Chinese Society

Unlucky in love … or just left out of the market?

4 Mar 2013

The number of never-married women has increased in both Shanghai and Hong Kong over the last decade. But while these so-called leftover women are largely derided on the mainland, attitudes are...

5 comments

Can China's new leaders finally lay to rest ghosts of the Cultural Revolution?

4 Mar 2013

Once again, the term wen ge - short for the Cultural Revolution - is buzzing around China's web. This time, discussion was sparked by the trial last month of a man for an alleged murder in 1967,...

Outsider in search of the real China: Seong-hyon Lee

3 Mar 2013

Sunny Seong-hyon Lee, a 40-year-old South Korean who lives in Beijing, has a profound interest in exploring the complex nature of China. A Harvard University psychology graduate with a doctorate...

Migrant workers feel like outsiders in mainland cities, says survey

3 Mar 2013

Despite spending years working in mainland cities, migrant workers still feel like outsiders and say their only sense of happiness comes from their families, a Renmin University survey has found...

Signs of hope for gays on the mainland

27 Feb 2013

A young lesbian couple in Beijing complained they were treated with disrespect and were snubbed this week when they went to a district marriage registry to try and marry legally. They decided to...

Opinion

Wang Xiangwei

Super ministries may not be the right answer for mainland China

Alex Lo

Church developers remain unbowed by government rules

George Chen

A house is not a home until it becomes affordable

Author Chan Koonchung on the 'fat man' that is China

To stay well, the former Hong Kong publisher advises that one should do some dodging to accommodate the clumsy giant who has yet to learn how to co-ordinate his arms and legs.

3 comments

Revellers in face masks setting off fireworks sparks rethink of ritual

The spectacle of Beijingers wearing face masks as they set off firecrackers in smog-choked streets at the start of the Lunar New Year led many to ask themselves a question: is the noisy custom...

2 comments

China rediscovering a more tolerant past

It could have been a scene straight from an Ang Lee movie. But this real-life incident from last week speaks volumes about gay rights and culture in contemporary China.

When China's collective vision meets America's individual voice

The governing systems of the world's two largest economies are in crisis. As the United States has been grappling with a fiscal cliff, China faces a social cliff. Without major reform, both will...

Xi's 'southern tour' speech shows why women's rights must advance

A speech Xi Jinping made during his "southern tour" last month is being circulated within party ranks, veteran journalist Gao Yu said in an article published on the website of the German...

LEADER

Brain drain should send message to China's leaders

A former New Zealand prime minister once laughed off emigration of his young compatriots to Australia as an IQ boost for both countries. But a brain drain is no joke. Few developing countries can...