Rural

[Big read] China’s rural officials are performing for attention online, with Xi’s blessing

China’s village officials are turning to livestreams, dances and short-form videos to sell rural products and boost local economies, citing President Xi Jinping’s emphasis on e-commerce to justify the shift, though it sits uneasily with expectations that officials keep a low profile. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhang Guanghui reports.

Zhang Guanghui

24 Apr 2026

Frozen for blue skies: Villagers endure winter without coal

China’s mandate to shift from coal to natural gas heating in Hebei has led to a dilemma where many rural villagers are unable to afford heating through the cold winter season. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yush Chau finds out what the authorities could do to mitigate the people’s hardships.

Yush Chau

21 Jan 2026

[Big read] Love is hard to find for millions of rural Chinese men

The gender imbalance in China, especially in the rural areas, has resulted in many men not being able to find a partner. Some are still looking; others have given up and are resigned to being single. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Li Kang speaks to some of these single men about their views.

Li Kang

05 Dec 2025

Why China’s waste incinerators are running out of trash

As China pushes forward with recycling and zero-waste campaigns, its massive incineration sector faces an unexpected problem: a shortage of trash. Is this a triumph of environmental policy — or a miscalculation in planning?

Erik Baark

17 Oct 2025

From Mao to livestreams: The new face of China’s collective living 

Chinese vloggers who have set up communal living arrangements, or “shared homelands”, have been trending online, claiming to offer a new type of home where one eats and lives for free. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Li Kang finds out if they are sustainable and if there are any strings attached.

Li Kang

18 Sep 2025

From drought to downpour: Climate change sounds alarm bells in northeast China

Recent weather phenomena in China have brought attention to climate change, most lately in northeast China. What are the impacts of extreme weather? Lianhe Zaobao China news correspondent Lim Zhan Ting finds out more.

Lim Zhan Ting

21 Aug 2025

China’s rural revival has a star village — but can others follow?

After years of ecological damage and environmental pollution caused by unsustainable mining practices, the village of Yucun has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past 20 years. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yush Chau explores how the village reinvented itself into an eco-cultural tourist destination and a model for green development.

Yush Chau

20 Aug 2025

The new rural dream: China’s urbanites seek greener pastures

Push factors from the hustle and bustle of cities and pull factors from the idyllic countryside are driving young urbanites to seek career opportunities in rural villages. Lianhe Zaobao news correspondent Yush Chau speaks with these “new villagers” to find out more about their motivations to pursue life outside big cities.

Yush Chau

19 Aug 2025

Beijing’s flood came for the elderly first 

Heavy rains in Beijing have left at least 44 people dead, most of them elderly and infirm. Despite official reports of evacuations, residents in Miyun district said they woke up to knee-high waters and had to leave on their own. Lianhe Zaobao senior correspondent Chen Jing assesses what more can be done.

Chen Jing

04 Aug 2025

From Beijing to Shanghai: How China’s invisible migrants claim space through sports

The decision to support a football or basketball team might seem like a trivial matter, but master’s candidate Wang Yuchen says that it reveals deeper issues of urban identity and social integration in China. He explains how internal migrants in cities like Beijing and Shanghai express dissatisfaction and negotiate their identity through their support for hometown teams.

Wang Yuchen

07 Jul 2025

Can China save Iraq from its water crisis?

Amid Iraq’s growing water crisis, while Chinese financing and technical expertise can offer short-term relief and help plug Iraq’s infrastructure gaps, such engagement also raises the spectre of new dependencies and opaque decision-making. US academic John Calabrese looks into the issue.

John Calabrese

26 Jun 2025

[Big read] Durians, tea and livestreams: Can rural China power its 2035 modernisation dream?

Durians and livestreaming are boosting China’s rural economy, but can border trade compete with established hubs? Experts weigh in on the challenges of revitalising remote areas, from corruption to talent drain, as China aims for modernisation by 2035. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Sim Tze Wei reports from Malipo county on the China-Vietnam border.

Sim Tze Wei

04 Jun 2025