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

The Big Snip: The Men Making Vasectomies Go Viral in China


SHANGHAI — In July 2023, Liu Luyang walked into a hospital and changed his life in 30 minutes. Two small incisions made him part of a statistic so rare it barely registers: 0.02%, joining the fraction of men in China who choose vasectomies. That staggering figure was only the start. Liu turned the camera on himself, transforming a quiet act of rebellion into a public … Continue reading The Big Snip: The Men Making Vasectomies Go Viral in China

In China’s Hinterlands, Young Women Can’t Find a Man. Literally.


After college, Zhao Junru made the selfless decision to move back to her hometown in central China’s Henan province. As an only daughter, she felt duty bound to live close to her aging parents, even though she longed for the freedom of big city life. Yet two years later, Zhao’s relationship with her parents has collapsed. Things have gotten so bad recently, she’s no longer … Continue reading In China’s Hinterlands, Young Women Can’t Find a Man. Literally.

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

The Chinese Couples Going Dutch on Literally Everything


JIANGSU, East China — Long before Hu Xing and her husband tied the knot, their families had already planned out their life together in minute detail. Over a series of meetings, the two sets of parents agreed their children’s union would be a marriage of equals. There would be no dowry, bride price, or betrothal gifts, and the families would split all subsequent costs 50/50 … Continue reading The Chinese Couples Going Dutch on Literally Everything