Editor’s Letter

Reporting on China typically focuses on either mega-cities like Beijing and Shenzhen or rural areas.But what about the places in between?

For the 100th edition of our magazine, we wanted our cover story to represent the values TWOC has aspired to for over 17 years—indepth, human-centered reporting on topics ignored in other media.

To that end, this issue we shine the spotlight on China’s small towns and lowertier cities, from Hefei to Zhengzhou, Qingdao to Zhaoqing, where most of the country’s urban population live and some of the richest human stories lie.

Our cover story starts in Yiwu, China’s most international small city,where over 10,000 foreign residents have created vibrant communities that contribute to the city’s unique cultural and economic vigor.Then, we talk to young business owners and hobbyists promoting vintage clothing and lifestyles outside of metropolises like Shanghai.Despite some success in lesser-known cities, misunderstandings of vintage fashion still hold the trend back from the mainstream.Finally, a small-town feminist tells us about the unique challenges women face in these areas, where conservative family values remain strong.

In our features, we investigate two extreme trends: climbing Earth’s tallest peak and risky weight loss techniques.Mount Qomolangma (also known as Mount Everest) is intoxicating Chinese mountaineers—we ask what’s driving them in the face of huge risks.Meanwhile, we find unregulated medicines, dubious slimming products, and intense weight loss camps spreading among young women pressured to become skinnier.Finally, we follow the lives of another forgotten group: China’s public sleepers.Some nap in 24-hour bathhouses or internet cafes, but many more are forced into underpasses, parks, and onto the streets because they have nowhere else to go.

We also talk to Wen Na, a mural artist crafting deities inspired by the spiritual traditions in Quanzhou, Fujian province.We investigate how China’s documentary-makers tackle an ethical working relationship with their subjects(or not); explain how a noodle dish became the pride of a small city in Hunan province; visit a remote community with strong faiths in the Yunnan mountains;and much more.

TWOC has come a long way since our first issue in 2006, but we couldn’t have done it without you, our readers.Thank you for supporting us to write impactful,original, and important stories about China.Here’s to another 100 issues!