ENTERTAINMENT

High Stakes in Short Takes: China’s Booming Micro-Drama Business

Insider anxiety, regulatory scrutiny, and widespread criticism challenge the micro-drama industry in sustaining its billion-dollar saga

EDUCATION

Parallel Worlds: How A Lifestyle App Shed Light on China’s Education Gap

Anxiety has grown among China’s rural students as the internet provides them with glimpses into the lives of their more privileged urban peers

LITERATURE

Podcast | China’s Booming Web Novel Industry

Industry insiders and fans discuss China’s web novel craze, its origins, and the impact of AI

ENTERTAINMENT

China’s Year in Gaming News

A look back at 2023 in Chinese video games, a year marked by farewells, e-sports debuts, and much-hyped new titles.

SOCIETY

Digital Babysitters: Battling Phone Addiction in China’s Rural Schools

The growth of cellphone addiction among China’s “left-behind” children and the researchers and teachers fighting against it

FEMINISM

China’s Most Infamous Online Beauty Contest Gets an Unexpected Winner

Does a Go player’s crowning as “Hupu Goddess” signal that men in China are choosing brains over looks?

LIFE

How China’s Seniors Got Hooked on Short Video Influencers

The suspension of a short video channel throws the spotlight on how influencers attract elderly users and the risks seniors face online

TECHNOLOGY

Why Are Chinese Websites Stuck in 2003?

And do people even care about websites in China’s mobile-centric society?

TECHNOLOGY

The Rise and Fall of China’s OG Social Media Platforms

With the rise of short video, some of China’s earliest social media platforms have reached the end of their journey, with a few even transforming into a hub for misogynistic content

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
TECHNOLOGY

Net Nostalgia: Remembering the Glory Days of China’s Internet Cafes

Some millennials still visit China’s internet cafes for a nostalgia hit, but that won’t be enough to sustain the “wangba” industry