tradition

Ancient Chinese Incense, Rekindled

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

Despite being a cornerstone of ancient Chinese culture, the art of incense fell out of everyday use as mass production and industry took hold. Now, the ancient art is seeing renewed interest as young Chinese seek more refined experiences.

Wu Haiyun

Muscle, Memory: Inside China’s Last Bull Wrestling School 

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

In eastern China, a 71-year-old Hui Muslim master works to keep the 700-year-old tradition of bull wrestling from fading into history.

Will Wain-Williams

Towering History: A Photographer’s Fresh Take on China’s Pagodas

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

MULTIMEDIA

Photographer Lin Shu seeks the quiet magic within China’s humble pagodas, capturing their enduring spirit across a changing landscape.

Qian Yi  

Wu Huiyuan

Second Act: How a 500-Year-Old Chinese Opera Returned to Modern Life

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

Q & A

Long dismissed as too slow for modern tastes, Kunqu opera is quietly being reinvented — with one performer bringing it into therapy sessions, elderly care, and daily life.

Sixth Tone

Despite Rain, Dragon Boat Festival Drives Travel Across China

Millions joined holiday races and cultural events, as tourism platforms tracked rising demand for heritage experiences and short-haul getaways.

Fan Yiying

Can This Ancient Chinese Craft Make a Modern Comeback?

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

VOICES & OPINION

Xuan paper is recognized by UNESCO and prized among Chinese artists. Now its largest manufacturer is trying to sell it overseas.

As Below, So Above: Gen Z Updates China’s ‘Ghost Money’ Ritual

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

SIXTH TONE ×

Smartphones, games consoles, sports cars — a papercraft master reveals the modern ways his young clients are honoring dead friends and family.

White Night Workshop

Before the Dawn: Young Chinese Reimagine the Last Goodbye

A growing number of young Chinese are challenging long-held taboos around death, turning farewells into personal, creative acts of remembrance.

Chen Yiru

China’s Latest Health Trend? TCM Cocktails.

Bars are adding ingredients from traditional Chinese medicine to their drinks. But not all of their creations are safe — or legal.

Bow Down: Times Change for China’s Kowtow Ritual

Kowtowing to elderly relatives at Chinese New Year has long been a rite in the countryside, but can the custom endure in the modern era?

The  Beijing News

Backstage With a Cantonese Opera Troupe

Spring in Guangdong means one thing: opera.

Wu Huiyuan 

Of Gourds and Gods: The Art of an Ancient Chinese Board Game

Once a traditional Spring Festival pastime, this 2,000-year-old game integrates elements of fantasy and imperial culture.

Sheng Wenqiang

‘It’s the Moon’s Fault’: China to Skip New Year’s Eve for Next 5 Years

A quirk of China’s lunisolar calendar means the traditional day of Chinese New Year’s Eve — danian sanshi — will disappear until 2030.

China Rejoices as UNESCO Recognizes Spring Festival

The decision has gone massively viral in China, with many taking it as official recognition of the holiday’s Chinese origins.

Li Xin

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.

In Black Myth: Wukong, China Sees a Game That Could Change Everything

Rooted in the classic novel “Journey to the West,” China’s first big-budget AAA video game has stunned the global gaming industry, drawing a record 2.2 million concurrent players on Steam at launch.

Li  Yanshu

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.

Beijing Youth Daily

A Dying Business? Funeral Goods Stores Feel the Pinch

Efforts to ban “superstitious” products and changing traditions have put pressure on traders in a northern Chinese village famed for its funeral and memorial supplies.

Fir  Record

In Shanghai, a Café Blends Life, Death — and Coffee

At the Ferryman café, operated by a Shanghai funeral service company, patrons share personal stories about mortality over coffee. The café seeks to break down societal taboos and encourage open dialogue about life and death.

Ding Rui

Li Dongxu

Art of Adaptation: How Yue Opera Is Winning Over Young Chinese

Traditionally favored by older generations, Yue opera has seen a resurgence among young Chinese after the viral success of one theater’s adaptation of a classic ’90s action movie. Efforts are now underway to ensure its popularity is more than a passing trend.