Beijing's Doomsday Problem
on December 21, 2012
Over the past 10 days, China's been riveted by accounts of what authorities call a doomsday cult: the church of Almighty God.
Food For Thought
on December 21, 2012
Food companies play an ambivalent part in the fight against flab. China's packaged food sales are 3-4 times their 2002 level.
China’s Environment in 2012
on December 21, 2012
From mass protests to trade wars, shale-gas drilling to hazardous cosmetics, it’s been a topsy turvy twelve months for China’s environment. Here’s a quick refresher of the year that was.
When I Met Xi Jinping
on December 21, 2012
I was informed in late November that the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA) had invited me to a whole-day meeting in Beijing to discuss my impressions of the 18th National Party Congress and give advice to the Chinese government. I had no idea the meeting would include Xi Jinping, the party’s new general secretary.
Beijing’s Doomsday Problem
on December 21, 2012
Over the past ten days, China has been riveted by accounts of what authorities say are its very own doomsday cult: the church of Almighty God, which has prophesized that the world will end today. Authorities have said the group staged illegal protests and basically spun out of control, forcing them to arrest 1,000 members in the biggest crackdown on a spiritual movement since the Falun Gong sect was banned in 1999.
Stars in the Haze
A Short Video Flight Over Beijing
on December 20, 2012
Flying kites is the quintessential Chinese pastime. But “wind zithers” or “paper sparrow hawks,” as they are known in Chinese, also have a long history as tools. Over millennia, Chinese have used them for measuring the wind, gauging distances, and even sending secret messages across enemy lines in battle.
This short film chronicles FLOAT, a project that that puts both the playful and practical heritage of kites to work convincing Beijing residents that monitoring the city’s air quality can be as simple as child’s play.
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The New Chinese Gang of Seven
on December 20, 2012
In traditional Chinese religion, a fashi, or ritual master, will recite a set of phrases to turn an ordinary space into a sacred area where the gods can descend to receive prayers and rejuvenate the community. The ceremony can last days, with breaks and feasts, until the rites end and secular life resumes.
The Top 10 Chinese Internet Memes of 2012
on December 19, 2012
2012 saw social media supercharg one of contemporary China’s finest forms of cultural and political expression: the Internet meme.
Focus Media Makes Deal in Biggest China Leveraged Buyout
on December 19, 2012
Focus joins a growing number of Chinese stocks withdrawing from US exchanges after corporate governance concerns depressed their valuations.
China's Motorways: Get Your Kicks on Route G6
on December 19, 2012
China is building a motorway across the Tibetan plateau. For some, reaching Lhasa by road is the ultimate dream.