China: A Glass of Swine

“300 Shots at Greatness” introduced one of most distinctive alcohol in China. The distilled rice spirit, Yubingshao, has the taste of fat aroma as it is aged with jars filled with pig fat. The blogger describes the taste: I took a sip, and noted what appeared to be a flat,...

China Sentences Citizens’ Movement Icon Xu Zhiyong to Four Years in Prison

His imprisonment is part of a crackdown by new Chinese Communist Party leadership under President Xi Jinping against political liberals who have been trying to advocate for constitutional reform.

Xinjiang Cuisine: 5 Must-Eat Foods

Chinese Billionaire Activist's Confession and Release

Chinese billionaire activist Wang Gongquan, who was arrested and detained for more than 4 months, was released on bail after making “confessions” that he and another citizen right activist Xu Zhiyong had organized and incited criminal activities to assemble a crowd to disrupt order in public space. Offbeat China has...

China Arrests Ilham Tohti, Peaceful Advocate for Uyghur Minority

Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece Global Times accused university professor Ilham Tohti of being a separatist. His supporters maintain he opposes violence and independence for the Uyghur people.

Lunar New Year Ad From A Desperate Chinese Mom

The letter said: To my son Peng, I’ve made many calls to you, but you never picked up. This ad is probably the only thing that can reach you. Mom and dad won’t force you to get married any more. Please go back home for Spring Festival this year! Loving...

Most Annoying Emoticons and Expressions in Chinese Online Communication

An online survey has revealed a list of the most objectionable expressions and emoticons in online communication of 2013. More from Nanfang insider.

Chinese Civil Servants Demand Higher Salaries

People's Congress representative from Guangdong province suggested the government to increase civil servants’ salaries. Indeed their basic salaries are low, but they enjoy huge benefits and subsidies. The proposal immediately stirred up hot reactions from netizens. ChinaSMACK curates the story in English.

Indonesian Maid Says She Was Beaten, Starved and Burned in Hong Kong

Another damning case of foreign maid abuse has recently been exposed in Hong Kong. Activist groups are working together to end this modern-day slave system.

Hong Kong: An Outraging Elementary School Entry Examination Question

The answer to the question is “nothing”.

Another Indonesian Maid Tortured in Hong Kong

No Pants Subway Ride Day in Hong Kong

January 12 was set as the 2014 No Pants Subway Ride Day. The annual fun day originated from New York 13 years ago and entered Hong Kong in 2013. Yesterday was the second annual gathering in this city.

Chinese Professor Crawls Like A Dog For Losing Bet on Reform

Earlier in 2013 Chinese scholar Fan Zhongxin publicly wagered that the Chinese government would tackle the problem of official corruption by compelling them to disclose their income and holdings to the public by the end of the year. The punishment would be for him to crawl like a dog for...

Happy Hong Kong

Inspired by American rapper, Pharrell Williams’ viral music video, Happy, Hong Kong based French multimedia journalist Helene Franchineau made a local music video, Happy Hong Kong.

China and Hong Kong: Mocking The Motherland's Wind

A netizen uploaded a poem from primary school textbook which praises the wind blowing from China to Hong Kong as blessing. Very quickly the so-called brain washing poem has turned into a subject for mockery. Details from Dictionary of politically incorrect Hong Kong Cantonese.

China: Political Discourse in 2013

Qian Gang from China Media project analyzed the frequency of political terms in Chinese search engine, Baidu, and found the disappearance of terms like “constitutional rule” and “civil society” on the one hand, and the increase of terms like “Mao Zedong's thought” on the other.

Hong Kong: Seeing Kitsch in Art

kitsch presents us with a fantasy, and feelings and emotions that we may wish to have but are not central to our actual experience of self. It trades in models and stereotypes, that at best we may aspire to or wish to believe, but nevertheless tell us nothing about ourselves.

‘China New York Times'? Welcome to Tycoon Chen Guangbiao's Dream

"Without the belief of American freedom, can the New York Times still be the New York Times?"

China: Most Favorite Censored Micro-blogs

Jason Ng from Blocked in Weibo, a blog dedicated to monitor censorship in China twitter-like Weibo, picked five of his most favorite censored micro-blogs in 2013.

China: Beijing Rapper, Shuangzi

The Sound Stage, a Youbute Channel introducing Chinese independent music band, introduce Shuangzi, a Beijing Rapper in their latest episode.

One Year in Asia

Antoine Lavenant, with his girlfriend spent a year in Asia – China, Laos, Cambodia, Thaïland, Malaysia, Philippines and Sri Lanka. The video is a brief record of their exciting journey.