Tea Leaf Nation

In a parallel universe, that could have been him keeping the world on edge with his outrageous antics and retro hairstyle. Indeed, what does North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un have has that he doesn’t? The bloodline, the last name, the girth? But in this world, it’s not to be. Mao Xinyu, Mao Zedong’s only [...]

Journalist Zhou Zhiyi (@周志懿) tweeted on Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter, the rumor that China’s two censorship organs, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) and General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) will merge as a part of the widely-expected reshuffling of China’s central bureaucracy. What will the merged entity be called? Zhou’s [...]

Let’s call it “reverse luxury arbitrage” with a delicious–and throat-searingly spicy–twist. Luxury arbitrage, at least as it commonly relates to China, is the practice of Western brands charging more in China than they do in their home countries. For example, the cost-conscious drinker’s favorite beer, Pabst Blue Ribbon, positions itself as a luxury brand in [...]

As many China-watchers know by now, a recent earth-shaking report from U.S. cyber security firm Mandiant has alleged that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army is behind many cyber attacks against American organizations. It’s a complex and grim issue, to be sure. For those looking for a more irreverent take on the news, Taiwan-based Next Media [...]

How much would you pay to get your pet back? For one man living in Chengdu, China, the answer is an apartment potentially worth one million RMB (about US$160,000). And that valuation has sent the Chinese social media into a dog-searching frenzy. The original post, from user @家居曹老师 on Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter, was retweeted [...]

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. How about 52,000 RMB (US$8,300) worth of origami hearts? One husband in Wenzhou posted on Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter, photos of the Valentine’s Day gift he plans to give to his wife — 520 origami hearts, each made out of a 100 RMB note. The 100 [...]

[Ed: A version of this article was first published on Tea Leaf Nation on January 23, 2012] Ah the holidays. Chinese New Year is, of course, a wondrous occasion — a season of pure pyrotechnical and gastronomical joy. There is nothing quite like vegging out with loved ones surrounded by loads of food after enduring an almost ritualistically [...]

What has the world come to? Is nothing sacred anymore? The venerable propagandist institution known as the 7pm newscast on China Central Television (CCTV) usually offers comfort to those drowning in the turbulent sea of information by producing hopelessly formulaic segments on comings and goings of China’s top leadership, night after night. Alas, the February 6 [...]

When the New York Times reported yesterday that Chinese hackers had been attacking its computer system for months, one social media user in China asked, “Another glorious feat of Lanxiang Vocational School?” While Lanxiang was not mentioned in the Times‘ January 30 report, a New York Times article from 2010 named Lanxiang as one of two Chinese [...]

Chinese author Mo Yan shot to international fame when he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in October 2012, and his success was wildly celebrated in his home country. No doubt many harbor hopes that Mo Yan can inspire a new generation of young writers in China. Before they can be inspired by Mo Yan, [...]

This article also appears on ChinaFile, a Tea Leaf Nation partner site. It’s a social media classic, a send-up of the corruption and profligacy that so often enrage Web users in China. A very short story variously titled “I Did Not Eat For Free” and “Help Me Pay This Bill” has been making the rounds [...]

A user on Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter with the handle @醒来的大鸦 has posted this head-scratcher: A sign reading “Breeding Base for [Communist] Party Members.” Commenting on the posted image, some users asked if Party members were wild animals, while a particularly daring user asked if the sign referred to a pig pen. Perhaps, one user [...]