New texts published

An embarrassing thing about the GaoKao – Liu Shisan

Writer Liu Shisan shares the embarrassing experience of taking the Gaokao four times – and reminisces on experiences of this crucial Chinese rite of passage.

The price of cultural heritage – Zhu Dake

In this piece, cultural analyst Zhu Dake underlines the sharp contrast between the growing traffic in old cultural artifacts and the relative lack of cultural interest in China today.

New translations completed

China’s two networks – Jin Zaixian

Exploring the two parallel and different Chinas – China getting its news and information through TV, and China getting it from the internet.

Urban redevelopment: a city’s life and death – Zhang Tianpan

From Kaifeng’s new proposal for a city centre renewal to the destruction of Beijing’s Hutong, this piece by sociologist Zhang Tianpan explores the many shapes of China’s current urban renewal boom, and advocates for a greater focus on livability for city planning.