This one is an excellent recommendation listed among others on the English-language site of the Sapore di Cina (Flavour of China) blog on October 19 (note: the portal also has the original Italian and a Spanish version for those of you who are fluent in either language).
The post in question presents a couple of helpful China pages that can be found and followed on Facebook (personally, I prefer to visit the 'real', not the Facebook sites if existent).
(To be honest, I didn't know Sapore di Cina, an independent and extensive blog apparently produced by just two guys, until yesterday. But you might be aware that venerable China Law Blog promised to collect and subsequently present sources providing valuable China information after shutting down their blogroll.
And alas, three days ago, China Law Blog's Dan Harris referred to and commented on the Sapore di Cina list in this post.)
But back to the point. The online magazine I would like to recommend to you is called NeoCha. I have been looking around rather desperately for interesting pages about Chinese fashion, design, art, photography and music scenes or contemporary (sub)culture in general for quite some time, so I am thrilled to have come by this gem eventually.
Admittedly, NeoCha is not exactly a newcomer as the Shanghai-based special-interest outlet has been around since 2006. My bad.
Originally founded by a group of musicians, designers, programmers and entrepreneurs, the magazine nowadays doubles as a creative agency, aptly named NeoChaEDGE, that - in its own words - 'celebrates Chinese creativity'.
The award-winning agency (where the real bucks are made, obviously) focuses mostly on film and video productions as well as on illustration and graphic design work. It boasts of an impressive array of illustrious clients, including global footwear and lifestyle brands such as Adidas, Esprit, Nike or Starbucks.
The magazine itself, however, is not restricted to the latest trends in contemporary culture in Greater China, but also covers art scenes in other Asian countries, such as Japan, Korea, Thailand or Bangladesh. I was pleased to see that Neocha is multilingual - every article is in English and the respective language of the subject or region involved.
As you can see above, the main rubrics include art, design, fashion, lifestyle and video. The short articles typically feature current exhibitions, art projects, cultural events, new music venues, fashion shows, portraits of or interviews with cultural workers. All pieces are written expertly and accompanied by lots of gorgeous photos. The site's design, no wonder, is sleek, minimalist and professional.
Surprisingly, NeoCha / NeoChaEDGE do not shy away from strongly encouraging artists and designers to send their work or story ideas - to my knowledge, that's rather unusual in this line of business. Oh, not to forget, you can buy (more or less affordable) limited editions of art prints and products from up-and-coming Chinese artists and designers online via so-called 'The EDGE Shop'.
To sum it up, if you are passionate about any of the things mentioned above privately or professionally, don't hesitate and give it a try.
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