China | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/china-1/RSS feed for ChinaenFri, 29 May 2026 20:15:09 +0000These 600-Year-Old Chinese Surgical Instruments Are Coated in an Early Local Anesthetic—Carefully Extracted From a Poisonous Planthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-600-year-old-chinese-surgical-instruments-are-coated-in-an-early-local-anestheticcarefully-extracted-from-a-poisonous-plant-180988865/Researchers say the numbing agent splashed onto iron scissors and tweezers during a procedure. They were found in a Ming dynasty doctor's tombFri, 29 May 2026 20:15:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-600-year-old-chinese-surgical-instruments-are-coated-in-an-early-local-anestheticcarefully-extracted-from-a-poisonous-plant-180988865/A Humanoid Robot Just Beat the Human World Record for the Fastest Half-Marathon During a Race in Chinahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-humanoid-robot-just-beat-the-human-world-record-for-the-fastest-half-marathon-during-a-race-in-china-180988599/A self-navigating robot called Lightning, developed by Chinese electronics company Honor, won the 13.1-mile race. Its results and others mark significant advancements since last year's inaugural event, where only 6 of the 21 androids reached the finish lineWed, 22 Apr 2026 19:27:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-humanoid-robot-just-beat-the-human-world-record-for-the-fastest-half-marathon-during-a-race-in-china-180988599/Born to a Family of Sharecroppers, This Topiary Artist Overcame Discrimination to Become the 'Picasso of Plants'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/born-to-a-family-of-sharecroppers-this-topiary-artist-overcame-discrimination-to-become-the-picasso-of-plants-180988544/Self-taught artist Pearl Fryar, who died this month at age 86, got his start when he tried to win an award from his local garden club. He ended up becoming a celebrity in the horticultural worldTue, 14 Apr 2026 19:44:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/born-to-a-family-of-sharecroppers-this-topiary-artist-overcame-discrimination-to-become-the-picasso-of-plants-180988544/A Mysterious, Monumental Scroll on Public Display for the First Time Paints a Picture of Artistic Fusion in Colonial Indiahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysterious-monumental-scroll-public-display-first-time-aints-picture-artistic-fusion-colonial-india-180988512/A new exhibition shares the artistic legacy of centuries of British East India Company influence in East and Southeast AsiaThu, 09 Apr 2026 17:45:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysterious-monumental-scroll-public-display-first-time-aints-picture-artistic-fusion-colonial-india-180988512/What Lies Beyond Artemis 2? These Other Missions Are Setting Their Sights on the Moon This Year—and on a Future With Humans in Spacehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-lies-beyond-artemis-2-these-other-missions-are-setting-their-sights-on-the-moon-this-yearand-on-a-future-with-humans-in-space-180988517/As the historic lunar flyby comes to a close, space companies and nations around the world are also shooting for the moon. Upcoming landings aim to change the landscape of space explorationThu, 09 Apr 2026 14:02:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-lies-beyond-artemis-2-these-other-missions-are-setting-their-sights-on-the-moon-this-yearand-on-a-future-with-humans-in-space-180988517/New Fossils Discovered in China Hint That Complex Life Evolved Millions of Years Earlier Than Scientists Thoughthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-fossils-discovered-in-china-hint-that-complex-life-evolved-millions-of-years-earlier-than-scientists-thought-180988490/The assemblage suggests that the ancestors of some of today's animal groups may have arisen before the famed Cambrian explosionTue, 07 Apr 2026 19:32:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-fossils-discovered-in-china-hint-that-complex-life-evolved-millions-of-years-earlier-than-scientists-thought-180988490/The World's Longest Outdoor Escalator Just Opened in China. Riding the 3,000-Foot-Long System to the Top Takes More Than 20 Minuteshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-longest-outdoor-escalator-just-opened-in-china-riding-the-3000-foot-long-system-to-the-top-takes-more-than-20-minutes-180988468/The new "Goddess" escalator in Wushan County features 21 individual escalators and 8 elevators. The modular design carries riders up 800 feet in elevationFri, 03 Apr 2026 18:28:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-longest-outdoor-escalator-just-opened-in-china-riding-the-3000-foot-long-system-to-the-top-takes-more-than-20-minutes-180988468/