Society

A shot of people entering PKU in 2005. (Apple Daily) 

A Peking University professor’s movement to break down walls

Peking University professor Li Zhi recently made the news for getting chased down by campus security after refusing to submit to facial scans and going over the turnstiles at the university. Lianhe Zaobao’s China Desk looks into the professor’s call to break down the walls — literal and figurative — around academic grounds.
Students of Chung Hwa Middle School on a school trip to Liuzhou, China, in November 2023. (Chung Hwa Middle School/Facebook)

Mandarin learning in Brunei’s Chinese schools: Practical considerations

Rather than a consequence of China’s cultural diplomacy, Mandarin learning in Brunei is motivated by immediate concerns of academic success and enhancing worldviews through a different language and culture.
People learn folk dance at a night school in Gansu province, China, 30 November 2023. (CNS)

Night classes becoming a refuge for China’s young people?

Young people in China are turning to night classes as a source of mental respite from the daily grind. From Shanghai and Beijing to Nanjing and Wuxi, thousands of applications are seen for classes with dozens of vacancies. Does this trend point to a larger social phenomenon?
People pray at Hongfa Temple in Shenzhen.

More Chinese youths volunteering at temples as Buddhist culture gains popularity in China

Lianhe Zaobao journalist Daryl Lim dives into a new trend among Chinese youths: volunteering at Buddhist temples. This new wave of young volunteers do not have a religious purpose in helping at temples but are seeking a different way of life, or even an escape from the pains of the current social and economic realities.
Kathy Chow was known for her roles in broadcaster TVB’s television dramas in the 1980s and 1990s. (Internet)

Passing of Kathy Chow puts focus on the rise of people living alone in China

Several media reports of Hong Kong star Kathy Chow’s passing seemed to have highlighted the fact that she was living alone. Advertently, her death has sparked off discussions about the rise of Chinese living alone and the stigma and policy challenges behind the trend. Lianhe Zaobao’s China Desk examines the issue.
Office workers walk on a street during lunch hour in the Central district in Hong Kong, China, on 20 November 2023. (Paul Yeung/Bloomberg)

Rise of youth suicides in HK: Academic and unemployment woes

Youth suicide rates are on the increase in Hong Kong, with stresses such as academic pressure and unemployment woes some of the key factors. While the issue is multifaceted, giving hope and promoting mental well-being is a project that everyone in society can work on together.
People take photographs outside the Hongyancun Station. (Photo: Edwin Ong)

[Video] Chongqing's Hongyancun now the deepest metro station in China

Hongyancun metro station in Chongqing has the distinction of being the deepest metro station in China. However, it takes about ten minutes to go all the way down — to the depth of 39 storeys — which raises safety concerns, alongside the convenience to nearby residents.
Students walk on the campus of Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee, US, on 19 September 2023. (Kevin Wurm/Reuters)

Americans studying in China will continue to trend downwards

China-US political tensions have been a key reason for the sharp decline in people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, with study abroad programmes for US students to China halted and Confucius Institutes in the US closing down in droves. Some believe that China’s domestic policies are also to blame for the drop in American students’ interest. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Li Kang finds out more about the downward trend.
The boorish behaviour of illegal mainland Chinese immigrant Ah Chan in Hong Kong TV drama The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (《网中人》) made his name a trendy insult. (SPH Media)

Feigning strength: Why we use derogatory terms on peoples and countries

Hua Language Centre director Chew Wee Kai points out that throughout history, people have come up with various terms to refer to “others”. Such forms of discrimination, while not physically harmful, can still be perpetuated and lead to discord and resentment. It is up to present generations to end the cycle.