# Master of none: why China is scrapping its titles

An episode of [Round Table China](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/793040690), 21 Aug 2026, 55 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/radio-res.cgtn.com/ueditor/audio/2608/1087208876783.mp3

For years, a shouted slogan at one of China's most popular restaurant chains made a single chef a household name. Then this summer, it disappeared overnight. Across industries, thousands of so-called masters are suddenly losing their status as new national rules rewrite who gets to claim expertise. / China's biggest performing arts companies are trading the grand stage for the small screen. Traditionalists worry that something essential gets lost in the shift from theater to algorithm. Supporters see an opportunity to reach audiences who never would have bought a ticket. So what happens when centuries of performance tradition meet the cold logic of the feed (38:20)? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun

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