Moreover, the show gives the floor to controversial figures who may be misunderstood by the public.
The veteran cyclist is one of those people. He grew up as a farmer in Henan province, yet has been criticized for bucking the traditional Chinese view of how senior citizens should behave-he left his wife behind to cycle around the world alone, just to "pursue his personal dream of expanding his horizons".
Xu explains in the program why he is able to spend more than 10 years living such an unstable life, mostly living off instant noodles and bread soaked in water.
"Whenever you have difficulties, never be angry and never give up," he says.
However, not everyone can keep pace with the septuagenarian's unstoppable wheels.
In the program, for several days in a row, Angelababy, who just couldn't get up early, chose to sleep in, then rent a car to catch up with Xu later, rather than set off on the journey together early in the morning.
While some internet users doubted whether "her choice to save her energy" was right, the program's director, Zhao Qi, did not interfere.
Zhao says: "I didn't know what would happen next, and I didn't want to have a script.
"Encounter is like a scalpel cutting directly to the core of real life. In the show, without any limitations, the celebrities reveal their personalities on screen.
"The show can be a place to welcome different attitudes in life, rather than catering to audiences' expectations."
Aya adds: "Celebrities have the same concerns and anxieties as anyone else. However, our exploration as portrayed in the show might inspire viewers to have confidence in their own life choices."
