Feature

Dark Humor: Comedian Shines Light on a Rare Disease

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

SIXTH TONE ×

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

Shanghai Observer

Meet the Robots That Run, Mix Drinks, and Play Table Tennis

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

Sixth Tone takes a closer look at some of the standout robots from this year’s China International Import Expo.

Sixth Tone

Chinese Livestreamers’ Latest Sales Tactic: Fake Life Crises

Livestream hosts are going to ever greater lengths to win viewers’ sympathy — from faking divorces to pretending their kids have been kidnapped.

Fan Yiying

A Forgotten Book Gets a Fresh Look

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

VOICES & OPINION

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

Flyover

20241106

A man performs a motorcycle jump over an aircraft at the Nanchang Air Show in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, Nov. 3, 2024. VCG

Talk in Your Sleep? You Could Be at Risk of a Stroke

Sleep talking, once considered harmless, is actually a strong predictor of severe health problems including strokes, researchers at China’s Fudan University have found.

DAILY TONES

DailyTones

At CIIE, China Vows Further Market Access, Global Partnership

Chinese Premier Li Qiang pledges gradual expansion of market access, says China stands ready to deploy further stimulus if needed.

Li Xin

Was China’s Teen Math Star Set Up to Succeed?

A 17-year-old student from a tiny Chinese village became a national sensation by reaching the final of a global math contest. Now, officials say her math teacher helped her.

He Qitong

Signs of Unity: Can China’s Deaf Community Find a Common Language?

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

While many deaf people in China want a standard sign language, there has also been resistance.

Luo Yahan

Her Dog Was Poisoned. Now She’s Fighting to Reform Pet Laws in China.

After her dog was poisoned, Li Yihan’s pursuit of justice has become a landmark legal battle, one that could bring significant changes to China’s approach to pet protection laws.

Ding Rui

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

Wu Huiyuan 

The Chinese Dining Chains Making a Play for World Domination

Hot pot and milk tea have become global phenomena, but most brands remain focused on countries closer to home.

Wang Jingyang

Nostalgia in the City: Shanghai in the Booming ’90s 

Shanghai in the 1990s is the subject of much nostalgic yearning. A new photography exhibition transports viewers back to this consequential period of the city’s — and country’s — history.

Wu Dong

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

Life on Call: Why Chinese Anesthesiologists Are Burning Out

Chinese anesthesiologists face a triple threat of high technical demands, high risks, and high workloads while remaining undervalued in the health care system.

The Paper

Lost and Found: Seeking Solace in Street View Snapshots

Netizens struggling with grief or homesickness are turning to street-level navigation apps in search of lost loved ones and former homes.

White Night Workshop

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Laos

Dongbei

Henan

Metro

Meet Ms. Hu: She Built a Garden From Chongqing’s Discarded Past

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

Q & A

Pan Zhiqi’s award-winning documentary “Ms. Hu’s Garden” follows one woman’s decadelong effort to preserve her neighborhood’s history amid Chongqing’s rapid redevelopment — creating a sanctuary from scrap and memory.

Mathew Scott

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.

Speed, Stress, Surveillance: The Human Toll of China’s Beverage Boom

Facing relentless demands and tight deadlines, workers in China’s beverage industry endure harsh conditions, leading to burnout, clashes with customers, and sparking widespread online debate.

Yin  Ziyuan 

Echoes of War: The Untold Story of the Lisbon Maru

The director of the hit documentary “The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru” shares the tears and triumphs he experienced in resurfacing a World War II tragedy.

The Women Living Alone — and Loving It — on Xiaohongshu

Vlogs about the single life are popular on the app, sometimes referred to as “China’s Instagram,” but are their stars as free as they seem?

Guo Jia

Rough Ride: A Woman’s Journey to Save Her Stallion

After her horse suffered a fractured leg, a Beijing mother spent six months and hundreds of thousands of yuan to get it back on its feet.