Xiaohe Zhang (Australia)
Excellence Award
Author Biography:
Zhang Xiaohe was born in Beijing and holds a doctoral degree from the University of Adelaide, Australia. He currently resides in Sydney. Zhang has worked at Beijing Normal University, Hong Kong Baptist University, and the University of Newcastle in Australia, and has published over 60 academic papers. He began writing film reviews as a student and received awards for his work. He was once a member of the Hong Kong Film Critics Association and won first place in their review competition. He is currently a member of the New South Wales Chinese Writers Association. His works cover screenwriting, film criticism, novels, poetry, and essays, primarily published in the association’s journal Aurora Australis and Australia’s Xinbao Supplement Literary Section.
Award-Winning Work: Home for Travelers (60 Episodes)
Story Synopsis:
Ah Zhong and his wife have just opened a new Airbnb named Home for Travelers. From the very beginning, they welcome several interesting guests, including a sophisticated Hong Kong woman seemingly after wealth, a cunning African-American man from New York, a young couple speaking standard Taiwanese Mandarin, and a pair of mainland Chinese immigrants appearing as an older husband and younger wife—Ah Gui and Annie.
As the story unfolds, it is revealed that Ah Gui and Annie are actually fugitives from mainland China, wanted for illegal fundraising, who have just escaped to Australia. They had briefly stayed in the United States but, due to circumstances, moved on to Australia. They initially attempted to transfer assets through underground banks and survive in Sydney using their qigong skills. However, they soon discover that “Sister Xu” from Hong Kong and the fake Taiwanese couple are, in fact, undercover American and Chinese detectives. They are here to accomplish special missions, and each must act within their legal framework, leading to a high-stakes game of cat and mouse.
Sister Xu and the African-American man stage a ruse involving deception and seduction to attract the attention of the Australian police to the Airbnb, while the mainland detective disguised as a Taiwanese tourist continually tracks Ah Gui and Annie, issuing warnings to compel them to return voluntarily. However, due to prior cases in the U.S., the mainland detective herself is also being pursued by American authorities. As events escalate, Ah Gui’s funds are intercepted by an underground bank owner posing as a monk, and their qigong business collapses due to misunderstandings.
Ultimately, a confrontation occurs at the Airbnb between Ah Gui, Annie, and the mainland detective. The detective uses reason and emotion to persuade them to return to China voluntarily. In desperation, Ah Gui attempts to detonate a homemade bomb to go out in a blaze of glory. At the critical moment, the New York man appears as a “suspect,” drawing in the Australian police and preventing the tragedy.
In the end, only the Australian police retain true authority. They arrest Ah Gui and Annie for intentional injury, the mainland detective couple for overreach of law, the African-American man for sexual assault, and Sister Xu for false accusation. The six foreign guests of the Airbnb are thus all gathered in custody awaiting interrogation.
Sister Xu and the African-American man then reveal their true identities as American police officers. As a married couple, they clear each other’s criminal records. The mainland detective, although violating U.S. law, is not prosecuted in Australia. Witnessing the patriotism and selfless dedication of the mainland detective, Ah Gui and Annie finally have a change of heart, voluntarily agreeing to return to China for justice. They board the deportation plane with the detective, ultimately becoming de facto friends.
Professional Commentary:
This series cleverly sets the Airbnb inn as a closed environment, bringing together fugitives, undercover detectives, and international law enforcement in a tightly-woven narrative. It creates a darkly comedic chase where national identities blur and truth is elusive. The drama shines in the absurdity intersecting with reality, and the moral ambiguity in the cat-and-mouse game. It is an international light comedy series blending satire, suspense, and plot twists.
