subculture

Young Chinese Ask: Does This Life Spark Joy?

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

VOICES & OPINION

In growing online communities devoted to minimalism, young Chinese swap tricks for scoring bargains or cutting down on unnecessary purchases. But the real motivation is regaining a sense of control in an uncertain world.

Shao Wenjun

For China’s Female Tattoo Artists, Nothing Is Permanent

Faced with social stigma and the harsh realities of gig work, breaking into the industry requires more than passion.

Yang Chengyang

Almost Real: The Fleeting Fame of Hunan’s Imitation Idols

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

SIXTH TONE ×

Campy knockoff bands offering cheap fun echo the discontent associated with China’s billion-dollar music industry.

Oh! Youth (36Kr)

British Library Includes 16 Chinese Web Novels in Its Collection

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

Excited fans and authors in China hailed the admission as a successful cultural export, calling for more acknowledgement of the genre at home.

Ye Zhanhang

How a 300-Year-Old Dictionary Birthed China’s Comic Sans

Twelve years ago, a young type designer created a rudimentary font based on a photocopy of the Kangxi Dictionary. Within months, it was on everything from restaurant menus to propaganda posters.

Liu Yuli

How China Is Nurturing a New Generation of Future UFC Stars

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

For years, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has been working to tap into China’s vast pool of fighting talent. Now, those efforts are starting to pay off with a vengeance.

Mathew Scott

Trove of Discarded Cassette Tapes Brings Back a Lost Shanghai

Musician Philip Hsu has amassed a huge collection of mixtapes recorded by ordinary Shanghainese during the late 20th century. They offer a unique window into an era of dizzying change.

Philip Hsu

In China, Even Movie Stars Just Want a Stable Gig

From celebrities to white-collar workers, seemingly everyone wants the security of a state job.

Xu Yuan

Can China’s ‘Positive Dramas’ Take a Joke?

The genre’s recent revival has won over audiences, but their message may not be getting through.

He Tianping

Why Chinese UFC Fans Are Supporting a Russian Over China’s Own Stars

Russian contender Muslim Salikhov will receive massive support from Chinese fans when he fights at next month’s UFC Fight Night 210 — even though he’s taking on one of China’s top fighters.

Li Pasha

China Dreams

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

MULTIMEDIA

China’s blue-collar ceramics capital, Jingdezhen, has become a magnet for young artists looking to escape the rat race. But life as a “Jing drifter” is tougher than many expect.

Huang Sha

Li Jinrui

Young Chinese Find a New Way to Explore Intimacy: Furry Fandom

For many Chinese urbanites, dressing up in furry animal costumes has become a way of life — and a method for unlocking their true selves.

Wang Yiping

Zhang Mengyu

Wild, Creative, Disturbing: Inside China’s ‘Hyperpop’ Music Scene

Young Chinese are creating a thriving underground scene for fast-paced, emotionally charged “hyperpop.” The music industry is baffled.

Bryan Grogan

Up All Night: Why China’s Gen Z Can’t Catch Enough Z’s

China has become a nation of insomniacs — and that’s awoken demand for a bewildering variety of sleep aids.

Popular Chinese ‘Boys’ Love’ Novels Set for English Release

The homoerotic novels are among the country’s most popular — and controversial — literary works. Now they’re being translated for English-speaking audiences.

Luo Meihan

The Feminist Rapper Who Refuses to Be Silenced

Hip-hop star Yang Yuzhen is striving to inspire China’s girls to stand up for gender equality. The price: a torrent of online abuse.

Du Xinyu

Chen Qi’an

Team China Aims to Conquer an Unfamiliar New Sport: Skateboarding

Skateboarding has long been associated with freewheeling self-expression. But China is approaching the new Olympic event with severe, military-like discipline.

Wu Yurui

Inside Aranya, China’s Exclusionary Paradise

The beachside community promises idealistic fulfillment, but behind the utopian façade lies more middle-class narcissism.

Coral Yang

The Weirdly Wonderful World of China’s Doll Devotees

The thousands-strong community of ball-jointed doll “parents” is intense, exclusive, and full of love for their miniature children.

Huang Yujia

China Fantasizes About a ‘Low-Desire’ Life

Tired of the urban grind, young Chinese are rejecting consumerism and decamping to the countryside. That’s not the same thing as fighting back.