John Krich has been covering China for 20 years, most recently as the Asian Wall St Journal's main food/sports/culture writer. He's the author of "El Beisbol," "Won Ton Lust" and other literary travelogues.

John Krich's Salon stories

Monday, Aug 25, 2008 08:30 PDT

Scoring the Beijing Olympics

They get a 9 for pomp and spectacle, but only a 3 for furthering world understanding and a 2 for the fan experience.
Saturday, Aug 23, 2008 09:40 PDT

What I couldn't write in China

Relative press freedom hasn't led to rampant muckraking, but it's not all smiles and "Have a great day!" beyond Olympic Beijing.
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 08:30 PDT

Sweet swift deities in spikes

My day of track and field was glorious, but I long to turn the Olympics back to the purity of my boyhood dreams.
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008 03:00 PDT

Dare to struggle, dare to win!

Nike darling Liu Xiang let down his nation. Shouldn't the poster boy for the new China have crawled across the finish line -- no matter what?
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008 03:00 PDT

Dare to struggle, dare to win!

Nike darling Liu Xiang let down his nation. Shouldn't the poster boy for the new China have crawled across the finish line -- no matter what?
Monday, Aug 18, 2008 14:20 PDT

The naked city

Beijing's artists deserve a gold for the sheer wealth of their audacity and talent.
Sunday, Aug 17, 2008 03:46 PDT

The bluest day

Sun shines bright on Beijing at last -- a perfect day for pure sport, beckoning all to party (and spend) within the Forbidden City.
Saturday, Aug 16, 2008 12:00 PDT

A tale of two Beijings

It wasn't the Red Army that killed feudalism -- it was the Olympics.
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2008 14:00 PDT

Asian athletes kick butt

Sports are coming on strong in a region that has traditionally favored scholarship. Example: Thailand's prodigious women weightlifters.
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 06:35 PDT

The other marathon: Getting around Beijing

It's not just athletes, but fans, who have to be in top shape for the Olympics.
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 04:00 PDT

Insecure security

China's tight grip might be at odds with the Olympic ideal of togetherness, but it's been building high walls for centuries.
Sunday, Aug 10, 2008 03:00 PDT

No way in

With 1.3 billion potential scalping customers, no scalpers and a bureaucratic snafu for press ducats, Olympic tickets are tough to come by.
Saturday, Aug 9, 2008 02:35 PDT

An opening that keeps the door shut

Filmmaker Zhang Yimou's minimalist update on the mass rallies of old fails to illuminate the modern society China is trying to build.
Friday, Aug 8, 2008 09:15 PDT

The "bitter sea" of Chinese life

Our correspondent returns to Beijing for the games -- and finds the same old dreary place.

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