https://www.scmp.com/rss/330096/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Morimoto Shoji is a 37-year-old who rents himself out for doing “nothing in particular”. But, doing nothing sometimes means a great deal to people who just need some company. The Japanese man kept his interactions to a minimum as he accompanied one of his clients, who was grieving a friend at a temple in Yokohama on January 29, 2021. https://www.scmp.com/china/japanese-man-rents-himself-out-offering-nothing-particular/article/3120945?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/japanese-man-rents-himself-out-offering-nothing-particular/article/3120945?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Feb 2021 10:21:16 +0000 China’s second-ever cloned kitten may only be tiny, but Chinese scientists have big plans for it. Researchers at the Qingdao Agricultural University hope the “copy cat” can assist in the development of medicines for feline diseases and protect endangered species in the broader cat family. https://www.scmp.com/china/chinese-researchers-hope-copy-cat-can-help-find-cures-feline-diseases/article/3120458?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/chinese-researchers-hope-copy-cat-can-help-find-cures-feline-diseases/article/3120458?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Feb 2021 09:52:19 +0000 China built more than 2,480mi of railway in 2020, according to Chinese state media reports. The report broadcast on December 26 said that half of the new rail lines built were for high-speed trains. https://www.scmp.com/china/china-builds-nearly-2500-miles-railway-2020/article/3116740?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/china-builds-nearly-2500-miles-railway-2020/article/3116740?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Jan 2021 10:17:14 +0000 A 470-meter-long zip line that for more than two decades was part of the daily commute for villagers of Yingge village in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan is being “retired.”  The cableway was the main transport for about 2,000 villagers to attend school, go to work and seek medical treatment. But since a bridge was built just a few hundred meters away in 2018, the zip line has been less vital, and now is being converted to a new role as tourist attraction for visitors who want a... https://www.scmp.com/china/thrilling-commuter-zip-line-retires-southwest-china-after-20-years/article/3114280?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/thrilling-commuter-zip-line-retires-southwest-china-after-20-years/article/3114280?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Dec 2020 11:59:18 +0000 In China’s northwestern Qinghai province, a wild snow leopard was recently filmed in the Sanjiangyuan National Park. In the same nature reserve, a pair of cubs were seen waiting patiently for their mother to return with food. As winter arrives, the big cats have also been sighted in other locations including Gansu, Shaanxi and China’s southwestern Sichuan province. https://www.scmp.com/china/wild-snow-leopards-and-cubs-settling-winter-are-caught-camera-northwestern-china/article/3112818?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/wild-snow-leopards-and-cubs-settling-winter-are-caught-camera-northwestern-china/article/3112818?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Dec 2020 11:27:07 +0000 People in the city of Genhe in China’s far northern Inner Mongolia autonomous region were awed by unusual light beams appearing in the night sky on  November 28, 2020. Known as “light pillars”, they are a rare optical illusion caused by falling ice crystals that reflect off light on the ground. https://www.scmp.com/china/light-pillars-create-otherworldly-scene-northern-china/article/3112816?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/light-pillars-create-otherworldly-scene-northern-china/article/3112816?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Dec 2020 11:33:47 +0000 Chen Rui says when she discovered a Burberry jacket she did not recall buying was the moment she knew she had to bring in experts to manage her overflowing luxury wardrobe. The Beijing resident is not the only affluent Chinese shopper running out of closet space after they engaged in online spending sprees during the Covid-19 pandemic. https://www.scmp.com/china/chinas-rich-hire-experts-tidy-wardrobes-stuffed-online-shopping-sprees-during-pandemic/article/3110940?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/chinas-rich-hire-experts-tidy-wardrobes-stuffed-online-shopping-sprees-during-pandemic/article/3110940?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Nov 2020 11:51:31 +0000 China's first deep-space antenna array system has been put into use at the Kashgar satellite monitoring station in western China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Four antenna dishes, each measuring about 115ft in diameter, form the newly commissioned system. The array has already been put to work supporting the Mars exploration mission of the Chinese probe Tianwen-1. https://www.scmp.com/china/chinas-first-deep-space-antenna-system-supports-mars-mission-tianwen-1-probe/article/3110456?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/chinas-first-deep-space-antenna-system-supports-mars-mission-tianwen-1-probe/article/3110456?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Nov 2020 09:58:38 +0000 An English construction worker has found a valuable Chinese artifact initially thought to be a “teapot” while clearing out family belongings from a garage during lockdowns to fight the spread of Covid-19. The 51-year-old from Derbyshire in the UK said he was about to send the item to a charity shop before discovering it was an 18th-century imperial wine ewer. It fetched a life-changing sum at an auction this week. https://www.scmp.com/arts/chinese-emperors-teapot-found-clear-out-uk-garage/article/3102978?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/arts/chinese-emperors-teapot-found-clear-out-uk-garage/article/3102978?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2020 09:34:54 +0000 Statues depicting Taiwan’s former leader Chiang Kai-shek continue to generate controversy. Chiang fled to Taiwan after his Nationalist troops lost a civil war on the Chinese mainland to Communist forces in 1949. While some revere him for his anti-communist stance, others recall Chiang’s brutal imposition of martial law and purge of thousands of opponents. More than 70 years later, there is intense debate about Chiang’s legacy, as statues are being removed under a law meant to address issues of... https://www.scmp.com/politics/future-chiang-kai-shek-statues-questioned-taiwan-reckons-former-leaders-legacy/article/3090658?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/future-chiang-kai-shek-statues-questioned-taiwan-reckons-former-leaders-legacy/article/3090658?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jun 2020 08:54:40 +0000 The coronavirus pandemic has directly threatened the survival of one of Taiwan's best-known cultural scenes, the night market. Some hawker stalls at the Ningxia Night Market in Taipei are finding a way to stay in business by teaming up with food delivery services. https://www.scmp.com/business/food-deliveries-help-taiwans-night-markets-survive-covid-19/article/3078245?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/food-deliveries-help-taiwans-night-markets-survive-covid-19/article/3078245?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2020 13:04:52 +0000 As deaths from the coronavirus mount in New York City, a temporary field hospital has been built in Central Park to help ease the burden on local hospitals. Covid-19 cases continue to surge in the city, with the death toll surpassing 900 on Monday, March 30. Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has estimated that about 200,000 Americans could die from the pandemic. US President Donald Trump has extended stay-at-home guidelines for the... https://www.scmp.com/health/tent-hospital-erected-central-park-coronavirus-deaths-mount/article/3077715?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/health/tent-hospital-erected-central-park-coronavirus-deaths-mount/article/3077715?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2020 10:36:28 +0000 Animal rescuers are bringing food and water to thousands of pets separated from their owners after the Chinese authorities locked down a city to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Read more about efforts to save the unattended pets in the central city of Wuhan here. https://www.scmp.com/china/starving-pets-trapped-empty-homes-chinese-city-epicenter-coronavirus-outbreak/article/3049784?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/starving-pets-trapped-empty-homes-chinese-city-epicenter-coronavirus-outbreak/article/3049784?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Feb 2020 10:46:05 +0000 Any visitor to Hong Kong will notice that the iconic skyscrapers are built using bamboo scaffolding. It's a technique that has been used across China for at least 1,000 years. At first, it may appear to be dangerous, but in reality, it is just as safe as any other scaffolding technique. This video from 1963 shows how the city used bamboo as it was expanding, and westernizing, its infrastructure.  Let’s take a look back at workers erecting intricate webs of sky-high bamboo scaffolding. https://www.scmp.com/society/blast-past-building-bamboo-scaffolding-1960s-hong-kong/article/3048339?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/blast-past-building-bamboo-scaffolding-1960s-hong-kong/article/3048339?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Jan 2020 11:36:48 +0000 You Wenfeng is one of only a few people who know how to create clothing from fish skin, a skill of the ethnic Hezhen people – who were once so skilled plying the waters of the nearby Heilong River that they are said to be “descended from mermaids.” The 68-year-old woman from Tongjiang, a city in China’s northeastern Heilongjiang province near the border with Russia, fears the loss of the ancient tradition. But that may start to change. She has started teaching others her craft. The exotic... https://www.scmp.com/society/traditional-fish-skin-clothing-chinas-mermaid-hezhen-people-may-hook-global-fashion/article/3048003?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/traditional-fish-skin-clothing-chinas-mermaid-hezhen-people-may-hook-global-fashion/article/3048003?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jan 2020 10:02:58 +0000 With the Lunar New Year just days away, holiday activities and celebrations are getting underway in cities across China. People reuniting with families and friends will make about 3 billion trips by road, air and rail during what is also known as the Spring Festival in China. The highlight of the festivities will be the start of the Year of the Rat on Saturday, January 25, 2020, although fears of an outbreak of a new coronavirus have prompted travel restrictions and led to cancellations of... https://www.scmp.com/china/festivities-and-mass-movement-across-china-ahead-lunar-new-year/article/3047291?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/festivities-and-mass-movement-across-china-ahead-lunar-new-year/article/3047291?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Jan 2020 11:09:33 +0000 China will ban non-degradable plastic bags in supermarkets and shopping malls in major cities by the end of 2020, according to the country’s state planner. The National Development and Reform Commission announced on January 19 that the plan will also include phasing out disposable plastic containers, utensils and courier packages from the country’s ubiquitous online shopping and food delivery industry. https://www.scmp.com/science/chinas-sweeping-plan-ban-single-use-plastics-2020/article/3046946?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/science/chinas-sweeping-plan-ban-single-use-plastics-2020/article/3046946?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jan 2020 09:13:31 +0000 Chinese state media released video showing a spectacular “New Year’s Eve drone show” along Shanghai’s famous riverfront, the Bund. But while the video was dated December 31, 2019, spectators who were on the Bund at the time of the countdown to 2020 said there were no drones in sight. EHang, one of China's largest drone makers that managed the display, said the video was filmed earlier on December 28, 2019, for a show to be broadcast on a Shanghai TV station on New Year’s Eve. https://www.scmp.com/china/shanghais-drone-show-welcoming-2020-reportedly-never-happened-new-years-eve/article/3044796?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/shanghais-drone-show-welcoming-2020-reportedly-never-happened-new-years-eve/article/3044796?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Jan 2020 10:21:26 +0000 Harbin Ice and Snow World, one of the world’s largest ice and snow theme parks, opened to the public in northeastern China on December 23, 2019. The frozen attraction in Heilongjiang province is linked to the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival which opens on January 5, 2020. https://www.scmp.com/china/stunning-ice-and-snow-sculptures-emerge-chinas-harbin-festival/article/3044259?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/stunning-ice-and-snow-sculptures-emerge-chinas-harbin-festival/article/3044259?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jan 2020 11:32:16 +0000 A six-year-old British girl from south London in the UK found a Christmas card with a message allegedly from foreign prisoners in China. The sender of the message claimed that prisoners were being forced to work against their will in the Shanghai Qingpu prison. The holiday card, which is among those sold to raise money for charity, was bought from British supermarket chain Tesco. The retailer said it has halted production at a Chinese factory after the discovery and launched an investigation... https://www.scmp.com/society/uk-girl-finds-note-alleged-chinese-prisoner-inside-charity-christmas-card/article/3043391?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/uk-girl-finds-note-alleged-chinese-prisoner-inside-charity-christmas-card/article/3043391?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Dec 2019 10:45:54 +0000 Each winter, about 100 workers toil on the frozen Songhua River in Harbin to harvest ice for the city’s famed Ice and Snow Festival, the largest of its kind in the world. The blocks will be moved to the capital of China’s northeastern province of Heilongjiang where they will be shaped into giant crystal palaces and sculptures at the event opening in early January. https://www.scmp.com/china/frozen-chinese-icemen-brave-cold-harbin-festival/article/3043192?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/frozen-chinese-icemen-brave-cold-harbin-festival/article/3043192?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Dec 2019 10:32:14 +0000 The second section of a China-funded railway connecting Kenya’s capital Nairobi to Naivasha, a town in the Central Rift Valley, opened on October 16, 2019.  Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, while on board the train's maiden journey, used the trip as an opportunity to reject criticism that the infrastructure project is a white elephant.  Critics say the project known as the Standard Gauge Railway will be unable to generate enough revenue from cargo services to cover its cost. https://www.scmp.com/business/kenya-opens-massive-us15-billion-railway-project-funded-and-built-china/article/3033977?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/kenya-opens-massive-us15-billion-railway-project-funded-and-built-china/article/3033977?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Oct 2019 10:53:41 +0000 A childhood toy sparked a lifelong fascination with pandas that coaxed Abe Nobuko to move away from her native Japan to work in China taking care of the animals. She has become a dedicated advocate for the creatures at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. https://www.scmp.com/china/stuffed-toy-sparks-animal-advocacy-japanese-panda-keeper-china/article/3030068?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/stuffed-toy-sparks-animal-advocacy-japanese-panda-keeper-china/article/3030068?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Sep 2019 10:25:07 +0000 Strong tides generated by the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which was celebrated last week, have drawn thousands of visitors to the Qiantang River in China’s eastern province of Zhejiang.  The tides created waves that allowed surfers to compete before the crowds on September 16, 2019. https://www.scmp.com/china/festive-moon-makes-waves-china/article/3027791?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/festive-moon-makes-waves-china/article/3027791?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Sep 2019 10:56:57 +0000 China's love affair with pets is only growing. At the recent 22nd Pet Fair Asia, held in Shanghai, creative dog grooming and unconventional pet choices were featured. Check out the video to get an idea of China's booming pet culture. https://www.scmp.com/china/pet-fair-asia-china-features-creative-hairdressing-and-exotic-animals/article/3025458?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/pet-fair-asia-china-features-creative-hairdressing-and-exotic-animals/article/3025458?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Sep 2019 12:35:03 +0000 Farmer Hao Xianzhang has been growing baby-shaped pears for more than a decade in China’s northern Hebei province. He said he was inspired by fruit described in the same form in the classic Chinese novel, Journey to the West. https://www.scmp.com/china/chinese-farmer-grows-bizarre-baby-shaped-pears/article/3025026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/chinese-farmer-grows-bizarre-baby-shaped-pears/article/3025026?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Aug 2019 10:04:09 +0000 American warehouse retailer Costco opened its first physical store in China this week. Low prices and a lenient return policy drew crowds of aggressive shoppers to the Shanghai store, which was forced to close early on its opening day amid chaotic scenes. https://www.scmp.com/china/mad-rush-shoppers-forces-chinas-first-costco-store-close-early-opening-day/article/3024829?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/mad-rush-shoppers-forces-chinas-first-costco-store-close-early-opening-day/article/3024829?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Aug 2019 10:03:18 +0000 A beachside fashion show was held in east China’s Shandong province on Aug 5, 2019, featuring the latest facekini designs. Facekinis are swimming outfits that cover the entire body, except the eyes, nose and mouth. The aim is to protect the body against the sun. Zhang Shifan, reportedly the inventor of the facekini, said the new collection was inspired by China’s "Belt and Road" initiative, as well as animal welfare. China’s flagship initiative consists of a series of large-scale infrastructure... https://www.scmp.com/china/new-facekini-designs-hit-chinas-beaches/article/3022533?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/new-facekini-designs-hit-chinas-beaches/article/3022533?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Aug 2019 12:57:28 +0000 Tourism authorities plan to attract 300 million visitors to the western Chinese region of Xinjiang by 2020, aiming to generate 600 billion yuan ($87 billion) in tourism revenue. But with sweeping surveillance and tight control over access, tourists are given a carefully curated view of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, where more than one million Muslims are believed held in detention camps. https://www.scmp.com/society/china-promotes-xinjiang-tourism-amid-mass-detention/article/3019095?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/china-promotes-xinjiang-tourism-amid-mass-detention/article/3019095?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jul 2019 09:59:49 +0000 Police had to capture a chimpanzee after it escaped from its enclosure at Hefei Wildlife Park in China’s eastern province of Anhui.  The animal, as well as visitors and staff at the zoo, was unharmed during the incident on July 12, 2019. https://www.scmp.com/china/runaway-chimpanzee-tries-escape-chinese-zoo/article/3018792?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/runaway-chimpanzee-tries-escape-chinese-zoo/article/3018792?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jul 2019 10:53:30 +0000 China’s aerospace entrepreneurs are racing to create affordable – and in some cases reusable – mini rockets capable of launching small commercial satellites at a fraction of the traditional cost. Watch the video above. https://www.scmp.com/science/last-wonton-chinese-start-ups-are-developing-cheap-rockets-and-tiny-satellites/article/3008524?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/science/last-wonton-chinese-start-ups-are-developing-cheap-rockets-and-tiny-satellites/article/3008524?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 May 2019 09:20:45 +0000 A parrot from the eastern Chinese city of Xuzhou isn’t content with being able to talk. After about two years of training the macaw, named Da Hong – “Big Red” – can perform a series of impressive tricks. https://www.scmp.com/china/last-wonton-parrot-shows-tricks/article/3001117?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/last-wonton-parrot-shows-tricks/article/3001117?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Mar 2019 09:18:06 +0000