215. Fender Jackson: Leaving China
25 May 2026
About This Episode
After living in China for eight years, Fender Jackson returns for the first time since leaving during COVID.
In this deeply personal episode of The Ireland Podcast, Fender reflects on life in Kunming and Shanghai, teaching in China, raising children abroad, grief, identity, Irish voices during isolation, and what it felt like returning to a place that once felt like home.
The episode also begins a new series of China travel episodes and vlog-style documentaries recorded during a recent trip through Kunming, Xishuangbanna and Shanghai - including street food, night markets, Irish bars in China, random encounters and reflections on modern Chinese life.
Topics include:
* Living in China during COVID
* Returning to Kunming after four years away
* Chinese culture and daily life
* Irish identity abroad
* Teaching in China
* Shanghai lockdowns
* The origins of The Ireland Podcast
* Prince: The Musical - on Banjo!
A quick note: some of the audio came out rougher than intended while testing a new recording setup. We decided to publish it anyway because the story itself felt important to tell.
New China travel episodes will follow over the coming days.
Fender Jackson
Fender Jackson is the host and creator of The Ireland Podcast. Originally from the Sperrin Mountains and now based in Galway, he has lived in Yorkshire, London and China, where he spent eight years working as a teacher and musician.
Since returning to Ireland, Fender has produced more than 200 long-form podcast episodes exploring Irish culture, identity, music, politics, history and everyday life through conversations with guests from across Ireland and beyond.
His recent China series reflects on life in Kunming and Shanghai, returning after COVID, teaching abroad and the experience of living between cultures.
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