SOCIETY

Scavenging for Door Plates: The Forgotten Stories of Urban Villagers

How one married couple made a museum out of scavenged belongings, honoring the stories of China’s migrant workers

SOCIETY

Writing on the Wall: A Brief History of China’s Guerrilla Ads

Since their first appearance in the 1990s, China’s ubiquitous “little ads“ have evolved alongside the cities they serve

FOOD

Stripped Down: The Story Behind China’s Favorite Snack

How simple, greasy, cheap “latiao” (literally ”spicy strips“) became the people’s snack

SOCIETY

Glimpse Inside China’s Vanishing Garment Hub

As the garment industry of Guangzhou’s Kanglu area winds down to its last days, TWOC captures life in for the 100,000 workers and factory bosses in its urban villages

LIFE

After Hours: The Unseen Lives of China’s Public Sleepers

From migrant workers seeking refuge to budget-conscious tourists, public sleeping in China reveals a tapestry of urban social dynamics

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
SOCIETY

Why China’s Gen Z Migrant Workers Are Leaving the Assembly Line

More educated, autonomous, and aware of their rights than the previous generation, China’s newest migrant workers are ditching factory work for the digital economy

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
SOCIETY

The Aging Migrant Workers Who Can’t Afford to Retire

With a growing urban-rural gap and lack of social security, China’s first-generation migrant workers are heading back to the workplace

GALLERY

When Art Meets the Authenticity of Labor

How performance artist Li Liao, famous for his 45-day stint on Foxconn’s assembly lines in 2012, became a delivery driver to pay the bills

SOCIETY

Behind the Scenes at China’s Christmas Factories

It’s always holiday season in Yiwu, a “fourth-tier” Chinese city where migrant workers churn out two-thirds of the world’s Christmas decorations

SOCIETY

The Workers in Limbo During Guangzhou’s Covid Outbreak

Workers in Guangzhou’s urban villages face days living on the streets as their residences restrict entry