For years, Asia Society has published video recordings of public programs held at our multiple locations, allowing fans and patrons of the institution to access our work without having to be physically present. In 2020, as the spread of COVID-19 forced Asia Society — and many other cultural institutions — to curtail public events around the world, video became an essential lifeline connecting our work to its audience. We're grateful for everyone who watched our videos, followed us on social media, and subscribed to our YouTube channel throughout this challenging year. 

Here are the five most watched videos Asia Society produced in 2020:

1. BTS Accepts Asia Game Changer Award — October 22

If you're not obsessed with BTS, you probably know someone who is. Asia Society honored the global superstars with an Asia Game Changer Award in 2020 due to their support for ending all forms of discrimination. In this video, BTS accepted their award with a humility that belies their enormous fame. "We think it is those who are with us who are changing the world, not us," said Kim Tae-Hyung.

2. The Impact of Coronavirus on China's Economy, Politics, and the U.S.-China Relationship — March 20

In mid-March, as cities across the United States entered into lockdown, Asia Society Policy Institute's (ASPI) Kevin Rudd assessed the impact of COVID-19 on the country that, up to that point, the virus had most acutely affected: China.

3. Historian Niall Ferguson on the State of the World in 2020 — And Beyond — January 21

In an address delivered at an Asia Society event in Hong Kong, historian and author Niall Ferguson laid out a vision for the new decade, one driven by a young generation poised to change politics around the world.

4. 'The India Way' With India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar — October 16

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, external affairs minister of India, discussed his new book The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World and the global challenges facing his country during a conversation with Kevin Rudd.

5. The Economic Impact of Coronavirus — March 9

In the weeks before COVID-19 upended economic life in the United States, Kevin Rudd and Daniel Rosen, founding partner of Rhodium Group, an economic research firm, discussed how the virus had affected China's economy.

And here are five more videos that we liked:

1. How China Is Weaponizing the Belt and Road Initiative — September 9

Asia Society Policy Institute Vice President Daniel Russel described the military and geo-strategic dimensions of China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative. This video accompanies Weaponizing the Belt and Road Initiative, a report authored by Russel and ASPI Senior Program Officer Blake Berger.

2. Yo-Yo Ma Performs 'Songs of Comfort' at the Asia Game Changer Awards — October 22

During the early, fearful days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the iconic cellist Yo-Yo Ma filmed himself performing "songs of comfort" as a way of soothing anxieties across the world. For this effort — which grew into a larger initiative featuring numerous other musicians — Asia Society awarded Ma an Asia Game Changer Award in October. In this video, he performed parts of two songs that had brought succor to so many some six months before.

3. Tigertail: Alan Yang on Immigration and Sacrifice — May 19

Filmmaker Alan Yang's Tigertail, released on Netflix in April, tells the story of a Taiwanese immigrant who settles in the United States and struggles to relate to his American-born daughter. In this conversation with producer Janet Yang, Alan Yang reflects on the sacrifices immigrants make in order to allow their children to follow their dreams.

4. Asia Society Triennial Tour with Co-Curators Boon Hui Tan and Michelle Yun — October 30

 

 

 

 

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Former Asia Society Vice President for Arts and Culture Boon Hui Tan and Michelle Yun Mapplethorpe, who succeeded Tan in October, gave an intimate tour of the Asia Society Triennial, an initiative they co-curated, on Instagram Live.

5. Mapo Tofu Cook-Along With Junzi Kitchen Chef Lucas Sin — May 27

Food journalist Matt Gross joined Junzi Kitchen head chef Lucas Sin for a guided cooking session teaching viewers how to make the classic Sichuanese dish mapo tofu.