Home › Centers

Northern California

The Cleanest Race: How North Koreans See Themselves and Why It Matters by B.R. Myers (Melville House, 2010).

What North Korea Sees in the Mirror

If you want to understand how North Koreans perceive themselves, says B.R. Myers, study their propaganda. more
Tourists take in the view of the Forbidden City from atop Coal Hill in Jingshan Park, north of the former imperial palace on a smoggy day in Beijing on December 10, 2009. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)

China’s Environmental Movement: A Journalist’s Perspective

Journalist Liu Jianqiang discussed his investigative stories on the ecological impact and displacement of people by China's hydroelectric projects. more
Tori Zwisler, founding executive director of the Jane Goodall Institute-Shanghai.

In China, Planting Trees to Make a Difference

Tori Zwisler, the leader of the Million Tree Campaign, discusses her career as a highly visible foreign environmentalist. more
Environmental activist and former Asia 21 Fellow Wen Bo.

Wen Bo, China's Advocate for the Environment

Asia 21 Fellow and TIME magazine "eco-hero" negotiates a delicate balance between NGOs, foreign donors, and the government. more
The panel discussion at the World Affairs Council in San Francisco on Oct. 5, 2009. (Asia Society Northern California)

Prospects for Chinese Democracy Aren't Good, Panel Says

China's economic success may have an unintended consequence: the weakening of calls for democracy. more
John Bilmon, chief designer of the Beijing Olympics Watercube, addresses the conference in San Francisco on May 1, 2009. (Amanda Huffman/Asia Society Northern California)

Scaling Up: From Green Buildings to Green Cities

Environmental conference stresses opportunities for cooperation between the US and China. more
Perspective view of the Himalayas and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. (NASA)

Asia's Vanishing Glaciers

Speakers predict reduced water supply, other dire consequences from climate change. more
L to R: Zheng Cao, Ning Liang, Qian Yi. (Terrence McCarthy/sfopera.com)

An Opera That Spans Generations, and Cultures

The stars of Amy Tan's The Bonesetter's Daughter discuss the unique collaborative process behind the work. more
The Chitresh Das Dance Company performs kathak in San Francisco on Sept. 15, 2008.

Meditation in Motion

An evening with the Chitresh Das Dance Company. more