Your Favorite Readings of 2025 | A Year in Review
This year really flew by fast! In 2025, the Du Chinese team published over 50 articles, 14 stories, and an intermediate course. We’re proud of our work and would like to take this opportunity to reflect on what we did in 2025, as well as express our gratitude for being part of your learning journey!
Readings Read
Here’s how many readings (articles, chapters from stories, and lessons from courses) were read this year across our six difficulty levels. In 2025, over 2.3 million Du Chinese readings were read by our readers!
Top Articles
This year, we released 53 articles! Here were your favorites:
Elementary
When Chinese people decline an invitation by saying “不用”, meaning “no need”, they might be doing so out of politeness, not because they really don’t want to go.
Intermediate
Cao Cao kills an innocent family after mistakenly believing they are plotting against him…
Upper Intermediate
Sun Quan and Zhou Yu attempt to lure Liu Bei to his death, but things do not go as planned…
Advanced
The Chinese word “心眼,” which literally means the “mind’s eye,” can be used to convey a wide range of personality traits. Are there people in your social circle who match these descriptions?
Master
The High Tang was an age of romance, poetry, prosperity, and cultural glory. One poet, more than any other, embodies the spirit of this era: Li Bai. Find out about his incredible life in this article.
Top Stories
In 2025, our team published 14 new stories, totaling 258 chapters between them. Here were the most popular stories of the year!
Elementary
Lu Ming has a deep passion for Beijing opera, but he faces numerous challenges in chasing his dream. After falling off stage following an audition, he unexpectedly travels back in time and meets his younger self. This meeting inspires Lu Ming to pursue his dream in new ways.
Intermediate
Fanfan and Little Bai embark on the treacherous journey to the cat paradise, but along the way, they encounter the terrifying big eagle and the numerous dangers of the snowy mountain. What secrets is Little Bai hiding?
Upper Intermediate
This story tells of Bai Suzhen, a white snake demon who has cultivated for a thousand years, allowing her to transform into a beautiful woman. Bai Suzhen falls in love with a mortal named Xu Xian, who had previously saved her life. The Legend of the White Snake is not only a love story that transcends life and death but also a tale of rebellion against societal prejudice.
Advanced
After the dust settles from the Battle of Red Cliffs, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan each consolidate their forces and establish the three states of Wei, Shu, and Wu, laying the foundation for the division of the Three Kingdoms.
Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang take on the mission of reviving the Han dynasty, dreaming of unifying China. However, twists of fate leave the unfinished mission to Zhuge Liang’s disciple, Jiang Wei. In the midst of political intrigue and internal betrayal, Jiang Wei attempts to fulfill his mentor’s wish. In the face of numerous challenges, can he save the state of Shu, or is its fate already sealed?
Master
The theft of a double-headed Buddha statue and a golden goose from the Shaanxi History Museum reveals a legend that has been hidden for a thousand years. Archaeologist Shi Wenqian and journalist Jian Xi team up to investigate, only to unexpectedly discover that the stolen treasures may be the key to an ancient mechanism.
Can a mysterious ancient poem and a lost drawing really lead to the “Land of Eternal Life” of Qin Shi Huang? Can Shi Wenqian and Jian Xi unravel the puzzle woven from history and legend?
Here's to 2026!
We extend a sincere thank you to you, the reader, for your support! We hope to bring even more surprises in 2026. Congratulations on another year of learning Chinese!