Mads Vesterager Nielsen
Mads Vesterager Nielsen has a background in China studies from the University of Copenhagen. When he is not working in Beijing he rides a motorbike to far-flung corners of the People’s Republic and performs guitar with local musicians. His interests include intercultural dissemination, society and local politics, as well as EU-China and government-business relations.
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Retracing the Long March: Arriving at the revolutionary capital
In this final part of a three-part dispatch, Mads Vesterager Nielsen arrives at the revolutionary capital of Yan’an, Shaanxi province, to conclude a 6,500-kilometer trip. Along the way, he encounters flooded roads, livestreamers, and priests.
Retracing the Long March: Middle-class dreams and mudslides
From 1934 to 1935, the Communist Party of China made a strategic retreat across the country, taking a circuitous 12,500-kilometer route that has been christened “The Long March.” Last summer, Mads Vesterager Nielsen retraced this route on motorbike. This is Part 2 of his three-part dispatch.
Retracing the Long March: A red pilgrimage on motorbike
Last summer, Mads Vesterager Nielsen set out on a 6,500-kilometer journey on his motorbike from Ruijin, Jiangxi to Yan’an, Shaanxi, retracing the movement of the Red Army from 1934 to 1935.
Bishan, revisited: Lessons from a ‘rural utopia’ in central China
The Bishan Project was a radical — and short-lived — rural experiment that left a mark on Chinese governance and art. Five years after its closure, we consider whether it was ahead of its time, or if it ever had a chance.
Spirituality and politics inside a Chinese Buddhist temple
In China, Buddha is back in business. But for those who run Buddhist temples, there’s a fine line that is walked between worship and politics.
Populism with buttons: How a Chinese military overcoat came to symbolize an era
The jundayi — which translates literally to “big military overcoat” — began as standard-issue winter-wear for the People’s Liberation Army. It would go on to keep an entire generation of Chinese people warm.
Meeting the Darkhad, the soul guards of Genghis Khan
For nearly 800 years, the Darkhad have claimed to be the official guardians of the soul of Genghis Khan. But controversy abounds.
One song under Heaven: A history of China’s national anthems
A survey of nearly 150 years of Chinese history through the country’s official and unofficial national anthems.
Chasing the Yellow River across the heartlands of China
In early May, Mads Vesterager Nielsen set out on a planned five-month motorbike odyssey across China. Anxiety over coronavirus has slowed him down here and there, but only a little.