Categories
Intermediate

Ghost story:《画皮》The Painted Skin

Would you let a beautiful stranger move into your home after meeting them once on a dark night? Yeah, probably not the best idea.

Categories
Newbie

Dialogue: 我的新手机 – My New Phone

In this dialogue, Xiaoming shows off his shiny new phone.

Categories
Beginner

Children’s Story: 小鱼和大海 – The Little Fish and the Big Sea

Have you ever felt like your home was too small for your dreams? A tiny fish once thought the same thing. But sometimes, the grass isn’t greener on the other side – especially when there’s no grass, only salty waves!.

Categories
Advanced

News: NASA begins critical tests ahead of crewed lunar orbit mission

NASA is dusting off the lunar playbook and getting ready to send humans back to the moon for the first time in over 50 years! This article covers the nail-biting preparations for a historic rocket launch.

Categories
Beginner

Children’s story: 老奶奶的花园 – Grandmother’s Garden

A young girl puts a smile back on a sad widow’s face.

Categories
Beginner

History: 纸的故事 – The Story of Paper

You’re holding a book, writing on a notebook, maybe even wrapping a gift – but have you ever wondered who invented the paper that makes all this possible?

Categories
Intermediate

News: 银行帮助公司发展 – Bank Helps Company Grow

This lesson is kind of cool – and highly experimental. I took a very complicated and advanced article from Chinese media regarding state bank loans to a company called Bodun Electronics (博顿电子). Then I asked generative AI to re-write the article in the simplest possible language.

Categories
Newbie

Essay: 我学骑自行车 – I Learn to Ride a Bicycle

This kid is excited to finally learn to ride a bicycle, with a little help from his 爸爸.

Categories
Newbie

History: 长城的故事 – The Story of the Great Wall

This short passage tells the history of the Great Wall of China in the simplest possible language.

Categories
Newbie

Children’s story: 骄傲的月亮 – The proud moon

The moon lets its own vanity get out of control.

Categories
Beginner

Biography: 姚明的故事 – Who is Yao Ming?

A quick introduction to basketball star Yao Ming, with language tailored for beginner readers.

Categories
Advanced

News: China is researching ways to conduct mining in space

Think Earth’s resources will last forever? Think again! China just announced a major initiative to mine the moon and asteroids for rare metals and helium-3. This article explores how space mining might become humanity’s next frontier – and why it could be easier than digging really, really deep into our own planet.

Categories
Intermediate

History: 丝绸之路的故事 – The Story of the Silk Road

A quick history of the Silk Road.

Categories
Intermediate

Fable: 两只蚂蚁过河 – Two Ants Crossing the River

Two ants tackle the same problem, but one does it recklessly, while the other exercises patience. Who do you think succeeds?

Categories
Newbie

Dialogue: 图书馆里的新朋友 – A New Friend at the Library

Xiaomei and Daming make friends in the library. Learn how to ask if you can connect with someone on WeChat, China’s most popular social messaging platform.

Categories
Newbie

Children’s Story: 爸爸的生日蛋糕 – Dad’s Birthday Cake

A little girl wants to surprise her dad with a birthday treat, but her cooking skills might need some work. Will dad still be happy with her special gift?

Categories
Advanced

Novels: Start reading《鬼吹灯》Ghost Blows Out the Light by Zhang Muye

Written by Zhang Muye, this ultra-famous fantasy series is about a team of cursed tomb raiders. The novel reads like a mix between Indiana Jones and ancient Chinese ghost stories.

Categories
Beginner

Children’s Story: 一碗馄饨 – A Bowl of Wontons

Sometimes takes a stranger to remind you of what you’ve been taking for granted all along. This short story follows a teenage girl who storms out after a fight at home and learns, through an unexpected encounter, to appreciate the people who love her the most.

Categories
Newbie

Dialogue: 买水果 – Buying Fruit

In this short dialogue, Xiaohua navigates the process of buying, and paying for, apples and bananas.

Categories
Intermediate

Story behind the idiom: 守株待兔 – Waiting by the Tree Stump for a Rabbit

Ain’t no such thing as free lunch! This well-known Chinese fable is a sharp warning against laziness and wishful thinking. This story is the source of the chengyu 守株待兔, and it’s often used to criticize people who sit around expecting success to find them, instead of earning it.