Curiosities and Quests

2018 ISSUE 6

Curiosities and Quests

From cryptids to lost cities and other curiosities, we delve into classic myths and mysteries from history. Plus features, food, travel, and more

The World of Chinese latest issue Curiosities and Quests discusses the variety of issues within the gaming industry in China.

"The Socialite" is a story from the Curiosities and Quests issue.

From this issue

EDUCATION

Masters of None

MBA programs offer the most expensive education in the country—but are they little more than a status symbol?

CHINESE CHARACTERS

On the Character: 探

A character that probes the unfamiliar and questions the unknown

ANCIENT HISTORY

Tracing the Tangut

As Genghis Khan lay dying, he ordered his generals to take revenge on the people that killed him—and exterminate an empire without a trace

TRAVEL

Out of Steppe

Rural realities don’t always match the mythic Mongolia of popular imagination

TRAVEL

Lake of the Lost

Hatty Liu gets to the bottom of a maritime mystery dubbed “China’s Bermuda Triangle”

ANCIENT HISTORY

Riddle of the Sands

The discovery of an ancient vanished civilization on the far reaches of China’s Silk Road raises as many questions as it answers

TRAVEL

Where the Wild Things Are

In one of China’s least populated forests, legends of a yeti-like “wild man” live on

FICTION

The Socialite | Short Story

As a fading Chinese-American aristocrat meets the mainland’s nouveau riche, they discover that the more things change, the more they stay the same

BOOKS

Spiterary Ambitions

Writers’ collective Spittoon sets its lights on international literature

SOCIETY

The Great Unbanked

Millions have opened accounts in the last decade, but China’s banks still strive for financial inclusion

STREET TALK

Slap Bash

The memes that punish those who break their word

SOCIETY

First Man

A colorful ceremony honors the prehistoric Yellow Emperor, known as the “forefather of all Chinese”

FOOD

Rice, Crispy

A staple treat’s long journey to becoming a national snack

ARTS, TRADITIONAL CULTURE

To Be Continued

With the death of its most influential master, what does the future hold for the thousand-year art of “book commentary?”

SOCIAL CHINESE

Performance Anxiety

Get through the ordeal of work evaluations with this handy language lesson

HISTORY

City of Dreams

Forty years after reform, migrants are trying to define a “Shenzhen Dream” that binds the city together

SOCIETY

Room to Grow

Your apartment may be poisoning you—a TWOC investigation finds a rental business riddled with scams, runaway prices, and toxic chemicals in the walls

NEWS

QR Woes

The limits to mobile payment systems

TECHNOLOGY

Seeing RED: The Rise China’s Hottest Trend-Setting App

Xiaohongshu is a social e-commerce app worth billions—but can it monetize its trend-setting reputation?

SOCIETY

Morbid Mansions

With bargains hard to find, desperate homebuyers look to “murder homes”

NEWS

Custodial Clash

Difficulty obtaining divorce and a lack of legal protection lead families to “kidnap” for custody

ENTERTAINMENT

Game Over?

China may have as many as 459 million gamers, but the industry is plagued with design and regulatory problems—and now a freeze on production

TRADITIONAL CULTURE

Fishing for Fortune

Need some good luck? There is a meme for that

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