NüVoices Magazine

National security crackdowns are stifling the city’s embattled feminist movement

Emboldened by #MeToo, young female journalists spark a new media wave - for now.

Pubis Magazine is a bilingual Chinese-English zine exploring tongren nü, a female fandom community creating queer romance fiction, offering a space for Chinese feminists and queers in the diaspora to connect.

Gish Jen's novel Bad Bad Girl fictionalizes her late mother's life, from a wealthy Shanghai childhood to American immigration, exploring their difficult relationship through a blend of memoir and fiction.

Three recent books examine Hong Kong's 2019 pro-democracy protests and their aftermath through distinct lenses: legal resistance, decolonisation theory, and the broader regional struggle against autocracy across Asia.

Research tracking 268 events and 210 podcast episodes across 63 European think tanks found women made up only 34.7% of speakers on China-related panels, with nearly two-thirds of moderated sessions featuring no women in speaking roles.

Sarah Howe's poetry collection "Foretokens," shortlisted for the T. S. Eliot Prize, explores themes of inheritance, motherhood, and identity through her Hong Kong-born mother's difficult past and Howe's own experience of becoming a mother.

The Hong Kong Film Festival UK, now in its third edition, featured a programme where half the films were directed by women, exploring themes of migration, activism, and gender while bringing Hong Kong cinema to audiences across Britain.

Female law students at the University of Hong Kong discovered a male classmate had used AI to create explicit images from their social media photos, prompting a campaign for legal reform as existing laws fail to address deepfake pornography.

Sarah Ye translated all 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets into Chinese, drawing on parallels between Elizabethan verse and classical Chinese poetry. She discusses the challenges of bridging two literary traditions separated by centuries and language.

Meng Han Hsieh's short film The Test depicts the alienating experience of taking Britain's citizenship test, drawing on her own journey as a Taiwanese immigrant and earning a Sony Future Filmmaker Awards nomination.

Many Hong Kong mothers who migrated to the UK through the BN(O) visa programme left their careers to become full-time housewives. They reflect on motherhood, identity, and self-worth in a new country.

Overseas Chinese feminists in London protested to urge Beijing to strengthen laws against digital violence after a massive Telegram forum was found sharing covertly filmed and non-consensual intimate images of women across groups with hundreds of thousands of members.

A runner-up in NüStories' first personal essay contest on Chinese identity, this piece reflects on life in London while grappling with distance from China during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tara Sun Vanacore visits her great-grandparents' cemetery outside Taipei after her mother's death, retracing family origins and reflecting on grief and Chinese identity.

A half-Chinese US policy analyst reflects on how rising suspicion toward people of Chinese heritage in national security circles has turned her ethnic background into a professional liability.

An excerpt from Anna Sulan Masing's "Chinese And Any Other Asian" exploring how race and gender intersected during her formative years, shaping her sense of identity and place in the world.

A Manchu university student from Heilongjiang reflects on growing up as an ethnic minority in China, recounting experiences of discrimination and questioning what it means to be Chinese beyond the official narrative of national unity.

An excerpt from Daisy J. Hung's "I Am Not a Tourist" explores the overlooked histories of Chinese women in Britain, from early migrants and performers to community figures like Emily Hoare.

A runner-up in NüStories' personal essay contest, this piece explores the author's experience navigating Chinese-Canadian identity, from forgetting how to write their Chinese name to reconciling cultural expectations.

Kim Gordon reflects on mixed-race Chinese identity, tracing her family's Malaysian-Chinese diaspora history and the complexities of belonging as a child of both East and West.

Anran Zheng reflects on dreams of returning home and navigating queer identity in the Chinese diaspora in Canada. A runner-up in the NüStories personal essay contest on Chinese identity.

The Hong Kong Action Archives presented "Ways of Remembering" at London's Hoxton Arches, featuring archival artifacts and oral histories documenting Hong Kong's social movements since 2019, alongside community workshops and performances.

The 15th Beijing International Film Festival hosted a special London screening of Tiantian Award-winning Chinese films, aiming to bring Chinese cinema to global audiences. Here are reviews of the featured selections.

Amy Ng discusses her play "Shanghai Dolls," which dramatizes the probable friendship between Jiang Qing (Madame Mao) and Sun Weishi, two influential women whose lives intersected from 1930s Shanghai to the Cultural Revolution.

An excerpt from Anne Anlin Cheng's memoir "Ordinary Disasters: How I Stopped Being a Model Minority," exploring beauty standards, family legacy, and growing up among celebrated beauties in Tainan, Taiwan.

Jenna Wang reflects on growing up Chinese in Iowa, tracing her family's journey from China to the American Midwest and navigating cultural identity in one of the least diverse U.S. states.

A personal essay exploring childhood memories of a grandmother's funeral, reflecting on grief, loss, and the limits of understanding death at age seven. Third-prize winner in the NüStories personal essay contest on Chinese identity.

Winner of the NüStories personal essay contest, this piece explores Chinese identity and self-perception through the author's search for glasses designed to fit Asian faces.

Chinese female stand-up comedians navigate intense backlash and audience hostility as they push boundaries on gender and taboo topics in a comedy scene shaped by Yang Li's polarizing 2020 controversy.

An excerpt from Candice Chung's memoir explores how two young sisters in Sydney learned to fend for themselves with Spam recipes while their mother struggled with unspoken depression.

As Chinese social media platforms like Xiaohongshu attract more male users, women resort to coded hashtags to avoid harassment, highlighting persistent gaps in platform safety and privacy protections.

Two writers compose independent reflections on their shared experience of James Turrell's Gathered Sky light installation in 2017 Beijing, inspired by Annie Ernaux's The Use of Photography.

NüStories held its first annual personal essay contest on the theme of Chinese identity, inviting creative nonfiction by underrepresented writers, and awarded cash prizes to top entries exploring diverse experiences of Chinese-ness.

An excerpt from Qin Qin's memoir Model Minority Gone Rogue, exploring the ever-rising expectations she faced as the daughter of a tiger mother and her journey to break free from them.

Taiwanese cinematographer Jih-E Peng, based in New York, discusses her creative process, career spanning documentaries to narrative films, and her latest project Girls Will Be Girls.

A twelve-year-old girl in rural Guangdong tends her family's farm as the Japanese army advances during the Second Sino-Japanese War, her life changed by her mother's heartbreaking decision. Inspired by the author's grandmother's early life.

A look at Ann Hui's contemplative Hong Kong drama July Rhapsody, in which a middle-aged Chinese literature teacher grapples with past regrets, present desires, and a midlife crossroads.

A roundup of NüVoices' 2024 activities, covering podcast production, magazine publications, a journalism conference appearance, donation allocation transparency, and board elections.

Kate Whitehead's 'Pandemic Minds' draws on 40 interviews to examine the mental health impact of Hong Kong's strict COVID-19 measures, offering stories of resilience and strategies for recovery.

A panel at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia explored how young women's magazines and platforms have evolved from beauty-focused outlets into spaces for social activism and marginalized voices.

Fiona Sze-Lorrain discusses her debut novel "Dear Chrysanthemums," a collection of interconnected stories exploring the lives of Chinese and Asian women navigating trauma, identity, and exile across Shanghai, Paris, and beyond.

Irene Zhang reviews Yi Xiaohe's 'Salt Town,' a work of journalism exploring how rural Chinese women continue to face deep-rooted gender inequality despite decades of economic progress.

The Chinese TV drama Imperfect Victim examines a workplace sexual harassment case, sparking widespread debate about power dynamics, gender inequality, and victim-blaming culture.

An examination of China's 2017 decision to shift the official start date of the War of Resistance against Japan from 1937 to 1931 and the political motivations behind rewriting this history.

Shen Yu's debut feature Old Town Girls follows three teenage girls navigating family neglect and the social costs of China's rapid economic development, inspired by real events.

Writer Ysabelle Cheung discusses her poetry, essays, and fiction in this interview, exploring themes of diaspora identity, expat culture, and transnational Anglophone literature from her perspective as a British-Chinese writer based in Hong Kong.

NüVoices partners with indie publisher House of Anansi for Asian Heritage Month, sharing book recommendations by authors of East Asian heritage with 10% of online sales supporting NüVoices.

A curated list of 12 recommended readings from pioneering Chinese feminist writers, spanning from early 20th-century revolutionary Qiu Jin to novelist Eileen Chang.

Two protesters in Shanghai and London share firsthand accounts of China's sweeping anti-lockdown demonstrations and reflect on the movement's aftermath.

Miranda Jarrett reviews Li Zhang's "Anxious China," which examines the rapid rise of psychotherapy in China amid growing anxiety driven by economic pressures, competition, and shifting social values.

Emily Matson examines why comparing Xi Jinping to Mao Zedong oversimplifies the significant differences in their political visions, rhetoric, and approaches to governing China across different eras.

An excerpt from Karen Ma's book explores how post-1980s Chinese indie filmmakers from rural communities used digital technology to find their voices, featuring an interview with director Li Ruijun about his film Fly with the Crane.

South African poet and educator Lerato Mathibe discusses her chapbook Baby Steps, which explores feminism, blackness, and spirituality, drawing on her experiences living and teaching in Nanjing, China.

Chinese feminists call for the release of journalist Sophia Huang Xueqin and labor activist Wang Jianbing, detained in Guangzhou since September 2021 on suspicion of inciting subversion of state power.

NüVoices London hosted a launch event for Joanna Chiu's book "China Unbound" at SOAS University, featuring a Q&A with Pulitzer-winning journalist Megha Rajagopalan on China's global influence and human rights issues.

An excerpt from 'Feminisms with Chinese Characteristics' by Ping Zhu and Hui Xiao, exploring the diverse feminist movements that have emerged in China since the mid-1990s and their relationship to state feminism.

A review of Wang Lina's 2019 film "A First Farewell," which follows two Uyghur children navigating change in Xinjiang, and examines the political dimensions of depicting Uyghur life in Chinese cinema.

NüVoices chair Joanna Chiu announces the publication of China Unbound, drawing on a decade of reporting across four continents to examine Beijing's global influence, authoritarianism, and U.S.-China competition.

Zhou Xiaoxuan, the face of China's #MeToo movement, lost her landmark sexual harassment case in a Beijing court. The ruling underscores the evidentiary challenges survivors face in China's legal system.

An excerpt from Shen Yang's memoir recounts her childhood as an "excess child" born in violation of China's One-Child Policy, forced to hide from family planning officers while living with her grandparents.

Elizabeth Chen, editor of the Jamestown Foundation's China Brief, shares five practical tips for writing effective policy analysis, from maintaining a clear narrative to grounding arguments in fact-based research.

NüVoices podcast co-host Cindy Gao shares her approach to audio storytelling, from interview preparation to the challenges of consistent podcast production, in this excerpt from the Chinese Storytellers newsletter.

China's crackdown on feminist groups like 6B4T on social media has increased visibility for radical feminism rather than curbing it, suggesting the government should address discrimination against women to tackle its population decline.

Amy Sommers discusses her debut historical novel Rumors from Shanghai, which follows a Black American lawyer who moves to 1940s Shanghai after facing professional barriers in the Pacific Northwest.

Pole acrobatics in China trace back to the Song Dynasty as a male-only art. Today, modern pole dance is expanding across Chinese cities as an inclusive fitness option promoting body positivity.

A compilation of resources for combating anti-East Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander racism, including organizations supporting sex workers and migrants, bystander intervention guides, and community toolkits.

A collection of poems by Qiu Jin, a Chinese feminist and revolutionary writer, translated into English by Yilin Wang.

A review of Te-Ping Chen's debut short story collection Land of Big Numbers, which portrays the diverse interior lives of individuals in modern China, drawn from her experience as a journalist in Beijing and Hong Kong.

Artist Jane Peng recounts how she consistently underpriced her paintings early in her career, discovering buyers would have paid far more, and examines why women often undervalue their professional worth.

An anthropologist's fieldwork in Taiwan reveals that national and cultural identities are more complex than political headlines suggest, with social bonds uniting people despite conflicting beliefs.

A theatre collective from Guangzhou invites audience members to share personal stories, then improvises performances in response, creating safe spaces for marginalized communities in China.

Teng Congcong's debut film Send Me to the Clouds follows a single woman in her 30s facing a cancer diagnosis, using her story to challenge the stigma of China's "leftover women" label while highlighting lives shaped by the One Child Policy.

COVID-19 lockdowns sparked a surge in domestic violence across China. This explainer examines the history of anti-DV efforts and the cultural and legal challenges victims continue to face.

Tara Sun Vanacore reflects on her grandmother, influential Chinese-American novelist Yu Lihua, and how learning Mandarin deepened their bond and unlocked her grandmother's world.

Members of China's Black community share their experiences with identity, discrimination, and solidarity as the country's mainstream debate on racism grows amid global Black Lives Matter awareness.

A review of My Prince Edward, a Hong Kong film by writer-director Norris Wong that explores female agency and societal expectations through the story of a couple falling out of love.

Writer and journalist Jinghua Qian reflects on reporting in and on China, the problems with "China-watching," diaspora representation, and navigating identity and un-belonging in Australia.

A critical review of Disney's Mulan examining historical inaccuracies in the film and arguing it reinforces Han ethnonationalism by erasing the original ballad's non-Han origins.

A French-Canadian Chinese adoptee documents Tibetan culture in Qinghai province, photographing the complex dynamics between Han Chinese tourists and local Tibetan communities during a 2017 trip.

Writer and podcaster Grace Ly discusses growing up Chinese-Cambodian in France, confronting anti-Asian racism, and reconnecting with her cultural heritage through food and storytelling.

Chinese documentary filmmaker Hu Jie is known for his trilogy on Maoist China, documenting the realities of the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution despite government pressure.

Luise Guest examines how women artists in China engage with feminism, tracing the movement from revolutionary figures like Qiu Jin to contemporary debates over its relevance and meaning.

Uyghur American activist Ferkat Jawdat shares how his advocacy against China's persecution of Uyghurs in Xinjiang has put his family at risk, including his mother's detention in a re-education camp.

The UK announces a review of British National Overseas status rights for Hong Kong passport holders amid Beijing's national security law, but advocates say domestic violence victims remain excluded from the discussion.

A curated collection of resources for China watchers to engage in anti-Black racism efforts, compiled by NüVoices members to encourage solidarity and intersectional awareness within Asia-focused communities.

A visit to a mountain village in Ninghai reveals Boar-Tooth Opera, a rare regional form of Chinese traditional theater being kept alive with unexpected gender dynamics in its modern revival.

In both Chinese literature and real life, patriarchal systems discourage women from supporting each other, but the #MeToo movement has sparked new forms of resistance against harassment and censorship.

A Chinese adoptee raised in Quebec examines why China's government remains reluctant to help international adoptees find their birth families, decades after the One-Child Policy.

Sophie Mak examines how Hong Kong's alcohol ban at eateries, justified by claims about intimacy, reflects a pattern of using sex-related narratives to deflect from questionable policy decisions during the coronavirus pandemic.

Writer and editor Madeline Leung Coleman discusses her Chinese diaspora identity, the responsibilities of diaspora artists, feminism, and building a career in freelance writing.

Grace Ouyang explores the cultural taboo around secondhand clothing in Chinese culture through personal stories of her family's laundromat in Queens and her own thrifting habits.

A journalist from Wuhan living in Hong Kong reflects on her family under coronavirus lockdown, speaks against rising discrimination toward Chinese people, and shares fond memories of her hometown's culture and food.

A photo essay by Katherine Cheng documenting moments from behind the frontlines of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests, which began in June 2019 over a proposed extradition bill.

Wu Nan reflects on gender challenges in China's film industry and her path from two decades of screenwriting to directing her debut feature, Push and Shove (2019).

Megan Cattel reflects on navigating her biracial Chinese-American identity while living in Shanghai, exploring how perceptions of her race shift depending on where she is in the world.

Chinese students and professionals in the U.S. reflect on China's #MeToo movement, sharing perspectives on sexual harassment, gender issues, and the challenges of activism under government censorship.

Young women in China discuss their experiences with gender inequality in education and the workforce, highlighting an urban-rural divide in progress toward gender parity.

This article explores the idealization of female martyrs in China through the figure of Zhao Yiman, a CCP revolutionary celebrated for her resistance to Japanese occupation in 1930s Manchuria.

Madeleine O'Dea shares 10 practical tips for writing memoirs, drawn from her experience authoring The Phoenix Years, focusing on how vivid details build emotional connection with readers.

Author James Griffiths discusses how China's censorship system impacts feminist and activist movements, and how activists find creative ways to circumvent online controls.

Love Boat is a Taipei shop for queer women offering sex toys, divination, and healing services. Founded in 2004, it aims to help LGBTQ+ women embrace their identities.

Jessie Tu's short fiction follows a woman navigating loneliness and self-doubt while living with an older man, as a visit from her brother prompts quiet reflection over dumplings on a cold winter night.

A guide to five podcasts exploring LGBTQ+ culture in Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, with a focus on queer women's visibility and community-building in the region.

Artist Su Yang uses large-scale self-portraits and video to examine China's growing cosmetic surgery industry and challenge prevailing beauty standards imposed on women.

Karoline Kan, NüVoices board member and former New York Times reporter, discusses her debut memoir Under Red Skies, which traces three generations of her family's experiences navigating poverty, policy, and social change in modern China.

A profile of four women at the center of Shanghai's LGBTQ community, including Roxie's founder Ting Ting Liang, exploring how they work to strengthen visibility and support for the city's queer community.

Athena Lam examines why women are leaving Hong Kong's tech industry, exploring the structural barriers, gender gap among graduates, and workplace challenges driving female talent away.

A married woman recounts falling for a woman nicknamed Ostrich, met through a running club in China, navigating unexpected queer desire and the painful unraveling of a love triangle.

Wang Zhen reflects on her family's collective decision to conceal the severity of her mother's brain cancer diagnosis, exploring how half-truths became acts of love and protection.

A Chinese adoptee raised in francophone Quebec returns to China to search for her biological family and explore the cultural identity shaped by growing up between two worlds.

Madeleine O'Dea discusses her memoir The Phoenix Years, which traces China's transformation over four decades through the stories of nine contemporary Chinese artists and their struggles for creative freedom.

A student in Nanjing becomes captivated by the life of Chinese writer Ding Ling, whose feminist writings were censored after clashing with Mao's political demands.

Isolda Morillo translates Peruvian writer Gabriela Wiener's reflections on #MeToo and machismo violence, exploring the movement's global resonance from Latin America to China.

A look at Loud Murmurs, a feminist Chinese podcast that critically analyzes US pop culture, exploring how American media has shaped the perspectives of Chinese audiences.

Sophia Yan shares practical tips for appearing on broadcast television, from understanding live versus taped formats to handling earpieces and speaking to remote anchors.

Huizhong Wu reflects on growing up Chinese-American, navigating the cultural distance between her immigrant family's home and the familiar American households of her childhood friends.

Five artworks by female Chinese artists from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Malaysia explore femininity, gender expectations, and the experiences that shape women.

Benita Chick explores Hong Kong's hidden LGBTQ+ venues, tracing their connections to the city's history of secret meeting places and the cultural significance of spaces like T:ME Bar in Central.

Sheridan Prasso remembers her late literary agent Elaine Markson, a pioneering feminist who championed women writers and broke barriers in the male-dominated publishing world.

A fiction excerpt following an American expat apartment-hunting in Shanghai, where her British-Chinese landlord's candid remarks reveal complex tensions around identity, race, and belonging.

Betty Xiao travels solo to central China's Huangshan to hike Yellow Mountain, pushing past others' concerns and her own doubts to take on the challenging climb.