Even with all the reading about China that I do, some stuff still slips through the cracks. It’s been a fairly slow summer news wise, so lately I’ve been challenging people to tell me about some interesting stories. Here are a few good pieces that I missed when they first came out–thanks to various journalist friends for passing these on.

Local officials judged by the people on a new reality TV show

Towns built on exhausted coal mines are sinking into the earth

Increased openness is finally making the scope of China’s child sexual abuse problem clear

How one Chinese welder navigated the economic slowdown

Robotics parks are springing up like mushrooms after the rain

Bonus link: amazing photos of China in 1956