Featured Photos
Photo: Hot Cha
I’ve seen some fancy tea pouring before, but this takes things to a slightly elevated level. Shot by Peter Luginbühl in Chengdu, Sichuan.Read More
Fashion
Nearly half of luxury handbag market from purse-carrying Chinese men
I was the first of my friends to jump on the man-bag fashion-wagon. Despite the constant “murse-wearing” ribbing I took, and the defensive protests that it’s not a “European carryall“; there’s no denying the practicality of not having to load all your modern man-gear into your pockets. That is to say, I’m quite open to …Read More
Visual
Video: Beijing-based comic collective Cult Youth
Here’s an interesting short documentary by DAZED & CONFUSED x DIESEL about the Beijing-based comic collective Cult Youth:
More information about the video after the jump.Read More
Fiction
The 7 Year Laowai: Part 8 – The Graveyard of all Ambition
… He died an old man in a cold Chinese hospital an entire hemisphere removed from everyone and everything he had ever known. Surrounded by strangers, he couldn’t even have read his own obituary.Read More
China Expat Rants
It’s hard being a seal clubber these days — Chinese animal rights group calls Canadians ‘racist imperialists’
There are no shortage of ways to trip yourself up in the emotionally saturated mire where animal cruelty meets cultural relativism. I’m usually happy to leave such mine fields alone, but rare is the opportunity for me to talk about my homeland, my nowland, and clubbing baby seals all in one breath. This past week …Read More
Movies
Shangdown — Interview with Shanghai spaghetti western director Jakob Montrasio
When Shanghai-based expat Jakob Montrasio first told me he was directing a spaghetti western set in his adopted city, I’m sure I blinked uncomprehendingly. The movie, Shangdown: The Way of the Spur is an east-meets-west kung fu cowboy mashup. This Bruce with boots (or Clint with a kick) premise for a film seemed strange and …Read More
Movies
‘Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry’ Teaser Trailer
Later this year Alison Klayman’s feature-length documentary on the infamous Ai Weiwei will be released. Out now is a teaser trailer that does it’s job well, and has whet my appetite to see more. Unfortunately due to its hosting on the blocked Vimeo video sharing site, you’ll need a VPN to watch it (note to …Read More
Fiction
The 7 Year Laowai: Part 7 – Safety
I had an English class once where this girl interrupted me to ask what I thought of Japan, and without waiting for an answer, proceeded to tell me that Japan had killed many Chinese people, that they hated China, they were jealous of China. Then she went into Korea. Korea “stole our culture”. You’d think imitation the sincerest form of flattery, but not this girl.
I didn’t know what to say. On one hand, listening to this recorded message, it dawned on me that I was 12,000 miles away from everyone and everything I had ever known…and that according to some people, this, this, blind allegiance, blatant censorship, and self-checking all in the name of “harmony”…this is the next superpower.
On the other hand, she was speaking. I take what I can get.Read More
China Tech
Using Skype in China becoming illegal
Usually I love living in China, thirstily drinking the kool-aid that this place is changing for the better, improving a little bit every day. Sure it has its warts, but compared to 5 years ago, 15 years ago, 35 years ago… it’s definitely improving — right? Then Youtube gets blocked, Facebook and Twitter follow, as …Read More
Site Stuff
Happy Holidays from Lost Laowai
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Lost Laowai. To see how this very cool image was made, you need to check out the following video from our friends at NeochaEDGE:Read More
Arts & Entertainment
Weird Wednesday in China #3
Welcome to the third edition of “Weird Wednesdays in China“, a wacky bi-weekly roundup of strange news in China. Wait, “Weird Wednesdays in China” on a Thursday? I know, how weird is that!? My bad for not getting this out yesterday, the launch of the China Blog Network and the lead up to the holidays …Read More
China Blog Network: Redux
Back in 2008 I added a new feature to Lost Laowai called the “China Blog Network”, with the simple premise of creating a Webring for China blogs. Membership consistently grew over the next year and a half, but the script that was handling the CBN was beginning to buckle under the pressure. Wanting a more …Read More
