Underdogs Find Success in ‘Diaosi’ Identity
Originally an insult, the term diaosi (屌丝) has been appropriated by legions of tech-savvy Chinese youth to describe their experience living in a rapidly changing and often unjust society. After explaining the term’s...
Read MoreSensitive Words: Seven Don’t Mentions and More
As of May 10, the following search terms are blocked on Sina Weibo (not including the “search for user” function). Migrant Worker’s Death: 22-year-old Yuan Liya, who came to Beijing from Anhui Province, fell to her death...
Read MoreMinistry of Truth: All Types of Suicide Cases
The following censorship instructions, issued to the media by government authorities, have been leaked and distributed online. Central Propaganda Department: The media are to cover all types of suicide cases in strict accordance...
Read MorePole-Land: The Climate of Tibet
The Economist examines conflicting research into the effects of climate change on the Tibetan plateau and surrounding mountains, known collectively as Earth’s “Third Pole”: Until recently studies of the Third...
Read MoreWoeser: “Our Lhasa is on the Verge of Destruction!”
The Chinese government’s development of Tibet in recent years is resulting in the destruction of many historically and culturally significant areas, especially in Lhasa. A recent post by Tibetan writer Woeser looks at the...
Read MoreAmazeNews: At the Mercy of “Brother Emperor”
Qiwen Lu (奇闻录, AmazeNews) gathers “news of the weird” from China. It was voted Best Blog in Chinese in Deutsche Welle’s 2013 BOBS awards. The AmazeNews story below was first posted on May 8 as part of the ongoing series Scenes...
Read MoreAi Weiwei & Mo Yan on Publicity and Responsibility
In an interview and a recent speech, respectively, artist Ai Weiwei and Nobel-winning author Mo Yan expressed sharply different attitudes towards public exposure and social and political responsibility. From Bernhard Zand,...
Read MorePress Freedom, Other Topics Off Limits for Academics
The South China Morning Post reports on a directive allegedly being distributed to universities outlining seven topics professors are not permitted to discuss in class: Wang Jiangsong, a philosophy professor at the China...
Read MoreA Battle to Become Art Capital of China
With Beijing’s National Art Museum of China (Namoc) planning to open a new building in Olympic park displaying its contemporary collection in 2017, and Hong Kong’s M+ museum slated to open the same year, The New York...
Read MoreData Challenges ‘Tiger Mom’ Parenting Methods
When Amy Chua sounded her battle cry in 2011, first with the Wall Street Journal article “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior,” followed closely by her tongue-in-cheek parenting memoir Battle Hymn of the Tiger...
Read MoreChen Guangfu: “They Didn’t Appear to Be Farmers”
The harassment campaign against the family of blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng continues to mount, as Reuters reports that his eldest brother said that two government-hired thugs beat him on Thursday: Chen Guangfu, 56,...
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