For many couples, a relationship starts with a swipe of a finger or a glance across a crowded room. For Gao Yuchen and Li Zhaoxuan, it all began with a bloody battle on the online shooter game “Apex Legends.” The college students admired each other’s ability to slaughter their rivals inside the game’s digital battlefield. After a few games, they began chatting, and then Gao … Continue reading Looking for Love in China? Get Into Esports.
When Ya bought an apartment in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou in 2018, he thought it was the start of a bright new chapter. At 1.2 million yuan ($174,000), the 85-square-meter home was pricey by local standards. But Ya liked the location, and figured property prices were likely to keep rising. Plus, the 5,300 yuan monthly mortgage payments seemed affordable. Yet, five years later, … Continue reading China’s Downturn Fuels a Worrying New Trend: a Surge in Foreclosures
Three years into her degree in Chinese language education, Dong Zhenzhen realized she was on the wrong path. As she learned more about education, the student began to understand that she wouldn’t be happy as a teacher. She wanted a job that offered freedom, creativity, and the chance to quickly increase her income. Working in a school would give her none of those things. “The … Continue reading For China’s Gen-Z, Entrepreneurship Represents a Ticket to Freedom
In October, Chen began to feel seriously unwell. Worried he might need emergency medical treatment, the 20-year-old student went to his tutor for help. The tutor’s response frustrated him. Rather than ask Chen how he was doing, his tutor bluntly informed him that he would need to apply for permission to leave campus due to the college’s strict virus-control rules. For Chen, the incident encapsulates … Continue reading After 3 Years of COVID, China’s Gen-Z Are Mourning Their Lost Future
It sounded too good to be true, almost like finding a cheat code for Chinese real estate. Tired of big city life after years in Beijing and Hangzhou, freelancer Pan Deng set out as a digital nomad in 2019. The Hebei native decided to go to Guangzhou, seeking warm weather and delicious Cantonese food. But when he got off the highway on the outskirts of the southern … Continue reading The Winners of China’s Housing Bust: Burnouts and Beach Bums
When East Meets West 