Celebrating 100 Magazine Issues!
Hello readers,
This has been no regular month at TWOC: We’ve been busy preparing for our 100th magazine issue drop on August 31!
If you’re in Beijing that evening, come celebrate the launch (and reminisce about 17 years of TWOC since our first issue way back in 2006) with us at Aotu Space (凹凸空间) from 7 p.m. You can get tickets to this special event here.
But we haven’t just been basking in nostalgia this month—we’ve also been producing more of our signature reporting. Here’s some of the best content we’ve published in August:
Inside the “personnel file” China still keeps on every worker (but few ever see)
Female sports fans struggle for inclusive and safe spaces to support their teams
What the decline of diamonds’ popularity says about Chinese consumers
Why women hit a glass ceiling in China’s cultural industries
Thanks for reading! 👇
Inside the Secret Files China Still Keeps on Every Worker
Every Chinese worker has a “dang’an,” a personnel file with information on their personal and educational histories, but few have ever seen it. The modern system has its roots in the Communist Party’s records on members that it began making in the 1940s, but even today the records can impact pensions and job prospects. Some have been affected without even knowing it, for example when an appraisal labeled writer Tang Guoji mentally disabled despite him having no such medical history. Sun Jiahui investigates this curious system for recording workers in China, discovers why they are such a hassle to change, and debates whether they are even still relevant today.
China’s Female Sports Fans Struggle for Inclusion
Female soccer and basketball fans in China (like in most places around the world) face a male-dominated, hostile environment. Zheng Yiwen reports on the harassment female spectators receive in the stands, their experience navigating online sports communities known for misogyny, as well as the condescension they face in almost any conversation they have about sport. Slowly, however, women are carving out their own supportive spaces for sports fandom on platforms like WeChat, Douban, and Xiaohongshu.
Why Are Diamonds No Longer China’s Best Friend?
Previously a symbol of modern romance, diamonds are declining in popularity in China. Shao Yefan explores what’s behind the 18 percent contraction of the diamond market in 2022, and finds falling marriage rates, an economic slowdown, and cheaper (synthetic diamonds) or more stable (gold) alternatives to blame. So what can diamonds do to attract young consumers again?
Why Not Listen Too?
Middle Earth Podcast: Women in China’s Cultural Industries
Women perform up to 50 percent of the jobs in China’s cultural industries, but are they getting equal opportunities and compensation as men? (Spoiler alert: The answer is no.) In the latest episode of the Middle Earth podcast, host Aladin Farré chats with Story FM producer Li Muyuan, visual artist and filmmaker Luka Yang, and award-winning writer (and TWOC’s former Managing Editor) Hatty Liu about their experience as women in the field. There are depressingly common tales of discrimination and harassment, but also silver linings.
What We’re Watching
Galaxy Writer
Inspired by the real-life experiences of the movie’s three creators, Galaxy Writer, winner of the Best Screenplay award and Grand Jury Prize at this year’s FIRST film festival, centers around two young screenwriters striving to succeed in the film industry in Beijing. Starring comedian Song Muzi and actor He Wenjun, this comedy-drama showcases the anxiety shared by China’s urban-dwelling young creatives over whether to pursue their artistic passion or cave to what the market (and society) desires.
Over a running time of just 106 minutes, directors Shan Dandan and Li Kuo not only reveal the realities of China’s movie industry but also share their worries about the future of content creation, particularly the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence.
One Last Thing...
Celebrate our 100th issue launch with us in Beijing!
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