Stories

Which AI tool is best for researching China? I tested Chat GPT vs. DeepSeek and found that while Chat GPT delivers more critical insight, Deepseek’s Chinese version offers more up-to-date facts and better sources. For serious research, I always use both.

China’s board game scene blends strategy, social deduction, and ancient history, from Mahjong to War of the Three Kingdoms. With millions of players and a growing café culture, these games offer a fresh take on game night that goes beyond Catan or poker.

China’s top universities both rank high globally, shape national leaders, and fiercely compete. But for Chinese students, getting in means scoring in the top 0.05% on the brutal entrance exam, making admission far tougher than it is for most international students.

China is restoring a Belgium-sized area of grasslands every year. The effort could transform both local ecosystems and the lives of traditional herders who call them home.

Is Chinese or English more efficient to read? Studies and anecdotes offer mixed results: one suggests Chinese is faster, another says it’s the same. What do you think?

China just started building the world’s largest dam in Tibet, alarming its neighbors India and Bangladesh, and reigniting a century-old debate: power vs. preservation. Similarly, in the US, from Hetch Hetchy to the Klamath, rivers have long been shaped by human ambition. But sometimes, they run free again.

Philip Tinari speaks about the potential of art to transform lives, even if just for one viewer among thousands. He reflects on how creators can hold space for “a certain kind of magic,” and how his own experience as an American who built a career in China — through language, collaboration, and cultural trust — feels increasingly precious in a time of growing divide. He speaks with James Chau, President of the China-United States Exchange Foundation.

In this interview with CUSEF President James Chau, UCCA Director Philip Tinari explains how contemporary art can cut through political division by offering a shared space for expression and connection. He discusses how Chinese audiences, especially younger generations, are embracing art with global ambition, and how American artists find resonance in Beijing through innovation, boldness, and curiosity.

Philip Tinari, Director of UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, reflects on art as a rare space for exchange at a time of growing U.S.-China mistrust. In conversation with CUSEF President James Chau, he shares how contemporary art has evolved in China, why American artists like Andy Warhol resonate with Chinese audiences, and how his own cross-cultural life has become a “gift” shaped by years of immersion and shared creativity.

So it’s the year of the snake, which really brings up the question, how are snakes doing in China? “Culturally, snakes are more venerated in China than in the United States,” says Chinese snake expert and enthusiast Michael Ring.