STREET TALK

Behold the New Emperors of the Internet

In a tongue-in-cheek attempt to gain control over their lives—or a means of excusing bad habits—China’s netizens are role-playing as emperors and servants

BUSINESS

Chinese Entrepreneurs Strive to Be Online Celebrities, Despite the Risks

Tech-related businesses are encouraging their workers to create an online presence, and encountering many of the pitfalls that fame can bring

TECHNOLOGY

From Radical Codes to Predictive Text: The Evolution of Chinese Input Systems

Why do Chinese speakers use QWERTY keyboards on their computers?

TV

Podcast | How China’s Micro-Dramas Spread At Home and Abroad

What‘s it like working in China’s micro-drama industry as producers and apps spread the ultrashort format abroad?

ENTERTAINMENT

High Stakes in Short Takes: China’s Booming Micro-Drama Business

Insider anxiety, regulatory scrutiny, and widespread criticism challenge the micro-drama industry in sustaining its billion-dollar saga

EDUCATION

Parallel Worlds: How A Lifestyle App Shed Light on China’s Education Gap

Anxiety has grown among China’s rural students as the internet provides them with glimpses into the lives of their more privileged urban peers

LITERATURE

Podcast | China’s Booming Web Novel Industry

Industry insiders and fans discuss China’s web novel craze, its origins, and the impact of AI

ENTERTAINMENT

China’s Year in Gaming News

A look back at 2023 in Chinese video games, a year marked by farewells, e-sports debuts, and much-hyped new titles.

SOCIETY

Digital Babysitters: Battling Phone Addiction in China’s Rural Schools

The growth of cellphone addiction among China’s “left-behind” children and the researchers and teachers fighting against it

FEMINISM

China’s Most Infamous Online Beauty Contest Gets an Unexpected Winner

Does a Go player’s crowning as “Hupu Goddess” signal that men in China are choosing brains over looks?