Category: Culture

Culture, Gender, Society

How ‘The Penis Monologues’ Challenges China’s Toxic Masculinity


ZHEJIANG, East China — On a theater stage in the city of Hangzhou, a male character reflects on the time he date-raped a woman. “I finally broke through her defense and forcefully penetrated her. Controlling her, I felt the happiness of a conqueror. The insertion of my penis seems to have stamped a seal on her body, a label marking my sovereignty.” The unflinching scene … Continue reading How ‘The Penis Monologues’ Challenges China’s Toxic Masculinity

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Culture, Society

My Makeover With China’s Blind Beautician


BEIJING — Sitting on the couch in Xiao Jia’s apartment, I learned how difficult it is to apply makeup to a face you cannot see. Xiao, 27, gradually lost her eyesight during her teens. Determined to avoid the life in society’s shadows that most of her blind compatriots have, she channeled her love of painting into studies on becoming a makeup artist. It was a … Continue reading My Makeover With China’s Blind Beautician

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Business, Culture

In Cliffside Village, Hipster Bookshop Spurs Rural Revival


ZHEJIANG, East China — With the twisted mountain road blocked by yesterday’s snow, Zhao Weiren and his friends have no choice but to park their car and climb the last leg of their trip. They’ve come to visit Chenjiapu, a somewhat picturesque but otherwise ordinary village of 100 or so houses with beige plaster and black shingles. Hugging a steep hillside amid forests of bamboo … Continue reading In Cliffside Village, Hipster Bookshop Spurs Rural Revival

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Culture, Education

Telling Ambiguous, Ambitious Gay Stories


BEIJING — It’s the evening before filming starts, but director Lu Zhan and her main actor, Yang Zhenguo, can’t agree on what the script is really trying to say. Is “Summer” a gay movie? “It’s a love story that just happens to be between two young men,” Lu says, sitting on one of the beds in Yang’s hotel room. “Summer,” a short film project by … Continue reading Telling Ambiguous, Ambitious Gay Stories

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Culture, Life, Society

Why China’s Elderly ‘Huddle to Stay Warm’


HUBEI, Central China — Shen Exiang was feeding his six dogs with some minced pork and rice at home when his former colleague Deng Chao rode over on his motorcycle. It was a chilly February afternoon, but the snow was melting around the village, and Deng wanted to know if Shen and his wife would go hiking with him. It’s a relaxed pace of life … Continue reading Why China’s Elderly ‘Huddle to Stay Warm’

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