Yajun, Author at Jottings from the Granite Studio

A daughter is married, a mother remembers

September 25, 2016

This past summer, I (YJ) was a bridesmaid at my friend's wedding in England. Her parents were so happy and they told me the story of their own wedding day, in far humbler circumstances, in the years just after the Cultural Revolution. [Read More...]

Turning rumors into news: The non-death of Jiang Zemin

July 9, 2011

In today’s China, it is government censorship which gives credibility to unsubstantiated rumors, and that turns rumors into news. [Read More...]

The significance of singing ‘Red Songs’

June 27, 2011

Does singing “Red Songs” really mean a new revival of the old Party spirit? Or is it something that has been happening all along but makes for easy headlines with Bo Xilai’s recent Chongqing campaign and the CPC anniversary just around the corner? A Guest Post by Zhang Yajun. [Read More...]

How to marry a Billionaire (If you can’t find the PhD student of your dreams)

April 6, 2011

An article in the Global Times about How to Marry a Billionaire causes Yajun to wonder about the cost of equating money with love in today's China. [Read More...]

Political trust, not something to be taken with a grain of salt…

March 18, 2011

In a crisis, many Chinese people simply don’t have faith in the government, so they listen to rumors and take actions they believe will protect them and their family. [Read More...]

Articles by Yajun