From embracing an “Are you dead yet?” app to rewriting Lunar New Year customs, here’s how a rising generation of young adults in China is coping with social isolation and economic hardship.

For Cindy Zhong, like many young Chinese women, a relaxing night used to mean curling up with a steamy story about two men in love. Then her favorite authors, and their tales, started disappearing.

In 2023, Ya Ya’s skinny looks and scraggly fur spurred concerns for her health, especially after her male partner, Le Le, died just months before the pair were scheduled to return to China. Chinese ...

As China grapples with a shrinking population and historically low birthrate, people are finding romance with chatbots instead.

For Cindy Zhong, like many young Chinese women, a relaxing night used to mean curling up with a steamy story about two men in love. Then her favourite authors, and their tales, started disappearing.