arts

How a Plump Cartoon Seal Became a Love and Life Guru

Visual stories that get up close and personal with contemporary China. A mix of short videos, documentaries, photography, and data visualization.

MULTIMEDIA

Seal, the alter-ego of comic artist Wang XX, is helping fans — especially women — navigate work, love, consent, and what it means to practice “sealf-care.”

Ding Yining

A Memory of Loss: ‘Could Grandma Hear My Cries?’

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

In tribute to her grandparents, artist Wu Wei explores in her work the anguish of loss and the joy of remembrance.

Wu Wei

Towering History: A Photographer’s Fresh Take on China’s Pagodas

Photographer Lin Shu seeks the quiet magic within China’s humble pagodas, capturing their enduring spirit across a changing landscape.

Qian Yi  

Wu Huiyuan

The Chinese Architect Who Brought Art Deco to Shanghai

Contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are often marginalized.

VOICES & OPINION

Art Deco made its way from Paris to Shanghai in the 1920s, and forever changed the city.

Huang Wei

“No”: The Magic Word in a Viral Chinese AI Remake of Snow White

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

A dark AI‑crafted retelling of the Disney classic by Beijing-based screenwriter Wen Jing has captivated millions on social media, sparking debate over women’s roles in fairy tales and modern society.

He Qitong

The Art of Reviving an Abandoned Chinese Village — With Stray Cats

Back in the village he once left behind, an artist turned abandoned homes into a sanctuary for more than 200 cats — and watched it become a magnet for strays, artists, and thousands of tourists.

Playback: Reliving the Wild Days of Beijing Indie Music

Your questions, answered. In-depth interviews with the minds and makers shaping today’s China.

Q & A

A French photographer’s new book provides an intimate look at some of the performers who rocked the Chinese capital in the early 2000s.

Wang Juyi

The Chinese Neuroscientists Mapping Feelings Through Art

At Tsinghua University’s Neural Engineering Lab, researchers are using brain-computer interfaces to study how people respond to live art.

Second Act: How a 500-Year-Old Chinese Opera Returned to Modern Life

Long dismissed as too slow for modern tastes, Kunqu opera is quietly being reinvented — with one performer bringing it into therapy sessions, elderly care, and daily life.

Sixth Tone

What’s in a Garden?

A new exhibition explores the meaning of gardens, from ancient China to Renaissance Italy.

Guo Xinyue

Rust & Soul: The Mechanic Turning Scrap into Art

Lü Xiao

Neighborhood Watch: A Beat Cop Documents His Hometown

A police officer has spent a decade building a vast visual archive showing the evolution of urban and rural parts of China.

Jiemian News

Prestige or Profit? The Dilemma Facing Jingdezhen’s Artists

In China’s “porcelain capital,” traditional craftsmanship is making way for cuteness, as social media shapes consumer habits.

White Night Workshop

Through the Cracks: Unveiling the Truth in Silence

A new exhibit from award-winning photographer Chen Jie highlights tragedy and hope from his 30-year career.

Drawing From Bronze

How ancient bronzeware inspired two hit Chinese film series.

Jin Fangting

Tidy Profit: Camera Captures the Cleaners Changing Lives

A retired researcher’s photoshoots with domestic workers across China are helping bust stereotypical narratives of hardship and low status.

What Does Climate Justice Look Like in a Language Without Sound?

Blending sign language, digital art, and public space, Night Bloom reimagines who gets seen — and heard — in climate conversations.

Fan Yiying

Body as Theater: A Living Art Experiment Comes to Shanghai

Wu Huiyuan 

Lady White Snake Dances Back Onto China’s Stage

A new, explicitly feminist take on an ancient myth gets another chance to connect with Chinese audiences.

Jiang Xinyi

Backstage With a Cantonese Opera Troupe

Spring in Guangdong means one thing: opera.