Everything You Need to Know About the Spring Festival: TWOC’s Ultimate Guide
Dive into our holiday collection of stories exploring the rich customs and histories that make the Chinese New Year celebration truly special
Hello TWOC readers!
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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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!