Chengdu Living’s Most Popular Posts of 2010

Not only is this the time to look back on the last 12 months of Chengdu Living, but to celebrate the first birthday of the site. That’s right: in 2 days, Chengdu Living will have been online for exactly one year!

And what a year it’s been.

From its inception Chengdu Living has existed to share the experience of living in Chengdu with the world and to cultivate a community platform. And in that pursuit we’ve met incredible success and had a great time doing it.

Overview of Chengdu Living in 2010

  • We’ve grown from 500 monthly unique visitors to 15,000
  • Drawn 2,000 comments on posts from readers just like you
  • Published 120 stories and posts, from concise local news discussion to epic 6,000-word cultural analysis essays
  • Received humble recognition from a number of publications that we highly respect, including Danwei and the LA Times

So without further ado, onto the most discussed and linked-to stories published this year.

Chengdu Living Top Six Posts of 2010

Greed & Corruption: The USA Pavillion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo (115 comments) – The first hand account of an American member of the team of Student Ambassadors stationed at the expo. After revealing the corrupt underbelly of the US Pavillion at the expo, this post erupted into a heated discussion about details of US culpability at the expo.

Anti-US Demonstration Ignites Chengdu (Photos & Videos) (113 comments) – Chengdu hosted a protest of epic proportions in response to Japan’s controversial claim to the Diaoyu Island chain located between the two countries. I attended the protest and shared photos and videos captured at the event in Chengdu’s downtown district.

Attempting to Talk Your Way Out of a Visa Fine (65 comments) – Published on the 1st of January 2010, this was the original flagship featured post on Chengdu Living. Eli shares his story of getting hit with a hefty fine by Chengdu police and his efforts to convince them to grant him leniency.

Chengdu Subway: Day One Photos (60 comments) – The opening of the Chengdu subway in fall of 2010 was without a doubt one of the most significant events of the year. I was lucky to participate in the trial run of the subway before its public opening and took the opportunity to share my photos and details of the experience.

Five Steps to Prevent Your Bike From Getting Stolen in China (61 comments) – It’s something we’ve all experienced: getting your bicycle stolen in China. I share the lessons I learned through the experience of getting my own bike stolen and the community chimes in with their own tips and tricks to holding onto what’s yours.

Raising a Child in China: Mixed Blood Prince (51 comments) – Sascha has been publishing a prolific series of posts on his experiences of giving birth to, and raising, a child in China which have gathered hundreds of comments. This post  (the tenth in the series!) focuses on the cultural significance of raising a biracial child in China.

Looking Ahead to 2011

We can’t wait to share more experiences in the upcoming year. If you’ve got a topic that you’d love to hear about, don’t hesitate to get in touch and let us know. Or if you’re interested in publishing your story as a guest post, submit it here.

In conclusion, Happy Holidays and New Year from everyone at Chengdu Living. Thanks for making it a great year!

11 thoughts on “Chengdu Living’s Most Popular Posts of 2010”

  1. One series that I’ve followed closely is Giving Birth in China by Sascha so I’m glad to see it listed here. Great job in 2010, I’m looking forward to the next year!

    Reply
  2. Congratulations!
    Loved reading all about living in Chengdu this past year.
    Fascinating city. You bring out the best for us “Curious”!
    HAPPY NEW YEAR!

    Reply

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