Over the past decade, dating and marriage-themed reality shows in China have taken off, branching into all kinds of formats. Earlier this year, the country’s first dating show for people nearing retirement age wrapped, sparking widespread online discussion about dating in old age and the associated stigma.

However, the flourishing of these shows stands in a striking contrast with the country’s shrinking real-life marriage rate. Rather than going on dates themselves, young people today seem to “prefer watching other people date,” as many on the internet have quipped.

Controversies have also emerged over scripted plots and participants’ personal lives. After numerous seasons and slightly varied formats of the same show, viewers have grown disenchanted with TV romance, questioning whether there is still a place for real love on reality shows.

Read on to find out more:

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Dating by Proxy: Why Young Chinese Prefer Dating Shows to Real Dates

Dating and marriage-themed reality shows are booming, as real-life marriage rates decline in China. Read more

Roaming Famous Mountains, Wild and Unrestrained: How Ancient Scholars Sought Knowledge on the Road

China’s great philosophers, historians, and poets had one thing in common. They got up from their desk and hit the dusty trail. Read more

What’s Driving China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Boom?

The gains and growing pains of China’s ICH preservation over two and a half decades. Read more

Where We’re Traveling

A Walk in Color: Chasing Spring Across China

As cities across China welcome the arrival of spring, the latest trend of “colorwalk”—where young people explore their surroundings based on a chosen color scheme—is blooming in popularity. Read more

Chinese History You Need

The 3,000-Year-Old Poetry Collection That’s Still Alive

From millennia-old rituals to everyday idioms, the Classic of Poetry’s importance to Chinese literary culture cannot be overstated—and a recent archaeological find suggests there is still more to uncover. Learn more

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New Markets, Young Makers: How Millennials and Gen Z Are Shaping the Future of Consumption

Catapulted by the rise of designer toys, the “emotional economy (情绪经济)” emerged as one of China’s hottest buzzwords in 2025, as millennials and Gen Z gravitated toward brands offering enjoyment, comfort, and self-expression. At the same time, thrift- and sustainability-minded consumers are driving a booming secondhand market, while the next generation of factory owners steps into leadership within their family businesses. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Support on-the-ground reporting from China—get your copy today!

With a new iPhone dropping every year, each with only a slightly upgraded camera, and high-end cameras used mostly for the occasional trip, many people in China just can’t keep up with the upgrade anymore.

This, combined with a mentality shift as young consumers increasingly prioritize value over status, has fueled a booming rental market—where you can enjoy a week’s fun of flying a 4,000-yuan DJI drone for just a few hundred yuan.

Yet challenges remain in trust, regulation, and platform safeguards. Read our latest feature to find out more:

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From Buy to Borrow: How Young Chinese Are Driving the Rental Boom

Prioritizing value over status, young consumers are embracing rentals, from designer toys to electronics, yet challenges remain in trust, regulation, and platform safeguards. Read more

Maotai Drifters: Work and Life in China’s Liquor Capital

Photographer Ma Changyu, a former worker in Maotai, documents the surreal contrasts of solitude and bustle that define the baijiu-producing town. Read more

The Second Tale: Tradition Meets the Self in “YAO-Chinese Folktales 2”

The sequel to China’s beloved animation anthology turns boldly inward, but not every story finds its footing. Read more

What We’re Reading

Women, Seated: A Story of Female Relationships and Class Tension in Contemporary China

In her latest novel, Zhang Yueran offers a stark, nuanced portrait of three women from different socioeconomic backgrounds navigating power, desire, the men in their lives, and a fraught bond that begins to unravel in the wake of an abduction and a corruption arrest. Read more

Chinese You Need

An AI Guru Has Become a New Battleground Between Young and Old

Chinese millennials have found an unlikely ally: an AI-generated elder who preaches what they can’t. Learn more

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New Markets, Young Makers: How Millennials and Gen Z Are Shaping the Future of Consumption

Catapulted by the rise of designer toys, the “emotional economy (情绪经济)” emerged as one of China’s hottest buzzwords in 2025, as millennials and Gen Z gravitated toward brands offering enjoyment, comfort, and self-expression. At the same time, thrift- and sustainability-minded consumers are driving a booming secondhand market, while the next generation of factory owners steps into leadership within their family businesses. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Support on-the-ground reporting from China—get your copy today!

March marks Women’s History Month in the US. While China doesn’t have a dedicated month, it observes International Women’s Day on March 8, celebrating the achievements of women across fields. In recent years, the country has experienced a notable cultural shift, with young women increasingly embracing feminist ideas—even as many continue to navigate challenges in their careers and personal lives.

At The World of Chinese, we are committed to telling stories from women’s perspectives. Explore our special collection of reporting on Chinese women—from figures of antiquity to the voices shaping arts and society today.

Women of China: Past, Present, Future

Read on to find out more:

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In a Digital Age, Young Chinese Women Are Turning to Nüshu, a Centuries-Old Script, to Reclaim Strength

Once a secret script shared among women in Jiangyong, Hunan, Nüshu now inspires young female creators to reimagine its origins, create new works, and carry its culture and spirit forward. Read more

A Man, Three Pairs of Flip-Flops, and 574 Kilometers of Hike Home

Young artist Guo “Slipper King” Dingfen is rebranding a maligned footwear from his hometown into a collective memory of a generation. Read more

Two Sessions Proposals You Shouldn’t Miss in 2026

From childbearing-friendly policies to AI regulations, here are the Two Sessions proposals you shouldn’t miss. Read more

What We’re Reading

A Short Stay in the Woods | Fiction

“The arm was merely a piece of metal, but, having spent so much time with it, Song Zhen felt as if she had formed some mysterious connection with it.”

Step into the short sci-fi story by Fei Siren, a post-90s writer and recipient of the 2023 Hubei Literary Award. Read more

Chinese History You Need

Thespian Emperors, Mandatory Castration, and Deadly Poetry: Fascinating Facts About China’s Forgotten Age of Chaos

Step back 1,000 years into the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, when political chaos produced a litany of historical curiosities. Learn more

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New Markets, Young Makers: How Millennials and Gen Z Are Shaping the Future of Consumption

Catapulted by the rise of designer toys, the “emotional economy (情绪经济)” emerged as one of China’s hottest buzzwords in 2025, as millennials and Gen Z gravitated toward brands offering enjoyment, comfort, and self-expression. At the same time, thrift- and sustainability-minded consumers are driving a booming secondhand market, while the next generation of factory owners steps into leadership within their family businesses. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Support on-the-ground reporting from China—get your copy today!

Hope you had a wonderful Chinese New Year. While the holiday had traditionally been a time for people to reunite with family after a long year of hard work, it is increasingly becoming a chance to travel—and in recent years, Russia has emerged as an unexpected but popular destination.

After Russia introduced a policy on December 1, 2025, allowing Chinese nationals visa-free entry for up to 30 days, a wave of tourists has flooded the country, embarking on so-called “hardcore travel.” But despite the charm of European architecture and the stunning auroras washing the Arctic sky in vivid green, these trips are often bogged down by logistical hurdles, language barriers, and safety issues—sometimes even ending with fatal consequences.

Read on to find out more:

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Going North: How Russia Became the New Frontier for Young Chinese Travelers

Seeking adventure off the beaten path, young Chinese travelers are increasingly heading to Russia—only to encounter a range of logistical hurdles, cultural barriers, and in some cases, fatal accidents. Read more

“Bumping” Into Adolescence: Kids’ Smartwatches and the Battleground Between Safety and Control

Children’s smartwatches have become big business in China, but do their safety features outweigh the potential risks to attention spans and social inclusion? Read more

Where Heroines Take the Reins

An all-female horse-themed dance during the Chinese New Year reimagined a centuries-old folk tradition that has shifted from male origins to female expression. Read more

Where We’re Traveling

A Festival of Lights: How Lanterns Illuminate the Yuanxiao Festival Across China

From cyberpunk horse installations to “My Little Pony”-inspired lanterns, here’s a glimpse of how the Lantern Festival is lighting up every corner of the country. Read more

Chinese You Need

Olympic Chatter: Chinese Fans on the 2026 Winter Olympics

From quips about Team China’s outfit design to following the games with bated breath, here are the internet memes and slang inspired by the Milano-Cortina Olympics. Learn more

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New Markets, Young Makers: How Millennials and Gen Z Are Shaping the Future of Consumption

Catapulted by the rise of designer toys, the “emotional economy (情绪经济)” emerged as one of China’s hottest buzzwords in 2025, as millennials and Gen Z gravitated toward brands offering enjoyment, comfort, and self-expression. At the same time, thrift- and sustainability-minded consumers are driving a booming secondhand market, while the next generation of factory owners steps into leadership within their family businesses. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Support on-the-ground reporting from China—get your copy today!

With the Year of the Horse just around the corner, TWOC has brought together a dedicated hub for the holiday, gathering both our latest stories and archival coverage from years past into one place. From traditions and folklore to regional celebrations across the country, this collection offers a comprehensive look at every facet of the Chinese New Year and how it is observed throughout China. Check it out:

Ring in the Year of the Horse: The Ultimate Chinese New Year Guide

As we usher in the new year with fresh hope, we also bid farewell to the past: More than 40 radio stations across China fell silent with the close of 2025, including Hit FM, a channel dedicated to Western pop music, which aired its final broadcast on December 23. With audiences thinning and advertising revenue drying up, is public radio in China slowly fading into the background?

Read on to find out more:

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Is Radio in China Tuning Out?

Once a constant companion of commuters and late-night listeners, radio stations in China are shuttering amid declining listenership and shrinking advertising revenue. But the medium’s core elements are reemerging elsewhere in new forms of listening. Read more

Kick off 2026 with 8 New C-Dramas

Check out the must-watch Chinese drama series from the highly competitive New Year releases, ranging from classic urban romances to mystery crime thrillers and revealing historical dramas. Read more

In the Water With Shandong’s Winter Swimmers

At Jinan’s annual winter swimming competition, participants from across China and around the world plunge into icy waters, as a sport practiced mostly by older residents begins to catch on more widely. Read more

What We’re Watching

Qingtian: China’s Most European Town | Full Episode

Despite having fewer than 400,000 residents, Qingtian—a small county in Zhejiang—consumes over 2 million steaks and 120 tons of coffee beans a year, rivaling the number of a metropolis. With its love for wine, espresso, and Spanish ham, how did this small Chinese town become so infused with a European lifestyle? Watch Now!

Chinese You Need

How the Horse Became the Ultimate Metaphor for Talent in China

Prized in ancient China for their strength on and off the battlefield, horses have long been synonymous with talent and misused potential—a theme now resonating with the country’s youth. Learn more

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New Markets, Young Makers: How Millennials and Gen Z Are Shaping the Future of Consumption

Catapulted by the rise of designer toys, the “emotional economy (情绪经济)” emerged as one of China’s hottest buzzwords in 2025, as millennials and Gen Z gravitated toward brands offering enjoyment, comfort, and self-expression. At the same time, thrift- and sustainability-minded consumers are driving a booming secondhand market, while the next generation of factory owners steps into leadership within their family businesses. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Support on-the-ground reporting from China—get your copy today!

With Pop Mart’s Labubu plush toy going viral internationally over the past year, it seems the perfect moment to explore the rise of the “emotional economy” fueling the craze, where young millennials and Gen Z are drawn to brands that offer joy, comfort, and a sense of self-expression. But at the same time, thrift- and sustainability-minded consumers in China are also driving a booming secondhand market. Meanwhile, the next generation of factory owners supplying these emerging trends is learning how to navigate the new market as they step into leadership roles within their family businesses. Grab your copy now to find out how these young consumers and makers are reshaping the market and what lies ahead!

We traveled far and wide for this issue: Our feature stories take us northeast to Harbin, where Ice-Snow World has grown into the world’s largest ice festival, and south to a historical Zhejiang village hosting China’s first translator residency program. We also visit Milan’s Chinatown to see how a new generation of Italian-Chinese entrepreneurs is reshaping the community, and head to Qingtian, Zhejiang—the hometown of much of Europe’s Chinese diaspora—to explore how those who left, stayed, and returned are transforming the small town.

If you can’t hop on a plane just yet—or if you’re planning a trip and want to dig deeper into these places—our digital subscription gives you instant access to all these stories and more. Travel alongside our reporters and explore China’s changing landscapes, communities, and cultures in one click.

Here are some sneak peeks:

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Emotional Economics: Why China’s Adults are Playing With Plushies Again

Designer toys are leading the growth of China’s “emotional economy,” as millennials and Gen Z seek brands that connect with their feelings. Read more

A Second Life: Why Young Chinese Are Turning to Thrift?

Drawn by sustainability and savings, young shoppers are driving China’s boom in secondhand goods. Read more

From Icy to an Ice Icon: How Harbin Became a Winter Wonderland

Since its founding in 1999, the Harbin Ice-Snow World has grown from a local initiative that provides residents with wintertime entertainment into the world’s largest celebration of ice. Read more

What We’re Watching

Qingtian: China’s Most European Town

Despite having fewer than 400,000 residents, Qingtian—a small county in Zhejiang—consumes over 2 million steaks and 120 tons of coffee beans a year, rivaling the number of a metropolis. With its love for wine, espresso, and Spanish jamon, how did this small Chinese town become so infused with a European lifestyle? Watch Now!

What We’re Listening

The Year in Chinese Music: Top Albums of 2025

From dream-pop haze to dialect rap and post-punk playfulness, a curated snapshot of the sounds shaping the year picked by leading tastemakers across the scene. Listen Now!

Buy Our Latest Issue

New Markets, Young Makers: How Millennials and Gen Z Are Shaping the Future of Consumption

Catapulted by the rise of designer toys, the “emotional economy” emerged as one of China’s hottest buzzwords in 2025, as millennials and Gen Z gravitated toward brands offering enjoyment, comfort, and self-expression. At the same time, thrift- and sustainability-minded consumers are driving a booming secondhand market, while the next generation of factory owners steps into leadership within their family businesses. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Support on-the-ground reporting from China—get your copy today!

Hope you’ve had a wonderful start to the New Year.

With 2026 now underway, we’re excited to share our latest magazine issue. This time, we dive into how millennials and Gen Z—both as consumers and manufacturers—are reshaping China’s market, and what these shifts could mean for the future.

To learn more about the new markets and young makers, scan the code to sign up for our livestream next Friday, January 23, at 3 p.m. Beijing Time!

In the meantime, we’ve also prepared a special roundup of 2025—a look back at the stories, trends, and moments that defined the past year. Check them out:

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The Year in Her Words: China’s Top Feminist News of 2025

From the inspiring story of attempted murder survivor Wang Nuannuan to regulations banning slanders toward unmarried women, here are the top feminist stories of the year. Read more

Dear Lao Ji, Here’s the Only 2025 Year-End Summary You Need

After a year of hardship and strife, it’s time to take a little comfort in the fact that China’s youth began to appreciate themselves. Read more

A Year in Stories: TWOC’s Most-Read Pieces of 2025

Throughout the year, TWOC has tracked these changes through human-centered, in-depth reporting and storytelling. Below are the posts that resonated most with our readers each month. Join us in revisiting these moments that defined the year. Read more

Chinese You Need

Xiaohan, or Minor Cold: When Winter Tightens Its Grip

The beginning of January has, for millennia, marked the start of Minor Cold in China, but questions remain as to how best to convey this ancient season to the English-speaking world. Read more

What We’re Playing

Let the Wind Take You: Inside China’s Latest Sprawling Wuxia World | Review

NetEase’s latest video game hit, Where Winds Meet, is an ambitious, free-to-play wuxia action role-playing game, but its dedication to maximalism may have also partly been its undoing. Read more

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Urban Renewal: China’s Urbanization Is Entering a New Phase

As high-rise residential complexes age and the real estate market cools, residents face the pressing challenge of maintaining and repairing their buildings. Traditional shopping centers are also losing ground to online retail. Discover how Chinese cities are entering a new phase, driven by the urgent need for upgrade. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Support on-the-ground reporting from China—get your copy today!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Christmas in China, which gained popularity in the 1990s, has always been more of a consumption-driven celebration rather than a religious holiday. For many, it’s an excuse for shopping sprees, promotions, get-togethers with friends, and some simple fun.

Young people have embraced the holiday in creative and playful ways. Online jokes even playfully cast the 17th-century general Oboi (鳌拜) as a Chinese Santa Claus, referencing his iconic white beard and red cap from his portrayal in the 1994 comedy Hail the Judge. Others draw tongue-in-cheek reference to Hong Xiuquan (洪秀全), the 19th-century leader of the Taiping Rebellion, who famously claimed to be the younger brother of Jesus, turning the festival into a canvas for local humor and historical allusions.

Here are some highlights of how Christmas is celebrated this year across China’s cities, and a bit of the holiday’s history in the country.

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Mahjong, Bread, and Blind Boxes: China’s Local Spin on Christmas This Year

From mahjong-tile Christmas trees to bread decorations that become winter treats for local sparrows, this is a snapshot of how Christmas is being celebrated across China. Read more

The Surprisingly Ancient Origins of Christmas in China

From Christians in the Tang dynasty to all-night parties in early 1900s Shanghai, the Western holiday has a longer history in China than most people think. Read more

Chinese-Language Christmas Movies To Stream Right Now

Tired of “Love Actually” and “Home Alone”? Here are four Chinese-language Christmas movies to watch this festive season. Read more

Chinese You Need

What to Say When Squirrels Take Over the Office

After discovering that employees at one of China’s biggest snack companies are imbued with squirrel-related names, netizens have begun concocting their own. But is there a darker side to this seemingly playful trend? Find out in our latest language column.

Where We’re Traveling

A Century After Its Founding, Milan’s Chinatown Faces an Uncertain Future

Chinese migrants helped shape Milan’s Sarpi–Canonica district for a century, but soaring rents, shifting urban planning, and cultural tensions are now eroding the enclave’s diaspora-driven character. A new generation of Italian-Chinese entrepreneurs may determine whether it endures. Read more

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Urban Renewal: China’s Urbanization Is Entering a New Phase

As high-rise residential complexes age and the real estate market cools, residents face the pressing challenge of maintaining and repairing their buildings. Traditional shopping centers are also losing ground to online retail. Discover how Chinese cities are entering a new phase, driven by the urgent need for upgrade. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Support on-the-ground reporting from China—get your copy today!

Five years after its debut, the landscape is shifting as new capital floods in. ByteDance’s 2023 launch of its micro-drama app, Hongguo, has reshaped the business model. Meanwhile, film and TV stars—once absent from the scene—are now experimenting with the wildly popular format. Market saturation and viewer fatigue have driven up production costs, leading some to argue that micro-dramas are entering a more premium phase. Industry regulations are also tightening, while local governments and tourism bureaus leverage the trend to promote their brands and messaging.

Take a closer look at the industry with our latest deep dive, and more!

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Refined or Flashy: Are China’s Micro-Dramas Really Evolving?

Since their conception, the micro-drama format has been in constant flux, but does a new injection of capital—boosting production values and drawing big names—as well as interest by the state and companies abroad, really spell a more refined future for the genre? Read more

Why China’s Youth Are Seeking Solitude in the Wild

As a local wilderness survival contest goes viral, young people are rediscovering the allure of nature, both in their free time or via livestreams. Read more

Why Netizens Can’t Stop Arguing About Qing Court Gossip

As China’s last imperial dynasty, whose official history is still in draft, the Qing has been a fertile ground for anecdotal accounts. Nearly every Qing emperor has inspired folk legends that often contradict official records. Here are some of the most widely shared—and most sensational—stories. Read more

Chinese You Need

利: The Character That Reaps Everything from Crops to Profits and Wealth

Learn how the character for “harvest” came to symbolize gain, profit, and advantage with our language column.

What We’re Eating

Nostalgia in a Nutshell: How Roasted Nuts and Seeds Become a Staple Winter Snack in China

Once a humble household snack sold by the streetsides, assorted roasted nuts and seeds, known in China as chaohuo (炒货), have now become a hundred-billion-yuan business—but for many, their real value still lies in memory, ritual, and the taste of New Year. Read more

Buy Our Latest Issue

Urban Renewal: China’s Urbanization Is Entering a New Phase

As high-rise residential complexes age and the real estate market cools, residents face the pressing challenge of maintaining and repairing their buildings. Traditional shopping centers are also losing ground to online retail. Discover how Chinese cities are entering a new phase, driven by the urgent need for upgrade. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Support on-the-ground reporting from China—get your copy today!

China’s film industry has slogged through a lackluster year—few box-office hits, fewer critical standouts—and much of that comes down to how audiences are changing. With endless entertainment options at their fingertips, young viewers simply aren’t flocking to theaters the way they used to.

Drama series, meanwhile, is having a moment. Throughout the year, a steady stream of fresh, buzzworthy shows has kept audiences hooked. And now, as winter settles in and the holidays draw near, it’s prime time to grab a blanket, curl up on the couch, and binge through some of the best C-dramas this season with the people you love. To help you get started, TWOC has rounded up the most raved-about titles for your holiday watchlist.

Read on to find out more!

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Binge-Worthy C-Dramas of the Winter Season 2025

From supernatural detective tales from ancient China to the fast-paced newsrooms of modern Hong Kong, here are eight Chinese drama series you shouldn’t miss. Read more

Qingtian: China’s “Little Europe” with a County-Town Heart

Often celebrated online for its European flair as the hometown of countless Chinese diaspora, this small mountain town’s true essence lies in the lives of those who left, stayed, and returned—shaping it over generations. Read more

The All-Female Opera Reimagining Freedom, Love, and Fantasy

Yue opera, originated in Zhejiang and known for its gender-bending roles and progressive stage design, is building a feminist dreamscape for a new generation. Read more

Chinese You Need

War of Words: How Chinese College Students and Professors Survive the Thesis Season

Under the looming pressure of graduation and thesis defense, students and their mentors have resorted to academic sarcasm to cope with stress. Learn how to humorously express academic frustration in our language column

Where We’re Traveling

War Relics, Durian Slippers, and Magical Encounters in Dongxing, China’s Southern Border

Located at the southern tip of Guangxi and carrying the nickname of China’s Gate (国门), Dongxing is China’s only border city with Vietnam that is connected by both land and water. The city carries traces of recent war history, cross-cultural connections, and hidden stories that quietly reward the curious. Read more

Buy Our Latest Issue

Urban Renewal: China’s Urbanization Is Entering a New Phase

As high-rise residential complexes age and the real estate market cools, residents face the pressing challenge of maintaining and repairing their buildings. Traditional shopping centers are also losing ground to online retail. Discover how Chinese cities are entering a new phase, driven by the urgent need for upgrade. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Support on-the-ground reporting from China—get your copy today!

Kim Kardashian’s latest legal drama, All’s Fair, has drawn intense public scrutiny, much like the celebrity herself, and captured widespread attention, both criticism and fascination. The irony is hard to miss: Kim, who recently failed the California bar exam, is now portraying a high-powered divorce lawyer on screen.

China’s own bar exam season has also just wrapped up, with nearly a million candidates awaiting results later this month. But unlike in the US, the exam has become more than a test of professional skills—it’s also a national spectacle, sparking discussions about law, justice, and social mobility.

Read on to find out more!

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What Makes China’s Legal Exam the Toughest in the Nation?

With a record number of people taking the Chinese bar exam this year, attention has turned once again to the country’s toughest exam—and to how it has evolved from selecting imperial officials to fostering public legal awareness today. Read more

Wang Nuannuan, Attempted Murder Survivor, and Her Extraordinary Path to Rebirth

Widely known as the “pregnant woman pushed off a cliff in Thailand,” Wang was recently granted a divorce from her attacker after a prolonged legal battle. Her story is one of unimaginable trauma and extraordinary resilience. Read more

The Magic of Konjac: What’s Behind China’s Obsession with the Toxic Plant

A poisonous ancient plant, konjac has become the country’s favorite crunchy, stimulating snack—and a global sensation for its healthy yet addictive bite. Read more

What We’re Watching

They Left City Jobs to Bring China’s Dying Villages Back to Life | Mini-doc

Rapid urbanization has left many villages hollowed out in China. By 2024, young people made up less than 20 percent of the rural population.

However, since 2017, a reversal has begun: a wave of youth has returned, bringing fresh ideas back home. Some embraced traditional rural life, while others saw opportunities in cultural tourism.

We traveled to Youtian village in Songyang—known as “the last hidden gem of Jiangnan”—to meet two of these pioneers and explore their new lives in the countryside. Read more

Where We’re Traveling

A Tiny Rural Community’s Grand Effort to Welcome the Ancestral God | Photo Story

Despite having only six households left, the “parading of the god” ceremony in Fujian’s Weixiang village continues each year, alive with color, techno music, and unwavering faith. Read more

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Urban Renewal: China’s Urbanization Is Entering a New Phase

As high-rise residential complexes age and the real estate market cools, residents face the pressing challenge of maintaining and repairing their buildings. Traditional shopping centers are also losing ground to online retail. Discover how Chinese cities are entering a new phase, driven by the urgent need for upgrade. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Support on-the-ground reporting from China—get your copy today!

🎃 Happy Halloween! Here at TWOC, we’ve already kicked off the spooky season with our annual costume party—and the competition was fierce! 👻 Who do you think pulled off the best look? Drop your pick in the comments!

While Halloween isn’t traditionally celebrated in China, it has become a creative outlet in recent years for young urbanites to unwind, poke fun at pop culture, and showcase their humor through costumes. On Halloween night, the streets of cities like Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou turn into live exhibitions of the year’s biggest memes, viral trends, and iconic (or infamous) figures, far beyond the usual ghosts and superheroes.

To keep up with this year’s hottest costumes and memes, dive into our guide below and discover ideas that could inspire your next viral look!

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The 2025 Halloween Costume Guide (Chinese Memes Version)

Eight Halloween costume ideas inspired by this year’s viral trends in China, from an “international power couple” to a humble fried chicken fillet vendor. Read more

How a Small Chinese Village Is Welcoming Translators Worldwide

In Zhejiang’s Youtian village, centuries-old homes, time-honored crafts, and a slow-paced way of life remain remarkably well preserved. This summer, the village welcomed a unique group of visitors—translators—as China’s first-ever translator residency program found its home in Youtian. Read more

Late Bloomers in Ancient China

A cursory look back through some key characters in China’s history reveals that much can be achieved, even in one’s twilight years. Read more

What We’re Watching

National Day Film Picks Despite Box Office Slump

China’s box office stumbled over the National Day holiday, pulling in only 1.84 billion yuan—less than half of what it earned in 2019 and 300 million yuan short of last year’s total. Still, here are a few titles we think are worth checking out. Read now

Chinese You Need

Why Gen Z Is Turning Against Curator Cafés in China

As younger consumers favor experiences over products, “curator”-led cafés and boutiques have sprung up across China. Yet with growing pushback against overpriced, underwhelming offerings, is this trendy fad already losing its appeal? Read more

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Urban Renewal: China’s Urbanization Is Entering a New Phase

As high-rise residential complexes age and the real estate market cools, residents face the pressing challenge of maintaining and repairing their buildings. Traditional shopping centers are also losing ground to online retail. Discover how Chinese cities are entering a new phase, driven by the urgent need for upgrade. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Support on-the-ground reporting from China—get your copy today!

Hope everyone had a restful start to October—whether you were celebrating the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival or simply enjoying some downtime. As city life picks up again, our latest issue on China’s urban renewal is here to greet you with timely stories on the country’s aging high-rises and the challenges facing shopping malls in the e-commerce era. Grab your copy now!

Want more behind-the-scenes from this issue? Join our upcoming livestream this Wednesday (Oct. 15) at 3 p.m. Beijing Time by scanning the code below, where our editors unpack stories from China’s pro wrestling scene to the fishing craze sweeping young urbanites and more.

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How Residential Renovation Became China’s New Urban Battleground

Once an enviable symbol of urbanization and the pride of the country’s first-time homeowners, many of China’s high-rise apartment blocks are showing cracks from outdated standards, poor-quality building materials, and improper management and maintenance. Read more

How China’s Malls Are Rewriting Themselves

As China’s economy slows down and online shopping booms, malls across the country are losing their old appeal and struggling to retain customers. Instead of just being a place to shop, malls are trying to reinvent themselves as destinations for socializing and leisure. Read more

China’s New Wave of Backlash Against Pre-Made Food

After dining at the Xibei restaurant chain on September 10, celebrity entrepreneur Luo Yonghao criticized it for serving ‘almost all pre-made, and expensive, dishes’—reigniting debate over pre-made food and potentially ushering in sweeping changes to the industry. Read more

Where We’re Traveling

Welcome to Liu York: Going with the Flow in China’s Chillest River City

Shaped like a teapot and carved out of the karst landscape by the Liujiang River, Liuzhou seems like the furthest thing from a teeming American metropolis, despite the skyscrapers that have become characteristic of most Chinese cities. This small (for China) southwestern city of around 4 million is known for its aquatic lifestyle, with the serenely flowing river giving it its history, geography, and even its name (which literally means “Liu prefecture”). Read now

Chinese You Need

Short, Absurd, and Addictive: Welcome to the Micro-Drama Nation

Micro-dramas have taken China by storm, for better or worse, attracting views through over-the-top plots and the promise of thought-free entertainment. Learn the viral slang and essential phrases to talk like a true micro-drama addict. Read more

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Urban Renewal: China’s Urbanization Is Entering a New Phase

Discover how Chinese cities are entering a new phase—urban renewal—driven by the urgent need for upgrade. As high-rise residential complexes age and the real estate market cools, residents face the pressing challenge of maintaining and repairing their buildings. Traditional shopping centers are also losing ground to online retail. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Support on-the-ground reporting from China—get your copy today!

September’s back-to-school season doesn’t just mean new textbooks and uniforms in China. It also reopens the nightly battlefield where parents and children clash over homework. Online, frustrated moms and dads trade war stories of tears, tantrums, and frustration, while others question whether heavy workloads are stripping children of their carefree spirit.

In China, where academic success can feel like the key to a better future for ordinary people, parents are often torn between drilling their children toward excellence or giving them a simpler, happier childhood—fueling yet another round of debate over what constitutes good parenting.

TWOC has long covered China’s education trends and history—here’s a collection of our in-depth reporting. Check it out:

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Inside China’s Rigorous Education System | Story Collection

Whether it‘s writing the life-changing college entrance exam (gaokao), attending night school as an adult, preparing for the stressful civil service exam, or taking fun lessons at senior colleges after retirement, education has shaped every stage of life in China. Read more

Dilemma in Ivory Tower: The Employment Crisis Facing Young Chinese PhDs

With PhD graduates outpacing available positions, young Chinese scholars face an uphill battle for jobs, resources, and recognition in an increasingly crowded academic arena. Read more

The Glamour and the Gloom of Cabin Life for China’s Female Flight Attendants

Once a privilege for the few, air travel has changed dramatically—along with the female cabin crew who are now speaking out against unfair working conditions and unnecessary, even dangerous, dress codes. Read more

What We’re Watching

Is Pro Wrestling Finally Finding Its Footing in China?

Beijing hosted its first-ever pro wrestling event in May. The World of Chinese went behind the scenes to find out why people are happily paying good money to watch scripted fights. Read now

Chinese You Need

Innocent Hearts or Warped Wood?: Children in Ancient Chinese Philosophy

Ever since the 5th century BCE, the Daoist founder Laozi has claimed that “the person of abundant virtue is like a newborn child.” However, the perception of having a child’s heart has drastically changed over the centuries. Discover how the idea of children evolved through Chinese history. Read more

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Smart Nation: How AI Is Reshaping Life in China and Making Waves Abroad

Discover how AI is helping China’s savvy merchants boost overseas sales, tackle agricultural challenges like aging farmers, and transform classroom learning. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Support on-the-ground reporting from China—get your copy today!

At the grand military parade that commemorates the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War this Wednesday, 80,000 pigeons were released into the sky at Tian’anmen Square as a symbol of peace and unity.

What you might not know is that these birds aren’t specially bred for the occasion but are borrowed from pigeon enthusiasts across the capital. These enthusiasts have long volunteered their birds for commemorative events, including the 2019 military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PRC.

Online, many wondered how the pigeons would find their way home, while others, citing past experience, reassured them that the birds, at least those worthy of keeping for future races, would return safely.

Yet behind the spectacle lies a lesser-known, billion-yuan pigeon racing industry. Read this piece from our archive to discover how this time-honored sport has turned into a high-stakes race.

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The Sky-High Stakes of Chinese Pigeon Racing

With big money invading pigeon-racing, hobbyists wonder about the future of their time-honored sport, as cases of bird-napping and fraud arise. Read more

Is China Finally Moving Toward Smoke-Free Public Places?

Despite years of health campaigns and growing awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke, smoking in public remains a problem across China. Now, with both government action and public pressure intensifying, are smoke-free environments finally within reach? Read more

Hooked on Serenity: China’s Gen Z Fishing Revival

Fishing, once seen as a pastime for retired men in bucket hats, has surged in popularity among China’s stressed urban youth for its accessibility, flexibility, and supposed mental healing powers. Read more

Where We’re Traveling

How the Mountain God’s Messenger Becomes A Man-eating Monster

Over the past two decades, rising conflicts between rural Tibetan communities and wild bears in Yushu, Qinghai province, fueled by misinformation on social media, have turned a once sacred creature into a villain in the eyes of younger generations. Read now

What We’re Eating

Beyond Seasoning: The Story of Chinese Vinegar

Though not as omnipresent as soy sauce, vinegar has long been cherished in China, and now a new generation is discovering its tangy appeal. In recent years, vinegar has come to be valued not only as a culinary staple but also for its alleged health benefits, from weight loss to blood pressure reduction to skin whitening. Read more

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Smart Nation: How AI Is Reshaping Life in China and Making Waves Abroad

Discover how AI is helping China’s savvy merchants boost overseas sales, tackle agricultural challenges like aging farmers, and transform classroom learning. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Support on-the-ground reporting from China—get your copy today!

If you’re looking for some peace away from the stressful urban life, Nepal may be the place for a temporary retreat, at least according to the growing number of young Chinese participating in a variety of training programs in Kathmandu.

Drawn by official tourism campaigns and Nepal’s low cost of living, these young Chinese are reshaping the local training scene, from English classrooms and coffee academies to yoga studios, tennis courts, and more.

But many newcomers, used to the conveniences of modern cities back home, are still surprised to find patchy electricity, erratic water supply, congested roads, and visible air pollution as part of daily life in Nepal.

TWOC reporter Zheng Yiwen has talked to nearly 20 young Chinese students in Kathmandu—here’s their story.

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Classrooms Beneath the Himalayas: Why China’s “Migrant Learners” Are Turning to Nepal

More and more young Chinese are flocking to their western neighbor to study, travel, or simply escape the stresses of home life at an affordable rate—but not all leave satisfied, finding living conditions harsher than they had imagined. Read more

Vanished Empire: Resurrecting China’s Western Xia Tombs

Genghis Khan may have ordered its destruction on his deathbed, yet China’s newest UNESCO site could hold the keys to a lost kingdom. Discover its ruin and how historians are bringing the Western Xia tombs back to life. Read more

The Other Olympics: Four Standouts at the Chengdu World Games

Although not part of the official Olympic program, the disciplines and displays of sportsmanship at the World Games continue to draw athletes and fans alike. From parkour vaults to drone racing, here are four standout sports that have captured attention on the Chinese internet. Read more

What We’re Reading

Moon Theory | Fiction

A young Tibetan herder and his unruly stallion were warned off the local race. The question is—will they listen? Enjoy the latest short story from award-winning Tibetan writer Jiangyang Cairang. Read now

What We’re Watching

Fate of the Moonlight | Review

Qin Tian’s award-winning film may seem to focus on the lives of three generations of women, but a deeper theme emerges: the gap between city and countryside in China’s relentless urbanization. This divide, perhaps even more than gender, shapes their hardships and the twists and turns of their destinies. Read more

Buy Our Latest Issue

Smart Nation: How AI Is Reshaping Life in China and Making Waves Abroad

Discover how AI is helping China’s savvy merchants boost overseas sales, tackle agricultural challenges like aging farmers, and transform classroom learning. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. On-the-ground reporting from China—get your copy today!

To mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, three war dramas based on true events are set to hit Chinese cinemas this summer: Dead to Rights, 731, and Dongji Rescue. While the latter two—one about the Japanese Imperial Army’s Unit 731 conducting bacterial experiments on civilians in northeastern China, and the other about Chinese fishermen rescuing British captives from a sinking Japanese ship the Lisbon Maru—have yet to premiere, Dead to Rights, set during the infamous Nanjing Massacre, has already topped the box office since its release on July 25.

The film has earned 1.8 billion yuan at the time of writing and is expected to close at 3.3 billion yuan, making it the year’s top performer after the record-breaking animation Ne Zha 2. The film has also received glowing reviews, holding an 8.6 out of 10 rating on the popular review platform Douban. Unlike many other patriotic films, Dead to Rights has been praised for not being overly preachy and for its restrained portrayal of violence and tragedy.

Read on to discover more recent releases that have salvaged China’s summer box office this year, both financially and critically.

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China’s Summer Box Office Rebounds After Rocky Start

Led by critically acclaimed war drama Dead to Rights and animation The Legend of Hei 2, China’s recent domestic film releases have turned their patchy reputation around at this summer’s box office. Read more

Is China Getting More Pet-Friendly?

As pet ownership continues to grow, China’s cities are taking steps to make daily life more accommodating for both animals and their humans, especially when it comes to transportation. Read more

Chinese Rappers Are Turning Hometown Slang Into Chart-Toppers

Skai Isyourgod (Lan Lao) recently surpassed Jay Chou as the most-streamed Mandopop artist on Spotify, leading the charge for a new generation of rappers climbing the charts. While their rise has been controversial, their popularity on short video platforms is undeniable. Here are a few tracks that have become unavoidable on the Chinese internet. Read more

What We’re Watching | TWOC Original

We Went to a Pro Wrestling Match in Beijing, But...

Why would people pay good money to watch scripted fights? In our latest mini-documentary series, we went to the first-ever professional wrestling match in Beijing and met with some of the wrestlers. Honestly, they weren’t what we expected...in the best way! Follow us as we dive deep into China’s rising pro wrestling scene. Watch NOW

Chinese You Need

构: The Character That Brings Blueprints Into Reality

The character 构 connects the physical and the conceptual, embodying our creative capacity to bring ideas into reality. Learn more

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Smart Nation: How AI Is Reshaping Life in China and Making Waves Abroad

Discover how AI is helping China’s savvy merchants boost overseas sales, tackle agricultural challenges like aging farmers, and transform classroom learning. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Support authentic reporting from China—get your copy today!

Amid the pounding bass and swaying crowds at a music festival in Xinjiang earlier this month, one small portable room offered something far more permanent than a souvenir tote or a hangover: a marriage certificate. Set up by the local government, the pop-up marriage office invited couples, riding the high of the festival, to make it official right then and there. All they needed was their national ID, which they had already used to buy tickets and check into the venue.

This unusual setup was made possible by a major shift in China’s marriage rules that took effect in May, scrapping the old requirement to bring a household registration booklet and return to one’s hometown to wed. Now, young couples can say “I do” at any registration office nationwide with just their ID. It’s part of a broader government effort to boost the country’s plummeting marriage and birth rates, as China’s population dipped for the first time in decades in both 2022 and 2024.

Whether this backstage-turned-wedding-hall approach will actually move the needle remains to be seen, but reforms to China’s marriage law have long mirrored the country’s evolving social reality.

Read on to discover how marriage law reforms since the 1950s continue to redefine love and commitment for Chinese couples today.

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The Rocky History of China’s Marriage Law Reforms

On the 75th anniversary of China’s first marriage law, a look back at how far the legal framework has come, from advancing women’s rights to addressing the demographic crisis. Read more

Pool’s Big Break Among China’s Youth

Once dismissed as a pastime for dropouts and gangs, pool has clawed its way back to become a booming pursuit among amateurs and professionals alike, driven by social media, grassroots clubs, and national campaigns. Read more

Beyond Generative: Wang Xin’s AI Art of Connection and Evolution

While many have warned that creativity will wane with the rise of generative AI, artist Wang Xin sees it differently. She believes this threshold—where visual creativity is accessible to all—demands that artists draw more than ever on inner strength and lived experience. Her mission is to create new frameworks for art, reimagining what it can be in the age of AI. Read more

Where We’re Traveling

A Yunnan Town’s Struggle to Safeguard Its Butterfly Miracle

Cradled in the borderlands between Yunnan and Vietnam, the town of Ma’andi bursts to life each year as millions of butterflies hatch in unison—a fleeting marvel known as “butterfly explosion.” But the Butterfly Valley is now shadowed by the pressures of over-tourism and the urgent need for preservation. Read more

Chinese You Need

Liuzi Vibes: How Chinese Students Survive Studying Abroad

With a growing number of student visas being revoked in the US, the prospect of studying abroad is becoming increasingly fraught for Chinese students. But they are no strangers to uncertainty away from home. Discover how to express the unique struggles of navigating life in a foreign country

Buy Our Latest Issue

Smart Nation: How AI Is Reshaping Life in China and Making Waves Abroad

Discover how AI is helping China’s savvy merchants boost overseas sales, tackle agricultural challenges like aging farmers, and transform classroom learning. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Support authentic reporting from China—get your copy today!

With July underway, China’s film market has entered one of its fiercest battlegrounds—the summer season. While last year’s performance was underwhelming, there were still a few standouts, like Successor, which grossed over 3 billion yuan. This year, though, we’re still waiting for that one big breakout hit. Some of the most anticipated domestic productions, such as the star-studded She’s Got No Name, have flopped both critically and commercially, drawing criticism as a “fake feminist film.”

Imported films, on the other hand, have had a stronger showing this summer, bringing a wider variety to the screen. We’ve seen everything from classic Hollywood blockbusters like F1: The Movie, Ballerina, and Jurassic World: Rebirth, to live-action remakes of fan favorites like How to Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch. On top of that, there’s been a nostalgic wave with re-releases of iconic Japanese anime films, including Doraemon the Movie: Nobita’s Art World Tales and Crayon Shin Chan: The Adult Empire Strikes Back.

TWOC has rounded up a few of the most talked-about films that have caught our eye. Read on to find out.

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Currently in Theaters: Four New Summer Films to Catch

The battle for China’s summer box office is still heating up. Here are a few standout domestic releases that have stirred buzz, for better or worse. Read more

The Last Talent: Chua Lam’s Passing Closes a Chapter in Hong Kong Culture

On June 25, 2025, renowned writer and food connoisseur Chua Lam (also known as Cai Lan) passed away in Hong Kong at the age of 83. To many, his death marked the end of an era, as he was the last surviving member of the “Four Talents of Hong Kong,” alongside his close friends Jin Yong, Huang Zhan, and Ni Kuang. TWOC has put together a quick snapshot of their life stories, so you can decide for yourself what to make of this “end of an era.” Read more

A Village Fashion Show Brings Ethnic Clothing into the Spotlight

Known as the “Village Runway Show (村T),” a weekly event in a remote village in Guizhou has gone viral, drawing tourists from across the country, and attention from around the fashion world. Read more

Test Your Wits

The Gaokao Challenge: Can You Pass China’s Toughest Exam?

Ever wondered how you’d fare on China’s college entrance exam—or, if you’ve taken it before, whether you’ve still got it? We’ve rounded up some real questions from this year’s gaokao across multiple subjects to give you a taste of the challenge. Take the test now

Chinese You Need

Idiomized: Ancient China’s Most Famous Battle in Four Characters

Over 1,800 years ago, the Battle of Red Cliffs was fought, paving the way for the Three Kingdoms stalemate. It has been closely studied by historians and military strategists for centuries as a classic example of the weak defeating the strong, and has also inspired countless poems and literary works. Learn idioms of eloquence, trickery, and deceit, all inspired by this classic battle.

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Smart Nation: How AI Is Reshaping Life in China and Making Waves Abroad

Discover how AI is helping China’s savvy merchants boost overseas sales, tackle agricultural challenges like aging farmers, and transform classroom learning. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Buy Now!

AI tools have never been more accessible, and we are witnessing the transformative effects firsthand.

In China’s classrooms, both educators and students are facing an unprecedented technological leap that promises to revolutionize how knowledge is acquired. AI is also helping rural China address challenges like an aging population and pest control, while easing the paperwork burdens of grassroots officials. Meanwhile, China’s savvy merchants are leveraging AI abroad to boost sales.

To learn more, join our livestream launch event this Friday at 3 PM Beijing Time on our official WeChat channel by scanning the code below.

Read on to find out more:

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Are China’s Schools Ready for the Onslaught of AI?

Interest in AI applications in the education and other sectors has surged over the past year or two. Last November, China’s Ministry of Education (MOE) vowed to make AI education “the norm” in elementary and secondary schools by 2030. But are teachers and students ready? Read more

China’s Rare Woods: Bearers of Beauty, Toil, and the Supernatural

For centuries, wood—especially rare species like nanmu (楠木, Phoebe wood), huanghuali (黄花梨, Chinese rosewood), and zitan (紫檀, red sandalwood)—has played a central role in everything from music-making to maritime expeditions, and remains a status symbol among older generations. But does it still hold the same appeal for young people today? Read more

Children Untaught: “Father-Destroying” Stories in Ancient China

A recent corruption scandal in China—sparked by a teenage actress posting a selfie wearing a pair of earrings reportedly worth 2 million yuan, which eventually led to her father being investigated—has brought the term kengdie (坑爹), meaning “father-destroying,” back into the spotlight. Ancient China also saw numerous cases of parents who faced dire, sometimes even fatal, consequences because of their “father-destroying” offspring. Check them out

What We’re Listening To

What the Cannes Festival Means for Chinese Cinema

Join host Aladin Farré and industry insiders, including this year’s Cannes award-winning director, for an in-depth podcast from Cannes. Discover what the festival means for Chinese filmmakers and how Chinese films reach global audiences. Listen Now

Chinese You Need

A Slang Guide to the Labubu Craze: More Than Just a Toy?

A furry little monster with pointy ears and nine sharp fangs is ripping through the international market—not with claws, but with its quirky appearance and staggering resale prices. If you haven’t heard, Labubu has taken the world by storm, sparking a global frenzy seemingly out of nowhere. Learn the viral slang and memes inspired by these “ugly-cute” dolls