climate change

climate-change

In China’s Tea Heartland, Workers Pick Through Climate Whiplash

Articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants.

FEATURES

Across the country’s premier tea region, a punishing chain of drought, frost, hail, heat, and snow wiped out crops, leaving workers and growers struggling to salvage what little the season had left to give.

Chen Yiru

Spring Interrupted: Rare April Cold Wave Sweeps Across China

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

From DIY window tape to food delivery delays, residents scramble to prepare for one of April’s most extreme weather events in years.

Li Xin

What Does Climate Justice Look Like in a Language Without Sound?

Blending sign language, digital art, and public space, Night Bloom reimagines who gets seen — and heard — in climate conversations.

Fan Yiying

China’s Only Solution Yet for Climate-Ravaged Villages: ‘Move Out’

One of Hunan’s largest-ever relocation drives seeks to move entire villages from disaster zones. While many whose homes were destroyed have already moved, those whose homes remain intact face a difficult decision.

Jiang Xinyi

Wu Huiyuan 

Rain, Ruin, Repeat: The Chinese Villages Caught in Climate Chaos

Months after the worst flooding Hunan province has seen in decades, villagers in the hardest-hit areas continue to struggle with displacement and instability. Experts warn that climate change is making such disasters more frequent and severe.

Historic Blizzard Blocks Roads, Buries Cars in Northeast China

The city of Hegang has recorded its heaviest ever snowfall in November, with nearly half a meter of snow piling up in some areas.

He Qitong

Gridlocked: When Jellyfish Brought a China Power Plant to Its Knees

The unexpected surge of jellyfish overwhelmed cooling systems, forcing workers to work around the clock to clear blockages and avert shutdowns — a crisis affecting coastal infrastructure worldwide.

Luo Yahan

Heat Wave-Related Deaths Soared in China in 2023, Report Finds

Fatalities caused by heat waves were over 300% higher than the historical average in China last year, according to a major new Lancet study.

Ding Rui

Typhoon Kong-rey Lashes China’s Eastern Coastline

The unseasonably intense storm is starting to subside in Shanghai after a day of torrential rain and nearly 100-kilometer-per-hour winds.

After Record-Breaking Heat, Chongqing Slammed by Heavy Rain

A cold front triggered an 18-degree temperature plunge, bringing torrential rain and winds, but calmer weather is expected for the remainder of the National Day holiday.

China’s Most Devastating Summer Yet, By the Numbers

Visual stories that get up close and personal with contemporary China. A mix of short videos, documentaries, photography, and data visualization.

MULTIMEDIA

The nation was hit by record-breaking typhoons, floods, and heatwaves in recent months, causing widespread damage and pushing its resilience to the limit.

Typhoon Bebinca Slams Shanghai, Strongest Storm Since 1949

The powerful storm brought heavy rain, power outages, and travel chaos, disrupting Mid-Autumn Festival plans across the city.

The Qinghai-Xizang Plateau Is Turning Into a Vast Grassland, Study Finds

A major Chinese expedition has found that glaciers are rapidly retreating on the “rooftop of the world,” putting Asia’s main water sources under threat.

As Devastating Floods Continue, Chinese County Issues Plea for Aid

Hunan’s Pingjiang County has been hit by the worst flooding in decades, leaving local residents short of food and drinking water.

As China’s Summer of Extremes Continues, Floods Engulf South

The famous tourist city of Guilin has been hit with the worst flooding in decades, as freak weather disrupts the lives of millions across southern China.

Ding Xiaoyan

In Central China, a Vicious Heat Wave Strikes at Worst Possible Time

The central Henan province is often called “China’s granary” due to its vast grain farms. But a sudden drought is putting this year’s harvest under threat.

Li Dongxu

China Faces Another Blisteringly Hot Summer, Experts Warn

The country is heading for a third consecutive summer of sky-high temperatures, according to government experts.

Ye Zhanhang

Powerful Tornado Kills 5 as Extreme Weather Batters Guangdong

The EF2 level tornado, with wind speeds strong enough to rip out entire roofs, extended for about 1 kilometer, with videos showing debris from factory buildings being swept into the air.

Towns Cut Off as ‘Once-in-a-Century’ Floods Engulf South China

Freak rain storms have wreaked havoc across the southern Guangdong province, disrupting power supplies and making rescue efforts challenging.

Extreme Weather Battered China in 2023. This Year Could Be Worse.

The end of the current El Niño cycle will make severe heat waves, droughts, and floods even more likely, climate experts say.