Life in China
Articles that reflect on life in the world’s most populous nation
I Wish the UK Could Learn to “Eat Bitterness”
As the Delta variant of COVID-19 worsens the UK’s already poor pandemic situation, and the health secretary resigns after spectacularly embarrassing evidence emerges of him breaking social distancing rules, I can’t help thinking that the UK could use more of the Chinese concept “chiku”.
Is English Becoming Latin in China?
Someone’s level of English says a lot about their background; arguably, it’s also pretty useless
Gyms in China: A Feminist Space?
Gyms are one of the few places in China where women enjoy freedom to wear what they want It’s hard to walk into a gym in China without seeing scantily clad female bodies everywhere. This surprised me at first; Chinese society tends to encourage rather more conservative dress than the west. Short skirts and exposed…
Why I Struggle to Laugh at Warped Taobao Photos
It’s easy to laugh at outlandishly photoshopped pictures of online clothing models, but the beauty standards that they reflect, and arguably cause, shouldn’t be taken lightly.
GALLERY Lesser Known Zhejiang
浙江日常生活 Scenes of late autumn life from a multi-day 200km cycle from the inland city of Hangzhou to coastal Ningbo, in the southern Chinese province of Zhejiang. From elderly Tai Chi practitioners gathered in public squares, to everyday scenes of family life, to curious fellow travelers on the road, this trip was, as usual, filled…
Three Conversations All Foreign Women Have Had in China
Sometimes, “Will you marry me?” isn’t really a compliment. December 25, 2020By May GuoNot the amazing ChinaPedlar, but her slightly less talented friend. At least once a week, I try a thing that scares me, just to make sure my heart gets a workout. That thing is speaking Chinese. It can lead to cultural insights,…
Why I’ve Started to Hate Christmas Music
There’s something not quite right about these decorations that I couldn’t put my finger on. As I sat at the unnervingly familiar wooden table of a Starbucks I had never been to before in Hangzhou, a city of 10 million in southern China, the dulcet tones of Frank Sinatra singing ‘White Christmas’ started to intensely…
Reasons You Should Go To Chongqing Immediately
There are so many things to do in Chongqing. Consider it for a China weekend break!
Top 5 Things People Say When I Tell Them I’m Cycling Solo Across China
“Your ar** is going to get so sore”– a concerned friend A girl cycling on her own across a vast distance (a route of 7000km or so) isn’t something you hear every day. People usually have something to say about it. Here are some of the textbook responses I get when I someone hears my…
A Love Letter to Starbucks
In times of chaos, I am grateful for the global uniformity of multinational brands
The China Pedlar 