Mao Xinyu, the Chairman’s potbellied grandson
Xinyu, which means "New Universe," was given his name by his grandfather, Chairman Mao himself. He has never been able to live up to either his first or last name.
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Yu the Great, tamer of China’s greatest floods
Yu the Great harnessed water — and nature. During a time when floods constantly wrecked havoc on China's countryside, Emperor Yu's innovations in dredging, dikes, and divisions turned him into a legend.
Yuan Longping, the man who feeds China
Known as "the Father of Hybrid Rice," Yuan Longping is a national icon who has increased rice grain yields to levels previously thought impossible. This nonagenarian isn't showing signs of slowing down, either.
The emperor who rules the emperors
The Jade Emperor is the head honcho of the divine Daoist pantheon, the mysterious “Lord of Heaven," a vague guiding entity awarding dynasties with the “Mandate of Heaven.” But he has also been mocked through the ages, his history a strange combination of majesty and comedy, pathos and bathos, inscrutable as the bureaucracy he heads and just as inept.
Li Ziqi, the new face of China’s countryside
Li Ziqi is one of China's most popular vloggers, with 50 million subscribers across domestic platforms — plus another 11 million on YouTube. Her videos show viewers a world they've lost: A countryside of simple beauty and purposeful work, devoid of the daily stresses of modern living.
The Chinese idol who sparked an online war
Xiao Zhan is known for his boyish good looks and — well, mostly that. But he found himself at the center of an online firestorm earlier this year, resulting in the ban of the popular website Archive of Our Own (AO3), a boycott, dropped corporate sponsorships, and a government campaign aimed at curbing “fan culture.”
Huo Yuanjia, kung fu master who stood up for China’s honor
Chinese Lives is a weekly series that looks at notable figures from all eras of Chinese history. This week: Huo Yuanjia, who answered the call when China's opponents called it the "Sick Man of Asia."
Viya, China’s most popular (and hardest-working) livestreamer
Chinese Lives is a weekly series that looks at notable figures from all eras of Chinese history. This week: Viya, the face of China's “ecommerce livestreaming” boom.
Jiang Yanyong, Tiananmen doctor and forgotten SARS whistleblower
Chinese Lives is a weekly series that looks at notable figures from all eras of Chinese history.