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

Q & A

When Beijing Was China’s Most International City 

A newly translated book explores how international residents have shaped and recorded life in China’s ancient capital for hundreds of years.

Wu Haiyun

Meet Ms. Hu: She Built a Garden From Chongqing’s Discarded Past

Pan Zhiqi’s award-winning documentary “Ms. Hu’s Garden” follows one woman’s decadelong effort to preserve her neighborhood’s history amid Chongqing’s rapid redevelopment — creating a sanctuary from scrap and memory.

Mathew Scott

Echoes of War: The Untold Story of the Lisbon Maru

The director of the hit documentary “The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru” shares the tears and triumphs he experienced in resurfacing a World War II tragedy.

The Paper

What Would an Asian Pluralism Look Like?

Scholar Song Nianshen on the continent’s need to move past postcolonial theory.

Raised by ‘Wolves’: The Rise of China’s Cutthroat Start-Up Scene 

How did “wolf culture” become part of Chinese tech culture’s DNA?

Cai Yineng

Diversity in Unity: Exploring the Many ‘Bodies’ of Chinese Dance

In her research, scholar Emily Wilcox explores the evolution of Chinese dance and the complex relationship between national identity and global influences.

Does China Still Need Libraries? 

To stay relevant in contemporary China, libraries must do more than provide the same staid services and instead be spaces for genuine learning and community-building, says professor Yang Suqiu.

Cai Yiwen

Wu Yanni: The Trials and Triumphs of China’s Star Athlete

China’s top female hurdler, who has won praise and criticism for her outlandish style and performances on the track, talks about injuries, the Olympics, and coping with pressure.

How a New Play Reimagines Rural Hunan for the Modern Stage

In the new stage adaptation of the iconic 1934 novel “The Border Town,” Israeli director Ruth Kanner transforms actors into narrators and the audience into participants.

Fan Yiying

The Man Who Accidentally Created TikTok’s Biggest Meme

Animator Yang Zikuang’s “Chinese beaver” clip became a global viral sensation this year. He’s more surprised than anyone.