As Xin Jinping and a new Politburo take over the reigns of the Chinese Communist Party, the biggest socioeconomic issues at stake now revolve around urban...

China's grand development plans continue to grow at an unrelenting pace. Too much is at stake to slow down such a gargantuan economic force, even as cracks appear...

After a four-year, $380 million refurbishment, the National Museum of China finally opened it’s doors to the public as the largest exhibition space on the planet,...

As the Chinese Communist Party prepares to celebrate it's 90th anniversary on July 1, nationalistic tourists are flocking in droves to communist heritage sites...

The Empty Chinese Metropolis The arid landscape around Ordos was never a forgiving place. Its remoteness and lack of ground water always kept growth in check....

As new cities continue to spring up across China almost overnight, real estate developers are taking architecture and urban design in wildly different directions to...

Indonesian hardcore is back. A growing number of youth, disaffected by high rates of unemployment and conservative social mores, are returning to hardcore musical...

International vacations are a must for the burgeoning group of nouveau riche across China. A well-used passport is a sure sign of fulfilling a “modern” and...

The Empty Temple of Consumerism A local billionaire built it, and they did not come. The South China Mall was the most ambitious and largest retail space every...

Moscow bears the historical stigma of a brooding city fringed with murder, corruption and greed. Now these grim trappings of the Russian psyche have found a home...

Lighting Up The Night As the 2010 Shanghai World Expo comes to a close at the end of October, it might be largely remembered for its long cues and predominantly...

Reverie And Leisure in Communist China The Water Cube on Beijing’s Olympic Green is easily one of the most enthralling aquatic centers on the planet. Its...

Chongqing remains the biggest city you've never heard of. Situated at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers, it is the fastest growing urban center in...

As the World Cup comes to a close this weekend with an all European final. INSTITUTE artist Matthew Niederhauser takes a look over some of the stadiums that...

Gulou, one of the last and best preserved hutong neighborhoods in Beijing, is currently slated for redevelopment by the Beijing municipal government and local...

What could be naively described as a hipster transformation is taking place in Beijing. Although some may only dress the part, others are the first in China to...

IKEA With China's burgeoning consumer market in its sights, Ikea opened its single largest outlet in Beijing three years ago. The increasingly materialistic...

Cars are quickly becoming the most hypersexualized and sought after commodity in China. Purchases already surged 45% last year, surpassing the US with 13.6 million...

Beijing's Music Underground A new wave of Chinese musicians is taking Beijing by storm. Revolving around four venues spread across the city, this burgeoning group...

Beijing's Urban Oasis Located in the heart of Beijing's central business district, just north of the newly completed CCTV Tower, Tuanjiehu Park easily takes the...