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Bringing Back Baile

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

MULTIMEDIA

Shanghai’s Last Accordion Craftsman Just Wants to Make Ends Meet

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

Shen Jian never learned how to play the instrument, but after almost 50 years spent building accordions, he’s one of the few remaining custodians of an almost forgotten musical tradition.

Race to the Top: A Teenage Driver Strives for Glory in China

Across China, a Test of Futures: The 2024 Gaokao in Photos

A selection of photos from exam sites in Shanghai and across the country.

In Shanghai’s Lounge Lawn, Stressed-Out Office Workers Kick Back

A 30-meter lawn sloped like a lawn chair has become a popular spot for relaxation among the city’s office workers.

The Artist Monkeying Around With China’s Monkey King

The Firefighter Documenting Sichuan’s Plateau Forest Fires

Firefighter Cheng Xueli was recruited to contain Sichuan’s recent forest fires in Yajiang County, documenting his colleagues as they worked at over 4,000 meters above sea level.

Collage: Shanghai in Bloom 

A selection of recent photos by Sixth Tone.

The Chinese ‘Auntie’ Who Hit the Road — and Never Looked Back

Collage: How Cities Across China Are Welcoming the Dragon 

The best art and installations celebrating the imminent arrival of the Year of the Dragon.

In a Home for the Young and Sick, Despair, Resilience, and Hope

A charity is offering free housing to families of seriously sick children. What is life like within its walls?

Cat Island: A Utopia For Shanghai’s Stray Felines

Room to Grow: Shanghai’s Housing Solution for Migrant Workers

A new housing project aims to provide affordable living spaces across the city for low- and middle-income residents. Encompassing 188 distinct projects across various neighborhoods so far, the initiative plans to increase the total rental units to over 600,000 by 2025.

How Shanghai Turned a Notorious Dump Site Into an Eco-Haven

Laogang Waste Disposal Base processes a third of Shanghai’s waste and generates 1.6 billion kWh of electricity yearly, offsetting half a million tons of coal usage.

Double Delight: China’s National Day Meets Mid-Autumn Festival

From Harbin to Shanghai, a photo collage illustrates the fusion of festivities across the country.

China’s Last Esperanto Students

China used to have one of the world’s largest communities of Esperanto speakers. But the language is now in danger of disappearing from the country completely.

Between the Rains: Inside Henan’s Wheat Crisis

Bordering on Recovery: Life on China’s Vietnamese Frontier 

Beyond the Midnight Hour

As China’s Hiring Season Kicks Off, Thousands Flock to Job Fair

With a record high of 236,000 students graduating in Shanghai this year, authorities say they will continue organizing similar job fairs, along with online and livestream events.