Feminism

Not all heroes shout: How The Legend of Hei 2 reimagines Chinese animation

While Ne Zha signals industrial ambition and cultural export, The Legend of Hei reveals a gentler path — hand-drawn, community-made and emotionally grounded in coexistence rather than spectacle. Lianhe Zaobao visual journalist Fio Zhang explains its appeal and understated value.

Fio Zhang

20 Feb 2026

[Big read] Safe, but fragile: The rise of women-only spaces in China

Women-only homestays, gyms and bookstores are booming in China, offering safety and solidarity. Yet closures and debates highlight the limits of segregated spaces and the challenges of sustaining a women-only economy. Lianhe Zaobao Associate China News Editor Chen Jing finds out more.

Chen Jing

28 Jan 2026

[Big read] Paying for pleasure: Chinese women indulge in handsome male hosts

From theme parks to mountain climbs, Chinese women are paying handsome male hosts for hugs, spins and close-up attention — indulging fantasies, seeking comfort, and turning male charm into a booming industry. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Lim Zhan Ting speaks with the men offering these services.

Lim Zhan Ting

19 Dec 2025

[Big read] China’s superwomen are winning on screen: Empowerment or illusion?

China’s newest hit dramas celebrate unstoppable heroines — generals, tycoons, and perfect all-rounders. But scholars and viewers question whether this surge in “superwomen” reflects real empowerment or just another comforting illusion. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Liu Sha speaks to viewers, academics and those in the industry to find out more.

Liu Sha

10 Dec 2025

[Big read] Why China’s funniest women are also its most controversial

As Chinese female stand-up comedians challenge deep-rooted gender norms, critics accuse them of fuelling gender divides. But comedy is only exposing what has long festered across film, gaming, and public life. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zeng Shi finds out more.

Zeng Shi

15 Sep 2025

China’s female comedians: Are men really listening?

China’s female comedians are firing up this year’s stand-up comedy stage with pointed and harsh truths about gender inequality. However, Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Li Kang asks, despite these women’s louder voices, are the men or society really listening?

Li Kang

31 Jul 2025

[Big read] China women’s long march towards equality

The advent of social media has been a double-edged sword for women’s rights and gender equality movements in China. Though social media helps promote awareness of such issues, it also enables reactionary resistance to these movements and even misogynistic abuse. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Miao Zong-Han discusses the issue.

Miao Zong-Han

08 Jan 2025

[Big read] Can Kamala Harris be the first female US president?

Lianhe Zaobao associate foreign editor So Geok Lan notes that despite garnering overwhelming support within the Democratic Party, Kamala Harris still has hurdles to cross to break the glass ceiling to become the first woman to lead the US.

So Geok Lan

14 Aug 2024

[Video] How China’s film industry is evolving

China’s film industry is pivoting towards domestic films that explore female themes, address complex social issues and incorporate nationalistic messages. 

Yi Jina

21 Jun 2024

Why Chinese women's clothing are getting smaller

Are women in China getting more conscious about their body image? Or is the clothing industry part of the problem as it makes smaller-sized clothes that could even fit children? Lianhe Zaobao's China Desk looks into the trend in clothes manufacturing and its impact on Chinese women's body image.

China Desk, Lianhe Zaobao

07 Jun 2023

Animal protectors and feminists hindering pandemic work in China?

Sadly, a Chinese pet owner in Shangrao, Jiangxi province, had the dubious honour of witnessing via pet monitor the culling of her Welsh corgi, right before her eyes. The perpetrators? Covid-19 community workers who have now given their peers a bad name. This is not just an issue of animal rights, Lorna Wei asserts, but also one of privacy and information disclosure, personal safety, and the abuse of power.

Lorna S. Wei

22 Nov 2021

Why Chinese women are unwilling to give birth

Respect. Lorna Wei says the nub of the issue in the low fertility rate in China lies in that one word. Growing up in a patriarchal society, daughters in China have for years been looked upon as second to sons. When they become wives, mothers and daughters-in-law, they shoulder the bulk of familial duties while trying to keep their jobs. Any fertility policy should first address greater equality between the sexes. Only when parents are assured that their burdens will be shared can they look forward to having more children.

Lorna S. Wei

18 Jun 2021