FOOD

Spice It Up: Why Hunan Cuisine Is Conquering China

Known for its spicy, stir-fried dishes, Hunan cuisine has enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years, but not everyone is happy about it

TRAVEL

Caverns of Culture: Leisure and Spirituality in China’s Karst Caves | Photo Story

Photographer Cai Shanhai captures life and leisure of southwest China’s “cave dwellers”

FOOD

Noodle Nostalgia: How an Imported Rice Noodle Dish Became the Pride of a Hunan City

Despite coming to Hengyang only 30 years ago, “lufen” has already become a symbol of pride for the locals who grew up with it

HISTORY

Fortress Abandoned: The Ancient Tourist Town That Never Was

How Huangsiqiao, a historic town with China’s oldest city walls, came to molder in the jungle of western Hunan

TRADITIONAL CULTURE

Dense Brocade: The Story of Hunan’s All-Female Embroiderers

A practitioner of a traditional, formerly all-female art of Xiang embroidery recounts her rigorous training and extraordinary life