archive
Essay
Modern Variations On China's Traditional Themes
March 10, 2009 Many Chinese are convinced that whatever sort of modernization their country achieves, it must combine aspects of Chinese traditional culture with imported Western institutions.
The Upside Of 'Factory Girl' Life In China
October 14, 2008 Author Leslie Chang followed two girls from their rural homes in China to a city called Dongguan, where they became "factory girls." Life in these makeshift cities can be quite lucrative for hard-working ladies, she finds.
Filmmaker Detained In China
August 26, 2008 Chinese authorities detained a number of people believed to be aiding pro-Tibet protestors during the Olympics. Tom Grant, an independent filmmaker from New York City, was released Sunday after spending five days in a Beijing detention center.
In China, Lesbians Try To Win Favor With Roses
August 21, 2008 In China, homosexuality was regarded as a crime not so long ago. Now, lesbians are reaching out to Chinese society. Some are distributing roses at shopping malls. Others are making documentaries. They are making progress, but it's not an easy process, activists say.
China's Relationship With Humiliation Improves
August 15, 2008 For over 150 years, the Chinese have felt victimized and disrespected by foreign powers, says China scholar Orville Schell. With the Olympics, the country's leaders are hoping to regain honor as a great and powerful nation.
Reporter's Notebook
Beijing's Buildings Reflect Hierarchy Of Power
August 7, 2008 The city's most recent additions remain controversial. To some, they are tributes to rising national power, glittering wealth and soaring ambition. To others, they are monstrous monuments to mindless vanity.
Essay
Savoring The Spice In Kung Pao Chicken
August 6, 2008 Melissa Block learns how to cook the spicy dish at the Sichuan Higher Institute of Cuisine in Chengdu, China. The spice comes from the Sichuan peppercorn, which has a numbing power.
Chinese School Trains Next Generation Of Chefs
August 5, 2008 Chang Le is among students learning how to cook at The Sichuan Higher Institute of Cuisine in Chengdu. He hopes to get a job overseas, where he says he'll have more "stature" than if he were to stay in China.
American Rapper Eli Sweet Reflects On China
August 5, 2008 Atlanta native Eli Sweet moved to Chengdu, China, nearly two years ago to improve his Chinese and discover a new way of life. The energetic American raps in underground clubs with Chinese hip-hop artists. He says he encounters "an endless stream of adventure."
China: Glory For The Nation
China Trains Cheerleaders To Rally The Masses
July 25, 2008 The Chinese government is training 300,000 cheerleaders in the hopes that their peppy slogans will drown out any embarrassing lapses in sportsmanship at the Beijing Olympics. Still, such conformist cheerleading invites comparison to China's mass campaigns of the past.
China: Glory For The Nation
Sporting Fame Comes With Limits In China
July 24, 2008 With sporting fame comes corporate sponsorship, television appearances, and fat paychecks. But in China, athletes are expected to let the government manage their image and to hand over a substantial cut of their earnings.
China: Glory For The Nation
China Looks To Row Away With Most Gold Medals
July 23, 2008 To win the race for gold at this summer's Olympics, China has been looking to sports where the medals are plentiful. Many of these sports, like rowing, are not China's traditional strong suits.
China: Glory For The Nation
Many Chinese Athletes Find No Glory In Retirement
July 22, 2008 With little education, and training regimes that impose lifelong damage on their bodies, athletes from China's national sports system frequently find disability, poverty and unemployment in retirement.
China: Glory For The Nation
Boarding Schools Generate China's Sport Stars
July 21, 2008 Projecting athletic prowess has been a top priority for the Chinese government over the years. And it is some of the country's littlest citizens who must carry this responsibility. From the age of 4, select Chinese children are molded into the nation's elite athletes.
Chinese School Offers 'Loving' Home for Kids
July 8, 2008 Guan Ai — "loving care" in Chinese — is a boarding school in a poor, tiny village. Though it lacks frills, staff at Guan Ai has made an effort to foster warmth and creativity, and it is a refuge from the competitive environment at traditional schools.
