Snapshots of modern life in China, from work culture and online shopping to apps, cities and sports, with context on when each data point was reported.
Travel to China
A practical list of apps for travelling in China, grouped by need: communication (WeChat, REDnote), navigation and rides (Amap, DiDi), food and local services (Meituan, Dianping), payments (Alipay, WeChat Pay) and Chinese learning. Originally written for 2024 travel.
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.
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.
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.
Life in China
A December 2020 editorial snapshot of apps then common on phones in China, grouped into messaging, payments, shopping, food delivery, video, music, transport, maps and local reviews. It is not a current popularity ranking.
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.
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.