social media

social-media

Living the Loop: The NPCs Bringing China’s Fantasy Parks to Life

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

In China’s booming immersive tourism industry, “non-playable characters” are thousands of young performers in costume, working marathon shifts of duels and dances to keep tourists entertained.

Jiang Xinyi

Chinese Brand Severs Ties With Marathon Winner Amid Controversy

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 “fastest nurse” in China appealed to her employer to recognize running as a legitimate reason to adjust her hospital shifts, dividing netizens and resulting in a terminated sports contract.

Chen Yiru

Lonely Kids, Digital Revenge: China’s Growing Teen Doxxing Crisis

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

SIXTH TONE ×

Behind China’s teen doxxing epidemic lies a deeper story of bullying, absent parents, and young people desperately seeking connection and control.

White Night Workshop

How China’s Urban Youth Became Obsessed With Birding

Driven by social media, more and more urbanites are taking up birdwatching, helping to increase ecological awareness and molding photography trends to their aesthetic preferences in the process.

Chen Zhenyang

Fan Yiying

Honey Trap: Underage Live-Chat Hosts Getting Paid to Flirt

Live-chat platforms and third-party agencies are using underage hosts to entice audiences to spend money on voice and video calls.

The  Beijing News

Step By Step: A Disabled Street Cobbler Dreams Big

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

MULTIMEDIA

The Paper

Amid Gaokao, Students Turn to a Reclusive Math Genius for Luck

Wei Dongyi had largely stayed out of the public eye since going viral in 2021. But a surprise appearance on Douyin ahead of China’s college entrance exam last week drew millions of new followers within days.

Li Xin

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.

Casting Call: How Actors are Faking Livestreaming Drama

Amid intense competition, many social media hosts are relying on scripted interactions with hired actors to boost traffic and market products.

Zhong Chudi

Niu  Linfeng

Fame, Pursued by Goose: The Chongqing ‘Uncle’ Who Became an Internet Star

Lü Xiao

Amid Push Against Involution, Xiaohongshu Ends Overtime Grind 

Facing high employee turnover, the company says the changes aim to build longer-term relationships with staff.

He Qitong

Wu Yufei

From Viral to Radioactive: Can Pang Mailang Make a Comeback?

Before the Dawn: Young Chinese Reimagine the Last Goodbye

A growing number of young Chinese are challenging long-held taboos around death, turning farewells into personal, creative acts of remembrance.

Stairway Porters Rise to the ‘1,000-Yuan Man’ Challenge

As laborers flock to become “kanglou” porters in southern China, industry insiders share what it takes to shoulder the physical and mental strain.

Need a Side Gig? In China, Just Shake Your Phone

As flexible work becomes more common in China, WeChat users can now find nearby part-time jobs — directly from the messaging super app.

Baidu Exec Tries to Diffuse Doxxing Controversy

Baidu vice president Xie Guangjun issued an apology after his daughter was accused of publishing social media users’ private data.

My Year as a RedNote Professor

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

VOICES & OPINION

An academic speaks on the ups and downs of social media engagement in China.

Thomas DuBois

Two Sessions: Labor Rights, Child Safety, AI Scams Among Key Debates

Proposals on these issues have sparked widespread debate on social media, with related hashtags drawing hundreds of millions of views online.

Sixth Tone

Cold Reality: Tragedy Exposes Perils of Extreme Livestreaming

The death of an outdoor lifestyle influencer in the frozen wilds of North China has cast light onto the risks facing some livestreamers.

Last Word: Closing the Book on China’s Slang Gang

The idealistic team behind Jikipedia, an online dictionary of Chinese internet slang, shares the highs and lows of creating a pop culture phenomenon.