Feature

How Protection Orders Became a Thorny Legal Issue in China

Contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are often marginalized.

VOICES & OPINION

A decade after the passage of a landmark Anti-Domestic Violence Law, Chinese judges remain divided about how best to protect survivors of abuse.

He  Xin

How China’s Gen Z Is Embracing AI

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

A new survey found that 95% of Gen Z respondents used AI for work or study — and almost half used it to meet their emotional needs.

Fan Yiying

Fu Xiaoqing

Toxic Leak in Hunan Traced to a Former Cement Plant

The leak’s source surprised local officials — and points to the need for new regulations, experts say.

He Qitong

Young, Tired, and Still Trying: China’s Next Generation Rethinks Success

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

Writer Peter Hessler and anthropologist Xiang Biao on the changing lives of young Chinese, the meaning of hard work, and why parents should cut their kids some slack.

Sixth Tone

Spring Teas

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An aerial view of a spring tea market in Ya’an, Sichuan province, March 26, 2025. VCG

Xiaomi Responds to Deadly Crash

A deadly crash involving a Xiaomi electric car roiled China’s NEV industry yesterday, with related hashtags accumulating tens of millions of views. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun released a statement Tuesday night, promising an investigation and saying the company “would not duck responsibility, no matter what happens.”

Big Oil

DAILY TONES

DAILYTONE

Need a Side Gig? In China, Just Shake Your Phone

As flexible work becomes more common in China, WeChat users can now find nearby part-time jobs — directly from the messaging super app.

Chen Yiru

What’s in That Mooncake? China Says “Zero” Labels Must Mean Something

Regulators are banning vague “clean label” claims and requiring companies to disclose exactly how much of each ingredient is in the food.

In Climate Push, China Expands Carbon Market to Big Polluters

Steel, cement, and aluminum sectors added to emissions trading system, raising coverage from 40% to over 60% of China’s emissions.

Jiang Xinyi

Cat Clause: Pet ‘Loan’ Disputes Spread in China

Articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants.

FEATURES

Nationwide complaints about cat “adoption” businesses are exposing the darker side of China’s booming pet industry.

Ding Rui

Balancing Act: Can ‘Mom Jobs’ Help China’s Women Have It All?

Flexible-hour jobs are allowing more mothers to juggle work and childcare, but with most positions in low-skilled sectors, there’s a risk of only reinforcing gender roles.

Yang  Yuchen

Cherry Blossom Nights

Visual stories that get up close and personal with contemporary China. A mix of short videos, documentaries, photography, and data visualization.

MULTIMEDIA

Wu Huiyuan 

From Lane to Block: The Evolution of Shanghai’s Modern Apartments

From humble lane-style buildings to grand block apartments, Shanghai’s historic residential architecture tells the story of a city in transformation.

Liu Gang

Body as Theater: A Living Art Experiment Comes to Shanghai

Lü Xiao

Who’s Profiting Off China’s Ultrashort Drama Boom?

Ultrashort earnings eclipsed China’s box office for the first time in 2024, but producers aren’t celebrating.

Lo La

China’s Virtual Streamers Get a Reality Check

The popular streaming platform Bilibili wanted to grow its stable of VTubers. Instead, it threw the industry into chaos.

Gong Xin

‘I Love Him’: A Suicide, a Student’s Diary, and a School’s Reckoning

A high school teacher’s alleged sexual assault of his student caused her years of depression and her eventual suicide.

Original (Jiefang Daily)

March Brings Record Highs, Sudden Lows to China

Shanghai recorded its hottest March day in 90 years Tuesday. Then came a cold snap.

The Paper

The Big Switch

SPECIAL PROJECTS

China is producing EVs at an unprecedented scale, reshaping industries, economies, and daily life. Sixth Tone unpacks what’s working, what’s breaking down, and what’s next in a race that’s upending the global auto market.

The Secrets of the Shang

Sometimes called the “holy land” of Chinese archaeology, Yinxu remains a mystery even today.

Wu Haiyun

Laos

Dongbei

Henan

‘A Needle in a Haystack’: How a New Study Could Revolutionize Parkinson’s Treatment

Your questions, answered. In-depth interviews with the minds and makers shaping today’s China.

Q & A

Five years ago, Wu Kaimin was worried her dissertation proposal might not be approved. Now, her research could fundamentally alter how doctors treat Parkinson’s.

Event: Modernizing China’s ‘Kingdom of Characters’

The latest news about Sixth Tone and announcements about its events, projects, and other initiatives.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Three experts will talk about the modernization of Chinese font design, including an exclusive talk by Yale University professor and Pulitzer Prize finalist Jing Tsu.

Meet China’s ‘Six Little Dragons’

The Hangzhou-based firms have upended China’s tech scene — and sent governments across China scrambling for their own champions.

Liu Yuanju

Breaking Waves: A Female Engineer’s Journey Through Maritime Prejudice

Chen Yu, a female marine engineer in her 20s, is part of a small but growing contingent of women battling systemic gender discrimination while pursuing careers at sea.

White Night Workshop

The Exhausting Lives of China’s ‘Mompreneurs’ 

They may seem to have it all, but even outwardly successful women shoulder an almost impossible workload.

Pei Yuxin

Tariffs to Climate: The Big Takeaways From China’s Two Sessions

Speaking at the opening of China’s top legislature Wednesday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang outlined plans to ramp up fiscal support, drive household spending, and stabilize key industries.