By Phyllis Brown 铠凌 NANJING, CHINA — When French director Chris Marker released the classic short film “Sunday in Peking” in 1956, the concept of a weekend was still alien to China. Since urban workers only had Sundays off, households often pitted against time to complete errands that had accumulated all week. Likewise, a rest... Continue Reading →
What Chinese Reactions to “Mulan” Reveal About China’s Cultural Exports 从电影《花木兰》在中国的反响,谈及中国文化输出
By Ran Zhao 赵然 NANJING, CHINA —— In September 2020, Disney released the highly-anticipated, live-action remake of “Mulan.” The film was likewise expected to attract many Chinese moviegoers, as the younger generation had been deeply impressed with the Mulan animation released earlier in 1998. Furthermore, Chinese people often enjoy seeing foreign reinterpretations of Chinese cultural... Continue Reading →
Under the Fuling Sun 在涪陵的太阳下
By Austin Frenes 冯翱森 NANJING, China — In 1997, foreigners were a rare sight in Fuling, a district of Chongqing municipality, China. 23 years later, Fuling was home to over 200 foreign residents, including an international community of teachers and students, as well as Peace Corps volunteers from the US. Stepping off a train at... Continue Reading →
In the face of grand historical narratives: Documenting my grandmother’s past 祛蔽和重构:我的外婆小传
By Lui Zhuoran 刘卓然 In the 1980s, the literary trend of “individual historical narration” was born in Mainland China. At that time, enlightenment ideals were introduced once again into China; the state had no longer controlled private life as strictly as before, and restrictions on thoughts and speech were gradually relaxed, causing various ideological cultures... Continue Reading →
The Return of Street Vendors: Wuhan’s Post-Pandemic Revival 地摊的回归:一座城市疫情后的重生
By Wei Baipei 魏百佩 NANJING, China — The year 2020 introduced the city of Wuhan to the world in the most tragic way. The COVID-19 epicenter was placed on strict lockdown from the end of January to mid-March. As fears of contracting the deadly virus spread from door to door, stay-at-home restrictions silenced the once-buzzing... Continue Reading →