NEWS

Rainbow’s End for China’s Campus LGBT Groups?

A WeChat crackdown on student LGBT organizations raises the alarm about the future of sexual minority voices in China

NEWS

Viral Week Ep. 264

Trick toilet, WeChat ban, background check for teachers, and hitmen win (satirical) award—it’s Viral Week

ARTS

Why are Chinese Actors Abused for Playing Villains?

Actors playing antagonists are harassed and abused online by overzealous fans confusing reality with TV

DIALECTS

Fangyan Friday: Viral Speech

New software aims to help medical teams communicate in dialects in the ongoing coronavirus fight

SOCIETY

Paying for Praise

Praise groups—and their counterpart, scold groups—are the latest millennial strategy against burnout

NEWS

Viral Week Ep. 182

Viral Week is our weekly round-up of the weekend’s trending memes, humor, rumor, gossip, and everything else Chinese netizens are chatting about. It’s the perfect start to the week.

TECHNOLOGY

Message in a Bottle

WeChat has dropped one of its more endearing features—the ability to message complete strangers via bottle—due to complaints of pornography

TRAVEL

Taking a chance on Swedes

Does the motherland know? Despite diplomatic spat, more Chinese travelers are choosing Sweden

FOOD

‘Star’ Bucks

Why are Chinese millennials queueing for hours just to get in a cafe? TWOC looks into the world of “internet famous” desserts and drinks

TECHNOLOGY

The Price of Mobile Wallets

An inability to recall payments leaves some WeChat and Alipay users high and dry