lifestyle

Myopia Soaring Among Chinese School Students: New Survey

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

Citing increased screen time and academic pressure, the study shows the prevalence of myopia among high schoolers is 89.7%.

Li Xin

Chinese Gamers Brace for Adventure as the New Zelda Hits Shelves

The latest offering from Nintendo’s decades-old saga has social media buzzing with memes and jokes about taking leave from work to play the game.

Ye Zhanhang

In China, Women Are Defying ‘Beauty Duty’ — With a Bold Haircut

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

Buzz cuts are on the rise in a country where long hair is revered. Some women do it to reject the status quo, while others simply find it practical.

Li Wei

Ni Dandan

China’s Music Fests Hit All the Right Notes, But Fans Want More

The country’s thriving music scene has made its way to smaller cities, but some are calling for better quality, management, and variety.

Fan Yiying

To Beat the May Day Rush, Shanghai Stays Put to Go Glamping

Despite a wave of campsite closures, experts say the industry in China is consolidating and has a significant following among young people.

Young Chinese Love Everything About Sweden. Except Living There.

Young Chinese are moving to Sweden in record numbers, seeking better labor conditions and a more tolerant society. Many are underwhelmed by what they find.

Chang Minxiao

Lights Out: A Theater in China Welcomes its First Audience

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

MULTIMEDIA

Lü Xiao

The Paper

Love Is in the Cards: Young Chinese Turn to Tarot for Guidance

While many follow the practice unquestionably, some card readers suggest being rational.

Yang Caini

In Shanghai, It’s Always Coffee Week

Let’s Have a Picnic Downstairs: Shanghai Neighbors Film Lockdown Life

Fu Beimeng

The Race to Create a Whiskey From China, for Chinese People 

Banking on the fast-expanding middle class, Chinese and Western liquor companies are eager to build Chinese whiskey brands. But with a years-long wait for each batch, domestic and international suppliers alike are betting on the unknown.

Jiang Yaling

China’s Introverted Millennials Find an Unlikely Refuge: Dating Apps

Chinese match-making apps are hotbeds for harassment, fraud, and fake news. But they offer one thing that the country’s youth craves: anonymity.

Bai Jia’en

Sign of the Times: Why Young Chinese Are Removing Their Tattoos

Chinese millennials are getting tattoos in record numbers. But when it’s time to get married or start a career, many are forced to rush back to the studio to get them erased.

Wang Yiping

Zhang Mengyu

House of Screams: Inside China’s Hidden Horror Trade

Du “Mr. Mask” Xifan is making a killing by feeding China’s growing fascination with ghouls, gremlins, and gore.

China’s Solution for Loneliness: Play Time for Grown-ups

Social isolation has become a serious issue affecting China’s 260 million seniors. Now, there’s a push to help them build new relationships — by organizing play dates.

China’s Latest Tourist Craze: Bright Pink Convertibles

In China’s vacation hotspots, a new fashion for “grammable” rental cars is flooding streets with colorful sports cars — and fueling safety concerns.

Chinese Travelers Embrace the Glamor and Glitz of Glamping

Tour operators say the comfortable style of camping is becoming a popular vacation trend during national holidays.

What’s Behind China’s Booming Vending Machine Economy?

This video explainer explores the rise of the tech-enabled industry and its connection to the policy-favored unmanned economy.

China’s Hot New Rental Service: Men Who Actually Listen

Chinese women are fed up with dating self-absorbed men. Now, “butler cafés” are offering them more attentive male company — for a fee.

Zhang Wanqing

China’s Stressed-Out Workers Are Rediscovering the Art of Meditation

Mindfulness meditation has been practiced by Chinese Buddhists for centuries. Now, it’s being reinvented as a trendy lifestyle activity for China’s overworked middle class.