广场 · what the community is reading & sharing
Gao Peng✍️
🔥 85
A WeChat mini program called "Wallet, Please Wait" has drawn over 300,000 users who ask strangers to vote "approve" or "reject" before they make a purchase, part of a wider trend of young Chinese consumers trying to curb impulse spending.
钱
Business
陌生人帮你决定买不买："钱包请等等"小程序走红
Should You Buy It? A New App Lets Strangers Decide
HSK 4 · 3 min read
Twenty nine American college students, led by a New York City schools PE official, played pickleball at South China Normal University and toured Lingnan culture sites in Guangzhou, part of China's new push, announced by Xi Jinping in September, to host 100,000 American youths over five years.
Universities
打匹克球,交中国朋友:美国大学生的广州一天
Playing Pickleball, Making Chinese Friends: An American Delegation's Day in Guangzhou
HSK 4 · 4 min read
The US Department of Homeland Security has suspended visa-free entry for Chinese citizens to the Northern Mariana Islands, citing espionage and birth-tourism risks. The new rule takes effect October 30.
Global
美国暂停塞班岛对华免签政策，国土安全部称涉"生育旅游"与安全风险
US Suspends Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Visitors to Saipan, Citing Birth Tourism and Security Risks
Native · 3 min read
On a cold October morning, Xiaoda is one yuan short for a hot drink from the school vending machine — an older student's small act of kindness quietly turns into a new friendship.
Read
一块钱的温暖
The Warmth of One Yuan
HSK 3 · 3 min read
Su Wan✍️
🔥 96
In Gansu's remote Subei Mongolian Autonomous County, a new regulation protects 28 sites of ancient rock art for the first time, giving wardens real legal power against desert wind, cracking cliffs, and tourists who carve into the stone.
Culture
甘肃肃北立法保护千年岩画
Gansu's Subei County Passes a Law to Protect Its Thousand Year Old Rock Art
HSK 5 · 5 min read
Gao Peng✍️
🔥 85
China's Consumers' Association and two other organizations issued a Double 11 shopping advisory on October 26, warning buyers about sellers who raise prices before "discounting" them, confusing presale deposits, and complicated coupon stacking that can hide the real price.
省
Business
双十一消费提示：中消协提醒警惕"先涨价再打折"
Ahead of Double 11, China's Consumer Group Warns of "Raise Then Discount" Price Tricks
HSK 4 · 3 min read
China's biggest shopping festival, Double 11, runs from mid-October presales through the November 11 peak. Here's the 2026 schedule and simple tips for international students buying online for the first time.
Universities
双十一来了：留学生怎么网购更便宜
Double 11 Is Here: How International Students Can Shop Online for Less
HSK 2 · 3 min read
A new cold front is moving across northern China from October 26 to 28, bringing strong winds and falling temperatures to Inner Mongolia, North China, the Northeast, Gansu, Ningxia and Shaanxi. Parts of Shaanxi could cool by as much as 10°C, while gale warnings have also been issued for several seas along China's east coast.
News
冷空气来了，陕西有的地方要降温10度
Cold Air Arrives: Parts of Shaanxi Set to Cool by 10°C
HSK 3 · 2 min read
Xiaoyu's scooter gets stuck on a stone on his way to the park, but a kind neighbor helps him fix it before dark.
Read
坏了的滑板车
The Broken Scooter
HSK 2 · 2 min read
Su Wan✍️
🔥 96
A 1947 Chinese classic written by Eileen Chang got its world premiere in 4K at a restoration film festival in Suzhou, which also spotlighted the city's film history and the work of digital restoration.
Culture
苏州电影节：《太太万岁》4K修复版首映
Suzhou Film Festival: 4K Restoration of "Miss Protector" Premieres
HSK 4 · 3 min read
Gao Peng✍️
🔥 85
Pop Mart's October 15 Labubu blind-box release took half an hour to sell out instead of seconds, and resale premiums on hidden figures have shrunk from roughly 25x retail to about 5x -- the latest sign that China's hottest collectible-toy craze is cooling.
Business
新款Labubu不再"秒光"，二手价格也跟着降了
Pop Mart's New Labubu No Longer Sells Out in Seconds — And Resale Prices Are Falling Too
HSK 3 · 3 min read
Chinese university campuses are full of vending machines that never close -- Northeast Forestry University alone runs thirty-two of them at twenty campus spots, placed by dorms and teaching buildings. No cash needed: just scan a code with WeChat or Alipay, and universities require prices to stay no higher than at a nearby supermarket.
Universities
大学里的自动售货机：渴了、饿了怎么办
Vending Machines on Campus: What to Do When You're Thirsty or Hungry
HSK 1 · 2 min read
Liuzhou's courier firms are adding staff and automated sorting gear as Double 11 parcel volumes climb toward a mid November peak, while roughly ten driverless delivery vehicles join the effort on a trial basis alongside human couriers.
News
“双11”快递高峰来了，柳州无人车也加入送货
Double 11 Delivery Peak Arrives, and Liuzhou's Driverless Vans Join the Effort
HSK 4 · 3 min read
When the secondhand bookshop where she grew up reading is about to close, Zhou An has to find a way not to leave behind the one thing she can't bear to lose: the shop's long-time cat.
Read
旧书店的猫
The Cat in the Old Bookshop
HSK 5 · 4 min read
Su Wan✍️
🔥 96
On a crowded Sunday at the peak of Beijing's red-leaf season, a child rides the subway and a new "leaf-viewing line" with Grandpa to Fragrant Hills Park.
Culture
爷爷和我去香山看红叶
Grandpa and I Go to Xiangshan to See the Red Leaves
HSK 2 · 3 min read
Gao Peng✍️
🔥 85
Gold jewelry prices at major Chinese chains fell to around 1,200 yuan per gram this week, nearly 100 yuan cheaper than a month ago, driven by a drop in international gold prices tied to oil costs and Fed rate hike expectations. Crowds rushed to Shenzhen's Shuibei gold market over the weekend to buy while prices are down, even as some wonder whether prices have further to fall.
金
Business
金价下跌，深圳水贝很多人排队买黄金
Gold Prices Fall, Crowds Line Up to Buy Gold in Shenzhen
HSK 5 · 4 min read
Ginkgo trees on Shenyang campuses have turned gold this week. Shenyang Urban Construction University is holding a ten-day festival, and you only need an ID card to get in, no reservation required.
Universities
沈阳银杏黄了：大学校园不用预约看秋天
Shenyang's Ginkgo Trees Have Turned Gold: See Autumn on Campus, No Booking Needed
HSK 3 · 3 min read
China's 2027 civil service exam registration closed on October 24, with more than 3 million applications passing review nationwide. The hottest single post drew over 6,000 applicants, while 83 posts got none at all, and regional demand remains sharply uneven ahead of the written exam in late November.
News
2027年国考报名结束，最热岗位超六千人争一岗
China's 2027 Civil Service Exam Registration Closes, Hottest Post Draws Over 6,000 Applicants
HSK 5 · 4 min read
On a rainy Saturday, Xiaole's grandmother's old radio goes silent just before her favorite story program — and the two of them race the clock to fix it.
Read
外婆的收音机
Grandma's Radio
HSK 2 · 2 min read
Su Wan✍️
🔥 96
A grandmother takes her grandchild to a teahouse in Taizhou, Jiangsu, to try the city's famous morning tea: dried tofu shreds, crab roe soup buns, and fish soup noodles.
Culture
奶奶和我去泰州喝早茶
Grandma and I Go to Taizhou for Morning Tea
HSK 2 · 2 min read
Gao Peng✍️
🔥 85
China's market regulator is rolling out stricter CCC certification rules for electric bicycles, toys and children's vehicles starting November 1, after inspections found manufacturers swapping key parts and leaving room to tamper with speed limiters. Toy rules now require clear age warnings on packaging.
Business
电动自行车、玩具3C认证新规11月起施行，违规工厂证书被撤销
New Safety Certification Rules for E-Bikes and Toys Take Effect Nov. 1 as China Revokes Certificates From Violators
HSK 5 · 5 min read
A simple look at how international students use campus gyms and sports fields in China to run, play basketball and football, swim, and make new friends with their Chinese classmates.
Universities
大学的健身房和操场
The Campus Gym and Sports Field
HSK 2 · 2 min read
International students in China can get a haircut inside campus for about 15 to 20 yuan, or just outside it for around 30 yuan, plus simple tips on prices, membership cards, and showing a photo to the barber.
Universities
大学里的理发店：便宜又方便
Campus Barbershops: Cheap and Convenient
HSK 3 · 2 min read
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Baqing County in Tibet's Nagqu region on October 22, killing 16 people and injuring 76. Thousands of rescuers have resettled nearly 12,500 residents as crews search for survivors and restore power, communications and roads.
News
西藏那曲巴青发生7.0级地震，已致16人遇难
Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake Strikes Tibet's Baqing County, Killing 16
Native · 4 min read
Every autumn, elderly Granny Wang stocks up on cabbage for winter, and her young neighbor cannot understand why. An HSK4 story about an old Beijing tradition, a quiet memory of a husband, and a friendship built one flight of stairs at a time.
Read
冬储白菜
The Winter Cabbage
HSK 4 · 5 min read
Su Wan✍️
🔥 96
A father and child go out to buy a hot sweet potato from a street cart, then come back the next day with Mom to buy more, a small everyday treat the whole family shares.
Culture
我和爸爸买红薯
Dad and I Buy a Sweet Potato
HSK 1 · 2 min read
Gao Peng✍️
🔥 85
This year's Double 11 shopping festival marks the first time AI itself is sold as merchandise in China: Alibaba's Tmall opened a "Token" top-up zone where shoppers stock up on AI subscriptions the way they would skincare sets, while JD.com embedded AI shopping assistants and a logistics model that have pushed its service-category orders up more than 130% year over year.
Tech
双11头一次：AI大模型论"件"卖，天猫囤Token、京东靠AI冲单
For the First Time, Double 11 Turns AI Into Merchandise — Tmall Sells "Token" Subscriptions as JD's AI Tools Push Orders Up 130%
Native · 5 min read
Malaysian and Indonesian students touring Nanjing this week visited the old city and Niushou Mountain's Buddha relic hall. The ancient capital, once called Jinling and Jiankang, makes an easy weekend trip for students studying nearby.
Universities
留学生游南京：寻六朝古都，看牛首山宝塔
International Students Visit Nanjing: Tracing an Ancient Capital, Seeing Niushou Mountain's Pagoda
HSK 3 · 2 min read
Frost's Descent, the last solar term of autumn, began in China on October 23. Xinhua and Sina report that frost already covers the far north while the south stays warm until January, as farmers in Henan turn ripening persimmons into dried persimmon cakes.
News
霜降到了，北方开始有霜，南方还很暖
Frost's Descent Arrives: Frost in the North, Still Warm in the South
HSK 2 · 2 min read
Xiaoming doesn't have enough money for the rabbit-shaped sugar painting he wants outside the school gate, until his friend Xiaohong steps in to help.
Read
糖画小兔子
The Little Sugar-Painting Rabbit
HSK 1 · 1 min read
Su Wan✍️
🔥 96
China's National Cultural Heritage Administration announced a plan on October 20 to help more than 6,000 small and medium museums improve, with big museums mentoring small ones and quality exhibitions touring to grassroots towns.
Culture
国家文物局启动“中小博物馆提升计划”：大馆帮小馆，好展览进基层
Heritage Administration Launches Plan to Help Small Museums: Big Museums Support Small Ones
HSK 5 · 4 min read
Gao Peng✍️
🔥 85
TrendForce says global DRAM contract prices will rise roughly 20% quarter-over-quarter in Q4 2026 as AI chip demand keeps squeezing memory supply, on top of a 2026 surge that has already pushed Huawei, Xiaomi and Apple to raise phone prices by hundreds of yuan.
Tech
内存芯片涨价潮未见顶，第四季度DRAM预计再涨两成
Memory Chip Price Surge Shows No Sign of Peaking as Q4 DRAM Costs Set to Rise Another 20%
Native · 5 min read
Frost's Descent, the last solar term of autumn, arrives on October 23. An international student learns from a Chinese classmate why eating a persimmon now is said to keep winter colds away.
Universities
霜降到了：吃柿子，不感冒
Frost's Descent Arrives: Eat Persimmons, Don't Catch a Cold
HSK 3 · 2 min read
A sudden cold snap swept through Jiangnan on October 21, with Hangzhou's high dropping from 31°C to 21°C in a single day. China's weather agency says temperatures will rebound by October 23, but a new cold front is already forming for October 24–27, while Typhoon Qiangpi's path remains uncertain.
News
江南降温快，一天冷了10度
In Jiangnan, It Got 10°C Colder in Just One Day
HSK 4 · 2 min read
A boy goes to the park to play table tennis but has no partner, until an old man asks to play — and the two become friends.
Read
公园里的乒乓球
Table Tennis in the Park
HSK 1 · 2 min read
Su Wan✍️
🔥 96
As Frost's Descent, the last solar term of autumn, arrives on October 23, a family in southern Fujian follows an old custom: buying a duck at the market, simmering ginger-and-jujube duck soup, and eating persimmons to stay warm through the coming winter.
Culture
霜降到了，我和妈妈买鸭子
Frost's Descent Arrives: Mom and I Buy a Duck
HSK 3 · 2 min read
Gao Peng✍️
🔥 85
China's biggest shopping festival, Double 11, officially opened on Tmall on October 20 with a record 1 million brands and 72 million products, plus discounts as steep as 28 percent off.
Business
双11正式开卖，100万个牌子参加
Double 11 Shopping Festival Opens With a Record 1 Million Brands
HSK 3 · 3 min read
A Haikou forum showed how Hainan's free trade port is testing new ways to send Chinese education abroad: a 31-student "overseas hotel manager" class built around one company's expansion plans, a proposed China-Malaysia vocational education pilot zone, and a shift from study-abroad services toward exporting whole training standards and ecosystems.
Universities
海南自贸港办教育论坛：职业教育怎么“随企出海”
Haikou Forum: Hainan's Free Trade Port Wants Its Colleges to "Go Global With Enterprises"
Native · 5 min read
China's Foreign Ministry formally protested after Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae twice sent ritual offerings to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine during its autumn festival, as newly disclosed shrine records renewed scrutiny of how 14 Class-A war criminals came to be secretly enshrined there in 1978.
Global
日本首相高市早苗两度供奉靖国神社，中方提出严正抗议
Japan's PM Takaichi Sends Offerings to Yasukuni Shrine Twice, China Lodges Formal Protest
Native · 5 min read
Su Wan✍️
🔥 96
A grandmother teaches her granddaughter the old Chinese custom of pouring a guest's tea only seven-tenths full, and why that small restraint is itself a form of hospitality.
Culture
奶奶教我给客人倒茶
Grandma Teaches Me to Pour Tea for a Guest
HSK 2 · 2 min read
