Every March, China's Two Sessions bring together thousands of deputies and political advisors from across the country. But behind the national agenda are stories that begin far from Beijing – in places where local experiences slowly shape national conversations.

For four years, CGTN's Yang Xinmeng has been following NPC deputy Zoya Bexti from Altay in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a young archaeologist from the Kazakh ethnic group who brings grassroots observations into the policy arena. From archaeological sites on the steppe to discussions inside the Great Hall of the People, her journey offers a glimpse of how voices from local communities travel into China's national decision-making process.