TV

Three-Body Conundrum: Why Liu Cixin’s Trilogy Defies Adaptation

Three-Body’s epic scale and its fiercely guarded fan base present challenges to adaptations

FILM

China’s Revolutionary Youth on Screen

Three movies and one TV series to learn about the May Fourth Movement, one of China’s most important protests

ENTERTAINMENT

High Stakes in Short Takes: China’s Booming Micro-Drama Business

Insider anxiety, regulatory scrutiny, and widespread criticism challenge the micro-drama industry in sustaining its billion-dollar saga

FILM

5 Monster Shows and Films for Hungry Ghost Festival

Ghosts might be restricted on Chinese screens, but there are plenty of monster films to watch this Zhongyuan Festival

FOOD

Powered By Steamy Gossip: Stories From 100 Breakfast Stalls

A TV director traveled all around China filming traditional breakfasts, and became a morning meal convert in the process

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
BOOKS

Can China’s Detective Novels Finally Make Crime Pay?

China’s long quest to produce a great crime novel

MUSIC

Is China’s Boy Band Boom Over?

Ten years ago, TFBoys spurred a boom in Chinese boy bands. But now fan fatigue, investor apathy, and the pandemic threaten to burst the pop star bubble.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
FILM

Nü Perspectives: Striving for Better Female Characters on Chinese Screens

Do female characters in Chinese cinema and TV pass the Bechdel test?

TV

TV Show Highlights the Lives of Professional Hostesses

A popular thriller set in 1980s Taiwan humanizes the women behind a difficult and stigmatized profession

ENTERTAINMENT

Will Reality TV Save Chinese Stand-Up Comedy?

Why did comedy show “Rock & Roast” get famous—and will its popularity last?