The Resolve and Regret of Chinese Women Who Reject Motherhood
BEIJING — Before marrying in 2014, Wu Qing made it clear to her husband that having a child was out of the question. “He said it was OK, but later I realized he wanted to change my mind after we got...
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Telling Ambiguous, Ambitious Gay Stories
BEIJING — It’s the evening before filming starts, but director Lu Zhan and her main actor, Yang Zhenguo, can’t agree on what the script is really trying to say. Is “Summer” a gay movie? “It’s a love...
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The Tiger Art Village That Won’t Change its Stripes
HENAN, Central China — The sweltering July heat, the passing trucks, and the loitering pigs cannot distract the dozen painting students from the task at hand. The villagers, young and old, are sitting...
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The New Breed of Handlers Preening China’s Prize
HUBEI, Central China — With her bushy beard, expressive eyes, and wavy coat, Feifei enters the ring and walks a lap. Set up outside a shopping mall in downtown Wuhan, the show makes some shoppers stop...
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Credit Score for Canines Keeps Dog Owners on a Short Leash
SHANDONG, East China — Ever since she was bitten on the leg at age 5, Zhang Qiaoling has been afraid of dogs. Years later, as a teenager, the sight of an unleashed dog still scared her so much she’d...
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Parenting Crisis Sends China’s Moms and Dads Back to School
SHANDONG, East China — Huang Wenjuan never thought there was anything wrong with her approach to parenting until her teenage daughter stormed out of their house after a big fight. Huang and her...
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For China’s Disabled People, Sex is Still Taboo
BEIJING — A spinal tumor paralyzed Nie Shujie’s legs when she was little. Growing up, she never considered intimacy possible. Nie was ashamed of her own body and wouldn’t let herself think about sex....
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Artist Brings ‘Haha-Then-Aha’ Moments to China’s Gender Debate
SICHUAN, Southwest China — In most Chinese bookstores, there’s a section of bright pink books instructing women on how to be a good housewife or find a man before they hit 30. But at an out-of-the-way...
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In Cliffside Village, Hipster Bookshop Spurs Rural Revival
ZHEJIANG, East China — With the twisted mountain road blocked by yesterday’s snow, Zhao Weiren and his friends have no choice but to park their car and climb the last leg of their trip. They’ve come to...
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My Makeover With China’s Blind Beautician
BEIJING — Sitting on the couch in Xiao Jia’s apartment, I learned how difficult it is to apply makeup to a face you cannot see. Xiao, 27, gradually lost her eyesight during her teens. Determined to...
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World Dog Show Features Chinese Breeds, Aims to Turn Hearts
SHANGHAI — In some parts of China, dogs have the unenviable reputation of being mean and unclean. They might spend much of their lives watching front doors, waiting for their humans to come home, all...
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Silent for So Long, Elderly Gays Livestream at Full Volume
HUNAN, Central China — Hu Pingsheng never knew there was a name for his feelings until a younger man explained it to him: He was gay. Despite a desire to live his true self, however, he has kept that...
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Fighting China’s Shame and Ignorance on Postpartum Incontinence
SHANGHAI — When Chen Lijun explains the damage giving birth can do to the body, the young women in her audience gasp. Unsatisfying sex, prolapsed organs, and an inability to hold in your pee aren’t...
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How ‘The Penis Monologues’ Challenges China’s Toxic Masculinity
ZHEJIANG, East China — On a theater stage in the city of Hangzhou, a male character reflects on the time he date-raped a woman. “I finally broke through her defense and forcefully penetrated her....
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Chinese Asexuals Navigate Love, Duty, and Ignorance
SHANGHAI — When Marie Guo confided in her dormmates about her asexuality, she received little sympathy. Instead, they questioned how a virgin could be so sure she didn’t feel sexually attracted to...
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Pensioners and Preschoolers Mix it Up in Chinese Nursery
GUIZHOU, Southwest China — It’s late afternoon, and, indifferent to the slight drizzle, children are chasing each other around the playground. A few floors above, a group of retirees is sitting on...
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China’s Copy Paste Pups
SHANGHAI — When her beloved dog Nini turned 10, Zhang Yueyan became concerned. How many years would she have left with her companion? The news that Hollywood star Barbra Streisand had her pet cloned...
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A Chinese biotech company aiming to cash in on people’s desires to duplicate their beloved pets has successfully cloned the nation’s first house cat, according to an announcement delivered at a press...
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Royal Canin Wants Shanghai To Be China’s Most Pet-Friendly City
SHANGHAI — French pet food company Royal Canin will partner with the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau, as well as local pet industry associations, veterinary clinics, and social organizations,...
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China’s Newest Cram School Craze: Sex Ed Camps
SHANDONG, East China — “What are the differences between men’s and women’s bodies?” asks Jiang Lingling. The 11 young children huddled around her look thoughtful for a moment. “Girls’ chests are bigger...
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