Epoch Times combs essential articles for readers to climb the wall every day:
Analysis: Did Guo Degang get into trouble for his words? The incident may trigger a purge in the arts sector in China. Guo Degang, a well-known Chinese crosstalk performer and founder of the De Yun Society, had his show in Xi’an canceled due to a performance where he improvised lyrics in Wuhan leading to an investigation. Some analysts are calling this event the “beginning of the Communist Party’s Cultural Revolution” and expect the entire Chinese arts sector to face systematic scrutiny.
The “Big Brother on the List” tipping female live streamer incident continues to ferment as identities are exposed. A massive dispute involving live streaming tips, romantic relationships, and criminal fraud has recently garnered significant attention in mainland China, with related topics hitting the top of the Weibo hot search list on August 16.
Why are Chinese auto companies collectively “escaping” from new car launch events? Chinese auto companies are quietly changing the way they introduce new cars. The extravagant new car launch events, which used to involve building huge stages, inviting celebrities to endorse, and live broadcasts, are now being simplified or even canceled by some car companies. From a poster announcing the market launch to directly releasing a configuration diagram and even completing offline launches in just over ten minutes, car companies are adopting lower-cost and more direct methods to introduce new cars to the market. This shift reflects the contradiction between the rapid increase in new car supply in the Chinese automotive market and the pressures on market demand.
Sha’loshan: U.S. “Falcon Strike Special Forces” enter the Middle East battleground. The U.S.-Iran conflict has shifted from overwhelming attacks to an awkward standoff, highlighting the ability of traditional high-end combat platforms to adapt to new battlefield environments. The establishment of the first multinational, multi-domain unmanned aerial vehicle special task force by the U.S. Central Command marks an attempt by the U.S. military to rebalance the current tactical equilibrium and drive a transformation in the military situation in the Middle East.
Suzhou downpour leads to backflow of Taihu Lake water, flooding a residential garage. On the night of August 14, heavy rain in Suzhou caused water from Taihu Lake to backflow, flooding a residential garage and causing some owners to claim that property management negligence led to their vehicles being soaked. This news made it to the top search results on August 16.
Kung Fu is achieved through practice – Bronze award winner: Lowering oneself is key to improvement. For the past seven to eight years, Wei Lai has diligently focused on practicing two sets of “parent fists” from the Xing Yi Quan style, a seemingly “boring” routine. In August of this year, Wei Lai participated in the 9th “NTD World Chinese Traditional Martial Arts Competition” for the first time, showcasing the Xing Yi Quan routines and earning a bronze medal in the women’s fist category.
Astronomers discover a new entity in the early universe called “Black Hole Star.” Astronomers have discovered an extremely bright red dot in the early universe, seemingly belonging to a new type of celestial body. This entity, named the “Black Hole Star,” appears to be a massive star but generates energy more like a black hole than a star.
NTD World Martial Arts Competition concludes, judges say traditional martial arts are experiencing a renaissance. The three-day 9th edition of the NTD World Chinese Traditional Martial Arts Competition came to a successful close on August 15, with 27 medals awarded across various categories. Judges noted that the traditional martial arts skills of the participants are improving yearly, celebrating the renaissance of traditional martial arts. Participants and spectators expressed gratitude to the organizers for their dedication to promoting traditional martial arts, praising the competition as one that respects martial virtues, exuding a peaceful energy much needed in today’s world.
Robots taking over jobs – Xiaocaiyuan introduces cooking robots in 300 stores. On the evening of August 14, Xiaocaiyuan International Holdings Ltd. announced that in the first six months of 2026, the group’s revenue increased by 7% year-on-year, while profits decreased by 24.3% year-on-year, representing increased revenue without increased profits. Xiaocaiyuan attributed the decline in profits to the implementation of AI (Artificial Intelligence) digital upgrades. Nearly 300 Xiaocaiyuan stores have already introduced cooking robots.
The Chinese Communist Party fears internal corruption leaks, prohibits fallen officials from hiring lawyers. Recently, prominent mainland lawyer Chen Youxi revealed on social media that over the past year, several fallen provincial and ministerial-level officials’ relatives had approached him to seek legal representation, but their attempts to officially commission him and meet with lawyers were obstructed. Criminal defense lawyers in Jiangxi, Hunan, and Henan stated that they also encountered similar situations, with some regions even restricting lawyers from representing cases involving office-level officials facing criminal charges.
Analysis: Decline of Chinese study abroad trend and the dilemma of “returned overseas Chinese” The trend of studying abroad in China, a golden path for many Chinese families to upward mobility during decades of openness and globalization, is now facing a historic structural reversal. Data shows a significant decrease in the number of Chinese studying abroad and a considerable increase in the number of “returned overseas Chinese.”
“Bed-Car Travel” becomes a trend in mainland China, the hotel industry complains. With the continued economic decline and consumption downgrade in China, self-driving tours have rapidly become popular, ushering in a new trend of “Bed-Car Travel.” Many tourists choose to “sleep in their cars instead of staying in hotels” to save money, leading to a nearly 30% year-on-year decrease in revenue for some hotels, prompting complaints within the industry. Participants’ experiences with “Bed-Car Travel” vary.
Henghe: Zhu Rongji passes away, signaling the closure of the “reform and opening up” era. The Chinese Communist Party’s obituary for Zhu Rongji carries hidden implications. It has nothing to do with the reform and opening up policies of former CCP leader Jiang Zemin. Xi Jinping’s loud praise for Jiang has a hidden agenda, which Zhu Rongji’s death has now exposed. The greatest historical lesson is that without a change in the political system, the reforms promoted by Zhu Rongji were “reset overnight.”
Wave of resignations from the Communist Party accelerates, with over 1.2 million mainland Chinese people quitting in July. In 1848, Karl Marx wrote a sentence in the opening of the Communist Manifesto that has been repeatedly quoted by later generations: “A specter is haunting Europe – the specter of Communism.” Today, over 170 years later, the specter of communism, which once vowed to “liberate all humanity,” is gradually fading away within the last fortress it created with its own hands.
Long-term effects of Chinese state-owned enterprise reform – Who bears the cost, who benefits. With Zhu Rongji’s passing, the series of institutional reforms he championed during his tenure have once again become a hot topic of discussion. While the reform of Chinese state-owned enterprises during that time cleared systemic obstacles for economic leaps, it also subjected many grassroots workers to extremely heavy pains.