cai-yineng

The Surprising Legacy of China’s Catchiest TV Theme Song

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

VOICES & OPINION

The 1980s adaptation of “Journey to the West” has an all-time great opening theme. So why did its composer fade into obscurity?

After Ye, What’s Next for International Artists in China?

Does the controversial rapper’s recent visit to the southern island of Hainan signal an open door for musicians?

Raised by ‘Wolves’: The Rise of China’s Cutthroat Start-Up Scene 

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

Q & A

How did “wolf culture” become part of Chinese tech culture’s DNA?

Chinese Rock Isn’t Dead (For Now)

Nostalgia for Chinese rock’s “golden era” is fine, but it shouldn’t take away from the work of contemporary rockers.

Queen’s Gambit: The Lowly Chinese Go Player Who Conquered the Sport

Zhan Ying finished her last pro season 2-16. How did she become one of the sport’s top streamers?

Can City Walks Fix What Ails Chinese Urbanism?

Urbanists were calling for more walkable cities before it was cool. Now they want to leverage the city walk boom to make their vision a reality.

Did Chinese Kiss?

It may seem like a silly question, but a new book by scholar Hu Wenhui tries to resolve the debate over whether kissing has always been a part of Chinese courtship.

How China Fell in Love With Cantonese Cooking

Southern cooking has captured the country’s middle class, says food historian Zhou Songfang.

How China Became a Car Country

Zhang Jun’s new book explores how China fell in love with the personal automobile.

When Two Chinese Scholars Went for a Walk

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

MULTIMEDIA

A Key Plank of China’s Planned Economy Is Making a Comeback. Why?

The revival of grassroots supply and marketing cooperatives has raised fears of a backslide. But the real reason for their return has gone largely ignored.

Did ‘God Songs’ Kill China’s God of Rock?

Quick, catchy, and inane, short video-optimized “god songs” have taken over Chinese music. Does anyone still have the patience for an old-school album?

Filling in the Blank Spaces of China’s Constitution

The framers of China’s constitution didn’t specify a division of powers between central and local governments — a choice whose ramifications are still being felt today.

Recovering the Forgotten History of China’s Constitution

For legal scholar Tian Lei, the past is preamble.

When the Internet Knows Where You Live

China’s major social media platforms are starting to include users’ geographic locations in their posts. They claim the feature is meant to deter imposters, but will it work?

How the Lockdown Is Remaking Shanghai Neighborhoods

Sociologist Sun Zhe has studied Shanghai community organizations for over a decade. He believes the ramifications of the current lockdown will be felt far into the future.

For Artist Long Pan, the Mushroom Is the Message

From rafts to migrant workers, as far as Long Pan is concerned, all art is fungi-ble.

Want a Divorce? In China, Try, Try Again

In 2004, while conducting fieldwork in Guangdong, legal scholar He Xin learned that that Chinese judges had an unofficial policy of always rejecting a person’s first divorce petition. He spent the next decade trying to figure out why.

Why This Year’s ‘Double Eleven’ Felt Different

For a decade, the shopping festival was China’s most unbridled celebration of consumerist excess. Now the shine seems to be wearing off.

The ‘Minor’ Events That Had a Major Impact on Sino-American History

Professor Wang Yuanchong on the oft-overlooked stories that defined the early Sino-American relationship.