Life in China
A short 2020 article on a Chinese online survey about taking phones into the bathroom to listen to music, watch videos or study. The update explains why its '90%' headline is not a verified national statistic and should not describe current behaviour.
Chinese Culture
The Dragon Boat Festival (端午节, Duānwǔ Jié) falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. This article explains why dragon boats are raced, who the poet Qu Yuan was and the customs linked to the festival.
Life in China
A short article on a 2018 Chinese consumer report about sleep, in which many respondents described difficulty sleeping. The update explains that reported poor sleep is not the same as a clinical insomnia diagnosis and when to seek professional help.
Life in China
A 2020 snapshot of China's space program, from the Long March rocket family to the Long March-5 launch of the Tianwen-1 Mars mission in July 2020. The FAQ adds what happened next and explains why the article is not a complete launch count.
Chinese Culture
Baozi (包子) are Chinese filled buns with many regional shapes, cooking methods and fillings, so there is no single official number of kinds. This article introduces popular varieties such as baked buns, custard buns, BBQ pork buns and soup dumplings.
Chinese Culture
Before Chinese New Year, many families give the home a thorough clean, and some traditions avoid sweeping on New Year's Day so good fortune is not swept out the door. This article explains these beliefs and notes that customs vary by family and region.
Chinese Culture
As of August 2026, UNESCO lists 61 World Heritage properties in China. The original article described a July 2019 snapshot of 55 sites, so its breakdown should be read as historical. The FAQ explains how and why the total changes.
Chinese Culture
Most of the world's words for tea come from Chinese 茶. Forms like 'tea' trace to the Min pronunciation 'te', while 'cha' and 'chai' come from 'chá'. This article explains how the two spread and why the sea vs land story is a simplification.
Chinese Culture
The idea that every Chinese person knows kung fu is a pop-culture stereotype. This article explains what Chinese martial arts are, how films and stars like Bruce Lee shaped the image abroad, and what the wuxia genre is.
Chinese Characters
Chinese calligraphy developed alongside the Chinese script itself, from inscriptions on oracle bones to seal, clerical, cursive, regular and running scripts. This article outlines that evolution and why calligraphy is valued as an art, not just handwriting.
Life in China
This article summarizes how the GaWC world cities ranking classified Chinese cities in 2018. The FAQ explains what GaWC measures and why it differs from China's commonly used domestic city-tier system, so rankings should be read with their date and source.
Chinese Characters
There is no single verified number of characters every Chinese speaker knows. A useful official benchmark is China's List of Commonly Used Standard Chinese Characters, whose first level has 3,500 high-frequency characters. The FAQ compares this with HSK words.