Your questions, answered. In-depth interviews with the minds and makers shaping today’s China.

Q & A

q-&-a

Seeking the Gold Standard for a New ‘Golden Rule’ of Global Ethics

In 1993, philosophical and religious thinkers around the world convened to find a moral common ground for humanity. Now, in an increasingly fragmented world, Chinese philosophers are seeking a new way for nations to coexist.

Zhang Bo

How Inherited Time Impacts the Lives of Young Chinese

Through her research, the sociologist Xu Lingling has discovered how those from rural and lower-class backgrounds are at a disadvantage for getting ahead — because of how much more time it takes them to catch up.

Cai Yineng

The Hidden History of Suzhou Prints

In Qing-era Suzhou, color prints were a popular and affordable art form for everyday people. As such, they have long lacked the recognition they deserve.

Zheng Haiyao

The Historian Showing How Trade Shaped China’s Ties to the World

From silk and porcelain to cotton and tea, Li Bozhong traces how centuries of exchange bound China to global markets long before modern globalization.

Wu Haiyun

The Literature Professor Reframing China Narratives

Since the 1990s, Professor He Guimei has been researching constructions of China across contemporary literature. In her latest book, she challenges the way narratives frame “Chineseness” itself.

The Scholars Helping to Keep WWII Sex Slavery From Being Forgotten

Ahead of this year’s International Memorial Day for Comfort Women, Sixth Tone sat down with Su Zhiliang to learn more about the system behind the wartime atrocity — and the future of its research as the number of surviving victims dwindles.

Decoding the Chinese Computer

Thomas Mullaney breaks down the global history of Chinese computing.

Afra Wang

Why China’s Master of Ancient Armor Hasn’t Given Up the Fight 

Archaeologist Bai Rongjin is 90 years old and still going strong.

Playback: Reliving the Wild Days of Beijing Indie Music

A French photographer’s new book provides an intimate look at some of the performers who rocked the Chinese capital in the early 2000s.

Wang Juyi

Second Act: How a 500-Year-Old Chinese Opera Returned to Modern Life

Long dismissed as too slow for modern tastes, Kunqu opera is quietly being reinvented — with one performer bringing it into therapy sessions, elderly care, and daily life.