Balance Tips to China’s Cities

China has passed a milestone, that more Chinese now live in cities than in rural areas. This sounds impressive from one angle, that just over 10% of Chinese lived in cities when the Communist Party came to power in 1949, and not quite 19% when economic reforms started in 1979. [...]

The (Sometimes Poetic) Significance Behind Naming Missiles

You may have heard about Iran test-firing missiles this past week. Gripping stuff. But also fascinating, is what Iran calls its missiles [...]

The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll in China

Musician and author Jonathan Campbell has written the definitive book on the history of rock and roll in China.

Provocative Chinese art in Missouri

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Reporter Sylvia Gross tells us of two Chinese brothers who’ve unveiled a provacative art exhibit in the United States that would have landed them in jail back home in China. Download MP3
>>See more images of the GAO brothers work

World Books Review: Life Under Mao

Bi Feiyu’s satiric novel about village life during the Cultural Revolution is uneven, but he displays an uncanny understanding of young women and the way they use their sexuality to try to take control of their lives.

• Subscribe to the World Books podcast via iTunes
• Bill Marx’s Arts Fuse magazine

Life in one of China’s last communes

As China prepares to mark the 60th anniversary of Communist rule, the BBC takes a look at one of the country’s few remaining communes, the village of Nanjie. It’s hailed as a hallmark of the early Communist regime, and it’s still going strong. The BBC’s Michael Bristow provides a fascinating snapshot into communal life.

Watch the report