59 h. ago China folk custom beats women to boost fertility, with dire consequences if fail to conceive

An uncivilised folk custom in ancient China known as Pai Xi, or “Beating for Joy”, involved striking women with sticks in an attempt to exorcise evil spirits and pray for conception. Pai Xi, also known as Da Sheng, meaning “Beating for Birth”, is believed to have originated in southern China, particularly in Jiangsu and Fujian provinces. It was a fertility ritual that gained popularity during the Song dynasty (960–1279). According to the Records of National Customs of China, in rural areas of...

Events

59 h. ago China folk custom beats women to boost fertility, with dire consequences for not conceiving

An uncivilised folk custom in ancient China known as Pai Xi, or “Beating for Joy”, involved striking women with sticks in an attempt to exorcise evil spirits and pray for conception. Pai Xi, also known as Da Sheng, meaning “Beating for Birth”, is believed to have originated in southern China, particularly in Jiangsu and Fujian provinces. It was a fertility ritual that gained popularity during the Song dynasty (960–1279). According to the Records of National Customs of China, in rural areas of...

Politics

68 h. ago Without pension reform, China is leaving its rural elderly out in the cold

“Rural heating problems in Hebei cannot wait any longer” declared a recent report in Farmers’ Daily. It described a disturbing reality in parts of northern China: elderly villagers who would rather shiver through freezing temperatures than turn on their heaters, because they simply cannot afford the cost. For many urban readers, this may sound implausible. For millions of rural elderly, it is routine. On the surface, the problem appears to be a side effect of China’s well-intentioned...

Politics

68 h. ago Opinion | Without pension reform, China is leaving its rural elderly out in the cold

Opinion | Without pension reform, China is leaving its rural elderly out in the cold  South China Morning Post

Politics

4 d. ago North China farmers pay heavy price this winter for Beijing’s clean air success

In the daytime the temperature in northern China often stays below freezing, but for many rural villagers the prohibitive cost of heating means that they have little choice but to endure the cold. “We dare not turn on the heating during the day,” one woman from Guan county in Hebei named Wang said. The 75-year-old’s home is around 70km (43 miles) from the centre of Beijing, but running the heating all day would cost between 60 and 90 yuan (US$8-13), an expense that could soar over the course of...

Society

4 d. ago How Beijing’s clean air success left China’s rural farmers in the cold

How Beijing’s clean air success left China’s rural farmers in the cold  South China Morning Post

Society

5 d. ago Cornell students explore China's agricultural development and rural vitalization

Cornell students explore China's agricultural development and rural vitalization  China Daily

Politics

7 d. ago Tanzanian expert: China's rural development a viable model for Africa

Tanzanian expert: China's rural development a viable model for Africa  news.cgtn.com

Politics

3 w. ago Hard work and long hours fuelled China’s rise. Now, it mulls the benefits of longer breaks

Whether in China’s urban centres or its remote rural areas, Christmas is not typically celebrated with the fanfare seen in the West. On the mainland, December 25 is not even a public holiday, with the lion’s share of enthusiasm reserved for the traditional Lunar New Year period beginning in January or February. Zhang Li, who lives in a pastoral section of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region in the country’s north, was no exception. But this year things have changed, thanks in part to a new...

Politics

4 w. ago Are Trump loyalists struggling in US rural heartland ready to say ‘enough’?

Are Trump loyalists struggling in US rural heartland ready to say ‘enough’?  South China Morning Post

Politics

4 w. ago Dashed dreams and land grabs: The rise of rural protests in China

Dashed dreams and land grabs: The rise of rural protests in China  The Guardian

Events