2022 ISSUE 5
The Data Issue
Big data is transforming everyday life in China—but has the digital revolution gone too far? We investigate in this issue’s cover story. Elsewhere, we analyze the representation of China’s Northwest in film, talk to modern pilgrims on spiritual journeys, explore how abandoned factories are being given new life, and more.
从“智慧城市”到“数字乡村”，中国数字化浪潮如火如荼。与此同时，数据安全、配套技术与法律也迎来全新挑战。我们将面对什么样的数字未来？
本期两篇主题故事分别关注工业遗址的发展改造、现代朝圣者和他们的朝圣之旅
封面故事：数字化时代话数字
主题故事：旧工厂的“新”困境
主题故事：三个人的朝圣
乡音：如何阻止一场动物表演
镜像中国：乡村乐手，奏响村镇的BGM
水墨丹青：当民族摄影不带“异域”滤镜
好书有笺：犯罪小说佳作难出？
视听空间：西北叙事能否走出乡土美学？
社交汉语：铲屎官如何吐槽自家宠物？
小说、艺术、语言……从国际视角欣赏中国文化，用地道英文讲述中国故事。有温情，有幽默，有新观点，有真态度……从封面到封底，精彩内容不间断！
COVER STORY 封面故事
The Data Age
数字化时代话数字
Your phone knows where you’ve been, what you eat, how well you sleep—and it does this with information you give away, either willingly (to enjoy modern conveniences) or required by pandemic rules. China has some of the world’s most advanced data collection systems, with even villages employing digital technology for farming and safety, but how can it prevent the data from abuse by businesses and authorities? Some people, young and old, are opting out of smart devices entirely—but is that sustainable?
Feature Stories 主题故事
Industrial Evolution
旧工厂的“新”困境
China’s 1978 reforms dismantled hundreds of state-owned industrial sites, including factories, mines, and mills. Following the success of the 798 Art District in Beijing, cities are looking for ways to repurpose their industrial heritage, but not everyone agrees on the best use for them—or the best way to protect the communities of workers left behind.
Paths of Faith
三个人的朝圣
For thousands of years, Chinese pilgrims have made long journeys for faith. Though their reasons differ, pilgrimages emphasize distance and hardship as equally important as the destination. A Tibetan Buddhist, a trekker, and a livestreamer recreating the Communist Long March share what motivates their modern-day journeys.
Field Notes 乡音
The Show Must Not Go On
如何阻止一场动物表演
Chinese zoos have been gradually phasing out animal performances since 2013, but illegal circuses persist in malls, housing developments, and other venues. Activist Hu Chunmei travels around China to end these controversial shows, and shares her story of dealing with hostile trainers and public apathy along the way.
Kaleidoscope 镜像中国
Sounds of the Village
乡村乐手，奏响村镇的BGM
Whether it’s a wedding or a funeral, a graduation or a New Year celebration, no social gathering in rural China is complete without the village band. Often consisting of the suona reed pipe, the gong, and other traditional (and loud) folk instruments, village bands face declining livelihoods as people migrate out of the countryside and seek more modern entertainment. Yet “musicians play from the feelings of the heart,” says photographer Huang Ruide, whose series showcases how village musicians continue to serve as a bedrock of rural life.
Dragon’s Digest 三味书屋
Prairie Whale
王威廉的短篇小说《草原蓝鲸》
“Maybe she had slipped through to some other dimension…Perhaps the whale had traveled the same way and died on the prairie.” In this enigmatic story by contemporary literature scholar Wang Weilian, a woman wanders out of her house one humid day in Guangzhou, and sees nothing is as she expects.
Gallery 水墨丹青
Snap Judgment
当民族摄影不带“异域”滤镜
Eyes staring into the camera, colorful headdresses and robes—for over a century, photos of Chinese ethnic groups have mostly followed this template. Several young photographers of Tibetan, Zhuang, and other ethnicities, are challenging this narrative with works that reflect their communities in the modern day.
Chilema 吃了吗
Larder than Life
猪油拌饭：一代人的回忆杀
Pork fat, or lard, isn’t found in many fine dining or “representative Chinese cuisine” lists, yet it’s a fond memory for a whole generation that grew up in decades of food deprivation, when even a meat byproduct was a coveted treat. Discover why essays have been written about lard—and why it’s making a comeback.
Group Think 群观
Below the Surface
水肺潜水潮流，如一阵风刮过
Scuba diving has a relatively short history in China, but with the pandemic curtailing international travel, it has boomed in the country’s lakes and oceans. A spate of deadly accidents, however, led to an almost total ban on recreational diving in China in the past year—much to the disappointment of dedicated divers, who offer insights on how better infrastructure, training, and public exposure could make the sport safer for all.
Bookmark 好书有笺
Making Crime Pay
犯罪小说佳作难出？
From Song dynasty gong’an stories to 1980s true crime, China has a rich tradition of crime literature. But though crime is a bestselling genre today, producing socially relevant works like 2013’s Bad Kids, Chinese mystery fans are still waiting for a classic that can compete with European Golden Age greats.
Zoetrope 视听空间
Left in the Dust
西北叙事能否走出乡土美学？
Li Ruijun’s 2022 film Return to Dust is either an authentic portrayal of northwestern China, or a total stereotype, depending on who you ask. Yellow soil, big skies, and humble farmers have been consistent tropes of the Northwest since the 1930s, leading some young filmmakers to wonder how to modernize the region’s representation.
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