lifestyle

‘Paper Moutai’: Young China Is Obsessed With a Dead Photo Format

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

Fueled by influencers, collectors, and the thrill of rarity, high-priced peel-apart analog film is having a very 2025 revival.

Chen Yiru

Qian Yi

Dot Dot Dot: What the Last Ever Telegrams From Hangzhou Say

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

As one of China’s last telegraph stations prepared to shut down, thousands lined up to say goodbye — in ink, by hand, one word at a time.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: How the Perm Styled Shanghai

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

SIXTH TONE ×

Over its 100-year history in China, the often-maligned hairstyle has gone in and out of fashion amid warfare, gender politics, and cultural shifts.

Office of  Shanghai Chronicles

No Lease, No Hassle: Young Renters Check Out Hotel Life

With 24/7 gyms and laundry service, more young people are opting for long-term hotel deals over the traditional rental market.

Fan Yiying

Zhou Hanchi

Young, Tired, and Still Trying: China’s Next Generation Rethinks Success

Writer Peter Hessler and anthropologist Xiang Biao on the changing lives of young Chinese, the meaning of hard work, and why parents should cut their kids some slack.

Sixth Tone

From Lane to Block: The Evolution of Shanghai’s Modern Apartments

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

MULTIMEDIA

From humble lane-style buildings to grand block apartments, Shanghai’s historic residential architecture tells the story of a city in transformation.

Liu Gang

Breaking Waves: A Female Engineer’s Journey Through Maritime Prejudice

Chen Yu, a female marine engineer in her 20s, is part of a small but growing contingent of women battling systemic gender discrimination while pursuing careers at sea.

White Night Workshop

How Do Chinese Spend Their Time?

The National Time-Use Survey is perhaps the best window into how 1.4 billion Chinese split their days between work, play, and sleep. Here are some of this year’s answers.

Luo Yahan

Stone Cold Craze: Why China’s Gen Z Is Falling for Pet Rocks

Pet rock sales have surged on e-commerce platforms, with most buyers being young women born after 1995.

Guo Yishun

The Chinese Trading in Their Jobs for Bikes

Amid changing attitudes toward career breaks, unemployed young people in Shanghai are increasingly riding bikes as a way to relax and reconnect.

He Qitong

Women Take a Stand in China’s Youth Fishing Craze

As the popularity of angling surges in China, young women are defying conventions and taking their place next to men.

Dong Ziqing

Hu Anyan and the Beauty of ‘Ordinary Things’ as a Refuge From Reality

Reflecting on his journey from odd jobs to literary success, author Hu Anyan emphasizes the value of the everyday and banal in his new book “Living in Low Places.”

Hu Anyan

Gen Z Interns Answering Call of the Countryside

Chinese university students are increasingly taking summer jobs in agriculture and other rural sectors as they look to broaden their horizons.

Shanghai Observer

Shanghai’s Forgotten Ferries: A Commuter’s Tale

Despite modernization, Shanghai’s ferries continue to connect diverse lives across the Huangpu River.

SHer Life

Paris 2024: Why Chinese Brands Are Betting on Sports Over Stars

Chinese brands are increasingly turning to athletes for endorsements before the Olympics, seeking to avoid the pitfalls associated with celebrity scandals and capitalize on the positive image of sports figures.

Li Xin

Ding Xiaoyan

Chinese Influencers Banned Amid ‘Money Worship’ Clampdown

The three influencers attracted millions of followers by flaunting their super-rich lifestyles. Then, they suddenly disappeared from every major Chinese social platform.

Ding Rui

China’s TV Hit of the Year Is a Drama About Kazakh Nomads

Set in China’s remote northwest, the mini-series “To the Wonder” is a smash hit with domestic viewers — and a rare example of a Chinese drama winning international recognition.

Ye Zhanhang

The Ups and Downs of Owning Pet Birds in Urban China

While birds offer an affordable pet choice, their vulnerability to illness and the lack of specialized veterinary care, particularly beyond major urban centers, present significant hurdles.

China’s Marathon Dilemma: Millions of Runners, Not Enough Races

Marathon running has surged in popularity in China over the past few years. But the number of races hasn’t kept pace with demand.

Home From Home: The Bar Trend Redefining Shanghai Nightlife

Business owners say this emerging trend provides an intimate setting for strangers to meet and mingle, and a safe haven for anxious nine-to-five workers.