interactive

The Big Switch

SPECIAL PROJECTS

China is producing EVs at an unprecedented scale, reshaping industries, economies, and daily life. Sixth Tone unpacks what’s working, what’s breaking down, and what’s next in a race that’s upending the global auto market.

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

Sixth Tone

The Missing Link in China’s EV Boom: Who Will Fix Them?

EVs now make up more than half of new car sales in China. But a shortage of skilled repair technicians threatens to slow the momentum.

Ding Rui

China’s EVs Are Smart, Green, and Cheap — Until They Aren’t

For millions of Chinese EV owners, early promises of affordability, convenience, and cutting-edge tech are now tested by aging batteries, replacement costs, and warranties.

He Qitong

The Chinese City Betting Everything on Tiny Cars

In Liuzhou, compact EVs reshaped the city’s economy, daily life, and identity. Now, it offers a blueprint for small cities looking to ride China’s electric wave.

Fan Yiying

The Motor Cities Behind China’s EV Empire

China’s push to dominate the EV market starts in factory towns deep in the countryside, where assembly lines run day and night and life is tethered to nonstop production.

Jiang Xinyi

Wu Huiyuan 

The Foot Soldiers Steering China’s EV Ambitions Abroad

China exported more than a million EVs in 2024. But between a price war at home and trade tensions abroad, the industry’s future depends on a handful of expat sellers.

Li Xin

In Laos, a New Railway Signals a Future in China’s Orbit

In Laos, a new $6 billion rail line is driving rapid social and economic changes — and bringing China ever closer.

Shanghai Metro 3.0

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

This year, the Shanghai Metro turns 30. To mark this milestone, Sixth Tone discovers the metro afresh.

Five Solutions to China’s Energy Woes

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

VOICES & OPINION

Can China decarbonize without threatening grid stability? Five experts share their views on China’s energy dilemma.

Cai Yiwen

The Hunt for  China’s Tallest Tree

Photographer Xi Zhinong on his race to find and protect some of the country’s most valuable biological resources.

Xi Zhinong

Across China, Species on the Brink

China's endangered animals are running out of time, and out of space.

Changemakers

Hindsight Is 2020: Looking Back on COVID-19, One Year Later

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

MULTIMEDIA

As the world reels from the effects of the pandemic, recently released data for over 11,000 confirmed coronavirus patients in China help tell the story of how it all began.

China’s Anti-Poverty Campaign: The View from the Villages

In 2020, the Chinese government declared victory in its war on poverty. But for many communities, it feels like the fight for a better life is just beginning.

The Palace Museum’s Quiet War

Faced with the prospect of an imminent Japanese invasion, staff at China’s Palace Museum scrambled to keep the country’s most precious relics safe.

Huang Wei

China’s Two-Child Policy, Five Years On

Five years ago, China finally ended the one-child policy. Sixth Tone investigates how the change has transformed Chinese society.

The Telescope at the End of the Universe

On a lonely mountaintop in southwestern China, a small group of engineers is quietly seeking answers to life’s ultimate questions.

Ye Ruolin

Temples for the Masses: The Chinese ‘Adopting’ Local Monuments

In northern China, overstretched local authorities are asking ordinary residents to restore historic monuments. But things haven’t always been going according to plan.

Cai Xuejiao

‘Gaokao’ 2020: The Rights and Wrongs of China’s Dreaded Exam

China’s college entrance exam is designed to give every student a fair and equal chance of success. But in 2020, some are more equal than others.