SOCIAL CHINESE

Love for Live: How Concert Fans Speak Their Passion

From beating competitors to secure tickets to rooting for their favorite artists, here’s the inside lingo of live music fans in China

STREET TALK

Internet Slang Quiz: The Ultimate 2024 Buzzword Challenge

Consider yourself a slang master? Take TWOC’s annual buzzword test and find out if you really are in the know

STREET TALK

Mastering the Art of Livestreaming Sales

As China’s e-commerce industry reaches the crescendo of its annual Singles Day festival buying frenzy, livestreamers are battling it out to squeeze cash from an increasingly reticent consumer base

STREET TALK

Behold the New Emperors of the Internet

In a tongue-in-cheek attempt to gain control over their lives—or a means of excusing bad habits—China’s netizens are role-playing as emperors and servants

STREET TALK

“Retirement Lit” is Helping China’s Youth Reimagine a Future Without Rest

With the government officially confirming the long-speculated decision to raise the country’s retirement age, young Chinese workers are turning to sarcasm to cope with the seemingly endless toil that lies ahead

SOCIAL CHINESE

The Art of Chinese Clickbait

Attention! Here are the headline-writing techniques you need to master on China’s internet!

STREET TALK

Havoc in HR: How Chinese Workers Found a New Champion in ‘Wukong’

The much-anticipated video game has birthed various memes on the tribulations of the Monkey King (and Chinese “corporate monkeys”)

STREET TALK

An American in Shanghai Redefines What It Means to “City”

Shanghai-based American influencer Paul Mike Ashton’s viral meme, “city bu city,” transforms the concept of urbanity

SOCIAL CHINESE

Essential Chinese Phrases for Cheapskates

How to talk about saving and conscious spending in the era of “consumption downgrade”

STREET TALK

Office Zootopia: How Chinese Netizens Relate to Animals

Increasingly frustrated by their career prospects, China’s workers are likening themselves to various animals to blow off steam