HISTORY
The Blast that Nearly Destroyed Beijing
The Wanggongchang Explosion continues to mystify historians almost 400 years later
SOCIETY
After Covid, Another Kind of Isolation
Months after recovery, some former Covid-19 patients struggle with job discrimination, dating stigma, and even separate testing queues
MUSIC
Reggae’s Chinese Roots Run Deeper Than You Think
Reggae is becoming better understood, more popular, and is even starting to infiltrate popular music in China
LIFE
A Middle-Aged Nanny’s Literary Dreams in the City
Leaving behind an abusive marriage, a migrant worker from the countryside discovered a literature club and reignited her dreams of writing
STREET TALK
How Gen Z is Changing Work Culture...by Speaking Up
Challenging everything from overtime work to abusive bosses, can China’s “post-00s” really rewrite workplace norms?
TRADITIONAL CULTURE
The Twisted Karma of “Compassionate” Wildlife Release
How the Buddhist practice of “fangsheng,” the compassionate release of wildlife for merit, gets abused today
ENVIRONMENT
March of the Elephants: Stories from Behind a Lens
Director Olivia Chen talks about filming an elephant herd on a march through Yunnan province
ANCIENT HISTORY
Behind the Screen: A Brief History of Chinese “Pingfeng”
How the humble “pingfeng” screen came to adorn everything from cave dwellings to the emperor’s throne
SOCIETY
Protecting the Rice Bowl: China’s Relentless Quest for Food Security
With Covid-19 affecting domestic farming and global food supplies, can China ever reach its goal of food security?
NEWS
“Lipstick King” Li Jiaqi Returns and Other Trending News
Li Jiaqi returns, Tangshan assault perpetrator gets 24 years, netizens question lack of menstrual pads for sale on trains, betel nut bans—it’s Viral …
SOCIAL CHINESE
Pretty Talks: Talk Like a Chinese Beauty Influencer
Considering a career as a beauty influencer? Talk like one first.
LIFE
Greatest Mysteries: The Story of China’s Most Famous UFO Sighting
In 1994, a woodcutter claimed to have a date with a 3-meter-tall female alien, and never wavered from his story since
