ZGBriefs from 2023

The Resource Library is where you will find the latest resources from across our publications.

ZGBriefs

ZGBriefs | December 28, 2023

Has China Reached Peak Spice? (December 22, 2023, Sixth Tone) Historically, outside of a few inland regions, Chinese food was mildly flavored, with more emphasis on highlighting an ingredient’s natural taste than overpowering it with the numbing spice of Sichuanese mala or its fierier Hunanese counterpart.

ZGBriefs

ZGBriefs | December 21, 2023

The Chinese Migrants of Chiang Mai (December 14, 2023, The Dial) People who have left China — to make a new life or to escape an old one — are everywhere.

ZGBriefs

ZGBriefs | December 14, 2023

Podcast: Full time children or half dead: China’s Gen Z goes to ground (December 13, 2023, Little Red Podcast) The Party frets that despite the best efforts of the propaganda organs to get them excited about a tech-driven utopian future, China’s young people seem to have lost their work ethic.

ZGBriefs

ZGBriefs | December 7, 2023

How people in Hong Kong view mainland China and their own identity (December 5, 2023, Pew Research) With local elections in Hong Kong approaching, here’s a look at how people in the special administrative region view mainland China, as well as their own identity and the way things are going in their city. All findings are drawn from a recent Pew Research Center survey.

ZGBriefs

ZGBriefs | November 30, 2023

5 visa-free ways to travel to China by land, sea and air for 72 hours and up to 30 days (November 21, 2023, South China Morning Post) In October and November, the Ministry of Public Security, the National Immigration Administration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that travellers from dozens of countries can again enter China through several visa-free schemes.

ZGBriefs

ZGBriefs | November 16, 2023

The Fishing Village That Wasn’t and Other Myths About China’s Largest City (November 14, 2023, Sixth Tone) Shanghai’s opening as a treaty port has become shrouded in myth. What actually happened? And how did it shape the city?

ZGBriefs

ZGBriefs | November 9, 2023

A Chinese Jew’s Journey to Israel (November 2, 2023, The World of Chinese) From Kaifeng to Jerusalem—a Chinese Jew tells her story of leaving for the Middle East and reflecting on her dual identity.

ZGBriefs

ZGBriefs | November 2, 2023

Podcast: Rethinking Chinese food with Fuchsia Dunlop (October 30, 2023, Chinese Whispers) China has so much more to offer than what has made across into the West’s Chinese restaurants. Thankfully, that’s changing and quite fast. […] I’m delighted to be joined by her on the podcast today, to mark the publication of her new book, Invitation to a Banquet, which is all about the history, meaning and diversity of Chinese cuisine.

ZGBriefs

ZGBriefs | October 26, 2023

Are foreign students who study in China still able to form meaningful relationships with their Chinese counterparts, despite a tightening on educational channels? Are these students able to freely pursue their chosen areas of research? Are they experiencing a version of the country that best represents it? And how can China shape a more stable environment for international students and encourage greater student exchange, beyond that of senior scholars?

ZGBriefs

ZGBriefs | October 19, 2023

Confessions from a Chinese censorship worker (October 16, 2023, Global Voices) A censorship worker dubbed Blowfish Princess (河豚公主) from a major Chinese social media platform has recently revealed details of her everyday work in an interview with prominent Twitter whistle-blower Teacher Li on YouTube. Below is an English excerpt of the interview published on Global Voices with Teacher Li’s permission.