China Stories

Yuanmingyuan had already been looted by foreign armies earlier in the month. But European powers wanted to further punish the Qing emperor, and so decided...

Considered a Chinese Robin Hood by his followers and a “common pest” by his enemies — to say nothing of bandit, murderer — Bai Lang...

Financial terms of the settlement, announced in a joint statement from attorneys for both parties on Saturday, were not revealed. Click here to read the...

In October of 1901, General Zeng Qi asked the emperor of China for permission to open a coal mine. So began a century-long rat race...

Ironically for a form that takes a specific location as its name, Peking Opera is best understood as a blend of many different regional styles...

According to government data, there are currently more than 33,000 Buddhist temples in China. An increasing number of them find themselves hosting urban youth who...

A visual ode to China’s biggest metropolis. Click here to read the article by Neocha. This article was originally published on Neocha and is republished with permission...

How did Yuan Chonghuan, who achieved one of China’s greatest military victories and ascended to the highest ranks of government, fall so far from favor...

Pink elephants, fish, genitalia: For young feminists in China, tattoos have become a way to express their womanhood and take back their bodies. Click here...

Photographer Chen Wei’s visions of modern life. Click here to read the article by Neocha. Narrated by Jenny McKenzie. China Stories is published twice weekly...

China’s political structure is simultaneously simple and dense. As we approach the Party Congress on October 16 — a monumental meeting in which Xi Jinping...

The first Beijing 798 Biennale, in 2009, came during a time of hope that the Chinese government would be more permissive of free expression. But...

Philanthropy in China is in the middle of doing everything everywhere all at once — building a broad-based culture of charitable giving; appealing to a...

As Europe burns and China swelters through a merciless summer, the Paris climate goals are a distant mirage. Determined to double China’s GDP by 2035...

A century ago today, Xi Shangzhen, the first woman employee of a progressive Shanghai newspaper, committed suicide. The case transcended individual tragedy after details of...

After footage of a group of men sexually harassing and assaulting a woman in a restaurant went viral, authorities in the city of Tangshan have...

On August 28, 1928, rising political star Shen Dingyi was gunned down by assassins at a bus stop near his home. No one was ever...

It’s been more than five years since Canadian athleisure brand Lululemon, known for its yoga pants, entered the Chinese market. But one specific product —...

Rumors, tweets, and even reports in serious newspapers are suggesting that Premier Li Keqiang is challenging Xi Jinping’s authoritarian rule, and may even put an...

Song Jiaoren is China’s “lost future,” remembered as a democrat who opposed authoritarianism — and not for reneging on promises in the naive hope that...

China, then and now. Click here to read the article by Neocha. Narrated by Cliff Larsen. China Stories is published twice weekly, on Tuesday and...

In the early hours of August 14, 1524, as many as 250 officials of the Ming dynasty staged a protest in the Forbidden City, a...

The bittersweet memories of artist Sun Keqin. Click here to read the article by Neocha. Narrated by Cliff Larsen. China Stories is published twice weekly...

A small-scale exhibition entitled “Trash Talk” highlighted the work of a beach cleanup collective in Hong Kong and invited visitors to reflect on their contribution...

In the early days of Republican China, the domestic tourism industry was mostly tailored to foreigners who wanted to escape from the cities. This changed...