China’s two Palace Museums and their battle over legitimacy
China's two Palace Museums — one in Beijing, one in Taipei — both claim theirs is the real, legitimate museum. It's a story steeped in history and the cross-strait rivalry.
The SupChina Signal — A Primer on Modern China
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TikTok: The one China-based app to explode globally
TikTok is now the only China-based app to gain significant traction overseas. As a result, its experience serves as a natural experiment in how foreign regulators react to such a situation.
China’s mental health care is improving, but stigma and politics still get in the way
Once deemed a symptom of “wrong” political thinking, mental illness has a fraught history in the People’s Republic. While the last two decades have seen rapid development in mental health care in China, there remain significant problems with stigma from an under-informed public, the government’s preoccupation with political stability, and under-resourcing. As a result, many are unable to access the services they desperately need, while others are forced into unnecessary treatment.
Poetry and protest: That other Tiananmen incident
In 1976, in Tiananmen, poetry became a subtle vehicle for civil protest. Understanding why poetry was used to express dissent, and how the government responded, would inform events 13 years later.
The life and work of Jia Zhangke, Chinese auteur
Jia Zhangke belongs to a generation of Chinese filmmakers who became disillusioned with big-budget productions that avoid addressing China’s social problems. His movies go a long way toward rectifying that.
A brief history of the qipao: China’s sexiest dress
The qípáo 旗袍, sometimes referred to as a cheongsam (长衫 chángshān), is a traditional garment that has recently experienced a renaissance. To understand the importance of the qipao in our modern times, we have to know its history.
A Chinese scholar at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem
In the early part of the previous century, China and its people were ravenous for ideas from outside their borders. One scholar traveled the globe, only understanding his own country when he got to the other side of the world.
Why does China admire the Jews?
Judaism is not one of China's five officially "approved" religions. However, China's relationship with the Jewish people and their religion is more complicated than you think.
China’s poverty-shaming social assistance system and the urgent need for reform
China boasts the largest social assistance system in the world by number of beneficiaries. In theory, this guarantees a basic standard of living for all citizens. Yet invasive income- and asset-testing measures and flawed implementation mean that many eligible citizens never receive full support, and those who do are often left stigmatized and isolated.
Who are the 15 arrested Hong Kong pro-democracy leaders?
On April 18, Hong Kong police arrested 15 well-known pro-democracy leaders for their roles in allegedly organizing and participating in unlawful mass assemblies last August and October. Ryan Tang explains who each of these leaders is.