A group blog about Chinese tech, media and design
Titanic 3D is out. Yes, we all know this, the world over. The film is expected to make hundreds of millions in China alone.
But it will be missing the nudity scene. I remember watching the Colbert Report and seeing James Cameron report that the reason it was cut was because censors feared…
Continue readingChinese Weibos: The Meme Behind the Titanic 3D Censorship Hoax
Real name registration has come and gone. The article Tricia and I penned for Wired noted some of the dangers behind the requirements to register one’s real name (it’s quite rigorous – you have to include your identification card):
Continue readingReal Name Registration One Month Later
Any foreigner who’s visited a Chinese city notices it right away. It’s one of the most dominant memories of the main cityscapes I’ve witnessed across China, from Hong Kong to Chonqging to Shanghai to Beijing. Smog. And lots…
Continue readingHow Memes and Infographics Are Driving the Push for Clean Air
Lei Feng. He’s like a 20th century, Chinese Cincinnatus (minus the part about being an emperor), a humble servant of the people. An early member of the Communist youth corps, Lei joined the People’s Liberation Army and died in…
Continue readingLearn from Lei Feng — The Meme
Those of us following China have noticed the increasing tensions between Hong Kong and mainlanders. More and more mainland women have been crossing the border into Hong Kong to have babies, where their children can expect to receive better healthcare and a coveted Hong Kong passport, which offers more freedoms and privileges. Hong Kong citizens on the…
Continue readingLocusts and Pandas and Bears… 哦麦 (o mai)!
As I thought about how to kick off the China Meme Report, I was overwhelmed. The Chinese internet is huge–some 500 million people are logging on each day, and nearly half of those are using microblogs. As in Twitter, Chinese microblogs like Sina Weibo and Tencent Weibo are feeding grounds of some amazing memes.
Fortunately,…
Continue readingA Curated History of the Grass Mud Horse Song
Chunjie aka Spring Festival aka Chinese New Year is here! It was my first month in China last year, and I had just moved to Beijing. I vividly remember dropping off my roommate at Beijing airport for her own participating in Chunyun–the elegant word-pairing that sums up…
Continue readingThe Last Train Home: Following One Migrant Family’s Struggles
Image courtesy Scallop Holden on a Creative Commons License.
With the world’s eyes on North Korea right now, it’s important to remember the role of China in this story. As the North’s primary ally, China will be playing a critical role in the coming months and years as the leadership transition plays out.
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Continue readingIs China a Telecom Bridge to North Korea?