China Stories
1,008 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 months ago - ★★★★★ - 50 ratingsChina Stories from the Sinica Network on The China Project brings you audio narration of the best articles and op-eds appearing in Sixth Tone, Caixin Global, Week in China, The World of Chinese, and of course The China Project. Subscribe to the podcast and you can listen to features on the go, with narrators who won’t butcher the pronunciation of Chinese names and words.
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Episodes
[The China Project] The ‘11-9 incident’: When police fired on Chinese student protesters
November 11, 2022 21:13 - 9 minutes - 8.66 MBIn November 1928, students marched through the streets of Harbin. When they began forcing their way through police lines, things turned violent. Click here to read the article by James Carter. Narrated by Kaiser Kuo. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The World of Chinese] Snap judgment: Photographing ethnic groups, sans stereotype
November 11, 2022 21:12 - 14 minutes - 13 MBNo headdresses, no vacant stares: How young artists challenge the parameters of “ethnic” photography. Click here to read the article by Siyi Chu. Narrated by Cliff Larsen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Caixin Global] Illuminating the silver screen for the visually impaired
November 11, 2022 21:10 - 7 minutes - 7.28 MBRecent changes in copyright law and regulation are helping make film accessible for China’s 17 million people with visual impairments. Click here to read the article by Wu Hongyao, Qin Jianhang and Cai Xuejiao. Narrated by Elyse Ribbons. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The World of Chinese] How small-town budget brands conquered China’s biggest cities
November 11, 2022 21:09 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBThe pandemic and a slowing economy have seen Chinese consumers flock to low-price brands, from milk tea to clothing. Click here to read the article by Sam Davies. Narrated by Cliff Larsen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Sixth Tone] What happens when women are the breadwinners?
November 08, 2022 20:57 - 7 minutes - 6.99 MBBetter educated and professionally successful, rising numbers of middle-class women are flipping the script on traditional gender and marital norms. Click here to read the article by Pei Yuxin. Narrated by Kim Dalrymple. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Sixth Tone] Love, death, and ghosts in the Chinese underworld
November 08, 2022 20:56 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBCan ghosts fall in love? For China’s greatest spinners of scary tales, they might have been the only ones who truly could. Click here to read the article by Fu Mengxing. Narrated by Kaiser Kuo. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The China Project] Beijing’s favorite Bolshevik
November 04, 2022 21:04 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBIn this excerpt from Destination Peking, abridged and lightly edited for The China Project, author Paul French introduces us to Lev Karakhan, a Bolshevik whose work as the Soviet Union’s first ambassador to China earned him the trust of the early Chinese republic’s most powerful leaders. Click here to read the article by Paul French. Narrated by Cliff Larsen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-...
[The China Project] The rise of Empress Dowager Cixi
November 04, 2022 20:59 - 10 minutes - 9.29 MBThe Empress Dowager Cixi was only 26 when she took over as China's ruler. She remained on top for the next half-century. How did she navigate the perilous halls of imperial power to become known as the most powerful woman in Chinese history? Click here to read the article by James Carter. Narrated by Kaiser Kuo. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The World of Chinese] Trick or reincarnation: The curious case of Tang Jiangshan
November 04, 2022 20:57 - 8 minutes - 7.5 MBA Hainan man who claims to be living a double life remains one of China’s greatest mysteries. Click here to read the article by Siyi Chu. Narrated by Sarah Kutulakos. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Sixth Tone] ‘Consumption downgrade’: Buffets in China enjoy a revival
November 04, 2022 20:54 - 6 minutes - 5.7 MBDiners are ready for all-you-can-eat deals as they seek more for their money. Click here to read the article by Luo Meihan. Narrate by Elyse Ribbons. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Sixth Tone] Shanghai’s forgotten children
November 02, 2022 01:21 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBWhen a deadly famine struck China in the early 1960s, the city evacuated thousands of children to remote herding communities in Inner Mongolia. Six decades later, they’re still there. Click here to read the article by Li Yijuan and Ni Dandan. Narrated by Kaiser Kuo. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The China Project] Beijingers are tired but resigned to COVID zero
November 01, 2022 20:42 - 6 minutes - 6.32 MBPorta potties, blue fences, and angry old men: What does community lockdown in Beijing look like? Click here to read the article by Anthony Tao. Narrated by Anthony Tao. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The China Project] Fans mourn loss of celebrity wildcat who helped underfunded Chinese zoo out of financial slump
November 01, 2022 20:38 - 6 minutes - 6.25 MBAt 3, the endangered feline became an internet sensation and a star attraction at a zoo that was struggling to make ends meet. Click here to read the article by Zhao Yuanyuan. Narrated by Kim Dalrymple. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The China Project] China’s Alamo: The real story behind ‘the 800 heroes’
October 28, 2022 19:48 - 8 minutes - 7.34 MBWith the world watching, 400-some Chinese soldiers defended the Sihang Warehouse in Shanghai against hundreds of thousands of Japanese invaders. What's the real story behind this glorified battle? Click here to read the article by James Carter. Narrated by Anthony Tao. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The World of Chinese] Industrial evolution: Turning old factories into new cultural parks
October 28, 2022 19:47 - 20 minutes - 19 MBCan heritage protection projects give new life to China’s abandoned factories? Click here to read the article by Yang Tingting. Narrated by Cliff Larsen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Caixin Global] China’s relocated chemical plants bring pollution problems with them
October 28, 2022 19:45 - 10 minutes - 9.17 MBResidents in the country’s central, western and northeastern regions say they have developed health problems from toxic fumes being emitted from facilities that used to operate in more prosperous coastal areas. Click here to read the article by Yang Yuqi, Qin Jianhang and Wang Xintong. Narrated by Elyse Ribbons. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The World of Chinese] Protecting the rice bowl: China’s relentless quest for food security
October 25, 2022 19:52 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBWith Covid-19 affecting domestic farming and global food supplies, can China ever reach its goal of food security? Click here to read the article by Sam Davies. Narrated by Kaiser Kuo. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Caixin Global] Does China really need that much more coal-fired electricity?
October 25, 2022 19:51 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBFollowing two summers of power shortages, authorities make an about-face on coal generation, but critics argue that China really needs an electricity-market overhaul. Click here to read the article by Wang Jing, Fan Ruohong and Denise Jia. Narrated by Sylvia Franke. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Sixth Tone] On China’s job platforms, a furious struggle over sexual harassment
October 25, 2022 19:50 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBChina’s women are waging a determined campaign to get sexual predators blacklisted from major job sites. But the growing restrictions on feminist discourse present enormous obstacles. Click here to read the article by Lars Hamer. Narrated by Kim Dalrymple. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Caixin Global] How the collapse of China’s housekeeping platforms hurt workers
October 25, 2022 19:49 - 6 minutes - 5.88 MBFailures following costly, rapid expansion of ill-managed businesses left poor women from rural areas holding the bag, in addition to clients and investors. Click here to read the article by Liu Ran and Denise Jia. Narrated by Sarah Kutulakos. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Sixth Tone] Micro-dosing nostalgia with China’s miniature modelers
October 21, 2022 19:49 - 9 minutes - 8.7 MBAfter decades of development and tear-downs, a new breed of model workers are helping Chinese recapture the long-gone countryside of their youth. Click here to read the article by Tomás Pinheiro. Narrated by Elyse Ribbons. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The China Project] What led to the burning of Beijing’s Old Summer Palace?
October 21, 2022 19:45 - 8 minutes - 7.72 MBYuanmingyuan had already been looted by foreign armies earlier in the month. But European powers wanted to further punish the Qing emperor, and so decided, in mid-October 1860, to set fire to the fabled "Garden of Eternal Brightness." Click here to read the article by James Carter. Narrated by Anthony Tao. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The World of Chinese] The blast that nearly destroyed Beijing
October 21, 2022 19:44 - 9 minutes - 8.58 MBThe Wanggongchang Explosion continues to mystify historians almost 400 years later. Click here to read the article by Jeremiah Jenne. Narrated by Cliff Larsen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Sixth Tone] In China, social media is fueling dangerous beauty trends — for babies
October 21, 2022 19:42 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBMany Chinese parents believe it’s their duty to ensure their children conform to traditional beauty standards. That’s driving the rise of troubling — and, in some cases, potentially life-threatening — infant beauty products. Click here to read the article by Ni Dandan and Jiang Xinyi. Narrated by Sylvia Franke. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Caixin Global] The people behind a 10-year murder-for-cash spree in rural China
October 18, 2022 19:57 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBHow a gang led by Chen Lijun killed a dozen people in coal mines to collect death compensation payments from owners who wouldn’t report them to the authorities. Click here to read the article by Wang Heyan and Han Wei. Narrated by Kaiser Kuo. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Caixin Global] TikTok is the world's most popular app. Can it make money?
October 18, 2022 19:56 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBByteDance has ditched IPO plans as its flagship global product struggles to turn a profit amid tightening regulations. Click here to read the article by Guan Cong and Han Wei. Narrated by Jenny McKenzie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The World of Chinese] After Covid, another kind of isolation
October 18, 2022 19:55 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MBMonths after recovery, some former Covid-19 patients struggle with job discrimination, dating stigma, and even separate testing queues. Click here to read the article by Shihuan Chen. Narrated by Kim Dalrymple. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The China Project] White Wolf: The great bandit of early Republican China
October 14, 2022 20:19 - 9 minutes - 8.99 MBConsidered a Chinese Robin Hood by his followers and a “common pest” by his enemies — to say nothing of bandit, murderer — Bai Lang achieved notoriety and power during the early years of Republican Era China. He may have been the country’s last famous bandit. Click here tor read the article by James Carter. Narrated by John Darwin Van Fleet. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Sixth Tone] In a rural Chinese county, progress is measured by the worm
October 14, 2022 20:19 - 7 minutes - 6.5 MBChina’s upcoming National Party Congress will be dominated by talk of grand narratives, strategies, and slogans. But in Wubu County, locals are focused on more down-to-earth matters. Click here to read the article by Wu Peiyue. Narrated by Sarah Kutulakos. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The World of Chinese] The British spy who cracked the secret to Chinese tea
October 14, 2022 20:18 - 9 minutes - 9.05 MBHow a 19th-century act of “corporate espionage” changed world history. Click here to read the article by Tyler Roney. Narrated by Cliff Larsen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Caixin Global] Why China’s regulators have cough medicine in their sights
October 11, 2022 20:04 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBAbusing over-the-counter medications to get high is easy in China due to the prevalence of online pharmacies and delivery apps. Click here to read the article by Jiang Moting, Fan Qiaojia, Chen Pengduo and Kelly Wang. Narrated by Jenny McKenzie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The China Project] Chinese billionaire Richard Liu settles U.S. sexual assault lawsuit out of court
October 11, 2022 20:02 - 6 minutes - 6.37 MBFinancial terms of the settlement, announced in a joint statement from attorneys for both parties on Saturday, were not revealed. Click here to read the article by Zhao Yuanyuan. Narrated by Kim Dalrymple. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The China Project] The coal that powered China to prosperity
October 07, 2022 19:58 - 10 minutes - 9.89 MBIn October of 1901, General Zeng Qi asked the emperor of China for permission to open a coal mine. So began a century-long rat race to power China’s industrialization. Click here to read the article by James Carter. Narrated by John Darwin Van Fleet. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Caixin Global] The valiant, tragic tale of an American missionary in Nanjing
October 07, 2022 19:57 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBEducator Minnie Vautrin stayed in the city during the infamous Japanese massacre in World War II, protecting thousands of women who took refuge at her college. Click here to read the article by Ya Shalong. Narrated by Cliff Larsen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The World of Chinese] Greatest mysteries: The story of China’s most famous UFO sighting
October 07, 2022 19:56 - 9 minutes - 8.3 MBIn 1994, a woodcutter claimed to have a date with a 3-meter-tall female alien, and never wavered from his story since. Click here to read the article by Sam Davies. Narrated by Sarah Kutulakos. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Caixin Global] The shadowy businessman behind a multibillion-dollar bank swindle
October 07, 2022 19:55 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBLü Yi built a massive business network on billions of yuan in fraudulent loans and turned rural banks into personal ATMs. Then he vanished. Click here to read the article by Sun Liangzi and Han Wei. Narrated by Kaiser Kuo. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The China Project] The origins of Peking Opera
October 04, 2022 20:01 - 9 minutes - 9.11 MBIronically for a form that takes a specific location as its name, Peking Opera is best understood as a blend of many different regional styles, with influences from both low and high culture on its development. Click here to read the article by James Carter. Narrated by John Darwin Van Fleet. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The World of Chinese] Turtle eggs and scorpion hearts: The colorful world of Chinese cursing
October 04, 2022 20:00 - 8 minutes - 7.81 MBDiscover China’s favorite swear words and their cultural contexts. Click here to read the article by Siyi Chu and Vickie Wang. Narrated by Kaiser Kuo. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Caixin Global] The heated fight against facial recognition scams
October 04, 2022 19:59 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBChina’s financial industry uses the technology tens of millions of times a day for identity verification, but criminals race ahead in finding ways to exploit vulnerabilities. Click here to read the article by Wang Shiyu, Zhang Yuzhe, Liu Ran, Wang Juanjuan, Wang Liwei and Han Wei. Narrated by Jenny McKenzie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The China Project] Temple excursions booming among Chinese youth
October 04, 2022 19:56 - 7 minutes - 6.58 MBAccording to government data, there are currently more than 33,000 Buddhist temples in China. An increasing number of them find themselves hosting urban youth who seek an escape from the rat race. Click here to read the article by Jay Zhuang. Narrated by Kim Dalrymple. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The World of Chinese] Arms up! How radio exercises live on in modern China
September 30, 2022 19:10 - 8 minutes - 7.5 MBHow a German tradition from 1803 affects the massage parlors of China today. Click here to read the article by Ginger Huang. Narrated by Sarah Kutulakos. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Caixin Global] The double squeeze on China’s ‘sandwich generation’
September 30, 2022 19:09 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBThose born under the one-child policy face the demands of rearing their own children while providing care for their aging parents. Click here to read the article by Huang Huizhao, Chen Junke and Denise Jia. Narrated by Elyse Ribbons. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Sixth Tone] Writer, inventor, brother: A requiem for a farmer
September 27, 2022 19:54 - 9 minutes - 8.43 MBDespite many hardships, Fan Yun always had lofty ambitions. Click here to read the article by Fan Yusu. Narrated by Cliff Larsen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Sixth Tone] What if China misdiagnosed its rural malaise?
September 27, 2022 19:46 - 10 minutes - 9.86 MBLed by outspoken activist-scholars, the combative “central China school of rural studies” believes it knows the source of rural society’s problems. Not everyone in the field agrees, however. Click here to read the article by Liao Yue. Narrated by Jenny McKenzie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The China Project] Shanghairen
September 27, 2022 19:42 - 10 minutes - 9.68 MBA visual ode to China's biggest metropolis. Click here to read the article by Neocha. Narrated by Cliff Larsen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The China Project] From battlefield glory to gruesome execution: The fall of Yuan Chonghuan
September 23, 2022 19:35 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBHow did Yuan Chonghuan, who achieved one of China’s greatest military victories and ascended to the highest ranks of government, fall so far from favor that he ended up executed by lingchi, death by a thousand cuts? Click here to read the article by James Carter. Narrated by John Darwin Van Fleet. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Sixth Tone] The winners of China’s housing bust: Burnouts and beach bums
September 23, 2022 19:34 - 10 minutes - 9.64 MBSituated in scenic towns and all but free, they’re the perfect flats for lying flat. Read the article by Jiang Xinyi and Fan Yiying. Narrated by Ryan Cunningham. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[Caixin Global] Verdict reversal in high-profile murder stands out amid exoneration trend
September 23, 2022 19:32 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MBWhen Chang Linfeng’s conviction for killing his wife was overturned in 2013, the ruling was praised for exemplifying a push toward the rule of law. It has since been reinstated. Click here to read the article by Zhang Yichuan and Kelly Wang. Narrated by Nandini Venkata. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The China Project] Tattoos as female power: Wearing female experiences on the skin
September 23, 2022 19:22 - 8 minutes - 7.45 MBPink elephants, fish, genitalia: For young feminists in China, tattoos have become a way to express their womanhood and take back their bodies. Click here to read the article by Wanqing Chen. Narrated by Sarah Kutulakos. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[The World of Chinese] Speaking up: Can social media save China’s dialects?
September 20, 2022 20:01 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBContent in dialects is booming on social media, but is that enough to save them from extinction? Click here to read the article by Siyi Chu. Narrated by Elyse Ribbons. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.