EDITOR'S LETTER

Bad TV, Beleaguered Doctors, and Buried Religions

We're trying a few new things here at TWOC, namely, not going with an overall theme. Instead, we'll be bringing you stories from a variety of perspectives from around the country to help provide a more comprehensive view of the modern Middle Kingdom, and we hope to continue to bring you the best in Chinese culture, society, entertainment, language, and long-form journalism for a long time to come.

Since we have been blessed with this warm inviting weather, have you been spending your every moment basking and frolicking in the warmth of the sun? No, of course not. You're inside watching TV because outside is scary and full of people. Just one problem: Chinese TV is awful. One must ask why—with all the money, inf l uence, and talent in the world—is the Chinese tube so horrible? There are a variety of factors that make Chinese TV so diff i cult to make and watch, and it's important to remember that China didn't have a running start at network TV before the internet came along. Some of it is censorship, some of it is organization, but whatever the reason, Carlos Ottery is on top of it in“Televisually Impaired” (see page 28).

“Physician, Heal Thyself” (see page 36) discusses the violence doctors face and the broken, corrupt system that breeds China's health care mess. It's a tough job for low pay, and now doctors and nurses risk getting beaten up, stabbed, and kidnapped for just trying to help. A number of high-prof i le malpractice cases have bred paranoia, but the system of prescription drugs and doctor kickbacks has made things worse. Doctors and nurses are at the bottom of the healthcare administration food chain, and patients—sick of the long lines and expensive drugs—are starting to take matters into their own hands.

Manichaeism—a dead fi rst-millennium religion—is not an everyday topic of conversation, but this interesting religion combines Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, and Christianity in an extremely complex philosophy that, for a time, spread the length and breadth of China, from emperors to rebel cults. In fact, many of the surviving texts from this ancient Persian religion only survive in Chinese. James Palmer brings us “Manichean Middle Kingdom” (see page 42) to take a look at what we know about this dead religion and the impact it had on the politics of ancient China.

Also, Group Think (see page 64) this issue wades into the world of Boys' Love comics—their seemingly dark plots and the young girls who love them. Made In China (see page 24) has a quick look at the bloodless blood sport of cricket fi ghting. And, it wouldn't be TWOC without a quick look at sex, so check out Pioneer (see page 88) to hear what Pan Suiming has to say about his sex surveys around the country and his investigations into red-light districts. If language is more your thing, check out how to speak out in On the Character (see page 92) or learn to speak like a TCM doctor in Social Chinese (see page 72). Also, be sure to check out our new app, called China Dispatch, which contains our magazine content in an easy-to-read format as well as a bi-monthly, topic-centered supplement.

From all of us here at TWOC, enjoy this weather while it lasts.

Managing Editor

Tyler Roney