Paid to Cry: Chinese Professional Wailers at Funeral

ZILING CHEN discusses her original research into the tradition of funeral mourners in China. Professional wailers, or funeral mourners, are performers paid to present the eulogy at a funeral and lament the deceased through weeping and singing. Surprisingly, this seemingly out-of-no-where career has a history dating back 2000 years to the Han dynasty and is deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture. On one hand, wailers … Continue reading Paid to Cry: Chinese Professional Wailers at Funeral

The Letters of Wang Xiaobo: A New Translation

Discover a new translation of the correspondence of author Wang Xiaobo by XINNING SHAO. Translator’s Note For a long time, my most conspicuous quirk was to watch people sleep: a stranger next to me nodding away on a train, a security guard on night shift, hand-on-chin, giving in to exhaustion, a friend snoring on a sofa amidst booming party music. They curl up and soften, … Continue reading The Letters of Wang Xiaobo: A New Translation

Flying Tigers: U.S. and China

MATT KIRSCHNER reflects on Chinese-American relations from a historical and personal perspective. Liu Zhengde was seven years old when Japanese soldiers invaded his home in Wuhan, China in 1938. Leaving their belongings behind, Zhengde and his family fled Wuhan for Chongqing—the provisional wartime capital of China. Zhengde’s father worked to support his three children, wife, sister, brother, sister-in-law, mother, and aunt. Together they lived in … Continue reading Flying Tigers: U.S. and China

selective focus photography of pregnant woman holding bundle of leaves

An Analysis of US & Chinese Attitudes to Abortion

FIKAYO AKEREDOLU discusses the differences in US and Chinese cultural attitudes towards abortion. Almost two years into the spread of COVID-19, it is clear that the pandemic has disrupted global health systems. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation reports that the fallout from the pandemic has potentially setback international health efforts, especially when sexual and reproductive health is considered. For women and child-bearing people worldwide, … Continue reading An Analysis of US & Chinese Attitudes to Abortion

Introducing SupChina, Now Freely Available for Yale Affiliates

We are happy to announce that SupChina, a New York-based, China-focused news, information, and business services platform is now available free of charge for Yale affiliates. Yale affiliates can sign up for access here using their Yale e-mail address. China Hands hopes our readers make use of this great resource for China news reporting. Continue reading Introducing SupChina, Now Freely Available for Yale Affiliates

“Xiao Wu”: The Cacophony of Alienation

AURELIA DOCHNAL reviews Xiao Wu (1997), Jia Zhangke’s first feature film. As the camera aimlessly ambles around a dilapidated city, disjointed layers of popular tunes hang in the air. A karaoke bar; a locally-made stereo, one of the best on the market, blasts in the street; a lighter hums an electric rendition of “Für Elise.” The music in Jia Zhangke’s first feature film, Xiao Wu … Continue reading “Xiao Wu”: The Cacophony of Alienation

Yes, China Has Philanthropy and It’s Growing

MATT KIRSCHNER discusses the history and development of philanthropy in China. Philanthropy is not new to China. Fan Li (范蠡) served as an advisor to King Gou Jian (勾践) of the state of Yue during China’s Spring and Autumn period (771 – 476 BC). Generations of Chinese remember Fan Li for his work streamlining administration in the state of Yue, building a formidable army, and … Continue reading Yes, China Has Philanthropy and It’s Growing

120th Anniversary of Yale-China: Mao Zedong and Yale-China

AURELIA DOCHNAL explores Mao Zedong’s relationship with Yale-China in the 1900s. In his 1903 search for a base in China, one of Yale-China’s founders, Lawrence Thurston, heard from a local missionary that “Hunan people would be as influential as any people in the Empire.” Beyond influencing the eventual decision for Yale-China to settle in Changsha, the crowded but ambitious capital of Hunan, this observation seems … Continue reading 120th Anniversary of Yale-China: Mao Zedong and Yale-China

120th Anniversary of Yale-China: Pioneering Equal Partnership in Medicine

AURELIA DOCHNAL chronicles medical partnerships pioneered by the Yale-China Association, as part of a feature series on the organization. Two figures in the history of the Yale-China Association, Dr. Edward Hume M.D. and Dr. Yan Fuqing M.D., exemplify the organization’s long-time spirit of equal Chinese-American partnership. These two medical doctors, both Yale-educated, worked together to establish a modern medical practice in Changsha, the first of … Continue reading 120th Anniversary of Yale-China: Pioneering Equal Partnership in Medicine

120th Anniversary of Yale-China: The Beginnings

AURELIA DOCHNAL chronicles the beginnings of the Yale-China Association, as part of a feature series on the organization. Twelve decades ago, on February 10th, 1901, in the building now known as the Yale Visitor Center, a group of young Yale alumni founded what is today the Yale-China Association. Originally the Yale Mission  (soon changed to “Yale-in-China”), the founders and their supporters, which included then-University President … Continue reading 120th Anniversary of Yale-China: The Beginnings