Dispatches from Asia's Silicon Valley

China is building the future.
The West is reading about it.

First-hand insights from Shenzhen for founders, investors, and operators who want to understand what's actually happening — not what the headlines say.

47%
of global EVs made in China
70%
of drones are Chinese
48h
prototype turnaround
90s
battery swap time

Deep Dives

Stories from the Ground

The companies, founders, and innovations that explain why China matters — told from the inside.

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Hidden Gem

The Best Hostel in Shenzhen That No Foreigner Knows Exists

Inside Nantou Ancient City, a Chinese bar brand built a community hostel with in-room art exhibitions, rooftop terraces, and a daily citywalk. It's rated 9.6/10 — and completely invisible to Western travelers.

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Business

I Got My Ingrown Toenail Fixed by a $2 Billion Empire I'd Never Heard Of

11pm. Shenzhen. My ingrown toenail had been getting worse for ten days across three cities. I found a 9,000-store healthcare empire that doesn't exist anywhere in the West.

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Identity

The Five Identities of Frank Ji

Yale PhD, biotech founder, community builder, investor connector, and cultural bridge. Frank Ji doesn't fit into one box — and that's exactly his competitive advantage in Shanghai.

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Hardware & AI

The Physical AI Opportunity Nobody's Talking About

Inside Shenzhen's hardware accelerator where AI meets robotics, manufacturing, and the real world. Six RFPs that show where physical AI is heading.

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Interview

This Is Perfect, Oh My God — Meeting a Digital Labor Researcher in China's Visa-Free Zone

A chance encounter with Professor Gu Chudan at Donghua University turns into a deep dive on China's gig economy, platform workers, and why Western researchers can't get this data.

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Events

Inside a Pop-Up City in Shanghai

muShanghai brought together founders, builders, and dreamers from around the world for a week of building in Shanghai. Here's what actually happened.

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AI & Finance

AI Trading in China's Stock Market — AgentBull Is Betting Real Money on It

Richard and his team at AgentBull (煜马) built an AI-native quantitative system using OSINT data and reinforcement learning to trade China's A-share market. They're now running 2–3 million RMB in live trades.

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Guide

The Shenzhen Hardware Guide — What Huaqiangbei Actually Looks Like in 2026

Forget the YouTube videos. Here's what the world's largest electronics market actually looks like when you walk in with a prototype idea and no connections.

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Electric Vehicles

How BYD Passed Tesla (And Why Western Automakers Should Be Worried)

In 2025, BYD sold 2.26 million EVs — beating Tesla by 600,000 units. The man who built it was an orphan chemist who couldn't afford textbooks. This is the story of how he disrupted the entire automotive industry.

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Travel Guide

China Visa Guide 2026: The Complete Breakdown

China just made it easier to visit than ever before. 30 days visa-free for most Western countries. 240-hour transit for Americans and Brits. Here's exactly what you need to know.

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Origin Story

How Four Friends Built a $30 Billion Travel Empire (And Beat Expedia at Their Own Game)

Most people have never heard of Trip.com. But here's what they don't know: Trip.com Group processes $160 billion in travel bookings annually — making it the largest OTA in the world by GMV.

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Manufacturing

They Slept in the Bushes Outside Hong Kong Airport. Now They Own the World's Largest Factory.

Two brothers from New Zealand landed in China with $12,000. Twenty years later, they're billionaires building the future of housing.

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Come along for the ride. It's awesome.