The Sports Issue

January/February, 2022

Ahead of the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, we investigate the development of sports for people with disabilities and those in the countryside; venture with yak herders onto the Tibetan Plateau; make predictions for China’s independent documentary scene; talk to coffee connoisseurs in Yunnan; and more.

残奥会上，残疾人运动员屡创佳绩；乡村里，篮球和瑜伽广受欢迎。但在全民体育、全民健身的风潮中，残疾人体育和乡村体育还缺乏更广泛的关注和支持。万众瞩目的奥运会之外，体育也属于所有人。

Cover Story | 封面故事 

Sports for All

全民运动进行时

Since Beijing won the bid to host the 2008 Olympics and Paralympics, China has committed to making itself an athletic nation. Yet sports players with disabilities still struggle for funding and recognition, despite being at the top of their game in international competitions; and the country’s goal to get every village enjoying basketball is still a distant reality. Now that China is hosting the Winter Games in 2022, is it finally time to make sports inclusive to all?

Features | 主题故事 

Testing Grounds

云南咖啡离“国际豆”还有多远？

Yunnan province produces 98 percent of China’s coffee, much of it in the traditional tea-growing region of Pu’er. But for farmers and roasters alike, costs, competition, and quality are hurdles to developing the brand of Yunnan coffee and making a splash on the international scene.

A Concession to Fame

被“网红街”搅乱的生活

Shanghai’s former French Concession, with its picturesque art deco apartments and 1930s terraced homes, was made to go viral. But as rent goes up, influencers flood in, and swanky cafes replace wet markets, the local elders are wondering who benefits from the tourism boom.

Field Notes | 乡音

Forgotten Lives

最后的麻风村

Though leprosy has almost disappeared from China, many recovered patients continue to live in communities where they were once isolated from society. A filmmaker travels to Guangdong province to discover what brought residents to one such “leprosy village”—and what keeps them there.

Kaleidoscope | 镜像中国 

It’s Snow Time!

冰雪东北

With temperatures around minus-20 degrees Celsius, winter in the Northeast of China, also known as Dongbei, is not for the faint-hearted. This year, the sparsely populated region saw some of the heaviest snowfall in over 100 years, but residents, as always, manage to carry on. From selling naturally frozen fruits to creative transportation methods in the snow, these photos show how China’s Dongbei folks survive extreme conditions with resourcefulness and humor.

Dragon’s Digest | 三味书屋 

Hi-Lee-Bon

短篇小说《海里蹦》

“Hi-Lee-Bon, Hi-Lee-Bon jumpin’, jump right up and land in a coffin”: an old man, a mysterious snack, and a school yard rhyme set the scene for this cynical and humorous tale by Zheng Zaihuan, which takes place in a dusty rural town that resembles the writer’s own childhood home.

Gallery | 水墨丹青

A New Way of Seeing

摄影师黎晓亮：看见与被看见

Fashion photographer Li Xiaoliang, or Alexvi, effortlessly straddles two universes—in commercial shoots with some of the world’s highest-profile celebrities; and in his own studio and exhibitions, where his personal works ask hard questions about self-image and the modeling industry.

Diaspora | 四海一家

Chifa La!

秘鲁美食的中国渊源

A fusion of Cantonese cooking and Peruvian ingredients, chifa, the food of Chinese immigrants to Peru, has become a comfort meal and family dinner ritual in its own right in its adopted country. Several Chinese Peruvians reminisce about their family history and what cuisine means to their heritage.

On the Road | 在路上 

Yak of All Trades

我在藏区放牦牛、过新年

High up on the Tibetan Plateau, the traditional new year celebration is also a time for administering medicine to local families’ yak herds. Our writer travels to Sichuan’s Ngawa region to assist with this annual task, and witnesses how the Tibetan herding economy adapts to the modern age.

Bookmark | 好书有笺 

When China Goes on the Road

民国时期的旅行文化

Between 1912 and 1949, affluent urban Chinese discovered travel, and tour companies advertised the exotic culture of ethnic minorities—sound familiar? In her new book Touring China, historian Yanjun Mo documents Chinese tourism in the Republican era and finds many parallels to today.

Zoetrope | 视听空间

Rough Cut

独立纪录片直面现实

In the 1990s and early 2000s, portable cameras revolutionized China’s film world, allowing independent documentary makers to travel the country and uncover social issues. But as regulations tighten, the market contracts, and filmmakers turn to arthouse styles, is there still a future for indie documentaries?

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关注我们的网站(theworldofchinese.com)，还有更多栏目，视频、音频内容……从国际视角欣赏中国文化，用地道英文讲述中国故事。有温情，有幽默，有新观点，有真态度，精彩内容不间断！