Asian culture

Hu Xin and He Yan Xin as seen in the film "Hidden Letters"

These women are trying to preserve an ancient Chinese language invented as a secret code

Language

Hundreds of years ago, women in China weren’t allowed an education and spent their days locked in rooms, embroidering and making crafts. They came up with a new language that men couldn’t understand — Nüshu — and wrote it onto handmade fans to communicate with each other. A filmmaker is now trying to raise awareness to preserve it before it is lost.

A man in a yellow shirt helps fix the bike of an elder leaning over bike wearing casual clothes and cap

Oakland’s Chinatown finds solutions to hate crimes

Community
Payzulla Polat

Here’s how a Uighur musician was inspired to bring his culture and food to the streets of Boston

Payzulla Polat

Here’s how a Uighur musician was inspired to bring his culture and food to the streets of Boston

It’s easy to win an election when dissent could send you to jail

Global Scan

Making bread to fight the Taliban

A new program aims to curb terrorism and fight the Taliban by teaching former Taliban fighters to make bread.

Stories from the border

Global Politics

Stories of a border patrol agent and two medical volunteers and their encounters with illegal immigrants trying to enter the country.

Celebrating the Music of Maqam, From Spain to Western China

Arts, Culture & Media

Maqam is an Arabic musical term and for the past two years there’s been a festival in New York devoted to it. Reporter Bruce Wallace attended this year’s Maqam Fest to find out what maqam is exactly.

The World

Gagaku, Japanese Imperial Court Music

Arts, Culture & Media

Gagaku is the oldest form of classical music in Japan. It thrived in Japanese imperial courts from the 700s. The tradition is rarely performed outside of Japan. But reporter Maria Bakkalapulo attended a performance in Scotland and tells us about it.

The Nizami Bandhu: A Family Devoted to Qawwali

Arts, Culture & Media

The Nizami Bandhu, who sing Sufi music as a form of worship, have been passing the music down to younger generations.