fan-yiying

This Holiday, Mooncake Vouchers Fuel a Secret Gray Economy

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

Originally meant to simplify gift-giving, vouchers to buy mooncakes, a traditional Mid-Autumn Festival treat, now fuel a booming gray market with scalpers profiting from multiple resales.

Typhoon Bebinca Slams Shanghai, Strongest Storm Since 1949

The powerful storm brought heavy rain, power outages, and travel chaos, disrupting Mid-Autumn Festival plans across the city.

Growing Wild: Why Young China Can’t Get Enough of Mushroom Hunts

Driven by viral social media posts, mushroom foraging has become an adventure craze among young Chinese. Yet as more flock to the forests, concerns over safety and the risks of wild fungi are rising.

Why China’s Universities Are Ditching Their Engineering Programs

Universities are revamping their degree offerings in line with the government’s economic priorities.

In Black Myth: Wukong, China Sees a Game That Could Change Everything

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

Rooted in the classic novel “Journey to the West,” China’s first big-budget AAA video game has stunned the global gaming industry, drawing a record 2.2 million concurrent players on Steam at launch.

In Shanghai’s Prisons, Inmates Find Solace and Skill in Textile Art

In Shanghai’s Nanhui Prison, an unusual tapestry embroidery program offers inmates new skills, improves mental health, and provides a path to rehabilitation.

China’s Livestream Industry Has a Fraud Problem

Livestreamers are routinely faking sales data and selling counterfeit products to boost their profits, a new investigation claims.

How AI Hosts Flooded China’s Livestream Platforms

The bots are cheap, obedient, and never need to take a break from hawking goods. But do customers actually like them?

Elder Care Graduates in Hot Demand in China

As China’s population rapidly ages, elder care facilities are scrambling to secure access to young talent.

43 Banned for Life as China Tackles Corruption in Football

The move comes following a two-year probe that uncovered a series of online gambling, match-fixing, and bribery cases involving 120 matches, 128 criminal suspects, and 41 football clubs.

As Shanghai Book Fair Turns 20, Tech and Tradition Converge

The weeklong event attracted nearly 400,000 visitors to the Shanghai Exhibition Center, showcasing over 160,000 titles from 360 publishers.

Chinese Hit the Slopes to Escape Brutal Summer Heat

Indoor skiing venues across China are seeing a surge in bookings as people seek shelter from a punishing heat wave.

Shanghai’s Chaotic New Summer Trend: Night Kayaking

Companies are taking families on nighttime kayak trips, promising relief from the summer heat and “Amazon-style” views. But the activities are poorly run — and often unsafe.

Shanghai Wants to Integrate AI Into Everything — Even Wet Markets

Shanghai is trying to reinvent community wet markets for the 2020s. That means better hygiene, trendier stalls, and AI-powered smart scales.

Chinese Scientists Find Molecular Water in Lunar Soil for the First Time 

Research has revealed the presence of water and ammonium in lunar soil samples collected by China’s 2020 Chang’e-5 mission, offering exciting prospects for lunar resource utilization and exploration.

China’s MBTI Obsession Has Gone Too Far, Academics Say

The 1940s-era personality test has become a ubiquitous part of daily life in China. But the belief that “MBTI is destiny” among employers and young people is having unintended consequences, a new paper argues.

Change of Art: Bringing a 1,000-Year-Old Pottery Village Back to Life

After decades of decline due to migration, Yaoli Village is being revitalized by a project blending preservation with innovation, drawing on its rich pottery heritage to attract visitors and boost the local economy.

As Summer Vacation Begins, Museum Fever Grips China

Chinese museums are experiencing a surge in demand this summer, with tickets selling out days in advance.

The ‘Pink’ Premium: Why Women in China Still Pay More for Less

For years, global campaigns have opposed the “pink tax,” where products marketed to women are priced higher than those for men. In China, the debate intensified recently when university students sued cosmetics giant L’Oréal for discriminatory pricing of facial cleansers.

As Summer Begins, Chinese Travel Market Picks Up Momentum

Travel companies are reporting a surge in bookings for both domestic and outbound trips as the summer peak season gets underway.