As China’s early independent travelers age and costs climb, the youth hostel model that once offered cheap beds and shared life is thinning out, leaving scattered holdouts and fading memories.

You and Me, a free experimental music festival in Beijing, grew from one teenager’s search for refuge. Now it faces demolition, debt, and an uncertain future.

With nightly dance marathons, a grieving father is helping parents of young cancer patients raise funds and find relief.

By crafting punchlines from pain, breakout comedy star Fang Shaoli has tapped into the silent angst of many middle-aged Chinese women.