A group blog about Chinese tech, media and design
Spurred by this article on MOOCs taken hold in Hong Kong, I decided to do a survey on MOOC adoption by Chinese institutions. I did not, as you can see, survey any Chinese MOOC platforms (are there any?), so it’s a bit of a biased selection.
Entrepreneur ShaoLan Hsueh has teamed up with designer-illustrator Noma Bar to breathe new life into the age old practice of teaching kids Chinese characters using its pictorial etymology. And they need your support for their Kickstarter campaign.
Even though the campaign over sells itself (with prosaic catchphrases like “The real agenda behind…
Continue readingChinese etymology meets modern graphic design
The third volume of “Understanding China through Comics” continues Liu’s epic quest to chronicle all of ancient Chinese history in comic form. As with the first two volumes, the book zips through Chinese history, in this case 907 to 1368 AD, with text and illustrations.
Liu spends more of the third volume explaining Chinese cultural ideology and geopolitical context than…
“Factory Towns of South China: An Illustrated Guidebook” is, despite its title, more social science research than it is a real guidebook. But within the realm of social science and urban planning, it compiles an incredible wealth of information – from the history and sociology of factory towns under communist rule to a peek at a day in the…
Continue readingBook review: Factory Towns of South China
First up, a modern rendition of the Zhangye Danxia (a classic landscape found only in China) by Rebecca Mok.
(Via Rebecca Mok Illustrates.)
Then, a classic Chinese landscape style rendering by Zao Lu…
(Via Co.Design.)
…except that Zao’s “paintings” are actually photoshopped pictures of trash…
Continue readingClassic & Modern Chinese Landscape Paintings: Which is which?
From the Atlantic, In Hong Kong, a Sanctuary for Banned Books:
Later that year we began to get mainland visitors from cities like Beijing and Tianjin who were traveling on their own. Our sign said “People’s Commune” in Chinese, and our logo was Mao Zedong’s face, so maybe that caught their eye. Sometimes, customers would ask…
Continue readingHow a bookstore evolved into becoming a banned books center in Hong Kong