Phase II of Habitat Qinhuangdao was completed this month by Safdie Architects, doubling an earlier phase of development from 2016. The apartment complex now ranges over 400,000 square meters overlooking the Bohai Sea.
The buildings at Habitat Qinhuangdao are stacked vertically and linked by skybridges, with each building block joined at the corner, creating a zigzag shape. community gardens are scattered along the rooftops, and the staggered zigzag profile gives some units a private terrace. The building’s unique design provides abundant natural lighting, ventilation, and scenic views for each unit.
The complex is inspired by Safdie Architects founder Moshe Safdie’s own Habitat ’67 complex in Montreal. Habitat Qinhuangdao refined Habitat ’67’s emphasis on outdoor space and connectivity in high-density urban spaces.
As Moshe Safdie, the renowned architect behind Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport and many other projects globally, said of Habitat Qinhuangdao: “The demand for quality multi-family housing in China’s growing cities has allowed us to apply the principles that informed Habitat ’67 at a greater density. By breaking down the megascale, Habitat Qinhuangdao is a model for high-density housing where the amenities surpass that of the typical high-rise complex without sacrificing the structure’s efficiency or humanity.”
The Safdie team focused on building a network of third spaces, with community gardens, pools, boardwalks, and lounges throughout the complex. Other additions include adventure playgrounds, teen rooms, a landscaped amphitheater for performances and movie nights, a yoga studio, multi-sport game courts, and a rooftop bar. A winding sky bridge lets one stroll across the entire complex,and a 5,500-square-meter arts center open to the public contains galleries, cafes, and restaurants.
Habitat Qinhuangdao by Safdie Architects
Moshe Safdie is known for his socially responsible architectural designs. His works include Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport, Raffles City Chongqing, and the United States Institute of Peace. In all of Safdie’s designs, there’s an emphasis on negative spatial relationships, creating a unique view against the skyline. Sky bridges and module stacking — both featured in this new complex — are recurring elements that offer a clever solution to high-density and high-foot-traffic urban spaces.
With 40 acres of greenery, Habitat Qinhuangdao is a testament to Safdie’s philosophy, “for everyone a garden.” It is also a step towards a solarpunk future and greener urban living, an architectural design that sacrifices neither sustainability nor livability.
In one story from ancient Chinese folklore recounted by Gong Liang, director of the Nanjing Museum, rodents descend mercilessly upon the crops, threatening the harvest and spreading disease. It was the snake that bravely exterminated the rodents and gave up his gallbladder as medicine for the locals. As a reward for this sacrifice, the snake was named the sixth sign in the Chinese zodiac.
Another ancient folk tale describes a great race to determine the order of the zodiac, with the snake wrapping itself around the horse’s leg to sneak into sixth place.
Coming after dragon, the snake has big shoes to fill (the snake zodiac is affectionately referred to as 小龙, small dragon, in Chinese). It is not as popular as the dragon, which symbolizes power and victory, but the snake brings good omens too, representing longevity, luck, and eternal love.
In Western culture, snakes are often associated with evil and danger, as in Medusa’s alluring hair, or Satan masquerading as a snake to tempt Eve. In Islamic folklore, the Djinn, a spirit representing danger, appears in a serpentine form. Snakes are associated with longevity, fertility, and rebirth in different Western traditions, but death is the most common motif uniting them.
In China, the snake has fewer negative associations.
Nüwa and Fuxi, creator heroes in Chinese mythology, are depicted with human heads and an intertwined, snake-like body. They are brother and sister, but also husband and wife, representing the yin and the yang duality central to Chinese tradition. Nüwa is credited with creating humanity and society, and together the duo symbolizes fertility. In ancient China, imagery of the snake also appeared as a decorative element on vases, rings, and bronze tripods, or ding.
Nüwa and Fuxi intertwined, color on silk, from the mid 8th century, Tang Dynasty. Image via Wikipedia.
The snake also symbolizes the pursuit of love and happiness in Chinese popular culture. The 1992 TV series New Legend of Madame White Snake and the 1993 movie Green Snake are both adaptations of The Legend of the White Snake, one of China’s four great folktales. It tells the story of a forbidden romance between Xu Xian, a man, and Bai Suzhen, a snake spirit.
Snakes can be venomous, but snake gallbladder is a key ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. According to folklore, snakes possess the ability to identify healing herbs.
Within the Chinese zodiac, the snake is one of the more controversial animals, with a complex and nuanced cultural representation. It’s a figure of fertility and intelligence, but can also be cunning and mysterious.
Snake designs from Handan, Nanjing, Quanzhou, and Nanning. Image via RedNote.
For New Year’s festivities in China, many cities opted to make their snake installations look docile and cute, giving them big eyes, chubby bodies, and colorful scales, and losing the forked tongue. It’s a marketing campaign to minimize the negative connotations associated with the serpent, one RedNote user commented: “They are so cute, they don’t even look like snakes!”
Last week, the iconic Jiangan, Shanghai branch of TSUTAYA bookstore in the MOHO shopping mall closed its doors. Situated in a bustling central business district, MOHO is known for its high-end brand selection. However, declining customer footfall has forced the closure of this once-popular bookstore.
Many regular patrons expressed their regret over the closure, praising MOHO’s elegant interior design and scenic window views. TSUTAYA was a favorite among many, but even its devoted following was not enough to sustain the business.
Last October, TSUTAYA’s Xi’an branch announced its closure, with the Shanghai branch following suit months later.
Once regarded as a symbol of middle-class sophistication with its unique focus on literature, lifestyle, and curated accessories, TSUTAYA has struggled to maintain its relevance and profitability in the evolving market. The bookstore chain has operated in China since 2020, but its allure seems to have faded, as today it is unable to attract sufficient spending to cover rising costs.
China’s first TSUTAYA books is in Hangzhou. Photo via InsideRetail.
Chinese book lovers often compare TSUTAYA to domestic bookstore chains like Fanshuo, Yanjiyou, and Zhongshuge, all of which share a similar strategy of attracting customers with refined interior design. These bookstores have chains in major cities where readers are most concentrated, but they face the same challenges as TSUTAYA.
The main culprit appears to be the slowing economy, which has pushed consumers toward cheaper alternatives. Many opt for pirated books or discounted online purchases, which also come with the convenience of fast delivery.
In response, offline bookstores have tried to diversify their offerings to entice visitors to linger. Coffee shops and community activities have become particularly popular additions, but these efforts have significantly increased operational costs.
Zhongshu Ge embeds ancient Chinese aesthetics into its architecture. Photo via CBN.
Economic difficulties are not the only factor. Censorship has long been a sensitive issue for independent publishers in China. JF Books, a long-running Shanghai bookstore that was famously shut down in 2018, reopened in Washington, D.C., last September.
The fate of offline bookstores in China remains a hot topic of debate online. While digital platforms provide greater access to books and knowledge, many argue that cities still need iconic spaces where people can gather, explore, and engage intellectually. The question remains: can these bookstores adapt and survive, or will they become relics of the past?
China’s largest coffee chain, Luckin Coffee, has officially made its Malaysian debut, marking a significant milestone in the company’s international expansion. The brand, renowned for out-of-the-box beverages like a Moutai-spiked concoction and an app-driven ordering system, opened two outlets in the Klang Valley earlier this month, and plans to establish three additional stores in January, according to reports.
The initial stores, located at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and Sunway Pyramid in the Subang Jaya suburb, are strategically positioned to attract coffee enthusiasts and casual drinkers alike. This entry is part of Luckin Coffee’s broader strategy to strengthen its presence in Southeast Asia following recent success in Singapore. With over 10,000 stores worldwide, the coffee giant aims to replicate its rapid growth model in Malaysia.
Malaysia, a country celebrated for its thriving café culture, provides a fertile ground for Luckin Coffee’s expansion. From quaint artisanal coffee shops to global chains, the local scene reflects a diverse palate and a growing appetite for specialty beverages.
Popular drinks like dark Arabica black coffee from kopitiams and trendy matcha lattes co-exist, catering to both traditional and modern tastes. Luckin Coffee’s entry will further enrich this landscape, introducing unique offerings such as its signature coconut latte and other experimental flavors tailored to Asian markets.
Luckin Coffee’s tech-focused operations, characterized by app-based ordering and seamless pickup options, align well with Malaysia’s digitally savvy consumers. The chain is expected to leverage these strengths while competing with equally tech-forward local coffee purveyors such as ZUS Coffee and Gigi Coffee.
Luckin Coffee aims to have five outlets operating in and around Kuala Lumpur by the end of January 2025. The company’s leadership has expressed confidence in the Malaysian market, citing the nation’s evolving coffee culture and strong economic potential as key factors. As Luckin Coffee continues its rollout, the brand’s presence is likely to invigorate Malaysia’s already dynamic café scene, offering more caffeinated options for coffee lovers nationwide.
The AI landscape is experiencing a seismic shift as Nvidia and other Silicon Valley tech giants are still reeling from DeepSeek’s recent breakthrough. Many on Wall Street are raising questions about the future of AI hardware and software development.
DeepSeek, a relatively unknown Chinese AI company, has suddenly become the talk of the tech world. Its innovative low-cost approach suggests that significant AI advancements might be possible using existing hardware, potentially rendering planned massive investments in specialized AI chips unnecessary. This revelation has sent Nvidia’s stock into a tailspin, with the company facing a potential loss of $500 billion in market capitalization.
The impact of DeepSeek’s innovation extends beyond Nvidia. All of thre so-called “Magnificent 7” group of high-performing tech stocks — Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla — have experienced sharp declines. These companies, heavily invested in AI and crucial to overall market performance, are now at the center of a panic that could see investors lose over $1 trillion globally.
What is Doubao 1.5 Pro?
As these companies were still processing the DeepSeek challenge, TikTok parent company ByteDance introduced Doubao 1.5 Pro, a new AI model that’s also turning heads in the industry. This model addresses key challenges in the AI landscape, offering a cost-effective solution that doesn’t compromise on performance. Doubao 1.5 Pro outperforms competitors on various benchmarks, including the AIME test, and uses a sparse Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) framework to reduce computational load.
As with DeepSeek, Doubao’s cost efficiency stands out, with operational costs being five times lower than DeepSeek, and more than 200 times lower than OpenAI’s O1 model. These attributes highlight ByteDance’s capability to deliver a model that excels in both performance and affordability.
One of the most significant aspects of Duobao 1.5 Pro is its pricing strategy. The model offers competitive pricing compared to established models like GPT-4 and Claude 3.5 Sonnet, making advanced AI capabilities more accessible to a wider range of organizations at a lower price point. This development reflects a growing trend in the AI industry towards cost-effective solutions that maintain high performance standards.
Duobao 1.5 Pro also includes features like a “Deep Thinking” mode for long-context understanding.
Doubao 1.5 pro benchmarking against the established players. Source: Doubao.
The emergence of DeepSeek and Duobao 1.5 Pro is likely to have far-reaching implications for the AI market. With the S&P 500’s recent strong performance largely dependent on the Magnificent 7 stocks, the market is more concentrated than it has been in decades. Any significant shift in the AI landscape could have ripple effects throughout the broader market.
As Silicon Valley giants grapple with these new challenges, the AI industry stands at a crossroads. Will the innovations from DeepSeek and ByteDance lead to a democratization of AI technology, or will established players find ways to maintain their dominance? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: the AI race has entered a new, more competitive phase, with implications that extend far beyond the tech sector.
2025 is already delivering great new music from China, some of which reflects a semi-global mood at the moment. Chengdu-based artist Xinwenyue Shi’s bilingual Sichuan-English hip hop single “Clouds,” for example, talks about the weather and adaptability in uncertain times. For a sunnier forecast, check out Guangzhou dream pop acts 想想XiangXiang and I’m Fine! Thank You! And You? — the two bands collaborated on a split release that captures the unique creative synergy of their local scene. Meanwhile, Wuhan’s Hardcore Raver in Tears delivers a PS2-era-inspired disco-punk anthem packaged as a vintage video game. Read on for all this plus shimmering guitar psych, a new release from Shanghai club mainstay Heimu, and several compilations casting a net on emerging bands and producers around China.
— Editor
Xinwenyue Shi 施鑫文月 – Clouds
Rapper, producer, and singer-songwriter Xinwenyue Shi, whose 2023 release Bashu Renaissance garnered quite a bit of attention, readies the release of his third studio album Gray Sun 灰太陽 with a new single. Continuing his signature brand of smooth, softhearted and breezy Sichuan-English bilingual hip hop, Clouds has the artist musing on the weather — and how sometimes one just needs to adapt to the situation at hand. A 2025 sentiment I’m sure anyone can relate to.
想想XiangXiang / I’m fine! Thank you! And you? – 玩玩你的 It’s Your Tune
Two emerging acts from the budding noise and dream pop scene in Guangzhou, I’m fine! Thank you! And you? and 想想XiangXiang (who released one of 2024’s best albums), play a bout of musical hot potato on their new spilt release, It’s Your Tune. A bet between the two bands to complete one another’s song, it’s a fascinating inside look at how musicians push one another, and one that results in two of the best new singles this year.
Wuhan’s new wave disco-punk outfit Hardcore Raver in Tears (led by Lu Yan of AV Okubo fame) pay tribute of the video games of yesteryear in their latest single and music video: a self-titled theme song. With graphics and thematics straight out of PS2-era Grand Theft Auto, Lu Yan and company (with the help of electro pop artist Wen Zhaojie) once again tap into our pop culture’s past to dizzying effect. The result is an open-world action-adventure game set in 1990s Hong Kong, chock full of “betrayal, transaction and fate through the perspectives of three characters”:
Full-blooded psychedelia with a flavor that keeps the vibes vigorous and audacious in their pursuit of nirvana, Khunathi, who cut their teeth in Shanghai before scattering about the region, are a force to be reckoned with on their debut, Misty Mountain Pagoda, released with avant-garde mainstay WV Sorcerer Productions. With the perfect balance of soothing rustic bliss and propulsive spiraling grooves, there aren’t many bands that can make their guitars sing like these guys. As the press release puts it: “shimmering with the metallic brilliance of ceremonial horns, and threading delicately with the bass to weave intricate bead curtains.” Lean, injected with a crisp psych blues sound, and cut with precision and heft, Khunathi are a great addition the swelling China psych scene.
Jellyeeee – FLOURISH
Modern Sky offshoot digi captures some of the music scene’s more esoteric offshoots of hip hop and pop music — namely the influx of hyperpop acts. digi returns with its first offering of the new year: FLOURISH From Guangzhou-raised experimental pop artist and producer Li Zitong, aka Jellyeeee. FLOURISH is a schizophrenic roller-coaster ride through the deconstructed musical trappings of the musician’s mind, one that huddles across glitch, avant pop, classical music, hard-hitting electronica, and more with reckless precision. Often coming across as a theater piece or installation art, it showcases an artist in complete control of atmosphere and mood.
Various Artists – Pear Club
Delivery Music, the hip hop cousin to Shanghai’s electronic imprint Eating Music, has steadily buildt its roster over the past five years, attracting a motley crew of bubbly light-on-their-feet rappers and producers with a knack for euphoric dance floor rhythms, supple synth work, and slick future pop. Now they’re ready for a proper welcoming party with Pear Club, the label’s first-ever compilation, with fourteen tracks to sink your teeth into. Highlights include LATENINE6 (one of the label’s founders), 彭喜悦TingTing, and Luts.
HEIMU 黑木 – De Luna Amour 月光爱人
One of the Shanghai club scene’s hardest-working DJs and producers, multi-disciplinary musician Heimu returns to his band roots with latest release De Luna Amour. Thrusting listeners into a world of industrial music, Heimu compiles his “love, hate and hatred”’” of the city into ten tracks of uncut cold wave and post punk, with his vocals front and center. It’s a surprisingly warm album considering the aesthetics, a disco-laced synth pop heart beating just beneath the surface.
Various Artists – A Love Letter to Yuck
2000s UK act Yuck were just one of many acts during the new century that revitalized the shoegaze and indie guitar rock of the early ’90s, evoking Sonic Youth, the Cure, My Bloody Valentine, and the Jesus and Mary Chain for a modern era. But their influence has been undeniable — and their mark crystallized — in part thanks to the band only surviving ten years past the release of their debut. Their long-reaching appeal is at the heart of this latest compilation, A Love Letter to Yuck, which features China’s budding indie rock talent paying tribute to the band not only with covers, but also original songs that look to evoke the band’s Midas touch. It’s a pretty amazing spread — a great starting point to discover some new bands, as well as a testament to the universal power of music in younger musical communities.
Various Artists – NU-S3RVO, Vol. 1
Explore the sounds of contemporary electronic music in East Asia with the first compilation from Beijing-based label NU-S3RVO. With a penchant for left-field techno, IDM, and bass, this release features seven producers from Beijing, Hong Kong, and Hangzhou, including GUAN, Heiyuen, and zip. Much like Do Hits! in its heyday, this compilation acts as a sonic survey of how club music has evolved in China, finding fresh and invigorating ways to “reinterpret cultural memories and historical traces from a new perspective.”
v是兔子wishtoday – Teng Tong Bu 疼痛部
The emo wave takes over the urban wasteland of Henan with v是兔子wishtoday, the latest band to excavate the arching pain of adolescence and wallow in the noisier elements of emo. The young band, who hail from the outskirts of Zhengzhou, give into their emotions on their powerful debut, a scrappy DIY descent into the void that swings from visceral emo noise to evocative slowcore like the mood swings of an young adult. A dagger to the heart that wipes its blood on it sleeve in defiance, wishtoday brings sincerity and gravitas to its angst.
StrawberryLust 梦莓 – StrawberryLust
Classic shoegaze with a pep of J-rock-inflicted dream pop, StrawberryLust out of Guangzhou are the latest band attempting to “‘”visualize dreams and tell stories of midnight fantasies.” Their self-titled debut is buzzy, wistful, and maybe just a tad too sugary for some palates. When it leans into its catchy rhythm sections and perky choruses a la “i hate rainy days!” or “Midnight Strange Feeling,” there’s nothing better.
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