MODERN HISTORY, EDUCATION

30 Years of Choosing College Majors in China

How did Chinese students earn the right to choose their own majors, and how did the most popular choices evolve over time?

ANCIENT HISTORY

How Did Ancient Chinese Scholars Prepare for Exams?

From cram academies to meeting celebrity scholars, preparation for ancient China’s civil service exams was both similar and different to test-prep today

EDUCATION

Can Art Degree Programs Churn Out Real Artists?

Crowded enrollment, uneven teaching, and even censorship of projects are making some art students in China question the value of their degrees

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
EDUCATION

How English Went from Imperialist Treachery to Lingua Franca

While English language education was once practically forbidden, decades of reform have turned it into massive business

ANCIENT HISTORY

How Ancient Chinese Scholars Celebrated Graduation

In the Tang dynasty, scholars celebrated the end of exams with food, bribes, and cosying up to officials

NEWS

Blast in Hebei Kills Two and Other Trending News

Explosion kills two and injures 22, “gaokao” results released, farmers allowed to pay for property with wheat, Hong Kong floating restaurant sinks—it’s Viral Week

NEWS

Violent Assault on Women at Restaurant Provokes Outrage and Other Trending News

Brutal attack on women provokes shock, luxury car owners feud over parking space, delayed ambulance blamed for student’s death, tattoo ban for minors—it’s Viral Week

EDUCATION

Inside China’s “Gaokao Factory”

A former students recounts her grueling schedule and eventual withdrawal from Hengshui, a city notorious for exam-prep schools

NEWS

Mudslide Causes Fatal Train Crash and Other Trending News

High-speed train driver killed in crash, man struck by lightning on dragon boat, four dead in Sichuan earthquake, gradual reopening in Shanghai and Beijing —it’s Viral Week

NEWS

Viral Week: Didi banned from app stores and other trending news

China's space station astronauts take first space walk, red panda has four cubs, boy wears skirt to school, intricate tofu carvings amaze—it's Viral Week