Culture Archives | China Books Review

Ancient Chinese Politics with Daniel Bell

The Legalists and Confucians still run the show in today’s China, argues a scholar of classical Chinese thought — but the Mohists and Daoists still...

Confucius and Women, with Erin Cline

Misogyny and patriarchy are a later misreading of The Analects, argues the author of a new translation of the Confucian classic.

How China’s Independent Bookstores Survive

Even as restrictions tighten in Beijing, independent bookstores in Chengdu have flourished — showing how offline community and public debate can thrive. But it’s hard.

Nan Z. Da and Stephen Greenblatt on Shakespeare and Mao

Two literary scholars explain what Shakespeare can tell us about China under Mao, and the nature of tyranny, in a China Books Review event at...

Jung Chang: A Grande Dame of China Writing

The author of “Wild Swans” and its new sequel made her name by introducing China to readers through personal history — but her later biographies...

Sex, Scams and Sorcery with Bruce Rusk and Christopher Rea

Tales of trickery were popular in the late Ming dynasty. The translators of a new collection explain how they still resonate today.

What China’s Listening To

We picked five albums that China’s Gen Z are listening to while lying flat, working, involuting, “running” abroad and pushing the envelope.

David Moser on Performing Comedy in China

The sinologist talks about moving to China in 1989, his first appearance on the Spring Festival Gala in 1999, and learning xiangsheng from the masters.

The Trouble with Chinese Cookbooks

Despite the difficulty of translating Chinese cuisine for Western readers, Chinese cookbooks continue to sell. But just as their form has changed over the decades,...

Socialism with Socratic Characteristics

In attempting to justify Communist Party rule, Chinese academics have turned to an unlikely intellectual ally — classical Greek philosophy.

Contemporary Chinese Art Photography

A collection of three decades worth of Chinese art photography shows a country in social and cultural foment, questioning the status quo and pushing aesthetic...

Fuchsia Dunlop on Chinese Cuisine

The culinary writer discusses the history and diversity of Chinese food, and how it has been misrepresented in the West.

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Topic: Culture