Category: Culture

Culture, relationship

Love Without Labels: Chinese Revise the Rules on Relationships


SHANGHAI — To outsiders, Zhao Shiyan might appear to be in a typical romantic relationship. Since matching with his partner on a dating app two years ago, they’ve spent their time much like any other couple — holding hands, enjoying movie nights, and sharing intimate moments. Yet, the 25-year-old says that neither of them have explicitly defined the nature of their relationship. “We don’t think … Continue reading Love Without Labels: Chinese Revise the Rules on Relationships

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Business, Culture, Health, youth trend

China’s Hottest New Beauty Product: Cheap Bottled Water


Like many university students, Sun Zhongwei has to live on a tight budget. So, when the 20-year-old saw a post on the social platform Xiaohongshu about an unusual new money-saving hack, he was immediately intrigued. The idea was simple: instead of using pricey face masks to give yourself a facial, simply apply a few cotton pads soaked in mineral water. Given the high cost of … Continue reading China’s Hottest New Beauty Product: Cheap Bottled Water

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Culture, lifestyle, urban China, youth trend

Stone Cold Craze: Why China’s Gen Z Is Falling for Pet Rocks


It doesn’t chirp, purr, or wag its tail; nor does it fetch, cuddle, or respond to its name. In fact, it doesn’t do much of anything besides sit quietly. But for a growing number of young Chinese, that’s exactly the appeal of owning a chongwu shi or “pet rock.” Inspired by the animated movie “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” where the character Otto treasures a … Continue reading Stone Cold Craze: Why China’s Gen Z Is Falling for Pet Rocks

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Business, Culture, Life, Society

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


ZHEJIANG, East China — In the heart of Yaoli Village, where traditional homes with white walls and black tiles stand as a testament to the past, an abandoned pigsty has found new purpose. Transformed into a pottery culture center, it now welcomes visitors from across China with a poetry anthology titled “My Ideal,” collaboratively crafted by over 30 villagers who had never before engaged in … Continue reading Change of Art: Bringing a 1,000-Year-Old Pottery Village Back to Life

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Business, Culture

Laugh in Translation: Shanghainese Comedy Stands Up to the Mainstream


SHANGHAI — As Yang Mengqi stepped onto the stage for her first stand-up show in Shanghainese, nervous questions swirled in her head: Would her jokes land, or would the nuances of a dialect rarely used in stand-up trip her up in front of a curious Shanghai crowd? “I kept thinking about what I should say, what jokes to tell, how to arrange them, and how … Continue reading Laugh in Translation: Shanghainese Comedy Stands Up to the Mainstream

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