chen-yiru

Instead of Theses, Chinese Students Submit Fertilizers, Novels

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

Over the last year, at least 59 top Chinese universities have revised degree requirements to let students submit practical or creative projects.

Chinese Nature Reserve Stirs Debate for Requiring Tourists to Use Bus

The practice is commonly employed in scenic areas, which generate higher income by bundling entry and bus tickets.

82 Dead, 128 Injured in Shanxi Mine Explosion

Domestic media reported that inaccuracies in tunnel maps, as well as a lack of personnel locators, impacted rescue efforts.

Before WeChat, There Were Qiaopi Writers

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

For decades, families relied on letter writers like Jiang Mingdian to stay connected with relatives abroad. At 77, he may be one of the last still working.

China’s Top Phone Companies Launch Packages Covering AI Use

The plans offer millions of AI tokens per person for a fixed monthly price. Insiders say the packages’ main customers are government entities and state-owned enterprises.

China’s Internet Finds Its Dream Job: Herding 3,000 Sheep 

In comments sections beneath the job posting, young Chinese voiced their interest in leaving “cutthroat” cities and paying off debts, saying they could withstand the position’s potential loneliness.

AI Took His Job. A Chinese Court Awarded Him $38,000.

After his company asked him to accept a pay cut and demotion following an AI rollout, a fintech worker sued — and won.

TMS May Ease Autism-Related Social Symptoms, Chinese Study Finds

By targeting the brain’s motor cortex with magnetic stimulation, the treatment reduced social and language deficits in young children with the condition, while also shortening treatment.

Shenzhen’s Food Delivery Aunties Get a Policy Upgrade

The city is piloting a system of relay stations and order tracking, in which riders can now formally hand off orders to runners installed in high-rises, making final deliveries to customers.

Chinese Robot Runner Beats Men’s Half-Marathon World Record

The robot, named “Lightning,” was crowned the winner of the country’s second annual mixed human-robot half-marathon.

Chinese Cities Are Issuing Housing Subsidies to Marathon Runners

Those who register or compete in specific races are eligible for discounts on homes in specific areas.

China’s First DINK Generation Is Growing Old

For decades, a small number of couples built lives without children. As more Chinese choose the same path, their experiences offer an early glimpse of what a child-free future may demand.

China Issues Draft Regulations on AI Copyright Infringement

The draft comes amid growing pressure from the entertainment industry to combat “AI face stealing.”

China’s Tomb-Sweeping Day Now Includes Pets

Online demand is rising for hologram boxes, wool-felt replicas and paper offerings as some owners fold pets into tomb-sweeping traditions.

Don’t Hit Paws: Chinese Tech Giant Launches 24/7 Channel for Pets

The channel is the latest instance of companies capitalizing on the nation’s 300-billion-yuan pet industry.

Are China’s 8-Person University Dorm Rooms on Their Way Out?

Heilongjiang is the latest province to begin phasing out the living quarters, as the nation seeks to upgrade its student housing and eliminate crowding and dormitory shortages.

The Rapid Rise of China’s Merch-Driven F1 Fandom

Once an exclusively Western sport, motorsport has recently exploded in popularity in China, with fan clubs, merchandise trading, and Chinese brands adding unique color to the scene.

China’s First ‘Barbecue University’ Opens for Enrollment

The college’s establishment comes amid a greater national emphasis on vocational education and alternative career routes.

China Clears First Brain-Computer Implant for Commercial Use

Clinical trials show the implant can restore limited hand movement in spinal cord injury patients.

Two Sessions: China Boosts Science and Tech Spending

The government simultaneously cut spending on business trips and meetings to free up funds for developing key sectors.