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

VOICES & OPINION

BroadTones

The World According to Xiaohongshu

How China’s most popular lifestyle app leads — and misleads — young tourists.

Yuan Ye

What Drives China’s Helicopter Parents?

The author, a sociologist, on the real reasons for the rise of China’s ultracompetitive “chicken-blood” parents.

Li Angran

In China, a Debate Over What Makes Calligraphy ‘Good’

Tian Yingzhang may have been contemporary China’s best-known calligrapher. But was he any good?

Wang Keda

China’s ‘Ultrashort’ Dramas Embrace the Mid-Life Crisis

Ultrashort dramas are wooing older viewers — and setting younger Chinese on edge.

Xu Yuan

A Forgotten Book Gets a Fresh Look

Henri Doré spent his life collecting examples of Chinese folk art. Written off by many of his contemporaries, that collection has become an important window into the country’s past.

Zhang Xiaoyi

The Surprising Legacy of China’s Catchiest TV Theme Song

The 1980s adaptation of “Journey to the West” has an all-time great opening theme. So why did its composer fade into obscurity?

Cai Yineng

The Secrets of the Shang

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

Wu Haiyun

How Free Shipping Became China’s Most Important Status Symbol

Residents along China’s prosperous coast don’t just enjoy better deals on packages — they get better customer service, too.

Qian Linliang

What’s Chinese for ‘Midwest Nice’?

Not everyone likes to be called “qin” — roughly equivalent to “dear” in English — so why do some online businesses insist on using it anyway?

For China’s Archaeologists, All Roads Lead to Yinxu

Even after nearly a hundred years of excavations, many of the ancient Shang dynasty capital’s secrets remain buried in the earth.