arts

Amid Mixed Reviews, China’s Box Office Tops 1 Billion Yuan

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

With nearly 10 films in theaters, China’s National Day holiday box office is off to a strong start but experts question long term prospects.

He Qitong

Journey of Ink: How Chinese Art Built a French Museum

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

The director of the Musée Cernuschi shares the story behind its Shanghai exhibition of Chinese paintings — and the man at the heart of the collection.

The Paper

Nostalgia in the City: Shanghai in the Booming ’90s 

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

MULTIMEDIA

Shanghai in the 1990s is the subject of much nostalgic yearning. A new photography exhibition transports viewers back to this consequential period of the city’s — and country’s — history.

Wu Dong

The General’s Tomb

What can a 3,000-year-old grave tell us about life during the Shang Dynasty?

Sixth Tone

Moonlight Legends: The Rabbits at the Center of Mid-Autumn Festival

Since ancient times, paper decorations depicting the moon-walking Jade Rabbit, as well as figurines of the Rabbit God, have been key components of this traditional Chinese holiday.

Sheng Wenqiang

In Shanghai’s Prisons, Inmates Find Solace and Skill in Textile Art

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’s Nanhui Prison, an unusual tapestry embroidery program offers inmates new skills, improves mental health, and provides a path to rehabilitation.

Fan Yiying

Dong Ziqing

Giving Ancient Pottery a Modern Glow-Up

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’s museums find a better way to spotlight some of their most delicate holdings?

Wu Haiyun

Social Class: Art Professor’s Bite-size Videos Click With Netizens

A Tsinghua University academic has earned an online following for her one-minute clips that introduce complicated art and design concepts in plain language.

Beijing Youth Daily

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

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

Q & A

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

Bringing the Struggles of China’s Migrant Women to Life

“The Life of Mulan,” an immersive drama that finished a nationwide tour in June, sought to force audiences to think like a migrant, for better or for worse.

Qi Lixia

Creative Chaos: The Chinese Students Pushing the Limits of Art

Pink performance, model noses, and a wholesale “home” — experimental art students at the prestigious Central Academy of Fine Arts embrace the unconventional in search of self-expression.

Oh! Youth (36Kr)

Stitching Masculinity: The Tailor’s Son Who Defied Gender Norms

As China’s societal norms evolve, Cantonese embroidery master Wang Xinyuan no longer feels the need to prove his masculinity and is eager to promote the traditional craft through social media.

The Chinese Painter Who Fused East and West

Lin Fengmian spent his life trying to bring together Western techniques with Eastern motifs.

Xiao Yu

Sound Check: How High Costs Are Silencing China’s Music Festivals

With rising costs, shifting consumer demands, and stricter regulations leading to a wave of music festivals being canceled, festival organizers are struggling to attract price-sensitive audiences while maintaining profitability.

Ye Zhanhang

Huang Yang

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.

Chinese Researchers Bring Ancient Noblewoman ‘Back to Life’ Using AI

Scientists were able to create a remarkably lifelike digital avatar of Lady Xin Zhui using remains uncovered in her 2,200-year-old tomb.

Ding Rui

Laugh in Translation: Shanghainese Comedy Stands Up to the Mainstream

Amid a surge of interest in local culture, young Chinese are reconnecting with their heritage through stand-up comedy in various dialects. Comedians are now drawing packed houses and even taking their acts overseas.

Zhang Zhen

The Artist Monkeying Around With China’s Monkey King

Lü Xiao

Wu Huiyuan 

Aesthetic Evolution: Tracing Female Beauty in Ancient Chinese Art

A museum curator’s new book, “Images of Her in Ancient China,” explores the various ways women have been depicted in art throughout Chinese history.

Cai Qin

Zen of One: A Canadian’s Lone Pursuit of Ancient Chinese Aesthetic

Brandon Collins-Green has eked out a simple life since moving to eastern China, where he has created 4,200 original paintings inspired by “Dream of the Red Chamber” and other classic works.