"In a small Italian town, we met an elderly man who seemed to know everyone. He recommended hidden gems and even took us to a cliff where local teens were jumping into the sea for fun," recalls Yan.
She notes how this filming experience differed from her previous rushed travels through these countries.
"When you have in-depth travel experience and engage with locals, you become more open-minded — better at understanding the differences between people," she says, hoping the reality show's viewers will observe the world through a similar lens.
"Algorithms keep feeding us content we already like, creating a so-called 'echo chamber'. I want our viewers to break out of that, to see the world with curiosity rather than stubbornness."
Recalling her most unforgettable moment, Yan describes a day in Catania, Italy, also the hometown of opera composer Vincenzo Bellini, in a bustling square.
"I was buying strawberries when a passerby began singing. Soon, the whole crowd joined in — like surround sound. Our cast sang a Cantonese song in response, and right after that, everyone was dancing hand-in-hand."
Then, a local elderly man grabbed their microphone and yelled, "I love China!"
"That moment — when music erased borders — gave me goose bumps all over," Yan says.
