The Retired Life Issue 

May/June, 2021

China’s elderly experience little rest in retirement as they move to cities to care for grandchildren, or head online to build fanbases on livestreaming apps. Big money brings high stakes to traditional pigeon-racing; a model Mars base draws tourists to the Qinghai desert; China’s porcelain capital adapts to the 21st century, and more

退休是否意味着退居幕后，安享平静生活？在今天，有的老人为了照顾孙辈成为“老漂”一族，也有人在旅程中不断发现自我，还有人玩转社交媒体，分享生活和体验，成为新晋“网红”。退休生活不止一种，他们正在积极地定义这一人生的全新阶段。

 Cover Story | 封面故事 

Something New, Something Old

新老年生活

Youth may be the “rear waves” that will shape the future, but China’s growing senior population proves it’s possible to teach elders new tricks. From migrating to the city to becoming online influencers, as well as learning to travel solo, the over-55 population is seeking to redefine their identity beyond family and work. At the same time, childcare obligations, economic pressure, and mental health issues are threatening to keep seniors from living the life they want.

 Features | 主题故事 

Shards of History

千年瓷都如何再续传奇？

For centuries, China was synonymous with fine pottery, and the town of Jingdezhen was the epicenter of the craft. As industrial production wanes and young urbanites open boutique studios in town, Jingdezhen’s artisans are remolding their identities as inheritors of the ancient art.

Ruling the Roost

悠闲养鸽人遭遇百亿赛鸽潮

Once a pastime for retirees, pigeon racing has become a billion-yuan sport fraught with high stakes, gambling, and fraud. Despite increased competition and skyrocketing fees, pigeon enthusiasts share why they continue to stay in the game.

 Portraits | 人物 

Searching for Asia’s Rarest Fruits

寻果历险记

From Sumatra’s rainforests to Guangdong’s markets, vlogger Yang Xiaoyang has sampled more than 1,000 exotic fruit species. The “fruit hunter” has turned his passion into a sweet online gig, educating four million followers on the science and cultural traditions behind fruits all across Asia.

 Kaleidoscope | 镜像中国  

All Is Well

给古井“洗澡”

In the Hakka villages of Wuping county, Fujian, “every well has a story,” says photographer Li Guochao. Even as the homes get equipped with tap water, wells remain the cornerstones of these close-knit communities as a (literal) watering hole where neighbors can exchange news. A native of Wuping, Li joins a group of villagers for their annual “changing the well” ceremony, where the wells get a thorough scrub-down and fresh water with which to nourish new life in the coming year.

 Dragon’s Digest | 三味书屋 

The Night Is for Lovers

远子短篇小说三则

Hailed as a pioneer of “Beijing drifter scar literature,” Yuan Zi is a rising literary voice among China’s millennial writers. A selection of poetry and short stories from the 34-year-old explore themes of being young, lonely, and unmoored in the city.

 Gallery | 水墨丹青 

Tapestry of Life and Death

纤维艺术家岳明月专访：纱线交缠出的生死体验

Weaving nuance into heavy subjects, Yue Mingyue threads birth, life, death, and labor into gauze and embroidery. Whether looking inward at her own childhood or outward at women in history, the young textile artist creates aesthetics as well as a message.

 Diaspora | 四海一家 

Remembering Corky Lee

华裔摄影师李扬国镜头里的亚裔民权运动

Spanning a 50-year career across the US, the late Corky Lee’s photography put Chinese and Asians at the forefront of American history. We reprint Lee’s most iconic images in memory of the photographer, who passed away from Covid-19 in January 2021.

 On the Road | 在路上 

2021: A Mars Camp Odyssey

青海冷湖：“火星营地”漫游

Lacking water, inhabitants, and phone reception, the deserts of Qinghai are the closest thing on Earth to an alien world. A “Mars Camp” in the sands takes advantage of China’s new interest in space tourism to attract travelers and sci-fi writers to a simulated Martian colony.

 Chi Le Ma | 吃了吗 

Only Yolking

过端午，品蟹黄豆腐

Few foods were as highly vaunted by ancient Chinese foodies as crab roe—but this delicacy doesn’t come cheap. Crab roe tofu is a popular summer dish that substitutes salted egg yolk for the golden roe, creating a rich flavor and sumptuous texture in its own right.

 Zoetrope | 视听空间 

Seas of Memory

《六人》：追寻泰坦尼克号上不为人知的中国幸存者

A ticket for the Titanic, crowded with eight Chinese names, starts Steven Schwankert and Arthur Jones’ search for the shipwreck’s Chinese survivors in The Six. The documentary follows their cross-borders quest to rebuild historical memory and question why it’d been lost.

WANT MORE LIKE THIS?

You can find more written, visual, and audio content on our website, theworldofchinese.com, which is updated daily with news, opinion, analysis, language lessons, and more!

还有更多栏目，小说、艺术、语言……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……从封面到封底，精彩内容不间断！