ANCIENT HISTORY

Ancient Poems About Laborers’ Plight

On International Workers’ Day, we take a look at how ancient poets wrote about labor and the working classes

ARTS

Anti-War Poetry in Ancient China

Four ancient Chinese poets on human suffering amid turbulence and war

TRADITIONAL CULTURE

Chinese Trees and Their Meanings

Symbolism of eight common trees in Chinese culture

TRAVEL

The Desert City Remembered for a Tragic Poet

Delingha in Qinghai was made famous by revered poet Haizi, now the city is trying to use that fame to boost tourism

ARTS

Poet Shangyang Fang on Avoiding Tokenizing When Writing in English

“I refuse to conform to this stupidity”: Up-and-coming poet Shangyang Fang talks to TWOC about musicality in verse and not conforming to tropes

SOCIETY

I Sacrificed 16 Years to the Mines

Miner-poet Chen Nianxi tells the harrowing story of his years working as a blaster underground

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
CHINESE CHARACTERS

On the Character: 野

The history and development of a Chinese character that is far-seeing and untamed

TRADITIONAL CULTURE

Emblematic Blossoms

The stories behind major city flowers in China

HISTORICAL FIGURES

The Best of Su Dongpo

Ten classic lines from the prolific Song poet, who was born 982 years ago today