re asking you to vote for your favorite applicant and put them on the path to winning USD$5000 to make their travel dreams a reality. And this year, there’s an additional twist. The journey taken by the WildChina Explorer 2017 will be marked in our history books as a WildChina Journey for all to enjoy. Voting Period: Monday 24th April 6 pm (Beijing time) – Sunday 30th April 6 pm (Beijing time)3 of our 5 finalists will be chosen through our People’s Choice Vote, so watch all of the videos (available in the other articles we have posted today) carefully before picking your favorite.After voting closes, an additional 2 finalists will be chosen from our applicant pool by our WildChina Explorer Grant 2017 partners, World Traveller and TOMS.
The applications of the five finalists will be reviewed by our panel of expert judges and the winner of the WildChina Explorer Grant 2017 will be announced on May 17th.
– Meet the Applicants –
To place your vote, click here!
For your convenience when voting, the applicants have been numbered according to when they submitted their application
No. 1 | André Fernandes
André’s project will explore the antique Silk Road route in China by train, passing by 11 cities in 28 days to produce blog posts and pictures in Portuguese and in English.
No.2 | 李艺哲 Yizhe Li

Travel has been defined as going from one place to another. You can also imagine traveling somewhere by reading about it and daydreaming. As a new resident of Dali, Yizhe Li will use videos and writing to interview the diverse people who have been living in Dali. In the end, the stories will be added into a book she will write called Humans of Dali. Yizhe Li will use this book to help people to discover China differently.
No.3 | Kyle Obermann

Kyle will explore and document 10 backcountry, grassroots conservation communities in China’s remote Hengduan Range. Hosted by local partners, he will live in these communities and use photography, Chinese/English writing, and video to document the stories of their conservation and the cultural-environmental consciousness which led to this movement. Within each area, Kyle will also traverse backcountry landscapes to record the real beauty and value of protecting one of China’s last, great unexplored wild regions. This is exploration for conservation. China’s wild will finally be seen not as a lost tragedy, but a magnificence worth protecting.
No.4 | Lucia Qian

Lucia will collect and showcase photos and stories from three villages in the Pu’er region, which has high rates of poverty and left behind children. These photos and stories will focus on the issue of left behind children, but will also promote artisan crafts from the local ethnic minorities. Combining the power of stories with the marketability of local artisan craft will achieve two goals: 1. Share the rich cultural heritage of the villages and humanize the issue of left behind children, and 2. Support the local economies to start bringing jobs (and migrant parents) back to their villages (and families).
No.5 | 刘何博静 Liu He Bo Jing
Liu He Bo Jing and her team’s project focuses on insects as a main source of protein by documenting the customs of the insectivorous Dai minority group and presenting them to the public. Showing a real insect-eating culture will enable the public to acknowledge that insects are rich in protein but low in fat, making them very healthy. Promoting the concept of environmental vegetarianism, they will explore problems such as food scarcity and food safety, and suggest a solution from the bottom of the biological food chain.
No.6 | Chris Randolph

China has a beautiful and rich history of martial arts. It is the birthplace of Kung Fu, which was later made world famous by Bruce Lee. Chris and his team’s Martial Arts Adventure will begin in the capital city of Beijing where they will train at the Great Wall. In Tai’an they will train in the shadow of Mount Tai, one of China’s most sacred Mountains. In Hangzhou, Chris and his team will meditate next to the still waters of the famous West Lake and in Hong Kong, they will train Shaolin in a small bustling fishing village next to the ocean.
No.7 | Lauren Stewart
Lauren will lead a group down the length of the Yangtze to document communities who continue to live in harmony with the river, relying on it for drinking water, farming, fishing, and transportation. Her group will live with and photograph local villagers, hearing their stories and showing how they are directly connected to the heart China.
No.8 | Arthur Wei
Mixed Martial Arts is the fastest growing worldwide sport and Sanda is arguably the most effective martial art. However, very little is known about Sanda in the western world. Lack of rigorous competition and sparring has kept it in the shadow of Muay Thai – a martial art that has sprung incredible tourism in Thailand. Follow Arthur on his journey to learn about Sanda from its source.
No.9 | Kateryna Bugayevska & Aaron Berkovich
Southeast Guizhou is a treasury of ethnic folklore and craftsmanship. One of the grandest manifestations of the local peoples’ spiritual wealth and creativity is their dress culture. Kateryna and Aaron’s aim is to show the beauty of Southeast Guizhou’s natural and cultural resources through the exploration of indigenous embroidery and brocade. They will interview the keepers of native heritage — Miao and Shui female artisans, and share the moving stories of their lives through photography and film. This will be their way of paying homage to their contributions and raising awareness about their inspiring craft.
No.10 | Yang Yu & Mingyu Liu
Yang Yu and Mingyu Liu’s project proposes exploring the life of an endangered species, the snow leopard, in the upper reaches of Lancang (Mekong) River. They will get to experience the life of field biologists, and can possibly see snow leopards with their own eyes. They will observe varieties of wildlife sharing their homes with snow leopards and be emerged in the harmonic co-existence of Tibetan Buddhism and nature. This project is also a great opportunity to understand Tibetan culture in depth. Through the project, Yang Yu and Mingyu Liu expect to increase public awareness of conservation on the Tibetan Plateau through video, travel journals and articles on various social media channels.
No.11 | Oliver van Poucke

Oliver’s mission is to grasp the essence of Chinese water towns. This art, architectural and cultural minded tour should create unforgettable experiences and spark creativity. The whole project consists of several tour elements from real–life, virtual and an exhibition tour.
