China's rapid growth spawns a wave of unusual architecture.
When I walked into the courtyard in Shique hutong last Sunday morning, there were already two tables of foreign players. But a table still needed the last one to start the game - it's a four-player game. Without any hesitation, I was in.
Foreigners are beating Chinese at their own game - mahjong.
A growing number of Westerners are playing the Chinese game on the seas.
A workshop in a Beijing hutong shows travelers and expats the basics.On a recent Sunday morning, people from around the world gather around two tables in a hutong.
Mahjong's increasing popularity worldwide has injected into the game new rules and top players from all over the globe.
China's online shoppers have taken the concept that packaging can be as important as what's inside to a whole new level.
Many people around the globe agree China's principal shopping website Taobao is very useful - yet not at all foreigner-friendly.
Need a human hamster wheel? A spaceflight? Breast implants? From dead mosquitoes to someone to yell at, Taobao is full of oddities.
Streaming shows made for targeted audiences may be the future.
American sitcoms have long been popular on the mainland, leaving many to wonder why Chinese-produced shows continue to lag behind.