history

Before China’s First Emperor: Unearthing the Long Rise of the Qin

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

VOICES & OPINION

Over two millennia after its founding, historians still wonder: Why was it the Qin — and not any of the other Warring States — that unified China?

Wu Haiyun

The Soybean That Built Northeast China

Long before China imported soybeans from Brazil and the United States, the crop powered the country’s economy in the northeast, shaping industry, empire, and the fate of many small towns.

Wang Hanyang

The Many Lives of Chaoshan

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Once known mainly for its merchants and overseas networks, Chaoshan is back in the spotlight. This series examines how the region’s past and present offer insights into modern China.

Sixth Tone

Cai Yiwen

How Chaoshan Business Was Built on Morals, Not Contracts

Trust, not laws, underpinned century-old networks for remittances from overseas Chinese workers. Its legacy still informs China’s business culture today.

Wang Yujiao

The Lexicon of Revolution: Tracing the Origins and Global Journey of China’s ‘Long March’

The Long March is a foundational epic in modern China. But what goes into a name that will stand the test of time?

Hugo Tseng

The Pagoda Puzzle: What Can Save China’s Oldest Wooden Tower?

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

SIXTH TONE ×

As rumors swirl around the restoration of an ailing national treasure, a conservation expert explains why some want to take it apart.

The Paper

Inside the Linguistic and Cultural Rebellion of the ‘Mudan’

Once banished, the mudan’s iconoclastic nature has reigned supreme in the springtime, from its refusal to fit into neat linguistic categories to its enduring allure to this day.

How a Buddha Got Its Sight Back

A stone Buddha’s eyes are symbols of its religious power, but many have been lost over the years. Can collectors help them find their way home?

Jin Yu

How China Successfully Reintroduced the World’s Last Wild Horses

By the 1970s, Przewalski’s horses could only be found in zoos. But a decadeslong reintroduction program has successfully brought wild herds back to China’s northwest.

Li Zhongqiu

How ‘Blood-Sweating Horses’ Became Auspicious Symbols in China

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

MULTIMEDIA

Rumors of an exotic steed that sweats blood first spread thousands of years ago, persisting in ancient writings and metamorphosing into various mythical horses.

Sheng Wenqiang

In Art, China’s History With the Horse Is a Glorious Story

Cultural artifacts from Chinese dynasties show both the country’s history with horses and the high regard in which they were held.

Bao Wenwei

The Year of the Horse Has Arrived. But When Did Horses Arrive in China?

The Year of the Horse, which began this month, is considered auspicious. How did China’s love for the horse come to be?

Liu Yiting

What Exactly Is a Qipao?

The ubiquitous garment has become an icon of East Asian fashion and has transformed as Chinese society underwent massive changes. It also begs the question: Does something so timeless have a true form?

Yu Ying

What’s In a Name? How Kalgan Transformed From Gate, to City, to Planet

Many know Zhangjiakou as a top destination for winter sports, but not too long ago, it was once known as Kalgan — capturing the imaginations of travelers, presidents, and science fiction writers alike.

Shanghai Sessions: Four Notes From a City in Swing

A brief history of the misfits, migrants, and mavericks who improvised a musical revolution.

On the Trail of Shanghai Jazz

The Ups and Downs of Shanghai’s ‘Saint of Songs’

The Filipino conductor who made Shanghai dance and shaped Hong Kong’s Cantopop sound.

Street Angels: Meet the Women Who Became China’s First Pop Stars

Originally dismissed as lightweights, the women of Shanghai’s jazz age remade both the sound and the image of modern China.