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Hello TWOC readers!
Hope you’re all doing well as summer gets into full swing. In China, June marks the gaokao season, the time when students across the country sit for the all-important college entrance exam. While it’s no longer seen as the only path to success, the gaokao remains a life-defining moment for the 13 million students who just took it.
TWOC has covered this major rite of passage extensively. Here are some highlights from our archive.
Sweat and Sacrifice: Five Stories of Gaokao
The Boom of College Admissions Counseling in China
Gaokao Town: The School That Churns Out Top-Scorers on the College Entrance Exam
AI is undoubtedly one of the hottest topics in China this year. From the rise of DeepSeek to the ongoing chip race at the heart of the US-China trade war, the focus has never been sharper. In our upcoming issue, we explore how AI is already transforming daily life across China, from reshaping e-commerce to revolutionizing farming and education. Stay tuned for the magazine’s official release later this month, and enjoy a sneak peek at some of the stories in this newsletter.
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As AI tools become increasingly accessible, China’s business-savvy merchants are utilizing them to boost their product sales overseas; however, questions remain about where the line lies between fair play and deception, artistry and theft. Read more
In China’s countryside, artificial intelligence is helping young farmers overcome the challenges in a traditionally experience-based profession. As rural areas face an aging population and growing pressure to boost productivity, both farmers and local officials are turning to AI to modernize agriculture and strengthen rural governance. Read more
The salted duck egg, made by soaking fresh duck eggs in a high-concentration brine for 20 to 40 days before boiling them, is an icon in Jiangnan cuisine. It’s most popular during the Dragon Boat Festival, but no time is a bad time for this classic delicacy. Read more
What We’re Watching
Although the Chinese film industry experienced a sluggish start in the first half of 2025, television dramas continued to thrive. Numerous notable television series have emerged during the first six months of the year, spanning historical epics, urban family sagas, crime thrillers, and period romances. Here’s our mid-year TV recap
Where We’re Traveling
The Altay region, tucked into China’s remote northwestern tip, lies far from the country’s bustling megacities. In 2024, a hit TV drama set on the Altay pastures turned the region into a trendy escape for urban youth. But what is life really like there? A longtime resident documents authentic rural life with her camera. Find out more
能力 (nénglì), or “ability,” is a banal word, but the character 能 (néng) has fascinating origins. In the bronze scripts used more than 3,000 years ago, 能 was shaped like a fierce animal with sharp claws—it originally meant bear, which we now write with four dots underneath to suggest legs, 熊 (xióng). The character 能 has since shed its association with the animal, evolving to mean “ability” and “talent.” Read on to find out how the character came to mean ability, power, and more
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