Posts about politics, in China and beyond.
China is a country of rule breakers. It’s a nation of criminals, scofflaws, delinquents, lawbreakers, and ne’er do wells who are constantly engaged in a convoluted game of cat and mouse with the authorities. This flagrant disregard for the rules and regulations was one of the biggest things that shocked me about China. Don’t believe […]
Breaking the Law in China Read Post »
July 1st marked the hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party. Love it or hate it, the Chinese Communist Party is the largest political organization in the world, and arguably one of the most powerful. The CCP has around 90 million members, ten times the population of New York City. The party
It’s the 100 Year Anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party Read Post »
The Dragon Boat Festival is a national holiday in China that takes place on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Usually near the beginning of summer. The holiday is famous for the dragon boat races, where people race cool-looking boats carved into the shape of dragons. I’ve lived in China for almost three
What is the Dragon Boat Festival? Read Post »
The Qingming festival is also known in English as Tomb Sweeping Day. It happens every year on the 15th day after the spring equinox, usually on the 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th of April. It’s dedicated to honoring the dead and is one of the least commercialized festivals in modern China. While it may not
What is the Qingming (a.k.a. Tomb Sweeping) Festival? Read Post »
Chinese movies have existed pretty much since the beginning of cinema, starting with rickety black and white footage of downtown Shanghai. The country has a rich artistic heritage that goes back a century. But, all anyone ever wants to talk about is Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Or Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. Jackie Chan and
Five Chinese Movies That Aren’t Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Read Post »
The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is undoubtedly the biggest of all the big holidays in China. It’s like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s all rolled into one gigantic seven-day festival of red lanterns and dumplings. In Shanghai, they celebrate the Chinese New Year by traveling out of the city. This is often the
How Shanghai is Celebrating the Chinese New Year Read Post »
Trump’s WeChat and TikTok ban is dumb. It’s the latest of many dumb things done by a dumb president. As an American, I can freely say that online. If my fellow Americans continue their collective shoulder-shrug about Trump’s WeChat and TikTok ban, I might not be able to for much longer.
You should be way more upset about Trump’s WeChat and TikTok ban Read Post »
Is Winnie the Pooh illegal in China? Well, that depends on what you mean by “illegal.” It also depends on what you mean by “in China.” Or what you mean by “pooh.” The story goes that Chinese President Xi got upset at comparisons made between himself and a certain lovable, yellow bear. Soon, Winnie the
Is Winnie the Pooh Illegal in China? Read Post »
I’ve been spending the last week sitting in my apartment in Shanghai watching yet another explosion of anger against racism in American society. This time the epicenter was less than a ten-minute walk from where I used to live. I’ve got a whole mess of emotions about everything that I’m not going to write about
Black Power in Red China Read Post »
When the Covid-19 virus first hit, we had friends and relatives telling us to come back to the U.S. To be honest, I thought about it quite seriously. But we took a gamble, and we stayed in China. Now, the numbers are slowing to a trickle in China while rising to crazy levels in the
How is China reopening after the Coronavirus? Read Post »
