From AI-generated film releases to popular “micro-vacations”, these are the digital & social trends shaping Chinese online conversations this May Day holiday.
Catch up on the week's most critical China trends in 3 minutes.
How a niche online debate was amplified into a global “racism” story, and why the real discussion runs deeper
China’s AI actors are on the rise, and not everyone is buying it. The country’s microdrama industry offers a glimpse of what’s to come for the broader film and TV sector.
About a widely discussed "chilling effect", the death of Chinese researcher Wang Danhao, and unanswered questions. (April 3 update included)
From official reactions and armchair generals to women’s rights defenders: China’s online discourse surrounding the war in Iran.
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.
This week in China: Grassroots football fever, a Nobel laureate writes for the TikTok era, France's cultural relic bill, and a 19-year-old’s blind box obsession bankrupts her father's company.
The major talking points on Chinese social media this week: from the capture of a notorious child trafficker and unexpected death of Zhang Xuefeng, to one of the most expensive Chinese music video ever made.
Chinese netizens “raising lobsters,” farmer pensions emerging as a key Two Sessions talking point, and humanoid robots running through Beijing — what you need to know about Chinese social media discussions this week.
Russian recruitment ads, China's censorship, and how Western media sometimes guess Beijing's stance by reading between the wrong lines.
Weibo, Wechat, Douyin, or Xiaohongshu? Understanding China’s top 10 social media platforms.
From 'Chinese Twitter' to digital dinosaur, the story of Weibo reflects the shifting dynamics of China’s online media landscape.
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.
From Putin’s 'happiness in China' to sunburn “medals”: this is China’s post-parade social buzz.
From mockery of his pro-gun stance to posts over America’s deepening divisions, Chinese social media responds to the Charlie Kirk shooting.
Chinese netizens embraced a supposed “demonizing” Western gaze in AFP photos and made it their own.
The social media storylines behind China’s Victory Day parade.
From Kim Jong-un in Beijing to Lu Xun’s cigarette: what China’s talking about this week – a top 10 by What’s on Weibo.
This is What’s on Weibo’s top 3 of what’s currently trending in China (Aug 23–24).
There’s talk of a ‘de-instant-noodling’ of China’s high-speed trains, but many netizens think smoking on the platform is the stinkier problem.
What's on Weibo's Top 3: From Xi in Tibet to the next project after Black Myth: Wukong.
“We are not friends, and have never been,” is a line that went viral recently in light of the heightened focus on war in Chinese media...
With China’s box office relay tradition, every movie’s success becomes a win for Chinese cinema.
From foreign anti-smoking bloggers to the “Modern Lin Zexu,” China is seeing a rise in online anti-smoking activism.
This is What's on Weibo's top 3 of what's trending (Aug 12–13): public outrage over a fatal stabbing in Nanchang, the record-breaking Chinese animation hit Nobody,...
What's on Weibo's Top 5: What’s Trending in China Today – From a fruit retailer CEO’s tone-deaf remarks and a Tiananmen parade rehearsal to an Alipay...
"You think we’re scared of you? It’s not like we haven’t been to jail before."
From Telegram to Shaolin Temple, the two scandals that rocked Chinese social media this week.
