Language & Meaning
Can one sound mean two things?
In Mandarin, the tune of a syllable can change the word. That sounds intimidating until you hear it as part of speaking, not as a separate test.
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Everyday China
Why would a panda keeper make a toy?
At the Chengdu panda base, keepers use enrichment objects to give pandas more interesting things to do.
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Places & Regions
A panda forest has other residents
The panda is the famous face of Sichuan's mountain forests. It shares those forests with far more living things than a logo can show.
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History, Arts & Traditions
Can one instrument sound like a whisper?
The seven-string guqin rewards close listening. Its quieter sounds make a very different kind of musical room.
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History, Arts & Traditions
How can a flame change a bowl?
Longquan celadon is known for its glaze. Getting that colour and surface means watching a kiln with extraordinary care.
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History, Arts & Traditions
Could you print a book with wooden letters?
In one part of Zhejiang, makers arrange reusable wooden characters to print family histories by hand.
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History, Arts & Traditions
Paper made slowly on purpose
In Anhui, traditional Xuan paper takes patience on a scale that makes a quick sketchbook page feel very different.
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Chinese food
Can tea have six different families?
Tea is not one flavour in six packets. Chinese tea makers work with different leaves, methods and places, producing far more variety than a single mug suggests.
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History, Arts & Traditions
Why does a dragon boat need a team?
A dragon-boat race is easy to understand from the bank: one boat reaches the finish first. What happens around the race is much more varied.
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History, Arts & Traditions
The second side of a paper-cut
A paper-cut is made from the parts left behind and the spaces cut away. That simple trick can turn a window into a picture.
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History, Arts & Traditions
How many people move one shadow?
Chinese shadow puppetry can look like a simple silhouette show. Behind the screen, there may be music, singing, carving and several pairs of hands.
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History, Arts & Traditions
An emperor’s handwriting on a fizzy-drink can
A Shanghai museum put old handwriting on a fizzy-drink can. Is that a clever invitation to history or an odd souvenir?
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