Crossing the River by Feeling the Stones

A Visit to The Most Argued-About Dam in the World

Off the beaten track, visiting the most famous hydroelectric facility in China

Sep 11 • David Fishman

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Just the FAQs: A Deep Dive on China’s Most Secretive Hydropower Project

Going deep on the Yarlung Tsangpo hydropower project in eastern Tibet

Sep 2 • David Fishman

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August 2026

Off the Beaten Track in Yichang: What’s a Tier 3 City Anyway?

What can Yichang City tell us about Chinese urbanization?

Aug 27 • David Fishman

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Yiwu: What Globalization Actually Looks Like

The most important city you've never heard of

Aug 15 • David Fishman

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It Takes Four Generations: Demographic Replacement and the Statistical Legacy of China's Development

National averages will become fully representative of modern China when all living generations were themselves raised in it

Aug 9 • David Fishman

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The Business of Beaches and Land Reclamation: Failure and Success on Hainan's Coast

This essay is adapted from a Twitter thread original posted on April 15, 2026.

Aug 5 • David Fishman

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July 2026

China Is Not Pulling Up the Ladder

A Critique of the Development Theory Behind China Shock 2.0

Jul 25 • David Fishman

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June 2026

China Taxicab Chronicles 10: Exploring Didi Rideshare Saturation in Hangzhou

This essay is an edit of a tweet originally posted to Twitter on September 9, 2025.

Jun 3 • David Fishman

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May 2026

Did Li Keqiang really say 600 million Chinese people earn <1000 CNY a month?

No, actually...

May 19 • David Fishman

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March 2026

China Taxicab Chronicles 9: Mrs. Mi Will Buy a House in Kashgar

This essay was first posted as a thread on Twitter on April 19, 2025.

Mar 13 • David Fishman

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Local Interview: "Nail Houses" in Shanghai's Old City

What prompts people to become holdouts?

Mar 6 • David Fishman

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February 2026

China Taxicab Chronicles 8: Mr. Huang Likes Dogs

I’m fresh back from a short trip to the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southwestern China over the spring festival holiday.

Feb 22 • David Fishman

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