This year’s Zhong Qiu Jie (中秋节), Mid-Autumn festival, is just around the corner, Sep 25th to be precise, and it is a time for Chinese learners around the world to take a break in their regular study routines and to enjoy some of the festivities. 

This is our annual reminder to all Chinese language learners that learning Chinese is also about gaining insights into Chinese cultural practices and about participating in the cultural activities. And you don’t have to be in China to enjoy Mid-Autumn festival.

I really wanted to have a successful Chinese Writing Contest this year. Unfortunately, I have to announce the cancellation of the 2026 Chinese Writing Contest.

Despite our extensive promotional efforts over the past several months, we received only four submissions by the September 16 deadline.

September 12th, 2026 is Qian Xuantong (钱玄同)’s 139th birthday. 

In 1923, when he was 36 years old, he proposed to simplify Chinese characters, which was the first step to his ultimate goal of making Chinese into a phonetic writing system. He wanted to abolish the Chinese characters.

This is our annual tribute to this failed hero.

As August draws to a close, how is your story coming along?

With the September 16 deadline for the Chinese Writing Contest 2026 fast approaching, it is worth reminding every aspiring writer of a fundamental truth: sooner or later, writing simply requires you to sit there and struggle.

For millions who have spent years trapped in a exhausting cycle of fad diets and frustrating plateaus, modern weight-loss medications have arrived as a breakthrough. These drugs deliver clear, measurable results where traditional calorie-counting often falls short, offering powerful assistance to people who felt they had exhausted every other option.

Yet, as the initial excitement settles, a crucial limitation has become clear: these medications only work for as long as you take them.

As the Chinese Writing Contest 2026 gets into full swing, it is worth revisiting Friedrich Nietzsche’s seminal work on education. What he observed over a century ago remains relevant today, and I highly recommend reading his speeches in full.

It’s time for a beautiful folklore to be told again for anyone who is interested in learning Chinese and learning about Chinese culture, as the seventh day of the seventh month is coming. It is August 19th this year. 

On this day, two lovers will meet on Queqiao (鹊桥), the Magpie Bridge, to celebrate their eternal love for each other.

With the opening day for the MSL Master Chinese Writing Contest 2026 less than two weeks away, it is the perfect time to review an area that often trips up language learners: Chinese punctuation marks.

Using punctuation correctly is vital for a qualifying entry. However, because Chinese punctuation rules differ from English, many second-language learners find them confusing. For instance, because Chinese lacks capital letters to signal proper nouns or book titles, it relies on entirely unique punctuation marks.

The MSL Master Chinese Writing Contest 2026 officially opens for submissions on August 1!

To ensure your entry successfully passes the initial screening and qualifies for the public vote, use this simple pre-submission checklist. Qualified entries will be published anonymously on our website, and public voting will take place on X.

From the first strike on February 28, 2026, to today, the world has been flooded with a chaotic mix of conflicting headlines, dramatic footage, unverified claims, and endless speculation about the US-Iran conflict.

One day we are told of decisive victories or the imminent landing of troops on Iranian islands; the next, we face stories of strategic setbacks, skyrocketing oil prices, and shifting global alliances. It is easy to feel completely overwhelmed and disoriented by this constant barrage of real-time bombing reports and partisan commentary. 

When the modern media landscape creates nothing but fog, ancient wisdom offers the clearest lens.

It is officially that time of year. Last year, I made a promise: Chinese Writing Contest would return, continuing to showcase the raw power of human expression and skills. 

Today, I am happy to announce that the promise is kept. MSL Master Chinese Writing Contest 2026 will be welcoming your submission this August!

Chinese people are very proud of Chinese food. One important aspect of learning Chinese is to learn about Chinese food. 

During the Chinese New Year, it’s about dumplings and all the auspicious good food. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, it’s about moon cakes and those wonderful seasonal fruits. Right now, it is about zong zi (粽子), as Duan Wu Jie (端午节) is here!

May 4th 2026 is coming. 

It’s time to read this post again and to commemorate the May Fourth Movement that happened on May 4th, 1919, and to revisit the irrevocable changes happened to China and the Chinese language.

April 19, 2026, is the third day of the third month in Chinese lunar calendar. 1673 years ago, on the same day, i.e. the third day of the third month in 353CE, a great calligrapher, and also a great poet, composed and wrote a poem in the semi-cursive script. 

This writing eventually became the most well known masterpiece of brush calligraphy in Chinese history. And it is this masterpiece that appears on the covers of all Chinese Reading and Writing series.

It’s time to read again this one of our most popular posts.

On March 18, 2026, the US Federal Reserve left the federal funds rate unchanged, maintaining its target range at 3.5% to 3.75%. With the next decision looming on June 18, conflicting signals across the economy have sparked widespread speculation.

To gain fresh insight into the Fed’s current dilemma, let’s turn to the ancient wisdom of the I Ching (the Book of Changes).