literature

‘Princess Iron Fan’: The Height of Modern Chinese Animation

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

SIXTH TONE ×

Inspired by Disney’s “Snow White” in 1937, the Wan brothers created the first Chinese animated feature film — still a timeless classic today — during the hardship of World War II.

Tian Jiajia

The Bookstore Giving Shanghai’s Women a Room of Their Own

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

When Wang Xia opened Shanghai’s first “female-friendly” bookstore in 2020, she just wanted to create a safe space for women to express themselves. She had no idea how successful — or potentially sensitive — the business would become.

Fan Yiying

Liu Shuhuan

How Eileen Chang Almost Wrote a Book on Explorer Zheng He

The feminist essayist and author, whose writings show a deep interest in Southeast Asia, told friends about her plan to write about the legendary Chinese admiral’s voyages to the Western Seas.

Yang Bin

China’s Web Literature Popularity Continues to Grow Overseas

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

Industry representatives are starting to compare Chinese online literature with Hollywood films and K-dramas in terms of global reach.

Ding Rui

From Streets to Pages: Inside the Life of a Beijing Courier

In his latest book “Beijing Courier,” Hu Anyan recounts challenges and heartwarming encounters from his days working as a courier that helped him discover the true value of life.

Hu Anyan

What Exactly Is the ‘Dongbei Renaissance’?

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

VOICES & OPINION

Four commentators on how — and why — the country’s northeastern rust belt reached the forefront of Chinese pop culture.

Wu Haiyun

Three Books (and One Band) That Explain Northeast China

Want to know more about northeast China’s cultural revival? Start here.

The Missing Link in Northeast China’s Cultural Revival 

Men and their stories have dominated northeastern China’s ongoing cultural revival. But what about the region’s women?

Bai Meijiadai

Peter Hessler’s World of Words

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

Q & A

The acclaimed author on generations, his approach to writing, and how China has changed since the 1990s.

Xue Yongle

Ex-Soldier Sleeps in Cave for 22 Years to Protect Song Treasures

Night watchman Tang Pingchang returned to his childhood home to guard ancient relics from thieves and vandals.

Yuan Rongsun

As the Floods Continue, Another Casualty Emerges: Millions of Books 

Major publishers and booksellers are reeling after their warehouses in the small city of Zhuozhou, around 100 kilometers from Beijing, were hit by extreme floods. Book lovers are offering their financial support, but the losses may be too much for some to survive.

Why Climate Change Is Missing From China’s Sci-Fi Boom

Despite an uptick in climate-related disasters in recent years, Chinese sci-fi has been relatively quiet on the topic of global warming. Can a new novellette change that?

Feng Zhang

Chinese TV Show Brings Together Country’s Leading Writers to Discuss Kafka, AI

Set on a picturesque resort island in southern China, “I Read Books on an Island” is proving a hit with viewers enthralled by discussions surrounding the love of writing and reading.

Ye Zhanhang

Jiang Zuer

Tang Dynasty Poetry Comes Alive in Animated Film ‘Chang An’ 

Blending modern animation with traditional poetry, ‘Chang An’ has been a surprise hit at the box office and won praise for its celebration of traditional Chinese culture.

A Chinese Author Asks: What Makes People Great?

In an excerpt from “Pleasure of Thinking,” a collection of newly translated essays out this month from Astra House, Wang Xiaobo muses on the sources of greatness.

Wang Xiaobo

He Wrote the Book on Rural China. But First, He Wrote a Novel.

Shortly before publishing his groundbreaking 1939 study of rural China, sociologist Fei Xiaotong wrote a novel about life in his hometown. What can it tell us about his later work?

Sun Jing

Words of the Working Class: Poems From Everyday China

From fields to vegetable farms to steel mills, ordinary workers across China document everyday mundanities in extraordinary verse.

Zhu Lingyu

World Book Day: A Bookstore for the Blind

Backlight 226 has become the go-to spot for visually impaired reading enthusiasts in Shanghai.

Yang Caini

How Liang Qichao Rewrote China’s Future

Although better known today as a reformer and activist, Liang also composed the first work of Chinese sci-fi.

Emily Xueni Jin

What’s Love to a Feminist?

The feminist cultural critic Dai Jinhua shares her thoughts on intersectionality, love, and the shrinking space for alternative lifestyles in contemporary China.