• Granny Returns to Her 20s

  People & Stories |

  The elderly lady in her 80s was called upon by her granddaughter, photographer Xi Yu, to help with a recent photo project.

• How China has crept into my life

  People & Stories |

  In one of those startling feats of memory, I can vividly recall the first time I encountered China, in the shape of a plate of sauteed beef with bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. I was 17, had my first paycheck in my pocket, and was determined to sample what exotic delights provincial Oxford could offer, which, to be honest, wasn't much.

• Hello Huawei, Xiaomi, bye-bye big brands

  People & Stories |

  At the first staff meeting of the year, when everybody seemed to be stealing a glance at their cellphones now and then, I did a quick check on which was the most popular brand with my colleagues.

• Cartoon of Desperate Chinese Mom's Marriage Pleas Goes Viral

  People & Stories |

  A cartoon showing six things a Chinese mom says to her daughter to persuade her to get married has recently become a hit on social media, sparking discussion about singles and the pressures they face from their parents.

• Hot topic

  People & Stories |

  More than half of the respondents in a recent survey said the words and actions of Internet celebrities set a negative example for the young.

• Government's solution to crowded tombs: Rest in peace with family

  Useful Info |

  In the tail of February when Chinese people are still in a post-Lunar New Year festive mood, they have been suddenly pulled back to harsh reality through a topic seen as taboo in such a holiday season – death.

• Suzhou to scrap taxi franchise fees

  People & Stories |

  Amid outcries for reform of the taxi market, a tourist destination in Eastern China's Jiangsu province plans to abolish the monthly franchise fees charged to taxi drivers starting from March 1.

• Funeral reforms seek to save space

  People & Stories |

  Family members will be encouraged to share the same tombs, and ecologically friendly funerals will be promoted over the next five years in China, under a guideline jointly issued by central government departments designed to save land resources by stepping up funeral reforms.

• China looks to regulate city growth

  Useful Info |

  China released a guideline on urban planning on Sunday in a bid to tackle the problems associated with increasing urbanization and the explosion of city sizes.

• Beijing to raise threshold for issuing air pollution 'red alerts'

  Useful Info |

  BEIJING - Beijing is to raise the thresholds for issuing its highest air pollution warnings, the state news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday, two months after smog triggered the city's first ever "red alerts".