Meng Dandan

Journalist, Lianhe Zaobao Beijing Bureau

Meng Dandan (real name Zhang Dan) is originally from Beijing. She was previously an assistant lecturer with the Foreign Languages Department at the University of Science and Technology of China. She joined Lianhe Zaobao's Beijing Bureau in 2005, and found a growing interest in journalism. She has written several special features, including one on "left-behind" children in China, and another on the lifestyle of young people in China.

The spectacular light show staged during the Chinese Lantern Festival in 2019. (Xinhua)
Culture

Can a museum be over-commercialised?

By Meng Dandan 04 Feb 2020
Criticisms have been levelled at the Palace Museum’s heavy use of the institution’s cultural capital for commercial gains. Museum officials rationalise that government funding alone is not enough to keep them going; tasteful product lines and festive promotions are just some of their means of survival.
Tang Jinglin, his wife, and his daughter, now city-dwellers. (Photo: Tang Jinglin)
China 70th anniversary

Ordinary people, extraordinary life (Part I): Tang Jinglin

By Meng Dandan 01 Oct 2019
(Video and text) The story of a teacher farmer who worked hard his whole life to finally live in the city. Yet, a part of him will always remain with the fields. “A farmer can never be separated from his land at any time. Peace of mind comes only with land ownership,” he says. 
Hu Sen wanted to study and be a researcher or university professor, and had no intention of starting a business. In the end, he left Yale and became an entrepreneur. (Photo: Lim Zhan Ting)
China 70th anniversary

Ordinary people, extraordinary life (Part IV): Hu Sen

By Meng Dandan 01 Oct 2019
(Video and text) With the advent of the Internet age, new opportunities opened up in the tech field for those daring enough to seize them. This is the story of one who made that decision.
Yangmeizhu Xiejie has been preserved amid major urban redevelopment. Over half of the 1,100 residents have chosen to stay on.
Society

Preserving the hutong: "What’s in it for us?"

By Meng Dandan 24 Sep 2019
Heritage conservation sounds ideal, but not every resident of Beijing’s heritage streets wants their homes to stay.