TRAVEL

The Forgotten Story of Ancient China’s “First Skyscraper”

Liaodi Pagoda, once the tallest structure in the world, now stands as part of the backdrop of a crowded square in a small Hebei city

TRAVEL

A Master Architect’s Love Affair With a Small Chinese Town

Hebei province’s Zhengding city is a treasure trove of preserved ancient Chinese wooden structures, thanks to the efforts of master architect Liang Sicheng

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
SOCIETY

Industrial Evolution: Turning Old Factories into New Cultural Parks

Can heritage protection projects give new life to China’s abandoned factories?

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
EDUCATION

The Ugly Truth: China’s Weird Buildings Have Their Roots in Education

Is a lack of “aesthetic education” to blame for bizarre architecture and artistic confusion in modern China?

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
SOCIETY

The Sky’s the Limit: How China Fell Out of Love With Skyscrapers

Plagued by over-construction, safety issues, and environmental concerns, China’s skyscraper boom may be finally coming to an end

TRADITIONAL CULTURE

I. M. Pei: A Chinese Retrospective

Chinese-American architect’s bold designs spoke to a complicated relationship with his birth country

LIVING IN CHINA, NEWS

Which Assassin Killed the Bookstore?

Bookshop owner’s letter highlights contradictions in Beijing’s efforts in demolition

LIVING IN CHINA, TRAVEL

Race to the Top

A look at China’s tallest buildings

HISTORY

Chinoiserie Chic

Eighteenth-century Europe’s fascination with Chinese kitsch

LIFE

Building Europe

Why are Chinese real estate developers obsessed with Europe?