history

Fabric of Time: The Group Reproducing China’s Ancient Style

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

SIXTH TONE ×

A Shanghai lecturer is working with like-minded culture fans to research and replicate traditional Chinese outfits, bringing their beauty into the 21st century.

Xinmin  Evening News

How 1920s Shanghai Birthed the Modern Female Idol

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

VOICES & OPINION

Li Minghui and her father, the writer and director Li Jinhui, took on centuries of tradition to craft an image of the “new woman” that was both glamorous and wholesome.

Hao Yucong

Shanghai’s Last Accordion Craftsman Just Wants to Make Ends Meet

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

Shen Jian never learned how to play the instrument, but after almost 50 years spent building accordions, he’s one of the few remaining custodians of an almost forgotten musical tradition.

Zhou Zhijian

Wu Huiyuan 

The Many Histories of Chinese Vegetarianism

China may be known for its love of meat, but for some gourmands, vegetarian cooking was the highest culinary art.

Thomas DuBois

Diversity in Unity: Exploring the Many ‘Bodies’ of Chinese Dance

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

Q & A

In her research, scholar Emily Wilcox explores the evolution of Chinese dance and the complex relationship between national identity and global influences.

The Paper

Guardian of Heritage: A Man’s Battle to Preserve a Temple

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

MULTIMEDIA

30 Years of Chinese Pro Soccer: Can Clubs Make a Comeback? 

With a record number of teams dissolving since 2020, can Chinese soccer clubs find a sustainable model for development after three decades of play?

Tobias Ross

The Chinese Painter Who Fused East and West

Lin Fengmian spent his life trying to bring together Western techniques with Eastern motifs.

Xiao Yu

Shanghai’s Forgotten Ferries: A Commuter’s Tale

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

SHer Life

Exploring China Studies and Research in Europe Today

Ahead of the World Dialogue on China Studies: Belgium Forum, Chinese scholars Zhou Wu and Li Bozhong sat to discuss the state of Chinese studies in Europe today and the importance of cross-cultural cooperation between the two regions.

Eight Decades On, an Iconic Chinese Animation Gets a 4K Makeover

The 4K restoration of “Princess Iron Fan” at the Shanghai International Film Festival underscores the film’s historical importance as Asia’s first animated feature and its pivotal role in the development of Chinese animation.

Ding Yining

Finding the “Real” Kung Pao Chicken

Lü Xiao

Dying Far From Home in Modern China

Clans and kinship networks used to be integral in handling the posthumous affairs of China’s many internal migrants — not anymore, as public health concerns have necessitated modern funeral and burial practices.

Tang Shenqi

A Century Later, China’s First Female Architect Gets Her Due

After a nearly 100-year wait, one of China’s best-known architects finally has her degree.

Wu Haiyun

Chinese Researchers Bring Ancient Noblewoman ‘Back to Life’ Using AI

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

Scientists were able to create a remarkably lifelike digital avatar of Lady Xin Zhui using remains uncovered in her 2,200-year-old tomb.

Ding Rui

Aesthetic Evolution: Tracing Female Beauty in Ancient Chinese Art

A museum curator’s new book, “Images of Her in Ancient China,” explores the various ways women have been depicted in art throughout Chinese history.

Cai Qin

Discovering Shanghai’s Jiangnan Culture Through Ancient Towns

A new book series aims to showcase China’s ancient Jiangnan culture through the relics, structures, and traditional customs that still endure today.

Tongji University  Press

The Scholar Bringing Marco Polo Back to China

Historian Rong Xinjiang has spent the past 13 years trying to produce the definitive Chinese edition of “The Travels of Marco Polo.”

Tomb Readers: Epitaphs Tell the Tales of Tang Women

Tombstones from the Tang dynasty offer insights into the era’s highs and lows, and the dramatic shift in attitudes toward the characteristics and behaviors of “good women.”

The Archaeologist and the Queen

Zheng Zhenxiang, who died last week at the age of 95, overcame gender norms and harsh conditions to discover the final resting place of China’s most famous warrior-queen.