Contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are often marginalized.

VOICES & OPINION

voices-&-opinion

In China, the Middle-Class Home Aesthetic Is for Hire

A burgeoning industry sends professional organizers to clients’ homes to rearrange and declutter, all to achieve the perfect look.

Su Yihui

The Architecture of Creation and Demolition: Banksy, Zhang Dali, and China’s Living City 

A removed mural in Venice opens a broader debate about preservation, public space, and why Chinese cities often embrace change more readily than those in the West.

Andrea Baldini

How Emojis Have Become a Language Within a Language in China

Ever since emojis became part of everyday lexicon, the Chinese internet has been rife with wordplay and absurdist substitution. But are they bringing people together, or pushing them further apart?

Liu Yuli

What China’s ‘Drama Girls’ Really Want

The young women powering the country’s musical theater boom are often dismissed as irrational fans, but their behavior reflects deeper changes in how a generation seeks meaning, intimacy, and escape.

Wu Xiaoyan

Keep Drawing Your 0.5-Yuan Masterpieces, Kid

In a world still in awe of artificial intelligence, the best power we have is our urge to create and connect.

Wu Haiyun

The Dream of the ’90s Is Alive on the Chinese Internet

Chinese dreamcore plays on millennial nostalgia. Why is it so effective?

Pan Zhixin

In Europe, Chinese Retail Moves Beyond Cheap Goods

From same-day groceries to in-house delivery fleets, Chinese shopping apps are bringing Europe a faster, more integrated way to shop.

Rao Yichen

What Young Shanghainese Imagine Marriage Will Cost Them

Interviews found that fears of inequality, loneliness, sacrifice, and disappointment shape attitudes toward marriage as much as economic pressures do.

Shen Yang

Why the World Cup No Longer Feels Guaranteed on Chinese TV

As FIFA demanded soaring broadcasting fees, many Chinese viewers began questioning whether the World Cup still holds the same cultural and commercial value it once did.

Kong Degang

The Resurgence of ‘Legitimate vs. Illegitimate’ Narratives in Online Fiction

The tension between inherited status and personal initiative drives modern online narratives.