Far & Near — a visual newsletter about China from local perspectives
Welcome to Far & Near by Yan Cong, Beimeng Fu, and Ye Charlotte Ming.
We bring you stories created by Chinese visual journalists, artists, and filmmakers in Chinese media, and provide analysis of the important social and cultural topics in the country.
China is a complicated, multifaceted society that deserves to be understood from diverse points of view. Far & Near seeks to provide human-centric coverage centering on agency and autonomy, and help people understand the country from the inside, beyond geo-political headlines.
We publish curated issues, Q&A with Chinese visual storytellers, and special issues responding to the most urgent stories from China.
Here are some of our most popular stories:
Minimize Harm: Covering Protests in China with Discretion and Empathy
Lockdown, Normalized by Far & Near x Chaoyang Trap
Q&A with Chen Ronghui: Art might be better at revealing the truth than news
Why Become a Paying Member
Far & Near is an independent and reader-funded newsletter. Our goal is to promote local talents and provide nuanced insights into China, and we’d like to have as many people read it as possible.
If you enjoy reading Far & Near, consider becoming a paying member to support our mission.
Our work regularly involves scanning dozens of Chinese media outlets, selecting the top stories, researching to add context to them, writing and editing the newsletter, and running our social media accounts.
Our membership costs €5/month or €40/year. For the price of a cup of coffee per month, you can enable us to do our best work while being financially sustainable
Super into what we’re doing at Far & Near? Become a super member by donating $120! Not ready to commit? You can still make a one-time donation to us. We appreciate any kind of support!
Get in Touch!
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter for timely updates. Want to suggest a topic or an artist for us to write about? Get in touch with us at yuanjinpj@gmail.com
What others say about Far & Near
We’re a Substack featured publication in 2021 and 2022. Our previous work has been recommended by leading publications on China and the media landscape such as Sinocism, The China Project, Semafor, and The Nieman Lab.
Who We Are
We are three women from China with backgrounds in visual media.
Yan Cong is formerly a photojournalist currently pursuing a research MA in new media and digital culture in Amsterdam.
Beimeng Fu is a video journalist based in Shanghai. She is a lover of languages and documentaries.
Ye Charlotte Ming is a journalist and visuals editor covering stories about culture, history, and identity. She’s based in Berlin.
