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Cheering for ʻQueen Wen’

Zheng Qinwen goes for gold in the women’s singles final as her fans watch on from a stadium in Zheng’s hometown of Shiyan, Hubei province, Aug. 3, 2024. IC

Shanghai Wants to Integrate AI Into Everything — Even Wet Markets

Shanghai is trying to reinvent community wet markets for the 2020s. That means better hygiene, trendier stalls, and AI-powered smart scales.

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Catching the Curl: Inside China’s Quiet Surfing Revolution

Despite losing in the round of 16, Yang Siqi’s Olympic debut marks a significant moment for China’s fledgling surfing scene. Her journey, though cut short, highlights the challenges Chinese surfers face, from inconsistent training conditions to limited global exposure.

That Laid-Back Vibe

The Olympics are a pressure cooker — a once-every-four-years opportunity for athletes to leave their mark on history. But for a handful of elite competitors, even an Olympic final can’t shake their sense of calm. Whether it’s Simone Biles yawning ahead of a key routine or a Turkish shooter scoring silver while dressed for the mall, these athletes’ ability to keep their chill in the most intense moments has captured the imaginations of social media users in China, who are praising their 松弛感” (sōng chí gǎn, or “laid-back vibes”). Perhaps there’s no greater skill than making the impossible seem easy.