Education

In 2022, China’s Students Are Struggling to Cope. So Are Their Teachers.


When Yu moved to the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou to start her first teaching job in 2021, she arrived full of hope and idealism. The fresh graduate was determined to educate the next generation and treat every teenager under her care as an individual. That didn’t last long. Within weeks, Yu found herself struggling to cope. She had 80 students to teach, a rigid, … Continue reading In 2022, China’s Students Are Struggling to Cope. So Are Their Teachers.

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aging

In ‘Zero-COVID’ China, the Elderly Are Becoming Ever More Marginalized


SHANGHAI — For years, Gu Hong has enjoyed visiting the local deli near her home. Whenever the 73-year-old didn’t feel like cooking, she’d wander down the street to buy a steaming plate of sweet-and-sour ribs. Then Shanghai went into lockdown, and everything changed. When Gu returned to the deli in June, she found herself barred from entering. “The staff said I had to scan the … Continue reading In ‘Zero-COVID’ China, the Elderly Are Becoming Ever More Marginalized

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Culture, Marriage, Parenting

China Is Pushing for a Baby Boom. It’s Getting a Baby Bust.


SHANGHAI — Julia Li has spent much of the past few years wrestling with a dilemma: She was married, in her late 30s, and still undecided about whether to start a family. Li had been putting off having children for years, but now she was running out of time — and excuses. Her family and friends were urging her to have a baby on an … Continue reading China Is Pushing for a Baby Boom. It’s Getting a Baby Bust.

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Business, Culture, Marriage

Bridesmaids Go Professional


Xie Yuke has attended over 40 weddings in the past two years and is now making a living from it. The 22-year-old has flown more than 140,000 kilometers and traveled around China working as a professional bridesmaid.  It’s a fast-growing industry in China and is “expected to grow by 25% to 30% a year,” Cao Zhonghua, an expert at the Chinese Traditional Culture Promotion Council, told state … Continue reading Bridesmaids Go Professional

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Business, COVID-19

Shanghai Spring/Summer 2022: The Season That Never Was


SHANGHAI – Wenwen has a lot of extra harem pants. Not to mention extra shirts, hoodies, and jeans. She runs a beloved, budget-priced boutique in Shanghai’s former French Concession since 2008. It’s the top-rated clothing store in Shanghai, on Yelp-like app Dianping. This year, the market skipped straight from winter to summer. “I had just ironed all my spring clothes before the lockdown,” she told … Continue reading Shanghai Spring/Summer 2022: The Season That Never Was

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