Quick scrolls, zooming in, and what’s on the feed: catching up on what’s been trending.
China’s new school year brings shifting names and rising costs, and the trending history behind Japan’s surname diversity.
How the Nepal–Tibet floods are being discussed on Chinese social media. From solidarity and sadness over Gyirong to censorship and anger at Taiwanese, Indian, and Western media.
How information surrounding the CITIC Tower crash was managed, from a five-day media blackout to a sixth-day official narrative.
A response to a Dutch debate on China, and why nuance matters in an age of geopolitical polarization.
From official reactions and armchair generals to women’s rights defenders: China’s online discourse surrounding the war in Iran.
How the two-person animated film Niu Lai turned its “ugly” visuals, dreamcore nostalgia, and remarkable cinema journey into a nationwide participatory meme.
How viral AI videos turn racialized outsiders into threats and violent Chinese heroes into defenders of social order, China’s first nationally broadcast AI drama, and why a newspaper is being sold for 50 times its original price.
After the first complaints surfaced, Auntie Goose Legs admitted the truth about her business: she ha been selling duck legs all along.
From top trends to platform scandals, these were the biggest online topics of the year.
Hasan Piker's controversial China tour, a Chinese school uniform resurfaces in Africa, a new winter hotspot, why Chinese elites 'run' to Tokyo, and more.
Female comedians are taking center stage in a new era of Chinese stand-up, challenging stereotypes and turning jokes into real-life impact.
Also: the Hong Kong bookstore arrests that did not go trending, AI bank cards, Haaland becoming China’s summer meme king, and a delivery rider winning the Lu Xun Literature Prize.
If it walks like a duck, it might just be Auntie Goose Legs. A wrap-up of noteworthy trending stories in China. From the real Rolex recruiting fake crowds to diaper scares & a funny Deepseek moment.
How Adidas won and Nike lost, Japan's lost decades as a mirror for China, and why a possum is the new workplace spirit animal.
A special deep dive into the 2026 Xi-Trump summit through Chinese social media, highlighting the top 15 viral moments, internet memes, main themes, and netizen commentary.
How a niche online debate was amplified into a global “racism” story, and why the real discussion runs deeper
Russian recruitment ads, China's censorship, and how Western media sometimes guess Beijing's stance by reading between the wrong lines.
Behind the hashtag about Nanjing's cross-dressing ‘Sister Hong’: from legal implications to viral spectacle.
Labubu is not ‘Chinese’ at all—and at the same time, it is very much a product of present-day China.
As American 'TikTok Refugees' flock to China's Xiaohongshu (Rednote), their encounter with 'Li Hua' strikes a chord in divided times.
