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Why Are Mongolian Babies Swaddled So Tightly?
“You’ve got to tie the baby like you’re tying hay.”
Kat
Oct 305 min read


Elephant Diet Vol.3
Lily’s Dish— Chinese Middle Class’s New ‘Dignified’ Therapy: Going to KTV for Meal (中产最体面的「崩溃」方式:去KTV干饭) by Phoenix Weekly (凤凰WEEKLY), a magazine focusing on in-depth features and providing an essential source for understanding the complexities of modern China, especially insight into lifestyles, anxieties, and consumption habits of the country’s growing middle class. China’s young middle class is reshaping its leisure habits, from cafés, craft beer, live houses, to stand-up
Kat
Oct 247 min read


Baking Love in Golden Years: How a Chinese-American Couple Turned Online Romance into a Bakery Bliss in China
Navigating cultural and language barriers, the senior pair have enjoyed a sweet life in China for over a decade. Now, at ages 57 and 69, they've opened a lovely bakery in Changsha, a non-metropolitan yet increasingly vibrant city in southern China.
joyceelephantroom
Oct 1711 min read


Elephant Diet Vol.2
Biyi’s Dish— I do the ‘dirty work’ in a state-owned enterprise (我在国企干“脏活”) by Positive Connections (正面连接), a new media brand that...
Kat
Sep 196 min read


The Spotlight, the Sunlight: A Close-Up on Chinese Drag Performers Underground
(Note: For safety concerns, we have deleted or blurred the information including the photos that can be used to track the interviewees...
Kat
Sep 810 min read


Unemployed? Young Chinese are Shelling out to Fake a 9-to-6
Paying to "fake a workday" is the latest social trend sweeping through major cities like Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Chengdu — in China, where young people are facing a tough job market and are eager to reconnect in person after three years of pandemic lockdown.
Sage
Aug 265 min read


Elephant Diet Vol.1
(*While the Elephant Room team carefully selects content from credible news outlets and media, we cannot independently verify every piece...
Kat
Aug 1310 min read


One Night in a Successful Man’s Wet Dream
Welcome to Wanjiali Plaza in Changsha, Hunan Province - the center of the universe, the house of successful mens' dreams.
Biyi
Aug 710 min read


A Misty Hike to Meili Snow Mountains; A Missed Encounter with Sacred Kawagebo
Thrilling and reflective memories from one of the world’s most beautiful, sacred, and mysterious mountains in Tibetan Buddhism.
Joyce
Jul 218 min read


Why Black Lung is Rising Among Young Workers in China — Not Just in Coal
What if the workers take their diagnosis and demand compensation from the company?
Dorje
Jul 107 min read
Elephant Diet Vol.0
Biyi’s Dish— GUYU (谷雨), The $2.2 Million Virtual Affair ( 丈夫打赏女主播一千六百万之后 ) Note: Guyu is a non-profit platform established by Tencent...
Joyce
Jul 12 min read


Along Nu Jiang (II)
Note: The historical information about the French missionary and churches in Yunnan was collected and combined from existing articles...
Kat
Jun 2610 min read


Along Nu Jiang (I)
Kat's solo trip to another "Shangri-La" in Yunnan.
Kat
Jun 178 min read


"Not Human In or out": a Personal Observation on Hong Kong-China relations "Not Human In or out": a Personal Observation on Hong Kong-China relations
The Twisted Ties Between Hong Kong and Mainland China.
Kat
Jun 710 min read


The Lighthouse Diary
A trip back to the U.S. after six years.
Biyi
Jun 710 min read


Voices in the System: The Hidden Rules for China's Teachers
"But I cannot give up my Bianzhi (编制), at least not now."
Kat
Jun 611 min read


Why Are Chinese Medical Students Taking Their Own Lives Before Saving Others?
“No one really cares about us -- that’s what truly feels hopeless.”
joyceelephantroom
Apr 216 min read


Who Ate the Labors?
Black Box in China’s Labor Market.
Kat
Apr 310 min read


The Legacy Cult of Chairman Mao in Modern China
“He was born to be an emperor.”
Sage
Mar 116 min read


Wobbling, grounding, and (Happy New Year!)
But at the age of 32, I am still very, very proud to be a naive human.
Biyi
Dec 30, 20248 min read
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