lifestyle

How Do Chinese Spend Their Time?

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

MULTIMEDIA

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

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

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

Fan Yiying

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

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

SIXTH TONE ×

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

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

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.

Oh! Youth (36Kr)

Scratch-Off Lottery Tickets: Is Big Money Really at Your Fingertips?

The popularity of instant games is growing fast in China, especially among young people, but what are the chances of winning big money?

The Paper

Holding the Line: Shanghai’s Last Public Phone Booth

Lü Xiao

Eyesores or Heritage? Shanghai’s Ubiquitous Laundry Racks

Writers and residents reflect on how a classic style of outdoor clothes racks came to dominate the city’s skyline.

Professional Declutterers in China Help Transform Houses Into Homes

“Home organizers” are helping Chinese people improve their living spaces — and their lives.

Yang Caini

Chasing Calm: The Rising Cost of Spiritual Healing in China

Seeking mental wellbeing in a fast-paced, competitive society, young Chinese are turning to meditation, talismans, and tarot cards. The rapid growth in such practices is now raising regulatory concerns, including content and provider qualifications.

Rice Soup: A Splash of Shanghai Culture

The classic breakfast, which recently featured in the hit TV show “Blossoms Shanghai,” has been fueling working families in the city for generations.

Rock Climbing Gains Traction as After-Work ‘Meditation on a Wall’

In indoor gyms across China, young people are finding that climbing releases stress and forces introverts out of their shells.