216. Leaving China - Returning After Four Years
27 May 2026
About This Episode
After living in China for eight years, Fender Jackson returns to Kunming for the first time in four years.
This episode is part travelogue, part memoir and part documentary about ordinary life in modern China.
Recorded during a recent return trip to Yunnan province, Fender reflects on:
- life in Kunming
- housing and urban density
- outdoor gyms and public parks
- street food and night markets
- robots and modern technology
- roads, eBikes and infrastructure
- teaching in China
- returning to his old school
- and what it feels like revisiting a place that once felt like home
Kunming sits around 2,000 metres above sea level in southwest China, only a few hours from Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar. With its spring-like climate, giant housing complexes and rapidly changing technology, the city became home for five years.
The episode closes with former students performing The Ecstasy of Gold by Ennio Morricone.
More episodes from Xishuangbanna and Shanghai coming soon.
Fender Jackson
Fender Jackson is the host and creator of The Ireland Podcast. Originally from Sperrin Mountains and now based in Galway, he spent eight years living and working in China as a teacher and musician before returning to Ireland.
Through long-form conversations and documentary-style storytelling, The Ireland Podcast explores identity, culture, travel, history and modern Irish life from both Irish and international perspectives.
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