SOCIETY
I Sacrificed 16 Years to the Mines
Miner-poet Chen Nianxi tells the harrowing story of his years working as a blaster underground
FILM
Is “Saturday Fiction” too edgy for China’s mainstream? | Film Review
Gong Li’s yarn of empowered female espionage in war-torn Shanghai aimed big at the Chinese box office, but confuses complexity for entertainment
ANCIENT HISTORY
The “Designer” Bags of Ancient China
Centuries before Chanel and Hermès became status symbols, ancient Chinese could tell a person’s rank from the bag they carried
TRAVEL
The Family Mansion at the Heart of Yunnan’s Modern History
How the Zhu clan became one of the richest and most powerful families in all Yunnan from their business base in Jianshui
STREET TALK
What’s in Chinese Netizens’ DNA?
What Chinese netizens mean when they say, “My DNA moved”
NEWS
Viral Week: First Chinese Woman Visits Space Station and Other Trending News
Three more astronauts visit Tianhe space station, murder in Shanghai, LinkedIn leaves China, otter rewarded for saving cellphone—it’s Viral Week
IDIOMS
Choice Chengyu: Idioms Don’t Only Come in Fours
The Chinese ‘chengyu’ that aren’t four characters long
IDIOMS
Parallel Idioms that Cross Language Barriers
English and Chinese sayings that are almost exactly equivalent
BOOKS
Exploring Humanity’s Many Possible AI Futures | Book Review
Entrepreneur Kai-Fu Lee and sci-fi writer Chen Qiufan weave fiction and technical explanation to illustrate the opportunities and pitfalls of artific…
HISTORICAL FIGURES
Celebrating Confucius’s 2,725th Birthday
A ceremony at Beijing’s 14th century Confucius temple celebrates a sage's birth based on 2,000-year-old traditions
ENTERTAINMENT
Will Reality TV Save Chinese Stand-Up Comedy?
Why did comedy show “Rock & Roast” get famous—and will its popularity last?
FOOD
A Guide to China’s Fruit Culture
How to eat and understand the history of some of China’s culturally significant fruits
