arts

When the Countryside Is the Art

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

VOICES & OPINION

The Nanhai Art Field wants to bring art lovers into the Guangdong countryside. Is it working?

Wang Jingsi

Medicine and Meridians: A Chinese Artist’s View of Body and Spirit 

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

MULTIMEDIA

Self-taught artist Guo Fengyi drew inspiration from traditional Chinese medicine and Taoist cosmology and left behind art that remains intriguing to many, even to this day.

Meng Xianhui

The Hunt for China’s Ugliest Building

For 13 years, the “China’s Ugliest Buildings” poll has documented the misfires and gambles that defined the country’s urban building spree. What can the results teach us about taste in architecture?

You Xudong

Defying God — and COVID — on a Shanghai Stage

Guo Chenzi, a playwright, reflects on the three-year odyssey of “Hudec,” from script to stage.

Guo Chenzi

Spirited Away: A Peek into the World of China’s Door Gods 

While the superstition isn’t widespread, the age-old tradition of hanging up door gods still endures during Lunar New Year.

Sheng Wenqiang

A Bunny Hop Through Centuries of Chinese Art

For centuries, rabbit hair was believed to produce the finest ink brushes. Chinese literati repaid their debt to the humble creature in poetry, prose, and paintings.

Bao Wenwei

How an Aging Artist Put His Stamp on the New Year

Understanding the Chinese art world’s latest controversy is simple. Just follow the rabbits.

Wu Haiyun

Mary and Jesus in the Eyes of Chinese Painters

Since the late Ming dynasty, artists have been finding ways to depict the Virgin Mary and Jesus with Chinese painting techniques.

China’s Hottest Art Show Is in the Middle of Nowhere. Literally.

After being quarantined in a ‘fangcang’ hospital, artist Meng Lichao and two friends decided to put on a show. Don’t bother trying to get a ticket though — you have to you know someone with COVID.

Luo Meihan

China Adagio: A Photographer’s 40-Year Visual Journey

Photojournalist Andrew Wong has been documenting China’s rise since the early 1980s. His work offers a unique perspective on the country’s transformation.

Zhang Liting

J.R.R. Tolkien and the Magic of Chinese Gardens

The English writer’s concept of “Faërie” can help us understand the unique aesthetics of China’s traditional gardens, as my new art project explores.

Zhou Yang

New Exhibition Explores Chinese Civilization’s Earliest Origins

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

“The Making of China” brings together archeological findings from the dawn of Chinese history.

Sixth Tone

A Star is Born, If You Don’t Mind the Silver Spoon

The National Theater said it was looking for fresh talent. Instead, it hired nationally recognized, if young, stars.

Ye Zhanhang

First Tragedy, Then Farce: The Chaos Engulfing China’s Broadway

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

In Shanghai, theaters are finally reopening after a four-month shutdown. But putting on a show isn’t easy — especially when your cast, director, and audience members could be locked down again at any moment.

Jiang Xinyi

Fan Yiying

The Tables Carrying the Weight of China’s COVID-19 Testing

Photographer Wu Chenghuan documents the numerous tables used for nucleic acid tests in Xi’an.

Wu Chenghuan

Shanghai’s Musical Theater Scene Sputters Back to Life

Lockdowns aside, audience interest is on the rise, but the industry is still searching for a hit.

Wu Changchang

In a Beijing Gallery, a Quarantine Party of One

As cities across China locked down last month, rock star Pang Kuan spent 14 days confined to a small stage in a Beijing gallery. Was it art? Or a publicity stunt?

Nie Xiaoyi

Review: Inside China’s Venus de Milo Industry

A new documentary by Beijing-based director Sean Wang follows a luxury stone from Greece to Guangdong and back again.

Mathew Scott

A Beijing Artist Is Self-Quarantining in the Name of Art

Pang Kuan is livestreaming his 14 days of isolation around the clock from a gallery space.

Wu Peiyue

Poetry Bots and Psychedelic Buddhas: Meet China’s Top NFT Artist

Song Ting, 27, is the darling of China’s emerging market for blockchain art. Her secret: fusing the new genre with the country’s cultural heritage.