In his tracksuit, silver chain and sparkling trainers, MC Tenzin would look like any other rapper if not for the backdrop of towering Himalayan peaks in his videos and rhyme-dropping about karma.
Helen Roxburgh
Deputy news editor @AFP China in Beijing. Previously of Shanghai, Hong Kong and London.
Herders to Hoteliers: China Lures Millions of Tourists to Tibet
In a room warmed by an open wood stove, Baima says her family converted their white-brick house into a hotel as China’s Communist leadership ushers tens of millions of tourists to the politically sensitive region of Tibet.
Zhang Yiming: The Billionaire Tech Visionary Behind TikTok
Armed with pioneering AI and a sharp nose for youth trends, Zhang Yiming revolutionised internet video with popular app TikTok and minted himself a fortune.
The Nanjing ‘Angel’ Helping China’s Desperate Back from the Brink
On a grey and rainy morning, Chen Si patrols the Nanjing bridge soaring above China’s Yangtze river, determined to stop the desperate from jumping into the swirling waters below.
AlphaDogs: The Next Generation Robo-Dogs that can be Updated with New Skills
It’s whip fast, obeys commands and doesn’t leave unpleasant surprises on the floor — meet the AlphaDog, a robotic response to two of China’s burgeoning loves: pets and technology.
Biggest Sandstorm in Decade Turns Beijing Skies Yellow
Beijing was cloaked in thick yellow smog on Monday with pollution levels surging off the charts as the worst sandstorm in a decade descended on China’s capital from the Gobi desert.
Chengdu: China’s Permissive ‘Gay Capital’ Refusing to Fold
It’s Saturday night at the HUNK club in Chengdu and men in gold lycra shorts and black boots dance on stage. They wear kimonos, in an apparent tactical compromise with new morality codes creeping into China’s “gay capital”.
Virtual Idols Take to the Real-Life Stage in China
Liu Jun has long been a fan of a Chinese star called Amy, a teenage pop singer with red hair whose autograph he treasures — and who only exists in the digital world.
China’s ‘Vaccine Diplomacy’: A Global Charm Offensive
As wealthy countries scramble to buy up the limited supply of big-name coronavirus vaccines, China is stepping in to offer its homegrown jabs to poorer countries. But the largesse is not entirely altruistic, with Beijing hoping for a long-term diplomatic return.
China Animal Rescuer Shares Home With 1,300 Dogs
Twenty years ago, Wen Junhong saved an abandoned dog from the streets of Chongqing in southwestern China. She now shares her home with more than 1,300 of them, and they keep on coming.
Jack Ma’s Rags to Riches Story Inspired a Generation of Entrepreneurs
Jack Ma, the ebullient and unconventional billionaire founder of tech giant Alibaba, now finds himself battling the ignominy of having the world’s biggest-ever IPO halted days before its launch by Chinese regulators.
‘A Total Lie’: Misinformation Puts China’s Moms off Breastfeeding
Unregulated, aggressive promotion of formula milk, poor medical advice, short maternity leave and workplaces hostile to nursing mothers mean China has among the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world and is falling well short of its own targets, experts warn.
CEO of Trip.com Takes Lead to Propel Working Mothers Forward
The head of Chinese travel giant Trip.com, Jane Sun, is on a mission to propel women through her workforce, spearheading novel approaches such as encouraging babies on business trips and free egg freezing.
China Propose Guidelines for Parents to Put Their Kids to Sleep by 10pm
A new rule being mulled in China to allow schoolchildren to go to bed by 10pm, even if they haven’t finished their homework, has prompted heated debate about the country’s education system.