China Insider

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What we're reading, writing, and arguing about — every week.

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Meet Laoshugan — The So-Ugly-It’s-Cute Doll Taking Over China 😂

China’s Gen Z have found a new way to keep their friends close — by turning them into Laoshugan (literally “rat jerky”) dolls 🐀💞. No, it’s not actual jerky.

Oct 81 min read
Food

Only in Guizhou: Street Food with a Selfie Logo 🤳🍜

In Guizhou, China, even street food comes with a face — literally.

Oct 61 min read
Food

Heytea Just Put 341-Year-Old Yunnan Sweet Soy Sauce in Milk Tea 🤯

Heytea has never been shy about stirring the pot, but its newest creation might just be the boldest yet.

Oct 31 min read
Travel

China opens world’s tallest bridge, and yes, there’s a café upstairs😂

China just delivered another record-breaking feat of engineering 💪🌉.

Oct 31 min read
Tech

Chongqing’s Drone Show Runs Every Night This National Day, Oct 1–8🥳

This National Day (Oct 1–7, 2025), Chongqing is turning the night sky into its biggest party yet 🎉 — with daily drone light shows taking over from 20:30 each…

Oct 11 min read
Lifestyle

35-Year-Old Mom in China Loses 42.5 kg After Divorce — Stunning Transformation Shocks Netizens

A 35-year-old mom from Hebei, China, known online as “阳阳吃不胖” (“Yangyang can’t get fat”), has gone viral for a post-divorce transformation that looks straight…

Sep 271 min read
Travel

Rice Fields and Skyscrapers: Welcome to Hangzhou’s Wildest View

Rice Fields and Skyscrapers: Welcome to Hangzhou’s Wildest View 🌾🏙️ In Hangzhou, the hottest “CBD” right now isn’t about finance or luxury malls—it’s about…

Sep 231 min read
Business

This Coconut Drink Brand Won’t Quit Its Tuwei Marketing—and Somehow It Works 🥥📺

If you’ve spent time in China, chances are you’ve seen Coconut Palm Juice (Yeshupai)—a coconut milk drink from Hainan that’s basically a cultural icon.

Sep 231 min read
Food

McDonald’s Teams Up with Black Myth Wukong for Mid-Autumn Festival

From September 23 to October 21, over 7,100 McDonald’s outlets will get in on the fun.

Sep 221 min read
Travel

A Harbin Drug Factory Everyone Now Visits for Selfies Instead of Pills 📸

The Harbin No. 6 Pharmaceutical Factory just had its glow-up moment—forget pills, it’s all about palaces now.

Sep 201 min read
Travel

This Mall in Shanghai Looks Like a Giant Mountain Covered in Trees 🌳

This is not Photoshop—Shanghai literally grew a mountain of trees on top of a mall.

Sep 161 min read
Culture

60-Year-Old Man Masters “Women’s Fist” Kung Fu in Fuzhou

This 60-Year-Old Male Master Is Keeping “Women’s Fist” Kung Fu Alive When you hear Women’s Fist Kung Fu, you probably don’t picture a 60-year-old man…

Sep 141 min read