Can China make urban life friendly for children? We investigate by examining childcare shortages and child-friendly cities initiatives in this issue’s cover story. Elsewhere, we report the last days of an iconic Hong Kong market, take a motorbike trip around Taiwan, interview a couple making art out of hair, discover how the pandemic affected tattooists in Chengdu, and much more.

China’s construction boom has come to the countryside. In this issue, we investigate the complicated repercussions for land rights. Elsewhere, we examine the legacy of corporal punishment, reveal the secret behind a booming milk tea brand, explore China’s “outsider art” community, discover forgotten relics, and much more.

This issue, we explore China’s lack of public spaces and debates over which people (and dogs) should have access to them. Elsewhere, we investigate dialect content on social media, unpack the drive for food security, experience centuries-old Kazakh falconry culture, feature an exclusive piece from translator Nicky Harman, and more.