Why China’s rust belt is producing some of its most popular literature

Dongbei, as China’s cold and gritty north-east is known, has traditionally been more famous for its economic struggles than for its cultural exports. Once booming under Mao because of its coal mines and steel mills, the region has endured decades of decline and poverty. But from these hardships, a powerful literary movement has emerged.

David Rennie, The Economist’s geopolitics editor, and Alice Su, our senior China correspondent, analyse “Winter Swimming”, a short story by Ban Yu, and ask: why are stories from China’s rust belt resonating with so many readers around the country?