shanghai-observer

Dark Humor: Comedian Shines Light on a Rare Disease

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

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Gao Xiang, a rising standup comedy star in Shanghai, has won acclaim for sharing his struggles living with severely impaired vision.

Gen Z Interns Answering Call of the Countryside

Chinese university students are increasingly taking summer jobs in agriculture and other rural sectors as they look to broaden their horizons.

Race Against Time: Plugging the Dam at Dongting Lake

Residents of a village recently devastated by flooding tell of the rush to protect their loved ones after battling in vain to prevent the dam from breaking.

Sky Farmers: The Rise of China’s Agricultural Drone Pilots

China’s agricultural drone industry is helping to transform farming but faces numerous growing pains.

Last Stop: Looking Past the Stigma Facing China’s Morticians

A long-serving mortuary technician in Shanghai explains the tough conditions he faces in the workplace and the societal prejudices that persist against his profession.

Shanghai’s Pocket Parks: Flourishing Gems and Forgotten Gardens

These micro landscapes dot the city, providing nooks of nature in urban neighborhoods. But while some thrive, others are struggling to survive.

How Visually Impaired Engineers Are Guiding China’s Accessibility Efforts

A team of partially sighted software programmers in Shenzhen is improving information accessibility by helping developers eliminate the many obstacles facing disabled users.

White Hat, Black Hat: Bringing Hackers Out of the Shadows

An annual competition is aiming to change attitudes toward “white hat” hackers, as industry experts warn companies about the risks of underinvestment in cybersecurity.

Room to Maneuver as Shanghai’s Rental Market Steadies

Lower income expectations and the growing supply of subsidized housing are affecting prices, but fluctuations mostly reflect traditional seasonal trends.

Has the ‘Double Eleven’ Shopping Festival Lost its Luster?

The annual online shopping festival has continued to falter as an overabundance of sales seasons and opaque pricing strategies cause fatigue among consumers.

Fighting ALS: Former JD.com VP in Race Against Time

Cai Lei, the former vice president of e-commerce giant JD.com, has strived to raise awareness and funding to support research into treating the fatal disease.

The Astronomer Who Calmed China’s UFO Craze

When sightings of celestial phenomena surged in China in the ’80s, researcher Liu Yan’s letters helped keep people’s feet on the ground.