Following the Yuan

Reflections of my five years on Substack | Following the Yuan

5 years, $10,000 revenue, 208 posts later -- this newsletter is still not self-sufficient.

Oct 21 • Yaling Jiang

38

4

9

#79: Tiffany & Co. apologies over missing mooncakes, The Kardashians manifest their power in China, Tastien tests solo pizza brand …

Chinese burger chain Tastien, which has around 10,000 stores in China, is eyeing the country expanding solo dining market. Its answer? Fresh pizza for…

Oct 15 • Rongrong Zhuge and Yaling Jiang

11

2

[OOO] Inside China’s AI Hardware Rush: What We Saw at Alibaba’s Apsara Conference | Following the Yuan

From earbuds to an "AI-native" computer, China’s big tech is betting that devices, not apps, will get Chinese consumers to finally pay for AI.

Oct 12 • Yijun Liu 刘奕君

5

2

September 2026

China Solved AI Adoption. What's Still Missing? 🔎 | Following the Yuan

Chinese consumers may be among the most AI-receptive in the world — yet consumer-facing AI has never quite cracked the paywall in China. Is this just a…

Sep 22 • Yaling Jiang and Yijun Liu 刘奕君

18

4

#78: Advocacy for two-day weekend gets censored, Former Gucci creative director joins Icicle, Lee to change China operator | Following the…

Selling nap slots becomes a new revenue stream for some Chinese cinemas, as they collectively lost roughly 125 million audience members over the last…

Sep 17 • Rongrong Zhuge and Yaling Jiang

10

4

On box office hit Dear You: How Chinese dialects found a new voice | Following the Yuan × Middle Earth

As Dear You opens in US and Canadian theaters on Sept 4, listen to our discussion on the cultural backdrop behind why dialect suddenly sells.

Sep 3 • Yaling Jiang

10

1

44:09

August 2026

Why are some Chinese people anxious about the new entry & exit administration rule 😟 | Following the yuan

The new entry-exit rule serves as China's last line of defense, preventing fraud, curbing tax evasion, protecting hi-tech talent, and safeguarding…

Aug 25 • Yaling Jiang and Rongrong Zhuge

13

6

#78: Retail investors fight over Unitree stock, Abercrombie & Fitch seeks buyers for China business, Alo Yoga opens Tmall store | Following…

Retail investors fight over Unitree stock, pushing allotment rate to all-time low on Nasdaq-like STAR market as Meituan and HSG bag big wins.

Aug 15 • Rongrong Zhuge and Yaling Jiang

6

3

Decoding 6 mainland China's socioeconomic stereotypes | Following the Yuan

Chinese people take genuine pleasure in learning about and debating archetypes and stereotypes. Here are 6 built around class.

Aug 7 • Yaling Jiang and Rongrong Zhuge

13

2

July 2026

✨ A field Guide to China's AI Consumer Goods Part 2 | Following the Yuan

AI (sex) companionship, AI pet translator, AI tarot sticker

Jul 30 • Rongrong Zhuge, Following the Yuan, and Yaling Jiang

9

3

✨ A field Guide to China's AI Consumer Goods Part 1 | Following the Yuan

on AI glasses, AI emotion pendant, AI lamp, AI fragrance device, exoskeletons and their market potential

Jul 26 • Following the Yuan, Yaling Jiang, and Rongrong Zhuge

14

#77: Molly Tea's LV fine backfires, Shein nears HK IPO, Luckin and Duolingo's babies, Chef Fei to enter the U.S. | Following the Yuan

LV's courtroom victory over Molly Tea has turned into a PR defeat, as Chinese consumers and state media question who owns traditional Chinese patterns.

Jul 15 • Following the Yuan

13

5

4