News.
What we're reading, writing, and arguing about — every week.
Food & BeverageStarbucks Turned Its Beijing Flagship Into a 'Sloppy Reading Club' With Novelist Yu Hua
Starbucks just gave its Beijing flagship a makeover that has nothing to do with new syrups and everything to do with one of China's most unflinching literary vo
MarketingMUJI's New Short Film Turns a Father-Son Dinner Into an Argument for 'Good Enough'
Most brand campaigns about food go big. Close-ups of glistening dumplings.
MarketingDuolingo's Unhinged Purple Owl Just Got 'Poached' — By Canva
Duolingo's Chinese IP "拽姐" (Sassy Sister) — the purple-haired, sharp-tongued owl alter ego — posted on social media in late July saying she was looking for a "c
Internet CultureXiaohongshu's Latest Offline Bazaar Is All About Beaded Bracelets — and Gen Z Can't Get Enough
There's a certain magic to stringing beads. It's meditative.
Food & BeverageWhy This Chinese Tea Chain Is Giving Away Gold for Your Cat This Autumn
Every year, Chinese social media erupts with the "first cup of milk tea in autumn" — a ritual where people treat themselves (or someone they like) to a seasonal
EntertainmentA Chinese philosophy podcaster out-interviewed every film journalist — and Christopher Nolan loved it
Movie junkets are a predictable ritual: stars shuffle through identical hotel rooms, journalists cycle through the same six questions about stunts and co-stars,
Food & BeverageYihetang Taps Luxury Artist Sophie Touzet for China's Viral 'First Cup of Autumn' Milk Tea
Every year around liqiu — the traditional Chinese calendar's start of autumn — the same phrase floods Chinese social media: "the first cup of milk tea of autumn
Food & BeverageA Wenzhou Bookstore Turned China's Humble Street Desserts Into a Museum-Worthy Exhibition
In most of China, summer means one thing: sugar water. Not the literal translation that trips up English speakers.
Food & BeverageMANNER Turned Morandi's Still-Life Palette Into a Coffee Cup — And a Case for Quiet
There's an irony to most branded art collaborations: they promise depth, then deliver a jpg on a tote bag.
MarketingThis Chinese fragrance brand turned Didi luxury cars into moving hotels — and it actually makes sense
You know that moment in a taxi — phone down, head against the window, watching the city slide past — that you almost never let yourself have anymore?
Food & BeverageKFC's New Crayon Shin-chan Toys Turn Summer Into a Tiny Anime Episode at Your Table
KFC China is back with another toy drop, and this time the star is a five-year-old with questionable manners and a national following.
MarketingCotti Coffee Swings Into Marvel's Spider-Verse with a Pineapple Summer Drop
Every summer blockbuster season, the same question floats around China's internet: which coffee chain is getting the Marvel collab this time?