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For Art's Sake

Catching the Poetry Bug

Bilingual just isn’t enough. In his latest book, “Bug’s Poetry”, Nanjing artist, Zhu Yingchun, gathers the munching marks and twisting trails of twelve insects from around his studio, arranging them into lines of poetry that are incomprehensibly wonderful and...

Mythical Beasts that Simply Scream Nanjing

It’s on your metro pass and perhaps your student card too. It greets you at both train stations and is the hallmark of the Nanjing cigarette brand. But what is that mystical four-legged creature and how did it come...

Mao Yan; Out of the Shadows

Thomas came to Nanjing, as did I, and indeed many others, to learn Chinese, an exchange student from Luxembourg. Arriving in the late 90s, who knows what he expected, but perhaps last on his list was becoming the muse...

Red Flags; Driving Home Chinese Style

It's not surprising that China’s first official state car, built during the heart of the Mao era, should be named after the symbol of socialist revolution; the “Hong Qi”, or “Red Flag”. Built in 1958, just in time for the...

Worth a Penny; 
China’s Overlooked Modern Master

While Van Gogh apparently sold only one painting in his lifetime, Picasso resorted to burning his to keep warm. As for Gaughin, he left the world penniless, with all but an inkling of the impact his work would leave...

Not So Negative; Old Photos of Nanjing

You’re about to leave your hometown and move half way across the world to China. Your parents, somewhat reluctant to let you go, send you on your way with a farewell gift; a pistol and an umbrella.  Such were the...

The Ming Tombs You haven’t Heard of

Ming Xiaoling, the tomb of the Zhu Yuanzhang, first emperor of the Ming dynasty, ranks among Nanjing’s top attractions. Perhaps lesser known, however, are a smattering of tombs throughout the city that belong to generals and officials who also...

Nanjing Mapped Out; From City Walls to Psychedelic Spectrograms

It’s 22 February, 2020, and Xuanwu Lake has just reopened to the public after a long spell of closure in attempts to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. I open up Baidu Maps to suss out the best...
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Latest News

1st Blind Teacher in Wuxi is Shanghai Fudan University Graduate

Jiangsu is on the cusp of having its very first blind teacher, thanks to the dedication of a student...

Nanjinger’s Illustrated Book Picked up by Top 5 Intl. Publisher

There cannot be many books, English books, illustrated by a Nanjinger and a young one at that, which have...

After the Fire; Nanjing & Elsewhere Clamp Down on E-bike Charging that Can Kill

Tragedies are not normally inevitable. They come out of nowhere. But when it comes to that of the deadly...
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News Snippets from Jiangsu