environment

Unprecedented Rain in Central China Wreaks Havoc on Wheat Fields

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

Farmers have been left grappling as crops falter, prompting an urgent government response.

Ye Zhanhang

In China, an Unseen and Dangerous Foe Takes Root: Lethal Fungi

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

The fungal apocalypse portrayed in “The Last of Us” may be fiction. But between climate change and habitat loss, the threat from adapting fungi is real.

Li Pasha

How Climate Change Is Upending China’s Tea Industry

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

VOICES & OPINION

Extreme and unpredictable weather are killing trees and causing havoc on tea plantations. Can farmers adapt in time?

Cai Yiwen

After Sandstorms and Droughts, Here Come the Floods

Almost half a million people in Jiangxi have been affected by torrential rainfall over the weekend, as extreme weather is happening more frequently in China.

Standing Tall: A Runner’s Unlikely Journey to the Top — of Trees

A national tree climbing champion, Yu Yanling now runs her own company, organizes climbing competitions, and teaches the art to adults and children.

Want To Use the Toilet? Throw Away Your Trash First.

The initiative in a scenic Chinese highway is part of an effort to tackle the growing pollution affecting the local ecosystem.

Yang Caini

Beyond The Frame: How a Pioneer Set Her Sights on Yunnan’s Birds

Over her decadeslong career, Wang Ying has come to be known for her fearless pursuit of subjects, particularly Yunnan’s unique birdlife. Now 63, she has no intention of stopping.

In China, Climate Change Disrupts a Beloved Tradition: Cherry Blossom Season

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

MULTIMEDIA

Cherry blossoms are reaching peak bloom weeks earlier than they did a few decades ago, as winter temperatures continue to rise.

The Paper

As They Swim, Fly, and Crawl In, China Wakes Up to Invasive Threat

While the exact number of invasive species across the country is still undetermined, scientists have only recently started to estimate the havoc they have wreaked to ecosystems.

Chinese Rice Farming Trials Cut Methane Emissions

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

SIXTH TONE ×

Techniques that use less water, produce more rice and emit less methane are gaining traction in China.

China Dialogue

Yet Again, Poyang Lake’s Water Level Falls to Record Lows

With scant rain predicted in February, China’s largest freshwater lake may have to endure an ‘extremely dry’ period.

Luo Meihan

How Has the Ramsar Convention Shaped China’s Wetland Protection?

China has an impressive track record of wetland protection since joining Ramsar in 1992, but economic development still poses several challenges.

Fishing for Likes With China’s ‘Fish Tail Guy’

Boat pilot captures the imagination with photos of colorful research specimens caught around the world.

Poyang Lake: Life Under Climate Whiplash

In 2020, communities living around China’s largest freshwater lake were hit by devastating floods. This year, they have faced a record drought.

Wu Huiyuan 

The Biggest Threat to Beijing’s Biodiversity? Trees.

Beijing has launched a massive campaign to transform the capital’s flatlands into forest. But the tree-planting drive could be devastating for local wildlife, scientists say.

Is Mandatory Garbage Sorting Working in China?

Three years after Shanghai imposed mandatory sorting of household waste, we review the policy and ask what’s yet to come.

In Southwest China, Dozens of Unique Species Have Quietly Gone Extinct

The lakes of Yunnan province were once teeming with endemic species of fish and other freshwater wildlife. But their unique biodiversity is rapidly being lost.

How China’s New Gold Rush Started a Race for Junk

There’s gold in your phone. But how much is recycling it really worth?

Neweekly Lifestyle

The River That Birthed an Empire: How the Han River Shaped Ancient and Modern China

The Han River inspired the rise of the Han Dynasty and Taoism in the past, and keeps northern China hydrated today.

Yuan Ling

What You Missed at the World’s Biggest Climate Conference

COP27 produced a groundbreaking agreement on a “loss and damage” fund. It also marked China’s return to significant in-person engagement on climate issues after years of pandemic-related disruptions.