China Guide Blog
577 articles · Page 18 of 37
Fujian Tulou Travel Guide 2026: Inside the Hakka Earthen Fortresses That House 800 People in One Building
A complete 2026 travel guide to Fujian's tulou 鈥?the circular Hakka earthen fortresses. Where to go (Tianluokeng, Chengqi Lou, Yunshuiyao), how they were built, history, costs, and a 3-day itinerary.
China's Private Space Race: How LandSpace and Rivals Are Building a Commercial Rocket Industry
China's commercial space boom explained: LandSpace's methane-powered Zhuque-2, Galactic Energy, Space Pioneer, Orienspace, and the push for reusable rockets to rival SpaceX. Launches, payloads, and the 2030 market.
China's Strong Foundation Plan (强基计划): How Beijing Is Building a STEM Elite to Beat the Tech Blockade
Explaining China's 强基计划 Strong Foundation Plan: the 2020 program replacing independent enrollment, its 36 universities, admission rules, quotas, controversies, and links to tech self-reliance.
Chinese Guqin Music: The 3,000-Year-Old Zither on the Voyager Golden Record
A guide to the guqin (古琴), China's seven-string zither and UNESCO intangible heritage. Its history, unique notation, symbolism, and why a 1977 recording of 'Flowing Water' is drifting through space.
China's Brain-Computer Interface Race 2026: Inside the National Plan to Wire Minds to Machines
From paralyzed patients moving cursors with thought alone to a national 'brain science' push, China's brain-computer interface sector is moving from lab to clinic faster than most expect. Here's the 2026 state of play.
China's eVTOL Revolution: First Commercial Passenger Flight Approved in 2026
China has taken a decisive step toward the commercial era of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, with the Civil Aviation Administration approving the country's first eVTOL passenger route in August 2026.
Chinese Lantern Festivals: The 1,000-Year Craft of Zigong and Where to See the Best in 2026
How China's lantern festivals grew from a Han-dynasty ritual into a multi-billion-yuan craft industry led by Zigong — and the best places to see them glow in 2026.
The May Fourth Movement of 1919: How a Student Protest Rewired Modern China
On May 4, 1919, Beijing students poured into Tiananmen Square to protest a betrayal at the Versailles peace table. The movement that followed reshaped Chinese language, politics, and national identity.
Ruili: China's Most Exotic Land Border Crossing
Ruili is the gateway where China meets Myanmar across a river, a street, and an entire world of cross-border culture that most tourists never discover.
China's Tiankeng: The World's Largest Sinkholes and the Hidden Caves Beneath Them
A traveler's guide to China's tiankeng — the giant karst sinkholes that punched holes in the earth. Where they are, how they formed, and how to visit the world's largest natural pits safely.
China's University Ranking Revolution: How Mainland Campuses Cracked the Global Top 20
Two decades ago, no mainland Chinese university sat near the top of global league tables. Today Tsinghua and Peking rank among the world's best. Here is the data behind the rise — and the caveats.
What Chinese Graduate School Is Really Like: A Foreign Student's Honest Account
Beyond the Gaokao headlines and exam-pressure narratives, China's graduate programs are producing world-class research and attracting increasing numbers of international students. Here is what it actually looks like from the inside.
The Great Wall of Seven Dynasties: How China Built Its Iconic Monument Over 2,000 Years
The Great Wall of China was not built by a single emperor, in a single era, or even as a single continuous structure. It was built, rebuilt, extended, and abandoned across seven different dynasties over more than two thousand years — each adding its own chapter to the story.
Jianzhi: The Ancient Paper-Cutting Art China Wants the World to Know
Jianzhi, China's 1,500-year-old paper-cutting tradition, survived digital culture and mass manufacturing. Now it's finding new life in fashion, design studios, and UNESCO-sponsored workshops from Beijing to Berlin.
China's Cross-Border E-Commerce Boom 2026: How Temu, Shein & TikTok Shop Reshape Global Retail
China's cross-border e-commerce hit ~2.63 trillion yuan in 2024 and keeps climbing. We explain the Temu-Shein-TikTok Shop surge, the end of the US de minimis loophole, overseas warehouses, and 2026 outlook.
The China-Europe Rail Network Is Quietly Redrawing the Map of Global Trade
China-Europe freight trains have become one of the most consequential infrastructure stories of the decade—moving goods faster than sea, cheaper than air, and through routes that bypass traditional shipping chokepoints. As the network expands, it is reshaping supply chains, geopolitics, and the economics of international trade.