Tibet is one of the most linguistically diverse places in the world. Many of those languages are at risk of extinction.

Mandarin, spoken by over a billion people, was increasingly recognised as a global language of significance. Following Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to China in 2019, he had announced the plan to introduce the language into schools across the nation.

With a map of China on the wall behind him, 14-year-old Yasser al-Shaalan studied the names of professions in a Chinese textbook, one of thousands of Saudi children now learning the language at school.

China's stand-up comedians have turned to the country’s diverse and rich cultural resources, particularly dialect humour, to develop their jokes. And Dongbeihua has all the advantages.