ZGBriefs from 2023
The Resource Library is where you will find the latest resources from across our publications.
ZGBriefs | July 20, 2023
'Fragile Cargo' chronicles the quest to save China's Forbidden City treasures from war (July 15, 2023, NPR) On the eve of Japan's invasion of China in the early 1930s, a group of museum curators at the Forbidden City in Peking (now Beijing) gathered together and asked themselves: What would happen to the country's vast collection of imperial art when the inevitable all-out war between Japan and China begins?
ZGBriefs | July 13, 2023
New Musical Honors Shanghai’s Legacy of Welcoming Jewish Refugees (July 11, 2023, Sixth Tone) A compelling new performance is set to debut in November at Shanghai’s Jewish Refugees Museum, shedding light on how the city welcomed Jewish refugees in World War II. Conducted by award-winning musicians, the oratorio narrates the story of two Jewish brothers who arrived in Shanghai as refugees in 1938 and their struggle to adapt to a foreign land.
ZGBriefs | July 6, 2023
Chinese social media users are not impressed with your ham sandwich (July 3, 2023, NBC News) The plain ham sandwiches, simple salads and other American-style packed lunches that fill office refrigerators don’t exactly scream “Instagram.” But they’re a social media sensation in China, where they have their own hashtag: #WhitePeopleFood.
ZGBriefs | June 29, 2023
Temple visits rise in China as jobless young people seek spiritual assistance (June 22, 2023, The Guardian) The phrase “incense-burning youth” has caught fire on social media, referring to young people who have turned to spiritual offerings in an attempt to increase their prospects. “Between going forward and going to work, I choose incense,” is one popular catchphrase.
ZGBriefs | June 22, 2023
Last Lockdown: Why Are China’s Campuses Still Closed to the Public? (June 19, 2023, The World of Chinese) Months after China lifted its “zero-Covid” policies in December 2022, marking a sudden end to three years of mandatory testing to enter public spaces and other strict measures, one space has yet to return to normal—university campuses.
ZGBriefs | June 15, 2023
Marriages in China drop to record low despite government push (June 13, 2023, The Guardian) The number of marriages in China last year dropped to 6.83 million, the lowest since records began in 1986. Data released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs showed the number of couples tying the knot in 2022 fell by about 800,000 compared with 2021, beating that year’s record low. China’s marriage rate has declined rapidly over the past 10 years, since peaking in 2013 when nearly 13.5 million couples wed, nearly double last year’s count.
ZGBriefs | June 8, 2023
China’s ‘Parachute Generation’ Grows Up (June 2, 2023, Sixth Tone) Prior to the pandemic, tens of thousands of Chinese kids left home every year to attend high school in the United States. Was it worth it?
ZGBriefs | June 1, 2023
Connecting a City: A Journey in Pictures (May 31, 2023, Sixth Tone) Archival photographs offer a vivid glimpse into the Shanghai Metro’s past, showcasing the stories and scenes that helped shape a city.
ZGBriefs | May 25, 2023
They Sang ‘a Heavenly Song’ in a Dark Chinese Jail (May 24, 2023, Christianity Today) As Xiaohui moved from cell to cell, she told her new roommates about Jesus and his sacrificial love. She told so many prisoners about Jesus that a police officer reprimanded her. After he interrogated her about gathering to worship with her house church, he said, “You can’t gather here in the detention center either.”
ZGBriefs | May 18, 2023
The Transformative Power of Deep Listening (May 2023, Lausanne Global Analysis) Only then can we listen and respond collectively to who God is and what God is doing in the world, and ultimately participate in the global mission of God (missio Dei) in a broken and divided world.