Author: Yiying Fan

Chinese traveler with a western mindset interested in cultural difference.
Culture, Music

Art of Adaptation: How Yue Opera Is Winning Over Young Chinese


ZHEJIANG, East China — For Bao Yajuan, a renowned Yue opera performer, nerves were typically reserved for the seconds before the curtain rose. Yet, on a Monday in March, she felt that flutter again but on an unfamiliar stage: a classroom in the eastern Zhejiang province. Surrounded by around 30 young, curious faces, mostly women with little or no prior knowledge of Yue opera, Bao … Continue reading Art of Adaptation: How Yue Opera Is Winning Over Young Chinese

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Education, Music

Out of Key: Why China is Stepping Back From Piano Lessons


Zhang Weiwei ended her 11-year-old daughter’s piano lessons in January after three years of practice, citing costs and her child’s lack of enthusiasm. The fifth grader had been taking lessons from teachers at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and had managed to progress to the fifth of 10 levels of certification before quitting. “Piano lessons were more of an investment in nurturing a … Continue reading Out of Key: Why China is Stepping Back From Piano Lessons

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pets

How a Chinese Cat With a Doleful Mug Became an Online Star


It never occurred to Han when she began posting videos of her beloved cat Guangdang meowing for food on social media two years ago that her pet would become an online sensation. “I initially just wanted to record Guangdang’s daily life online,” says the 28-year-old, who prefers to go by her surname to protect her privacy. “I didn’t think she was the kind of cat … Continue reading How a Chinese Cat With a Doleful Mug Became an Online Star

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Business, Life

Rock Climbing Gains Traction as After-Work ‘Meditation on a Wall’


SHANGHAI — Zhou Yinan is a bit of an anomaly among rock climbing enthusiasts in China — she is afraid of heights. “It’s actually quite scary to climb to the top of an indoor rock wall,” she admits. “I know there is no real danger, but I can’t help feeling afraid. This fear is something I have to face.” Drawn to rock climbing by photos … Continue reading Rock Climbing Gains Traction as After-Work ‘Meditation on a Wall’

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aging, Life

Retired but Not Retiring: China’s Solo Seniors Find New Grooves in Life


SHANGHAI — Yang Yanhua, 61, is one of the estimated 300,000 retirees living alone in Shanghai. She may be alone, but she is not lonely. In a sense, she is a role model for older people who are determined to find fulfillment on their own. “What I fear the most is sitting at home doing nothing,” she tells Sixth Tone. “I don’t find retirement scary as long … Continue reading Retired but Not Retiring: China’s Solo Seniors Find New Grooves in Life

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