BEIJING, JurnalPost.com – Wisdom tales from ancient Chinese civilization are now available in Indonesian, thanks to the work of an Indonesian student currently studying in Beijing. Through an audiovisual translation project, values concerning honesty, leadership, justice, and wisdom are being reintroduced to the Indonesian public, particularly the younger generation.
Behind this project is Illahi Medina Annissa Nur, a student in the Digital Communication Master's program at the Communication University of China (CUC), who developed the Indonesian version of 15 selected stories from the series Eternal Starlight: Wisdom of Chinese Sages.
This project stems from her interest in Chinese philosophical values, which she believes remain relevant to various contemporary social issues, including integrity, social inequality, and trust in leadership.
Using a digital media approach, Illahi aims to present these historical tales in a format that is easier for the Indonesian public to understand and enjoy.
“These stories are not just tales from the past,” Illahi said in her statement on Friday (13/11/2026).
“They contain lessons on honesty, sincere leadership, the courage to fight injustice, and wisdom in facing problems. That is what I want to bring to the Indonesian audience,” she continued.
Direct Translation from Mandarin
The development of this project went beyond simply translating dialogue from Mandarin to Indonesian. Illahi was also directly involved in various stages of audiovisual production.
She selected 15 stories from the series Eternal Starlight: Wisdom of Chinese Sages, translated the scripts, performed the voice-over or dubbing, created subtitles, and edited the entire video.
The entire process was handled independently, from script processing to final editing.
One of the decisions Illahi made was to use her own voice for the Indonesian narration, rather than utilizing voices generated by artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
According to her, using a human voice provides more room to convey the emotions and character of the stories to the audience.
“I want these stories to feel close to the Indonesian audience,” she explained.
“That is why I chose to dub them with my own voice, not AI, so the emotions come through. Each episode also requires a different approach because the message is different,” added Illahi.
The translation process also took into account linguistic differences and cultural backgrounds. The messages contained in the stories are conveyed in language that is easy to understand without losing the core meaning of the original tales.
Highlighting Values of Honesty, Leadership, and Justice
The 15 stories selected originate from various periods of Chinese history, ranging from the Warring States period to the Qing Dynasty.
These stories contain diverse life values, such as personal integrity, responsible leadership, social justice, tolerance, and wisdom in environmental stewardship.
The selection of stories was made by considering their relevance to the lives of Indonesians today and their suitability for an audience with diverse cultural backgrounds.
For Illahi, historical stories should not be viewed as relics of the past that are distant from modern life. Instead, these stories can serve as material for reflection to understand various issues still found in society today.
“Amidst the crises of leadership, corruption, and inequality we face today, these old stories still feel relevant,” she said.
“Not to lecture, but to accompany us in reflection,” she added.
Through these stories, viewers are invited to see how the values of honesty, responsibility, and the courage to make decisions have been part of human thought for centuries.
These messages are expected to serve as food for thought, especially for the younger generation living amidst rapid social change and technological development.
Part of an Academic Project in China
This translation project is part of a program at the Television School, Communication University of China.
The material used comes from the series Eternal Starlight: Wisdom of Chinese Sages, a joint production by Nanjing University and the Communication University of China.
In its development, Illahi served as a co-creator for the Indonesian version while also handling the translation and audiovisual production processes.
This activity also serves as part of her final project for her Master's degree in Digital Communication.
Illahi herself is a recipient of the MOFCOM scholarship from the Chinese government. During her studies in Beijing, she has focused on audiovisual translation, digital communication, and cultural exchange.
Through this project, she seeks to connect the knowledge gained during her studies with the need to provide information and education to the Indonesian public.
The use of audiovisual media is one approach to introducing the Chinese intellectual heritage to viewers who may not be accustomed to reading history or philosophy texts directly.
Available on the YouTube Channel 'Hikmah dari Tiongkok'
The results of the audiovisual translation began to be published on 10 November 2026 through the YouTube channel Hikmah dari Tiongkok.
Through this channel, the public can watch selected stories from Chinese history that have been presented in Indonesian.
The use of YouTube allows the material to be accessed openly and provides an opportunity for viewers to learn various moral messages through audiovisual content.
In addition to introducing history and philosophy, this project is expected to be a form of cross-cultural communication between Indonesia and China.
The presence of an Indonesian version also opens opportunities for viewers who do not understand Mandarin to learn about the values and thoughts of that civilization.
For Illahi, translation is not just about moving words from one language to another, but also an effort to convey meaning and cultural messages so they can be understood by people from different backgrounds.
Through the 15 stories she selected, she hopes that viewers will not only gain new knowledge about Chinese history but also find life lessons that can be reflected upon in the current context.
This project also demonstrates how Indonesian students abroad can utilize their academic skills and digital media technology to produce work that bridges cross-cultural understanding.
The public who wishes to watch the work can access the YouTube channel Hikmah dari Tiongkok via https://youtube.com/@hikmahdaritiongkok.
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