environment

Green Cities in Focus as Shanghai Hosts International Forum

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

The four-day event brings together leaders from Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas to deepen city-level cooperation on climate and innovation.

Sixth Tone

Cold Fix: Inside China’s Audacious Effort to Save a Dying Glacier

Articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants.

FEATURES

With blankets, snow machines, and limited funding, a small team of scientists is testing a desperate plan to slow the collapse of one of China’s most vulnerable glaciers.

Jiang Xinyi

In China’s Tea Heartland, Workers Pick Through Climate Whiplash

Across the country’s premier tea region, a punishing chain of drought, frost, hail, heat, and snow wiped out crops, leaving workers and growers struggling to salvage what little the season had left to give.

Chen Yiru

Through the Cracks: Unveiling the Truth in Silence

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

MULTIMEDIA

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

Qian Yi  

Toxic Leak in Hunan Traced to a Former Cement Plant

The leak’s source surprised local officials — and points to the need for new regulations, experts say.

He Qitong

March Brings Record Highs, Sudden Lows to China

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

SIXTH TONE ×

Shanghai recorded its hottest March day in 90 years Tuesday. Then came a cold snap.

The Paper

In Climate Push, China Expands Carbon Market to Big Polluters

Steel, cement, and aluminum sectors added to emissions trading system, raising coverage from 40% to over 60% of China’s emissions.

Fade to Black: What Lies Beneath China’s Lake of Legends

Nearly 2,000 meters above sea level, a lake in southwestern China is drawing a steady stream of divers. Its pull: challenging diving conditions and the tales of China’s own Atlantis hidden below.

Li Pasha

China Counts Over 1,000 Snow Leopards in Largest Ever Survey

The survey highlights the significance of Qinghai province’s Sanjiangyuan region for snow leopard conservation and underscores growing climate change concerns.

Let It Burn: Why China Is Looking the Other Way on Farm Fires

After years of strict bans to curb pollution, China is reversing its zero-tolerance stance on crop burning, allowing controlled fires as officials navigate rural challenges and enforcement limits.

Ding Rui

‘Red Ghost’ Algae Swarms China’s Coast, Threatening Marine Life

Residents in southern China report algae blanketing beaches as experts warn of increasing pollution, health hazards, and risks to fisheries.

Li Xin

China Puts E-Bike Makers on the Hook for Battery Recycling

Amid rising safety and pollution risks, regulators want e-bike manufacturers to shoulder the costs of battery collection.

In Ningxia’s Boar Wars, Farmers and Hunters Unite to Save Crops

Gridlocked: When Jellyfish Brought a China Power Plant to Its Knees

The unexpected surge of jellyfish overwhelmed cooling systems, forcing workers to work around the clock to clear blockages and avert shutdowns — a crisis affecting coastal infrastructure worldwide.

Luo Yahan

China Moves to Tackle a Growing Menace: Rampaging Boars

Wily, aggressive, and weighing up to 200 kilos, wild boars have become a serious problem in many parts of rural China. Now, authorities are calling in the hunters.

The Bird-Whistling Guardian of Shanghai’s First World Heritage Site

Retired bird catcher Jin Weiguo has helped collect data on countless species of migratory birds as part of the protection team at the Dongtan nature reserve.

Into the Sandstorm: The 75-Year-Old Grieving Mother Creating a Green Miracle in the Desert

China Launches Three-Year Campaign Against Ocean Litter

The initiative aims to significantly clear 65 bay areas by 2025 and establish regular clean-ups by 2027.

Ye Zhanhang

Haitang, the Lost Chinese Whale, Finally Swims to Freedom

After a five-month rescue operation, the short-finned pilot whale has finally recovered from his injuries and been released back into the ocean.