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Runners set off during the DMZ International Peace Marathon, in the Demilitarized Zone in Gangwon province, in South Korea, on September 21, 2025. Some 10 million South Koreans now identify as runners, according to industry and tourism data, roughly double the figure from 2015. Photo: The Korea Times
Tourism

What’s fuelling South Korea’s running boom? A look at the fitness obsession

From office workers to ultra-marathoners, South Korea’s running boom is reshaping streets, travel and retail as millions hit the pavement.

Tourism

3 underrated ski resorts that should be on your radar this winter

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Art

A father dies before his art museum is finished. His son achieves his dream

Art

New art fair to offer Taipei and Hong Kong ‘a different kind of experience’

Pavilion offers a slower alternative to the ‘hyper-accelerated pace’ of Asia’s big contemporary art fairs, says one of its co-founders.

Pavilion co-founders Ysabelle Cheung (left) and Willem Molesworth (right) with Pavilion Taipei partner Michelle Hsieh. The new art fair, opening in Taipei on January 22, will provide a “more in-depth” art-viewing experience, meeting a need that the founders believe bigger events have “struggled to satisfy”. Photo: courtesy of Pavilion
Pavilion co-founders Ysabelle Cheung (left) and Willem Molesworth (right) with Pavilion Taipei partner Michelle Hsieh. The new art fair, opening in Taipei on January 22, will provide a “more in-depth” art-viewing experience, meeting a need that the founders believe bigger events have “struggled to satisfy”. Photo: courtesy of Pavilion
Food and Drinks

‘Umami, salty, stinky’: how 3 flavours define China’s Ningbo cuisine

We go on a culinary journey through Ningbo with the people behind Yong Fu Hong Kong to discover the region’s punchy and pungent flavours.

Asia travel

Inside central Vietnam’s first integrated resort, a stone’s throw from Hoi An

Hoiana Resort & Golf has four properties, more than 20 restaurants and bars, a golf course and a casino, and is close to Hoi An Ancient Town.

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Tourism

2026 travel trends: astrotourism, nostalgia trips and even more solo holidays

What does 2026 have in store for travel? Experts talk about dark sky gazing, trips that make us feel like children, solo cruises and more.

Cruise tourists on their way to visit the city of Palma in Mallorca after disembarking at the port. A growing awareness of overtourism is expected to shape holiday decisions in the coming years. Photo: Clara Margais/dpa
Cruise tourists on their way to visit the city of Palma in Mallorca after disembarking at the port. A growing awareness of overtourism is expected to shape holiday decisions in the coming years. Photo: Clara Margais/dpa
Social media

At 75, Snoopy has conquered the Gen Z market. How did the beagle do it?

Snoopy’s enduring appeal continues to boost Peanuts’ brand now – it has more than 1,200 licensees around the world.

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Mainland China

Why Air France-KLM remains bullish on China-Europe travel market despite hurdles

Chinese travellers drive leisure and business bookings as airline eyes long-term growth despite Russian airspace restrictions.

Tourism

7 travel tips for 2026 – one of them is to play board games with locals

Forget TikTok recommendations and soulless one-star restaurants; focus instead on the experiences you want to taste, drink, and enjoy.

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Snakes and Lattes, a board game cafe in Toronto, has many games on site. Play games in places like this to connect with locals when you are on your travels. Photo: Toronto Star via Getty Images
Tourism

Track history – a 43-hour train trip from Los Angeles to Chicago

Amtrak’s Southwest Chief train route runs between Los Angeles and Chicago on a 43-hour trip, with a dining car and a great viewing carriage.

Passengers on the Southwest Chief train relax in the Sightseer Lounge on the trip between Los Angeles and Chicago. Photo: TNS
Passengers on the Southwest Chief train relax in the Sightseer Lounge on the trip between Los Angeles and Chicago. Photo: TNS
Space

2026 is a stellar year for supermoons and eclipses: what to look out for

The coming year is packed with cosmic events, from a ‘ring of fire’ eclipse to two six-planet line-ups to several supermoons.

Asia travel

Travel stories from 2025 that will fuel your wanderlust for the year ahead

We recall 7 travel stories from the past year to inspire you in 2026, covering China food trips to a Hongkonger’s life-changing adventure.

Tourism

Expedition to Chile’s Cape Horn reveals awesome nature at the world’s end

A 5-day cruise to South America’s southern tip stuns with fiords, penguins and wind-blasted cliffs reached via the world’s deadliest waters.

Expedition crew members walk in Chile’s Cape Horn National Park, one of the southernmost points of South America. A five-day expedition there presents spectacular nature – and danger. Photo: dpa-tmn
China property

China Jinmao sells 5-star Ritz-Carlton hotel in Sanya for US$322 million

Asset restructuring aims to boost liquidity as mainland China developers face a prolonged property downturn.

Ritz-Carlton Sanya Yalong Bay has demonstrated mature and stable operations with favourable profitability and cash flow, says China Jinmao. Photo: Keith Chan
Ritz-Carlton Sanya Yalong Bay has demonstrated mature and stable operations with favourable profitability and cash flow, says China Jinmao. Photo: Keith Chan
Asia travel

Best things to do in Nara, Japanese city that’s more than an Osaka side trip

Widely regarded as the birthplace of Japanese culture, Nara offers everything from Unesco World Heritage sites to ryokans and bars.

Tourism

Tours to visit Christmas movie locations in US state prove huge hit

Fans of Hallmark’s feel-good and family-friendly TV films are taking tours around locations in Connecticut, home to at least 22 productions.

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Wellness

How this luxury Cambodian resort offers a yoga experience few others can match

Knai Bang Chatt, an eco-friendly seaside resort in Kep, left stressed-out Cathy Hilborn Feng feeling realigned from the inside out.

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Lana Yang (left), wellness manager at Knai Bang Chatt, and her friend and fellow yoga instructor Aimee Ortagus lead a class during a three-day yoga retreat at the seaside resort. Photo: Cathy Hilborn Feng
Lana Yang (left), wellness manager at Knai Bang Chatt, and her friend and fellow yoga instructor Aimee Ortagus lead a class during a three-day yoga retreat at the seaside resort. Photo: Cathy Hilborn Feng
Tourism

See dreamlike dunes and meet modern nomads in world’s biggest sand desert

In the Omani part of Rub’ al Khali, tourists can explore a constantly changing landscape with all the comforts of the present.

SCMP Highlights

Hong Kong’s festive dining; music cuts dementia risks: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From Hong Kong cinema’s female action stars to must-try festive meals in Hong Kong, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

Art

Want to watch Tolkien illustrator John Howe as he works? Now you can

At Howe’s ‘Tower of Fantasy’ studio in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, visitors can watch him as he creates and view hundreds of his illustrations.

Illustrator John Howe poses at La Tour du Fantastique (“The Tower of Fantasy”), a new museum in Neuchâtel, western Switzerland, on December 9, 2025. The 68-year-old is famed for his interpretation of Tolkien’s literary work, which ultimately saw him serve as a concept artist on movie trilogies The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Photo: AFP
Tourism

Why knitters around the world love visiting Scotland’s Shetland Islands

Events like Wool Week and a deep passion for all things knitting make Scotland’s Shetland Islands a paradise for knitters and crafters.

Knitwear is seen at a shop in Scotland’s Shetland Islands. The Shetlands are famous for knitwear, and people from around the world visit to learn knitting techniques and patterns, exchange ideas with like-minded people, and, of course, to see the Shetland Islands. Photo: Verena Wolff/dpa-tmn
Knitwear is seen at a shop in Scotland’s Shetland Islands. The Shetlands are famous for knitwear, and people from around the world visit to learn knitting techniques and patterns, exchange ideas with like-minded people, and, of course, to see the Shetland Islands. Photo: Verena Wolff/dpa-tmn
Year of the Horse 2026

Mongolia’s child jockeys are key to its heritage. But are they in danger?

Light and agile, children have long held the reins in Mongolian horse racing. But the hazards of the sport make it anything but child’s play.

Mainland China

China-led Asia-Pacific lifts global aviation outlook as profits set to soar

Passenger demand from China and India, eased visa rules and freight resilience drive growth as IATA forecasts record airline profits in 2026.

Tourism

How Saudi Arabia’s mountains offer authentic delights rarely found elsewhere

Far from Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 development projects, the hills of Asir province and its capital Abha offer a place to ‘clear the mind’.

A view of Rijal Almaa village, located west of Abha in Saudi Arabia’s Asir province. This part of the country offers an arguably more authentic experience – and certainly a cooler one – than in the kingdom’s desert areas, where many of its elaborate Vision 2023 projects aim to draw tourists. Photo: Xinhua via Zum Wire/TNS
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