Author: Yiying Fan

Chinese traveler with a western mindset interested in cultural difference.
Business

A Shanghai Startup’s Fashion Twist: Matching Outfits for Pets and Owners


SHANGHAI — In 2019, Lu Yangyang, fresh out of grad school with a fashion degree, was searching for her niche in the business world. That’s when she saw an untapped opportunity in China’s booming pet market: While pets were often dressed fashionably, their owners lacked the option to coordinate their outfits. One year later, Lu launched her fashion brand GIGIWAWA in Shanghai, designed specifically to … Continue reading A Shanghai Startup’s Fashion Twist: Matching Outfits for Pets and Owners

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pets

China’s Latest Matchmaking Craze: Blind Dates for Cats


SHANGHAI — It was just another weekend at the “marriage market” in downtown People’s Park. In one corner, large crowds of Chinese parents mingled and paraded information on their unmarried children — like income, education, height and weight, and whether they own an apartment or car. A short distance away, a group of excited Gen-Zers chatted and displayed “dating” profiles — not of themselves, but … Continue reading China’s Latest Matchmaking Craze: Blind Dates for Cats

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Business, Life

Zut Alors! The Ambience of Paris Streetlife Is Creating a Popular New Wave in China


SHANGHAI — Having recovered from the pandemic last year, people were champing at the bit to get out again and embrace life. Capturing that heady mood, bistros have burst onto the lifestyle scene of Shanghai. Good food. Cozy ambience. Even the imagery of street life in Paris. The venues quickly became a captivating trend. “This kind of dining seemed so novel, so I began going … Continue reading Zut Alors! The Ambience of Paris Streetlife Is Creating a Popular New Wave in China

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Business, Culture, Gender

The Bookstore Giving Shanghai’s Women a Room of Their Own


SHANGHAI — Wang Xia still denies that she runs Shanghai’s only feminist bookstore. When she started the business in 2020, she claims that she didn’t even know what the term meant. “The word ‘feminism’ was very unfamiliar to me,” Wang tells Sixth Tone. “I still insist that my bookstore is a women-themed bookstore.” For Wang, running the business has been quite an education. It has … Continue reading The Bookstore Giving Shanghai’s Women a Room of Their Own

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Culture, Education, Society

In China, Life Coaches Are Seeing Booming Demand From Gen-Zers


SHANGHAI — As she got ready to graduate this May, Zhao Xinli recalls feeling “very confused” about her career plans.  The history major had some hard decisions to make: She had a job offer on the table, but it was “completely irrelevant” to her studies. Though she hated the idea of settling for a boring role, she also knew that the job market was fiercely … Continue reading In China, Life Coaches Are Seeing Booming Demand From Gen-Zers

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