Asia
All our reports, articles and notes covering this part of the world.
11 January 2019
Asia, China
Tea or Coffee? What a Beverage Tells Us about China today
Chinese people drink 2.1 million tonnes of tea every year. The infusion has defined traditions, history, even maps. Surprisingly, in the camellia kingdom, Starbucks opens a coffee store every 15 hours. Near the wall of what’s said to be the oldest teahouse in China, there is a short, stooped over and nicked barber wearing a […]
26 December 2018
Asia, China
40 years later – from “Made in China” to Makers Land
December 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of Chinese reforms and opening-up policy that transformed the country forever. Shenzhen city was China’s reform pioneer. We travelled to once a fishing town that gave birth to Huawei and other technological giants. We talked about urbanism, electric vehicles, “Maker” Movement, education and ‘shanzhai’, a neologism for “fake” that […]
4 December 2018
Asia, China
Paying for Fried Chicken with the Face: A Journey around the Biometric Landscape in China
A customer orders crispy fried chicken using one of the screens at a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in Shenzhen. At the digital menu, there are pictures of the products and pricing information: a lip-smacking chicken bucket for 39 yuan (almost 5 euro), two chicken burgers plus a chicken bucket for 69 yuan (8.7 euro). After […]
1 November 2018
Asia, China
From Acupuncture to Dog Cremations: China’s Pet Industry is Booming
Last year, the Chinese spent EUR 21 billion on their pets, 27% more than the previous year.
25 October 2018
Asia, China
China Is Using Facial Recognition To Catch Jaywalkers
On Huaihai Street, a large shopping street in downtown Shanghai, a large LED screen on the sidewalk displays the image of a motorist who has skipped the red traffic light. There are four stripes on the screen, as if it were a comic, with the precise moment of the infraction and the extended image of […]
18 October 2018
Asia, Turkey
Peace is the deadliest word
It was meant to be a massive show of support for peace and democracy. It is remembered as the deadliest terror attack in Turkey’s history. It was our darkest hour and, three years later, we are still waiting for dawn.
11 October 2018
Asia, Taiwan
Taiwan Referendum: It could be the First place in Asia to approve same-sex marriage
“Yes” and “No” voters associations talk with Outriders on November conservative referendum that aims for gay and lesbians unions receive a special treatment
10 October 2018
Asia, Turkey
The Experience of Foreign Press in Turkey: We All Weigh Up the Risks
Foreign journalists in Turkey play a dangerous balancing act. Though not subjected to the same threats as their Turkish counterparts, they still walk a tightrope. Sometimes they fall off.
1 October 2018
Asia, China
This Is How Some Chinese Retirees Try to Maintain the Art of Calligraphy
The scene reveals the two coexisting worlds in the current Chinese cities. In front of the luxurious IAPM Mall in Shanghai exhibiting ostentatious dresses of international brands and high-end computers and next to a busy zebra crossing, crowded with crouched heads and self-absorbed looks on the phones, there is a public park where a man […]
18 September 2018
Asia, Turkey
The world’s largest airport—no delays but plenty of sweat and tears
It was meant to be a show of might, a showcase of Turkey’s economic status under the rule of the Justice and Development Party (AKP). The size and capacity of Istanbul’s new airport were designed to make Heathrow look small, Charles de Gaulle blush with embarrassment and O’Hare turn green with envy. From groundbreaking ceremony […]
