Practical guides to Mandarin pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, Chinese characters, culture and effective learning strategies.
Life in China
'996' describes a schedule of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week, associated with parts of China's tech industry. This article explains the term and the debate around it, and the FAQ covers whether mandatory 996 is lawful and why it doesn't describe every workplace.
Life in China
China has experienced a substantial rise in overweight and obesity. This article looks at official 2018 monitoring data and the lifestyle factors involved, and the update explains why the headline's 'largest number in the world' ranking is not a stable comparison.
Life in China
Food delivery is part of everyday urban life in China. This article looks at reported numbers of delivery riders and the jobs linked to platforms such as Meituan, and the update explains why platform rider counts are not the same as full-time jobs.
Chinese Culture
Hotpot (火锅) suits China's lively, shared dining culture: everyone cooks from one pot and picks their own ingredients and sauces. This article explains its popularity and how hotpot styles vary from region to region.
Life in China
Skiing has long been a niche sport in China, limited by climate and venues, but it grew ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. This article summarizes industry figures on ski areas and skier visits from around 2019 and explains what the data can and cannot show.
Life in China
A look at online shopping in China around 2019, comparing the Singles' Day (11.11) festival with Black Friday. The update adds documented 2019 figures on online shoppers and Singles' Day participation and notes which headline figures are unverified.