The World Of Chinese

“Even when they are exhausted from hiking, some children refuse to sit on the ground because they think it’s dirty; they are afraid of dirt, and insects and bugs” 🌳 Chinese children living in the country’s urban areas are increasingly spending most of their leisure time glued to a digital screen or shuttling between after-school tutoring classes, with little opportunity to experience the outdoors firsthand. But educators and advocates are pushing back, providing more opportunities to combat “nature-deficit disorder”? Learn more: #WorldForestDay#Forest#DayofForests theworldofchinese.com/2024/08/nature…

China’s #TwoSessions just wrapped up last week. Among the most discussed topics during the week-long event in Beijing were: 🧑‍🧑‍🧒 Marriage and family 💼 Work and life 💻 Crime and technology Catch up on some of the most important proposals below: #NPC #2026TwoSessions theworldofchinese.com/2026/03/two-se…

Guardian angel or classroom distraction?⌚️ As children’s smartwatches become increasingly common, debate is growing over the role they play in young students’ lives. With 1 in 3 children now owning a smartwatch in China, the question remains: do safety features outweigh the potential risks to attention spans and social inclusion? Learn more: #Xiaotiancai #smartwatches theworldofchinese.com/2026/03/kids-s…

The World of Chinese is on Substack! 📰 As one of the most authoritative resources on contemporary #China, our newsletter brings you the latest on social evolutions, hidden histories, dialects , and in-depth, human-centered stories. ☑️ Subscribe below: #Chinanews newsletter.theworldofchinese.com

“Fear not the Heavens nor the Earth, but fear the Wenzhou man speaking the Wenzhou dialect (天不怕，地不怕，就怕温州人说温州话).” Often referred to as the “devil’s language” because of its difficulty to master and understand, this Zhejiang dialect is strongly influenced by its linguistic geography. Listen to the complex tones of Wenzhouhua, below: #FangyanFriday #learnChinese theworldofchinese.com/2018/09/fangya…

Before #passports, there were bamboo slips and “jie” tokens #AncientChina had their own various forms of sophisticated ID forms to travel between different regions and territories. Explore the history of China’s travel credentials, below: #travelfacts theworldofchinese.com/2026/03/power-…

This year's #Yuanxiao celebrations showcased a variety of festive lights, including: ✨ Drone's lighting up choreographed displays 🐴 Cyberpunk horse installations 🐉 300-meter-long bench dragons Flip through to see how cities across China prepared and lit up the sky for this year’s festivities. 🏮 #lanternfestival #ChineseNewYear theworldofchinese.com/2026/03/lanter…

Happy International Women's Day! 🌹 China has undergone a notable feminist cultural shift in recent years, with young women increasingly embracing feminist ideas—even as many continue to struggle for recognition in both their careers and family life. At The World of Chinese, we are committed to telling stories from women’s perspectives. Explore our collection on Chinese women, from antiquity to the present day. 👇 #InternationalWomensDay #WomensDay2026 theworldofchinese.com/women-of-china…

Seeking an affordable “European alternative” and unique experience, young adventurous Chinese travelers are turning to the northern frontier neighbor, Russia, as an emerging niche destination. Even with freezing winters, logistical challenges, and language and cultural barriers, they are discovering plenty to explore: 🏰 Cosmopolitan hubs #Moscow and St. Petersburg 🚜 Driving Soviet-era T-80 battle tanks 💥 and even firing rocket launchers Learn more about how #Russia is suddenly on the radar of Chinese explorers: theworldofchinese.com/2026/02/russia…

From fixing machines, 维修 (wéixiū) 🔧 to renovating buildings, 翻修 (fānxiū) 🏗️ to repairing relationships, 修好 (xiūhǎo) 🤝 to improving oneself, 进修 (jìnxiū) 📚 The Chinese character 修 (xiū) has done it all. Learn more about this hardworking character: #learnChinese theworldofchinese.com/2026/02/histor…

Whether it’s eating tangyuan (汤圆) in the south or #yuanxiao (元宵) in the north, tonight bowls will be full with glutinous rice balls as Chinese gather with family to welcome the first full moon of the year, a time-honored tradition. 🌕 Discover how ancient Chinese celebrated the #LanternFestival through these five timeless poems: 📜 theworldofchinese.com/2022/02/how-an…

Chinese New Year isn’t celebrated the same everywhere 🎇 We selected 5️⃣ destinations where traditions come alive and celebrations are unmistakably local. From #Langzhong, Sichuan, to the coastal city of #Putian, Fujian, explore how these cities bring the #SpringFestival to life. Full list:👇 theworldofchinese.com/2026/02/5-plac…

Beyond China’s large glittering metropolises, ancient villages and towns continue to guard traditional celebration rituals, passing them down as living heritage. 🧧 🧨 Among the ancient traditions are: 🥟 Colored steamed buns, where households transform simple dough into works of art 🎭 Shehuo fairs, a collective name for a series of performances and one of the oldest traditions in northern China 🐷 Massive New Year pig feasts Escape the skyscrapers and fireworks and discover some of China’s lesser heard #ChineseNewYear celebrations. theworldofchinese.com/2026/02/5-folk…

The land of “calm waves,” Ningbo, is one of China’s oldest cities with roots dating back to 6,300 BCE. 🌊 Once considered an important weapons-producing settlement, Ningbo’s local dialect is distinct for its notoriously harsh sounds. Listen to the steely toughness and tones of #Ningbo’s dialect, below: #FangyanFriday theworldofchinese.com/2021/10/fangya…

Have you been living on Italian time in China? 🌍 (在中国体验意大利作息) From traditional Chinese remedies being popular among some athletes, to quips about Team China’s outfit design, here are the latest internet memes and slang inspired by the #MilanoCortinaOlympics. Learn more: 👇 theworldofchinese.com/2026/02/2026-w…

Take a trip to China's "little Dubai," a former coal mining city that reinvented itself into a niche, desert-lake tourist destination. 🏜️ Once sitting on a coal reserve of approximately 2.5 billion tons, #Wuhai became a resource depleted city in 2011, forcing it to rebrand itself. Discover how it rewrote its story, here: #InnerMongolia theworldofchinese.com/2026/02/wuhai-…

Celebrate the Spring Festival, Dongbei Style! ❄️ 🎇 From urban bathhouses where people can spend an entire day relaxing, enjoying massages and saunas, to listening to the "errenzhuan (二人转)," a two-person singing and dancing performance, China's #Dongbei region has its own unique ways to celebrate. Learn more: #SpringFestival #ChineseNewYear theworldofchinese.com/2024/02/pigs-a…

Happy Spring Festival and the Year of the Horse! 🐎 🎆 From carving on wood to “flying cards” in red envelopes, discover how people expressed their New Year’s greeting, or “bainian,” in ancient China. As the celebrations begin, we wish everyone a year of strength, speed, and success! 🍾 马到成功 (Mǎ Dào Chéng Gōng) #SpringFestival #HorseYear theworldofchinese.com/2025/01/evolut…

"Whoever advises me to get married, I’ll urge them to get divorced; if you ask about my salary, I’ll ask about your child’s grades. Give as good as you get." 💬 #SpringFestival dinners don't always feel like a reunion, with some becoming stressful, challenging conversations. 🫨 So, how should one navigate? Here are some strategies: 👇 theworldofchinese.com/2024/02/chines…

“Obviously, horse riding is about you and the horse, but in a place like the grasslands, dressing up like this shows that it’s also about being in the wilderness.” 🐎 Kick off the Year of the #Horse with China’s “modern Beijing cowboys,” who ride with a meaning in dusty Xiaobazi, Hebei. #horseyear theworldofchinese.com/2021/11/saddle…